Nowadays, you can quickly build your website without any coding or design skills. All you need to do is find a good website builder to create and customize the website of your dreams. The question for today is, can the DreamHost Website Builder help you do that?
Choosing a quality Website Builder might be pretty challenging, especially if you don’t know what you need to look for regarding features and ease of use. Today, I will put the DreamHost Website Builder to the test to facilitate your decision-making process.
See, most website builders offer intuitive drag-and-drop functionalities, trial accounts, or money-backs. However, you need to ensure that your website builder does more. Can the DreamHost Website Builder handle your needs as your business grows? Let’s find out.
DreamHost offers a suite of premium tools and plugins to help simplify getting started with WordPress, editing, and managing your site as it grows. The provider offers three WordPress + Website Builder Plans and specifies a four-step process to get started. All you need to do is select a plan, choose a theme, update your content, and voila – you can launch your site!
As mentioned, DreamHost offers three combined offers: Shared Starter, Shared Unlimited and Managed WordPress. Naturally, the WP Website Builder is included in all three. Furthermore, all three plans come with a free domain, the Quick-Start Inspirations Wizard, Premium Starter Sites, Post & Page Builder, and SEO Recommender, but more on those later.
The Shared Starter, Shared Unlimited and Managed WordPress differ in terms of websites and email. The Shared Starter supports one website and doesn’t come with email included. The Shared Unlimited supports email and unlimited websites, while the Managed WP comes with one managed website and unlimited email.
With the Shared WordPress plans, you can spot more affordable prices. Therefore, these two are a great starting point for blogs, small businesses, or portfolios. However, the disadvantage is that you would be sharing all resources with the users on the same server. So, as your site grows, you will probably come to a point where you will have to upgrade.
The Managed WordPress plan solves this issue, providing WordPress-specific services and support for optimal performance, uptime, and security, along with added features and dedicated resources. Instead of the shared environment, it allows for a high-performance cloud.
If you scroll a bit down on the site, you will come to realise there are two more plans. Essentially, DreamHost subdivides the managed offer into DreamPress Starter, DreamPress Plus, and DreamPress Pro.
All five plans are available on a monthly or prepaid basis. Let’s check the other differences, apart from the ones mentioned above.
As you can spot, all five plans come with unmetered bandwidth and unmetered cached monthly visits. However, the two shared plans support fewer uncached visits per month. The DreamPress Starter and Plus are good for moderate levels, while the DreamPress Pro can support high levels of uncached traffic.
DreamHost retains its high standard across all plans and offers, and the typical example in this regard is the SSD storage. The managed plans come with predetermined GB of SSD storage up to 120GB, while the shared ones don’t feature these reserved resources. Still, storage is SSD.
When it comes to WP-specific features, all five plans offer pre-installed WP, free automated WordPress migrations, the WP Website Builder, and automatic WP updates (core and security). The managed offers also come with 1-click staging and built-in caching.
If you go for the DreamPress Plus or Pro, you can also benefit from a free Jetpack Professional, including premium WordPress themes, unlimited CDN, one-click backup and restore, malware scanning, and more.
At last, DreamHost provides automated and on-demand backups and 1-click restore, free domain, free domain privacy, professional email accounts, a custom-built control panel, and advanced features, such as SFTP, Shell Access, and WP-CLI.
I believe it’s enough with theory. So, let’s get down to work. As usual, I will purchase the cheapest available plan to test how everything works and report to you. In my case, that’s the Shared Starter. See, even though you can benefit from much more options within the Managed offers, this one is sufficient for me. First, I am here to do the testing, so I want to save a few bucks. And second, I want to check what DreamHost offers at a minimum. Obviously, it only gets better from that offer and on.
I clicked on ‘Sign Up Now,’ which took me to the following screen. Once you pick a plan, the next step is to choose a domain. You can also change the language, contact support, or change your plan’s term here.
I have to say, I’ve never been so confused. See; usually, web hosting providers grant you better discounts on longer-term plans. And it’s pretty logical if you ask me. This way, they are rewarding loyal customers. But with DreamHost, you can spot the exact opposite. It’s cheaper to go for a monthly plan than the annual or three-year-long one. Anyways, in this case, that works to my advantage. On the other hand, loyal customers shouldn’t be too happy about it.
I will choose the domain later to speed up the registration process. Next, you need to enter card details, billing information and set up your account.
You can go for email or sign up using Google regarding the account setup. On the right, you can also check your order. See, DreamHost automatically checks some boxes, which I don’t like. So, if you want to remove some of these add-ons, make sure to uncheck the respective boxes. Otherwise, you will end up paying for these services as well.
