When choosing between web hosting providers DreamHost vs A2, there are several considerations that may make one a better fit for your small business website than the other. Both offer basic web hosting at a reasonable price, but DreamHost includes features like unlimited storage, a drag-and-drop website editor, and robust email, which helps set it apart from A2.
Here’s a quick take on when to choose DreamHost and when to use A2:
- DreamHost: You want to build a WordPress site but think you’ll need a website builder
- A2: You’re considering a virtual private server (VPS) or dedicated server
DreamHost vs A2 at a Glance
Expert Score | 4.9 out of 5 | 4.58 out of 5 |
Cost per Month* | From $2.95 | From $1.99 |
Unlimited Plan* | $2.95 | $3.99 |
Ecommerce From* | From $2.95 (requires plugin) | From $1.99 |
Storage | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Bandwidth | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Website Builder | BoldGrid drag-and-drop builder | A2 SiteBuilder or Elementor drag-and-drop builder for WordPress |
Automatic Updates | ✓ | ✕ |
Free Themes | ✓ | ✕ |
Daily Backups | ✓ | ✓ |
Basic Email | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Support | 24/7 ticket, chat, and phone support (callback) | 24/7 phone, chat, and ticket support |
*With annual billing; renews at higher rate |
Note: Because DreamHost and A2 both offer unlimited hosting plans for a negligible price difference, we chose to use these plans in our comparison, as these plans are the best fit for most small businesses and renew at only slightly higher rates than the lower tiers. DreamHost offers its Shared Unlimited plan for $2.95 a month for the first year, while A2’s Drive plan provides similar features for $3.99 a month.
When to Use DreamHost
DreamHost’s Shared Unlimited plan starts at $2.95 per month for the first year and includes a number of features that make it a great choice for many small businesses. Here’s when to consider using DreamHost:
- You’re a new WordPress user: WordPress is a great content management system (CMS), but it’s not the easiest to build with. DreamHost includes BoldGrid, a drag-and-drop editor that makes it a bit easier to create your website.
- You plan on hosting a lot of products or images: DreamHost’s Shared Unlimited plan includes unlimited storage and bandwidth, meaning you’ll never outgrow your hosting plan.
When to Use A2
A2’s Drive plan similarly offers features that make it a worthy choice for your small business website. Here are a couple of reasons to consider using A2:
- You need a non-WordPress website builder: Both providers offer a non-WordPress page builder, but A2’s is slightly more robust and a little more intuitive to use.
- You want a managed WordPress hosting plan: A2 and DreamHost both offer managed WordPress plans, but A2’s plan is more than $60 a year cheaper, making it the better option.
Best Alternatives to A2 & DreamHost
Both DreamHost and A2 provide basic web hosting solutions that will fit many small business needs. But they aren’t the only choices for hosting your small business website. Because both providers rely heavily on WordPress, they might not be the best fit for your site. Here are a few alternatives to consider:
Cost per Month* | $16 | $2.99 | $16 |
Ecommerce Plans Monthly* | $27 | $2.99 | $33 |
Websites | 1 | Up to 100 with Hostinger Site Builder or WordPress | 1 |
Storage | 2GB plus page-count limits | 100GB with unlimited page counts | Unlimited, but page-count limits apply |
Bandwidth | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Website Builder | AI builder or template-based, plus drag-and-drop editing | AI-driven with section-based editing | Block-based templates with drag-and-drop editing |
Templates | ~900 | ~60 | 110 |
1-click Add-ons | 300+ | ~12 | ~36 |
Learn More | |||
*With annual billing; Hostinger renews at a higher rate ($8.99) |
A2 vs DreamHost Pricing
Starting Cost per Month: $2.95* Renews at: $19.99/month* Includes: Unlimited websites Free domain Free SSL Unlimited storage Unlimited traffic WordPress pre-installed BoldGrid WordPress website builder Unlimited email addresses | Starting Cost per Month: $1.99* Compared Plan: $3.99* Renews at: $11.99 Includes: Unlimited websites Free SSL Unlimited storage Unlimited traffic One-click WordPress installation Elementor WordPress website builder Unlimited email addresses |
*Billed annually |
At an introductory price of just $2.95, DreamHost’s Shared Unlimited plan ranks among the most affordable web hosting solutions we’ve found. Though many small business owners might default to the introductory tier, DreamHost prices their Shared Unlimited plan (the second tier) at the same price as its lower tier for the first year. This plan is one of the best web hosting solutions we’ve ever reviewed.
A2 offers a comparable plan, though it’s a little more expensive upfront—$3.99 a month. The plan also does not include a free domain, which DreamHost does, which represents an additional upfront expense of as much as $20. That being said, A2 renews at just $11.99. So if long-term value is where you’re looking, A2 makes the better choice.
Most Affordable: DreamHost at first, A2 in the long run
In terms of pricing, it’s a wash with A2 vs DreamHost. A2 provides a better long-term value, as it renews more than $90 a year cheaper than DreamHost. But DreamHost provides a lot of upfront oomph for your dollars, and for startups, this may be the deciding factor. Learn more about DreamHost and what it offers in our in-depth DreamHost review.
