Hetzner vs Liquid Web: guide for 2024

Final verdict

Looking over Hetzner vs. Liquid Web, each hosting provider has its unique strengths, making them suitable for different audiences and needs.

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  Liquid Web (Overall grade: 8.4)
  
  
  is a high-performance hosting service ideal for businesses needing comprehensive support and security. Offering managed high availability solutions, CloudFlare CDN, DDoS protection, and compliance with standards like HIPAA and PCI, Liquid Web assures consistent uptime and quick response times. Its extensive options for WordPress and ecommerce hosting, along with proactive server management, make it particularly advantageous for high-traffic and data-intensive environments. Although priced higher, the expansive support network, including dedicated migration assistance and 24/7/365 customer service, elevates its overall value.
  
• 
  Hetzner (Overall grade: 7.9)
  
  
  delivers a cost-effective, high-speed hosting solution with a strong focus on flexibility and customization. It supports a range of hosting types including shared and VPS hosting, which is beneficial for smaller projects or developers looking for scalable options. Utilizing advanced NVMe SSDs and multiple data centers across different regions, Hetzner promises robust performance and reliability. Despite lacking certain high-end security features and 24/7 live customer support, its competitive pricing, broad data center coverage, and strong DDoS protection make it a pragmatic choice for users seeking reliable hosting without breaking the bank.
  

Hosting types offered

Both platforms provide a variety of hosting types, each designed to meet the different needs of users.

Although both offer a variety of hosting plans tailored to different needs, in certain cases, one platform may prove to be more suitable.

Detailed comparison

🏆 Winner
Liquid Web: Offers high availability and a 100% uptime guarantee with substantial credits for downtime.

Hetzner Online provides a strong uptime guarantee of 99.9%, with actual performance sometimes reaching 100%. They ensure network availability with the help of a redundant network utilizing Juniper backbone technology. Their data centers are located in multiple regions including Germany, Finland, and the USA, and they offer 24/7 monitoring along with free DDoS protection.

Liquid Web stands out with a 100% uptime SLA and proactive Sonar™ monitoring. They promise hardware replacement within 30 minutes and immediate response times for support. Their managed high availability solutions, along with CloudFlare CDN and DDoS protection, make them a highly reliable option for ensuring business continuity.

🏆 Winner
Hetzner: More advanced features and broader data center coverage

When it comes to general performance, both Hetzner and Liquid Web offer high-speed hosting solutions, but Hetzner edges out slightly with its NVMe SSD disk space, offering faster read and write speeds. Both services support advanced processors, with Hetzner utilizing Intel® Xeon® Gold and AMD EPYC™ processors, while Liquid Web employs AMD EPYC and Intel Xeon. Hetzner has an advantage in data centers, with locations in Germany, Finland, and the USA, compared to Liquid Web’s limited data center information. Both hostings offer 24/7 support, but Liquid Web guarantees a faster response time.

Website Speed

Both Hetzner and Liquid Web excel in website speed, utilizing NVMe or SSD storage to ensure rapid data access. Hetzner’s use of NVMe SSDs could potentially offer superior performance, contributing to quicker load times. Liquid Web’s robust network ensures fast data transfers with a 10 Gbps speed for VPS hosting. Both services offer SSL certificates for enhanced security, but Hetzner provides more daily backup options with a 14-day retention period.

Scalability

Hetzner offers flexible cloud hosting solutions with shared and dedicated vCPU options, allowing for easy upgrades without needing a minimum contract period. Liquid Web provides easy scalability options, including autoscaling at no additional cost, which seamlessly adjusts server resources according to demand. Both services offer dedicated server options, but Liquid Web’s customer feedback and autoscaling feature make it easier to manage scalability. Pricing details for scaling are not provided for either service.

🏆 Winner Liquid Web: A comprehensive hosting provider with extensive security features and strong compliance credentials.

Both Liquid Web and Hetzner, have notable differences in their approaches to technical and operational security, as well as in their compliance with regulations.

Technical security measures:

Liquid Web and Hetzner offer robust security measures, but their approaches differ significantly. Liquid Web provides hardened configurations and real-time monitoring through the F5 AIP Intrusion Detection System, which enhances server protection and identifies potential threats. Hetzner also offers strong DDoS protection and secure connections, using SSL-encrypted access for several services, including FTP and SSH. While both support various PHP versions, Liquid Web’s focus on real-time attack detection and automated remediation solutions gives it an edge.

Operational security measures:

Operationally, Liquid Web excels with features like 24/7/365 on-site support, real-time DDoS attack protection, and the use of VPNs and firewalls for enhanced security. Hetzner ensures constant monitoring and has a well-organized escalation concept for urgency reports. It also provides mail security through DKIM, SPF, and anti-spam techniques. Nevertheless, Liquid Web’s inclusion of real-time monitoring and comprehensive intrusion detection gives it a more immediate response capability, which is essential for high-security environments.

