Spec-for-price table
Liquid Web figures are from its managed VPS page; KnownHost figures are from its managed VPS plans page. Neither page labelled these as promotional prices.
- Liquid Web's general VPS page lists 4 GB, 8 GB and 16 GB plans at $17, $45 and $90 per month and labels them self or fully managed. Those figures do not match the managed VPS page, so ask which management level a quote includes.
- KnownHost lists 2 dedicated IPs and a /64 IPv6 block on every plan and data centres in Atlanta, Seattle and Amsterdam.
| Plan | Monthly | CPU | RAM | Storage | Bandwidth | Price per GB RAM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KnownHost Basic | $43.25 | 4 cores | 6 GB | 100 GB NVMe | 3 TB | $7.21 |
| KnownHost Standard | $63.25 | 6 cores | 10 GB | 200 GB NVMe | 5 TB | $6.33 |
| KnownHost Professional | $83.25 | 8 cores | 12 GB | 300 GB NVMe | 6 TB | $6.94 |
| KnownHost Premium | $103.25 | 10 cores | 14 GB | 350 GB NVMe | 8 TB | $7.38 |
| KnownHost Extreme | $143.25 | 16 cores | 16 GB | 500 GB NVMe | 10 TB | $8.95 |
| Liquid Web 4 GB | $72 | 2 vCPU | 4 GB | 80 GB SSD | 3 TB | $18.00 |
| Liquid Web 8 GB | $100 | 4 vCPU | 8 GB | 240 GB SSD | 5 TB | $12.50 |
| Liquid Web 16 GB | $145 | 6 vCPU | 16 GB | 440 GB SSD | 7 TB | $9.06 |
| Liquid Web 24 GB | $178 | 6 vCPU | 24 GB | 540 GB SSD | 8 TB | $7.42 |
Control panel licensing
KnownHost's page says cPanel, DirectAdmin and Plesk come preinstalled and fully licensed, which implies no separate licence line, though it does not spell out the licence tier. Liquid Web's managed VPS page lists InterWorx, cPanel and Plesk as available and its FAQ says DirectAdmin, Webmin and CentOS Web Panel are also supported on almost all of its servers, but it does not say whether a panel licence is included in the plan price.
Panel licensing is the line most likely to change a comparison, so ask each provider for the monthly cost of the exact panel you want at the account count you will run.
Backups and support scope
| Item | KnownHost managed VPS | Liquid Web fully managed VPS |
|---|---|---|
| OS and panel updates | Nightly OS and panel updates via automation; OS management and troubleshooting | System and control panel updates |
| Security | Initial hardening, CSF firewall, SSH port change | Firewall setup; built-in firewalls and security alerts |
| PHP and web stack | Apache and PHP-FPM optimisation; PHP config per panel | PHP support |
| Backups | Remote backup location setup; JetBackup add-on $8.95/mo or $107.40/yr | Acronis backup storage listed; help with backups and data restores |
| Backup retention | Set by your JetBackup configuration | Not stated on the page |
| Migration | Initial account migration, same panel, remote system | Ask |
| Third-party apps and WordPress plugins | Best effort | Not stated on the page |
| Support channels | 24/7/365 live chat or ticket | 24/7 support |
Worked quote comparison for an 8 GB requirement
Suppose sizing work says a course site needs about 8 GB of RAM. Liquid Web's 8 GB plan is $100 per month. KnownHost has no 8 GB plan; the nearest is Standard with 10 GB at $63.25, or $72.20 with JetBackup. The difference is $27.80 a month, or $333.60 a year, in KnownHost's favour at list prices.
What could justify Liquid Web's price: restores handled by its staff under fully managed, more disk (240 GB against 200 GB), and Acronis storage that may already cover your backup needs. What could narrow KnownHost's advantage: a Liquid Web quote that turns out to include a panel licence and enough backup storage that you would otherwise pay for separately, or a support boundary at KnownHost that leaves you paying a developer. Only itemised quotes settle that.
Checklist for comparing the two quotes
- Confirm the quote is for fully managed service, not self-managed, and the billing term.
- Get the monthly cost of the control panel licence you need, at your expected account count.
- Get backup frequency, retention, storage location and who performs a restore, with any per-restore fee.
- Ask Liquid Web whether its vCPUs are dedicated or shared; KnownHost's plan page says its VPS plans reserve dedicated CPU cores and memory.
- Ask what happens when a WordPress plugin breaks the site: who investigates, and is it billed?
- Ask how a plan upgrade works and whether it needs downtime; KnownHost's page says upgrades and downgrades happen without downtime.
- Confirm migration help: what is included, what is excluded, and who tests the result.
- Write the total year-one and year-two cost for each, including tax and add-ons.
Who fits which
- KnownHost fits: owners who want the most RAM and NVMe per dollar, are comfortable configuring JetBackup retention, and have someone to own WordPress-level issues.
- Liquid Web fits: owners who want restores and backups handled within the managed service and will pay more per GB of RAM for that, provided the itemised quote confirms it.
- Neither fits: a site whose slowness has not been diagnosed; a bigger server may hide a slow query or plugin without fixing it.
Questions before you decide
Which is cheaper, Liquid Web or KnownHost managed VPS?
On list prices read 29 October 2026, KnownHost: its Basic plan is $43.25 for 6 GB RAM against $72 for Liquid Web's 4 GB managed plan. Panel licences and backups can change the comparison, so compare itemised quotes.
Does KnownHost charge for cPanel?
Its managed VPS page says cPanel, DirectAdmin and Plesk come preinstalled and fully licensed. Confirm the licence tier for your account count in the quote.
How long does Liquid Web keep VPS backups?
The managed VPS page lists Acronis backup storage and backup help for fully managed customers but does not state retention. Ask for it in writing.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- Liquid Web: Managed VPS hosting Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Liquid Web: VPS hosting Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- KnownHost: Managed VPS hosting plans Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- KnownHost: Support coverage Accessed 29 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.