Dreamhost Wordpress Review

DreamHost WordPress Review (Feb. 2024): Ratings from Experts

Written by: Laura Bernheim

Laura Bernheim

Laura has spent more than 12 years crafting engaging and award-winning articles that share the passion behind organizations' products, people, and innovations. As a long-time HostingAdvice contributing expert, she combines a reputation for producing quality content with rich technical expertise to show experienced developers how to capitalize on emerging technologies and find better ways to work with established platforms. A professional journalist, Laura has contributed to The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, the Sun Sentinel, and the world's top hosting providers.

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Edited by: Lillian Castro

Lillian Castro

Lillian brings more than 30 years of editing and journalism experience to our team. She has written and edited for major news organizations, including The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the New York Times, and she previously served as an adjunct instructor at the University of Florida. Today, she edits HostingAdvice content for clarity, accuracy, and reader engagement.

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Combining a top-notch hosting company with the approval of the world’s most popular content management system, we put together an in-depth DreamHost WordPress review to examine why the pairing works so well.

As one of the few hosting providers recommended by WordPress itself, DreamHost provides domain registration, web hosting, and cloud services to 1.5 million sites, blogs, and applications around the world.

WordPress users can choose between a shared hosting service and DreamPress, a performant and reliable managed hosting plan that delivers security, auto-updates, and a support crew well-versed in all things WordPress. We took the company’s services for a test drive and are eager to share our comparison of the two hosting platforms, along with alternatives worthy of your consideration.

DreamHost “WordPress” Review: 4.9 / 5.0 Rating

Started by four friends in a college dorm room in 1997, DreamHost combined the Founders’ passion for technology, open-source software, and helping customers succeed. To that end, the company specializes in providing easy setup, around-the-clock support, and automated updates and backups.

Most important to client success, however, just might be the 100% uptime guarantee DreamHost includes with all WordPress hosting services — if your business website or eCommerce store isn’t available, you’re not making money and losing potential customers. Additionally, the company’s 97-day money-back guarantee is perhaps the best in the business, giving customers ample time to see if DreamHost services are the right fit.

DreamHost doesn’t restrict the themes or plugins customers use, and the company allows files to be stored on super-fast solid-state drives, or SSDs. In addition to a pre-installed SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt, DreamHost boosts site security with a WordPress-specific firewall that shores up known weaknesses and offers support against brute-force attacks.

WORDPRESS RATING
★★★★★ 4.9/5.0
  • WordPress hosting for up to unlimited sites
  • FREE WordPress website migration
  • Fully managed hosting with DreamPress plan
  • NEW WordPress website builder tool
  • 1 of 3 providers endorsed by WordPress.org
  • Get started on DreamHost now.
Starting Price/Mo. $2.59
Money Back Guarantee 97 days
Disk Space Unlimited
Domain Name FREE (1 year)
DreamHost: Our Expert's Review
Laura Bernheim (HostingAdvice.com):

One of only three hosting providers recommended by the WordPress Core team, DreamHost has actively contributed to the WordPress community for more than a decade. The company's platform is optimized for the incredibly popular content management system, and plans include easy setup, automated updates and backups, unlimited bandwidth, and 24/7 specialized support.

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See alternative WordPress hosts »

DreamPress “Managed WordPress” Review: 4.9 / 5.0 Rating

DreamHost serves more than 400,000 customers, ranging from web designers and developers to content creators, small businesses, and entrepreneurs. With such a varied client base, technical abilities can range from seasoned pros to clueless beginners.

That’s where DreamPress comes in. DreamHost’s managed WordPress plans allocate two virtual private servers per customer to boost performance, scalability, and reliability. One VPS is optimized for serving up the frontend, while the other caters to MySQL databases. DreamPress customers receive the same SSD storage found elsewhere in DreamHost plans, but the company includes multiple caching layers, isolated server resources, and auto-scaling memory to provide five-times-faster performance over the regular WordPress hosting plans.

The price tag associated with DreamPress is on par with other high-end managed WordPress hosting providers, including WPEngine and Flywheel, so we have zero qualms about recommending DreamHost’s high-powered services:

MANAGED WORDPRESS RATING
★★★★★ 4.9/5.0
  • Fully managed, stress-free WordPress hosting
  • More than 5x faster than traditional shared hosting
  • Advanced site backup and security features
  • Now includes Jetpack pre-installed
  • Easily scale to handle traffic spikes
  • Get started on DreamHost now.
Starting Price/Mo. $16.95
Money Back Guarantee 97 days
Disk Space Unlimited
Domain Name FREE (1 year)
Managed WordPress Hosting Plans www.dreamhost.com/managed-wordpress
DreamHost: Our Expert's Review
Laura Bernheim (HostingAdvice.com):

Managed WordPress hosting with DreamHost is the crème de la crème of concierge services for the popular platform. We appreciate that DreamHost doesn’t cap your bandwidth, so your WordPress site is free to scale and can accommodate unexpected spikes in...

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See alternative managed WordPress hosts »

Alternatives to DreamHost WordPress Hosting

We’re big fans of DreamHost, but the company’s options may not be exactly what you need. Whether you have concerns about price, support, or the custom technologies behind your hosting plan, dozens of other hosts have entered the WordPress hosting fray to compete for your business. Basic WordPress hosting plans are typically priced similarly, at less than $5 per month. Where the advantage comes in is the inclusion of WP-specific features and technologies to optimize your experience.

