DreamHost is a renowned web hosting company that started its service in 1996. It is incredible how they have been able to deliver high performance ever since. Today, DreamHost hosts around 1.5 million websites.
Best known for the fast loading speed, better uptime, and affordable hosting plans, it is not a surprise that even WordPress.org recommends DreamHost.
DreamHost is an award-winning hosting brand that offers everything you need to build and grow your website. This is not a sugarcoated statement.
This article reviews DreamHost in detail and tests its performance, uptime, customer support, hosting plans, and much more.
You will find all the information below:
About DreamHost
DreamHost is an LA-based domain name registrar and web hosting provider. It was founded on April 10, 1996, by four colleagues at Harvey Mudd College, California, US. Today, DreamHost has around 200 employees, close to 400k customers, and hosts 1.5 million websites.
DreamHost has won PCMag’s Business Choice Awards for Web Hosting Service 2014 to 2016. The company is also carbon-neutral certified and a member of the US Green Chamber of Commerce.
DreamHost Hosting Plan and Pricing
DreamHost offers four web-hosting plans to suit online bloggers, developers, web designers, and businesses. They are shared hosting, VPS hosting, Managed WordPress Hosting, and Dedicated Servers Hosting.
Here is a quick overview of the DreamHost hosting plan:
DreamHost Shared Hosting Plan Pricing
| Shared Starter ($2.59 per month) | Shared Unlimited ($4.95 per month) |
|---|---|
| One Website | Unlimited Websites |
| Includes Free Domain | Includes Free Domain |
| Unlimited Traffic | Unlimited Traffic |
| WordPress Pre-Installed | WordPress Pre-Installed |
| Free Automated WP Migrations | Free Automated WP Migrations |
| WP Website Builder | WP Website Builder |
| Fast SSD Storage | Fast SSD Storage |
| Free SSL Certificate | Free SSL Certificate |
| Add email for $1.67 per month | Unlimited Email at Your Domain |
| Monthly, One year, and Three Year Plan | Monthly, One year, and Three Year Plan |
If you are a beginner or plan to start a new website, shared hosting should be your best option. In this plan, your server shares the resources with other websites in its hosting. A shared hosting plan is suitable for low traffic websites. Click here to sign up for a Shared Hosting plan.
DreamHost VPS Hosting Plan Pricing
| VPS Basic ($10.00 per month) | VPS Business ($20.00 per month) | VPS Professional ($40.00 per month) | VPS Enterprise ($80.00 per month) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1GB RAM | 2GB RAM | 4GB RAM | 8GB RAM |
| 30GB SSD Storage | 60GB SSD Storage | 120GB SSD Storage | 240GB SSD Storage |
| Unlimited Websites | Unlimited Websites | Unlimited Websites | Unlimited Websites |
| Unlimited Traffic | Unlimited Traffic | Unlimited Traffic | Unlimited Traffic |
| Free SSL Certificate | Free SSL Certificate | Free SSL Certificate | Free SSL Certificate |
| Unlimited Email at Your Domain | Unlimited Email at Your Domain | Unlimited Email at Your Domain | Unlimited Email at Your Domain |
VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting offers isolated resources for powerful performance and better control. DreamHost’s VPS hosting ranges from $10 to $80 per month. If you are a beginner we recommend going with the VPS basic plan. For a professional website, we recommend VPS Professional plan.
Click here to sign up for the BlueHost VPS plan.
DreamHost Managed WordPress Hosting Price Plan
| DreamPress ($16.95 per month) | DreamPress Plus ($24.95 per month) | DreamPress Pro ($71.95 per month) |
|---|---|---|
| ~ 100k monthly visitors | ~ 300k monthly visitors | ~ 1M+ monthly visitors |
| Unlimited Email | Unlimited Email | Unlimited Email |
| 30GB SSD Storage | 60GB SSD Storage | 120GB SSD Storage |
| Unmetered Bandwidth | Unmetered Bandwidth | Unmetered Bandwidth |
| One-Click Staging | One-Click Staging | One-Click Staging |
| Pre-Installed SSL Certificate | Pre-Installed SSL Certificate | Pre-Installed SSL Certificate |
| On-demand plus Daily Backups | On-demand plus Daily Backups | On-demand plus Daily Backups |
| 24/7 WP Support | 24/7 WP Support | 24/7 Priority WP Support |
| Pre-Installed Jetpack (Free) | Pre-Installed Jetpack (Professional) | Pre-Installed Jetpack (Professional) |
| Free Automated WP Migrations | Free Automated WP Migrations | Free Automated WP Migrations |
| WP Website Builder | WP Website Builder | WP Website Builder |
| Unlimited CDN | Unlimited CDN |
Managed WordPress hosting is the upgraded version of the shared hosting plan. WordPress hosting plan is suited for WordPress-powered websites. It makes your WordPress faster, more secure, and trouble-free.
