DreamHost vs HostGator
We give DreamHost a 2.2 GPA and HostGator a 1.6, 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
HostGator
Shared and WordPress hosting with malware scanning and a free domain
How we grade them
| 2.2GPADreamHostFair | 1.6GPAHostGatorWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | CNo price on record: HostGator's pages answered our reader with a bot check and fill their prices in by script, so no two-year figure can be worked out. With nothing to compare, it sits at C. Discounts cover the first invoice only. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | FNo free plan and no trial. The 30-day money-back guarantee leaves out monthly terms, renewals and domain fees, and it isn't a trial anyway. |
| Features | 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. | CManaged WordPress updates, staging, a migration tool, Yoast SEO, malware scanning and a first-year domain. The gaps the listing names: AI malware removal starts on Baby, and email at your domain is a trial that renews at the regular rate. |
| Ease of use | 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. | CNo app store rating to go on. Staging and managed updates help, but you're still setting up a domain, email and the site yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | CA web dashboard only. The named integrations are WordPress, WooCommerce, Yoast SEO and Google Workspace, and no API is on record. |
| Best for | cheap shared hosting you can pay monthly | budget WordPress hosting with staging included |
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: DreamHost and HostGator. How we grade
Where they differ
- HostGator also covers malware protection.
At a glance
| DreamHost | HostGator | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | $7.99 per month at renewal (Launch), after a first 4 years at $1.99 a month | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | DreamHost, LLC | HostGator.com LLC |
| Price read from | dreamhost.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
HostGator
- Small business and personal sites starting on shared hosting
- WordPress owners who want staging and managed updates on a budget plan
Worth knowing
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.
HostGator
- HostGator's pages answered our readers with a bot check, and the plan cards fill in their prices by script, so its prices are not listed here.
- Discounts apply to the first invoice only, and plans renew automatically at the regular rate shown in the control panel.
- The 30-day money-back guarantee excludes renewals, monthly-term services, domain fees and add-ons, and a fee is charged to keep a free domain if you cancel.
- Email at your domain is a Professional Email free trial that renews automatically at the regular rate once the first billing cycle ends.
Key features
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.
HostGator
- Malware scanning and removal
- Every shared plan scans for malware, and the Baby, Business and Pro plans add AI-powered malware detection and removal, alongside a firewall and DDoS protection.
- WordPress tools
- Shared plans include managed WordPress updates, a staging site for testing changes, a free site migration tool and the Yoast SEO plugin.
- Domain and SSL
- Plans include a domain free for the first year and a Let's Encrypt SSL certificate. Business and Pro add a year of domain privacy.
- Creative Mail email marketing
- Plans come with Creative Mail for sending email campaigns from WordPress, and a free trial of Professional Email at your domain.
- Room to move up
- WordPress, VPS, dedicated and reseller hosting are sold alongside the shared plans, so a growing site can change plans without changing host.
Plans
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.
HostGator
Pricing could not be confirmed. See hostgator.com.
Ways to pay less
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.
HostGator
No public discounts listed.