Finally, if you scroll a bit down, you will get to the additional options: DreamShield Protection, DreamHost Email, and Google Workspace. I will not get into more details at this point since I have recently written a DreamHost WordPress review. The options and available add-ons during registration are identical, so feel free to check them out.
Click on Submit Order, and you will be done in seconds.
“Whoop, whoop, welcome to DreamHost.”
Once your order has been completed successfully, you can continue to your Control Panel. At this point, you can also change the language or contact customer support for help.
DreamHost has immediately begun setting up my hosting service.
In the meantime, you can check your email for all messages from DreamHost. The provider will send you FTP and SFTP account information and other useful data.
The process took only a few minutes, after which I saw the following screen.
At the same time, you can check your email once again.
From here, you can log in to WordPress using your email address. However, the first time you log in, you will have to use the link sent via email.
The second step is to start designing your website. DreamHost recommends starting with the ‘BoldGrid Inspirations’ tool. And we’ll do exactly that. Just let me show you the other steps first.
DreamHost auto-enables the WP Super Cache plugin to improve your website speed and performance.
At last, DreamHost sends you a link to its DreamHost Academy and customer support team to teach you all there is to know about WordPress. For instance, you can benefit from a series of expertly written guides loaded with images and videos.
Now, let’ see how you can create your website using the WP Website Builder.
Since DreamHost automates this process, all you need to do is scroll down within the Control Panel and find Log In to WordPress. Next, click on ‘Open WordPress Editor.’
You’ll immediately see the BoldGrid Inspirations.
At this point, you will encounter two options. First, you can get started with three simple steps. More precisely, you can choose from an extensive repository of themes, use demo content as a start or make your own with the easy-to-use design tools. Using this alternative, you can customize your content, add proper plugin functionality, publish and be proud of your new site.
And second, you can transfer an existing website using the Total Upkeep.
Anyways, I will go for the first. I clicked on the orange ‘Let’s Get Started’ button, which took me to the following screen. Here, you can find a broad range of options. You can choose a theme category for the type of site you wish to build. You can filter All, Default, General, Consulting, Marketing, Design, Photography, Fitness, Fashion, Music, Restaurant, Real Estate, and Home Repair.
Once you find a theme of your liking, click on ‘Select.’
Next, you need to choose the basic pages you wish to start with and any additional functionality within the Content section. You can customize your site layout and content with the following three options. First, you can choose an option in the PAGESET menu to select ‘Base’ (3 pages), Five Page (5 pages), or Kitchen Sink (8 pages). If you would like to create a blog, you need to toggle the blog button under Add Functionality. At last, you can click the screen icons at the bottom to display how your site would appear on different devices.
For instance, with three pages, I got Home, Portfolio, and Contact Us. when I clicked on Five Page, DreamHost added Clients and Info as well.
Furthermore, with the Kitchen Sink option, you can also spot Testimonials, Resume, and Services.
And finally, here’s an overview of the Blog functionality.
Once you have adjusted everything to your requirements, click on the blue button labelled ‘Next.’
The next section is ‘Essentials.’ Here, you can provide optional information to be displayed to populate contact information and social media icons throughout your BoldGrid website. Better yet, you can edit this data later or entirely skip the option and click on ‘Finish and Install.’
And now we wait!
Voila! You have installed BoldGrid, after which DreamHost will take you to the Inspirations tab in your WordPress dashboard. Here, you can continue customising your site.
First, you should choose which editor you wish to use.
Within the Inspirations tab in the left pane, you need to click the pencil icon to the right of the page you’d like to edit.
Here, you can either skip the setup or complete the three suggested steps, and I will go for the latter.
Once you click on ‘Okay, let’s go!,’ you will be able to choose a preferred editor.
You can choose between the Post and Page Builder, WordPress Editor, Classic Editor, and default for both posts and pages.
As mentioned, the Post and Page Builder is the recommended BoldGrid editor, so I will go for this option. The WordPress Editor is the standard WordPress page editor found under ‘Pages > All Pages .’ The Classic Editor is similar to the WordPress editor but displays more options. At last, if you select the fourth option, default, it defaults to the Post and Page Builder.
Click on the next step, and you will be done.
Now, say you have chosen the Post and Page Builder, but you don’t like it later on. Worry not; it’s not the end of the world because you can switch to a different editor by clicking the dropdown titled Post and Page Builder.
For instance, I switched to the WordPress editor. DreamHost transferred me in seconds!
Most options are hidden within the WordPress editor. However, you can access them by clicking on the different icons. You can add blocks on the left, while further options are to the right.
Once again, you can switch to a different editor. So, let me check the third and last option. To do so, you need to click on the three dots in the top right – in the Menu under Plugins.
As noted, the Classic editor is very similar to the WP editor. However, you can find more options displayed by default with this option.
