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DreamHost vs A2 Hosting: which one is better for you?


DreamHost and A2 Hosting have both earned a reputation for speedy and reliable performances. They are also known for excellent customer support and affordable pricing, crucial to one’s experience with any hosting provider.

However, in a market saturated with hosting providers, making an informed decision can be difficult. That’s why I conducted thorough research to compare DreamHost vs A2 Hosting and help you decide which one is worth the money.

In this DreamHost vs A2 Hosting comparison, I provide an in-depth overview of the pricing, ease of use, performance, security, and customer support offered by both hosting providers.

Read on to find out which wins and which would suit you better – DreamHost or A2 Hosting.

A2 Hosting vs DreamHost: overview

While A2 Hosting is ideal for small-scale websites and online stores and is especially recommended for WordPress hosting, it lacks flexibility, making it seem targeted at a specific audience. DreamHost is more versatile and modern, offering user-friendly features like free domain names, SSL certificates, and a website builder, making it the go-to choice for a broader range of users.

TOP Choice
BluehostDreamHostA2 Hosting
⭐ Rating:
4.6
4.4
4.1
💵 Price:From $1.99/monthFrom $2.59/monthFrom $2.99/month
📑 Uptime guarantee:99.9%100%99.9%
🔥 Coupons:Bluehost coupon 83% OFFDreamhost coupon 72% OFF!A2 Hosting coupon 76% OFF!
Storage space (from):10 GB SSD50 GB SSD100 GB SSD
✂️ Free domain (first year):YesYesNo
🔒 Free SSL certificate:Yes (first year)YesYes
➡️ Site migration:Free WordPress migration (1 site) or paid (up to 5 sites)Free website migration plugin and paid options for website migrationFree (1 site) and paid option for larger migrations
💾 Automated backups:Daily Website Backups (Free 1st year), not with Basic PlanFree (daily)Yes (Drive, Turbo Boost, and Turbo Max plans)
📧 Email accounts:Free (up to 10 accounts)Yes (Shared Unlimited plan)Free (unlimited accounts)
👨‍💻 24/7 live support:YesYesYes
💰 Money-back guarantee:30-day97-dayA 30-day full refund or an anytime refund for unused services
Akvile Tamasiuniene Ieva Jociūtė author sarunas karbauskas vincentas
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58
Web hosts tested
1
Month uptime monitoring period
1748
Hours of extensive testing

Overall, DreamHost comes out ahead in the DreamHost vs A2 Hosting comparison. With plenty of features available, a record 97-day money-back guarantee, and affordable pricing, DreamHost is a top-notch hosting solution if you’re looking for outstanding performance and ease of use.

DreamHost vs A2 Hosting performance

During the DreamHost vs A2 Hosting face-off, both hosting solutions made a lasting impression, excelling in certain areas and falling short in others. While DreamHost outperformed its rival in upkeep time, A2 Hosting handled more traffic and had a remarkable average response time. From my experience, these slight differences are crucial to consider to make a fully informed decision.

Let’s take a closer look at each provider’s testing results.

Uptime and response time

Both DreamHost and A2 Hosting received high-reliability scores, although DreamHost had fewer outages than A2 Hosting.

DreamHost's uptime was 99.99%, with one outage causing one minute of downtime. This is remarkable performance; however, perhaps slightly disappointing, considering DreamHost promises 100% uptime.

DreamHost also demonstrated an impressive server response time, averaging 231ms.

DreamHost uptime and response time
DreamHost uptime and response time metrics

In comparison, A2 Hosting experienced longer overall downtime, which is typical for shared hosting. It had four outages totaling seven minutes of downtime. Nonetheless, the provider maintained a 99.99% uptime, which is exactly what I expected since it has a 99.9% uptime guarantee.

Where A2 Hosting definitely did worse than DreamHost is the average response time. During my assessment, the test website’s average response time was 597ms, which is more than double that of DreamHost.

