Dreamhost vs Justhost: guide for 2024

Final verdict

Looking over DreamHost vs. JustHost, DreamHost emerges as the stronger contender with its superior performance, reliability, and feature set.

• 
  DreamHost (Overall grade: 8.2)
  
  
  offers an impressive array of features making it suitable for both personal and professional use. It excels in uptime and performance with a 100% uptime guarantee and response times between 231ms and 342ms. DreamHost supports a variety of hosting needs, including specialized Managed WordPress Hosting, making it an excellent choice for high-traffic and multimedia websites. Its SSD storage, server-level caching, and NGINX hosting contribute to faster load times. The included free SSL certificates, automated backups, and strong security measures like DDoS protection and multi-factor authentication are notable strengths. The custom-built control panel and knowledgeable 24/7 customer support give it an additional edge over competitors.
  
• 
  JustHost (Overall grade: 7.4)
  
  
  presents a user-friendly option for those new to web hosting, supported by its ease of use and an intuitive cPanel interface. It offers a variety of plans, including ecommerce hosting, making it a viable option for small businesses looking to establish a robust online presence. However, it falls short in server response times and its customer support is less favorable compared to DreamHost. Although JustHost includes useful features like free SSL certificates, automated malware scanning, and unlimited email accounts, these are often contingent on higher-tier plans. Despite its higher initial pricing and less comprehensive security measures, JustHost remains a solid choice for users seeking simplicity and a straightforward hosting experience.
  

Hosting types offered

Both platforms provide a variety of hosting types, each designed to meet the different needs of users.

Although both offer a variety of hosting plans tailored to different needs, in
certain cases, one platform may prove to be more suitable.

Detailed comparison

🏆 Winner
DreamHost: Reliable with a strong uptime guarantee and excellent performance metrics.

DreamHost offers an impressive 100% uptime guarantee and delivers on this promise. With consistent performance in various tests, it boasts average response times between 231ms and 342ms. DreamHost’s stability is evident, with only minor fluctuations during stress tests and virtually no downtime.

JustHost provides a solid uptime of 99.95%, but it’s let down by slower server response times and less favorable customer support. While its main website’s loading times are better than the average, its overall response speed is problematic. Additionally, automatic backups are reserved for premium users, making DreamHost a more attractive option overall.

🏆 Winner
DreamHost: DreamHost provides a highly performant hosting solution with advanced speed and security features, making it ideal for demanding websites.

DreamHost offers superior hosting speed thanks to its SSD storage, server-level caching, and NGINX hosting, leading to excellent load times and high PageSpeed scores. JustHost, while reliable with high-performance quad processor servers, only offers high performance in its Pro plan. DreamHost includes built-in caching plugins in all DreamPress plans, whereas JustHost’s enhanced caching is exclusive to dedicated hosting. DreamHost also boasts expandable RAM, unlimited bandwidth, and data centers with multiple locations providing 100% uptime. JustHost has a robust infrastructure but does not match the breadth of DreamHost’s data center capabilities.

Website Speed

DreamHost ensures faster website performance with its SSD storage and server-level caching built into all plans, making it notably quicker than JustHost’s standard performance options. The inclusion of NGINX hosting in DreamHost further boosts its ability to handle numerous concurrent connections efficiently. JustHost’s Pro plan offers high performance, but it does not provide the same universally fast experience across all plans that DreamHost does.

Scalability

DreamHost enables easy scaling with expandable RAM and storage, alongside flexible bandwidth with no preset limits, comfortably accommodating growing website demands. The transition between plans is seamless, reducing downtime risks when scaling up. JustHost also offers instant provisioning for VPS and dedicated hosting, but its scaling options aren’t automatic and may require manual intervention. Both hosts provide dedicated servers, but DreamHost’s starting price for dedicated hosting is significantly higher at $199 per month, compared to JustHost’s varied server cost based on the level of resources required.

Winner: DreamHost: A hosting provider offering stronger compliance and a broader range of security measures.

Technical security measures:

DreamHost provides a comprehensive suite of security features, including free SSL certificates, DDoS protection, and secure shell (SSH) access. Its support for the latest PHP versions, including PHP 8, alongside OPcache, ensures improved performance. Just Host also offers free SSL certificates with added malware scanning and a web application firewall, focusing heavily on small business security. However, Just Host’s PHP support is more limited, only extending up to PHP 7.

Operational security measures:

Both hosting providers emphasize operational security but approach it differently. DreamHost provides multi-factor authentication (MFA) and a malware scanner called DreamShield. Additional security measures include password protection through .htaccess and secure file transfer via SFTP. Just Host, with its SiteLock services, focuses on automated malware removal, daily scans, and dynamic verifiable security badges. Just Host also offers other features like Spam Assassin and customizable error pages, ensuring robust operational security.

