Ionos vs Dreamhost: guide for 2024

Final verdict

Looking over IONOS vs. DreamHost, both provide competitive web hosting services with strong features and overall solid performance.

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  IONOS (Overall grade: 8.2)
  
  
  offers a comprehensive hosting experience with a focus on reliability and performance. Its standout features include a 99.9% uptime guarantee, georedundant infrastructure, robust technical and operational security measures, and a range of scalable solutions. IONOS excels in providing extensive customer support options, including phone support and a personal consultant, making it a solid choice for businesses prioritizing reliable service and dedicated support. However, some users report dissatisfaction with certain aspects such as user interface and handling of issues, indicating areas where IONOS could improve.
  
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  DreamHost (Overall grade: 8.2)
  
  
  is a versatile hosting provider known for its affordable pricing, 100% uptime guarantee, and intuitive control panel. It caters well to multiple user needs, particularly agencies and multimedia websites, with features like advanced multi-site management and scalable cloud computing. DreamHost excels in ease of use, offering a straightforward migration process and a well-structured help center. However, it lacks direct phone support and its long-term performance can be uneven. Despite minor drawbacks, DreamHost remains a reliable hosting choice with a strong emphasis on user convenience and support.
  

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 IONOS: Offers both high uptime and expansive feature sets for seamless hosting.

IONOS guarantees an impressive 99.9% uptime, supported by georedundant infrastructure where data is mirrored across two data centers. This ensures uninterrupted service, especially valuable during maintenance or outages. Its server shield technology provides protection against DDoS attacks, further enhancing its reliability. With the inclusion of a Cloudflare CDN, IONOS ensures fast load times by distributing website content across more than 60 data centers worldwide.

DreamHost, though known for its 100% uptime guarantee and fast response times, has mixed long-term performance results. While it performs well under stress and has quick average response times, its uptime scores over extended periods can fall short of competitor benchmarks. Nevertheless, its solid performance metrics make it a reliable option for web hosting needs. DreamHost also utilizes SSD drives for faster loading and boasts a proprietary control panel for user convenience.

🏆 Winner
IONOS: Reliable and scalable hosting solution, great customer support and performance.

When it comes to general performance, IONOS stands out with its 99.9% uptime guarantee and dual platform technology, which ensures faster performance by keeping web servers and storage on the same platform. IONOS uses the HTTP/2 protocol, providing quick page load times with multiplexing and header compression. Their services use SSD storage across the board and offer a worldwide CDN via Cloudflare. In contrast, DreamHost offers a 100% uptime guarantee, high-performance cloud options, and utilizes NGINX hosting for handling multiple connections with minimal memory usage. Both IONOS and DreamHost offer SSD storage, but only DreamHost includes server-level caching built into its plans. DreamHost also provides multiple data center locations. However, the CDN availability and related costs for DreamHost are not specified, whereas IONOS clearly utilizes Cloudflare’s global network.

Website Speed

Both IONOS and DreamHost prioritize website speed, but their approaches vary. IONOS leverages dual platform technology and HTTP/2 protocols, which, combined with PHP 8.2 and a Content Delivery Network, ensure swift page loads. DreamHost also uses SSD storage for your files and NGINX hosting for minimal memory usage, aimed to handle large numbers of concurrent connections effectively. Their server-level caching built into DreamPress plans removes the need for additional caching plugins, optimizing speed automatically. Both services aim to offer peak performance, although the specific speed enhancements and technologies may cater to different user needs.

Scalability

IONOS offers scalable performance management where you can adjust your performance levels as required, with additional performance levels available for $2/month. Their plans range up to the Ultimate Plan, which provides up to 19 GB RAM. They send email notifications when your current performance level reaches its limit. DreamHost also supports scalability through expandable RAM and storage options, and it does not limit bandwidth. For DreamHost’s managed WordPress DreamPress plans, scaling is handled automatically to some extent. They offer dedicated servers starting at $199.00/mo., although specific costs for scaling individual plans upwards are not detailed.

🏆 Winner IONOS: An extensive range of security features and compliance measures make it a standout hosting provider.

