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We last reviewed DreamHost in October 2026. Every price was read from DreamHost's own plan pages in US dollars, using the renewal price shown on each card. Policies come from DreamHost's terms of service and knowledge base (refunds, migrations, data centers). We cross-checked them against Website Builder Expert's March 2026 hands-on review. This is desk research: we did not buy a plan for this update.
Overview
DreamHost was founded in 1996 by Dallas Bethune, Josh Jones, Michael Rodriguez, and Sage Weil, then undergraduates at Harvey Mudd College, and began hosting customers in 1997. Originally registered as New Dream Network, LLC, the company is now based in Los Angeles and reports over 1.5 million websites on its servers, including more than 750,000 WordPress installations across 100+ countries.
Features of DreamHost
Building a site with DreamHost
DreamHost gives you three ways to get a site live. Remixer is an AI builder for websites and web apps: describe what you want in plain language and it builds the pages, sign-ins and even Stripe payments, free for 30 days with no card required. Liftoff is an AI builder for WordPress included with every Web Hosting plan. Or skip building yourself: each hosting plan includes one free Handcrafted Starter Website, a four-page WordPress site DreamHost's team sets up for you to edit and expand. Server management (backups, security, updates) runs through DreamHost's own control panel rather than cPanel. Trusthost has not bought a test account to walk through this flow first-hand.
DreamHost pricing
Web & WordPress Hosting (1-year term)
| Plan | Discount price | Regular price | Term | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launch (25 sites, 25 GB) | $2.89/mo | $10.99/mo | 12 months | 74% |
| Growth (50 sites, 50 GB) | $3.99/mo | $12.99/mo | 12 months | 69% |
| Scale (100 sites, 100 GB) | $9.99/mo | $25.99/mo | 12 months | 62% |
Web & WordPress Hosting (4-year term)
| Plan | Discount price | Regular price | Term | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launch (25 sites, 25 GB) | $1.99/mo | $7.99/mo | 48 months | 75% |
| Growth (50 sites, 50 GB) | $3.49/mo | $8.99/mo | 48 months | 61% |
| Scale (100 sites, 100 GB) | $7.99/mo | $19.99/mo | 48 months | 60% |
DreamPress (Managed WordPress)
| Plan | Discount price | Regular price | Term | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DreamPress 1 (1 site, 15 GB) | $14.99/mo | $19.99/mo | 12 months | 25% |
| DreamPress 2 (2 sites, 25 GB) | $17.99/mo | $24.99/mo | 12 months | 28% |
| DreamPress 3 (3 sites, 30 GB) | $20.99/mo | $28.99/mo | 12 months | 28% |
Self-Managed VPS
| Plan | Discount price | Regular price | Term | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stack 4 (2 vCPU / 4 GB) | $8.99/mo | $15.99/mo | Monthly, intro 3 months | 44% |
| Stack 8 (2 vCPU / 8 GB) | $13.99/mo | $21.99/mo | Monthly, intro 3 months | 36% |
| Stack 16 (4 vCPU / 16 GB) | $22.99/mo | $34.99/mo | Monthly, intro 3 months | 34% |
| Stack 32 (8 vCPU / 32 GB) | $45.99/mo | $59.99/mo | Monthly, intro 3 months | 23% |
Managed VPS
| Plan | Discount price | Regular price | Term | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business (2 cores / 2 GB) | $10.00/mo | $24.99/mo | 36 months | 60% |
| Professional (2 cores / 4 GB) | $20.00/mo | $46.99/mo | 36 months | 57% |
| Enterprise (4 cores / 8 GB) | $40.00/mo | $92.99/mo | 36 months | 57% |
| Premier (6 cores / 12 GB) | $60.00/mo | $114.99/mo | 36 months | 48% |
Dedicated Servers
| Plan | Discount price | Regular price | Term | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard (6-core, 16 GB) | $119.99/mo | $165.00/mo | 12 months | 27% |
| Enhanced (12-core) | $229.00/mo | Not shown | — | — |
Email (per mailbox)
| Plan | Discount price | Regular price | Term | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Email, yearly billing | $1.67/mo | $1.67/mo | 12 months | — |
| Email, monthly billing | $1.99/mo | $1.99/mo | Monthly | — |
DreamHost support
DreamHost offers 24/7 support by live chat and email from an in-house team, plus a knowledge base. There is no phone line; Website Builder Expert reports a paid callback option at $9.95. DreamHost states that chats are answered in under 60 seconds and that 73% of issues are resolved on first contact. We have not contacted support ourselves for this update.
Pros and cons
What is DreamHost in 2026?
DreamHost is an independent Los Angeles web host that has been hosting customers since 1997. It reports more than 400,000 customers in over 100 countries and over 1.5 million websites, including 750,000+ WordPress installations. Its line-up runs from $1.99/mo shared hosting to DreamPress managed WordPress, self-managed and managed VPS, and dedicated servers.
What do you get on a DreamHost shared plan?
The three Web Hosting plans, Launch, Growth and Scale, host 25, 50 or 100 websites on 25 to 100 GB of NVMe storage, with unmetered bandwidth, daily backups, free SSL and a free domain for the first year. Mailboxes are free for the first three months only. You can pay for 1 year, 4 years, or month to month, and every plan shows its renewal price upfront. The same plans are sold as WordPress hosting and online store hosting.
How do DreamHost's site-building tools work?
DreamHost offers three routes. Remixer is an AI website and app builder you talk to in plain language, with sign-ins and Stripe payments built in; it is free for 30 days with no credit card. Liftoff is an AI builder for WordPress included in every Web Hosting plan. And every hosting plan includes one Handcrafted Starter Website, a four-page WordPress site that DreamHost's own team sets up for you.
What should you watch out for?
There is no phone support: help comes through 24/7 live chat and email, and Website Builder Expert notes a paid $9.95 callback option. Data centers are limited to Ashburn, Hillsboro, Amsterdam and Singapore. Self-managed VPS cancellations get a prorated credit rather than a refund. On speed, the same reviewer measured a 0.12-second US server response in 2026, the fastest of the eight hosts it tested.
Is DreamHost right for you?
Good fit if you want a real uptime SLA with credits, true month-to-month billing, and either a free human-built starter site or an AI builder to get going fast.
Better to avoid if you specifically want cPanel, phone support, or a wide choice of international data centers. DreamHost's custom panel and US-centric infrastructure (plus Amsterdam and Singapore) may not fit those needs.
Frequently asked questions
