Nexcess: Liquid Web Hosting Review

Updated on: February 24, 2025

Liquid Web Hosting has been my go-to provider for many years, primarily through their Nexcess platform. Their customer support was top-notch, and I could always get a knowledgeable developer on the phone immediately who could resolve any issue without escalation. When they expanded a few years ago, they introduced a two-tier support system, which meant more cases were escalated, requiring ticket-based resolutions. While still good, it wasn’t as seamless as before.

Their pricing also changed significantly, making multi-site management prohibitively expensive. This led me to switch to SiteGround. However, in Fall 2024, Nexcess finally introduced more competitive pricing. While I won’t be switching back, I still recommend them for many of my clients, both WordPress and custom sites, and I remain happy with their service overall.

Review
Pricing
Rating
Pros & Cons
Summary

Review

Nexcess (Liquid Web Hosting) Features I Like:

Liquid Web was once known for having the best support in the industry, where you could call and immediately speak with a developer who could resolve any issue without escalation. They have since introduced a two-tier system, which means more cases require ticket escalations. While this change has affected the immediacy of their support, it remains strong and relatively fast.

Nexcess offers a range of hosting options, including managed WordPress hosting for anywhere from 1 to 250 sites, with plans starting at $21/month and a three-month special at 75% off. They also provide VPS, cloud hosting, and enterprise solutions, making them a viable choice for businesses of all sizes.

Their custom admin panel, while different from cPanel, is well-designed and efficient. It provides easy access to essential tools such as phpMyAdmin, FTP, cron jobs, SSL management, NGINX caching, and support ticket submission.

In terms of performance and reliability, Nexcess has a strong hosting infrastructure, offering excellent uptime, fast speeds, and a secure setup. One of the standout advantages of Nexcess is its high level of security. Unlike hosting providers such as GoDaddy or Bluehost, where security breaches are common, I have never had a site get hacked while hosted on Nexcess.

Drawbacks:

In the past, Nexcess did not offer an affordable multi-site hosting plan, which became a major drawback for me. Their cloud plans were too costly, making it difficult to manage multiple websites efficiently. This led me to switch to SiteGround. However, as of Fall 2024, they have adjusted their pricing to be more competitive, which is a welcome change for those considering their services now.

Another limitation is their WordPress migration process. Unlike SiteGround, which provides a built-in migration plugin, Nexcess requires users to submit a support ticket for site migration. While their team handles the process, it lacks the convenience of an automated migration tool.

Their email hosting is another weak point. The spam filtering is ineffective, and I spent years troubleshooting various email-related issues. Due to this, I recommend using a sep

Pricing

Nexcess (Liquid Web Hosting) now offers more competitive pricing for WordPress hosting, with plans starting at $21/month for one site. They have a promotional discount offering 75% off for the first three months. They also provide higher-tier hosting plans, including VPS and cloud hosting options, making them suitable for businesses with more significant hosting needs.

Rating

We give Nexcess a rating of 4 / 5

Pros & Cons

Pros

Strong hosting infrastructure with excellent performance
Scalable hosting plans for businesses of all sizes
Well-designed custom admin panel with easy access to essential tools
Recently adjusted pricing, now competitive for multiple websites
Highly secure hosting—never had a site hacked on Nexcess

Cons

Support has become more ticket-based over time, requiring escalations
No built-in WordPress migration plugin; site migration requires a support ticket
Weak email hosting with poor spam filtering—better to use an external email provider

Summary

Nexcess, a part of Liquid Web Hosting, was my go-to hosting provider for years due to their outstanding support, high-performance hosting, and easy-to-use admin panel. As they expanded, their pricing for multi-site hosting became too expensive, forcing me to switch to SiteGround. However, they have since adjusted their pricing to be more competitive, which is great for those still considering them. Many of my clients continue to use Nexcess for both WordPress and custom sites, and I am still happy with their service.

If you need a high-performance hosting provider with excellent support, Nexcess is still a great option—just be aware of its limitations, particularly regarding email hosting.

Nexcess (Liquid Web) remains a strong hosting provider, especially for businesses needing high-performance WordPress hosting. While I won’t be switching back, their recent pricing changes make them a competitive option once again.

Nexcess FAQs

What is Nexcess: Liquid Web Hosting?

Nexcess is a managed hosting provider under Liquid Web, offering specialized hosting solutions for WordPress, WooCommerce, Magento, and enterprise websites.

What is a custom hosting admin panel?

A custom hosting admin panel is an alternative to cPanel, designed to provide easy access to essential hosting features like phpMyAdmin, FTP, cron jobs, SSL management, and caching tools. Nexcess uses its own user-friendly interface instead of cPanel.

What is a two-tier support system in web hosting?

A two-tier support system means hosting providers have different levels of customer support. Nexcess previously offered instant access to developers but now escalates complex issues to higher-tier support teams.

What is NGINX caching in web hosting?

NGINX caching is a performance optimization feature used by Nexcess to speed up website loading times by storing frequently accessed data, reducing server load and improving user experience.

What is VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting?

VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting is a type of web hosting where a physical server is divided into multiple virtual servers, each with dedicated resources. It provides better performance, security, and customization compared to shared hosting while being more affordable than a dedicated server.

What is cloud hosting?

Cloud hosting is a type of web hosting that uses a network of virtual and physical servers to distribute resources dynamically. It offers high scalability, reliability, and performance, making it ideal for businesses that need flexibility and uptime guarantees.

What are cron jobs in web hosting?

Cron jobs are scheduled tasks that run automatically on a server at specified intervals. They are commonly used for automating repetitive tasks like database backups, updating website content, or running scripts without manual intervention.

Nexcess: Liquid Web Hosting Review

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