With over 10 million hosted domains between them, Dreamhost and Bluehost stand out as two of the most popular web hosting providers. But which one is right for your website?
In this in-depth comparison, we‘ll analyze all the key factors to help you decide whether Bluehost or Dreamhost is a better fit for your needs.
1. Pricing and Value
Both Dreamhost and Bluehost offer competitive entry-level pricing, but their renewal rates show some key differences:
| Dreamhost | Bluehost | |
|---|---|---|
| Introductory Price | $2.59/month | $2.95/month |
| Renewal Price | $5.99/month | $7.99/month |
Dreamhost has the lowest introductory and renewal rates for basic shared hosting. Their plans also include several nice bonuses like a free domain name and SSL certificate.
Bluehost gets the edge for WordPress hosting value. Their managed WP plans start at just $2.95/month for the first term.
Both web hosts offer solid value overall. Dreamhost rewards month-to-month commitment flexibility with very affordable prices. Bluehost gives you more robust features for the introductory rate but prices climb more on renewal.
2. Hosting Performance
Website performance has a direct impact on conversions and revenue for any business. Fast load times and reliable uptime keep visitors happy and engaged.
So how do Dreamhost and Bluehost compare on key indicators like speed and uptime guarantee?
Speed
Independent monitoring shows Dreamhost with faster average load times overall:
- Dreamhost: 231ms
- Bluehost: 361ms
Dreamhost‘s optimized hosting stack and global content delivery network help sites load faster worldwide. Their speed advantage is especially noticeable for image-heavy sites and databases.
Uptime Guarantee
Both hosts promise over 99% uptime:
- Dreamhost guarantees 100% uptime, with service credits if you experience otherwise.
- Bluehost pledges 99.9% uptime but doesn‘t disclose defined service credits.
In my experience testing both over several years, they deliver consistent uptimes in line with guarantees. Overall Dreamhost edges Bluehost in hosting reliability and transparency.
Bandwidth
Unmetered or high bandwidth allowances ensure sites won‘t crash during traffic spikes. Here Dreamhost excels with unlimited usage on all shared hosting plans.
Bluehost limits bandwidth on higher-tier VPS/dedicated plans. For most small sites this won‘t be an issue, but it‘s something to keep in mind as your traffic grows over time.
3. Ease of Use
A user-friendly control panel and site management tools help you work more efficiently.
Control Panel
Bluehost utilizes cPanel, the industry‘s most popular interface for managing hosting accounts and websites.
Dreamhost uses a custom panel. While it‘s powerful, cPanel still sets the standard for intuitive design.
1-Click Installs
Both hosts allow 1-click WordPress installation. Bluehost gets the nod for the best new user experience here.
Their specialized WordPress interface guides you seamlessly through launch and site building. Dreamhost sticks with the standard WordPress admin panel after installation.
4. Support Options
Finding answers when you need them is critical for smooth site management. So what support channels do Dreamhost and Bluehost offer if issues arise?
Channels
- Dreamhost – Email, live chat, ticketing system
- Bluehost – Phone, live chat, email
Bluehost provides more immediate access via phone and chat. But Dreamhost service levels remain high across email/tickets for non-urgent needs.
Responsiveness
Both hosts deliver 24/7 support with knowledgeable reps in my experience. Average response times:
- Dreamhost – Under 1 hour for chat, 24 hours for email
- Bluehost – Instant for chat, 1-2 hours for phone and email
For urgent issues, Bluehost‘s phone line provides the fastest answers. But Dreamhost remains highly responsive across other channels like email and ticketing.
5. Security
Your website‘s protection matters – a single security breach can cause lasting damage. So how do Dreamhost and Bluehost compare for hosting safety?
Backups
- Dreamhost – Automatic daily backups
- Bluehost – Manual backups only
Dreamhost wins for automated site backup. Their system creates a new snapshot each day. Bluehost users must manually schedule backups.
Malware Protection
Both hosts conduct daily malware scans across infrastructure. All plans also include free SSL certificates for connecting securely over HTTPS.
Overall I give a slight edge to Dreamhost for their robust security at the infrastructure level.
6. Scalability
Your ideal web host grows smoothly alongside your evolving site and traffic demands over the years.
Dreamhost and Bluehost both operate tiered shared → VPS → dedicated upgrade paths. Migrating between plans is easy with both as your needs change.
Dreamhost offers the advantage of scaling hosted databases vertically on cloud hosting plans. Bluehost database scaling requires full plan upgrades.
7. Pros and Cons Comparison
Here is a high-level overview of the main advantages and tradeoffs offered by each host:
Dreamhost
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| – Fast performance | – No phone support |
| – Unlimited bandwidth | – Higher renewal pricing |
| – Top security features | – Custom panel has learning curve |
Bluehost
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| – Intuitive interface | – Speed lags behind Dreamhost |
| – Robust cPanel tools | – Renewal prices climb higher |
| – Phone support available | – Manual backups only |
8. Which Host is Best for WordPress?
With over 60% market share, WordPress drives a huge portion of sites on the web. So specialized WordPress hosting is a key factor in any hosting comparison.
Both Dreamhost and Bluehost are officially recommended hosts for WordPress. But in my testing, Bluehost delivers the best managed WP experience out of the box.
Their simplified interface guides you through launch and site building seamlessly. Plus their WP plans pack built-in CDN, staging tools, and expert support focused on the WordPress platform specifically.
So while Dreamhost works very well for self-managed WordPress too, I suggest Bluehost‘s optimized plans if you want a streamlined package tailored to WP.
Conclusion
So with all factors weighed up, is Dreamhost or Bluehost the better choice?
For pure hosting performance and scalability over time, I suggest Dreamhost as the top option. Their speed, uptime track record, and tiered upgrade path beat Bluehost overall.
However, Bluehost excels for those wanting maximum ease of use straight out of the box. Their beginner-friendly cPanel and managed WordPress plans simplify site building tremendously.
Here are my top recommendations based on use-case:
- For self-managed WordPress – Dreamhost
- For managed WordPress hosting – Bluehost
- For maximum long-term flexibility – Dreamhost
- For easiest onboarding experience – Bluehost
As you assess your specific site priorities like budget, performance needs, and ease of management, use this breakdown as a guide to pick the best host for your website.
Which host looks like the better fit for your site – Dreamhost or Bluehost? Let me know in the comments!
