Struggling to choose between WP Engine or DreamHost? Well, I don’t blame you, both of these hosting platforms are legends at what they do so it will be no doubt tough to choose the right one for your website.
So I did the honors of digging deep into each of these tools and comparing them based on a variety of different metrics.
In this WP Engine vs Dreamhost comparison article, we will be taking an in-depth look at both of these hosting providers and revealing the best one!
So without further ado, let’s dive straight into the article.
Table of Contents
Main Difference Between WP Engine and DreamHost
In a rush? No problem here is the main difference between WPEngine and DreamHost.
WP Engine is a top-tier web host and it’s highly recommended if you are looking for WordPress managed hosting. On the other hand, DreamHost is the more affordable option and offers WordPress managed hosting as well as shared hosting, VPS Hosting, Dedicated Hosting, and Cloud Hosting.
WP Engine vs DreamHost – The Truth Revealed
Now before I dive straight into what makes each of these web hosting platforms tick and the features that make each one stand out let’s take a closer look at what each of these hosting providers really is.
What is WP Engine?
WP Engine is an industry-leading WordPress managed hosting provider that takes the WordPress digital experience to a whole other level.
Founded in 2010, WP Engine has over 10 years of experience in giving agencies, enterprises, and businesses the performance and intelligence they need in order to take their business to the next level.
Today they have helped over 120,000 customers in over 140 countries! Cool right?
Needless to say, the team at WP Engine is dedicated to providing an excellent quality of service to its customers along with a wide range of really neat features. (Don’t worry we will dive into these features later down in this article)
Related: The Full In-Depth WP Engine Review
What is DreamHost?
DreamHost is a software company that provides web hosting, domain registration, and cloud services.
Founded over 20 years ago in 1997 DreamHost quickly rose to become one of the most recognized names in the web hosting industry. Today they host over 1.5 million sites, blogs and applications and have over 400,000 customers worldwide.
It’s no secret that DreamHost is a great web hosting tool with a ton of great features. (Keep reading to see the full list of these features)
Related: The Full In-Depth Review of DreamHost
Ease of Use
When it comes to usability it’s beyond crucial that you have a web host that’s easy to use. After all, who wants a web host that has amazing features but is difficult to use?
Let’s take a look at WP Engine and DreamHost’s user interface.
WP Engine Ease of Use
The WP Engine dashboard is super straight-forward and only contains 4 tabs, Sites, Users, Tools, and Billing. This makes the entire platform extremely easy to navigate and building your first site could be done in a matter of minutes!
Everything from moving a site to your account to creating a group to organize your sites is a simple process and the instructions are clearly laid out.
Overall, I think WP Engine presents a clean and comfortable approach when it comes down to its dashboard and I am confident that regardless of your experience level you will get the hang of it pretty quickly.
That being said, if you run into any trouble navigating the dashboard you can check out their customer support and documentation. (Keep reading to see what I think about WP Engine’s customer support)
DreamHost Ease of Use
DreamHost’s dashboard has a bit more tabs than WP Engine but to be fair DreamHost offers a wide variety of different plans whereas WP Engine focuses solely on WordPress. The DreamHost tabs include Domains, WordPress, Mail, Users, Billing & Accounting, Support, Dedicated Servers, Website Builder, and Cloud Services.
Despite this wide range of options, finding exactly what you’re looking for isn’t at all difficult and you can begin creating your website in no time.
The moment you log in you are presented with this dashboard including a column called “What’s New” which correctly lays out all of the new features over at DreamHost.
All in all, I must say that DreamHost is beginner-friendly and regardless of your experience level you will be able to quickly get the hang of it.
Which web host is easier to use? – Tie
This round is definitely a tie since both of these web hosting tools are made with the beginner in mind. So if this is your first time choosing a web host you can be confident that regardless of if you choose WP Engine or DreamHost you will be able to navigate them seamlessly.
Best Features
Both WPEngine and DreamHost have their fair share of great features that make them stand out against the competition. Let’s take a look at WP Engine and DreamHost’s best features.
WP Engine Features
With WP Engine regardless of the plan that you choose you can expect:
- Access to the Genesis framework and access to 35 premium WordPress themes
- Automated SSL certificate
- Amazing security protocols
- Staging Areas
- Free Site Migrations
- A Page performance tool
- Transferable Sites
DreamHost Features
With DreamHost regardless of the plan that you choose you can expect:
- Free Domain plus Privacy
- Multi-Factor Authentication, auto-enabled sFTP, and free secure hosting
- A Custom Panel
- Excellent website staging
- One demand backup per day
- They have Pro Services like design, marketing, and website management services
- WP Website Builder
- Free Automated WordPress Migrations
Who has better features? – WP Engine
Despite the fact that both of these platforms have incredible features WP Engine comes out on top in this round thanks to its slightly advanced features. For example, WP Engine allows on-demand backups whenever you want but DreamHost only allows one demand backup per day.
