DreamHost Review – Web Hosting

DreamHost is a Los-Angeles based company that was founded in 1996 by a group of undergraduate students. Currently it is owned by New Dream Network, LLC. They offer affordable web hosting services and domain name registration for both start-up and big businesses. Our DreamHost review aims to help you decide whether DreamHost is good for you. So, read through to learn more about DreamHost hosting plans, pricing, customer support, and more.

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DreamHost Web Hosting – Service Overview

The web hosting plans provided by DreamHost aim to satisfy every client’s needs, while maintaining a low monthly fee. They feature shared, VPS and dedicated hosting networks created and ran on the Ubuntu system. DreamHost also offers managed WordPress hosting and cloud storage. In 2009, they introduced a free web application hosting that customers can access with their own domain or a free subdomain.

DreamHost Web Hosting – Pricing Information

DreamHost intends to offer the best solution for everyone. That’s why they have created a series of packages dedicated to every kind of site. Check out who the DreamHost plans and pricing below:

Hosting Plan Ideal for Disk Space Bandwidth Monthly Price
Shared Hosting Blogs, Portfolios, Personal sites Unlimited Unlimited $7.95
VPS Hosting Business, E-commerce Unlimited Unlimited $15
WordPress WordPress sites, Blogs Unlimited Unlimited $16.95
Dedicated Servers Big businesses with high traffic 500GB Unlimited $169

The DreamHost Shared Hosting includes one free domain name and unlimited storage and bandwidth at an incredibly affordable price. DreamHost VPS users are pleased with the basic features plus the advantage of having their sites hosted on the Ubuntu platform. The most expensive package, the DreamHost Dedicated Servers, was created to satisfy the needs of high-end businesses who want their site up and running all the time, 24/7.

Dreamhost BannerDreamHost Review – Security & Risk

Dreamhost has had some issues in the past that might have affected the company’s reputation. There were two serious outages in 2006. In 2007 around 700 sites hosted by DreamHost were compromised. Fortunately, this issue led to an increase in safety measures which proved that DreamHost took all the necessary steps to avoid such problems in the future.

Currently, DreamHost is a secure and stable provider overall. In recent years, there haven’t been any complaints regarding their server’s security. They now include periodical automated malware scans that monitor and eliminate the threats of malware and hackers. They also provide free domain privacy, and create daily back-ups for your website.

DreamHost Review – Usability & User Friendliness

Apart from their main hosting services, DreamHost launched a few other services for cloud storing and domain registration such as DreamCompute, DreamObjects, and DreamPress. The last one is a hosting service dedicated to WordPress users, based on WordPress-optimized servers. Both novices and experienced customers can easily access and use it.

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DreamHost’s main focus is to ensure that all their clients benefit from professional, easy-to-manage websites. That is why they have developed their own in-house custom application for the control panel. This has made them stand out from the other web hosting service providers, and quickly earned them recognition.

The original control panel, on the other hand, features all the necessary tools you need to manage and run your website. It is easy to use and access even if you’re not a pro when it comes to admin panels.

Money Back Guarantee

As a user, you will be impressed by the relatively low prices for high-end services. One of the great features DreamHost offers is their 100% Uptime Guarantee. This ensures that, if for any reason your site is down, you get a full day refund for every hour of inactivity.

Their outstanding money back guarantee, that includes a 97-day period of guarantee, is truly praiseworthy. If you change your mind during this period, and want to close your account, you can easily do it and get a full refund.

DreamHost Review – Customer Support & Additional Info

As regards their customer service, DreamHost provides 24/7 support via email or live chat, so customers can get their answers within a reasonable time. There are also sections dedicated to most common questions. For more info, you can get in touch accessing one of the links below:

DreamHost Review – Overall Service Rating

What we like: One of the best features DreamHost offers is their 100% Uptime Guarantee. They also offer high-quality services at low prices as compared to other providers, such as BlueHost, and have some amazing discounts and free features included in their packages.

What we don’t like: Users might not be pleased with DreamHost’s unusual choice to not use cPanel. The company’s in-house developed panel didn’t impress all customers.

Rating:
Web Hosting Package: 4/5
Security and Risk: 3/5
Usability & User Friendliness: 3.5/5
Pricing: 4/5
Customer Support: 4/5

Top Alternatives

If you are not a fan of the in-house control panel, or simply want to try another provider, there are available alternatives to DreamHost.com. You can choose from various other web hosting services providers such as GreenGeeks, A2Hosting, or iPage. These companies also offer relatively affordable prices adapted to all kinds of businesses. If you want to know more about these companies, just click their name to read our extended reviews.

DreamHost Reviewed by Customers

Apart from a few unhappy customers, DreamHost reviews are positive in most cases. People praise the reliability and stability of their servers, while only a few have mixed feelings about their alternative to cPanel.

Here are a few customer opinions we have gathered for you:

Simon Wela is one of the happy clients who sings the praises of DreamHost:

I really like Dreamhost. The best thing about Dreamhost is their amazing uptime and stability. I have used many cheaper hosting services previously and have always had at least some problems with their uptime and support. But I got tired of all those super cheap hosts and decided to try a “real” hosting provider instead. And from recommendations from friends, I went with Dreamhost.

I have no experience with their support service, though. Why? Because I have never had any problems, everything has worked flawlessly! And then you need to keep in mind that I have had it up on Dreamhost for about one year now. And there has been absolutely no downtime what so ever.

Allan Grudsky is one of the users disappointed by their in-house application for cPanel:

I had a terrible experience with DreamHost’s Control Panel working with a client of mine. For every web host, the CP has to be a very pleasant experience for the customer, as that’s where you spend most of your time interacting with the host.

Why DreamHost can’t use Cpanel like any other normal host is beyond me. Instead, they decide to use a junk panel developed by them, with most functionality buried deep in sections barely related to what you’re trying to find.

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Verdict

Although negative DreamHost reviews show up here and there, most customers find this provider satisfying and reliable. The company has had its ups and downs. Despite all difficulties, they are currently growing and offering quality services to an increasing number of clients at competitive prices. Plus, DreamHost is a valid option for various types of businesses.

Did you choose DreamHost as your provider? How did it go? Let us know in the comment section or even write a DreamHost review; we’re sure other readers would appreciate your insight. Cheers!


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