Why VPS listings are hard to compare
Three listings for "a VPS with 4 GB of RAM" can describe very different products. One includes a control panel and a team that patches the server; another is a bare virtual machine that you secure yourself. The resource numbers are close; the work you are signing up for is not.
This glossary reads the spec sheets of three providers as published on 30 October 2026: KnownHost's Managed NVMe VPS, Liquid Web's Managed VPS and DigitalOcean's Basic Droplets.
Spec-sheet terms side by side
| Term | Plain meaning | KnownHost label | Liquid Web label | DigitalOcean label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Processor capacity allocated to your server | CPU in cores, e.g. 4 Core on Basic | vCPU, e.g. 2 on the 4 GB plan | vCPU, e.g. 1 on the $6 Droplet |
| RAM | Memory for PHP, the database and caches | Guaranteed RAM, 6 GB on Basic | RAM, 4 GB on the entry plan | Memory, 512 MiB to 2 GiB on the smallest Basic sizes |
| Storage | Disk for files, database and backups kept on the server | NVMe Storage, 100 GB on Basic | SSD storage, 80 GB on the 4 GB plan | SSD, 10 to 60 GiB on the smallest sizes |
| Transfer | Outbound data allowance per month | Premium Bandwidth, 3 TB on Basic | Bandwidth, 3 TB on the 4 GB plan; unmetered inbound | Transfer, 500 to 3,000 GiB; inbound free; extra outbound $0.01 per GiB |
| IP addresses | Public addresses assigned to the server | 2 Dedicated IP, /64 IPv6 | Dedicated IP address | Not listed in the size table |
| Root access | Full administrator control of the operating system | Full Root Access | Root access | You control the OS entirely |
| Control panel | Web interface for sites, email, DNS and accounts | cPanel, DirectAdmin and Plesk, preinstalled and fully licensed | InterWorx, cPanel and Plesk available | None by default |
| Management | Who maintains and secures the server | Fully managed: nightly OS and panel updates, firewall, hardening | Fully managed: system and panel updates, firewall setup, PHP support, monitoring | Unmanaged: you secure the OS and applications |
| Backups | Copies of the server you can restore | JetBackup add-on, $8.95 per month | Acronis backup storage mentioned; price not on page | Separate product, not in Droplet price |
vCPU, cores and RAM: reading the resource numbers
A vCPU is a share of a physical processor allocated to your virtual server. Providers describe it differently. DigitalOcean's pricing page describes Basic Droplets as having the most efficient CPU usage at a lower cost for workloads that underuse dedicated threads, and separately offers General Purpose plans with guaranteed dedicated CPU. KnownHost lists cores and labels its memory "Guaranteed RAM". Neither page tells you exactly how a core compares across providers, so treat CPU counts as a rough guide and test with your own site.
For WordPress, RAM is usually the tighter limit. Each PHP worker and the database both need memory, so the number of workers you can run safely depends on how much RAM is left after MySQL and any cache.
Worked comparison of entry plans: KnownHost Basic is listed at $43.25 a month for 4 cores, 6 GB RAM, 100 GB NVMe and 3 TB transfer. Liquid Web's entry managed plan is listed at $72 a month for 2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM, 80 GB SSD and 3 TB. DigitalOcean's 2 GiB, 1 vCPU Droplet is $12 a month with 50 GiB SSD and 2,000 GiB transfer, but without management or a control panel.
Root access, cPanel and WHM
Root access means you can install software and change any system setting. Both KnownHost and Liquid Web list it on their managed VPS plans; KnownHost's FAQ says a managed VPS gives full root access so you can run the server the way you want. Root access does not mean the provider stops supporting you, but changes you make outside the panel may fall outside their scope.
cPanel is the per-account control panel; WHM is the server-level tool hosting providers use to create and manage cPanel accounts, as cPanel's own pricing page describes. cPanel is licensed by account count. Its price list shows Solo (1 account) at $29.99 a month, Admin (up to 5) at $35.99, Pro (up to 30) at $53.99 and Premier (up to 100) at $69.99 with $0.49 per additional account, all excluding VAT.
KnownHost says its panels come preinstalled and fully licensed but does not state on the plan page whether the license is in the listed price; Liquid Web lists panels as available without a separate price. Ask each provider for the monthly total with your chosen panel before comparing.
What "managed" actually covers
Managed is the term that varies most. KnownHost lists nightly operating system and control panel updates, Apache and PHP-FPM optimization, CSF firewall configuration, changing the default SSH port and baseline security hardening. Its support coverage page treats third-party applications and custom configurations as best effort, and says anything more involved may be outside scope or billed as professional services.
Liquid Web's management levels page describes self-managed (it provides power and network; you handle management, maintenance and support) and fully managed (servers run cPanel, Plesk or InterWorx; support covers the panel, Apache, MySQL/MariaDB, SMTP and FTP). It excludes installing and configuring third-party software beyond what the panel includes, and says you remain responsible for your own content and third-party software.
DigitalOcean's shared responsibility model is the plainest: you secure the operating system you install, manage access and identity, and own the applications you deploy; DigitalOcean provides physical security and secures the virtualization layer. A server-management panel can take some of that work, at its own price.
- Managed VPS: provider patches OS and panel; you still own WordPress, plugins and content.
- Unmanaged cloud server: you own everything above the virtualization layer.
- Neither model debugs your LMS plugin by default; check each provider's scope page.
Checklist for reading a VPS listing
- Write down RAM first, then CPU, then storage type and size.
- Find the outbound transfer allowance and the overage rate.
- Ask whether the control panel license is included and at what account count.
- Read the provider's support scope page, not just the plan card, for what managed covers.
- Price backups separately if they are an add-on.
- Confirm root access and whether changes outside the panel are still supported.
Questions before you decide
What is the difference between cPanel and WHM?
cPanel is the per-account control panel. WHM is the server-level tool hosting providers use to create and manage cPanel accounts. cPanel licenses are priced by account count, from $29.99 a month for one account.
Is a DigitalOcean Droplet a managed VPS?
No. DigitalOcean's shared responsibility model says you secure the operating system, manage access and own your applications, while DigitalOcean secures the physical and virtualization layers.
Does a fully managed VPS include WordPress plugin support?
Usually not in full. KnownHost treats third-party applications as best effort on managed VPS, and Liquid Web excludes third-party software beyond what the control panel includes. Check each scope page.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- KnownHost: managed VPS hosting Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- KnownHost: support coverage Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Liquid Web: managed VPS hosting Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Liquid Web: management and support levels Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- DigitalOcean: Droplet pricing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- DigitalOcean: bandwidth billing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- DigitalOcean: shared responsibility model Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- cPanel: pricing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.