--- title: "Bluehost vs DreamHost: which is better in 2026?" url: "https://hostidea.com/compare/bluehost-vs-dreamhost" canonical: "https://hostidea.com/compare/bluehost-vs-dreamhost" author: "Jennifer T." generated: "2026-10-15" note: "Markdown twin generated at build time from the same content as the HTML page. The HTML page is canonical." --- # Bluehost vs DreamHost Bluehost and DreamHost compared on measured uptime, response time, pricing and features from our own tests. They tie on overall score. By [Jennifer T.](https://hostidea.com/authors/jennifer-t) ยท Updated Oct 14, 2026 We may earn a commission when you buy through our links. Rankings come from the published methodology and sourced data, not from commissions. [Disclosure](https://hostidea.com/disclosure). ## Verdict [7.6 out of 10](https://hostidea.com/methodology#scoring) [Bluehost](https://hostidea.com/reviews/bluehost) Newfold's WordPress-recommended host: three shared tiers on 36-month terms, weekly backups, a 5 percent SLA coupon [7.6 out of 10](https://hostidea.com/methodology#scoring) [DreamHost](https://hostidea.com/reviews/dreamhost) Independent since 1997: three shared plans with renewals printed on the card, daily backups and a 100% uptime credit Both hosts score 7.6 overall. ## How do the scores compare? Bluehost leads on 1 sub-scores, DreamHost on 1. Higher is better. | | [Bluehost](https://hostidea.com/reviews/bluehost) | [DreamHost](https://hostidea.com/reviews/dreamhost) | | --- | --- | --- | | Performance | 7.5 | 7.5 | | Uptime | 8.0 | 8.0 | | Support | 7.0 | 7.0 | | Features | 7.5 | 7.5 | | Value | 7.5 | 8.0 | | Ease of use | 8.5 | 7.0 | ## Which one is faster and more reliable? | | [Bluehost](https://hostidea.com/reviews/bluehost) | [DreamHost](https://hostidea.com/reviews/dreamhost) | | --- | --- | --- | | Overall score | 7.6 | 7.6 | | Uptime (published)HostingStep 243 d vs WPBeginner 30 d; methods differ | 99.97% | 100.00% | | Response time (published)HostingStep vs WPBeginner; methods differ | 501 ms | 658 ms | ## Which one costs less? On renewal, Bluehost is cheaper ($9.99/mo vs $10.99/mo). Intro prices need the listed term. Prices verified Oct 13, 2026 (Bluehost) and Oct 14, 2026 (DreamHost). USD. | | [Bluehost](https://hostidea.com/reviews/bluehost) | [DreamHost](https://hostidea.com/reviews/dreamhost) | | --- | --- | --- | | Cheapest plan | Starter | Web Hosting Launch | | Intro price | $3.99/mo | $2.89/mo | | Renewal price | $9.99/mo | $10.99/mo | | Required term | 36 months | 12 months | | Websites | 10 | 25 | | Storage | 10 GB | 25 GB | | Money back | 30 days | 30 days | ## What does each include? | | [Bluehost](https://hostidea.com/reviews/bluehost) | [DreamHost](https://hostidea.com/reviews/dreamhost) | | --- | --- | --- | | Free domain | First year, with a 12-month or 36-month term | First year, on annual and multi-year terms only | | Free SSL | Let's Encrypt | Unlimited certificates on every plan | | Backups | Weekly website backups on every shared plan | Daily automated backups on every plan, restored from the panel | | Staging | WordPress staging site on every plan | No | | Free migration | Site migration tool | The product page links a migration path for existing sites; terms not read | | CDN | Yes | Not stated | | Caching | Advanced static content caching and object caching | No | | SSH and WP-CLI | Yes | Not stated | | Security | Malware scanning on Starter; AI malware removal, web application firewall and DDoS protection from Business | Not stated | | Phone support | Business and above; Starter has chat only | No | | Uptime guarantee | 99.99% SLA; at most one coupon per month for 5% of the monthly hosting fee | 100% in the terms, with a credit of one day of hosting per hour of qualifying downtime, up to 10% of the next renewal, counted from the support ticket | | Choice of data center | Region selected at checkout (North America, South America, Europe, Asia) | Not stated | | Windows hosting | No | No | | Free CDN | Not stated | No | | Email | Not stated | 20, 40 or 60 mailboxes free for the first three months, then billed separately | | Resource limits | Not stated | No | | Data center choice | Not stated | Oregon, Virginia, Amsterdam and Singapore per the product page and help center; the panel shows where each service lives | | Performance scans | Not stated | Automated and on-demand performance scans on every plan | ## Company facts | | [Bluehost](https://hostidea.com/reviews/bluehost) | [DreamHost](https://hostidea.com/reviews/dreamhost) | | --- | --- | --- | | Control panel | Bluehost account manager with cPanel | DreamHost's own panel (no cPanel) | | Data centers | 2 | 4 | | Support channels | chat, phone, knowledge-base | chat, ticket, email, knowledge-base | | Founded | 2003 | 1997 | Visit Bluehost (affiliate link: /go/bluehost)Visit DreamHost (affiliate link: /go/dreamhost)