Compliance and certifications:

DreamHost is GDPR compliant for all its users and offers a dedicated Privacy Center for managing personal data. It supports PCI compliance for its servers but not for customer websites and is not HIPAA compliant. Just Host mentions GDPR compliance with GDPR Domain Masking and Whois Privacy but lacks explicit PCI and HIPAA compliance details. Both providers offer SSL certificates essential for regulatory adherence but DreamHost provides a slightly more comprehensive compliance framework.

🏆 Winner
DreamHost: Offers a comprehensive range of hosting solutions and features for various user needs.

DreamHost and Just Host each offer diverse hosting solutions tailored to different levels of technical expertise and requirements. DreamHost stands out with its robust Shared Hosting plans, which start at very competitive prices and include unlimited storage, professional email addresses, and free domain registration. They also provide Managed WordPress Hosting, VPS Hosting, Dedicated Hosting, and Cloud Hosting, offering high performance, automated backups, and advanced security options. Just Host, powered by Bluehost, also provides a strong array of features, including unlimited email accounts with POP3/IMAP support, free website builder with drag-and-drop functionality, and support for international domain names. Both providers also offer 1-click WordPress installs, making it easy to get a website up and running quickly.

One of the key differences lies in the additional services and the breadth of free tools each provider offers. DreamHost includes privacy protection, automated backups, and a comprehensive migration dashboard at no extra cost. They also emphasize security with features like DDoS protection and Multi-Factor Authentication. Just Host, on the other hand, throws in a suite of free marketing tools like Google AdWords credits and various 1-click install applications for a multitude of CMS and eCommerce tools. Each service is built with user-friendliness in mind, but DreamHost edges out with its unique features like unlimited CDN, priority support for higher-tier plans, and a higher uptime guarantee.

Both providers support a range of users from beginners to experts with user-friendly website builders and WordPress staging areas. However, in terms of developer tools, both DreamHost and Just Host offer robust options including SSH access, support for multiple programming languages, and Git for version control, thus appealing to developers looking for advanced capabilities.

Email services:

Both DreamHost and Just Host offer robust email hosting solutions, but DreamHost includes professional email addresses in their plans without additional cost, and provides advanced spam protection. Just Host supports unlimited email accounts and includes Spam Assassin Protection. Neither provider appears to resell third-party email services like Google Workspace at no extra cost, focusing instead on their built-in email capabilities.

🏆 Winner Just Host: Offering a wide range of plans and competitive pricing with comprehensive features, Just Host stands out among the hosting providers.

Evaluating the pricing of plans among various hosting providers can be complex due to their differing pricing and renewal strategies. Additionally, certain plans require annual commitments, which adds to the difficulty of making comparisons. The prices listed are based on monthly commitments; plans requiring annual commitments are indicated. Additionally, although some providers offer identical plans for WordPress and shared hosting, we have created separate tables for each to enhance clarity.

Comparing the pricing plans of DreamHost and Just Host highlights differences in both pricing strategies and feature sets. DreamHost offers shared hosting starting at $2.59/month with renewals at $5.99/month, while Just Host’s basic plan begins at $14.99/month. For managed WordPress hosting, DreamHost’s DreamPress starts at $16.95/month and renews at $19.99/month, offering features like automated backups and specialized support. Just Host, on the other hand, groups WordPress under shared hosting with varied performance levels and unlimited bandwidth. DreamHost provides VPS hosting starting at $10.00/month, whereas Just Host begins at $19.99/month. Both offer dedicated hosting, with DreamHost’s lowest priced option at $199.00/month and Just Host’s at $79.99/month promotional price. Cloud hosting is a unique offering from DreamHost with its DreamCompute pricing based on usage.

Enterprise plans

Comparing enterprise-level hosting, DreamHost’s dedicated hosting starts at $199.00/month for 16GB RAM and uncapped bandwidth, while Just Host’s entry-level dedicated plan is more budget-friendly at $79.99/month promotional price with 4GB RAM and 5TB bandwidth per month. DreamHost also offers an enhanced plan with 32GB RAM and 480GB SSD at $299.00/month, providing powerful options for large applications. Just Host’s most expensive premium plan at a promotional price of $119.99/month includes 16GB RAM, 15TB bandwidth, and additional IPs. Enterprises may find specific benefits in terms of support and resource allocation based on these offerings.

🏆 Winner: DreamHost: In terms of ease of use, DreamHost stands out due to its streamlined setup and comprehensive support.

