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DreamHost vs Hetzner
DreamHost
Hetzner
Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, and performance to help you choose the right hosting provider.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | DreamHost | Hetzner |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | N/A | N/A |
| Price | $14.99/mo | N/A |
| Renewal Price | $19.99/mo | N/A |
| Storage | 15 GB NVMe | 10 GB SSD |
| Bandwidth | N/A | Unlimited |
| Websites | 1 | 1 |
| Free Domain | ||
| Free SSL | ||
| Server Locations | ||
| Regions | 3 | 5 ★ |
| Locations | US East, Ashburn, Virginia US West, Hillsboro, Oregon Western Europe, Amsterdam | US East, Ashburn, Virginia US West, Hillsboro, Oregon Central Europe, Nuremberg, Falkenstein Northern Europe, Helsinki Southeast Asia, Singapore |
| Plan Details | ||
| Limited plan details available | ||
| Backups | 3 Backups | |
| Support | ||
| Free Migration | 1 Site | |
| CDN | ||
| Money-Back Guarantee | ||
| Monthly Visitors | 40k | |
Features | ||
CMS & Platforms (7) | ||
Languages & Frameworks (9) | ||
Databases (4) | ||
Developer Tools (8) | ||
Performance & CDN (4) | ||
| Caching | ||
| CDN | ||
| LiteSpeed | ||
| SSD Storage | ||
Security (6) | ||
| 2FA | ||
| Backups | ||
| DDoS Protection | ||
| Malware Scan | ||
| SSL | ||
| WAF | ||
Support (4) | ||
Extras & Guarantees (5) | ||
| Slight discrepancies are possible. We recommend verifying details on the provider's website. | ||
| Visit DreamHost | Visit Hetzner | |
Pricing & Plans
DreamHost Plans
Hetzner Plans
Pros & Cons
DreamHost
Pros
- Industry-leading 97-day money-back guarantee on shared hosting
- Unlimited free SSL certificates on all plans
- Daily automated backups included at no extra cost
- Free domain for 1 year on annual plans
- Officially recommended by WordPress.org
- DreamPress managed WordPress with BunnyCDN and staging
- Unmetered bandwidth on all plans
- Employee-owned company — no corporate conglomerate
Cons
- No cPanel — custom DreamHost panel requires adjustment
- DreamShield malware scanning is a paid add-on ($3.99/mo)
- No Windows hosting — Linux only
- VPS plans do not include root access
- Dedicated servers start at $165/mo — premium pricing
- No phone support — live chat and email only
Hetzner
Pros
- Exceptional price-to-performance ratio across all products
- Transparent hourly billing with monthly price cap on cloud servers
- 20 TB included traffic on EU cloud servers
- NVMe SSD storage on all cloud and web hosting plans
- ARM-based (Ampere) cloud servers for cost-efficient workloads
- Dedicated vCPU options (CCX) for consistent performance
- Free DDoS protection on all servers
- No contract lock-in -- cancel anytime
- Comprehensive API and CLI tools (hcloud)
- European data centers with strong privacy (GDPR compliant)
Cons
- No managed shared hosting with cPanel -- web hosting uses konsoleH
- Web hosting plans do not include a free domain
- Setup fee required on web hosting plans
- Prices shown in EUR -- may vary for non-EU customers
- Limited US and Asia presence (Germany and Finland primary)
- No phone support on cloud plans -- tickets and community only
- No managed WordPress hosting product
- Windows not officially supported on cloud servers
Frequently Asked Questions
DreamHost
Do I need technical experience to use DreamHost?
Not at all. Our control panel is beginner-friendly, and we offer expert support, AI tools, and even free website setup to help you get started.
How long does it take to get my site online?
We’ll help you get started quickly with a free Handcrafted Starter Website—our team will build a 4-page site for you at no cost, so you can get online fast with zero setup required. Prefer a DIY approach? Use Liftoff, our AI-powered WordPress builder, to launch a personalized site in under 60 seconds. Just choose your hosting plan and answer a few simple questions—no technical skills needed. Either way, getting your site live is fast, easy, and free to start.