Click here to sign up for a Managed WordPress Hosting plan.
DreamHost Dedicated Server Hosting Price Plan
| Standard ($149.00 per month) | Enhanced ($279.00 per month) |
|---|---|
| Intel Xeon 4-Core 8-Thread | Intel Xeon 12-Core 24-Thread |
| 4GB RAM | 16GB RAM |
| 1TB HDD | 2TB HDD |
| RAID 1 Storage | RAID 1 Storage |
| Root Access | Root Access |
| Local MySQL Database Server | Local MySQL Database Server |
| Ubuntu | Ubuntu |
| 100% Network Uptime Guarantee | 100% Network Uptime Guarantee |
| 24/7 Tech Support and Server Monitoring | 24/7 Tech Support and Server Monitoring |
| DDoS Protection | DDoS Protection |
Dedicated server plan allocates a dedicated server for your site. You have to manage the server yourself.
Click here to sign up for a Dedicated Server Hosting plan.
DreamHost Performance
A web host’s performance is something you cannot compromise or ignore if you want a promising website career.
Google says one to three seconds of page loading delay increases your site’s bounce rate by 32%. A study points out that speed is an essential element to rank better on Google. Another study states that even a second delay in page loading results in an 11% loss in view.
Lucky for you, DreamHost does not let you bear such a huge price owing to the performance issue.
The average loading time in DreamHost is less than a second (around 648 ms). DreamHost can hold this average load time consistently. Likewise, the average uptime of DreamHost is 99.99%.
You can rest assured that DreamHost can help you set up a strong base for your website with such performance stats.
Pros and Cons of DreamHost
This section will shed light on the benefits and shortcomings of using DreamHost as your hosting provider.
Pros of Using DreamHost
Here are the major benefits of using DreamHost:
1. Affordable Price Plan
As mentioned above, DreamHost offers five different hosting plans (shared, VPS, Cloud, Managed WordPress, and Dedicated Server.) You can choose the hosting package that appeals to you the best.
You can start at as little as $2.59 per month with the shared starter hosting plan. You get unlimited bandwidth, free WP migrations, WP website builder, SSL certificate, and much more. The package includes pretty much everything to start a new website.
They also offer a web builder called Remixer. Apart from Remixer, DreamHost also includes Wix, Weebly, SquareSpace and HubSpot as alternative web builders. You can use any among these four.
You will get WordPress as a one-click install feature in any plan you choose. Thus, you can get your site up and ready in no time. Such a feature makes DreamHost a perfect choice for beginners.
2. Better Performance
DreamHost delivers the average page loading speed of 648 ms. Their Terms of Service guarantees a 100% uptime. If the uptime falls below the benchmark, you are eligible for a credit equal to your current hosting cost. For each hour of service interruption, you get a day of hosting service.
However, the catch is there will be a 10% maximum of the customer’s next pre-paid hosting renewal fee.
3. 97 Day Money-Back Guarantee
Most of the hosting companies have a 30-day money-back policy. Any refund requests beyond the 30 days are ineligible for the claim. However, DreamHost pushes this policy for up to 97 days.
You have more than three whole months to make sure that you are satisfied with their services. Your hosting company cannot be more liberal than this. Moreover, they don’t have any hidden terms to skid you off your claim. Either.
There are only two exceptions to the refund:
- Only credit cards are eligible for a refund. It means any other payment methods, such as cash or cheques, will not be refunded.
- Any additional purchase from the third party, such as domain name, AdWords credit, and SSL certificates, will not be refunded.
Check their Terms of Service for more information on the money-back guarantee.
4. Carbon Neutral Brand
DreamHost is a web hosting company that also makes an effort for the betterment of the environment. Their offices are EnergyStar and LEED-certified. They also work continuously to reduce the carbon footprints of their servers.
Some of their efforts for a green environment are:
- Use of highly-efficient cooling infrastructures.
- Use of power-efficient processors.
- Partnering in a state-level clean wind program.
- Use of grids that run on renewable sources.
5. Unlimited Bandwidth and Storage
DreamHost offers multiple ‘unlimited’ features in all their pricing packages, including bandwidth and storage. You don’t even need to worry about network transfers.
But sometimes, your site may not have optimized settings and cause issues for other sites sharing the server. In such a case, DreamHost may ask you to sign up for a dedicated hosting plan. Also, DreamHost requests you to maintain your MySQL database only upto a few GB in size. Likewise, your emails have a limit of up to 25GB.
