Liquid Web is a managed VPS, dedicated, and cloud hosting provider, now under CloudOne Digital (One Equity Partners). Founded by Matt Hill in Lansing, Michigan. Liquid Web also operates the former Nexcess managed WordPress product line (Nexcess was absorbed into Liquid Web in October 2025).
On VPS and dedicated plans with cPanel, email accounts are included with no strict hourly sending caps (abuse-monitored). SMTP ports 25, 465, and 587 are open. The Managed WordPress plans (formerly Nexcess) route transactional email through the platform’s mail infrastructure. Premium Business Email is available as an add-on for unlimited accounts with spam filtering, webmail, and mobile sync.
Plans start at $25/month for Managed VPS. No introductory pricing with steep renewals; the listed price is the ongoing price.
Email on Liquid Web
VPS and dedicated (cPanel)
Full cPanel email hosting included. Unlimited email accounts, IMAP/POP3/SMTP, webmail. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configurable. No strict hourly sending cap (unlike shared hosts). SMTP ports 25, 465, and 587 are all open.
WordPress sends via PHP mail() by default through the local MTA (Exim or Postfix). On VPS/dedicated with proper DNS configuration, this is more reliable than shared hosting because the IP reputation is not shared with thousands of other sites.
Managed WordPress (formerly Nexcess)
Transactional email routes through the platform’s mail infrastructure. Email accounts are included. The experience is similar to other managed WordPress hosts. For dedicated deliverability, configure an SMTP plugin with a third-party relay.
When to add a third-party relay
VPS/dedicated operators with properly configured DNS and low to moderate volume may not need a third-party relay. Add Postmark, SMTP2GO, or Mailgun when deliverability analytics, bounce handling, or dedicated IP reputation are required.