Customer Support
Personally, customer support is a huge determining factor for me when it comes to choosing a hosting provider because regardless of how much experience I may have there will always come that time when I need that extra helping hand.
Let’s take a look at the customer support experience offered at WP Engine and DreamHost.
WP Engine Customer Support
Before I go into the various customer support options offered by WP Engine I must begin by saying that WP Engine is the 3 X Stevie Award Winner for customer service and support.
That being said WP Engine offers some pretty good customer support options. They offer 24/7/365 customer support so that means if you have a problem at 11:34 pm on a Sunday night you can reach out to a WP Engine customer support representative and they will get back to you asap!
WP Engine also has a large support center that is filled with articles that will help you navigate the platform even easier. These articles include everything from “Site Setup” to “Troubleshooting”. Regardless of what your problem may be, I am confident that you may find the solution via the support or resource center.
If you are still not having success finding a solution you can easily get in contact with a representative via the live chat or phone number they have listed.
DreamHost Customer Support
When it comes to customer support DreamHost does a pretty solid job as well.
They have a “DreamHost Help Bot” that’s available 24/7/365 through the chat widget. They also have a customer support chat, this chat is available every day but only from 5:30 am – 9:30 pm PST.
They also have a comprehensive Knowledge base that contains a wide range of topics and articles to help you in case you run across any problems using the platform. These topics include everything from Security to Account Management/Billing.
There is also a DreamHost Community Forum that is filled with DreamHost customers and experts who may have the answers to any questions or concerns you may have about DreamHost.
Who has better customer support? – WP Engine
This was definitely a tight call since both of these hosting providers have solid customer support. However, WP Engine comes out on top in this round thanks to its all-around 24/7/365 customer support.
Pricing
Pricing is definitely something that you need to consider when purchasing any hosting provider. After all, we all want amazing features at a great price.
Let’s take a look at the pricing options offered at WP Engine and DreamHost.
When it comes to pricing WP Engine is on the more expensive side but this is expected given that it specializes in WordPress Managed Hosting and has some great features.
WP Engine plans start at $30 per month for up to 25,000 website visits per month and go as high as $290 per month for up to 400,000 website visits per month.
On the other hand, DreamHost plans start at $2.59 per month for its shared hosting plans. However, its managed WordPress hosting plans start at $16.95 per month for up to 100,000 website visits per month!
Who has a cheaper price?
DreamHost wins this round by a mile with its cheapest plan starting at $2.59 per month. However, if you compare it’s WordPress Managed Hosting price to WP Engine it’s still cheaper by starting at $16.95 per month for up to 100,000 website visits!
Pros and Cons of WP Engine and DreamHost
Like every hosting plan out there, WP Engine and DreamHost have their fair share of pros and cons. Here’s a brief list of WP Engine and DreamHost’s pros and cons.
WP Engine Pros
- All of the features were optimized with the WordPress user in mind
- They have a solid customer support system in place
- You can expect on-demand backups whenever you want
- You can store your data for up to 30-days!
WP Engine Cons
- The price can be a bit expensive for someone that is completely new to building a website
DreamHost Pros
- Its plans are some of the cheapest on the market.
- They have excellent up-time
- They offer a wide range of different plans
- They have Pro Services (An option that I haven’t seen offered at many other hosting providers)
DreamHost Cons
- You can only restore data from two previous weeks
WP Engine vs DreamHost: Which one is better?
Choosing the right web host is critical to the long-term scalability and reliability of your website. After all, your web host can either make or break your entire website.
Both WP Engine and DreamHost are excellent hosting providers and have their own unique advantages and features. That being said, they both cater to two separate types of individuals.
If you are looking for one of the best WordPress managed hosting providers then I would highly recommend that you look no further than WP Engine. However, if you are looking for a more cost-effective option then DreamHost would definitely be your best bet.
Best WP Engine and Dreamhost Alternatives
Do you run a WordPress website? If the answer is yes then I would definitely recommend that you check out this article on The Best WordPress Managed Hosting Providers.
If you are looking for a solid cloud hosting provider then check out this article on The Best Cloud Hosting Providers.
You can also check out these other comparison articles:
- Kinsta vs WP Engine – Which one is better?
