Dreamhost vs Nexcess: guide for 2024

Final verdict

Looking over DreamHost vs. Nexcess, each hosting provider presents unique strengths and weaknesses suited to different needs.

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  DreamHost (Overall grade: 8.2)
  
  
  stands out for its excellent uptime guarantee, making it reliable for various types of websites, including high-traffic and multimedia-intensive ones. The platform’s custom control panel, SSD storage, and server-level caching contribute to its speed and performance. DreamHost offers a broad range of hosting options, from shared to dedicated, and is particularly user-friendly with features like free email and domain registration, automatic WordPress updates, and straightforward migration services. However, DreamHost falls short in areas like phone support and PCI compliance, which might be crucial for larger enterprises or businesses handling sensitive transactions.
  
• 
  Nexcess (Overall grade: 8.2)
  
  
  excels with strong support, scalability, and specialized solutions for e-commerce and agencies. It provides robust security measures, superior performance for WordPress sites, and a wide range of SSL certificates. With features like automatic caching, PHP resources for traffic surges, and managed migrations, Nexcess is well-suited for enterprises and developers seeking a performance-centric environment. Despite its strengths, the platform has experienced some downtime issues, slower load times, and a higher price point for fewer features, which might deter budget-conscious users. Its comprehensive support, including phone services and proactive monitoring, enhances user experience but service quality post-acquisition has received mixed reviews.
  

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: DreamHost offers outstanding uptime and responsiveness, making it the best choice.

🏆 WinnerDreamHost offers outstanding uptime and responsiveness, making it the best choice.

DreamHost boasts a 100% uptime guarantee, ensuring excellent service reliability. Over various performance tests, it has shown near-perfect uptime and fast server response times. Even under stress, DreamHost maintains stable performance, handling multiple virtual users efficiently. Its use of SSD drives and a proprietary control panel further enhance its reliability and speed.

Nexcess, with an uptime of 99.88%, also shows strong performance but had some downtime over the last year. Its transparency about system status and daily backups are commendable features. While Nexcess includes a CDN and offers PCI compliance, its lower performance grade and slower load times indicate areas needing improvement. Despite 24/7 support and multiple global data centers, it falls short compared to DreamHost.

🏆 Winner Nexcess: Superior performance and scalability for enterprises and eCommerce platforms.

When comparing DreamHost and Nexcess, the latter stands out due to its superior uptime of 99.998% and lightning-fast WordPress sites. Both providers use SSD storage, which is more reliable and speeds up file transfers. DreamHost offers NGINX hosting and server-level caching, while Nexcess employs integrated caching powered by Nginx and Redis. DreamHost provides a global CDN powered by Cloudflare, whereas Nexcess adds extra fire with their purpose-built CDN. DreamHost has multiple datacenters with a 100% uptime guarantee, and Nexcess boasts their 99.998% uptime, showing both are strong in data center performance.

Website Speed

DreamHost emphasizes a high-performance cloud architecture with SSD storage, server-level caching, and NGINX hosting, which together offer a great speed boost. However, Nexcess outperforms with automatic caching, additional PHP resources during traffic surges, and a specialized CDN. Daily backups and automated updates also add to Nexcess’s quick performance, making their offer hard to match.

Scalability

Both providers allow easy upgrades, but with differences. DreamHost supports expandable RAM and storage with uncapped bandwidth, fitting various growth stages. Nexcess offers free autoscaling which activates extra PHP resources during traffic spikes, ensuring consistent performance. DreamHost provides VPS and dedicated hosting plans, while Nexcess boasts enterprise-level plans with up to 800GB storage and 10TB bandwidth. Nexcess seems better prepared to seamlessly handle rapid scaling needs without manual intervention. Specific costs for scaling with DreamHost were not disclosed.

🏆 Winner
Nexcess: Offers a wide range of SSL certificates, PCI DSS Level 1 compliance, and proactive security measures.

Both DreamHost and Nexcess, have notable differences in their approaches to technical and operational
security, as well as in their compliance with regulations.

Technical security measures:

Both DreamHost and Nexcess offer robust technical security measures, but there’s a clear distinction in certain areas. DreamHost provides free SSL certificates through Let’s Encrypt and supports third-party SSL certificates, whereas Nexcess offers a variety of SSL certificates, including Extended Validation (EV) and Wildcard SSL. DreamHost is equipped with features like multi-factor authentication (MFA), DreamShield malware scanning, and RAID 1 storage. Nexcess, however, takes a step further with advanced security hardening, Enterprise bot mitigation, and integration with Cloudflare for enhanced web application security.

