Liquid Web fits businesses that run more than WordPress. Its managed WordPress plans start at $9 a month with 2 TB of bandwidth, and it sells VPS and dedicated servers.
WP Engine fits WordPress-only businesses that want 30 to 60 days of backups. Its Essential plan starts at $28 a month, billed yearly, for the first year only.
Liquid Web vs WP Engine: the short verdict
Pick Liquid Web if your business runs more than WordPress, or might soon need a VPS or dedicated server. It also bundles more bandwidth and premium plugins at entry level.
Pick WP Engine if WordPress is your whole platform and you want long backup history by default.
Pick neither for a small personal site. Both are business-grade hosts priced for sites that earn money.
Liquid Web and WP Engine at a glance
| Decision point | Liquid Web | WP Engine |
|---|---|---|
| Managed WordPress entry price | Starting at $9/mo on its pricing page (billing term not shown) | Essential from $28/mo billed yearly for the first year ($336), renewal not published |
| Bandwidth at entry level | 2 TB | 75 GB |
| Backup retention | 7, 14, or 30 days by plan | 30 to 60 days |
| Uptime commitment | 99.9999% power and network SLA | 99.99% on Core and Enterprise, none listed on Essential |
| Money-back guarantee | Not found on its hosting pages | None published |
| Other hosting products | VPS, dedicated, cloud | WordPress-focused |
| Phone line | Sales number listed | Listed with Core, not on Lite or Startup |
| Current plans and prices | See Liquid Web plans | See WP Engine plans |
One vendor for your whole stack, or one for WordPress
Liquid Web sells VPS, dedicated, and cloud hosting next to managed WordPress, while WP Engine focuses on WordPress hosting.
WP Engine calls itself “the WordPress technology company” on its legal page.
Liquid Web’s pricing page lists these starting prices:
- VPS from $5 a month, and managed VPS from $16
- dedicated servers from $77, and cloud dedicated servers from $44.50
- managed cloud hosting from $71.50
- managed WordPress and WooCommerce from $9, and Magento from $32.64
The $16, $77, $44.50, and $71.50 figures are introductory prices for the first two months.
For example, the $77 dedicated server then costs $154 a month, and the $16 managed VPS then costs $64.
Why that matters: a business often starts with WordPress, then adds a custom app, a database server, or a private environment for staff tools.
With Liquid Web, those can sit with the same provider, on one bill. With WP Engine, you’d host them elsewhere, which is fine if WordPress is all you run.
Knowing when a business needs a dedicated server helps you judge whether that day will come.
Liquid Web and WP Engine managed WordPress plans
Liquid Web’s entry managed WordPress plan includes 2 TB of bandwidth against 75 GB on WP Engine Essential, but WP Engine keeps backups much longer.
| Liquid Web Essentials | WP Engine Essential | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $9/mo, billing term not shown | From $28/mo billed yearly, first year only ($336) |
| Traffic tiers | 50,000, 150,000, or 400,000 visitors a month | 25,000 to 400,000 visits a month |
| Storage | 15 GB at the 50,000 tier | 10 to 50 GB |
| Bandwidth | 2 TB at the 50,000 tier | 75 GB |
| Backups | Daily, kept 7 days | Daily, kept 30 to 60 days |
| Staging | Included | Included |
Prices change often, so check Liquid Web’s current prices and WP Engine’s current prices before you buy.
Liquid Web’s plan details come from its managed WordPress page. That page offers monthly or annual billing (annual saves 10%) but didn’t show per-plan prices when we checked.
WP Engine’s plans page says first-year pricing is for new Essential customers only and that renewal pricing is subject to change. Extra sites on Essential cost $20 a month each.
On bandwidth: bandwidth is the data your server sends to visitors. Image-heavy sites and stores use a lot of it. 2 TB is more than 25 times 75 GB.
On backups: Liquid Web’s retention grows with the tier, from 7 days on Essentials to 14 on Pro and 30 on Elite.
On overages: WP Engine’s overage page lists $2 per 1,000 extra visitors for the plans it names, though it doesn’t name Essential.
Liquid Web’s managed WordPress page doesn’t state overage terms.
What Liquid Web and WP Engine include beyond hosting
Liquid Web bundles Object Cache Pro, Kadence Security Pro, and Cloudflare Enterprise on every managed WordPress plan, while WP Engine Essential centers on EverCache, a global CDN, and automated updates.
Liquid Web: all plans list DDoS protection, a web application firewall, daily malware scans, and free SSL. Pro and Elite add Patchstack virtual patching and migration by a human.
- Object Cache Pro keeps frequent database results in memory. It speeds up busy WordPress sites and stores.
- Virtual patching blocks attacks on known plugin flaws before the plugin itself gets updated.
WP Engine: Essential includes automatic SSL, one-click staging, a free automated migration plugin, and WordPress and PHP updates. Core adds managed migration.
Winner: Liquid Web, for bundled performance and security tools at entry level.
Uptime and refunds at Liquid Web and WP Engine
Liquid Web lists a 99.9999% power and network SLA on its managed WordPress plans, while WP Engine lists 99.99% only on Core and Enterprise.
