BlueHost and DreamHost. Which is Better?

Both Bluehost and Dreamhost are big players as far as Webhosting is concerned. Sometimes it is not easy to determine which one outshines the other, However, based on the unbiased facts for both hosts that am going to itemize, one can always make an informed decision based on the needs for his website/blog. 

DreamHost outshines Bluehost in its superior, speed, uptime, and cost in the long term, however, this doesn't mean that Bluehost is suboptimal as far as Webhosting is concerned. It also scores higher than DreamHost in some aspects.

Bluehost

Bluehost is the best choice for a simple-to-use, low-cost host that still provides a plethora of features and capabilities for your business. Its cPanel simplifies navigation and maintenance. Furthermore, if you have a problem, you can easily contact customer support via phone or chat. If you're ready to give Bluehost a shot, you can begin with plans as low as $2.95 per month.

Dreamhost

DreamHost is ideal for businesses that require scalable service with high speed and uptime. DreamHost ensures that your customers can access your website quickly and without the risk of bouncing by providing 99.99 percent uptime and an average page loading speed of 2.35 seconds. That means a better reputation and more business for you in the end. If you're ready to give DreamHost a shot, their 97-day money-back guarantee gives you plenty of time to put your web host to the test before committing fully.

Bluehost's Strengths

Ease of Use: Bluehost employs cPanel, an intuitive and user-friendly platform designed for even novices who have never built a website before. Bluehost's cPanel displays all of your available options. It is adaptable and facilitates backup management, program installation, and file organization. DreamHost has a custom control panel, which may result in a longer learning curve and more time spent attempting to understand the platform.

Security: When it comes to security, DreamHost and Bluehost tie. Bluehost includes SSL, SFTP, and SSH, which does not distinguish it from DreamHost but is useful for your site. You also get HTTP2 by default. If you pay $30 per year for Bluehost's SiteLock protection, you'll also get automatic malware detection and Google blacklist monitoring.

Customer Support: Both Bluehost and DreamHost provide 24/7/365 customer support, but there are some significant differences in how to obtain it. Bluehost provides more options for obtaining assistance when you require it. You can contact them via chat or phone, whereas DreamHost only allows you to contact them via an online form or chat. The chat is only available during business hours, which makes it difficult if you have a problem outside of those hours or if you live outside of the United States in a different time zone.

Bluehost provides excellent, quick customer service, though you may have to wait a few minutes for them to verify your account. Having said that, they usually respond quickly and have knowledgeable representatives who know what they're talking about.

Where Bluehost Falls Short

Extra Charges and Upsells: Bluehost has a lot of great features, but the company can be a little pushy about them. Their advertisements and marketing efforts clog the platform. If all you want to do is make a few site updates, the upsells may get in the way. Furthermore, when it comes to things like hosting plans and upgrades, Bluehost really wants you to buy more. Even if you're content with what you have, they'll try to convince you to upgrade when you don't need to. You may end up wasting money that could be better spent on another aspect of your company's growth.

One Server Location: Bluehost only has one server, and it’s in the US. This can be a disadvantage for international users. However, you can rest assured that Bluehost's customer service will be available to assist you at any time of day or night. Other web hosts, such as SiteGround, have more servers around the world, which may be a better option if you require international service.

Backups: Bluehost offers only three backup options: daily, weekly, and monthly. When you consider that many other hosts have about 20 backup options, that's not much. If you want more, Bluehost will charge you for it. In essence, you can get more backups, but not for free, which is unusual for most web hosting services. However, if backing up your website is important to you—and it should be—you can find other web hosts who provide more without charging you more.

Page Speed: Bluehost’s average page loading speed is 3.21 seconds. That may sound fast, but with 40% of people leaving your site if it takes more than three seconds to load, it isn't. Bluehost's slower speed puts your site on the edge, putting it at risk of visitors leaving and going to competitors with faster sites.

DreamHost's Strength

Pricing: DreamHost's pricing is lower than that of many other hosting companies, including Bluehost. Its most basic package costs $2.59 per month for 36 months. You can only select from two tiers—half as many as Bluehost provides—but both of these tiers provide a plethora of features at an affordable price. DreamHost also provides more unlimited features for the same price as most other hosting services, such as unlimited storage.