Operational security measures:

DreamHost and Nexcess have differing strengths in operational security measures. DreamHost focuses on server monitoring, automatic software updates, and local MySQL servers with full root access. Additionally, DreamHost supports password protection via .htaccess and offers SSH access. Nexcess notably offers daily backups stored for 30 days, proactive security monitoring, and malware removal services. Nexcess includes Object Cache Pro for optimized caching and automatic autoscaling to handle traffic spikes.

Compliance and certifications:

DreamHost complies with GDPR and provides a Privacy Center for managing personal data but does not support HIPAA compliance. Nexcess is fully compliant with GDPR and PCI DSS Level 1, which makes it suitable for ecommerce businesses. Nexcess is also SSAE-18 compliant, undergoing annual assessments to ensure adherence to high standards, making its regulatory compliance more comprehensive.

🏆 Winner
DreamHost: Known for its robust feature set and the highest user satisfaction.

DreamHost and Nexcess offer a range of hosting plans tailored to different user requirements. DreamHost excels with its shared hosting plans starting as low as $2.59 per month, providing unlimited storage, a free domain, and 100% uptime guarantee. Its custom-built control panel and commitment to privacy and open source principles make it a user-friendly choice, especially for those seeking a straightforward setup process and additional security features. DreamHost’s free migration services for WordPress add to its appeal, simplifying the transition to their platform. Conversely, Nexcess focuses extensively on specialized WordPress and WooCommerce hosting suited for agencies and e-commerce businesses. Noteworthy features such as plugin and sales performance monitoring, automated testing, and cart abandonment tools provide a performance-centric environment. Both providers support FTP/SFTP and SSH access, but DreamHost slightly edges out Nexcess in offering a wider variety of complementary services, including free email and a domain with every plan.

In terms of user-friendliness and customization, DreamHost provides an advantage with its custom control panel and automatic WordPress updates, ensuring a hassle-free experience for beginners and advanced users alike. Nexcess, on the other hand, emphasizes advanced tools for developers and e-commerce experts. The availability of server-level Redis, built-in Elasticsearch, and PCI compliance make Nexcess an exemplary choice for those requiring high security and performance monitoring. Domain registration policies could also be a deciding factor; DreamHost takes the lead with free domain registration for the first year, while Nexcess may introduce additional costs for such services. Each provider’s unique selling points clarify potential differences, assisting readers in aligning their choice with their specific hosting needs.

Both providers support FTP/SFTP and SSH access, but DreamHost slightly edges out Nexcess in offering a wider variety of complementary services, including free email and a domain with every plan.

Email services:

DreamHost offers comprehensive email hosting with professional addresses included in most plans, allowing users to manage their own email campaigns. Nexcess also provides unlimited email hosting services, making it suitable for handling larger communications and transactional emails, often critical in e-commerce settings. Both providers do not rely on third-party email services, ensuring fully-integrated, in-house solutions for managing emails.

🏆 Winner DreamHost: More affordable pricing and comprehensive features in shared and VPS hosting plans.

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 DreamHost and Nexcess, DreamHost proves to be more cost-effective across multiple plan types, including shared hosting and Managed VPS. DreamHost’s Shared Starter plan begins at $2.59/month, offering extensive features like unlimited storage and free daily backups. In contrast, Nexcess’s Managed WordPress Hosting starts at $21/month for a single site with 15GB storage and PHP worker benefits, making it a more expensive option for fewer features. Both provide robust support and free domain registration, but DreamHost’s competitive prices make it a standout choice.

Enterprise plans

Enterprise-level hosting plans from DreamHost offer highly scalable options with Dedicated Hosting like Enhanced 32 for $299/month, providing 12-Core CPU, 32GB RAM, and 480GB SSD storage with 100% uptime guarantee and full root access. Nexcess, on the other hand, offers high-value Managed WordPress Hosting plans such as the Enterprise Plan, priced at $10,950 annually, delivering up to 250 sites with 800GB storage and 10TB bandwidth, along with extensive PHP worker and support benefits.

🏆 Winner
Nexcess: An easy and efficient solution for site setup and management, particularly excelling in managed migrations.