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

Technical security measures:

IONOS offers an impressive array of SSL certificates such as DV, OV, and EV, with up to 256-bit encryption and additional protections against phishing. Alternatively, DreamHost provides free SSL certificates from Let’s Encrypt and allows third-party SSL installations. IONOS’s PHP support extends from PHP 4.0 to the latest versions, including OPcache and a JIT compiler, whereas DreamHost also supports current PHP versions and OPcache. Both hosting providers offer multi-factor authentication and DDoS protection, but DreamHost features additional security measures like extra security via mod_security.

Operational security measures:

IONOS excels with daily malware scanning, automatic removal, and customizable firewall rules. They also have daily backups and georedundant data centers ensuring high uptime. In contrast, DreamHost offers malware scanning through its DreamShield service and enables password protection for directories via .htaccess. Both provide SSH and SFTP access. DreamHost emphasizes secure logins with MFA and local MySQL servers with root access, enhancing database performance.

Compliance and certifications:

Both hosting providers comply with GDPR, ensuring the protection of personal data. IONOS’ range of commitments doesn’t explicitly mention PCI compliance, unlike DreamHost which is PCI compliant for its own sites but not for customer websites. DreamHost does not comply with HIPAA, and there’s no mention of IONOS’ stance on HIPAA compliance. IONOS data centers are ISO certified according to strict standards, which underlines their commitment to secure data handling.

🏆 Winner DreamHost: A versatile hosting provider offering an array of features suited for both new and seasoned website owners.

Both IONOS and DreamHost offer a variety of features that cater to different user needs. IONOS stands out with its georedundant infrastructure and a 99.9% uptime guarantee, which ensures high availability and performance. DreamHost counters with a 100% uptime guarantee for some of its plans, offering peace of mind for businesses that cannot afford downtime. Both providers include free domain registration and SSL certificates, but DreamHost takes it a step further by also offering free WHOIS Privacy Protection. Ease of use is another critical factor, and both providers excel here. DreamHost’s custom-built control panel and IONOS’s Click & Build apps make the onboarding process smooth for beginners.

Moreover, both hosts offer managed WordPress hosting with automated updates and security features. Where DreamHost edges out IONOS is in its staging environment and more affordable entry-level plans. IONOS, however, offers a broader range of scalable solutions, including VPS and dedicated servers with redundant data centers. Free email services are standard with both providers, but DreamHost’s WordPress plans come with additional perks like Jetpack pre-installed, automatic backups, and priority support for higher tiers.

Email services:

Both IONOS and DreamHost provide robust email hosting services, allowing users to set up professional email accounts with ease. IONOS includes professional email with every plan, and DreamHost offers this feature with its hosting packages. DreamHost also supports transactional emails and free professional migration services for WordPress plans. Neither provider resells third-party email services, focusing instead on their in-house solutions, which offer strong anti-spam measures and integration capabilities.

🏆 Winner
IONOS: Offering highly competitive pricing and comprehensive features for a variety of hosting needs.

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.

When comparing the price plans of IONOS and DreamHost, IONOS generally offers lower pricing for similar features across its plans, which are particularly advantageous for users needing more websites and storage. DreamHost’s Shared Starter plan starts at a highly competitive rate of $2.59/month but renews at $5.99/month, while IONOS’s Essential Plan is $4/month and includes more resource features. IONOS’s Managed WordPress hosting plans are cheaper than DreamHost’s corresponding plans and offer additional features like SiteAnalytics and Fiverr credits. For VPS Hosting, DreamHost provides several tiered plans with the lowest starting at $10/month, making it useful for scalability, although IONOS also offers scalable performance management at an additional cost. Both providers offer premium support, daily backups, and free SSL certificates, with IONOS providing free 24/7 support across all its plans.

Enterprise plans

IONOS offers its Ultimate Plan for $9/month, featuring unlimited websites, storage, and databases, with maximum CPU and MEM resources. DreamHost provides dedicated hosting with the Standard 16 plan at $199/month, offering 16GB RAM and 480GB SSD storage with uncapped bandwidth. Both providers cater to extensive enterprise needs, but IONOS stands out for offering more features at a significantly lower cost.

🏆 Winner DreamHost: DreamHost offers an intuitive setup process and extensive support resources, making it slightly easier for users to manage and migrate websites.