I’m new to this. Can you help me get my website up and running?
Yes, we've got you covered. Every hosting plan includes one Free Handcrafted Starter Website to help you get started. Our team will handle setup, add your initial content, and customize your template all at no extra cost.
What kind of support does DreamHost offer?
We offer 24/7 support from a dedicated, in-house team that knows WordPress inside and out. You can reach us through live chat or email anytime you need help. No outsourcing, no bots—just real experts ready to assist you.
How can I migrate a non-WordPress site to DreamHost?
For WordPress sites, we offer a free automatic migration tool that makes the process fast and easy with zero downtime. Just install the plugin and follow a few simple steps, no technical expertise required.For non-WordPress sites, you have two options:Manually migrate your non-WordPress site by backing up your website files and uploading them to DreamHost. You can learn more about this here.Hire our Pro Services to help migrate your site! Please note that sites built with proprietary site builders (e.g., Wix, Weebly, or Squarespace) and Windows Server-based "Active Server Pages" (ASP) websites may incur additional fees for site migration. If you have any questions, schedule a free consultation with us.
Do hosting plans include a free domain name?
Our annual and multi-year Web Hosting, DreamPress, and VPS plans include a free 1-year domain registration. Your domain registration also includes free private registration (Domain Privacy Protection).
Can I upgrade to a more powerful hosting plan later?
Totally. Web Hosting is a smart, budget-friendly starting point, and when your site needs more, whether that's traffic, content, or performance, you can upgrade to a plan with more server space, dedicated resources, advanced security, and faster speeds. Wondering when to upgrade? If you notice diminished site performance or lack necessary space or resources, it's time to consider bumping your site to the next level and choosing a better-fit hosting package. No matter the current size of your website, DreamHost offers a perfectly-matched plan. We adapt to match your needs, making upgrading easy.
Do you include SSL certificates?
We care about safety big time — and so do your site's visitors. With a Web Hosting account, you get an SSL certificate for free to add to your site. In this day and age, having an SSL for your site is a no-brainer best practice. Not only does an SSL help your visitors feel safe interacting with your site — this is particularly important if you run an e-commerce site — but it avoids penalizations you might otherwise earn from search engines without one. No website wants an “unsafe” or “insecure” label to bruise their reputation. While a SSL certificate isn't an end-all, be-all defense against internet baddies, it's certainly a great first step in the right direction to putting your site visitors at ease.
What if I have a domain at another company? Can I transfer it?
Yep! Forget about packing up virtual boxes or worrying about a forwarding address— we'll handle the transfer tasks and make moving to DreamHost E-A-S-Y. By transferring your domain registration from your old provider to DreamHost, you can easily manage all aspects of your domain from one convenient location. See our guide to get more details about moving.
Can I get business email with my hosting plan?
Yes! All of DreamHost's web hosting plans include a free 3-month trial of Professional Email @yourdomain, with the number of mailboxes varying by plan. Learn more about business email hosting at your own domain.
Will my price go up when my plan renews?
Promotional pricing applies to your first term, and every DreamHost plan card shows the exact renewal rate right next to the promo price. You will never have to dig through fine print to find out what year two costs.
Can I pay month-to-month instead of prepaying for years?
Absolutely. Every DreamHost web hosting plan offers monthly billing, so you can start without a long commitment. Longer terms earn bigger discounts, but the choice is always yours.
What happens if my site gets more visitors than my plan's estimate?
The visitor numbers on each plan describe the traffic that tier comfortably handles, not a hard cap. Bandwidth is unmetered on every plan, so a busy month never triggers overage fees. If your site consistently needs more resources, upgrading to a bigger plan takes just a few clicks.
What is Managed WordPress Hosting—and do I need it?
Managed WordPress Hosting means we handle the technical heavy lifting—speed, security, updates, and backups—so you can focus on your site or business. If you want better performance and dedicated WordPressexpert support, DreamPress is the right fit.
How is DreamPress different from Standard Hosting or other WordPress plans?