Compliance and certifications:

Hetzner emphasizes GDPR compliance, offering a Data Processing Agreement in line with European data protection regulations, and their data centers are ISO 27001 certified. Liquid Web demonstrates broader compliance, including PCI and HIPAA compliance, and adheres to the EU-US Privacy Shield. Liquid Web provides a fully managed PCI Compliance Scanning Service and also ensures data encryption at rest, making it suitable for industries with stringent compliance requirements.

🏆 Winner
Hetzner: Hetzner provides a robust hosting service with a variety of features that cater to both novice and expert web developers. Liquid Web’s comprehensive managed hosting solutions may appeal to businesses requiring extensive support, but its offerings come with a higher price tag.

Both Hetzner and Liquid Web offer a range of features, but their approaches differ. Hetzner includes a main domain in its packages, with the option to add more at an additional cost. Its unlimited traffic and ample SSD disk space make it an attractive choice for websites expecting high volumes of traffic. Hetzner also backs up its hosting with solid security measures like DDoS protection and daily backups. Liquid Web, on the other hand, excels in managed hosting with hands-on support for server and OS updates, making it ideal for companies that need dependable and proactive management of their hosting environment. Liquid Web also supports complex hosting setups, such as VMware Private Cloud and managed VPS hosting, which can accommodate demanding, data-intensive workloads.

Hetzner’s user-friendly interface, konsoleH, allows for customizable settings, providing developers with flexibility. Liquid Web’s high availability hosting and compliance-focused solutions like HIPAA or PCI requirements are distinct advantages for clients with specific regulatory needs. While Liquid Web offers a free domain for the first year, Hetzner’s competitive pricing for additional domains and data processing agreement options in compliance with GDPR are significant perks. Nevertheless, the absence of explicit information about FTP/SFTP in the Liquid Web context might be a downside for those needing these features readily accessible.

Both providers support a range of users from beginners to experts with user-friendly website builders and WordPress staging areas. However, in terms of developer tools, both Hetzner and Liquid Web offer robust options including SSH access, support for multiple programming languages, and Git for version control, thus appealing to developers looking for advanced capabilities.

Email services:

Email services at Hetzner offers comprehensive email services with features like 100 to unlimited mailboxes, extensive email forwarding, and synchronization protocols such as Exchange Active Sync. Liquid Web provides email hosting but focuses more on hosting complex and data-intensive workloads, which may include email services as part of its managed solutions. While neither provider specializes in reselling third-party email services, Hetzner’s broader set of email features gives it an edge for users who need extensive email capabilities.

🏆 Winner
[Liquid Web]: Versatile hosting plans catering to various needs with 24/7/365 human support.

Evaluating the pricing of plans among various hosting providers can be complex due to their differing pricing and renewal strategies. Additionally, certain plans require annual commitments, which adds to the difficulty of making comparisons. The prices listed are based on monthly commitments; plans requiring annual commitments are indicated. Additionally, although some providers offer identical plans for WordPress and shared hosting, we have created separate tables for each to enhance clarity.

When comparing the pricing plans of Hetzner and Liquid Web, some key differences emerge. Hetzner offers competitive rates for its web hosting and cloud hosting plans, with prices starting as low as €2.09 per month for basic features. In contrast, Liquid Web’s Managed WordPress Hosting plans start at a higher price point, beginning at $21 per month but include extensive support and security features. Hetzner’s plans provide unlimited traffic and superior SSD storage, while Liquid Web excels with high storage capacity and autoscaled PHP workers tailored for more demanding websites. Hetzner’s offerings are more diverse in terms of server resources, but Liquid Web brings enhanced customer support and advanced security measures, making it a reliable choice for those needing comprehensive hosting solutions.

Enterprise plans

For enterprises, Hetzner offers Level 19 at €21.90 per month, with extensive features such as 300GB NVMe SSD and unlimited databases, offering both scalability and flexibility. Liquid Web’s top-tier enterprise plans, such as ENTERPRISE ($1095/mo), support up to 30 WooCommerce stores or 250 WordPress sites with a vast 800GB storage and 10TB bandwidth, making them suitable for more resource-intensive applications. Hetzner offers cost-effective, high-performance solutions, while Liquid Web provides advanced support and higher capacity storage options for large-scale needs.

🏆 Winner: Liquid Web: Offers extensive support and management features for a seamless hosting experience.