The admin panel provided by DreamHost is a custom-built control panel designed for ease of use. It offers advanced features like SFTP, Shell Access, and WP-CLI, all accessible via an intuitive interface suitable for both technical and non-technical users. This custom control panel makes it straightforward to manage domains, install applications, monitor performance, and make configuration changes without any steep learning curve. On the flipside, IONOS utilizes a traditional yet user-friendly admin interface that complements its Click & Build applications. With a focus on simplification, the IONOS admin panel caters to different user levels, helping even novice users efficiently manage their websites through guided assistants and customizable updates for managed hosting options.

For site migrations, both DreamHost and IONOS offer robust tools. DreamHost provides a dedicated Migration Dashboard that scans and presents migration options, guiding users through each step. This automated service simplifies the migration process significantly and is free for users moving to DreamPress. IONOS, while user-friendly in setup, does not emphasize automated migration tools in the same manner, requiring users to rely more on step-by-step guidance from the Help Center or personal consultants. Therefore, DreamHost takes the lead with its comprehensive migration dashboard.

When evaluating the Help Center resources, IONOS excels with its comprehensive Help Center, 24/7 customer support, and personal consultant service, ensuring users have ample guidance and support at all times. DreamHost also offers exceptional resources with a vast, searchable knowledge base that’s continually updated and in-house expert support available 24/7 via chat and email. Both platforms are commendable, but DreamHost’s ongoing updates and expert support give it an edge for users needing constantly updated resources and immediate assistance.

The platforms provide extensive knowledge bases filled with guides, how-to articles, and instructional content. Example hosting one offers a wide range of resources alongside 24/7 chat and phone support. Example hosting two 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: A comprehensive hosting provider offering advanced user management tools and enhanced functionality.

IONOS and DreamHost both provide substantial user management features, catering to different needs. IONOS’s user management capabilities allow for defining roles with specific permissions, suitable for structured environments where detailed access control is crucial. The flexibility of creating, cloning, and deleting roles empowers administrators to fine-tune user access. On the other hand, DreamHost offers unlimited SFTP users and SSH access, focusing on secure and flexible access methods. This makes DreamHost a suitable choice for users who require versatile access options, including technical features like SVN repositories and crontab access.

IONOS relies on its Cloud Panel, where roles and their permissions are managed through an intuitive interface. Administrators can see all roles in a centralized view, edit role details, and assign users to roles with ease. Similarly, DreamHost provides a custom-built control panel designed to be user-friendly, allowing for the management of domains, emails, FTP & SSH, and other hosting resources. The inclusion of advanced tools and programming language support helps cater to both novice and advanced users.

In terms of access control measures and scaling capabilities, IONOS offers detailed role-based access management, allowing for granular control over user actions and visibility. This structured approach benefits settings requiring strict access control for various administrative tasks. DreamHost’s secure logins via SFTP and SSH, combined with features like .htaccess password protection and access to raw log files, offer a robust setup for managing a growing number of users. These features ensure that administrators can implement secure and scalable user management practices efficiently.

DreamHost user roles table:

IONOS user roles table:

🏆 Winner IONOS: IONOS edges out with a broader range of customer support choices, including direct phone support and a personal consultant.

IONOS offers comprehensive customer support options, including 24/7 availability through phone, chat, and email. A standout feature is the personal consultant available through various support channels during standard business hours. IONOS also provides additional support services such as a help center, a community forum, and a 30-day money-back guarantee, alongside its award-winning assistance.

DreamHost also provides 24/7/365 support through chat and email via the Panel, with the option to request a callback for a fee. The hosting provider supports both English and Spanish, and features a comprehensive knowledge base. While DreamHost offers a 97-day money-back guarantee for shared hosting products, it does not provide a direct phone support line, limiting immediate, personalized interaction. The absence of an enterprise support option may also be a consideration for larger businesses.

User feedback

The user feedback on the hosting provider is highly mixed. Some customers appreciate the affordability and ease of use, particularly for startups, and praise the good customer support and convenient packages. However, many others criticize the company’s unreliable service, outdated user interface, and poor handling of issues, including severe downtime and inadequate customer support. There are also concerns about deceptive business practices and difficulty with account management, leading to significant dissatisfaction among long-term users.

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.

FAQ