If you wish to construct a Linux-powered web site, DreamHost must be one of many first locations you look. The web hosting service has a wealthy function set that satisfies many personal- and enterprise-associated hosting wants by providing shared, WordPress, digital non-public server (VPS), cloud, and devoted plans. In addition, its web site-constructing software program provides site owners easy instruments to create enticing, versatile websites. As a consequence, DreamHost is an Editors’ Choice award-profitable net host, racing to the highest alongside rivals like HostGator, Hostwinds, and Liquid Web.
Shared Web Hosting
If you are trying to create a site, however do not wish to spend some huge cash, shared hosting is the way in which to go. Shared internet hosting is a particularly low-cost form of web hosting that sees your web site share CPU, RAM, and different server sources with different web sites. As a consequence, it is not a really highly effective internet hosting tier; in the event you count on your web site to see a considerable amount of visitors, it is best to look into digital non-public server (VPS) or devoted internet hosting.
Additionally, for the reason that “shared” in shared internet hosting refers to the truth that every server might host a number of websites that share the sources of the {hardware}, you might be to some extent on the mercy of your server mates. If one in all them will get on the entrance web page of Reddit, you would possibly discover that your web site slows to a crawl because of this.
DreamHost has two shared internet hosting plans: Shared Starter and Shared Unlimited. Shared Starter (beginning at $4.95 per thirty days, or $3.59 per thirty days with a one-12 months dedication) gives limitless month-to-month information transfers and storage, however lacks e mail. That’s proper: no e mail. For that, you could improve to the Shared Unlimited (beginning at $10.95 per thirty days, or $4.95 per thirty days with a one-12 months dedication). That plan provides e mail and limitless web site internet hosting. The lowered worth for the one-12 months plan (beforehand $7.95 per thirty days) places it in putting distance of the Starter choice, making it a a lot better choice than earlier than.
That stated, HostGator, the Editors’ Choice winner for shared internet hosting, is without doubt one of the few net hosts we have reviewed that provides Windows-based shared hosting. That’s a giant deal, as there are lots of companies that require Microsoft’s working system to run particular software program. DreamHost, then again, solely gives Linux-based servers. HostGator additionally gives limitless e mail throughout the board.
VPS Web Hosting
DreamHost gives 4 Linux-based VPS web hosting plans (beginning at $15.00 per thirty days, or $13.75 per thirty days with a one-12 months dedication) for companies that want servers with extra energy than what shared internet hosting gives. VPS internet hosting locations your web site on a server with far fewer digital roommates than shared internet hosting. As a consequence, there’s extra server energy obtainable to your web site to faucet.
DreamHost’s VPS plans provide limitless month-to-month information transfers and domains, which is a pleasant perk. However, the bottom reminiscence and storage is kind of low; the Basic plan (whose costs are quoted above) gives solely 1GB of RAM and a 30GB stable-state drive. On the opposite hand, the very best configuration ($120 per thirty days, or $110 per thirty days with an annual contract) maxes out at 8GB of RAM and 240GB of stable-state storage. Unfortunately, the VPS plans solely provide the Ubuntu Linux working system.
Hostwinds, PCMag’s prime decide for VPS internet hosting, has superior VPS plans. It has pockets-pleasant, nicely-rounded VPS choices. Take the managed Linux VPS plans, which begin at simply $5.17 per thirty days for 1GB of RAM, 30GB of disk house, 1 TB of month-to-month information transfers, and limitless e mail and scale to $247 per thirty days for 96GB of RAM, 750GB of disk house, 9TB of month-to-month information transfers, and limitless e mail.
Dedicated Web Hosting
If you need most hosting energy, you should get a devoted server. With this setup, your web site lives on a server all by itself, thus leveraging all of the system sources. You ought to look into devoted internet hosting in the event you’re anticipating your web site to see an unimaginable quantity of visitors, and in case your web site is so mission-crucial that it completely cannot go down or decelerate.
DreamHost has a number of dedicated server choices. The choices begin with the Standard 4 plan ($169 per thirty days, or $149 for an annual dedication) that features 4GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. The choices prime off with the $379 per thirty days Enhanced SSD 64 plan that boasts 64GB of RAM and 240GB of stable-state storage. Each DreamHost devoted server plan has limitless information transfers.
