If you’re looking for the best DreamHost alternatives, you’ve hit the right page.
If you want to start a blog or website, I recommend DreamHost as a hosting provider. You can’t go wrong with it if you want to start building WordPress sites, as DreamHost is one of the few WordPress recommend hosting companies.
However, not everything is flawless, as with any service available today. As a result, you may be exploring other options for your WordPress site.
In this article, I rank and review the top DreamHost competitors and best alternatives for anyone thinking of starting their online journey with DreamHost.
What Are The Best DreamHost Alternatives
Here’s a list of the top DreamHost alternatives you can try.
1. Bluehost
The best alternative to DreamHost, being one of the oldest and most popular web hosting platforms, powering 2+ million websites.
Founded in 2003, Bluehost is a well-known web hosting company that has long been lauded by numerous website owners. They have one of the most reasonable pricing for beginners who want to start a blog.
Bluehost offers servers that are optimized for WordPress, which makes it a great DreamHost alternative if you’re planning to build a website using this popular CMS. In fact, Bluehost is also one of WordPress’ officially recommended web hosts, alongside DreamHost.
It’s not quite as good as DreamHost in some areas, but it’s also cheaper, so if you’re on a budget, Bluehost should be your first choice.
Bluehost offers outstanding hosting options that start at $2.95 per month and include SSD storage, unmetered bandwidth, and free SSL certificates.
Key features
- Unlimited websites (not on the Basic plan).
- SSD storage on every plan.
- Free SSL.
- 1 domain is included for free for 1 year.
- Custom themes for WordPress.
- Unlimited emails and databases.
- 30 days money-back guarantee.
- 24/7 customer support.
Bluehost pricing
Basic at $2.95/mo (70% off).
For only one website.
This is Bluehost’s cheapest shared hosting plan, which costs $2.95 per month and includes the following features:
- 1 website.
- 50 GB of website space and bandwidth.
- Free SSL.
- 1 free domain (for 1 year).
- 20 MySQL databases.
- 5 Parked domains.
- 25 Subdomains.
- 5 email accounts and 100MB of email storage.
- Drag-and-drop website builder.
Plus at $5.45/mo (61% off).
For multiple websites.
You can create unlimited sites for $5.45 per month, which includes all of the following features:
- Unlimited websites.
- Unmetered website space and bandwidth.
- Unlimited MySQL databases.
- $200 of Google Ads/Bing Credits.
- Unlimited parked domains, subdomains, email accounts, and email storage.
Choice Plus at $5.45/mo (71% off).
With improved privacy and security.
This is Bluehost’s most popular shared hosting plan, which costs $5.45 per month and includes all features from the Basic and Plus plans, and the following:
- Automated backups for the first year.
- One free domain privacy.
Pro at $13.95/mo (48% off).
More power is provided with optimized web resources.
Finally, for $13.95, the Pro shared hosting plan gives you all the features in the previous plans and also the following:
- Highest performance of all plans.
- 300,000 max file count. All other plans are capped at 200,000.
- Free dedicated IP.
- Premium SSL certificate.
- Automated backups for the term’s duration.
These prices reflect a 36-month billing period, after which they increase to their normal rate.
Bluehost includes a 30-day money-back guarantee, which means you can get a refund if you cancel your account and request a refund within 30 days of your hosting purchase. However, the money-back guarantee excludes most add-on features, such as domains.
Get started with Bluehost for $2.95 (70% off).
2. HostPapa
One of the most affordable DreamHost alternatives.
HostPapa is a privately held web hosting company established in Canada that serves customers in a number of countries. They were founded in 2002 and presently house over 150 telecom companies. They’re better suited to small business owners, according to the company’s website.
HostPapa is one of the first website hosting providers to make a public commitment to become green, using only green renewable energy sources. They offer exceptional security and technical support to their consumers.
HostPapa is one of the quickest web hosting companies you can pick from, with loading times of around.759 seconds and a 99.9% uptime record. All plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Key features
- Unlimited websites, SSD space, and email addresses.
- Free standard SSL certificate.
- Free domain registration.