Click here to know about DreamHost’s unlimited policy.
6. No Extra Renewal Price
Most of the website hosting companies offer their services at a low rate during sign up steps. But when it comes to renewal, their price jumps up steep.
For example, SiteGround’s lowest sharing plan sign up costs around $6.99 per month. Later, the renewal price hikes up to $14.99 per month. Similarly, the lowest sign-up cost for Bluehost is $2.95, which reaches $7.99 per month during renewal.
However, there is no hike in the renewal price of DreamHost in any plan you choose. They renew your package at the same price as during the signing up process. Further, DreamHost offers a lower price if you opt to sign up for straight three years rather than just a month or a year.
7. No Extra Upsells
Many web hosts try to patch you up with additional add ons and products. However, DreamHost makes peace with such aggressive attempts.
8. Free Domain
Every hosting plan of DreamHost includes a free domain name registration and domain privacy.
Cons of Using DreamHost
Everything about DreamHost is above average. This includes performance, uptime, pricing, and packages. However, there are still some drawbacks to their services. Here are the major ones:
1. Support
Unlike other popular web hosting companies like SiteGround and BlueHost, DreamHost does not offer a 24-hour live chat or customer support service. Although they claim a 24/7 available support team, their actual active hours start from 5:30 AM upto 9:30 PM (Pacific time). If you need technical support at any other time except these hours, they leave you with a ticket system.
Although they aim to respond to all the requests within 24 hours, some users find it frustrating to wait for their turn. Also, the ticketing system is not handy during emergencies.
2. Lacks cPanel
DreamHost offers a proprietary control panel dashboard from which users can access the features. You can manage your hosting and domain from this custom dashboard. However, DreamHost lacks cPanel.
Though this may not seem much of an issue for beginners, users who are used-to with cPanel can find this troublesome. Without cPanel, you’ll lose the easy way to migrate your site from the dashboard. You need to migrate your site and files through MySQL and FTP, which is a lengthy process.
3. Centralized Servers
DreamHost does not have servers outside the US. So, if you are from another region such as Asia or Europe, DreamHost may not be ideal. Moreover, if you need support, you have to contact the team during the US working hours or sit back in the ticketing system.
4. Paid Email in the Shared Starter Plan
If you sign up for a shared starter plan, you need to pay an extra $1.67 per month to add an email.
Conclusion: Is DreamHost Right For Your Website?
Yes, DreamHost is the right option for many users out there. If you are looking for an affordable and feature-packed web host, DreamHost can be your best bet. The ‘unlimited’ policy and the 97-day money-back guarantee scheme are the added perks of DreamHost. Moreover, you don’t have to pay an extra dime during renewal besides the initial price you sign up.
However, the support can be time-taking in the ticketing system. Also, there is no cPanel. If you can make peace with these major drawbacks, DreamHost is a perfect choice.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
1. When to use DreamHost’s hosting?
DreamHost is a perfect combination of great quality at a low price. This combination is quite rare to find. DreamHost suits any modality such as small business, blog, e-commerce site, and much more.
However, DreamHost’s customer and technical support are slow. If you are sure you can find your way around in case of emergencies, you can go for their hosting plan.
2. Which is better: DreamHost or Bluehost?
There is no all-in-one, perfect hosting solution. Every web host you come across has its pros and cons. Similar is the case with DreamHost and Bluehost.
Both DreamHost and Bluehost deliver excellent performance. Both companies offer multiple hosting packages based on your budget. However, both the companies have perks and drawbacks as well.
For example, Bluehost has a higher renewal cost and does not offer free migration. Likewise, DreamHost lacks cPanel, has a slower customer support system, and no live chat support feature.
We recommend you to go through the pros and cons of DreamHost and Bluehost individually. List out your needs. Now figure out which company checks the boxes and which doesn’t. Also, evaluate which flaws you can consider.
Here is our Bluehost review. You may want to go through it to make an informed decision.
3. What hosting plans and types does DreamHost offer?
DreamHost offers five different hosting plans :
1. Shared Hosting Plan
2. VPS Hosting Plan
3. Managed WordPress Hosting Plan
4. Dedicated Server Hosting Plan, and
5. Cloud Hosting Plan
4. What products does DreamHost offer?
DreamHost offers five hosting plans (Shared, VPS, Managed WordPress, Dedicated Server, and Cloud Hosting.) Each plan has different products in the package.
You can check the pricing plan along with the products here.
5. Where are DreamHost servers located?
DreamHost’s servers are located in its headquarter (LA, California, US).