Unfortunately, DreamHost lacks Windows-based devoted servers; it is Linux or bust right here, too. If you need a construct a web site utilizing Microsoft’s working system as a basis, we recommend trying out AccuWeb, PCMag’s Editors’ Choice for devoted hosting, which gives Linux and Windows devoted server choices. AccuWeb additionally has highly effective devoted plans, together with a $1,070 per thirty days package deal that has 8TB of storage, 512GB of RAM, and as much as 50TB of month-to-month information transfers.
Cloud Hosting
You’ve in all probability heard of cloud internet hosting, which spreads sources throughout a number of servers (conventional internet hosting pulls sources from a single server). Cloud internet hosting permits websites to simply improve server wants when the state of affairs requires it. Fortunately, DreamHost gives three cloud internet hosting tiers—512MB RAM Server, 2GB RAM Server, and 8GB RAM Server—that are available in Linux, BSD, and Windows varieties.
DreamHost has wonderful packages that begin at $4.50 per thirty days (for 512MB of RAM, 80GB of storage, and limitless month-to-month information transfers) and prime out at $48 per thirty days (for 4 CPU cores, 8GB of RAM, 80GB of storage, and limitless month-to-month information transfers). As a consequence, DreamHost’s highly effective specs make the online host the co-Editors’ Choice for cloud internet hosting companies.
If you are a company buyer who desires world-class cloud internet hosting, 1&1 Ionos is the way in which to go. It’s a co-Editors’ Choice for the class that boasts extremely highly effective cloud internet hosting packages.
Reseller Hosting
If you are trying to get into the hosting enterprise, however do not wish to cope with infrastructure issues, reseller hosting is the way in which to go. Unfortunately, DreamHost would not provide standalone reseller plans; you possibly can resell your personal server house, however provided that you add different domains to your personal. Check out DreamHost’s reseller FAQ page for extra info.
If you actually wish to dabble in reseller internet hosting, we advocate Hostwinds, the class’s Editors’ Choice. Hostwind’s plans, beginning at $3.29 per thirty days, have limitless e mail, storage, and information transfers. On provide are devoted and VPS packages of each the Linux and Windows selection, in addition to shared internet hosting, which is restricted to Linux. The servers have the identical RAM and storage quantities as people who Hostwinds provides straight, which isn’t at all times the case. Hostwinds additionally permits you to apply your personal branding to the servers you hire, and it provides 24/7 tech help, too.
Building a Website
Overall, we like DreamHost’s consumer interface—it is easy and nicely laid out, and it made getting began on my take a look at web site simple. Instead of going the HostGator or iPage route with cute, display-cluttering icons, DreamHost gives a tree of menu choices on the left aspect of the display. It’s simple to seek out billing info, handle domains, and consider the settings for VPS and devoted servers. We had no bother discovering the safety choices or the third-celebration app market.
DreamHost now gives the WP website builder, which helps you to begin constructing your web site instantly. You not need to endure an extended wait time as your Dreamhost account will get accredited, as you as soon as did. It’s a fantastic addition. WP Website Builder comes with dozens of themes you possibly can alter, utilizing its easy drag-and-drop performance. We discovered it refreshingly easy so as to add images (my very own, or these from DreamHost’s royalty-free gallery), textual content, and video. You even have the choice of putting in third-celebration functions to your account, equivalent to concrete5, Joomla, MediaWiki, Piwigo, and, after all, WordPress.
WordPress Web Hosting
Like a number of of its rivals, DreamHost gives WordPress hosting, in three completely different classes: WordPress Basic, DreamCross, and VPS WordPress. DreamPress is the usual choice with managed WordPress internet hosting, a service that provides your web site the white-glove therapy by auto-updating the favored content material administration system software program, performing automated every day backups, and offering WordPress-particular safety.
The entry-stage WordPress Basic (beginning at $4.95 per thirty days, or $3.95 for a 3-12 months dedication) comes with 50GB of SSD storage, purchasable e mail much like the Shared webhosting, and limitless month-to-month information transfers, in addition to a wide range of free WordPress themes. Moving as much as the beginning DreamPress choice (beginning at $12.00 per thirty days), it kicks off with 30GB of SSD storage, limitless e mail and month-to-month information transfers, and help for as much as 100,000 month-to-month guests. DreamPress Plus (beginning at $24.00 per thirty days) doubles the storage, will increase the customer depend to roughly 300,000, and provides a content material supply community (CDN) for quicker web site loading. The prime-tier DreamPress Pro (beginning at $71.95 per thirty days) gives 120GB of SSD storage and 1,000,000 customer restrict.
