DreamHost – is one of the best players in the contemporary hosting niche. Since the date of its foundation in 1997, the service has won extensive user popularity, with over 591,082 users in more than 100 countries worldwide.
Currently, the host offers services to individuals as well as small and large enterprises. You can get shared, VPS, dedicated, WordPress and cloud hosting packages along with domain registration and management services.
The company is also known for its comprehensive customer support, user-centric approach, high uptime rates, free domains available with its annual plans, WordPress (read review) integrations and custom-built control panel that makes the process of website management simple and convenient even for beginners. Finally, DreamHost stands out for its strong stance on privacy and security, offering features like free SSL certificates and domain privacy available in each subscription.
These are only a few advantages of DreamHost. If you are interested in using the host and would like to find out more about it, keep reading the review to be aware of the recent service info.
Pros and Cons of DreamHost
Acting as a full-featured hosting provider, DreamHost undeniably offers a list of advantages that appeal to its subscribers and become the reason for choosing the system. At the same time, the host still has some disadvantages that may prevent you from reaching your objectives and, thus, should be discussed in advance. If you are right about to select DreamHost for your website hosting needs, mind the pros and cons listed below.
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DreamHost Features and Tools
When using DreamHost, you can choose the required type of hosting. The system offers several options that differ with regard to your budget, project complexity and special hosting-related parameters.
Types of Hosting
- Shared Hosting
- VPS Hosting
- Dedicated Hosting
- Managed WordPress Hosting
- WooCommerce Hosting
- Cloud Hosting (DreamCompute)
This option works best for new website owners (read how to create a personal website), bloggers and small businesses searching for an affordable way to get online. Shared hosting plans offered by DreamHost include unlimited traffic, fast SSD storage, free SSL certificates and the option to add an email for a nominal fee.
This hosting type ensures more flexibility and power, offering scalable resources within each plan. The solution will be especially valued by businesses and developers who require more control and performance over their projects yet wish to avoid high costs generally associated with dedicated servers. VPS hosting comes with various tiers of RAM and storage, managed performance and the ability to host unlimited domains.
Dedicated hosting is a nice solution for high-traffic websites and large businesses that need exclusive server resources. It grants access to one or several servers, scalable RAM, extensive storage options and other associated advantages.
This hosting type is specially optimized for WordPress sites, and comes with managed services for performance, updates and security. The host offers several types of plans for WordPress sites, each offering diverse features.
For all those willing to set up online stores, DreamHost is eager to offer WooCommerce hosting. It includes everything your web store hosting may require – powerful caching, storefront designs and the ability to handle variable product catalogs and traffic.
Cloud hosting is a smart pick for businesses and developers that require flexible and powerful storage resources. It makes it possible to deploy and manage your own cloud servers with full root access. This type of hosting is generally billed on an hourly or monthly basis, helping run applications or websites with variable traffic.
Free Domain
Free domain for the first year is included in all DreamHost subscriptions by default. This allows new site owners to get started with their projects at no cost. Additionally, system subscribers get free WHOIS privacy protection absolutely for free to be sure their personal info is well-protected.
Read also: How to Create a Website for Free with Your Own DomainSecurity Tools
Among the security tools DreamHost offers, the following ones should be the first to mention:
- Free SSL Certificates;
- Multi-Factor Authentication;
- Domain Privacy Protection;
- Automated Daily Backups.
Custom Control Panels
As opposed to numerous modern hosting providers, DreamHost does not use standard control panels like cPanel. Instead, it offers a simple custom-built control panel that simplifies the process of server/website management.
One-Click Installer
The host allows installing over 100 apps (including CMS like Joomla, WordPress etc.) with one click only. There is even a separate group of subscriptions for WordPress sites that simplify the website creation/hosting process. One-click installation is available for WooCommerce as well.
Green Hosting
DreamHost can be considered an eco-friendly hosting solution as it uses energy-efficient data centers as well as special techniques (carbon offset programs) to reduce the impact on the environment.
Email Hosting
All DreamHost plans include robust email hosting services that let you have a professional email address tied to your domain.
100% Uptime Guarantee
100% uptime guarantee is what DreamHost guarantees to its subscribers. Users claim that this is not just a promise as the host tends to ensure one of the highest uptime rates in the industry. As a result, your website has good chances to be available to visitors 24/7 with no interruptions.
Developer-Friendly Tools
DreamHost caters to developers’ requirements for website control and efficiency, offering SSH access, Git and WP-CLI for WordPress-powered projects.
Performance and Uptime
When it comes to hosting choice, performance and uptime are among those factors you should consider first. As for DreamHost, it boasts consistent performance across all its plans. This is the result of multiple tests and user reviews. In this respect, VPS and dedicated plans frequently even exceed user expectations, while shared hosting options may vary from time to time.
A notable DreamHost highlight is that the host supports PHP7 known for its performance improvement as compared to other versions. This explains why websites run smoothly and reliably when hosted here. HTTP/2 is also enabled on DreamHost servers to enhance communication speed between web browsers and servers. This combination of features ensures faster website performance in general.
Server Speed
DreamHost uses SSDs on all its plans. This not only increases speed and reduces latency, but also enhances data retrieval times. For more effective speed optimization, the host integrates with Cloudflare’s CDN. This guarantees more effective and quick data delivery via better content caching and offers sufficient load times.
Customer Support
DreamHost is all about quality and professional customer support, offering several 24/7 options that cater to the needs of diverse user categories. It is up to you to pick that very support option that addresses your problem most:
- Live Chat. If you need immediate assistance, live chat is always at your disposal. It allows users to connect directly with a support expert for quick resolution of simple queries or tech problems;
- Email Support. For more detailed inquiries or issues that require thorough investigation, DreamHost provides email support. Customers can submit their questions or issues through an email ticketing system and wait for a support team member to respond with a comprehensive solution;
- Knowledge Base. DreamHost boasts one of the most extensive and informative knowledge bases that includes guides, articles, tutorials and other resources that cover various host-related aspects;
- Community Forums. The DreamHost community forums are a top destination for users to interact with other subscribers, share experiences, ask questions and discuss the potential solutions;
- Social Media Support. On DreamHost’s official website, you can find social network buttons that will redirect you to the host’s accounts. This will let you stay updated about the service’s news and updates.
DreamHost promises that users get a response from the support team in less than an hour. While waiting, you can get in touch with the support team in almost no time to type your question and get the answer.
Pricing Policy
DreamHost prices are quite affordable and flexible, which lets you pick a subscription that fits your budget. Listed below are the starting prices for each type of hosting available:
- Shared Hosting – starts at $2.95/mo billed annually;
- VPS Hosting – starts at $10/mo billed annually;
- Managed WP Hosting – starts at $16.95/mo billed annually;
- Dedicated Server Hosting – starts at $165/mo billed annually;
- Cloud Hosting – starts at $4.50/mo billed annually.
When you get shared hosting plans, DreamHost will offer a 97-day money-back guarantee. This is a longer term as compared to other niche competitors.
Conclusion
DreamHost is one of the most well-known providers in the modern hosting niche that offers a comprehensive suite of services for various website hosting needs. The service allows picking the best option for any website type – from personal to business projects.
The company is user-focused, ensuring high uptime rates, excellent and reliable performance, fast SSD storage, transparent pricing and high-end support options. What’s more, DreamHost is dedicated to privacy and security, offering a diversity of tools to choose from.
Features like eco-friendliness, opportunity of WordPress integration and free domain name connection add to DreamHost’s functionality and make it a smart choice for thousands of users worldwide.