- Unmetered bandwidth.
- Easy-to-use website builder.
- Free website transfer.
- 24/7 customer support via phone, chat, and email.
HostPapa pricing
HostPapa includes four pricing plans:
Start ($2.95/mo)
- 1 website.
- Free domain registration.
- 10 GB SSD storage.
- 10 email addresses.
- Free SSL certificate.
- Website builder.
Plus ($5.95/mo)
- 10 websites.
- 100GB SSD storage.
- 100 email addresses.
- Staging site.
- 2x more CPU power.
Pro ($5.95/mo)
- Unlimited websites, SSD storage, and email addresses.
- 4x more CPU power.
Ultra ($12.95)
- Unlimited websites, SSD storage, and email addresses.
- 8x more CPU power.
- Advanced security options.
These prices are valid for a billing period of three years.
The Pro plan, at $5.95 per month billed yearly, is HostPapa’s most popular plan. Although it costs the same as the Plus plan, you get a far better deal and more services, such as unlimited email accounts and websites.
3. HostGator
One of the most competitive DreamHost alternatives.
HostGator is another web hosting major player with over 2 million websites under its belt and beginning prices as low as $2.75 per month (60% off on their 3-year plan).
Don’t forget to look at renewal costs, as they might vary significantly depending on the company.
Their cheapest shared web hosting plans include 1-click WordPress installation, free domain name, SSL, email, and a 45-day money-back guarantee. Customer assistance is available 24/7, both via phone and Twitter, as with other great web hosting services.
The general performance of HostGator varies depending on where you are in relation to their servers. As you may know, all web servers have this problem. The closer you are to a server, the more responsive your website will be.
According to third-party testing, they have a 99.9% uptime rate and loading speeds that range between 0.69 seconds and 8 seconds.
Key features
- Free domain and SSL certificate.
- Unmetered bandwidth.
- Free domain transfer and website builder.
- $100 Microsoft Advertising credit.
- $150 Google Ads spend match credit.
- Free email address.
- 45-day money-back guarantee.
- 24/7/365 support by phone, email, live chat, and Twitter.
HostGator pricing
HostGator Shared Hosting includes three pricing plans:
Hatchling Plan ($2.75/mo).
- 1 website.
- Free domain registration.
- Website builder.
- Free domain transfer.
- Unmetered bandwidth and disk space.
- Free SSL and email account.
Baby Plan ($3.50/mo).
- All Hatchling Plan’s features.
- Unlimited websites.
Business Plan ($5.25/mo).
- All Baby Plan’s features.
- Cloudflare CDN.
- Free SEO tools.
- Dedicated IP.
- Free positive SSL upgrade.
These rates are for a period of 36 months.
4. Hostinger
The most affordable DreamHost alternative.
Since 2004, Hostinger has been in operation and is trusted by 29 million customers in 178 countries. Don’t mistake their low beginning price for inferior quality. They’re one of the most well-known web hosting businesses today, with a loading time of 0.143 seconds, which is faster than the industry average.
Their basic package includes 1 website, 1 email address, 24/7 customer service, and free SSL, and it includes a 30-day money-back guarantee. However, unlike many other web hosting plans, this one does not include free domain registration.
Nonetheless, for the inexpensive price they charge, they have excellent features. The renewal price, while higher, is only $3.99 (for a 48-month term), which is lower than any other renewal pricing from other hosts. You’re in for a decent deal when you consider the excellent site speed and 99.91 percent uptime record.
Key features
- Free SSL certificate.
- Includes email accounts.
- 99.9% uptime guarantee.
- Weekly backups.
- Free WordPers installation.
- 24/7/365 support.
Hostinger pricing
Hostinger Shared Hosting services include three plans:
Single ($1.99/mo)
- 1 website.
- 30 GB SSD storage.
- 100 GB bandwidth.
- 2 MySQL databases.
- No daily backups.
- No free domain registration.
- 1 email account.
Premium ($2.99/mo)
- 100 websites.
- 100 GB SSD storage.
- Unlimited bandwidth.
- Unlimited MySQL databases.
