A super satisfied DreamHost customer since 2015.
As what most savvy internet-users would do, I did my homework and research before committing myself to a web host. And like it or not, most of the time, word-of-mouth marketing dominates.
Sure. The reviews that we see on the internet, like this one you're reading right now, can vary from love (because they are loyal customers) to hate (because they are mistreated customers).
I'm NOT here to sell you DreamHost, but to share with you my personal experience with web hosting and of course DreamHost. And you decide for yourself.
WEB HOSTING: A Personal Experience
I started fiddling with building my own websites in 2013 after hanging out with a web designer. Thanks to him, he hosted my website on his server for close to a year.

It was definitely a steep learning curve for a complete newbie to dabble with cPanel, but I had lots of fun and frustrations messing up the backend of my website and causing it to fail so many times I lost count.
After hours and hours trying to figure out how to keep my website updated without crashing the server, I couldn't help but resign myself to the idea that such is web hosting. While there are fun times, it's complicated and a mess and I just have to suck it up and live with it.
So finally I reached the point where I messed up less and figured it's time to move out on my own.
Options, Options, Options
In this era of crazy internet explosion, we are never short on options.
There's just too many to choose from!
- Hostgator?
- GoDaddy?
- Inmotion Hosting?
- BlueHost?
- WPEngine?
- DreamHost?
The list just runs on when you key "web hosting" into search bar.
Word of Mouth #1: WPEngine
As I run my websites on WordPress, I needed a host that would support this CMS.
After much research about how many shared hosting sites do not really provide decent support for WordPress websites, I finally received a recommendation from someone about WPEngine.
Footing the bill for a year nearly killed my wallet -- it was $99 a month for dedicated WordPress hosting, which is what WPEngine is all about.
So what's my criteria & reasons for joining and leaving WPEngine?
Product [5/5] — Fitted the bill of what I was looking for
Webhosting Dashboard [3.5/5] — Sophisticated and can be daunting for newbies. It's not as intuitive and clear even after using it for a while. Just can't seem to get the hang of it.
Customer Service [3.5/5] — Generally responsive to my queries.
Price [1/5] — If you have money to bust, why not?
BOTTOMLINE: WPEngine is a reliable host for WordPress websites but it's like the LV of web hosting. I don't recommend it for bootstrap entrepreneurs or newbies on a tight budget.
Word of Mouth #2: DreamHost
So the funds are depleting after hosting with WPEngine for a starting out entrepreneur like myself, and I was again on the lookout for a web hosting that is affordable and reliable.
I wasn't even going for CHEAP. Then someone recommended me DreamHost and told me it's less than $10 a month! For me, from $99 down to $10 is a HUGE deal.
The cool thing was, when I signed up with my friend's affiliate link, I get a discount and he gets a small referral fee for getting a new customer.
So my first year, monthly hosting went from $9.95 to $5.78!
Again, from $99 to $5.78, I was super thrilled.
So what's my criteria & reasons for joining DreamHost?
Product [5/5] — Fitted the bill of what I was looking for. They support WordPress and it's 1-click install for WordPress websites. Super easy to install new websites AND delete them.
Webhosting Dashboard [5/5]— Clean, user-friendly and minimal. It takes some time to get used to what's what. But go to the customer service officers for help and they will gladly take you through it.
Customer Service [4/5] — I've had amazing customer experience with DreamHost Customer Service Officers and tech support -- they are very responsive, polite and helpful. They have resolved many issues I had with my websites. But the wait can be a little long sometimes.
Price [5/5] — A SUPER STEAL! Bonus: includes 1 free domain name, unlimited space and bandwidth!
BOTTOMLINE: DreamHost is a reliable host for WordPress websites, provides many options for upgrades should you need it. Great product offerings, easy to use dashboard, fantastic customer service and a wide range of price points to suit your budget! I recommend it for bootstrap entrepreneurs or newbies on a tight budget as well as companies and businesses!
As You Can See, I'm A Fan...
For 2 years now, I am still on their shared hosting account, and I am super pleased with my DreamHost experience. And I plan to continue my customer journey with them because they give such wholehearted support even to a customer of "cheap" hosting.
Now you make make the call for yourself and decide if DreamHost is for you.
Sharing The Love With You
You too can have the amazing DreamHost customer experience! Share the love right?
So when you sign up for a hosting account through this affiliate link: Get $50 Off DreamHost Shared Hosting, you will get a huge discount off your web hosting as a new customer for the 1st year! And I will get a small referral fee by sharing the love.
DREAMHOST WEBHOSTING PROMO - GET $50 OFF SHARED HOSTING
- Instead of the usual $9.95 a month, you will enjoy it at $5.78 a month!
- 1 FREE domain name
- Unlimited space and bandwidth
To make me swoon over DreamHost even more, I found this article by PCMag, when I was preparing this article for you, called the Business Choice Awards 2016: Web Hosting which reaffirmed my commitment to DreamHost.