DreamHost Review: Does It Really Offer Contract-free Hosting Plans?

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DreamHost is a popular web hosting provider that offers free and contract-free plans. Many customers run into trouble when they try to switch their DreamHost plan, though, as the company often makes it difficult for them to complete this transition. We put together a review of what issues are at play so you can avoid getting stuck in an unfavorable contract situation with DreamHost.

DreamHost is a hosting company that offers contract-free hosting plans. This review will give you an in-depth look at the service, and whether or not it’s worth your time. Read more in detail here: bluehost.

DreamHost provides dependable web hosting services for a wide range of business requirements and organizations of all sizes. Its risk-free shared hosting plans provide all of the essential elements for building and maintaining your websites, including a domain, SSL certificate, website templates, and security tools. DreamHost is for you if you’re a newbie on a tight budget seeking for a low-cost, high-value web hosting service.

DreamHost

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What We Enjoy

One of the few hosting companies that offers no-contract options.
Long-term plans have very cheap prices, starting at only $2.59 per month.
Excellent client service
Like Bluehost, it comes with a free domain name, SSL certificate, and business email.
Guaranteed uptime of 100 percent
Money-back guarantee of 97 days
Backups are made automatically every day for free.
Automated WordPress migrations for free

What Isn’t There

cPanel, the industry standard, isn’t accessible.
Monthly subscriptions do not include free domains.
Unlike HostGator, unlimited storage is only accessible with higher-tier plans.
Renewal fees that are higher is a standard business practice.
Doesn’t provide a website builder for beginners like Bluehost and GoDaddy.

DreamHost Is Perfect For:

Those on a tight budget seeking for a dependable and low-cost web hosting solution
Businesses who are unwilling to sign a deal
Those who want peace of mind with a long, Money-back guarantee of 97 days

Who Should Use DreamHost?

DreamHost is one of the most affordable web hosting companies. It enables you to create and publish secure websites rapidly. While most rivals need long-term contracts for low-cost hosting, DreamHost allows you to join up for their plans on a month-to-month basis. These contract lengths and membership levels are ideal for small company owners looking to expand their internet presence while staying within their financial constraints.

DreamHost is particularly well-suited to:

Those who don’t want to commit to a contract and are looking for reliable and ultra-low-cost web hosting: DreamHost offers comprehensive products at the lowest rates and contract terms. It offers month-to-month membership alternatives, as opposed to other providers, and includes a free SSL certificate, a website builder, and a variety of economical items for varied requirements. Domain registration, a website builder, and solid-state drives are all included in its shared hosting package (SSDs). It’s one of our top selections for the best inexpensive web hosting providers and finest web hosting businesses since it offers the most reasonable all-inclusive plans with short- to long-term contracts.
Businesses wanting peace of mind with a long, Money-back guarantee of 97 days: DreamHost beats most web hosting companies that offer a money-back guarantee by making customers who paid through credit cards eligible for a full refund upon cancellation within the first 97 days of purchase. Most providers offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, while some, like HostGator, extend it to 45 days.
WordPress hosting: DreamHost provides a wide range of WordPress hosting plans, including basic, managed, and virtual private server (VPS) subscriptions with monthly terms. It also helps users migrate their existing WordPress sites into DreamHost for free, a service included in specific plans. It is also one of our best WordPress hosting providers for its reliable Guaranteed uptime of 100 percent.
Email hosting with no commitment: DreamHost provides 25GB of email storage with security features for a reasonable monthly fee per mailbox. This function is available for free to those who subscribe to higher levels. Its month-to-month plans at ultra-low pricing place it within our list of the finest business email providers and best inexpensive email hosting providers.
WooCommerce-powered ecommerce stores: DreamHost offers affordable hosting plans designed specifically for WooCommerce users. It comes with WooCommerce and a storefront theme pre-installed, one-click staging, and priority WordPress support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

When DreamHost Isn’t the Right Fit

Despite the fact that DreamHost provides amazing services that meet all website construction demands, it is not the best fit for you. Budget, platform choice, and simplicity of use for your present knowledge and expertise are all things to think about.

Businesses who need limitless storage: DreamHost is one of the most affordable website hosting services. It does, however, only come with 50GB of storage. If you want extra storage capacity, HostGator is a viable option. On all of its low-cost plans, it also provides unlimited storage and bandwidth.
Those that aren’t building a website using WordPress: If you want to get your site up and running as quickly as possible but aren’t planning on using WordPress, Squarespace is a good option. It is one of our top website builders since it provides an all-in-one website hosting solution as well as a drag-and-drop builder with ready-to-use templates.

DreamHost is a wonderful choice for novices who want to get their company websites up and running fast without breaking the budget. If you’re still hesitant, see our guide to the top web hosting providers for small businesses for additional information.

Pricing at DreamHost

With monthly beginning prices starting at $4.59, DreamHost provides the most cheap contract-free options. Alternatives on the market, such as Bluehost, do not provide month-to-month paying plans, and those that do, such as HostGator, cost more than twice as much.

All DreamHost plans include a domain, SSL certificate, subdomains, site storage, and a website builder, as well as everything else you’ll need to get your site up and running fast.

