Liquid Web vs. OVHcloud Bare Metal: Which Is Best for Your Business?

Liquid Web and OVHcloud are two of the best bare metal hosting providers on the market. If you’re wondering which is the best choice for your business in 2026, I’ll help you figure that out.

If you’re in a rush, here’s what you need to know.

Liquid Web is better than OVHcloud when it comes to performance, uptime, security, compliance, and customer support. If those are important to you, sign up for a plan and test it out with their 30-day money-back guarantee.

OVHcloud is cheaper than Liquid Web, offers more data centers, and has a slightly faster server provisioning time. If those are a priority for your business, OVHcloud might be a better fit.

Want to know how I reached that conclusion? Keep reading.

Liquid Web vs. OVHcloud bare metal: A 10-point comparison

I spent a week comparing Liquid Web and OVHcloud for all the different factors that might influence your bare metal server buying decision.

I only compared the unmanaged versions of Liquid Web and OVHcloud bare metal servers to simplify things. We are talking about bare metal servers, after all.

Here’s what I found.

1. Bare metal server resources

Liquid Web keeps things simple with limited server options and the flexibility to build a bare metal server from scratch, using high-performance Intel Xeon processors with up to 128 GB of RAM and fast SSD or NVMe storage.

OVHcloud offers more variety. You get 40+ preconfigured server options featuring both Intel and AMD processors. Although you can’t build a custom bare metal server with OVHcloud, you can access faster network speeds on advanced plans.

So when it comes to bare metal server resources, I give OVHcloud the win because they offer a broader variety of server configurations by default. While you can build virtually any configuration you want with Liquid Web, their default options are a bit limited at this time.

Result: OVHcloud wins.

2. Data center locations

Liquid Web has three data centers: Lansing, MI; Phoenix, AZ; and Amsterdam, NL. These locations cover the U.S. and parts of Europe, with fully staffed facilities, built-in redundancy, and high-level security measures to ensure uptime and reliability.

OVHcloud offers a broader network, with 43 data centers across 9 countries. This extensive global reach makes OVHcloud a solid choice for businesses that need broader geographic coverage and faster service delivery across multiple regions.

While their number of data centers is impressive, you’ll only have access to a limited number of them.

For example, when I tried signing up for a bare metal server with OVHcloud, they only gave me access to two data centers: Poland and Canada. All others were marked as Unavailable.

Despite fewer data centers, Liquid Web ensures strong performance with its secure, well-maintained facilities. More importantly, you can host your bare metal servers at ALL their data centers, no matter your server configurations. That’s why Liquid Web wins this round.

Result: Liquid Web wins.

3. Server provisioning time

Liquid Web makes it simple to choose your server configuration at sign-up, including the operating system and backup options. However, their provisioning process takes between 24 and 48 hours.

Liquid Web officially claims that bare metal servers take up to 24 hours to set up, but when I tested their bare metal servers in my Liquid Web review, they needed two business days to prepare my server.

OVHcloud also offers a straightforward setup process, but they stand out with much faster provisioning times, ranging from 2 to 24 hours, depending on the data center. However, they may sometimes need longer to give you access to your servers.

While it’s true that Liquid Web’s bare metal servers are still a new service, and they’re probably working on optimizing their processes, OVHcloud wins for its faster provisioning times.

Result: OVHcloud wins.

4. Ease of use

A simpler interface and better management tools save time and reduce headaches, especially if you aren’t super technical.

Liquid Web excels when it comes to ease of use. From server access to management and backups, everything is intuitive and straightforward. Their documentation makes things even easier, ensuring you can find guidance whenever you need it.

OVHcloud, on the other hand, falls short. While their dashboard is functional, their limited documentation makes the overall experience less user-friendly.

For those reasons, Liquid Web wins when it comes to ease of use. It offers a much better user experience than OVHcloud.

Result: Liquid Web wins.

5. Backup options

Liquid Web provides Acronis Cyber Backups with all bare metal server plans. You start with 500GB of backup space and store the backups off-server in the Liquid Web Cloud or off-site in Acronis Backup Cloud.

And that’s not all. Liquid Web also allows you to opt out of Acronis Cyber Backups and set up your own backup solution during signup.

OVHcloud also offers 500GB of free backup storage with all plans. They use NFS technology so you can access your backup storage, like local disk space from your server.

OVHcloud offers a range of dedicated object, file, block, archive, and backup storage options. But those are provided as options at an extra cost.

Liquid Web has the upper hand when it comes to backup options. It offers a more secure backup solution with Acronis, making it easier to manage and restore your data. While OVHcloud has decent options, it lacks security and ease of use of Liquid Web’s backups.

Result: Liquid Web wins.

6. Performance and uptime

Liquid Web guarantees 100% network uptime and consistently delivers excellent performance.

In my tests, their bare metal servers achieved impressive results, with a time to first byte (TTFB) of 224 ms and a backend processing time of 103 ms while running Magento 2.

I also ran a Grafana k6 load test that showed a remarkable 95th percentile response time of just 37 ms. Liquid Web’s bare metal servers were able to handle over 4.2 million requests over a 30 minute duration without crashing. That’s impressive!

OVHcloud also provides strong performance with a variety of hardware options, allowing for powerful server configurations.