DreamPress permits you to set up any plug-in you want; Pagely and WP Engine, then again, prohibit you from putting in a small variety of plug-ins which will impression your web site’s efficiency. Recently, DreamHost added staging to its WordPress choices, so you possibly can take a look at new web site options on one other web site occasion that will not have an effect on your dwell pages.
Impressive as DreamPress is, the Linux-backed A2 is the PCMag Editors’ Choice within the class. A2 boasts an optimized surroundings that’s purported to be six occasions quicker than conventional internet hosting environments. Plus, A2’s WordPress plans provide limitless storage and month-to-month information transfers in most of its choices. For extra on the fantastically widespread content material administration system, you possibly can learn our story on how to get started with WordPress.
E-Commerce Options
DreamHost gives the free ZenCart, which you’ll entry from the One Click Install menu. This open-supply online shopping cart software program lets customers rapidly try the merchandise that you’ve got on the market. It additionally helps Woo Commerce.
Along with a $100 Google AdWords credit score, DreamHost permits you to monitor web site visitors and analytics through Chartbeat. This is completely different from most different companies, which are likely to focus solely on Google Analytics.
Security and Other Features
DreamHost gives antispam on its e mail, however no antimalware companies. That oversite apart, we like its consideration to different features of web site safety. The management panel has a straightforward-to-discover hyperlink for modifying the .htaccess file to regulate entry to the positioning or to arrange a password. For elements of the positioning that should not get listed by search engines like google, you possibly can block spiders. You can arrange cron jobs (automated batch jobs) to schedule duties and monitor processes on the positioning. DreamHost additionally gives free safe-socket layer (SSL) certificates, which is a should-have addition for individuals who promote merchandise on-line.
If you’re a developer or handle a software program improvement workforce, you’ll like the truth that DreamHost comes with Subversion, which will help you handle your supply code information. Most hosting suppliers prohibit you to no matter functions are listed on its software program market. Version-control instruments equivalent to Subversion not often make it onto these marketplaces, so it is good to see the choice to arrange your personal repository. Of course, that is assuming you do not simply use Git repositories to your code.
What in the event you do not actually need a web site or a weblog, however simply a place to store your files? DreamHost additionally gives DreamObjects cloud storage plans, beginning at 95 cents per thirty days for 40GB and going as much as 20TB for $299.95 per thirty days.
Terrific Uptime
Website uptime is an important aspect of the hosting expertise. If your web site goes down, purchasers or prospects shall be unable to seek out you or entry your services or products.
For this testing, we use a web site monitoring instrument to trace my web site’s uptime over a 14-day interval. Every quarter-hour, the instrument pings my web site and sends us an e mail whether it is unable to contact the positioning for not less than one minute. The information revealed that DreamHost is extremely secure, and did not go down in the course of the take a look at interval. In truth, there’s been solely a single, transient failure in lots of, many months. As a consequence. you possibly can depend on DreamHost to be a rock-stable basis to your web site.
No Phone Support, Excellent Chat Support
DreamHost gives e mail and ticket-based mostly help, in addition to on-line chat. It has a strong data database, too. Unfortunately, DreamHost lacks telephone help, which is simply too dangerous; generally you simply wish to cope with a human being. That stated, the chat help is kind of good. We tried it on a weekday afternoon and night. In each situations, we waited lower than a minute earlier than somebody fielded my questions.
We requested in regards to the variations between VPS and devoted internet hosting. The consultant gave me a radical, satisfying reply. We additionally requested the consultant the best way to import my WordPress.com setup into DreamHost and obtained a really useful hyperlink with step-by-step directions. Again, we was fairly happy with the solutions. DreamHost additionally gives a Knowledgebase that solutions many generally requested questions.
DreamHost has an excellent cash-again assure coverage. According to its phrases of service, you possibly can cancel your shared net Hosting service inside 97 days of the preliminary signup and have the cash promptly refunded. Considering most hosts provide 15 to 30 days, this flexibility is welcome.
A Power User’s Dream
Thanks to its in depth instruments, together with helpful web site-constructing software program, safety choices, a beneficiant cash-again assure, and limitless storage, month-to-month information transfers, domains, and e mail, DreamHost is a prime decide and a PCMag Editors’ Choice for cloud-based mostly hosting companies. That stated, in the event you’re a company buyer who desires world-class cloud internet hosting, 1&1 Ionos is the way in which to go. It’s a co-Editors’ Choice with DreamHost for the class, and boasts extremely highly effective cloud internet hosting packages.
For extra, try our ideas for creating the best website, and our primer on how to register a domain name for your website.
