When looking for a web hosting service to build a Linux-based website, DreamHost is a top contender. They offer a wide range of features to meet personal and business hosting needs, including shared, WordPress, virtual private server (VPS), and dedicated plans. Their cloud hosting options provide user-friendly tools to create visually appealing and versatile websites. This makes DreamHost a co-Editors' Choice recipient for cloud hosting, along with the equally impressive Ionos.
Shared Web Hosting by DreamHost
Shared web hosting is an affordable option for creating a website without breaking the bank. This type of hosting, according to PCMag, allows your site to share CPU, RAM, and other server resources with other websites. The term "shared" refers to the fact that one server can host multiple sites, meaning your site's performance can be affected by the activity of other sites on the same server. For instance, if one of your server mates' sites goes viral on Reddit, your site may experience slowdowns. If you anticipate high levels of traffic, it may be worth considering options such as virtual private server (VPS), cloud hosting, or dedicated hosting.
DreamHost offers two types of shared hosting packages: Shared Starter and Shared Unlimited. The Shared Starter plan is available for $4.95 per month upon sign-up or $2.95 per month with a one-year commitment. It enables you to create a single website with unlimited storage and data transfers, but it does not include email services. To access email, you will need to upgrade to the Shared Unlimited plan, which starts at $8.95 per month upon sign-up or $2.95 per month with a one-year commitment. This plan includes both email services and unlimited website hosting. The annual plan's reduced price puts it in close competition with the Starter option, making it a more attractive choice than our previous review of DreamHost. However, it is important to note that the sign-up rates are lower than the renewal rates. The Starter plan renews at $7.99 per month, while the Unlimited plan renews at $13.99 per month.
VPS Web Hosting by DreamHost
For businesses in need of higher server power than what is provided by shared hosting, DreamHost has four Linux-based VPS web hosting plans (starting at $15.00 per month or $13.75 per month with a one-year commitment). This type of hosting reduces the number of virtual "roommates" on the server, allowing for more server power to be allocated to your website.
DreamHost's VPS plans come with the benefit of unlimited monthly data transfers and domains. However, the base memory and storage are limited; the Basic plan (as shown in the above prices) provides only 1GB of RAM and a 30GB solid-state drive. On the other hand, the highest configuration offers 8GB of RAM and 240GB of solid-state storage for $120 per month or $110 per month with an annual contract. It should be noted that these plans exclusively use Ubuntu Linux as the operating system. Additionally, the quoted prices are promotional and the Basic plan renews at $19.99 per month, while the high-end Enterprise plan renews at $137.99.
Dedicated Web Hosting by DreamHost
For optimal web hosting capabilities, a dedicated server is necessary. This configuration allows your website to reside on a server independently, utilizing all available system resources. If you anticipate a significant influx of traffic and require uninterrupted performance, dedicated hosting is worth considering for your mission-critical website.
DreamHost offers a variety of dedicated server packages, beginning with the Standard 4 plan ($169 per month or $149 with an annual commitment) which provides 4GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. The highest-tier option is the Enhanced SSD 64 plan for $399 per month, which includes 64GB of RAM and 240GB of solid-state storage. All of DreamHost's dedicated server plans include unlimited data transfers.
Regrettably, DreamHost does not offer dedicated servers that are Windows-based; it is only Linux-based here.
Cloud Web Hosting by DreamHost
Cloud hosting, known for its ability to distribute resources among several servers, is a popular concept. Unlike traditional hosting, which relies on a single server for resources, cloud hosting enables websites to easily scale up their server needs as required. At DreamHost, there are three tiers of cloud hosting available - 512MB RAM Server, 2GB RAM Server, and 8GB RAM Server - which are offered in Linux, BSD, and Windows options.
The packages offered by DreamHost are of high quality and have a starting price of $4.50 per month. This package includes 512MB of RAM, 80GB of storage, and unlimited monthly data transfers. The highest priced package is $48 per month and includes four CPU cores, 8GB of RAM, 80GB of storage, and unlimited monthly data transfers. DreamHost's impressive specifications make it a top choice for cloud hosting services, according to our editors.
For those seeking top-notch cloud hosting services for their business, Ionos is the ideal choice. This provider has been selected as our other Editors' Choice in this category and offers highly robust and advanced cloud hosting packages.
Web Hosting for Resellers at DreamHost
For those interested in entering the field of web hosting without the responsibility of managing infrastructure, reseller hosting is a suitable option. However, DreamHost does not have independent reseller plans available. Users can resell their own server space, but only by adding additional domains to their own. For further details, refer to DreamHost's reseller FAQ page.
Web Hosting for WordPress by DreamHost
DreamHost, like many of its rivals, provides WordPress hosting in three distinct tiers: WordPress Basic, DreamPass, and VPS WordPress. The DreamPress option is the typical choice, offering managed WordPress hosting with a white-glove approach. This includes automatic updates for the widely used content management system, daily backups, and specialized security measures for WordPress.
For those looking for a basic WordPress plan, the WordPress Basic package is available starting at $4.95 per month or $2.95 for a three-year commitment. This plan includes 50GB of SSD storage, an option to purchase email services, and unlimited monthly data transfers. It also offers a selection of free WordPress themes. Alternatively, the DreamPress option is available starting at $19.95 per month and includes 30GB of SSD storage, unlimited email and monthly data transfers, and can accommodate up to 100,000 monthly visitors. If you need more storage and can handle approximately 300,000 visitors per month, the DreamPress Plus plan is available for $29.95 per month. It also includes a content delivery network (CDN) for improved site loading speed. The highest tier plan, DreamPress Pro, is priced at $79.95 per month and offers 120GB of SSD storage and can handle up to 1,000,000 visitors.