- Daily backups.
- Free domain registration.
- 100 email accounts.
Business ($4.99/mo)
- 100 websites.
- 200 GB SSD storage.
- Unlimited bandwidth.
- Unlimited MySQL databases.
- Daily backups.
- Free domain registration.
- 100 email accounts.
Hostinger is an excellent DreamHost alternative if you’re launching a blog and don’t want to commit too much money at first.
However, keep in mind that to actually benefit from the low price, you’ll need to commit for 48 months (4 years!) (don’t worry, you can always relocate your website to another server or change your plan at any time). Nonetheless, their higher-tier plans are also incredibly cost-effective.
5. A2 Hosting
One of the fastest DreamHost alternatives.
A2 Hosting is one of the quickest web hosts available, with a loading time of only 0.036 seconds.
The most economical hosting plans all include free SSL certificates, eternal security (including virus scanner), free website migration (if you’re switching from another host), unlimited email accounts, and 24/7 crew assistance through email, ticketing systems, chat, and phone.
Aside from their ultra-fast hosting services, they also provide a 99.9% uptime guarantee.
One of the reasons they’re well-known for their speed is their Turbo Server function, which provides 20X faster page-loading than rival hosts, which is a significant consideration for Google ranking.
Because page load time influences reader/customer behavior on your website, site speed is one of the most crucial factors to consider when selecting the correct web hosting service. As a result, A2 Hosting is known as one of the fastest web providers accessible.
Key features
- Unlimited email accounts.
- 99.99% uptime guarantee.
- Free website builder.
- Free SSL certificate.
- Staging website.
- 24/7/365 customer support via email, chat, and phone.
A2 Hosting pricing
A2 Hosting Shared Hosting services include four plans:
Startup ($2.99/mo)
- 1 website.
- 100 GB of SSD storage.
- 700 MB of physical memory.
- Free migration.
- Unlimited email accounts.
- Free website builder.
- Staging website.
- Free SSL.
Drive ($5.99/mo)
- All features of the Startup plan.
- Unlimited websites.
- 1 GB of physical memory.
- Unlimited SSD storage.
- Free automatic backups.
- 2X resources.
Turbo Boost ($6.99/mo)
- All features of the Drive plan.
- 2 GB of physical memory.
- Unlimited NVMe SSD storage.
- Turbo (up to 20x faster page loads).
- Growth features.
- Turbo features, including the capacity to handle up to 9x more traffic.
Turbo Max ($12.99/mo)
- All the features of the Turbo Boost plan.
- 4 GB of physical memory.
- 5x more resources.
- All the features of the Turbo Boost plan.
- 4 GB of physical memory.
- 5x more resources.
What Is a Web Hosting Service?
A web hosting service is an Internet hosting service that allows people and organizations to make their websites available on the Internet.
Web hosts are businesses that give clients space on a server that they own or lease, as well as Internet connectivity, usually in data centers across the globe. Many large corporations, educational institutions, and government agencies use web host providers to assist them in maintaining their websites.
A “host” is an individual or organization that owns a server (or simply a computer) on which they have installed one or more software packages that can provide web services to others.
These packages may include the Apache HTTP Server and the MySQL relational database management system to provide information in HTML format, with dynamic content generated by scripts written in languages such as PHP or Perl.
Web hosting services have become increasingly popular since the late 1990s as the cost of computing power has dropped significantly while various technologies have improved to allow efficient management of multiple websites from one location.
Today, many thousands of companies offer web hosting services, ranging from small businesses with only one or two servers to large corporations with thousands of servers worldwide.
What Is a Shared Hosting?
Shared hosting is the most basic, cost-effective, and widely used type of web hosting service. It’s a low-cost option for getting your website up and operating.
With shared hosting, you share the same server with other websites, which means that some of your bandwidth will be used by other websites. This can result in slower loading times for your website. However, it is still a good option if you do not need special features such as eCommerce or a dedicated IP address. A dedicated server is better for those particular features.
What Should You Look For In a Web Hosting Service?