DreamHost offers a custom-built control panel that is intuitive and designed for ease of use. It caters to both technical and non-technical users with features such as SFTP, Shell Access, and WP-CLI, allowing advanced users to manage their hosting with ease. The control panel also facilitates tasks like domain management and email setup, making it accessible even for beginners. The design is clean and straightforward, ensuring that users can navigate without confusion.

Nexcess, on the other hand, provides a streamlined client portal designed for usability and accessibility. This portal allows users to handle various administrative tasks efficiently. For WooCommerce hosting, Nexcess provides a drag-and-drop builder that simplifies site setup for non-technical users. The client portal also includes advanced features suitable for developers, like deployment tools and a visual compare tool for WordPress plugins. Both new and experienced users will find Nexcess’s portal easy to work with, thanks to its user-friendly interface and comprehensive features.

Both DreamHost and Nexcess provide extensive help center resources, including guides, FAQs, and tutorials. DreamHost’s knowledge base is a massive, searchable archive that is continuously updated to assist with various aspects of hosting and site management. Nexcess also maintains a comprehensive Knowledge Base enriched with articles, tutorials, and webinars to aid users. Each provider ensures that their support resources are accessible and easy to understand, contributing to a smoother user experience.

Both DreamHost and Nexcess provide extensive help center resources, including guides, FAQs, and tutorials. DreamHost’s knowledge base is a massive, searchable archive that is continuously updated to assist with various aspects of hosting and site management. Nexcess also maintains a comprehensive Knowledge Base enriched with articles, tutorials, and webinars to aid users. Each provider ensures that their support resources are accessible and easy to understand, contributing to a smoother user experience.

🏆 Winner
Nexcess: An advanced and flexible platform that offers customizable user roles and detailed permissions.

DreamHost and Nexcess offer distinct approaches to managing user roles and permissions. DreamHost provides unlimited SFTP users and SSH access, giving it a robust system for secure and flexible user login credentials. However, Nexcess distinguishes itself by offering predefined roles like Superuser, Billing, and Technical, alongside the option to create custom teams with specific permissions. This flexibility allows for more precise role management compared to DreamHost, making Nexcess particularly appealing for larger teams or organizations with varied responsibilities.

The user interfaces and tools for managing users also differ significantly. DreamHost comes with a custom-built control panel that is user-friendly and integrates domain, email, and FTP management. Nexcess, by contrast, offers its Client Portal where you can manage user roles, permissions, and teams effectively. Although DreamHost’s panel is intuitive and easy to navigate, Nexcess’s Client Portal stands out for its specialization in detailed user role customization, thereby providing a more tailored experience for managing user access.

Concerning access control and scalability, both platforms are equipped to handle secure user access, but they do so in different ways. DreamHost offers password protection, crontab access, and access to raw log files that enhance its capability to manage growing user needs securely. On the other hand, Nexcess excels in its structured approach to permissions and the ability to add or remove permissions without any hard limits. This makes it well-suited for organizations that anticipate adding more users over time and need a scalable solution for access management.

Nexcess User Roles Table:

DreamHost User Roles Table:

🏆 Winner Nexcess: Offering comprehensive customer service and additional features such as proactive monitoring and daily backups.

DreamHost and Nexcess both offer 24/7/365 support through various channels, but with distinct differences catering to different needs. DreamHost’s customer service is accessible through chat, email, and tickets, with an optional callback service for extra fees. This hosting provider supports English and Spanish, providing quick response times through live chat and tickets. DreamHost’s knowledge base and professional services can aid users in website management and marketing for additional charges, but there is no direct phone support.

Nexcess stands out with its global in-house support team and multiple contact methods, including phone support for different regions, live chat, and email. Nexcess’s expertise in troubleshooting, infrastructure, and security issues, accompanied by features like free managed migrations, proactive monitoring, daily backups, and a content delivery network powered by Cloudflare, make it a robust choice for those needing comprehensive support. The managed migrations and additional features, combined with a 30-day money-back guarantee, set Nexcess apart in terms of overall customer satisfaction.

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.

User feedback on Nexcess hosting is highly polarized. Positive reviews frequently commend the platform’s knowledgeable and responsive customer support, emphasizing swift issue resolution and a user-friendly interface. However, negative reviews highlight significant issues with the backup system, slow migration processes, and unreliable server performance, causing operational disruptions and reputational damage. Many users note the decline in service quality following the company’s acquisition, culminating in mixed recommendations.

FAQ