Now, let’s go back to my favorite, the Post and Page Builder, to see how you can edit your pages using this option.
You can easily add blocks to your site. All you need to do is click on the blue button Add Blocks. DreamHost will split your page into two sides, whereas the left is your page layout, and the right consists of the available blocks you can add.
You can select the type of block you’d like to add along with a category on the top right. The new blocks will appear on the right side of your page, depending on your choices. You need to hover over the block you wish to add and click Add to Page.
Then, you will spot that DreamHost is installing the new block on the left side of the pane.
Once installed, you can click and drag the section to position it where you like on the page or delete it.
Finally, click the checkmark on the top right to save your changes.
And that’s pretty much the basics. Feel free to navigate the area and find any additional options within the WP Website Builder!
When I review website builders, I determine whether the absolute beginner can navigate the tool easily. After all, these tools are beneficial for non-tech savvy users, so they should provide services accordingly.
What I like the most about DreamHost in this regard is the Quick-Start Inspirations Wizard. The tool guides you through design selection, adding functionality, and entering vital information into your site within minutes.
Better yet, you can use DreamHost’s drag-and-drop editing paired with design blocks to build faster and edit easier. While the Post and Page Builder is great for beginners, it also comes in handy for seasoned professionals. It includes advanced options, apart from the fundamental ones, so that anyone can turn their idea into reality with only a few clicks in the process.
What I also find very useful regarding ease of use is the 1-click staging. Using it, you can create a staging site with a single click and safely test new plugins, themes, and code before pushing your changes live.
At this point, you should also consider the level of support. Are there enough helpful resources that list all features and the ways to use them? Is customer support available 24/7 to help you create your website and solve any issues you might face in the way?
I would say that DreamHost is at a certain disadvantage in this regard. There’s no 24/7 support, even though that, in a way, they claim there is. If you are not an existing customer, you can either use the chat widget or the support email. However, there’s no live chat support. There’s the Customer Support Chat option available through the panel for existing customers. However, it’s limited to work hours, not round-the-clock.
The DreamHost chat widget includes the Knowledge Base, Discussion Forums, System Status, and Tech Support. At this point, you can select an option regarding who you would like to contact – Sales, Billing, Tech Support, Other, or I can’t log in to my DreamHost account.
Once you select an option, you will need to fill out a form and send your question. However, there’s no immediate response nor instant communication.
Furthermore, when it comes to DreamHost Website Builder, the customer support for existing customers primarily depends on the plan you choose.
DreamHost offers standard support within the Shared Starter and Shared Unlimited plans. You will get 24/7 ticket support, live chat support, and available phone support callbacks. However, you cannot expect priority support.
In turn, DreamHost offers WordPress specialised support over tickets, live chat, and phone with the managed offers. Also, you can expect priority support exclusively in the DreamPress Pro plan.
As you probably noticed when I got the DreamHost Website Builder, the first step after choosing the plan was selecting a template. See, templates are the core of website builders. So, you must review how many you can choose from with different providers.
DreamHost offers over 200 industry-specific themes. You can choose from a wide selection, including photography WP themes, real estate, restaurant, music, fitness, designer, clothing, and fashion WordPress themes, and so on.
At this point, you also must consider responsiveness. The question, at this point, is, can the DreamHost Website Builder make your website responsive? After all, you don’t want it to look better on desktop than on mobile when most customers today use mobile devices to browse sites and purchase products. And the answer is pretty simple – it sure can!
DreamHost offers 100% mobile-responsive designs. It means that you won’t have to adjust different versions for different devices. Essentially, you can create a single design and let DreamHost do the rest.
Now, while the template is a good starting point, the question is, what comes next? Can you customize your site, change colors, add new pages, images, buttons, icons, and whatsoever? If yes, how easy can you do it?
DreamHost offers more than a hundred design blocks that you can simply click to add and edit. In turn, you can quickly make your website stand out from competitors. And the best part is, you can do so without any coding skills or experience!
At last, this is what separates one website builder from another. The more features the provider has to offer, the better. As a user, you should strive towards a high level of flexibility, thus considering features such as Google Analytics, CRM, third-party marketing tools, and so on.
The most valuable DreamHost feature in this regard is the real-time SEO Suggester. It includes on-page SEO tips directly into the WP Website Builder. In turn, it can optimize your content for search engines, thus increasing your site visibility.
As mentioned, DreamHost offers a free domain, free domain privacy, professional email accounts, and a few advanced features. For instance, you can benefit from SFTP, Shell Access, WP-CLI, and others. You can also benefit from a free SSL, automated migrations, daily backups, SSD storage, and a custom-build Control Panel. In other words, you can benefit from lots of freebies or an excellent value for your money.
