DreamHost vs InterServer
DreamHost and InterServer compared on measured uptime, response time, pricing and features from our own tests. DreamHost scores higher overall.
By Jennifer T. · Updated
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Verdict
DreamHostWins overall
Independent since 1997: three shared plans with renewals printed on the card, daily backups and a 100% uptime credit
Secaucus host since 1999 with a $7 monthly plan, stated resources, free migration and a 30-day refund
DreamHost wins 1 of the six sub-scores and comes out ahead overall (7.6 vs 7.5).
How do the scores compare?
DreamHost leads on 1 sub-scores, InterServer on 2. Higher is better.
| DreamHost | InterServer | |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | 7.5 | 7.5 |
| Uptime | 8.0 (better) | 7.0 |
| Support | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| Features | 7.5 | 8.0 (better) |
| Value | 8.0 | 8.5 (better) |
| Ease of use | 7.0 | 7.0 |
Which one is faster and more reliable?
| DreamHost | InterServer | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 7.6 (better) | 7.5 |
| Uptime (published)WPBeginner 30 d vs Cybernews 14 d; methods differ | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Which one costs less?
On renewal, InterServer is cheaper ($7.00/mo vs $10.99/mo). Intro prices need the listed term.
| DreamHost | InterServer | |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest plan | Web Hosting Launch | Standard |
| Intro price | $2.89/mo | $2.50/mo (better) |
| Renewal price | $10.99/mo | $7.00/mo (better) |
| Required term | 12 months | 1 months (better) |
| Websites | 25 | unlimited |
| Storage | 25 GB | Unlimited |
| Money back | 30 days | 30 days |
What does each include?
| DreamHost | InterServer | |
|---|---|---|
| Free domain | First year, on annual and multi-year terms only | No |
| Free SSL | Unlimited certificates on every plan | SSL support is listed on every plan |
| Backups | Daily automated backups on every plan, restored from the panel | Weekly backups on Standard |
| Free migration | The product page links a migration path for existing sites; terms not read | The migration team moves the site, database and email for new accounts |
| Free CDN | No | Cloudflare CDN on every plan |
| Caching | No | SSD caching servers, RAM caching for small files, LSCache for dynamic content and QUIC |
| Staging | No | No |
| 20, 40 or 60 mailboxes free for the first three months, then billed separately | Unlimited accounts with outgoing mail routed through smart hosts for deliverability; 200 emails an hour on Standard | |
| Resource limits | No | Printed per plan: cores, memory, IOPS, processes, entry processes, inodes and emails per hour |
| Data center choice | Oregon, Virginia, Amsterdam and Singapore per the product page and help center; the panel shows where each service lives | No |
| Uptime guarantee | 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 | No |
| Performance scans | Automated and on-demand performance scans on every plan | Not stated |
| Phone support | No | No |
| Windows hosting | No | A separate Windows hosting package |
| Security | Not stated | InterShield attack blocking, malware scanning and a machine-learning firewall, with free DDoS protection |
Company facts
| DreamHost | InterServer | |
|---|---|---|
| Control panel | DreamHost's own panel (no cPanel) | DirectAdmin on Standard and Boost; cPanel on the cPanel hosting plan |
| Data centers | 4 (better) | 3 |
| Support channels | chat, ticket, email, knowledge-base | ticket, knowledge-base |
| Founded | 1997 | 1999 |