If you’re building out a website chances are you’re looking at website hosting providers and have heard of two popular choices: Bluehost and Dreamhost. But how to make an informed decision when examining Bluehost vs Dreamhost? First a bit of background on web hosting in general.
Background on web hosting
No website can exist on the internet without web hosting.
Each of your favorite websites, online platforms, blogs, web apps, and anything that resides on the internet is hosted on a server.
A web host server is a physical space where your website lives and where all your data is stored. If you are planning to build a website, you will need a web host.
This is where web hosting companies come in. They provide and manage these servers in secure facilities around the world, and you pay to rent server space where your website will live and your files will be stored.
Picking a world-class web hosting company is vital to the success of your website. Fortunately, among the options available to you, Bluehost and Dreamhost stand out.
When looking at Bluehost vs Dreamhost it’s important to remember that these two web hosting companies have built up a solid reputation over their many years of existence and crucially, they are officially endorsed by WordPress.
However, there are a few differences in the hosting package offered by both companies, and it is best to compare them. This will help you arrive at an educated conclusion on which of the two offers the best package for your needs.
How Will We Compare The Web Hosts?
To successfully compare the options available to you, you need to have a set of criteria to be used to judge each option.
Below are seven of the most important criteria you should use to evaluate your web host:
Multiple Hosting Plans
We are sure you have big plans for your website, and as your business and web traffic expands, you will need your website to grow in size. This will require greater server space and the hosting plan that meets your needs today will be insufficient tomorrow.
This is why you need a web host that offers multiple hosting plans. As your website grows, you will be able to move up to a more robust hosting plan that can cater to the needs of your website.
There are many types of hosting plans, and each offers unique advantages that make it suitable for websites with peculiar needs.
If your website runs on the WordPress Content Management System, and you are a small business with a small website – then, managed WordPress hosting is the best option for you. In this hosting plan, your servers are managed by WordPress experts, and they are 100% optimized for seamless integration with WordPress.
Fortunately, both Bluehost and Dreamhost offer managed WordPress hosting. Managed WordPress hosting on Dreamhost starts at $16.95 per month, and on Bluehost, it starts at $19.95 per month.
Source: Dreamhost
Source: Bluehost
Other hosting plans include shared hosting which is best for new websites, Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting which is ideal for rapidly growing websites, dedicated hosting that gives you complete control over your website’s servers and is perfect for popular brands with huge amounts of web traffic, and cloud hosting which is relatively new and you only have to pay for the exact quantity of server space and resources you use.
Pricing
You can’t avoid web hosting costs if you want to own and control your website, but the value of the hosting plan must match the price. Web hosting shouldn’t be expensive, and if you are just starting with a simple website, a Dreamhost shared hosting plan starts at $2.59 per month and Bluehost’s at $2.75 per month.
Features
What you are paying for is not limited to server space, your web host must also provide you with a range of features that will help carry out your website management tasks.
There are some features every good web host should provide and they are:
- Free Domain name
- Free SSL certificate
- Generous bandwidth limit or unmetered bandwidth
- User-friendly control panel
- One-click installation of WordPress
- Site builder
- Generous SSD storage
- Email and eCommerce features
Customer Support
If your website has issues, you want those problems fixed as quickly as possible. A web host that provides 24/7 customer support will always be available to offer the technical assistance you need.
Go through review sites and read up on customer reviews to be sure that the company’s customer support is reliable. Also, a web host should provide online tutorials and other resources that will help you get started.
Ease of use and platform intuitiveness
We are not all technically adept and it is likely you know nothing about code, so your web host must provide a user interface that is easy to use and intuitive.
The onboarding experience and the design of the control panel should be such that you can get your website up and running in little time.
Uptime Guarantee
The reason you are paying your web host is to ensure your website is always online and accessible to your visitor. Any downtime will negatively affect your business and lose you money.
A good web host must offer a minimum 99% uptime, and you must do your due diligence to ensure your web host has 24hour power supply, good internet, and world-class facilities.
Security
We live in an age where news of attacks by malicious hackers and data breaches are commonplace. A successful hack can be devastating to your online presence and lead to loss of sensitive data. You must prioritize security when choosing your web host.
A good web host that invests adequately in security will offer hardened firewalls, backup mechanisms, SSL certificates, and adopt up-to-date cybersecurity measures.