The main features to look for in a web hosting service are:
- Uptime – This is the number of minutes your website is available per month. It may affect your search engine rankings if it’s less than 99%.
- Reliability – This is the percentage of time your site was up and running during the past 30 days. If this is less than 99%, you may have problems with your visitors accessing your website or leaving negative reviews.
- Bandwidth – Gives you an idea of how much traffic to expect on your website or how much bandwidth you can consume before being charged extra fees.
- Managed or unmanaged servers – Managed servers are usually more expensive, but they’re easier to manage and maintain. Unmanaged servers require technical knowledge and skillset to install, configure and manage applications, updates, and security patches.
- Customer service – Can you get help if something goes wrong with your account? How long will it take them to respond to your questions or concerns?
- Price – Is the price fair? Will you be happy paying this much each month? Are there additional fees or costs related with using their services?
- Disk space – As with bandwidth, disk space is usually measured in gigabytes (GB) or terabytes (TB). Your website files will take up some amount of disk space, so you should make sure that there is enough available capacity on the server where your website resides.
- Email accounts – Many web hosts offer email accounts with their hosting plans so that you can easily set up an email address for your domain name. Some plans also include unlimited email addresses per account, as well as spam filtering and virus protection.
DreamHost Alternatives FAQs
Some of the most frequently asked DreamHost and competitor inquiries are shown here.
Which is better, DreamHost or Bluehost?
DreamHost is preferable if you want high-quality performance without committing to a year or more upfront. Still, Bluehost provides an easy-to-use platform straight away.
Bluehost’s standard cPanel is more familiar to most people than DreamHost’s custom-built interface. However, DreamHost’s panel functions just like the original cPanel. It just takes some getting used to.
Finally, only you know what you need.
Is DreamHost a good host?
DreamHost is a fantastic web hosting service. There are many various plans to pick from, each with its own set of characteristics. In our opinion, the fact that it is so reasonably priced for individuals interested in month-to-month plans is a huge plus.
Besides, DreamHost includes an unbeatable 97-day money-back guarantee.
Is DreamHost best for beginners?
DreamHost offers two hosting plans, both of which are great for beginners and include the WordPress website builder. You can use their shared plans for the absolute cheapest entry point: the Starter plan for a single website ($2.59 per month) and the Unlimited plan for unlimited sites ($3.95 per month).
Can I use WordPress hosting with DreamHost?
When you sign up for DreamHost’s Shared Hosting plans, you will have the option of having WordPress pre-installed. If you choose DreamHost’s DreamPress hosting plan, WordPress is already pre-installed.
What’s the cheapest DreamHost alternative?
The most affordable alternative to DreamHost is without a doubt Hostinger. There are certainly other web hosts that are less expensive, but if we’re talking about popular, similarly-featured hosts, Hostinger is unquestionably the cheapest DreamHost alternative available.
Should I use DreamHost?
DreamHost is my top recommendation for the best hosting company for beginners because of its broad resources, including effective website-building software, security settings, a 97-day money-back guarantee, unlimited storage, monthly data transfers, domains, and email account.
However, in this article, I’m offering what I believe to be the best alternatives based on pricing and features. There are more expensive web hosting services that provide superior quality like cloud-based hosting (Google Cloud Platform, for example), but they are outside the scope of this article.
Can I use Weebly with DreamHost?
If your domain is registered with DreamHost, you can use two ‘A’ records to point it to Weebly.
What’s the refund policy for DreamHost?
DreamHost refunds new shared hosting fees within 97 days. Many web hosts provide 30-day returns or have different terms, making DreamHost’s refund policy unbeatable.
Best DreamHost Alternatives: Conclusion
DreamHost is one of the greatest hosting companies on the market. In fact, I started this blog with DreamHost, and I can say they do an excellent job, especially with customer service, which is always helpful and quick to resolve any issues via live chat.
Overall, Bluehost is the best DreamHost alternative on this list. It is also most likely the only hosting company as well-known as DreamHost.
However, if you decide to change your mind, you can get started with DreamHost right now. If not, I believe any of the options listed in this article will serve.
What hosting provider are you using? Let me know in the comments below.