Bluehost vs DreamHost
We give Bluehost a 1.6 GPA and DreamHost a 2.2, out of 4.0. DreamHost grades higher on value for money and platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
DreamHost
Independent shared and WordPress host with monthly or multi-year terms
How we grade them
| 1.6GPABluehostWeak | 2.2GPADreamHostFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo price on record: Bluehost's pages answered our reader with a bot check, so no two-year figure can be worked out. With nothing to compare, it sits at C, the grade for no stated price. Promotional prices cover the first term only. | ALaunch on a 2-year term is $2.49 a month paid upfront, so two years cost $59.76, well under the $5.97 a month an A needs in this category. It then renews at $8.99 a month. Paying monthly is $4.99 for 3 months, then $11.99. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial. There's a 30-day refund, but if you cancel, a fee for the free domain is taken out of it. | FNothing free: no free plan and no trial. The cheapest way to try it is monthly billing at $4.99 for the first 3 months. |
| Features | CWordPress management, a first-year domain, SSL, AI site drafts and a WooCommerce plan. The gaps the listing names: backups are weekly, malware removal waits for Business and eCommerce Essentials, and email is a one-month trial. | C25 websites on Launch, daily backups, unmetered bandwidth, free SSL, an AI WordPress builder and a starter site built by DreamHost's team. The gap is email: professional email is free for 3 months, then billed separately. |
| Ease of use | CNo app store rating to go on. The dashboard handles WordPress installs, plugins and updates, but you still set up a domain, a site and email yourself. | CNo app store rating to go on. Liftoff sets up WordPress from a few questions and the team builds one starter site, but there's still a domain and email to sort. |
| Platforms and integrations | CA web dashboard only, and the listing names just WordPress and WooCommerce. No API or wider list of integrations is on record. | BA web control panel with no app on record, but there's a DreamHost API: a key from the panel lets scripts reach the account functions you pick. |
| Best for | beginner WordPress sites and WooCommerce shops | cheap shared hosting you can pay monthly |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Bluehost and DreamHost. How we grade
Where they differ
- Bluehost also covers malware protection.
At a glance
| Bluehost | DreamHost | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | Not published | $7.99 per month at renewal (Launch), after a first 4 years at $1.99 a month |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Bluehost | DreamHost, LLC |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | dreamhost.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Bluehost
- First-time site owners starting a WordPress blog or brochure site
- Small shops that want WooCommerce ready on a hosting plan
DreamHost
- Site owners who want to pay monthly instead of committing for years
- People running several small sites from one shared plan
- Beginners who want a starter site built for them
Worth knowing
Bluehost
- Bluehost's pages answered our reader with a bot check, so its prices could not be read and are not listed here.
- Promotional prices cover the first term only, and plans renew automatically at the regular rate shown in the control panel.
- Email is a one-month Professional Email trial that then renews as a paid add-on.
- If you cancel, a fee for the free domain is taken from the refund, and refunds end after 30 days.
DreamHost
- Every intro price is for the first term only: Launch is $1.99 a month for 4 years paid upfront, then $7.99, and monthly billing goes from $4.99 to $11.99 after 3 months.
- Professional email is free for 3 months only and is then billed separately.
- The free domain needs a yearly or multi-year plan, covers the first year, and must be claimed within the first 3 months.
- DreamPress managed WordPress is a separate plan line: DreamPress 1 is $14.99 a month for the first year, then $19.99, for one site.
Key features
Bluehost
- WordPress tools
- Every plan manages WordPress installs, plugins and updates from the Bluehost dashboard, and the higher plans add a staging site for testing changes.
- Domain, SSL and backups
- Plans include a domain free for the first year, a free SSL certificate and weekly backups.
- Malware scanning
- Plans scan sites for malware, and the Business and eCommerce Essentials plans also remove it.
- AI site creation
- An AI tool drafts a starting site on every plan, which you then edit in WordPress.
- WooCommerce plan
- eCommerce Essentials comes with WooCommerce set up for selling online; the other plans offer WooCommerce tools.
DreamHost
- Liftoff AI WordPress builder
- Liftoff sets up a WordPress site from your answers to a few questions. Every plan also includes one starter website that DreamHost's team builds for you.
- Daily backups and performance scans
- Shared plans run daily automated backups and on-demand performance scans, with unlimited free SSL certificates.
- Domain with privacy
- Yearly and multi-year plans include a domain free for the first year, with private registration to keep your details out of public records.
- DreamHost control panel
- One panel covers hosting, domains, email and users, with a one-click installer for WordPress and other web apps.
- DreamHost API
- An API key from the panel gives scripts access to the account functions you choose, through calls to api.dreamhost.com.
- Unmetered bandwidth
- The visit counts on each plan are estimates rather than caps, and bandwidth is not metered, so a busy month brings no overage fee.
Plans
Bluehost
Pricing could not be confirmed. See bluehost.com.
DreamHost
Launch, monthly$11.99
per month, after a first 3 months at $4.99 a month
25 websites, 25 GB NVMe and about 40,000 visits a month. $4.99 a month for the first 3 months, then $11.99. No free domain on monthly billing.
Launch, 1 year$10.99
per month at renewal, after a first year at $2.89 a month
25 websites with daily backups and a free domain for the first year. The first year costs $2.89 a month, paid upfront, then $10.99 a month.
Launch, 2 years$8.99
per month at renewal, after a first term of 2 years
The same Launch plan at $2.49 a month for the first 2 years, paid upfront, then $8.99 a month.
Launch, 4 years$7.99
per month at renewal, after a first term of 4 years
The same Launch plan at $1.99 a month for the first 4 years, paid upfront, then $7.99 a month.
Growth, 4 years$8.99
per month at renewal, after a first term of 4 years
50 websites, 50 GB and about 200,000 visits a month. $3.49 a month for the first 4 years, then $8.99. A 1-year term is $3.99, then $12.99.
Scale, 4 years$19.99
per month at renewal, after a first term of 4 years
100 websites, 100 GB and about 400,000 visits a month. $7.99 a month for the first 4 years, then $19.99. A 1-year term is $9.99, then $25.99.
Ways to pay less
Bluehost
No public discounts listed.
DreamHost
- Other savings
First 4 years of Launch at $1.99 a month
Launch costs $1.99 a month for the first 4 years, $2.49 for 2 years, $2.89 for 1 year or $4.99 for the first 3 months of monthly billing, before the regular rates apply.
- Other savings
First year of DreamPress 1 at $14.99 a month
The entry managed WordPress plan is $14.99 a month for the first year and then renews at $19.99 a month.