*Payment in full at the start of the payment cycle for introductory rate. Except for promotional pricing for three-month monthly durations, regular rates apply upon renewal.

**The cost of renewal varies based on the term duration.

***To qualify for a free one-year domain registration, consumers must sign up for a one- or three-year commitment with any plan.

Select a plan from the drop-down menu below for further information:

Choose to discover more. Starter for Everyone Unrestricted sharing

Starter for Everyone

If you are planning to set up only one website, then Starter for Everyone is for you. It costs $2.59 to $8.95 per month for the initial term, depending on the length of the contract. This package includes features that enable users to customize and publish websites quickly, such as pre-installed WordPress and a Website builder with drag-and-drop functionality.

The 36-month price for this entry-level plan—which costs $2.59 per month for the first contract—is close to GreenGeeks’ $2.49 monthly rate. Both companies provide 50GB of data storage, but DreamHost costs an additional $1.67 per mailbox each month for individuals who wish to add an email address. GreenGeeks, on the other hand, charges twice as much for renewals as DreamHost.

Unrestricted sharing

Unsure if you only need one website? Go for Unrestricted sharing. Initial prices range from $3.95 to $8.95 per month, depending on the selected billing cycle. It allows teams to host unlimited websites and includes unlimited storage, business emails, and subdomains.

DreamHost Features & Key Insights

DreamHost provides a variety of low-cost web hosting services. This company is worth considering if you are a newbie looking to rapidly put up a business website or online shop.

Let’s have a look at some of the key features included in its plans:

Storage & Bandwidth

DreamHost’s shared hosting plans include solid-state drive (SSD) storage ranging from 50GB to an infinite quantity. This technique guarantees that your website loads 200 times quicker than websites hosted on traditional HDD storage. Furthermore, all shared hosting plans have unlimited bandwidth and traffic.

Competitors are charging more prices for the same or less storage space. For example, Hostinger’s monthly charge for their basic plan, which includes just 30GB of storage, is almost twice as much as DreamHost’s.

Reliability

DreamHost only has U.S.-based data centers in Ashburn, Virginia, and Hillsboro, Oregon. It falls short from its competitors, such as GreenGeeks and GoDaddy, which have data centers across various countries. However, it offers a Guaranteed uptime of 100 percent, where DreamHost provides refunds when its users’ sites go down.

Additionally, DreamHost also offers a Money-back guarantee of 97 days for those who paid through a credit card. Users will be eligible for a full refund if their plans are canceled within the first 97 days of subscribing and creating their accounts.

If you’re interested in using WordPress, DreamHost is the place to go. It has servers, database software, and settings that are tuned for WordPress performance.

Features & Inclusions

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Users may personalize their sites using DreamHost’s website builder by dragging and dropping editing and design elements. (Image courtesy of DreamHost)

The tools you’ll need to set up your business website are included in DreamHost’s basic shared hosting package. Its entry-level rung includes:

One-year free domain and SSL certificate (with an annual contract)
Control panel that may be customized
WordPress is pre-installed and ready to use.
Website builder with drag-and-drop functionality
Daily backups that are automated
Transfer that is not metered
Storage on solid-state drives (SSD)

DreamHost’s plans are similar to those of rivals like Bluehost, with unlimited storage and premium features available on the more costly plans. DreamHost, on the other hand, has its own control panel. The majority of cPanel’s functionality are available via its control panel. It also lets customers who previously used cPanel to manually import their backup files into its bespoke interface. All of your data, including databases, email accounts, and websites, might be included in the backup file.

Customer Service

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DreamHost’s knowledge library has a wealth of useful and searchable instructions on its products and services. (Image courtesy of DreamHost)

DreamHost provides customer care through tickets and its helpbot 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. From 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Pacific Time, a live chat channel is accessible. It also offers a knowledge base with a collection of in-depth articles with accompanying graphics to assist users. Despite the fact that live chat assistance and other channels such as phone are restricted, most consumers praise the company’s customer care personnel for being prompt and helpful.

If you need help constructing your website and obtaining visitors, DreamHost offers its Academy page, which includes classes and videos to help you along the way.

What Users Have to Say About DreamHost

In comparison to other of its rivals, such as GoDaddy, DreamHost has gotten less recent internet evaluations. DreamHost’s internet evaluations back up our findings, stating that it’s one of the finest web hosting companies for beginners because of its fantastic price-to-value ratio. It received the following impartial ratings from major and trustworthy user review websites at the time of writing:

Aspects that users appreciate about DreamHost’s services include excellent Customer Service, low rates, and great uptime. On the other hand, there are mixed views on its custom control panel; some reviews highlighted users finding it intuitive while some DreamHost complaints mentioned it was hard to navigate.

Conclusion

DreamHost is one of the best web hosting companies, not only for its affordable and feature-rich offerings but also because of its incredible Customer Service. Subscribing to any of its plans comes with web hosting and WordPress experts at your disposal—making it great for beginners who need guidance. DreamHost is worth considering if you are currently on a budget and have no web design or coding experience.

DreamHost is a great place to start.

DreamHost Review: Does It Really Offer Contract-free Hosting Plans?