A2 Hosting uptime and response time
A2 Hosting uptime and response time metrics

Website speed

When comparing DreamHost vs A2 Hosting, I evaluated website speed using the following criteria:

  • Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) measures the point at which the largest content on the page is loaded, signifying when users perceive the website to be fully loaded. It is recommended to keep this under 2.5 seconds.
  • Time to First Byte (TTFB) estimates the initial server response time when a request is made to open a page. This metric helps determine if the server is causing delays or the website theme is not optimized.
  • Fully Loaded Time indicates when the website has finished loading and is fully operational.

It is essential to remember that Google now considers these metrics when ranking web pages. Your website has a better chance of appearing higher on the search results page if the LCP is below the recommended speed – 2.5 seconds.

Looking at the test results, A2 Hosting outperformed DreamHost in all metrics, scoring 0.939s for LCP, 1s for Fully Loaded Time, and 0.517s for TTFB.

A2 Hosting pageload
A2 Hosting page performance metrics

Meanwhile, DreamHost lagged slightly behind A2 Hosting with 1.209s for LCP, 1.111s for Fully Loaded Time, and 0.664s for TTFB.

DreamHost pageload
DreamHost page performance metrics

Overall, while the results don't compare to those of the fastest web hosting providers, both A2 Hosting and DreamHost showed impressive and reliable performance.

A2 HOSTING AND DREAMHOST PERFORM SIMILARLY
The disparities should be distinct enough to declare a clear winner. The test results indicate that although A2 Hosting had better website speed than DreamHost, DreamHost demonstrated notably superior server response. Both providers had the same uptime performance, scoring 99.9%. The results are incredibly close, making it difficult to declare a clear victory. Therefore, I consider it a draw. However, I recommend DreamHost, considering the shorter overall downtime.

DreamHost vs A2 Hosting pricing comparison

While both providers offer similar features and resources, DreamHost is cheaper than A2 Hosting – $2.59/month vs $2.99/month for shared hosting plans. Among other services, both providers offer WordPress, VPS, and dedicated hosting.

Hosting typeDreamHostA2 Hosting
Shared hosting✅ Yes✅ Yes
WordPress hosting✅ Yes✅ Yes
WooCommerce hosting✅ Yes✅ Yes
Cloud hosting✅ Yes✅ Yes
VPS hosting✅ Yes✅ Yes
Dedicated hosting✅ Yes✅ Yes
Visit DreamHostVisit A2 Hosting

To compare DreamHost vs A2 Hosting prices, I checked out shared hosting plans, since it is the go-to option for most users. To determine the winner, I reviewed the available plans to see which ones are worth the money.

DreamHost has two shared hosting plans: Shared Starter and Shared Unlimited, which cost $2.59 and $3.95 monthly, respectively. To get the most out of DreamHost’s service, opting for the Shared Unlimited plan is the best decision. This plan includes unlimited site storage, unlimited traffic, free SSL certification, and MySQL databases.

One important thing to note – DreamHost’s Shared Starter plan does not include email accounts. If you require limitless email accounts, opt for the Shared Unlimited plan. This might be one of the top things to consider when choosing between the two providers as A2 Hosting offers free unlimited email accounts with all of their plans.

A2 Hosting has four shared hosting plans: Ignite, Accel, Turbot Velocity, and Turbo Nitro, with prices ranging from $2.99 to $14.99 monthly. With unlimited websites, NVMe SSD storage, and optimal speed for $7.99/month, the Turbo Velocity plan is the best value for money.

DreamHost includes a free domain for the first year with the Shared Starter subscription plan. A2 Hosting, on the other hand, does not include a free domain in any plans. Instead, you must buy one for $14.95/year.

Both providers offer different plans and features. Given the price tag, I find DreamHost’s Shared Unlimited plan to be the best option, especially if you are looking to host a small personal blog or a medium-sized business website.

