DreamHost Reddit Reviews (2021): Is It Any Good?

When it comes to hosting, DreamHost is arguably one of the more popular providers. The company’s plans come at affordable monthly pricing especially if you opt to be billed annually. Moreover, DreamHost enjoys pretty solid uptime guarantees and a fairly user-friendly interface. But how does the web hosting service fare in real life? Here, we’ve compiled several Reddit comments and reviews from DreamHost subscribers to help you see what users think of the service.

DreamHost Hosting Plans Comparison Chart

Name	Shared	DreamPress	VPS
	Learn More About Shared Hosting	Check Out Premium Managed WordPress Hosting	Learn More About VPS
Price	$3.95/mo when billed annually	$16.95/mo when billed annually	$13.75/mo when billed annually
Websites	1 website (Shared Starter), Unlimited (Shared Unlimited)	1 WordPress website	Unlimited websites
Traffic	Unlimited	Starts at 100k Monthly Visitors	Unlimited
SSD Storage	Fast	Starts at 30 GB	Starts at 30 GB
SSL Certificate	Free	Pre-installed	Free
WordPress	Pre-installed	Pre-installed	1-Click install
Email	Additional fees (Shared Starter), Unlimited (Shared unlimited)	Unlimited	Unlimited

What To Look For In A Provider

In any web hosting service, you’re looking for speed, security, scalability, as well as support. Websites that load fast, for instance, can spell the difference between a visitor staying in your site or leaving it out of frustration.

In addition, you also want a provider that offers robust security features, especially if you’re planning to carry out online transactions. Of course, scalability to accommodate an increase in traffic is also important, while solid customer support is crucial to get your site back online in case of contingencies. So if your plan is to grow a website, you want a provider that can help you achieve those goals.

In these areas, Reddit users seem to be divided. But it’s expected. As with any service, you will have your set of happy and unhappy customers. It’s important to note, however, that these reviews are largely dependent on the type of website the users were managing. A quick look at DreamHost’s plans will give you an idea of the features and services best suited for your needs.

Performance

There is no consensus when it comes to DreamHost’s performance. While some are happy, others find the provider unsatisfactory.

In this section, we’ve compiled comments and reviews from Reddit based on the features you want from a web hosting provider.

Speed and Reliability

When it comes to speed, a number of users were quite happy with how DreamHost improved their site’s loading time. One even wrote that the uptime was better on DreamHost compared to other popular shared hosting providers. As Reddit user docholoday shares, “their speeds are good. Zero downtime so far, even during a maintenance window.“

Some subscribers, however, weren’t as satisfied. Common issues reported include slowed loading time, as well as average speeds for WordPress.

Security

The security level you get from DreamHost depends on the plan you get. As expected, shared hosting plans are more vulnerable compared to those on VPS. But as someone pointed out, you do get standard SSL encryption if you opt to manage your emails through them. Asked if you can trust DreamHost, this user answered:

Scalability

One of the main goals of starting a website is driving traffic to it. However, as you do get an increase in traffic, you’ll find a shared hosting plan isn’t enough. Ndchost, from Reddit, recommends switching to VPS or a dedicated server if you expect an influx of traffic. If you’re thinking of getting a VPS, user Pepe-2015 shares:

Customer Support

Reliable customer support is non-negotiable when it comes to hosting. After all, when faced with technical difficulties, you want a provider that’s available 24/7 to help your business go back online. Here are some comments from Reddit.

Who Is It For

Based on feedback, DreamHost is great for WordPress sites, static sites, non-profits, and smaller businesses.

Given the varied experiences of DreamHost users, who is the hosting provider for? Most Reddit users agree that DreamHost is a reliable option if you’re managing a static site. According to them, the company’s shared hosting plan is good enough. Moreover, DreamHost is a WordPress partner, so if you’re planning to build a site on the latter, you might want to consider it for hosting. That being said, DreamHost isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Here are some recommendations on who the hosting is best for.

Alternatives

If DreamHost doesn’t click with you, here are some alternative hosting providers.

Based on the recommendations on who DreamHost is for, what are some alternatives? Across Reddit threads, some of the usual suggestions include SiteGround, Digital Ocean, HostGator, and BlueHost. BlueHost is one of the more reliable options, thanks largely to its reasonable pricing given the overall value you get. Plus, the platform also comes with a 1-click install for WordPress.

If you’re not actually hosting anything and merely using DreamHost for DNS hosting, you might want to try out Cloudflare according to this thread.

Verdict

DreamHost is still a reliable hosting option with plenty of years of experience.

DreamHost Shared Plan

Best for statics sites

DreamHost VPS Plan

Best for security and scalability

For many users, DreamHost is still a reliable option. Most of the positive reviews emphasized its value for money especially if you’re only running small websites. This is particularly true for its Shared plans. Moreover, upgrading to their VPS plan is quite seamless. So if increasing website traffic is one of your long-term goals, it’s worth looking into as the best option for you.

A common gripe against DreamHost, however, is its customer support. Response time varied, and since they don’t have a phone option, you’ll have to be content with live chat for support. Experience with speed also varied but this could also be attributed to the location of data centers.

FAQs