Let’s wrap it up. What makes the DreamHost Website Builder a superior choice? Why would you choose it instead of its competitors?
Pros:
Cons:
While many users struggle to decide between WordPress and a Website Builder, DreamHost overcomes this obstacle since it combines the two. Simply put, you get the best of both worlds.
With DreamHost, you can select from a gallery of themes available within the Website Builder and fully customise those designs using the drag and drop customizer. All you need to do is to point and click on any item in the preview section to edit its properties. As explained, you can also easily change colours, fonts, layouts, navigation menus, and widgets. And the best part is, you don’t need to test any changes live. Instead, you can use the staging site with 1-click instals to test any new design, layout, plugin, or theme before anyone else sees it.
I also like the DreamHost Website Builder’s WYSIWYG page editor, allowing you to edit your pages in WP and get exactly what you see, and the GridBlocks, for dragging and dropping elements to your page and building your layouts from scratch.
All these combined make the DreamHost Website Builder an excellent choice for creating different types of websites with custom domain names, adding blogging functionality, powerful SEO and social media features, eCommerce features, and more.
On the downside, the DreamHost Website Builder is not free. While you can find some free options to build your site on the web, this certainly isn’t one of them. Another thing that puts DreamHost at a disadvantage is indeed its customer support. And since the website builder runs on top of WordPress, you will need a WordPress website to use it.
| Plan Name | Space | Bandwidth | OS | Panel | Number of Sites | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Unlimited | Unlimited | cPanel | Unlimited | A$0.00 | Details | |
| Web Hosting Launch | 25 GB | Unlimited | cPanel | 25 | A$2.84 | Details | |
| Web Hosting Growth | 50 GB | Unlimited | cPanel | 50 | A$4.97 | Details | |
| Web Hosting Scale | 100 GB | Unlimited | cPanel | 100 | A$11.39 | Details |
| Description | Expert Review |
|---|---|
| Budget-friendly hosting ideal for personal websites or small businesses. | Read Shared Hosting Review |
| Managed WordPress hosting with enhanced speed, security, and one-click installs. | Read Wordpress Hosting Review |
| Scalable, high-performance cloud hosting with advanced control and flexibility. | Read Cloud Hosting Review |
| Fully customizable servers with unmatched power and dedicated resources. | Read Dedicated Server Review |
| Scalable hosting solutions for reselling under your own brand. | Read Reseller Hosting Review |
| Professional email hosting with secure, ad-free communication solutions. | Read Email Hosting Review |
| Reliable hosting for bloggers with customizable tools and fast speeds. | Read Blog Hosting Review |
| Optimized hosting for secure, fast, and scalable online stores. | Read Ecommerce Hosting Review |
| Flexible Java hosting with robust environments for application development. | Read Java Hosting Review |
| Reliable Python hosting tailored for developers seeking performance and flexibility. | Read Python Hosting Review |
| Secure file transfer hosting with encrypted connections for safety and reliability. | Read SFTP Hosting Review |
| Read VPS Review |
Yes, DreamHost offers a WP Website Builder to help you quickly put your website together. It’s a suitable solution for all would-be bloggers, consultants, or entrepreneurs. As a customer, you will get everything you need to quickly start your online journey on the right foot at an affordable price.
Yes, DreamHost combines WordPress and its Website Builder. Its Website Builder is built on top of WordPress, powered by BoldGrid. It comes with pre-installed WordPress in all plans, Quick-Start Inspirations Wizard, Post & Page Builder, over 200 premium starter sites, and real-time SEO Recommender. Better yet, DreamHost works closely with WordPress.org, so you’ll always have the newest version of WordPress available in your DreamHost control panel.
DreamHost offers hosting in all three WP Website Builder plans with a money-back guarantee. The shared hosting plans come with a 97-day money-back guarantee, while the managed WP plan comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Yes, DreamHost offers customer support, but it’s a bit limited. There’s no round-the-clock available live chat support. Instead, you can get DreamHost Sales Help (if you are a non-existing customer) through the chat widget. For existing customers, DreamHost offers customer support through the panel. They get email support 24/7 and chat support every day from 3 AM to 9:30 PM PT.
The WP Website Builder by DreamHost comes with several excellent features, including pre-installed WordPress in all plans, Quick-Start Inspirations Wizard, 200 Premium Starter Sites, Post & Page Builder, Real-Time SEO Recommender, and BoldGrid. There’s also the drag-and-drop functionality, SSD Storage, built-in caching, and 1-click staging, free automated WordPress migrations and updates, lots of freebies (SSL, Domain, Domain Privacy, Email Accounts @ Your Domain), automated daily backups, on-demand backups & 1-click restore, and so on.
Answer a few simple questions and find the perfect solution for you!
Start Hosting Search