The three hosts below offer services similar to DreamHost, but with subtle differences here and there. Take a look at each review to determine if DreamHost is the right fit, or you’ll be better served looking elsewhere. You’ll be in great hands with the companies we’ve listed here:

WORDPRESS RATING
★★★★★ 4.9/5.0
  • Recommended by WordPress.org since 2005
  • Automatic WordPress updates and initial install
  • FREE WordPress themes in the Bluehost Marketplace
  • 24/7 support via live chat, phone, and email
  • Get exclusive discounts on WordPress plans
  • Get started on Bluehost now.
Starting Price/Mo. $1.99
Money Back Guarantee 30 days
Disk Space 10 GB SSD - 100 GB SSD
Domain Name FREE (1 year)
Bluehost: Our Expert's Review
Ryan Frankel (HostingAdvice.com):

Bluehost's WordPress hosting packages are aimed at first-time site owners and personal bloggers. These services come at a premium compared to the standard Bluehost web hosting (basic shared hosting) plans, but the WordPress optimization and platform-specific resources are arguably worth the cost.

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WORDPRESS RATING
★★★★★ 4.9/5.0
  • Officially endorsed by WordPress.org
  • FREE migration plugin or automated installation
  • Pre-installed Git, 3 caching levels, and FREE CDN
  • FREE WP setup wizard, staging, and auto-updates
  • Fast, 24/7 support via custom chat system
  • Get started on SiteGround now.
Starting Price/Mo. $2.99
Money Back Guarantee 30 days
Disk Space 10 GB SSD - 40 GB SSD
Domain Name New or Transfer
SiteGround: Our Expert's Review
Alexandra Anderson (HostingAdvice.com):

Want a hassle-free, WordPress-optimized hosting service. SiteGround has thought of everything you need to get your site up and running.

Go to full review »
WORDPRESS RATING
★★★★★ 4.9/5.0
  • 1-click WP install, PHP 7+, HTTP/2, and NGINX
  • All-in-one security protections from BitNinja
  • WordPress optimizations boost performance
  • No price markup for WordPress services
  • Daily backups and FREE SSL certificate
  • Get started on Hostinger now.
Starting Price/Mo. $2.49
Money Back Guarantee 30 days
Disk Space 100 GB SSD - 200 GB NVMe
Domain Name FREE (1 year)
Hostinger: Our Expert's Review
Laura Bernheim (HostingAdvice.com):

As much as we love WordPress, one of our biggest pet peeves is when hosting providers exploit the popularity of the world's most-used content management system by offering so-called WordPress hosting that, in reality, is exactly the same as the host's shared server plans. Fortunately, Hostinger's ultra-fast infrastructure and easy access to SSL certificates and backups sets up the company to outperform the vast majority of the violators of our admittedly made-up rule.

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See alternative WordPress hosts »

Benefits of WordPress Hosting with DreamHost

Choosing a host for your WordPress website is no easy task. Finding the best provider is not a one-size-fits-all solution since every person and project has different goals, budgets, computing requirements, and technical know-how.

DreamHost has spent two decades optimizing customers’ hosting experiences with open-source programs like WordPress.

Here are some of the reasons DreamHost might work out for you:

Simply put, DreamHost comes with more features and optimizations than your run-of-the-mill shared hosting provider. Any host that so much as attempts to optimize its infrastructure for WordPress is worthy of serious consideration.

Room for Improvement in DreamHost WordPress Plans

As with any web host, DreamHost can’t possibly meet every user’s needs. Here, we’ve detailed some of the drawbacks or quirky attributes we think you should know about:

As you can see, most of the DreamHost flaws really just boil down to personal preferences and experience. None are really deal breakers, as DreamHost enjoys a positive reputation across the web hosting industry.

Don’t Love DreamHost? Check Out Other Options for WordPress

Although my content management system choice has stayed the same for something like a decade, I’ve bopped around to several different hosts, searching for my WordPress-hosting heaven. Some have excelled, while others have stumbled.

WordPress is among the most-used programs on the internet.

Because WordPress powers nearly 60% of websites that use a CMS, or 28% of the entire internet, web hosting providers are clamoring to appeal to the large pool of potential customers. Add in the extra revenue potential associated with charging for related managed services, and you can see why the WordPress hosting market is so crowded.

Compare Other Top WordPress Hosts

As with all big purchases, be sure to do your hosting homework and see what added services hosts include to sweeten the deal. Popular providers, including DreamHost, may or may not be the best option for your website, blog, or application. Hopefully, our DreamHost review, along with comparisons to other hosts, will help send you down the right path.

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Our Editorial Review Policy

Our site is committed to publishing independent, accurate content guided by strict editorial guidelines. Before articles and reviews are published on our site, they undergo a thorough review process performed by a team of independent editors and subject-matter experts to ensure the content’s accuracy, timeliness, and impartiality. Our editorial team is separate and independent of our site’s advertisers, and the opinions they express on our site are their own. To read more about our team members and their editorial backgrounds, please visit our site’s About page.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Laura has spent more than 12 years crafting engaging and award-winning articles that share the passion behind organizations' products, people, and innovations. As a long-time HostingAdvice contributing expert, she combines a reputation for producing quality content with rich technical expertise to show experienced developers how to capitalize on emerging technologies and find better ways to work with established platforms. A professional journalist, Laura has contributed to The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, the Sun Sentinel, and the world's top hosting providers.

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