Liquid Web’s SLA policy also guarantees 100% network uptime across its services.
Neither host showed a money-back guarantee on the pages we checked. WP Engine’s terms of service say fees aren’t refundable except as expressly stated.
We couldn’t confirm Liquid Web’s refund terms for managed WordPress, so ask sales before you buy.
Winner: Liquid Web, for a published SLA on every managed WordPress plan.
Where Liquid Web and WP Engine host your sites
WP Engine publishes ten standard Google Cloud regions for its shared plans, while Liquid Web’s managed WordPress page doesn’t list locations.
WP Engine’s data center guide says it creates shared plans in the region closest to you at signup. Standard regions include Iowa, London, Belgium, Sydney, and Singapore.
Frankfurt, Taiwan, and Tokyo need upgraded pricing or a Premium plan, and moving regions later means a support-scheduled migration.
Liquid Web’s dedicated server page mentions data centers in the US, Europe, and Australia. Confirm which location your WordPress plan uses before you sign up.
Liquid Web vs WP Engine support
Liquid Web offers 24/7 chat and support tickets, while WP Engine offers 24/7 live chat and lists phone support with its Core plan.
Liquid Web’s contact page lists a sales phone number and points existing customers to chat and its ticket portal.
WP Engine’s support scope page says phone isn’t available on Lite or Startup plans. It also says most accounts can’t open tickets themselves; only Premium Plus users can.
Winner: Liquid Web for ticket access on every account. WP Engine on Core if you need a phone line.
Liquid Web and WP Engine cost over time
Liquid Web’s $9 starting price and WP Engine’s $28 first-year price both need checking at checkout, because neither host publishes a full multi-year price.
WP Engine doesn’t publish its Essential renewal price. Liquid Web’s pricing page shows a starting price without the billing term or renewal rate.
Hosting cost is the fee plus the add-ons you’d otherwise buy, plus overages.
Liquid Web’s bundled plugins can replace paid tools, while WP Engine’s longer backups can replace a separate backup service.
The three-year cost of managed WordPress shows which line items to include.
Liquid Web vs WP Engine winners by category
Liquid Web wins five of eight categories below, while WP Engine wins backup retention, WordPress focus, and phone support on Core.
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | Liquid Web | From $9/mo vs $28/mo first-year pricing (confirm both at checkout) |
| Bandwidth | Liquid Web | 2 TB vs 75 GB at entry level |
| Bundled tools | Liquid Web | Object Cache Pro, Kadence Security Pro, Cloudflare Enterprise |
| Uptime SLA | Liquid Web | 99.9999% on all managed WordPress plans |
| Product range | Liquid Web | VPS, dedicated, and cloud alongside WordPress |
| Backup retention | WP Engine | 30 to 60 days vs 7 days on Essentials |
| WordPress focus | WP Engine | Its platform is built around WordPress |
| Phone support | WP Engine | Listed with Core |
Our pick: Liquid Web for businesses that run more than WordPress or want more bandwidth and tools. WP Engine for WordPress-only businesses that value long backup history.
Which fits your business: Liquid Web or WP Engine?
Liquid Web suits stores and mixed-stack businesses, while WP Engine suits WordPress-only sites that prize backup history.
A WooCommerce store with lots of product images: Liquid Web, for its bandwidth and Object Cache Pro.
A marketing site that’s WordPress and nothing else: WP Engine, for its WordPress focus and longer backups.
A company with a WordPress site plus internal apps or databases: Liquid Web, so everything sits with one provider.
An agency comparing several managed options: the Cloudways vs Liquid Web comparison covers another path.
The Liquid Web review and the WP Engine review go deeper on each. Broader questions sit in our managed WordPress section.
Ready to check prices? Visit Liquid Web or visit WP Engine to see today’s plans before you buy.
Frequently asked questions
Is Liquid Web better than WP Engine?
Yes, for most businesses that want bandwidth, bundled plugins, or other hosting products. WP Engine is the better choice when long default backups matter most.
Which is cheaper, Liquid Web or WP Engine?
Liquid Web advertises the lower starting price, $9 a month against WP Engine’s $28 a month first-year rate. Neither publishes a full renewal picture, so compare quotes.
Do Liquid Web and WP Engine offer a money-back guarantee?
No published guarantee turned up for either. WP Engine’s terms call fees non-refundable except as stated, and Liquid Web’s refund terms need confirming with sales.
Which has better backups, Liquid Web or WP Engine?
WP Engine, at 30 to 60 days of retention. Liquid Web holds daily backups for 7 to 30 days, depending on the tier.
Which offers phone support, Liquid Web or WP Engine?
WP Engine lists phone support with Core but not on Lite or Startup. Liquid Web lists a sales phone line and handles support through chat and tickets.
How we compared Liquid Web and WP Engine
This comparison is built from official sources. For Liquid Web, we used its pricing, managed WordPress, SLA policy, contact, and dedicated server pages.
For WP Engine, we used its plans, overage, data center, support scope, legal, and terms of service pages. All details were checked on September 25, 2026.
Our Methodology and Editorial Guidelines explain how we research hosts and correct errors.