With DreamPress, you have the freedom to install any plug-in you want. However, Pagely and WP Engine have limitations on the number of plug-ins you can install, as some may negatively affect your website's performance. In a recent update, DreamHost introduced a staging feature to their WordPress services, allowing you to experiment with new site features on a separate instance without affecting your live pages.
While DreamPress is certainly impressive, our top pick for web hosting in the category is A2, which is powered by Linux. A2 takes pride in its optimized environment that claims to be six times faster than the usual hosting environments. Additionally, A2's WordPress plans provide unlimited storage and monthly data transfers for the majority of its options. To learn more about this popular content management system, check out our guide on getting started with WordPress.
Constructing a DreamHost Site
DreamHost's user interface is highly appreciated by us as it has a straightforward layout which made setting up my test site a breeze. Unlike HostGator or iPage, where there are numerous distracting icons on the screen, DreamHost has a well-organized menu on the left side. This menu allows users to easily access billing details, domain management, and VPS/dedicated server settings. Finding security options and third-party apps in the marketplace was also effortless.
DreamHost has recently introduced the WP website builder, which allows users to begin constructing their websites immediately. Gone are the days of waiting for DreamHost account approval, as now the process is much quicker. This new feature offers a wide selection of customizable themes that can be easily manipulated using its user-friendly drag-and-drop feature. Adding images, text, and videos from either personal files or DreamHost's library is a breeze. Additionally, users have the option to install external applications such as concrete5, Joomla, MediaWiki, Piwigo, and, of course, WordPress to their account.
Available E-Commerce Options at DreamHost
At DreamHost, you can access ZenCart for free through the One Click Install menu. This open-source software, recommended by PCMag as one of the best e-commerce software options, functions as an online shopping cart to easily facilitate product purchases. Additionally, it is compatible with Woo Commerce.
DreamHost provides a $100 credit for Google AdWords and also offers the ability to monitor website traffic and analytics through Chartbeat. Unlike other services that primarily concentrate on Google Analytics, this is a unique feature.
Security at DreamHost
DreamHost provides anti-spam protection for its email service, but does not offer any anti-malware services. Despite this, we appreciate its focus on other aspects of website security. The control panel has a convenient link for modifying the .htaccess file, allowing users to control site access or establish a password. To prevent certain parts of the site from being indexed by search engines, spiders can be blocked. Users can also create cron jobs (automated batch jobs) to schedule tasks and monitor site processes. Additionally, DreamHost includes free secure-socket layer (SSL) certificates, which are essential for those who conduct online product sales.
As someone who is involved in software development, whether as a developer or a team manager, you will appreciate the inclusion of Subversion in DreamHost. This feature allows for efficient management of source code files. Unlike other web hosting providers that limit you to their predetermined list of applications, DreamHost allows for the setup of your own repository, which is particularly useful for version-control tools like Subversion that are not commonly found on these platforms. However, this is only applicable if you do not already utilize Git repositories for your coding needs.
If a website or blog is not your intention, you may still be in need of a storage space for your files. DreamHost has a solution with their DreamObjects cloud storage plans, which include free API requests. The pricing starts at $0.025 per GB of storage and $0.05 per GB of downloads per month.
Excellent Uptime
Ensuring that your website is up and running is crucial for a positive web hosting experience. In the event of your site going offline, potential clients or customers will not be able to locate you or utilize your goods and services.
For our testing purposes, we utilize a website monitoring software to monitor the uptime of our site for a span of 14 days. The tool pings our website every 15 minutes and notifies us via email if it is unable to establish contact for at least one minute. Our findings indicate that DreamHost is highly reliable as there were no downtimes during the test period. In fact, there was only one short interruption in several months. Therefore, you can rely on DreamHost to provide a solid base for your website.
Phone Support Not Available, Chat Support is Exceptional
DreamHost provides customer support through email, tickets, and online chat. They also have a comprehensive knowledge base available. However, the absence of phone support is a downside as sometimes one may prefer to communicate with a person. Nonetheless, the chat support is efficient. We tested it during a weekday in the afternoon and evening, and in both cases, we were connected to a representative within a minute to assist with our inquiries.
Inquiring about the disparities between VPS and dedicated hosting, we received a comprehensive and satisfactory response from the representative. Furthermore, we inquired about the process of transferring our WordPress.com setup to DreamHost and were provided with an extremely useful link containing detailed instructions. Our satisfaction with the answers remained unchanged. Additionally, DreamHost has a Knowledge Base which addresses frequently asked questions.
The money-back guarantee policy for shared hosting at DreamHost is highly rated, with a duration of 97 days. However, the credit policy varies for VPS and dedicated server plans. In case of cancellation of an annual VPS plan within the initial 30 days, a credit will be given for the remaining balance. This same process applies to annual dedicated plans. It should be noted that DreamHost does not offer refunds for monthly VPS and dedicated plans.
5 Key Facts to Understand About Web Hosting
A Host for Advanced Users
DreamHost is a highly recommended and top-rated choice for cloud-based web hosting services, as it offers a wide range of tools, secure options, and a generous money-back guarantee for shared hosting. It also provides unlimited storage, monthly data transfers, domains, and email. PCMag has chosen DreamHost as an Editors' Choice due to its impressive features, including useful website-building software. However, for corporate customers seeking the best cloud hosting, Ionos is the ideal choice. Both DreamHost and Ionos have been recognized as Editors' Choice winners for their exceptional cloud hosting packages.
To learn more, take a look at our suggestions for developing an exceptional website, as well as our guide on how to acquire a domain name for your website.
The review was aided by the input of Mike Williams.
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