DREAMHOST OFFERS MORE FEATURES THAN A2 HOSTING AT A LOWER PRICE
With plenty of features included in the base plan and budget-friendly pricing, DreamHost is a compelling choice. The existing tools were more than sufficient for effectively hosting my website, and the option to purchase additional features and security measures provided peace of mind. Overall, DreamHost emerges as the clear winner in the face-off of DreamHost vs A2 Hosting pricing.
Expert comment
Hosting and security expert

A2 Hosting vs DreamHost: ease of use

From the get-go, I can tell that DreamHost is more user-friendly and easier to navigate than A2 Hosting. While both providers have simple interfaces for managing your account and the website, A2 Hosting’s interface feels outdated compared to DreamHost's.

Below, I delve into the interface designs of both providers to conclude which one is more intuitive and easy to navigate.

Account management dashboard

I compared the account management dashboards of DreamHost and A2 Hosting and found that DreamHost’s interface is more intuitive. It is also more concise and streamlined, with a modern and sleek look.

DreamHost’s main account management dashboard includes sections where you can manage your website and oversee domain name administration. It also includes WordPress site enhancements and email service configuration.

DreamHost dashboard
DreamHost account management dashboard

Within the DreamHost account dashboard, you can oversee server management, access cloud services, and handle account billing. The menu also has gateways to customer support, including links to the knowledge base and contact options.

What I appreciated the most was the integration of management tools. You can use a site builder tool called Remixer to access advanced settings for tasks such as configuring cron jobs and managing SSH keys.

The A2 Hosting account management dashboard pales in comparison to DreamHost’s. While concise and easy to navigate, it could have been more impressive in terms of customized design and innovation.

A2 Hosting dashboard
A2 Hosting account management dashboard

The domain section has comprehensive information about domain registration, security status, contact details, nameservers, add-ons, and subscription details. However, it lacks many of DreamHost’s additional tools – for example, an AI Business Advisor – making it seem like a missed opportunity to maximize the potential.

Control panel comparison

Unlike A2 Hosting, DreamHost uses a modern custom control panel with integrated hosting and website management features. Everything is in a single interface, making the control panel easy to navigate and user-friendly for all users. Although it will not be hard to get the hang of both providers’ control panels, I prefer modern, sleek designs that do not feel overstuffed. Hence, I greatly appreciate DreamHost’s interface.

The DreamHost’s control panel is quickly accessible via the main menu and has all tools in one place. From there, you can manage your website.

DreamHost access control panel
Access DreamHost's control panel

While DreamHost has a sleeker look, A2 Hosting has the standard cPanel for website hosting controls – an interface familiar to many and, thus, beginner-friendly. There’s also a helpful beginner guide to help users grasp the ins and outs of the control panel.

With cPanel hosting, you can manage websites by handling files, domains, email accounts, and databases. To help you get the most out of it, A2 Hosting’s cPanel also contains features like Softaculous, Google Workspace Setup, Web-Based File management, and WordPress Toolkit for a more optimized experience. If you require additional tools, A2 Hosting has more options with its upgraded plans.

A2 Hosting control panel
A2 Hosting control panel

Even though I appreciate a classic throwback, as seen with A2 Hosting’s control panel, DreamHost’s modern and sleek control panel wins the round. Its concise, streamlined, and easy-to-use custom control panel made my experience seamless and enjoyable.

DREAMHOST IS EASIER TO USE THAN A2 HOSTING
DreamHost excels in user-friendliness thanks to its innovative and custom control panel and intuitive account management dashboard. The well-organized design ensures a seamless user experience, so even beginners can easily navigate the platform. With all boxes ticked during the review, DreamHost is the clear winner in terms of ease of use.

A2 Hosting vs DreamHost security

Security is essential to hosting a website and ensuring smooth and streamlined management. When I review top hosting solutions, I always delve deep into the providers’ capabilities to provide what security tools are at my disposal to enhance my overall protection.