However, OVHcloud’s uptime commitments vary, ranging from 99.90% to 99.99%, depending on the plan you choose. That isn’t as straightforward as Liquid Web’s guarantee.

Bare metal servers don’t have hypervisors so the performance almost entirely comes down to the hardware in place. And as we’re seen before, Liquid Web and OVHcloud have comparable hardware.

However, since Liquid Web has a better uptime guarantee, it takes the win by a slim margin.

Result: Liquid Web wins.

7. Security and compliance

Liquid Web offers strong security features, including Acronis antimalware protection if you opt for their backup service. Their bare metal servers are housed in data centers with 24/7 security, CCTV, and controlled access.

Liquid Web’s infrastructure is compliant with HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and GDPR standards, but you’ll need to handle your own server and application compliance through audits and additional measures.

On the other hand, OVHcloud provides built-in anti-DDoS protection for all their servers and maintains round the clock security at all their data centers.

OVHcloud includes anti-DDoS protection with all servers and offers a range of compliance certifications like ISO/IEC 27001, SOC 1-2 type 1, and healthcare hosting certifications.

The only caveat is that OVHcloud’s compliance certificates are subject to local availability—not across all their data centers.

For those reasons, Liquid Web takes the lead for security and compliance. They make it easier for you to protect your data and meet regulatory requirements, while OVHcloud’s offerings, though solid, aren’t as comprehensive.

Result: Liquid Web wins.

8. Service Level Agreements

Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are important because they give you confidence that issues will be handled quickly. And in the event they’re not, they dictate the compensation you’ll receive.

Liquid Web really stands out here. If there’s a hardware failure, they guarantee replacement within 30 minutes. And in the event of a network downtime, you’ll get credits worth 10 times (1,000%) the downtime.

Liquid Web also promises quick support response times. While those aren’t guaranteed, they aim to answer calls and chats in under a minute and help desk tickets within an hour.

OVHcloud, on the other hand, offers a more basic SLA. Their uptime guarantee ranges from 99.90% to 99.99%, depending on your plan. And the compensation is a percentage of your fees, 10% to 100%, that’s calculated based on the downtime you experience.

And unlike Liquid Web, OVHcloud doesn’t have specific response time SLAs for support.

That’s why, Liquid Web is better. They give you more generous compensation and guarantees for both uptime and support response.

Result: Liquid Web wins.

9. Customer support

Liquid Web offers fantastic support across chat, phone, and email. Every time I reached out to their chat support, I was connected to a knowledgeable agent in less than a minute, no matter the time.

Liquid Web’s support was always quick, helpful, and knew their stuff. Even though their support for unmanaged bare metal servers is limited to hardware, network, and connectivity, I found them to be consistent and reliable in my time using Liquid Web.

OVHcloud, on the other hand, isn’t as user-friendly when it comes to support. Their standard support is only available during business hours, and the response times aren’t as quick.

OVHcloud responds to Twitter messages in under 15 minutes, chat within 10 minutes, and emails can take up to 16 business hours. That’s nearly two business days before you get a response!

If you need 24/7 support, you’ll have to pay at least $300 per month, which is a pretty steep extra cost. Liquid Web offers you that for free.

Clearly, with faster response times and better accessibility, Liquid Web offers much better customer support.

Result: Liquid Web wins.

10. Pricing and value for money

Liquid Web’s bare metal hosting starts at $79 per month and goes up to $475, before discounts.

While it may seem higher, you’re getting premium features like Acronis Cyber Backups, 24/7 support, and reliable performance, security, and uptime. Considering these benefits, Liquid Web offers incredible value for what you pay.

Plus, Liquid Web offers a 30-day money back guarantee when you sign up for a plan. That’s super helpful when you’re on the fence about using Liquid Web.

OVHcloud, on the other hand, starts at $66.50 per month and can go all the way up to over $2,970 for their top-tier servers. While the lower price options may seem attractive, the services reflect that with basic backups, limited uptime guarantees, and basic support.

And OVHcloud doesn’t offer a free trial or money back guarantee either. That doesn’t really inspire confidence in their service.

In terms of value for money, Liquid Web gives you more for what you pay, especially if you need more features and support. OVHcloud is more affordable upfront, but you may find that you have to compromise on key services.

Overall, this one’s a tie. Both Liquid Web and OVHcloud have optimized their pricing and plans for different audiences.

Result: Tie.

Liquid Web vs. OVHcloud bare metal verdict: Here’s which one to choose

With a final tally of 7.5 out of 10, Liquid Web is the better choice for bare metal hosting. It offers more consistent uptime guarantees, better customer support, and a more streamlined user experience.

With top-tier hardware, reliable backups, and unmatched support, Liquid Web is the best option for businesses that need strong performance and security with minimal downtime.

That said, OVHcloud has its own strengths. It offers a wider variety of server configurations and lower prices than Liquid Web.

Even though OVHcloud offers lesser support and fewer features, it’s a solid choice for hosting resellers and those on a budget.

If you’re looking for a reliable bare metal server and don’t mind paying a slight premium in exchange for peace of mind, I recommend giving Liquid Web a shot.

You can sign up for a plan and request a refund within 30 days if you aren’t happy with it. Give it a try!

Have more questions? Get in touch with us here.