DreamHost Pricing | Find the Best Plan for Your Site

As you can see, DreamHost offers a wide range of pricing plans that fall under different types of web hosting, which is why it scores a high 4.2 out of 5 in our value for money testing, making it the third best hosting provider for price overall!

Below, we’ll explain what each type of hosting is, and detail the differences between each type’s pricing plans. We’ll also explain why DreamHost’s dedicated plans are a little different from the rest.

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DreamHost allows you to choose between monthly and yearly payment options for each of its hosting plans. The Shared and VPS hosting plans also come with a three-year payment option. For all DreamHost hosting plans, if you make the commitment to a yearly or three-year payment option, you’ll save anywhere from 6% to 79% compared to the corresponding monthly option. 

For example, you could get the Shared Starter plan for $4.95/month paid monthly, $2.95/month paid in advance for the year, or $2.59/month paid in advance for three years. In this instance, you save 63% by moving from the monthly price to the yearly price, and 68% by moving from the monthly price to the three-year price.

Now that we’ve got a brief overview to work with, let’s take a closer look at each DreamHost pricing plan.

Unless otherwise mentioned, we’ll be focusing on 12-month pricing in this article to fairly compare hosting types.

Shared hosting means that a single web server hosts multiple websites. When you sign up for a shared hosting plan, you share the server’s resources with other sites. Put simply, it’s like having your own room (read: website) in a shared house – you might have to take a few cold showers, but you also get to let the landlord deal with any maintenance issues (read: complex techy stuff).

Because shared hosting plans are generally the cheapest hosting option, and because the provider takes care of all the technical maintenance, shared hosting is usually the best option for those just starting out online. It’s also great for newer websites, and businesses with a smaller budget. 

For shared hosting, DreamHost is the best value for money out of all of the hosting providers we tested, scoring 4.4 out of 5. Not only are its plans incredibly affordable, but it offers a whopping 97-day money-back guarantee, giving you plenty of time to try it out!

DreamHost offers two different shared hosting plans. Take a look at the 12-month pricing below:

• Shared Starter – $2.95 per month (billed annually)
• Shared Unlimited – $2.95 per month (billed annually)

Why are they the same price, you might be asking? Well, DreamHost’s introductory deal runs across both plans, but don’t be fooled – the pricing will differ when then plan renews. The Shared Starter plan will increase to $6.99 per month after the initial term, and the Shared Unlimited plan will increase to $12.99 per month.

Though the pricing seems to match at the start, features vary between the Starter and Unlimited plans which we’ve outlined below:

We’ve already talked about domain registration, SSL certificates, and email. But you might be wondering what SSD (solid-state drive) storage is. It’s basically a modern type of storage instead of a hard disk drive, and it ensures that data won’t be lost when a computer is turned off. And “Websites” in the table refers to the number of different websites you can have at once on your DreamHost plan.

With shared hosting, site loading speed is slower than on other types of servers, especially when your site traffic begins to increase. That being said, it’s unlikely to be much of an issue with DreamHost since it was the second best hosting provider in our speed and uptime testing, sitting just behind IONOS.

The amount of storage and resources provided on a shared plan will be more than enough when you’re starting out – and you can always upgrade your plan if/when you outgrow it.

In short, a DreamHost shared hosting plan is best for you if your website is new, or if you’re running a smaller operation and trying to keep things economical. As for choosing between Starter and Unlimited, the biggest benefit of Unlimited is having unlimited emails @ your domain. If you’re looking to lend legitimacy to your site, then Unlimited is worth it!

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DreamHost is the best value for money when it comes to shared hosting plans. Its two plans are incredibly affordable and will easily support websites just starting out!

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• Best Shared Hosting Providers: Know your options! Read our in-depth review of the best shared hosting providers on the web to find your perfect fit.
• Cheap Shared Hosting Providers: If you’re looking to save the most money, check out our top picks for cheap shared hosting providers.

DreamPress hosting is DreamHost’s managed WordPress hosting option. This means that when you choose this plan, DreamHost will optimize your site specifically for WordPress and take care of any server resources specific to your WordPress installation, such as keeping the platform updated and running backups. 

DreamPress or WordPress hosting plans have a lot more scalability than shared hosting plans, which means your site can handle increasing traffic. However, one DreamPress plan is only configured for a single domain. If you want multiple domains, you have to activate a separate DreamPress hosting plan for each one.

Let’s dive into DreamHost’s 12-month pricing for its DreamPress plans:

• DreamPress – $16.95 per month (billed annually)
• DreamPress Plus – $24.95 per month (billed annually)
• DreamPress Pro – $71.95 per month (billed annually)

DreamHost’s value for money score for WordPress hosting isn’t anything to shout home about, receiving a rating of 3.2 out of 5. It’s considerably more expensive than shared hosting or unmanaged WordPress hosting plans, and there are better options out there, such as Bluehost and GreenGeeks.

You get most of the same features across all three of DreamHost’s DreamPress plans, but there are some differences:

Bandwidth basically refers to the amount of traffic your site can support, and “unmetered bandwidth” means that DreamHost won’t charge you any overage fees for exceeding a certain amount.