The table below showcases what security measures can be utilized with both providers.

Security featuresDreamHostA2 Hosting
Free SSL certificates✅ Yes✅ Yes
Web application firewall✅ Yes✅ Yes
SSH keys✅ Yes✅ Yes
Two-factor authentication✅ Yes✅ Yes
Backups✅ Yes✅ Yes
Free WHOIS privacy✅ Yes❌ No (costs extra)

Each provider offers additional solutions to maximize security. For example, DreamHost offers a DreamShield Protection add-on – a malware removal tool – for an additional price. It is an automated solution focused on website security management, ideal for users who prefer a hands-off approach.

A2 Hosting, on the other hand, offers KernelCare for daily, automatic kernel updates, enhanced DDoS protection, a virus scanner, a firewall, and brute force defense with all available plans.

DREAMHOST OFFERS ENHANCED SECURITY COMPARED TO A2HOSTING
Although both hosting solutions offer essential security features, DreamHost is the winner when it comes to protection. The provider promises to prioritize users' safety and offer tools for enhanced security with both subscription plans. Thus, your protection will not be compromised if you opt for the cheaper plan. For more advanced protection, DreamHost also has additional features that cost extra. That means you can go the extra mile for your virtual security.

Customer support

Regarding customer support, DreamHost and A2 Hosting both excel at assisting users via all possible channels – live chat, email, and phone support. Both hosting providers also have extensive and elaborate knowledge bases where you can find answers to frequently asked questions and follow guides.

To review each provider's customer support efficiency, I reached out through all possible means, and frankly, the support agents did not disappoint.

Both A2 Hosting and DreamHost support agents quickly tended to my questions, taking only a few minutes to respond to my query and initiate a conversation. Not only were they quick to answer my questions, but they were also knowledgeable and professional, ensuring total satisfaction in no time.

Support optionDreamHostA2 Hosting
24/7 live chat✅ Yes✅ Yes
Email✅ Yes✅ Yes
Ticketing system✅ Yes✅ Yes
Phone line✅ Yes✅ Yes
Knowledge base✅ Yes✅ Yes
DREAMHOST AND A2HOSTING HAVE GREAT SUPPORT
I had pleasant experiences with both hosting providers and received answers to all of my questions. The availability of extensive knowledge bases is a huge plus, too. You can expect fast and helpful responses from either of them. On top of that, both DreamHost and A2 Hosting offer various ways of reaching out. With impressive customer support on each side, I call a draw here.

A2 Hosting vs DreamHost: final verdict

Both A2 Hosting and DreamHost offer similar hosting approaches, making them suitable for both beginner and advanced users. However, DreamHost outshines A2 Hosting in almost every metric.

Take a look at the final scoreboard to see the outcome of the face-off.

FeatureDreamHostA2 HostingVerdict
Pricing
DreamHost prices start at $2.59/month, while A2 Hosting's cheapest plan costs $2.99/month, making DreamHost a more affordable option.
Ease of use
DreamHost offers a more user-friendly experience and is easier to navigate than A2 Hosting. A2 Hosting’s interface feels dated compared to that of DreamHost.
Performance
Both hosting solutions left a lasting impression, excelling during specific tests and falling short in others. There is no clear winner here, and both A2 Hosting and DreamHost performed solidly.
Security
Compared to A2 Hosting, DreamHost offers more features and security tools for a smaller price tag. Considering the number of safety measures available, DreamHost has better security overall.
Support
Both A2 Hosting and DreamHost have excellent support, offering various ways of contacting them, including a phone line and live chat. With knowledge bases at hand, getting informed answers in no time won’t be a challenge.

So, what is my final verdict?

Taking everything into account, DreamHost wins the DreamHost vs A2 Hosting battle and is the go-to choice for hosting small to mid-size websites. DreamHost is worth the money and attention for a simple, quick, streamlined hosting solution.

A2 Hosting vs DreamHost FAQs

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