Unlike shared hosting or basic WordPress plans, DreamPress includes advanced WordPress-specific features out of the box: on-demand backups, BunnyCDN, NGINX caching, failover protection, free professional migrations, and 24/7 expert WordPress support. It's purpose-built for performance and reliability.
What's the difference between Professional WordPress Migration and Automated WordPress Migration?
With Professional Migration, our experts personally move your site—no bots or automation—ensuring zero downtime and no errors. Normally a $199 service, it's included free with every DreamPress plan (1 migration per site). If you prefer DIY, our free Automated Migration plugin helps you move your site in just a few clicks.
How do I get started with DreamPress?
It's simple. Choose your plan, and WordPress is automatically installed and optimized. Want to launch even faster? Use Liftoff, our AI-powered website builder, to create a full WordPress site with content and structure in minutes.
Can I host multiple sites—and switch plans if I need to?
Yes! DreamPress supports up to 20 WordPress sites, depending on your plan. You can upgrade, downgrade, or reallocate resources at any time, right from your DreamHost panel.
What is Self-Managed VPS and who is it for?
A self-managed VPS gives you a full virtual server with root access. You install what you need, configure your stack, and run whatever applications you want. It's designed for developers, technical builders, and self-hosters who need flexibility beyond traditional shared hosting. If you're running Node, Python, Docker, or anything your AI tools help you build, you're in the right place.If you're looking for a more hands-off experience, you can explore our managed VPS options here.If you're looking to run a WordPress site, DreamPress managed hosting is a better fit.
What does "self-managed" actually mean — do you leave me on my own?
It means you manage your applications and software stack — not that we disappear. DreamHost guarantees the underlying infrastructure: hardware, network, and uptime. Our support team is available 24/7.
What can I run on Self-Managed-VPS?
Anything that runs on Linux. Node.js, Python services, Docker containers, AI-powered APIs, automation platforms, analytics tools, self-hosted productivity suites, custom databases, game servers — you have complete freedom over the software stack. You can install any OS, runtime, framework, or service you need. If it runs on a Linux server, it runs here.
Are there bandwidth or traffic limitations?
No. All plans include unmetered bandwidth — no transfer caps, no overage fees, no surprises when traffic spikes. You pay the same flat monthly rate whether your app gets 10 visitors or 10,000.
Can I scale up my plan as my project grows?
Yes. You can move between Stack plans as your resource requirements grow — from Stack 4 to Stack 32 is straightforward, and your environment moves with you. Scaling down to a smaller Stack is not currently supported.
What support is included?
DreamHost support is available 24/7 — hardware, network, and connectivity are all supported by our team. You can also reach us via live chat or email through the panel at any time.
What is Dedicated Hosting?
Think of a dedicated web server as a storage unit for your website or web applications. It keeps documents, videos, images and other computer files online. Web hosting companies rent space to you. All you’ve got to do is upload files or a website onto the server.
What can you do with a Dedicated Server?
Dedicated servers are fully-managed, business class servers. They are perfect for resource-heavy apps and giant websites. With a dedicated server, you have full control over how to configure your hosting environment making it perfect for major hosting needs.
What are the reasons to choose a Dedicated Server?
A dedicated server is the ultimate in power, security, and control. With a dedicated server, you won’t have to share resources with anyone. Here are some of the top reasons that people choose a dedicated server over other hosting options:Security is a top priorityYou expect consistently high levels of trafficPage load times need to be lightning fastYou need custom programming optionsYou’re anticipating major growth Learn More
VPS vs Dedicated Hosting
VPS: A Virtual Private Server, still involves hosting several websites on the same server, but there's a hypervisor that ensures that one website doesn't start causing trouble for the other sites on the server. With Managed VPS Hosting, you're allocated a certain amount of RAM and server space, with unmetered bandwidth. Dedicated: You're able to choose the equipment, including the amount and type of RAM, the size and type of hard drive and the processor, used in the server. Further, 100 percent of the server's resources are allocated to your site and they aren't shared with any others.