All three DreamPress plans also come with powerful WordPress plugins and automatic daily backups to ensure that the most up-to-date version of your site is always safe, and you can restore your site to a saved backup file at any time with one click. You can also create a “staging” site with one click, which is essentially an unpublished clone of your live website that lets you see how everything looks before you publish.

A DreamPress plan could be for you if online growth is your top priority, especially if you know you want a WordPress site to help you achieve it. If you’re not sold on WordPress, then a different type of hosting plan will suit you better.

Choosing between the DreamPress Basic, Plus, and Pro plans comes down to the kind of performance you need from your site. A large personal site is best off with Basic, while small businesses and blogs should spring for Plus. If your site is more of a large-scale business, then DreamPress Pro is your best bet.

Interested in WordPress Hosting?

DreamHost’s WordPress-managed hosting plans are known as DreamPress plans! Check it out if you want to optimize your site for WordPress.

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• WordPress Review: You can read our full WordPress review to see if it’s the right website builder for you.
• WordPress Alternatives: We’ve researched the best WordPress alternatives, too!

VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting is when you share a server with other websites, with some of the server’s resources isolated just for your use. This is different from shared hosting because while a VPS is technically a shared server, you don’t have to share resources between the other sites on the server. VPS sites are more expensive and much faster than shared sites.

DreamHost has four different VPS hosting plans, scoring 3.5 out of 5 for value for money in our VPS research. When billed annually, the starting prices are as follows:

• VPS Basic – $13.75 per month (billed annually)
• VPS Business – $27.50 per month (billed annually)
• VPS Professional – $55 per month (billed annually)
• VPS Enterprise – $110 per month (billed annually)

Not sure which plan to choose? Take a look at how the features differ:

Unlimited traffic means your site can handle any number of visitors (perfect for the big goal-setters out there!), while RAM is the memory that stores the data needed to run your site.

DreamHost’s VPS hosting is the best plan for someone looking to scale up from the limited resources of a shared server. It’s a lot more expensive, but if you’re running, say, an online store with a large inventory and a growing customer base, then VPS is the option for you.

Just as VPS helps you scale, the type of VPS plan you’ll need simply depends on the size of your site and the amount of traffic it gets (or the amount of traffic you’d like it to get). The Business, Professional, and Enterprise options pretty much cover the spectrum in terms of what you’ll need, from “small business” to “huge entity”.

Interested in VPS Hosting?

DreamHost has four VPS hosting plans which all offer unlimited websites, email accounts, and traffic! Prices start at just $13.75 per month for a 12-month term.

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• 8 Best VPS Hosting Providers: Read our list of the best VPS hosting providers for more information.
• Shared vs VPS Hosting Comparison: Not sure what type of hosting is right for your site? Check out our comparison of the two!

We’ve talked about how shared hosting means “living” on a server along with other websites, and sharing the server’s resources accordingly. Dedicated hosting is pretty much the opposite – your website exists entirely on its own server, and all of that server’s resources are at your disposal. This means that your site can run faster, and accommodate a lot more traffic. 

Because they’re like upgrading from an apartment to a huge house, dedicated hosting plans are much more expensive than shared or VPS hosting plans. Dedicated plans are best left to large companies with a lot of stake in their web presence.

DreamHost is no exception, with high price points across its two dedicated hosting plans: Dedicated Standard and Dedicated Enhanced. Both of DreamHost’s dedicated hosting plans come with different options according to how much storage and memory you’ll need, so all-in-all, there are nine plans to choose from.

Still, the price jumps significantly with each upgrade, resulting in DreamHost’s low value for money score of 2.5 out of 5 when it comes to dedicated hosting. Take a look for yourself!

The Dedicated Standard plan comes with the following options:

The Dedicated Enhanced plan comes with the following options:

DreamHost’s dedicated plans also come with everything you’d expect from a top-notch service, including 24/7 tech support and server monitoring. But again, dedicated plans are only worth the cost if you have a huge website that serves a large business.

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DreamHost isn’t the best value for money when it comes to dedicated hosting, with steep price increases between upgrades.

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• Top 6 Dedicated Hosting Providers: Interested in dedicated hosting? Check out our review of the six best providers!
• 8 Cheapest Dedicated Hosting Plans: Looking to save? We know dedicated hosting can be an expensive option, so we’ve ranked the eight cheapest dedicated hosting providers for you.

It’s when you start to look at DreamHost’s various add-ons that the pricing details can get a little complicated. We’ve done the digging and consolidated the nitty-gritty details below, but first, we’ll explain exactly what each feature does.

• Domain registration is the process of reserving the name that will serve as your website’s address – for example, websitebuilderexpert.com. You can usually purchase a domain name for one year, and then automatically renew that name.
• SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificates are a means of securing the connection between a website and a browser, and signify to visitors that their data is safe. If a website has an SSL certificate, its URL will begin with https, and you’ll see a padlock symbol in the address bar before the URL. 
• Email hosting gives you the ability to operate an email server ‘@ your domain’. For example, you’d be able to set up an email address like yourname@yourdomain.com, instead of having to use the domain of a large email service provider. Having your own email service can lend your site a lot of legitimacy!

