Blog
DreamHost Website Builder review | TechRadar
Why you can trust TechRadar
We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
Our DreamHost review dives into the features, tools, and usability of this popular website builder from one of the top web hosting companies. Offering everything you need to know to decide whether DreamHost is the best website builder for you.
The DreamHost website builder is widely considered as one of the best WordPress website builders, offering you all the tools you need to build a powerful website, whilst benefiting from the user-friendly WordPress CMS.
If you are looking for an affordable, easy-to-use website builder DreamHost might just be the one for you. Simply read on to find all the insight and information you need to make an informed decision.
Dreamhost website builder plans and pricing
| Header Cell – Column 0 | Paid monthly (intro rate) | Paid monthly (after intro rate) | Paid annually (intro rate) | Paid annually (after intro rate) | Paid every 3-years (intro rate) | Paid every 3-years (after intro rate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shared Starter | $4.95/mo | $7.99/mo | $2.95/mo | $6.99/mo | $2.59/mo | $5.99/mo |
| Shared Unlimited | $8.95/mo | $13.99/mo | $2.95/mo | $12.99/mo | $3.95/mo | $10.99/mo |
| Managed WordPress | $19.95/mo | $23.99/mo | $16.95/mo | $19.99/mo | Not available | Not available |
Decoding DreamHost pricing
As you can see from the table above DreamHost offers an introductory offer on each of its plans. This offer lasts for as long as the initial term of the plan, such as 1 month on the monthly plan or 12 months on the annual plan. Once this initial term is over your plan will automatically renew at the standard rate.
We recommend carefully considering which plan is right for you, as simply going for the ‘best deal’ may see you needlessly out of pocket in the future.
For example, when paid annually the introductory rate for the Shared Starter and Shared Unlimited plans are the same price ($2.95/mo). In this case, the Shared Unlimited plan may seem more appealing, giving you more for the same price. However, if you don’t need the additional tools and functionality, after the introductory rate you will be paying $72 more a year for the extras that you don’t need.
DreamHost plans explained
DreamHost’s website builder services come in three flavors. The first one is Shared Starter. It offers DreamHost’s building tools to ease the creation process and will host your site for you. Like the other two options, if you go for one of the yearly plans, DreamHost will give you a domain name of your choice free for the first year.
Shared Unlimited, the next plan up, allows you to run an unlimited number of websites, as opposed to only one. This is a great deal if you’re planning on creating more than a single site obviously. It also includes an email address. Similar to other plans, the longer you sign up for, the more you save.
Finally, there’s Managed WordPress – which is advertised as offering a “high-performance and hassle-free” service. This is only valid for a single website and offers you unlimited email addresses, making it ideal for large and growing businesses that want a hassle-free website.
Plus, as long as you pay by card, you will also benefit from a money-back guarantee.
Getting started with DreamHost website builder
Once you’ve chosen your preferred plan, and after having made your first payment, you’ll be taken to your account’s dashboard (you don’t need to choose a domain name right away if you’re not sure what to get – DreamHost will give you a temporary one until you’re ready). It will take a few minutes for everything to be finalised (way longer than some other competing services, but any excuse to walk away from your computer and take a break, eh?).
When you’re ready to carry on, you’ll start the creation process by clicking on ‘Open Website Editor’ from the Home page. This is where you’ll get to select a template you’d like to work with. There are hundreds available, broken down by category such as General, Photography, or Real Estate. Clicking on one brings up a bigger thumbnail image to give you a rough idea of what to expect. If you’re happy with the style, click on ‘Select’.
In an unusual step, you’re then asked to further define what you’d like to create: either a ‘Base’ template, ‘Five Page’, or ‘Kitchen Sink’. The more you add, the more complex your template becomes, but it also makes it easier for you to replace the placeholder text and images with your own content without you having to do anything else. If you want a blog, don’t forget to tick its box.
This section offers you greater preview options. You can click on links, and check how the site would look like on various devices.
DreamHost website builder WordPress alterations
The next step takes you to the traditional WordPress interface, and if you have experience with it, then you’ll absolutely feel right at home. Hit the customiser though, and that’s where DreamHost’s own interface kicks in. It’s based around blocks, which you can drag to reorder them on the page, remove them, and insert new ones.
You can’t drag any objects anywhere on the page though, but you have some control over the layout, like moving columns around, and increasing the border between specific blocks, for instance.
When it comes to text editing, the options are quite extensive and go beyond what you’d expect from the traditional WordPress interface, with all controls easily accessible from a floating window.
DreamHost website builder blogging
As DreamHost piggybacks off of WordPress, you gain access to that platform’s excellent blogging experience, which includes comments, categories, tags, scheduling, video embedding, you name it, it’s got it. But as a big plus if you’re into layout customisation, all the options offered to you in the page layout can be used just as well when blogging. There’s even an ‘easy SEO’ section to help you get used to creating search engine-friendly posts.
DreamHost website builder support
If you get lost, getting help is always top right of DreamHost’s Web Panel. The knowledge base is filled with well written and clearly illustrated articles which makes it a cinch to find a solution to most tasks. However, if you need more in-depth advice, there’s a ‘contact support’ at the bottom of each of these pages. The system will insist on finding an answer in the knowledge base, but after a couple of tries you can chat to a technical adviser, or submit a ticket for someone to get back to you at a later date.
The refunding side of things is pretty much as effortless as you’d wish it to be. No need to contact anyone by email or via an online text-based chat, or worse still by forcing you to talk to someone by phone to beg to have your money back. DreamHost does it all via their account closure system. After just a few clicks, you account is closed and any refund is automatically processed. Can’t really do better to be frank.
DreamHost website builder review: Summary
DreamHost offers an excellent website building service. Built on top of WordPress, which is one of the most popular platforms out there, their block-based system makes creating and customising a site quick and easy. Shame about the lack of image editing tools.
