DreamHost vs HostPapa – Which Web Host Is Better?

Stuck between choosing DreamHost or HostPapa as your web host? Don’t worry — you’re not alone. 

Tons of users get caught up in the same dilemma! 

Since both DreamHost and HostPapa are quite reputable in the web hosting industry, we understand if you’re having a difficult time deciding between the two. 

To help you make a more informed decision, we’ve made an in-depth DreamHost vs HostPapa comparison review. 

Here, we’ll talk about both providers’ features, services, prices, and customer support. With this, you’ll be able to determine which option suits you best.

Let’s check them out!

DreamHost vs HostPapa - An Overview

HostPapa is a relatively new player in the web hosting industry. Founded in 2006, the company is based in Canada and focuses on providing environment-friendly web hosting services. 

They offer affordable Shared, VPS, and Reseller Hosting plans. 

DreamHost was first established in 1996, a full decade before HostPapa, making it the more experienced of the two. Their services are aimed at medium- to large-sized online businesses. Of course, blogs and other small-time users are also welcome to their plans. 

They provide a huge variety of scalable web hosting plans, including Shared, VPS, Dedicated, and Cloud Hosting.  

DreamHost vs HostPapa: A Side by Side Comparison

DreamHost and HostPapa have varying levels of services that can be good for some but not for others. 

In this section, we’ll be comparing both providers’:

• Uptime and performance
• Products, features, and pricing
• Customer support
• Ease of use

Let’s get into the details.

Uptime and Performance

A high uptime rate is important to keep your site available most of the time. 

HostPapa goes far and beyond with an average uptime of 99.84% (August 2023). That’s already one of the best out there. 

Unfortunately, DreamHost only has an average of 99.98% (August 2023). Although this isn’t the best, it is far from the worse. 

When it comes to performance, though, both providers excel. 

DreamHost shows off with an average loading speed of 1,836 ms (August 2023), whereas HostPapa has an average speed of 537 ms (August 2023). 

Although these numbers aren’t too far apart, they can still affect the way your audience interacts with your website. 

Note: A web hosting provider that offers you at least 99.9% uptime and 1 second (1000 ms) loading speed are good already.

Products, Features, and Pricing

HostPapa has a rather sparse product catalog, making it a less viable option if you’re looking for a web host that offers scalability. 

Regardless, they do offer great starter packages that could help small-time websites build enough traffic and traction to upgrade later on. 

DreamHost, on the other hand, offers a wide array of scalable web hosting packages and valuable resources. 

You’ll find everything you need to achieve success with DreamHost!

Here’s a quick look at each provider’s products, features, and prices: 

HostPapa Web Hosting Plans

DreamHost Web Hosting Plans

HostPapa offers its clients a full 30-day money-back guarantee. If you find their services unsatisfactory, you can cancel your subscription using the cancellation form available in your HostPapa dashboard. 

Once sent, you’ll receive a refund within ninety (90) days. 

Note: If any purchased product or service includes a free domain name, the regular rate for the domain name will be deducted from the refund amount upon cancellation of a subscription.

DreamHost offers its users a substantial 97-day money-back guarantee. Test their services and features all you want — there’s no risk since you have a full 3 months to get to know their tools. 

If you decide to cancel, you simply have to call their customer support service and they’ll guide you through the entire process. 

Note: Depending on what type of product/service you bought, the refund amount may vary. For more details, visit DreamHost’s knowledge base.

Customer Support

DreamHost and HostPapa both have customer support available 24/7/365 via live chat, phone, tickets, and email. 

However, HostPapa also offers 24/7 phone support, which DreamHost lacks.

Besides English, HostPapa provides services in French, German, and Spanish. Plus, they list down all country-specific contact numbers on their website for easier access. 

They also have a knowledge base where customers can go for answers to minor issues and inquiries. And if that’s not enough, the company has a series of multi-lingual tutorial videos and user forums up on their website. 

DreamHost has a dual-lingual option for Spanish speakers, so you can easily get access to information without the need for a translator. 

Like HostPapa, DreamHost has a knowledge base and a user forum where clients can help each other with minor issues and fixes. 

Ease of Use

HostPapa’s checkout is fairly simple. It only takes four (4) pages before you’re fully registered. One thing that we didn’t like, however, is that HostPapa takes you through a confusing list of “essential” add ons. 

These add ons are optional, of course, but HostPapa doesn’t make it that obvious. Therefore, there’s a high possibility that some users will make a mistake and purchase these add ons without knowing. 

Apart from this, HostPapa is very simple. It has an intuitive and navigatable cPanel that’s easy for even beginner users to understand. 

DreamHost’s checkout process is also a tad confusing. It takes about five to six pages to fully register, plus they have all sorts of add ons on display, which can be a little intimidating for users. 

Furthermore, their proprietary control panel may also pose a slight learning curve for users who are already used to the smooth and intuitive prowess of the traditional cPanel. 

This is especially pronounced if you’re a small business and can afford their ‘Do-it-for-me’ add-on, in which HostPapa will make your whole site for you!

DreamHost vs HostPapa: The Verdict

Broadly speaking, HostPapa seems to be the better choice of the two. They offer better uptime and performance, and not to mention, have more features in the basic plan compared to DreamHost.

However, upon closer inspection, you’ll see that DreamHost also has its strengths, especially in terms of scalability and guarantees. 

Ultimately, the best web hosting provider for you is the one that has everything you need to reach your goals. 

HostPapa might be a great place to start, especially if you’re a complete beginner and are just looking to get to know the online industry better. 

On the other hand, DreamHost can be a suitable option if you’re already established and are looking for wase to leverage your rankings and/or conversions. 

We hope that you use the information you gained from this article to make a more informed decision.