DreamHost is one of the leading web hosting service providers. It has grown and maintained a successful hosting business for the last 18 years. It currently hosts around 1.5 million sites, blogs, and applications. IsItWP users get an exclusive 40% discount on web hosting.
4.7 / 5.0 5.0 / 5.0 5.0 / 5.0
4.0 / 5.0 4.0 / 5.0 4.0 / 5.0 4.7 / 5.0
DreamHost is one of the oldest web hosting companies, founded back in 1996, even before the advent of Google. DreamHost is now the home for over 1.5 million websites, blogs, and applications, with over 400k happy customers, spanning throughout more than 100 countries.
DreamHost offers a wide variety of web hosting plans for customers of all sizes. Their hosting services include:
Their team is top-notch, and they are always ahead of the curve when it comes to their technology stack. It is one of the officially recommended web hosts by WordPress.org and also the highest-rated web host by PCMag.com.
They offer everything you need to get your website up and running. They give you free domain registration with annual plans, free SSL encryption with Let’s Encrypt, a one-click installer for WordPress and a website builder known as Remixer for those who want to kick start a website with absolutely no coding involved.
On top of that, every shared hosting plan with DreamHost comes with a 97-day money back guarantee. That means you get full three months to try DreamHost and if you’re not fully satisfied, you can request a full refund.
They are also a domain name registrar and offer domain registration and parking services as well.
DreamHost’s shared hosting plan starts at $8.95 per month (regular price). You’ll find their extensive knowledge base immensely helpful to kick off a website from the ground up.
4.3 / 5.0
DreamHost offers cheap hosting, also known as shared hosting, which is the best choice for entry-level and small websites. With cheap hosting, you share the same physical server with many other DreamHost users. Although you share server resources like physical hard drives and RAM with other users, your website files are secured and only accessible to you.
There are 2 shared hosting plans: Shared Starter and Shared Unlimited. DreamHost lets you pay monthly, annually or every 3 years. DreamHost’s 3-year plan provides the best value with over 47% cost savings over the monthly plan.
With any of the DreamHost hosting options, you can waive off the domain name registration fees for one year. You’ll also get free SSL encryption, and 1-click WordPress installer.
Unlike most other web hosting providers, DreamHost comes with a 97-day risk-free money back guarantee.
5.0 / 5.0
DreamHost’s dedicated hosting could be the best choice for websites with high-traffic volume. With dedicated hosting, you get a complete server for your sole use, giving you much more control over the server and operating environment.
With DreamHost’s dedicated server, you get RAID 1 storage, 24×7 server monitoring and tech support, 100% network uptime guarantee, DDoS protection, full root, and shell access and more.
You get a custom-built control panel for your dedicated hosting needs with the flexibility to add or remove servers, reboot or powercycle your server whenever you need it. Plus, you can also manage your domains, websites and email address with ease.
4.6 / 5.0
Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting is the best bet for you if you want to build websites with secured data or resource-heavy applications that are growing through rapid growth and expansion. With VPS, you get a tremendous amount of bandwidth and storage along with easy backup and scalability.
With every managed VPS hosting plan, you get expert assistance on installing manual security patches, user-friendly control panel, 20 x faster SSD storage.
DreamHost allows you to choose from three different VPS plans based on RAM (1GB to 4GB) and SSD storage capacity ranging from 30GB to 240GB.
If you’re technically inclined and looking for an inexpensive, scalable server that gives you full control with root access, you can choose DreamCompute, which is unmanaged VPS hosting also known as cloud hosting.
5.0 / 5.0
DreamHost’s WordPress hosting protects your website from WordPress specific vulnerabilities and malicious attacks.
With their managed WordPress hosting, you’ll get automatic WordPress updates so you can ensure your site is always updated and secured. With every plan, automatic daily backups and on-demand backups are included.
DreamHost’s managed WordPress hosting is the best solution for you if you don’t want to perform site maintenance yourself and needs WordPress specific support for maintaining your WordPress site. With Plus plan or higher, you get Jetpack Pro subscription, daily malware and scanning repair, and instant access to the extensive collection of WordPress themes.
4.8 / 5.0
DreamHost offers WooCommerce hosting for users who want to quickly build an online store without the tedious process of WordPress and WooCommerce installation. WooCommerce hosting is almost similar to the Plus plan of managed WordPress hosting. The only difference is that WooCommerce will be preinstalled on your account.
Upon subscribing to a WooCommerce hosting plan, you can easily get your online store up and running just by logging into your WordPress dashboard. The storefront theme is preinstalled with WooCommerce hosting. You’ll also get a Jetpack Pro subscription.
