Launching a website online isn’t always as simple as it might seem. However, with proper research and preparation, you can leverage the right tools and services to achieve a well-designed site with a reliable hosting platform.
Thankfully, there’s plenty of information available to help you understand key distinctions, such as the hosting comparison between WP Engine and DreamHost (previously known as DreamPress).
Are you curious about the differences between WP Engine and DreamHost? It’s no surprise—they’re two of the most popular web hosting providers on the market. But which one is the better choice for your needs?
Before we get into the in-depth comparison between DreamHost and WP Engine, let’s briefly introduce each platform.
Now, let’s see what tools and features you will get to play with while using either of the two platforms.
WP Engine is an enterprise-level hosting platform that makes WordPress publishing super easy. It provides several features that help streamline application delivery and site migration. It’s also partnered with Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform to offer lightning-quick load times.
Let’s take a look at a few special features of WP Engine’s controlled WordPress hosting platform:
DreamHost is considered an entry-level hosting service with a wider user base compared to WP Engine. Its web hosting features appeal to a large user base and include unlimited bandwidth, a free domain name, website builders, a one-click WordPress installer, etc.
Winner: WP Engine
You won’t really know how user-friendly a platform is until you use it yourself. Since you can’t do so right now, here is a brief overview of the usability of both WP Engine and DreamHost.
WP Engine manages all the technicalities of optimizing the performance of your server. You get a fine-tuned hosting system explicitly designed to run WordPress pages. Most importantly, they do not require you to install any performance plugins, such as caching plugins and protection plugins with their in-built features.
DreamHost comes with a control panel based on the web which was developed in-house. They don’t provide cPanel to manage their hosting accounts, which is shocking because it’s the market’s most common control panel. While DreamHost’s control panel is intuitive, if you’re already used to using cPanel, there’s a bit of a learning curve to tackle.
Winner: WP Engine
WP Engine, a managed WordPress hosting service, provides WordPress output at the enterprise level for your site. Meanwhile, DreamHost promises its users 100 percent uptime. We decided to conduct a couple of different page speed and uptime tests on WP Engine vs. DreamHost to see whether these hosting providers live up to their promises.
Below are the tools we used to test speed:
According to our Pingdom speed test, our WP Engine test site took only 582 ms to load, which is faster than 96 percent of all sites tested.
Our DreamHost test site loaded in 445 ms, which is faster than 97% of all sites tested. After the Pingdom check, we evaluated whether the hosting servers could withstand a traffic surge with a tool called Load Effect. We sent virtual users to our sites and gradually built up to 100 visitors at a time to see how the servers would perform.
Our study shows that the number of live visitors on our WP Engine site didn’t have any negative effects. Likewise, during the traffic surge check, our DreamHost site remained stable. The number of live visitors was unaffected by their response time.
Then, we did a Bitcatcha test to record how our hosting servers responded from eight different geographic locations around the world. According to our Bitcatcha check, our WP Engine site was rated A, while our DreamHost site was rated A+.
Winner: DreamHost
WP Engine is targeted primarily at different user groups, such as developers, advertisers, SMBs, agencies, and businesses. Compared to other popular managed WordPress hosting providers such as Pagely they offer competitive pricing.
Since DreamHost is targeted towards entry-level users, it decided to keep its pricing competitive. The introductory price for WordPress hosting shared by DreamHost begins at as low as $2.59 per month. Their hosting price for WordPress control starts at $16.95 per month. On the other hand, pricing for the WP Engine starts at $28. To IsItWP readers, that’s 20 percent off the normal price.
Winner: DreamHost
WP Engine is targeted primarily at different user groups, such as developers, advertisers, SMBs, agencies, and businesses. Compared to other popular managed WordPress hosting providers, such as Pagely, it offers competitive pricing.
Since DreamHost is targeted towards entry-level users, it decided to keep its pricing competitive. The introductory price for WordPress hosting shared by DreamHost begins at as low as $2.59 per month. Their hosting price for WordPress-controlled starts at $16.95 per month. On the other hand, pricing for the WP Engine starts at $28. To IsItWP readers, that’s 20 percent off the normal price.
Winner: WP Engine
You should know about some of the major advantages of using either WP Engine or DreamPress.
WP Engine is currently the most popular hosting site platform. It is used in 120 countries around the globe, has served 30,000 people, and can be used for both personal and professional businesses.
DreamHost offers different forms of DreamPress plans, multiple sites, and single sites for site owners. Therefore, if the website owner wants to do so, they can combine dedicated hosting, VPS, and shared hosting together and fit.
| DREAMHOST | WP ENGINE | |
| About: | DreamHost has a two-decade background in hosting services, focusing on highly functional websites for bloggers, developers, web designers, and online companies. It also has a great community and online support. | WP Engine is a professionally controlled, stable and reliable WordPress host with fantastic features including automatic security updates, regular backups, one-click restore points, automatic caching + more |
| Founded in: | 1997 | 2010 |
| Types of Support: | Live Support, Chat | Phone, Live Support, Chat, Ticket |
| Data Center / Server Location: | Irvine, California, and Ashburn, Virginia | 18 global server locations |
| Monthly Price: | From $8.95 per month | From $28.00 per month |
| Unlimited Data Transfer: | Yes | No |
| Unlimited Data Storage: | Yes | No |
| Unlimited Emails: | Yes | No |
| Host Multiple Domains: | Yes | Yes (except Personal Plan) |
| Hosting Control panel / Interface: | Dreamhost Control Panel | WP Engine Client Portal |
| Server Uptime Guarantee: | 100.00% | 99.90% |
| Money-Back Guarantee: | 97 Days | 60 Days |
| Dedicated Hosting Available: | Yes | Yes |
| Bonuses & Extras: | Private domain with WhoisPrivacy. Google Adwords Credit will keep up to $75. SSL Certificates are secure. | CDN (Content Delivery Network) is included on the enterprise and technical plans. EverCache technology accelerates page-load time. Transferable Installs and Transfer Billing. Easy Let’sThe SSL Certificate Encrypt. Page Tool Speed Tester. |
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In conclusion, WP Engine clearly stands out as the superior choice for WordPress hosting, offering robust features and top-tier performance that justify its cost.
However, DreamHost remains a solid contender, especially for those seeking affordable hosting options backed by decades of experience and a generous 97-day money-back guarantee.
Both have their strengths, so the best choice ultimately depends on your specific needs and budget.
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