And now on to the pricing…

Domain registration is…

• Included free for one year when you sign up for any one or three year shared plan (Starter or Unlimited)
• Included free for one year when you sign up for any one year DreamPress plan (Regular, Plus, or Pro) (note: there is no three year DreamPress plan)
• Not included in monthly shared or DreamPress plans, but can be added for $7.99
• Included in all VPS plans (Basic, Business, Professional, and Enterprise)

Domain registration usually costs about $10-12 on its own.

SSL certificates are…

• Included free with every DreamHost plan
• Pre-installed with any DreamPress plan

Different hosting providers offer SSL certificates at a range of prices. GoDaddy charges $79.99/year to protect one website with SSL, while HostGator’s cheapest SSL plan comes in at $39.99/year.

Email hosting is…

• Not included in the Starter Shared plan, but can be added for as little as $1.67/month
• Included in all other DreamHost plans, from Starter Unlimited to every DreamPress and VPS plan

Most basic email hosting services are priced between $2-10/month.

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DreamHost is a strong hosting provider, competing confidently with others in the market, including Bluehost and HostGator. As a result of our latest research, DreamHost now sits in fourth position overall, with a score of 4.4 out of 5.

But let’s break it down further… DreamHost performs well across the majority of our testing categories, including types of hosting, value for money, storage space, and hosting features.

Affordable Shared Hosting Option

4.4

out of 5

Top Choice

Hosting Features

4.4 out of 5 stars

Value For Money

4.2 out of 5 stars

Types of Hosting

4.3 out of 5 stars

Help and Support

2.3 out of 5 stars

Disk Space

5 out of 5 stars

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Read Full Review

But this is a pricing review, so let’s focus on DreamHost’s overall value for money score of 4.2 out of 5. It comes top of the league for price when it comes to shared hosting with a rating of 4.4 out of 5, but is let down in particular by its dedicated hosting value for money score of 2.5 out of 5.

It’s a great platform, but some of DreamHost’s peers rank better for cost overall, such as Bluehost and IONOS. In total, all of DreamHost’s hosting plans range from $2.95-$379 per month (billed annually).

Here’s how that stacks up to the price ranges of its top competitors:

• Bluehost ($2.95-139.99/month)
• HostGator ($3.95-159.98/month)
• InMotion ($3.49-259.99/month)
• A2 Hosting ($2.99-219.99/month)

To compare, Bluehost received an overall value for money rating of 4.7 out of 5, and HostGator only scored 3.5 out of 5. These are our top two hosting providers, so you can see how DreamHost can easily compete when it comes to price – depending on the type of hosting plan you choose, that is!

Hosting Cost Comparison Chart

Let’s take a look at how DreamHost’s pricing compares with its closest competitors. As mentioned already, we’ll be focusing on the 12-month introductory fees (per month) for each hosting provider and hosting type.

Prices vary between providers, but you’ll notice that each type of hosting plan is priced in the same ballpark. The price difference between a provider’s shared plans and dedicated plans doesn’t matter nearly as much as the price difference between all of a provider’s shared plans.

When looking at cost, it’s best to pay attention to the small details that differ between similar plans – there’s no point in saving money on a cheaper plan if your top priority feature doesn’t come included.

Where DreamHost really stands out from its competitors is its refund policy. Most hosting providers, such as InMotion and A2 Hosting, offer conditional money-back periods that usually only last about 30 days or so. However, if you purchase a DreamHost shared hosting plan with a credit card, then you’re guaranteed a full refund for 97 days! Only shared plans are covered under this policy, but since that’s the logical plan for most beginners, it’s likely to come in handy for a number of users.

More Information

• Best Cheap Shared Hosting Plans: Looking to save while you get online? We’ve ranked the cheapest hosting plans on the market.

In short, DreamHost offers four different types of hosting plans and its 12-month introductory deals are detailed below:

• Shared hosting: $2.95 per month
• DreamPress hosting: $16.95-$71.95 per month
• VPS hosting: $13.75-$110 per month
• Dedicated hosting: $149-$379 per month

Each plan has different pricing options which come with varying features. DreamHost also offers domain registration as a service, so you can keep all of your website needs in-house for convenience. 

Ultimately, we recommend DreamHost for beginners and intermediates looking for a quality hosting experience. Although it’s not the cheapest hosting provider out there, it’s pretty affordable for the quality of service provided and scores an impressive value for money score of 4.2 out of 5 overall.

If you’re unsure what hosting type to pick, DreamHost performs best with its shared hosting plans, earning a value for money score of 4.4 out of 5. And thanks to DreamHost’s 97-day money-back guarantee it means you’ve got nothing to lose. So why not try it out?

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DreamHost’s hosting plans are pretty affordable and good value for money, especially when it comes to shared hosting. See for yourself!

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