Here’re a few things we liked about DreamHost
Here are a few limitations of DreamHost…
Does Dreamhost live up to their uptime promise?
To test the server performance for our DreamHost review, we’ve created a test WordPress site using the default Twenty Seventeen theme and dummy content for theme development, including images. This way our test site looked and behaved like an actual average WordPress site.
After setting up our test site, we ran a speed test on our site using Pingdom.
As you can see in the results, our DreamHost test site loaded in less than half a second. That’s faster than 97% of all tested sites, which is incredible for a site without any performance optimization plugins.
Apart from Pingdom, we also used a testing tool called Load Impact to figure out whether our DreamHost site can survive a traffic surge. Load Impact sent some virtual users (VUs) to our site and gradually built up to 100 visitors at a time to test how the server handles it.
In the chart, you can find a blue line (VUs active) which shows the number of virtual users sent to our DreamHost site and a green line (VU load time) which represents how much time it took to load a web page for a user.
As you can see, DreamHost’s performed was great and consistent throughout the test. The number of live visitors on the site doesn’t have an impact on site performance.
The content of your site can have an impact on your page loading time. For instance, if your site contains too many images, it will take more time to load. In fact, images account for most of the downloadable bytes in a typical site.
To get a more accurate result for our test, instead of solely analyzing page load time, we decided to test the actual server response time with Bitcatcha by ignoring the content of our page entirely.
Bitcatcha works differently than Pingdom. It ignores the content of your page and records the page loading time from eight different global locations: New York, LA, London, Brazil, India, Singapore, Japan, and Australia. The speed for each location is measured three separate times, and then the results are averaged.
From the result, you can see that DreamHost server response time remained under less than half a second for all geographic locations. It was particularly great in the United States.
If you need help with DreamHost’s hosting service, you can check out their extensive knowledge base that comprises of tutorials and recommendations. You’ll find DreamHost’s support portal immensely helpful for building and growing your website with a DreamHost hosting account.
DreamHost provides live chat and ticket based support for free with every hosting plan. The main drawback is that Live Chat is only available during 5am – 10pm PST, 7 days a week.
The DreamHost support team strives to answer all emails within 24 hours. Although call back requests are available, they’re not included in every hosting package. You’ll have to subscribe to it separately either by making a one-off payment or monthly subscription. Bear in mind that callbacks cannot be made for numbers outside the United States and Canada.
If you’re just starting out with a new website, you can choose DreamHost’s shared hosting plan.
There are 2 shared hosting plans: Shared Starter and Shared Unlimited.
For WordPress optimized hosting, you can choose from their managed WordPress hosting plans.
Take a detailed look at the pricing of different DreamHost hosting plans.
| PLAN | DISK SPACE | BANDWIDTH | PRICE |
| Shared Hosting | Unlimited | Unlimited | $2.59 / mo. |
| WordPress Hosting Starter | Unlimited | Unlimited | $2.59 / mo. |
| Basic VPS Hosting | 30 GB | Unmetered | $10 / mo. |
| Dedicated Hosting | 1 TB | Unlimited | $169 / mo. |
Having helped thousands of users choose a web hosting plan and start their website, we have answered just about every question you can think of. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about DreamHost.
Which DreamHost plan should I get?
The answer really depends on your hosting needs. When you’re starting out, simply choose their shared hosting plan. DreamHost has only a single shared hosting plan, which makes it easy to get started with an account. If you want to create an online store, then we recommend using their WooCommerce hosting which is specifically designed to handle eCommerce websites.
Can DreamHost handle high traffic?
DreamHost is capable of handling high traffic. But keep in mind that it all depends on the plan you choose. If your site starts consuming too much resources, then DreamHost will ask you to upgrade to a higher plan.
Can I upgrade my DreamHost plan later?
We always recommend users to start with the smaller plans and upgrade as needed. DreamHost makes it very easy for you to upgrade.
Does DreamHost offer a month-to-month payment option?
Yes! DreamHost offers month-to-month payment option. However, keep in mind that they offer significant discounts for longer-term deals.
Can I create subdomains in DreamHost?
Yes, you can easily create subdomains in DreamHost using the cPanel.
Do I have to register my domain name with DreamHost?
No. While you can claim a free domain name while purchasing a hosting plan, you’re not obliged to register a domain name with DreamHost. You can use Godaddy, NameCheap, or any of your preferred domain name registrar.
Does DreamHost offer free SSL?
Yes, DreamHost offers free SSL with all of their plans. Ecommerce plans come with dedicated IPs and private SSL.
Do I need to purchase the addons that DreamHost offers me?
No, you do not need to purchase any addons at the time of purchase. Should you decide that you need them later, you can always add them to your account.
