SHORT ON TIME? HERE’S A QUICK SUMMARY
DreamHost is pleased to host over 1.5 million websites, WordPress blogs, and applications for designers, developers, small businesses, and others. It provides web hosting, domain name registration, managed WordPress hosting, busines email, among many other services. Sounds just like the next web hosting company? Not at all! DreamHost is different from other hosting sites in a few ways: it is owned by its employees, it guarantees 100% uptime, it has a huge 97-day money-back guarantee, and it is built on open source technology. It has won PCMag's "Editors Choice" award for five years running, but is it really that great? I say we find out.
DreamHost is pleased to host over 1.5 million websites, WordPress blogs, and applications for designers, developers, small businesses, and others. It provides web hosting, domain name registration, managed WordPress hosting, busines email, among many other services. Sounds just like the next web hosting company? Not at all! DreamHost is different from other hosting sites in a few ways: it is owned by its employees, it guarantees 100% uptime, it has a huge 97-day money-back guarantee, and it is built on open source technology. It has won PCMag's "Editors Choice" award for five years running, but is it really that great? I say we find out.
👍 PROS:
- Employee-owned
- 100% uptime guarantee
- 97-day money-back guarantee
- Reasonably priced
- Better than average basic plan inclusion
- Unique security features
- Free domain name registration
- Easy to use custom control panel
- Extensive domain-management tools
- Free WordPress site migration
- Unlimited disk space and bandwidth
- Unlimited email and network transfers
- Full-featured
- It’s carbon neutral so it’s environmentally-friendly
- Automatic daily backups
- 24/7 expert support
👎 CONS:
- Fewer server locations than competitors
- Email accounts cost extra on the starter plan
- Lacks Windows-based servers
- No call-in telephone number for support
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SEE WHAT USERS HAVE TO SAY
Trustpilot Rating: 4.7 out of 5 from 3,457 reviews
“Every time I have a technical issue that I need help with, the reply is both almost instantaneous and very helpful. Sometimes, I have to go back for clarification or because I don't quite understand, and I always get a helpful response right back. I wouldn't dream of using any other hosting company.”
“DreamHost consistently lives up to its name! The support services online are comprehensive, and for personal support, the turn-around time, cheerfulness and helpfulness of the response is truly something the modern world seems to have forgotten. No matter how trivial your issue, DreamHost is happy to help - even for old fellas like me!”
“So, my site went down for a whole month, unbeknownst to me. Apparently, it was hacked while I was on vacation. I contacted the DreamHost team as soon as I found out, and they immediately jumped into action. Despite some unexpected delays (I had to reach out to a former webmaster to obtain the files needed to restore my site), the team worked quickly to get me back up and running. And they kept me in the loop the entire time. I truly appreciate all of the hard work they put into my site and would recommend this team to anyone who needs expert help with their website.”
“Honestly, the customer support I’ve received through Dreamhost has been the BEST I’ve ever gotten from an online company. As a business owner, I often end up doing a lot of the website/IT stuff myself (which means I’m learning as I go!), and there have been multiple times the people at Dreamhost have walked me through how to do things. I genuinely can not recommend this platform enough!!”
WHAT DO THEY OFFER?
DreamHost is one of the oldest web hosting services, having been around since 1996. They currently host over 1.5 million websites, 750,000 WordPress installations, and 400,000 customers from more than 100 countries. Although it may not enjoy the same level of public awareness as some of its rivals, the brand is remarkably well-known among programmers, designers, and web marketers. DreamHost has many features, including one-click site migration, automated backups, an improved control panel, business solutions, and more. What about web hosting? Here are your options:
DreamHost does a lot more than just host websites. They also offer web development, social media marketing, SEO marketing, technical website management, and design services, making it a one-stop shop for businesses.
HOW SECURE IS IT?
Each plan comes with a lot of free security tools that keep your site safe from unencrypted connections and malware. This includes things like domain privacy, SSL certificates, daily backups, and multi-factor authentication. DreamHost also has security tools built in, like mod security, which is a Web Application Firewall (WAF) that filters and blocks HTTP requests that are known to be harmful. They also have a service called DreamShield that checks for malware. This feature costs extra, but it's worth it because it lets you look for malware on your website. DreamHost also lets you block spiders from parts of your website that you don't want search engines to index or don't need them to. There's more if that wasn't enough. DreamHost gives you access to SSH and SFTP, and it also works with HTTP/2 and PHP 7.
IS IT FAST AND RELIABLE?
DreamHost has a stellar reputation for providing lightning-quick service and superb uptime. Both experts and consumers alike consistently give them the highest possible ratings and praise. DreamHost is also quite possibly the only low-cost host that is bold enough to guarantee 100% uptime. In fact, it is expressly stated in their General Terms of Service that "A failure to provide 100% uptime will result in customer compensation pursuant to guidelines established herein" Our tests also demonstrated that this isn't merely a pretense. We haven't experienced a single service interruption in the few months we've been using this provider. Response and page load times were also satisfactory. We recommend DreamHost to anyone looking for a reliable and affordable web host.
EASE OF USE
DreamHost, unlike many other web hosts, does not use the cPanel software. Instead, you will be given a personalized control panel. If you're concerned that you won't be able to navigate it, don't worry! DreamHost turned out to be one of the easier web hosts to use, and part of the reason is that it doesn't have too many features, so it's easy to find your way around.
PRICING
DreamHost provides a variety of pricing plans that correspond to various types of web hosting. There are only two options for shared hosting, however, which simplifies your purchasing decision.
Shared Starter
• 1 Website
• Free Domain included
• Unlimited Traffic
• WordPress Pre-Installed
• Free Automated WordPress Migrations
• WP Website Builder
• Fast SSD Storage
• Free SSL Certificate
• Add Email as low as $1.67/mo
• 3-Year, 1 Year & Monthly Plans
Shared Unlimited
• Same inclusion with the Shared Starter with the following differences:
• Unlimited Websites
• Unlimited Email @ Your Domain
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
DreamHost's website features a forum where you can post your questions and a Knowledge base where you can find answers. Most forum questions are answered by the support staff within 24 hours. They also provide ticket-based email support anytime, day or night. In the Help section of your DreamHost control panel, you can submit a ticket asking for assistance. Additionally, the panel provides access to live Chat support from 5:30 AM to 9:30 PM PST. For an additional fee, you can also request a callback. As evidenced by DreamHost's near-perfect TrustPilot rating (4.7/5) and mountain of raving reviews of their customer service, you can rest easy knowing you're in good hands.
VERDICT
Overall, DreamHost is an excellent choice for anyone looking to host a website, whether you are a small or large business. There are numerous plans to choose from, each with a plethora of features at an affordable price. Furthermore, their default plan limits are quite high, with a slew of "unlimited" options for disk space and bandwidth, free domain, and other features. Additionally, site migration is now free for WordPress users.