Bluehost vs Dreamhost – A Comparison
Multiple Hosting Plans And Pricing
Bluehost
Bluehost offers a range of hosting plans including shared hosting, VPS hosting, and reseller hosting. Reseller hosting does not apply to you since it is used by other small hosting companies that buy server space from big hosting companies like Bluehost and resell them to other third parties.
Bluehost shared hosting plan starts from $2.75 with one free domain, a free SSL certificate, and unmetered bandwidth.
Source: Bluehost
Bluehost’s VPS hosting plan starts from $18.99 per month with 2GB RAM, 1 IP address, and 30GB SSD storage. This can go up to 8GB RAM and 120GM SSD storage at $59.99 per month.
Source: Bluehost
Bluehost’s dedicated hosting plan starts from $79.99 per month with 500GB storage, 5 TB bandwidth, and 4 GB Ram. This can go up to $119.99 per month with 1TB storage and 16GB RAM.
Source: Bluehost
Dreamhost
Dreamhost offers shared hosting, VPS hosting, and cloud hosting. Dreamhost’s shared hosting plan starts at $2.59 per month and can go up to $4.95 per month. At both rates, you will get a free domain, free SSL certificate, free website builder, free WordPress migration (automated), and one-click WordPress install.
Source: Dreamhost
Dreamhost’s VPS hosting starts at $15 per month with 1GB RAM, 30 GB SSD storage, and unlimited websites. It can go up to $120 per month for 240GB SSD and 8 GB RAM.
Source: Dreamhost
Unlike Bluehost, Dreamhost offers cloud hosting and a basic package costs $0.0075 per hour for 80 GB SSD storage and free bandwidth.
Source: Dreamhost
Verdict: Dreamhost wins this one.
Features
Bluehost
Both platforms offer feature-packed hosting plans, and every hosting package offered by Bluehost includes the following features:
- cPanel web hosting control panel
- Unlimited websites (excluding the basic shared plan)
- Unlimited SSD storage (excluding the basic shared plan)
- Unmetered bandwidth
- Free SSL certificate
- Free domain name
- One-click installation of WordPress
- Website builder
- 99% uptime
- 24/7 customer support
Dreamhost
Dreamhost also offers a host of impressive features in its hosting plans, including:
- Custom Dreamhost control panel
- Unlimited websites (excluding basic shared plan)
- Unlimited emails (excluding basic shared plan)
- WordPress pre-installed
- Free automated WordPress migrations
- Free domain name
- Free SSL certificate
- Website builder
- 100% uptime
- 24/7 customer support
Verdict: Tie.
Customer Support
Bluehost
Both web hosting companies offer 24/7 customer support and a wealth of tutorials and resources to help you out. Bluehost customer support includes phone, live chat, text messaging, and email.
Bluehost also offers video tutorials and a text-based online knowledge base to help you get started.
Dreamhost
Dreamhost’s 24/7 customer support includes a ticket support system, live chat for people who paid a “call back” fee, and email. Dreamhost provides an online resource page to help you read solutions to any problems you may encounter.
Verdict: Tie.
Ease Of Use And Platform Intuitiveness
BlueHost
Bluehost provides you with the cPanel web host control panel, which is the gold standard in the industry. The control panel is user friendly, and it has an easily navigable interface that lets you control your website’s files, features, and databases.
Source: Kickstart Commerce
Dreamhost
Creating a Dreamhost account will only take a few minutes and the web host provides you with a Start Up Wizard that will guide you through setting up your website. However, unlike Bluehost, Dreamhost uses its own custom control panel, which is not as feature-packed and user-friendly as the cPanel platform.
Source: Blogging.com
Verdict: Bluehost wins this one.
Security
Bluehost
Bluehost houses its servers in highly secure facilities along with backup generators to ensure uninterrupted power supply. The web host provides daily malware scans with SiteLock security, but backups are only kept for 30days and the company is not responsible for any failed backups.
Dreamhost
Dreamhost also uses secure facilities for its servers with CCTV monitoring and armed guards. The web host uses StopTheHacker for top-of-the-line cybersecurity features and hardened firewalls. Malware scans are done daily.
Verdict: Dreamhost wins this one.
Who Is The Winner?
When looking at a comparison of Bluehost vs Dreamhost, the winner is Dreamhost. However, what matters most is that you choose the web host that offers the perfect combination of features and pricing plans that meets the needs of your website and is within your budget.