Does DreamHost really offer unlimited disk space and bandwidth?
Just like any other hosting company, DreamHost also advertises unlimited resources. When they say unlimited, it just means that you don’t have to worry about disk storage or bandwidth because you get enough resources to operate a small site in a normal condition.
Can I create an ecommerce site on DreamHost?
Absolutely. DreamHost’s WooCommerce hosting plan comes pre-configured with all the things you need to start an online store.
Wondering how DreamHost stacks up against other web hosting companies? See our side-by-side comparison to see for yourself.
We think DreamHost offers a very reliable platform for hosting your websites. Their starting prices may be slightly higher than the competition, but being upfront about the prices, they leave no room for confusion down the line. With a DreamHost plan, you don’t find any hidden charges and comes with an unlimited website and email hosting.
We were also impressed with their custom control panel and quick support. DreamHost could be the best solution for you if you don’t want a cPanel based backend option. We rate DreamHost as an excellent choice for hosting any kind of website.
All DreamHost plans include a money-back guarantee. 
if you are looking for big problem with your website it is your choice! there is no such worst hosting anywhere. support do nothing. but they have one their own style – at any time you may lose one of database without backup. and support simply tell you – com back later))) support tickets unanswered 48 hours. still site does not work. live chat support can only open your panel and do the same as you can))) do not use dreamhost even it is cheaper.
I came to DreamHost to host a WordPress site. They are very easy to work with and their support is prompt, helpful, and professional. I would recommend them.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to learn WordPress tech info so decided to go to a more plug and play website. However, DreamHost was top notch with their guidance and support!
DreamHost has provided excellent service thus far. They have been very helpful and prompt in assisting me in getting an account up and running. Customer service has been patient and courteous. One-click installs are available in the control panel, which is convenient and saves me time. Overall, a very positive experience with Dreamhost up to this point.
I am currently a very peculiar problem on my DH VPS where one of my website running XenForo starts showing MySQL related errors for a small duration of time during the same time every day.
DH people of course blamed the script which is somehow causing this issue. XenForo developers blame a MySQL bug for this issue. Me? I have been offered no resolution by either parties. I am basically on my own.
I am quite happy with Dreamhost otherwise. Their backend is amazingly simple to use. Things usually just work on Dreamhost. Even the customer support excels on simpler requests.
But this particular issue… Since they offer shared MySQL servers even on VPS solutions… They are of very little help to my need. They claim that their MySQL servers are operating optimally during the time I face issue on it. Maybe it is. But my site still becomes kind of glitchy and I can do nothing about it.
I am currently working on starting a MySQL instance on their DreamCloud platform to see if an unshared MySQL server fixes my issue. I would have to do this completely on my own because well it is a non-managed service in the end.
Great customer service, great service overall! I sent a help ticket and got an answer in just a few hours solving my problem. The system is set up well to as to not insult anyone but also provide the necessary information. Fabulous service.
After several years of being customer of DreamHost, in one occasion and tried to switch to another company but the technical support team solve my problems early in most cases, so today I see no reason to change, I remain with Dream Host, and very satisfied.
Our non-profit is so grateful to have dreamhost services and their support. It took quite awhile to learn the control panel and WordPress as this was our first website, but the dreamwiki and support tickets always helped resolve questions and issues. Thanks again so much for your support Dreamhost, we are forever grateful!! 🙂
I have been using Dreamhost for 3 or 4 months and overall I am satisfied with their service. They offer a reasonable cost for a reasonable service and glad I am using their service. I use Tomcat which they clearly will tell you that it is not supported, but will give you sudo root access so it can be installed. I have been able to setup and use Tomcat with minimal issues, but they are not very good about helping in general when the word Tomcat is used in a sentence. The standard reply was we don’t support it even if you are not really needing a solution to Tomcat. Even though they have a knee jerk response the overall service and they will try and help if you prod them to help. I am overall glad that I chose Dreamhost and would recommend them using Tomcat, but be prepared to dig in and figure out solutions to minor issues that may arise without much help.
I had a problem setting up my site, but the DreamHost support team helped me set it the way I wanted it. Great job.
I’ve had my website at one host or another for fifteen years. I’m no server expert, so whenever I have to move and set up at a new host, I’ve got to brush-up on my FTP, MySQL, PHP and all that all over again. And I get just as nervous and anxious as any newbie with their first site. DreamHost support answered my questions quickly and patiently. Setting up was easy. And I must say, their Wiki and Forum are great places to research your questions and allay your fears. I highly recommend DreamHost.
