Decent free web hosting for nonprofits is hard to come by. Typically, they’re limited to the point that they’re not even worth having, coming with paltry bandwidth and zero technical support. There are exceptions, though, and that’s DreamHost.
Arguably, DreamHost’s discounts for nonprofits are the best of their kind out there. Thing is, there are still a few restrictions to keep in mind, but they’re generally outweighed by the benefits you stand to get.
DreamHost for Nonprofits Comparison Chart
| Name | DreamHost Shared Web Hosting for Nonprofits | DreamHost Managed WordPress Hosting for Nonprofits |
 |  | |
| Price | Free | Check Price at DreamHost.com |
| Free Domain | Yes | Yes |
| Free Backup | Yes | Yes |
| Free SSL Certificate | Yes | Yes |
| Email Hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Bandwidth | Unmetered | Unmetered |
| 24/7 Support | No | 24/7 DreamHost Help Bot and ticketing system, live chat (5:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. PT), phone (paid) |
| Jetpack Features | No | Yes |
| Staging Environment | No | Yes |
Options
DreamHost offers free shared web hosting or discounted managed WordPress hosting for nonprofits.
You have two choices here: a single shared web hosting or managed WordPress hosting. For the former, you won’t have to spend a dime. It’s completely free for the entire duration of the account, and you don’t even need to provide credit card details at all.
It’s a different story for managed WordPress hosting, which is also known as DreamPress. You get a solid 35 percent discount on all the standard rates across the board. There’s the basic DreamPress that starts at $16.95 a month, DreamPress Plus at $24.95 a month and DreamPress Pro at $71.95 a month. Needless to say, 35 percent off those price points can save a lot of cash in the long run.
Features
The free shared web hosting from DreamHost has the features to get a proper website up and running.
As for what you’ll get, DreamHost’s free shared web hosting for nonprofits includes a domain, backups, SSL certificate, unmetered bandwidth and unmetered monthly visitors. The company even throws in free email hosting to boot.
Meanwhile, its managed WordPress hosting includes a free domain, backups, SSL certificate, unlimited email and unmetered bandwidth as well. On top of that, it comes with WordPress-specific features, such as a one-click installer, automatic updates, a staging environment for testing plugins and themes, Jetpack plugin, free migration and a drag-and-drop WordPress website builder. SSD storage ranges from 30 GB to 120 GB, depending on the subscription.
Last but not least, DreamHost provides a free shopping cart installation for both. Thanks to that, users get a secure and reliable way to receive donations and the like.
Support
Don’t expect round-the-clock support on DreamHost’s free shared web hosting.
There’s one downside to the free shared web hosting: no 24/7 support. That means you’ll have to make do with support tickets, which could take a while in resolving issues. Alternatively, you could always turn to its knowledge base. It’s pretty extensive, so there’s that.
On the other hand, you get 24/7 assistance when you’re on a managed WordPress hosting plan. Basically, you get the same treatment as any other paying customer here—with the difference being you got a 35 percent discount off, of course.
Considerations
DreamHost’s custom panel might not be as simple to use as cPanel for some users.
Besides pricing, there are other factors you should consider before signing up for a DreamHost plan. For starters, DreamHost doesn’t support cPanel, which is commonly used by most major web hosting providers. Instead, it uses its own panel, and the consensus is it isn’t as user friendly in comparison.
What’s more, DreamHost’s plans for nonprofits are available only to organizations based in the United States. The company also only accepts 501(c)(3) determination letters as proof of being a nonprofit.
Verdict
You’d be hard-pressed to find better free web hosting than what DreamHost offers.
DreamHost is an excellent, if not the best, web hosting provider for nonprofit organizations. Its free shared web hosting option is capable enough for most projects and websites, and if it isn’t, its discounted managed WordPress hosting can go a long way and provide a lot of value for its cost.
FAQs
Yes, DreamHost provides shared web hosting at no cost for nonprofits. It also offers a 35 percent discount for its managed WordPress hosting plans for said organizations.
Yes. In most cases, its features are enough, such as a free domain, backups and an SSL certificate, but it doesn’t come with 24/7 support.
Organizations will have to be based in the United States and submit a 501(c)(3) determination letter to prove their nonprofit status. For the record, a credit card is not required.
No, DreamHost uses its own custom panel.