Hetzner
How do you bill your servers?
Servers have both a monthly price cap and a price per hour. Your server's bill will never exceed its monthly price cap. If you delete your Cloud Server before the end of the billing month, you will only be billed the hourly rate. We will bill you for each cloud server until you choose to delete them. Even if you aren't actively using your server, we will bill you for it.
Do you bill servers that are off?
Yes. All servers that have finished their creation process will be billed until they are deleted, regardless of their state. This is because, internally, we allocate full resources to servers regardless of their power state. And it enables rapid startup and boot times for you, the customer.
What are the Hetzner Cloud Volumes?
It is a feature for fast, flexible, and cost-effective (SSD based) block storage which you can attach to your Hetzner Cloud Server.
How does Hetzner Online store the data in Volumes?
Every block of data is stored on three different physical servers (triple replication).
How many servers can I create?
Each customer has a default limit for the number of Cloud resources that we simultaneously provide. If you would like to increase your limit, you can send a request to our support team by opening a support ticket via Hetzner Console. Our team will quickly review your request and, if everything is in order, they will increase your limit.
Do you plan to add x feature?/Will you add more features?
We want to keep adding new features and services and are always interested in hearing from you on how we can improve our product! There are several ways you can provide us with product feedback or feature requests: Via our forum: please post your request in the Hetzner Cloud Board Via email: send us your ideas to [email protected] Unfortunately, we cannot give you a detailed roadmap of what we are working on. However, you can keep up to date by following us on our social media chann
Will you add additional locations in different geographic regions?
We have continuously expanded our cloud locations in recent years. In addition to Germany and Finland, we now also have international locations in Ashburn, Virginia; Hillsboro, Oregon (USA) and Singapore. We are constantly examining possible future locations. If you don’t want to miss the opening of a new location, subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on our social media channels.
Can I create email addresses for a subdomain?
Yes, if the subdomain is created as a separate domain in web hosting, email addresses can also be configured for it.
How much storage space do I have for emails, databases, and websites?
You can flexibly use all of the storage space in your web hosting plan for your emails, website, and databases.
What happens if I exceed my storage space?
If you exceed your storage space, you will be charged €1.09 (including 19% VAT) per GB per month. If your storage space requirements have increased significantly, you can either switch to a larger web hosting package or purchase a storage space add-on (for €1.00 per 10GB).
What is a PHP process? Why do I need PHP processes?
PHP is the programming language used by many websites (e.g., WordPress). Normally, every visitor who accesses a page requires a short-term “PHP process” to generate dynamic content. The more simultaneous visitors there are, the more PHP processes are needed. Two processes are often sufficient for small websites with little traffic, while heavily visited sites require more PHP processes.
What is the PHP memory limit?
The memory_limit in PHP determines the maximum amount of memory that a single script can use. For example, if the value is set to 192 MB, each script can use up to 192 MB of RAM during its execution. The memory limit therefore applies per process and not as a total budget for all processes. If the set limit is exceeded, PHP terminates execution and reports an error (“Allowed memory size exhausted”). This setting protects the server from excessive memory consumption.
What is Varnish and what advantages does it offer?
Varnish is a cache that can be used with CMS systems (e.g., WordPress, Drupal, TYPO3). Frequently requested content is stored in the cache and can thus be delivered directly without having to query PHP or the database again. This significantly reduces the server load and results in much faster loading times. Previously, Varnish could only be activated on managed servers. Now you can use it starting with Webhosting S.
Do the web hosting packages include a domain?
No, the web hosting packages do not include a domain. This must be booked separately. Domain registration is available from Hetzner starting at /year. Without a domain, many web hosting features, such as HTTP access for publicly hosting websites, mailboxes, Varnish, and much more, cannot be used.
Ready to Choose?
Both providers offer great features. Visit their websites to see the latest deals and pricing.
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US East, Ashburn, Virginia
Western Europe, Amsterdam
Central Europe, Nuremberg, Falkenstein
Northern Europe, Helsinki
Southeast Asia, Singapore