DreamHost uses a custom-built control panel for account administration, which is designed for ease of use and provides advanced features like SFTP, Shell Access, and WP-CLI. This control panel is intuitive and accessible to both technical and non-technical users, which significantly simplifies the website management process. DreamHost also offers the convenience of pre-installing WordPress with its DreamPress and shared hosting plans, ensuring that users can get started quickly without unnecessary technical steps.

Just Host, on the other hand, utilizes the cPanel control panel. cPanel is a widely-recognized interface in web hosting that many users find familiar. It offers a range of features such as email account configurations, domain management, and database administration. While cPanel is user-friendly and reliable, it can sometimes be less approachable to complete beginners compared to a more simplified custom-built dashboard like DreamHost’s control panel.

Both DreamHost and Just Host offer migration services for websites, but their approaches and user-friendliness differ. DreamHost provides a Migration Dashboard that scans your site and presents migration options, guiding users through the process step-by-step. This tool is particularly helpful for non-technical users, and there are no extra fees for using this service. Conversely, Just Host offers a range of 1-click script installs for website setup, but detailed information on their migration tools is not provided, which may indicate a less straightforward process.

The platforms provide extensive knowledge bases filled with guides, how-to articles, and instructional content. DreamHost offers a wide range of resources alongside 24/7 chat and phone support. Just Host also boasts a detailed help center with an intuitive search function and around-the-clock support via live chat, phone, and ticketing, ensuring comprehensive user support.

🏆 Winner: DreamHost: An extensive list of user management features aimed at both novice and advanced users.

DreamHost stands out for its flexibility and extensive features in managing user roles, permissions, and accessibility. It allows unlimited SFTP users and offers SSH access, which is ideal for users who require secure, remote server management. Additionally, the DreamHost control panel is custom-built, making it user-friendly while providing access to advanced features like Subversion repository and crontab access. Conversely, JustHost uses the widely known cPanel, which is also user-friendly but may be more familiar to those who have used other hosting providers that use cPanel. JustHost offers root access for VPS hosting and multi-account management, which gives users flexibility in managing multiple services with one login. Both platforms offer secure access methods, but DreamHost has a slight edge due to its broader range of advanced features.

DreamHost offers a custom-built control panel, which enhances user experience by providing a centralized location for managing domains, mail, FTP & SSH settings, support, and more. It is designed to be both intuitive and feature-rich, accommodating beginners and advanced users alike. JustHost utilizes the cPanel, a widely-used interface praised for its user-friendly design. The enhanced cPanel offers a richer feature set, which is especially beneficial for VPS configurations. User-friendly interfaces are a key strength for both hosting providers, but DreamHost’s custom-built panel provides the advantage of a tailored experience specific to its service offerings.

DreamHost and JustHost both employ effective access control measures, ensuring a secure management environment for an expanding user base. DreamHost offers features like password protection for directories and access to raw log files, which assist in monitoring and troubleshooting. Secure access via SSH and the provision of unlimited SFTP users enable efficient and secure data management. JustHost, while offering FTP and SSH access, provides root access in its VPS packages, giving users comprehensive control over server settings. Both platforms are built to handle increasing user demands efficiently, though DreamHost’s additional features like crontab access and Subversion repository enhance its capability to manage a growing number of users more effectively.

DreamHost User Roles Table:

JustHost User Roles Table:

🏆 Winner
DreamHost: Reliable 24/7 customer support with quick response times.

DreamHost and JustHost both offer comprehensive customer support, but DreamHost takes the lead with round-the-clock service available via chat, email, and a ticketing system. DreamHost’s callback option, although at an additional charge, and its availability in both English and Spanish provide extra convenience for users. Their extensive knowledge base compensates for the lack of direct phone support.

JustHost provides 24/7 support through more traditional channels including phone, chat, and email. Their validation requirements ensure secure support interactions, while their 30-day money-back guarantee and first-year free domain registration enhance their offerings. However, JustHost’s non-refundable domain fee and the need to validate with multiple pieces of information can be cumbersome for some customers.

User feedback

DreamHost is a well-regarded hosting provider praised for its reliability, affordable pricing, user-friendly interface, and excellent performance. Users especially appreciate the responsive customer support, the easy navigation of the web portal, and a variety of hosting options suitable for different needs. However, common criticisms include the lack of phone support, occasional slow response times from customer service, and some challenges related to advanced functionalities and site migrations. While the majority of users report positive experiences, a few have faced significant issues with downtime and customer service, impacting their overall satisfaction.

JustHost is praised for its simplicity and ease of use, making it a great option for beginners wanting to learn more about hosting and cPanel. Users appreciate its intuitive interface and reliable performance with minimal outages. The introductory pricing is highly attractive, offering significant savings for long-term commitments. However, some users feel that the regular pricing after the initial period can be steep, though still competitive.

FAQ