I have had access and received tech support for two years until the most recent incident. When i need some tech support this week, I suddenly did not have the right email. After going back and forth with various representatives to try and determine if I was authorizes to make changes, i got some helpful advice. my site was down for three whole days during a very busy time. Not good enough.
I had a question regarding my renewal for my non-profit organization’s website being hosted by Dream host. Their response was fast and made my day. Thanks Dreamiest!!!
For about 5 years I had a hosting service that was rude, condescending, and problematic. I was afraid to change hosts because I had never moved a WP site before and didn’t want to deal with complications. What’s the saying again? “When the pain of remaining where you are becomes greater than the pain of making a change, it’s past time to make the change.”
I’m a huge fan of Dreamhost. Seriously. I didn’t know hosting could be so good. I had a WP problem last week that I thought was surely out of range of what they offer for support, but I had been trying to fix a login issue for a couple of hours and had only made things worse. Using Live Chat, Dreamhost helped me fix the problem in about 2 minutes. TWO MINUTES.
I’m a fan.
I had a great experience with the customer chat. My issue was resolved within the first 5 minutes of talking to the rep. My old hosting site would either, A. take over a weeks to respond or B. not respond at all. A+ service.
when i have a problem they solved it very fast
So I could not get an answer from the Chat support
they suggested I open a ticket and wait for a response
the ticket promise that the reply would be forthcoming in 24 hours
the ticket was responded to 1 week later
the respondee suggested that if the problem occurred again to contact chat support when the problem manifests again
the problem did not get solved at the point you see!
so the next time it occurred – I contacted the Chat support who were very cheerful! and cheerfully suggested I open a ticket to get a more advanced analysis
4 days after that I got a reply from the ticket saying that the RAM automatically uprates to take account of the 503 errors which keep occurring and cheerfully suggested that I contact Chat Support when the problem occurs again…..
sure enough when the problem occurred I contacted Chat support – who said that they did not really know much about WordPress set ups and he would “reach out” to that department and would I mind terribly opening up a ticket to get a more expert reply…….
Now there is a moral to this tale…..but I really ought to open up a ticket to get the answer to that….
Most of the Hosting Services won’t reply for the queries soon. The person has to wait few days for answer from them. I really satisfied with DreamHost support system and their way of response in short time.
Keep it Up…! Thank You…!
DreamHost wears its name perfectly. Than you for being so responsive and efficient.
I’ve been with DreamHost for years, and have never had an issue! Super pleased with them and how helpful they are. I love their “chat support” feature. I’ve gotten step by step guidance from their staff when I wasn’t sure how to do something on my own. All in all, super happy with DH. I’ve never had a problem :).
Dreamhost responded the next day to my question in a way that enabled me to solve a problem
I didn;t need to have because I learned of built-in Dreamhost tools that did the job of an app that had become a nuisance.
I really like Dreamhost! My sites got hacked a few years back due to a WordPress vulnerability. They worked with me to get everything patched up. I never expected them to support my code, but just host it. But they went way out of their way to help me.
I have about 5 VPS as well. They work well. Super fast with SSD’s.
I have run a small web design and IT company for fifteen years and have used a lot of different hosts, but Dreamhost consistently gives good service and continuously improves. They recently moved all my sites over to an SSD based shared server. which makes my WordPress sites faster. They have a wiki which answers lots of questions if you are a self-study type of person.
They have paid phone support and free email support, which, for the little I pay per month, is the way it should be. My experience with Dreamhost has been 10 plus years and yes, they have gone through growing pains, but when things are not working, most times they are already aware of the issue and posting status updates (i.e. status.dreamhost.com). It was the transparency that first drew me to them (because every host has problems) and in large part, what keeps me. I don’t care if they have problems, as long as they are fixing them. They also work hard to keep spam from getting their outgoing email IP addresses black listed, something that other hosts regularly fail to do.
I wasn’t paid for this feedback and was just happy recently when they randomized a client’ email password because it looks like it had been compromised.
Sean.
Was having Issues with my Host, Decided to move to Dreamhost, Paid for their Most Expensive Dedicateed Hosting Package and I was given the Login Details after many hours (Was Pissed), The Login came after 48hrs and then I contact them asking them to help me Migrate from my Present Host to Dreamhost, I was told that they can’t help me with their Migration.. Even if am to do it myself, their Admin Panel is not Friendly.. I have never heard it from anywhere, Any Host will gladly help their Customer move their Content. I Immediately dislike Dreamhost.. I requested for a Refund and I got back my Money 4 days after… I won’t come near them again.
Exellent support! Quick and obliging.
The Dreamhost customer service team was able to quickly determine my WordPress issue and suggest the right solution on first attempt! A+++