When comparing the admin panels of Hetzner and Liquid Web, Hetzner uses the custom konsoleH interface. This admin panel allows users to create accounts, manage domains, email addresses, and configure various settings. The interface is designed to be user-friendly, making it accessible for both technical and non-technical users. It offers powerful customization options and efficient account management features. On the other hand, Liquid Web specializes in providing a more comprehensive management experience. Their admin interface is geared towards proactive management of hosting needs, ensuring that server and OS updates are handled automatically. The design is intuitive, catering to users who may not have a deep technical background while still providing advanced options for more experienced users.

Example hosting one on the other hand, offers a dual interface that combines a custom dashboard with full cPanel access, catering to both beginners and technically advanced users. The platform includes a comprehensive help center filled with a wide variety of guides and tutorials, aimed at assisting users in managing and optimizing their websites effectively.

Both Example hosting one and Example hosting two offer migration services for websites, but their approaches and costs differ. Example hosting one provides free automated migrations for WordPress sites specifically within the first 30 days after purchasing a new shared hosting plan. For non-WordPress sites, however, Example hosting one charges $149 for migration services, although users have the option to undertake manual migrations, which demand considerable technical expertise. On the other hand, Example hosting two offers both automated and manual migration options for WordPress and non-WordPress or custom sites alike. Their paid migration service is considerably more affordable at approximately $30.

The platforms provide extensive knowledge bases filled with guides, how-to articles, and instructional content. Example hosting one offers a wide range of resources alongside 24/7 chat and phone support. Example hosting two also boasts a detailed help center with an intuitive search function and around-the-clock support via live chat, phone, and ticketing, ensuring comprehensive user support.

🏆 Winner Liquid Web: Comprehensive user management and roles within Plesk.

When comparing the abilities of Hetzner Online and Liquid Web in managing user roles, permissions, and accessibility, Liquid Web offers more predefined roles which provide clear and flexible options. Hetzner allows creating user groups yet focuses primarily on storage quotas and administrator designation. Liquid Web’s variety with four distinct user roles — Administrator, Webmaster, Application User, and Accountant — gives it an edge for more specialized role assignments and a detailed level of control. This flexibility makes managing varying access levels easier.

In terms of user interfaces and tools provided for managing users, both providers offer intuitive, albeit different, setups. Hetzner uses a straightforward user settings page where administrators can add groups and allocate quotas. The interface is functional and gets the job done. Liquid Web uses the Plesk control panel, which, with its service provider and power user views, presents a more refined and comprehensive environment for managing users. Plesk’s clear navigation between subscriptions and users tends to offer a smoother user experience.

For access control measures and managing a growing number of users, both platforms excel in their unique ways. Hetzner provides a clear structure for assigning storage quotas and has an activity overview to monitor user actions efficiently. Liquid Web’s Plesk allows detailed permission settings and user roles, capable of handling a larger number of users without overwhelming the administrator. Liquid Web’s controlled access and specific user roles can help in managing subdivisions effectively, making it scalable for expanding organizations.

Hetzner user roles table:

Liquid Web user roles table:

🏆 Winner Liquid Web: Superior support availability, response time guarantees, and dedicated teams offer a reliable and well-rounded experience.

Hetzner Online provides multiple support options, including email, ticketing, and phone support, with a detailed knowledge base for self-service. However, it lacks live chat support and some users have reported dissatisfaction with account issues and billing disputes. Despite offering general good-quality support, the limited support hours on weekends and the absence of a money-back guarantee are seen as significant limitations.

Liquid Web excels in customer service with a plethora of contact methods and fast response times, including 24/7/365 availability via phone, chat, and helpdesk. Their Heroic Support® team ensures timely assistance, backed by comprehensive documentation and proactive monitoring. They also offer custom solutions, migration assistance, and dedicated account management for enterprise clients, reflecting their high customer satisfaction and loyalty.

User feedback

Users generally find the hosting provider to be cost-effective with robust performance capabilities, able to handle demanding tasks reliably. Many reviewers appreciate the competitive pricing, ease of use, and the fast, reliable infrastructure. While customer support is often praised for its availability and helpfulness, some users believe it could still see improvements. The platform’s dashboard and additional features could benefit from enhancements, but overall, users are satisfied with the value and quality of service provided.

Customer feedback for this hosting provider is mixed, with significant polarization in user experiences. While some have praised the company for its reliable uptime, exceptional support, and proactive monitoring, others have experienced severe dissatisfaction due to frequent downtimes, unresponsive customer service, and unethical billing practices. Long-term customers, in particular, have noted a sharp decline in service quality and support efficiency, attributing it to recent management changes. Despite positive reviews highlighting excellent technical support and overall reliability, a growing number of users advise against using this provider due to these negative aspects.

FAQ