To begin a full-scale comparison of Bluehost and Dreamhost as a hosting service for ‘WordPress’, it is vital to understand what we are talking about over here. ‘Wordpress.com’ and ‘Wordpress.org’ are two canonical names that come up in association with the word ‘WordPress’.
‘Wordpress.com’ is the go-to blogging site for most individuals and organizations to set a foot on the digital platform and to make ready-to-use customizable websites suiting their needs. It flexes its service through the tagline that ‘41% of the web is built on ‘WordPress’’.
On the other hand, ‘Wordpress.org’ is an open-source, free, web publishing software project without any ownership by a single individual. It can be downloaded and installed on any web host. And this ‘WordPress’ is the matter of our discussion out here. ‘WordPress’ lists three hosting services as the best hosting services on its website, namely: Bluehost, DreamHost, and Site Ground. They do fulfil the criteria of minimum requirements for ‘WordPress’ hosting.
Here we are screening Bluehost vs DreamHost for you based on essential checklists and pointers for selecting a web host.
Do they hold your back when it comes to web hosting?
A web host is deemed reliable to the needs of a digital franchise when they guarantee quality performance and above par uptime.
Uptime Speed: Bluehost vs DreamHost | |
Bluehost has been designated as the ultimate WordPress hosting platform by Wordpress.org. It has a WordPress-centric dashboard, built-in features, and simple installation. | Although it is practically impossible for a site to have 100 percent uptime, DreamHost does guarantee 100 percent uptime with a provision of customer compensation in the absence to do so. |
Shows 99.8 percent of uptime which is a considerably good figure in this regard. | It maintains above 99.9 percent uptime at all times. |
How easy is it to continue with the plan of the web hosting service once the trial period gets over?
WordPress hosting attracts a large customer base in its first impression and basic plan rates but the cost of an upgrade to advanced plans is a turning decision in your quest for the best hosting provider for WordPress.
Subscription and Renewal: Bluehost vs DreamHost | |
The subscription rates of WordPress hosting at Bluehost are as follows: | The subscription and renewal rates of WordPress hosting at DreamHost are: |
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Bluehost offers add-ons that can be billed monthly or annually, whose renewal rates are as follows: |
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How easy is it to acquire the Domain?
Domain Provision: Bluehost vs. DreamHost | |
Bluehost offers 1 free domain in all of its plans for one year with an up-gradation value of 1399 INR/year for subsequent years. | Dream Host also provides 1 free domain along with its 1 year and 3 years Shared Hosting Plans with Whois Privacy. |
Its domain renewal price is higher than average. | |
What about the refunds in case of a halt in a service usage or site migration?
Refund Policy: Bluehost vs. DreamHost | |
Bluehost has a 30-day refund policy on its Webhosting services from the day of sign-up. | Dream Host is one of the rarest web hosting service providers to give out the longest money-back guarantee period of 97 days on Shared hosting if the plans are brought through a Credit Card or Google. |
No refunds on most of its add-on services. A non-refundable amount is deducted from the refund money if the Domain name is purchased. | |
One-click Installation for WordPress
Hassle-free experience is something that all users of web hosting service lookout for in their complete installation setup. A key factor in deciding the same, it is important to know the process of automation of WordPress hosting on your web host provider.
Installing WordPress: Bluehost vs. DreamHost | |
Bluehost automatically installs the latest version of WordPress upon completion of account sign-up. | Dream Host does not have automatic WordPress installation; they offer dedicated one-click installers and configurations that are compatible with WordPress. |
Email-Address and Domain Package
An email address is necessary for maintaining communication with the customer for every domain name associated. It becomes all the more important to analyze the email address service by your Webhost provider.
Email Services: Bluehost vs. DreamHost | |
Bluehost has email marketing tools as a part of all its plans. Creative emailing can be done through the WordPress admin dashboard. | Dream Host gives free email hosting on all of its WordPress hosting plans except for Shared hosting where it can be added at a rate of $1.67/month on a yearly email basis. |
Microsoft Office Emails license free for 30 days in Plus and Choice Plus plans. Renewal Charge - 499 INR/month | |
Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) Access
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and SFTP are vital components of your website which are used to transfer computer files. A Secure File Transfer Protocol is more secure than a File Transfer Protocol, allowing the data to be encrypted while uploading it over the public domain on the Internet.
Whether SFTP Access is provided? : Bluehost vs. DreamHost | |
Secure FTP is available with a Bluehost Webhosting account. | New users on Dream Host are automatically created as SFTP users. |
Additional E-Commerce Features
Apart from the basic functionalities, a website for a retailer does attract a consumer base for making online purchases. A good web host provider for WordPress hosting takes care of these additional needs in the form of Electronic Commerce (E-commerce) features which are a beneficial add-on to your site.
E-Commerce features of the Webhost: Bluehost vs. DreamHost | |
Bluehost is one of the best WooCommerce hosting service providers with a good starter plan to create an online store that is renewed with growing traffic. | DreamHost provides pre-installed WooCommerce and StoreFront themes for its WordPress retailers. |
Ecomdash is another E-commerce management platform on Bluehost that automates the daily operation of retailers. | |
Security Socket Layer (SSL) Certificates
SSL certificates are one of the key selling points by WordPress hosting service providers. They enable the security of website transactions.
Bluehost | Dreamhost |
SSL certificates present in all their plans without any additional charges. | SSL certificates present in all their plans without any additional charges. |
Subscription Renewal
The frequency of renewal of subscriptions of Webhosting decides how large a hole it will bore in your pockets.
Renewal Period : Bluehost vs. DreamHost | |
Bluehost gives monthly renewal services with high upsell values for its add-ons. | DreamHost comes with yearly and 3 year plans for its users. |
They are mostly beginner-friendly with a variety of plans to select from. | They give an option for auto-renewal so that one doesn’t forget to renew the domain name and other features. |
Customer Support
Bluehost | Dreamhost |
Backed up round the clock by WordPress Experts. | Intensively trained WordPress experts are available 24/7 |
In-house WordPress hosting support can be availed through chat or call makes it a solid foreground to start with WordPress hosting. | Require a prior submission and respond to the issue in a given time slot for live chat. No option for a phone call on DreamHost. |
Looking back at the long story, there’s a neck-to-neck competition between Bluehost and DreamHost about choosing one of them as the most suitable Webhosting Service Provider for WordPress hosting. Both of them have almost similar features, plug-ins, and add-ons. The budget and goal of your website are the key deciders in which WordPress hosting service you should go for. Both Bluehost and DreamHost are officially recommended by WordPress for their hosting and are backed by its experts with a long history of their association with WordPress. One thing is for certain that they won’t leave scope for complaint by its users, however, the ultimate decision to choose one of them rests upon the individual itself to suit their website’s needs and demands backed up by the initial comparison of Bluehost vs Dreamhost that we present before you.