Scalability: DreamHost offers WordPress, dedicated, VPS, and shared hosting packages. It also offers cloud storage, which Bluehost does not, giving you more options for hosting across multiple servers and improving the security of your site. Bluehost tries to upsell with a variety of hosting plans and features, whereas DreamHost provides them upfront so you don't get overwhelmed while working on your site. It also provides a plethora of upgrade options. If you begin with shared hosting, you can easily progress to dedicated or VPS hosting as your company grows.

Storage: All DreamHost plans include unlimited storage. That is not something you will find with every web hosting service. Many, such as Bluehost, have tiers where you can get a certain amount of storage and only get unlimited storage with higher tiers. Bluehost, for example, offers 50GB of storage with its Basic plan and expands to unlimited storage with higher-tier packages. However, whether you choose shared, dedicated, or VPS hosting, DreamHost provides you with unlimited space from the start, ensuring that you never run out of space on your server.

Uptime: DreamHost has some of the best uptime in the industry, with a 99.99 percent uptime. It outperforms Bluehost, which has a 99.94 percent uptime. That may not seem like much until you consider that it equates to several hours of downtime per year. DreamHost comes close to being perfect on this one, which means your site will almost never be down, and if it is, it will be back up quickly. When it comes to running a business website, performance and uptime are two of the most important factors to consider. It keeps your site running, which keeps visitors on the page. It ensures that customers can find what they need quickly, that items are available to them, and that your business's reputation is enhanced by establishing a trustworthy online presence.

Bandwidth: DreamHost provides unlimited bandwidth for all plans and hosting types. Bluehost, on the other hand, offers unlimited bandwidth for shared hosting but limits it as you scale up, for example, to VPS hosting. With DreamHost, you'll never have to upgrade your plan solely on the basis of bandwidth. That means that high traffic will not cause your site to go down, and you will not have to pay more for your company's growing success.

Security: DreamHost's security is comparable to Bluehost's in that you get the same basic security features, such as SSL, SFTP, and SSH. DreamHost provides HTTPS2 and PHP7 support. It also has a built-in firewall and allows you to enable multi-factor authentication. For $3 per month, you can get DreamShield, which provides additional protection with malware removal and keeps unwanted eyes away from your site at a low cost.

Backups: DreamHost provides eight backups. It's not the best deal you'll find, but it's nearly triple what Bluehost offers before you have to pay extra. DreamHost even offers on-demand backups. The only issue here is that DreamHost servers will not keep your backups indefinitely, as BlueHost will. You must download them to your hard drive to ensure access and the ability to restore your site if necessary.

Page Loading Speed: DreamHost passes the three-second rule. In the best-case scenario, its pages load in about 1.5 seconds, making it more than twice as fast as Bluehost. It means that people are more likely to stay on your site and obtain the product or information you're providing rather than searching elsewhere. DreamHost's average page loading time is 2.35 seconds, which is nearly a full second faster than Bluehost's.

Where DreamHost Falls Short

Server Locations: DreamHost has two server locations in Virginia and Oregon, which does not put it ahead of Bluehost because both are still based in the United States. This may be difficult for international users, especially since DreamHost does not provide live chat support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In other words, just because it has two servers doesn't mean it offers more than Bluehost's single server.

User-Friendliness: DreamHost's platform may present some difficulties at first due to its custom control panel. If you stick with it, you'll discover that it has similar usability to Bluehost, but you'll have to put in some effort first. If you don't mind that or are technologically savvy, this may not be a disadvantage for you. However, unless you're already familiar with it, it won't matter if it looks nicer and has fewer advertisements—the interface will still take some time to figure out.

Conclusion

Bluehost and DreamHost are both good choices for web hosting, whether you're just starting out or expanding your business. DreamHost is the best choice for speed and uptime, whereas Bluehost provides excellent customer service and an easy-to-use platform right from the start.

Finally, you know what your company requires the most. You can choose whether that is something Bluehost or DreamHost provides or something you will find in another web hosting service.