DreamHost vs A2 Products & Services
Shared web or WordPress hosting from $2.95/month* | Shared web or WordPress hosting from $1.99/month*; $3.99 tier reviewed |
WooCommerce hosting from $16.99/month* | WooCommerce hosting from $1.99/month* |
Managed WordPress hosting from $16.95/month* | Managed WordPress from $9.99/month* |
Virtual Private Server (VPS) starting at $10.00/month* | Virtual Private Server (VPS) starting at $2.95/month* |
Dedicated servers from $249/month | Dedicated servers from $155.99/month |
Domain registration ($8.99-19.99/year for .com) | Domain registration ($11.99/year for .com) |
Google WorkSpace from $7.20/month per user | Must order directly from Google |
*Billed annually; may renew at a higher rate |
DreamHost and A2 offer a number of advanced products and services for users who need more than basic hosting. These products include virtual private servers, dedicated servers, and WordPress management. While the services stack up apples-to-apples, A2 manages to win the category for one specific reason: pricing.
Across the board, A2’s advanced products and services are much less expensive than similar products from DreamHost. For example, a VPS from DreamHost starts at $10 a month for the first year. You can get a self-managed VPS from A2 for just $2.95 a month. If you plan on building a massive ecommerce site and need a dedicated server, A2 wins on this front as well, with dedicated server pricing starting at just $155.99 a month vs DreamHost’s $249 a month.
One popular area where DreamHost does win out is with the integration of Google Workspace. If your business runs on Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Sheets, you can incorporate those products into your DreamHost account easily for just $7.20 per user, per month. (Find out more in our Google Workspace review).
Best Web Hosting: DreamHost
Storage | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Bandwidth | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Free Domain & SSL | ✓ | SSL only |
Email | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Content Delivery Network (CND) | Add-on, 12 cents per GB | Add-on available, custom pricing |
While web hosting at DreamHost and A2 stacks up relatively evenly, DreamHost takes the top spot for two reasons. Both providers deliver unlimited storage, bandwidth, and email for users in their second-tier plans. But DreamHost does so for a little more than $30 cheaper for the first year—$12 in monthly charges and $21.99 for the domain.
Also, DreamHost carries the hosting category because it makes incorporating a content delivery network (CDN) simpler. A CDN stores copies of your website on servers around the world. When someone accesses your website, the server that is closest to them sends the files. This can improve your search engine performance as well as user experience (UX).
While you can configure a CDN to work with A2, this is an add-on available from third parties. With DreamHost, you can add a CDN right from the control panel for a relatively affordable 12 cents per GB.
Best WordPress Hosting: A2
WordPress Pre-installed | ✓ | ✓ |
WordPress Page Builder | ✓ | ✓ |
Daily Backups | ✓ | ✓ |
Automated WordPress Migration | ✓ | ✓ |
Automatic WordPress Updates | ✓ | ✓ |
WooCommerce-ready Plans | $16.99/month* | $1.99/month* |
Managed WordPress Plans | From $19.99/month* | From $9.99/month* |
*Billed annually; may renew at higher rate |
With more than 50 million installations worldwide, WordPress is the most popular content management system (CMS) on the planet. But it’s not the easiest to use. DreamHost and A2 both allow you to host a WordPress website on their servers, and both provide a number of tools to help make running your WordPress site easier.
DreamHost strives to make WordPress as painless and simple as possible. This includes features to reduce complexity and ease website construction with WordPress. For example, DreamHost gives each user a free instance of BoldGrid, a powerful drag-and-drop website builder for WordPress. Also, WordPress comes pre-installed on every account. These are just some of the reasons DreamHost nabbed the top spot on our list of the best cheap WordPress hosting providers.
However, A2 includes many of the same features as DreamHost—or it provides similar features that accomplish the same task. One example is that A2 utilizes a different WordPress website builder, Elementor. It’s drag-and-drop, as well, but it’s not quite as intuitive as BoldGrid. A2 includes daily automatic WordPress backups just like DreamHost.
Perhaps the single biggest difference between the two providers comes when you compare advanced WordPress installations, such as ecommerce or managed WordPress plans. DreamHost offers WooCommerce-enabled plans starting at $16.99 per month for the first year.
You can install WooCommerce on A2 for no additional cost over the base monthly plan. Likewise, A2 offers a much cheaper managed WordPress plan, besting DreamHost by $10 a month. Though both providers offer similar features, A2 wins on WordPress hosting because it offers many of the advanced features some users will need for roughly half the price.
Best Place to Buy Domains: DreamHost
.com Introductory Price | $8.99 | $11.99 |
Renews At | $19.99 | $19.99 |
Domain Privacy | Included | Add-on |
From time to time, you might want to purchase a domain name without hosting or email. This is called “parking” a domain. Common reasons to park a domain include protecting the name of trademarked products or services, as well as future business growth plans. You can park a domain with either DreamHost or A2, but DreamHost offers a better value.
The introductory price of a .com domain on DreamHost is just $8.99, and it renews after the first year at $19.99. The same domain with A2 will cost you $11.99 with a renewal rate of $19.99. However, DreamHost includes free domain privacy, which improves security and reduces spam. With A2, you’ll have to pay an additional fee of $9.95 a year.
DreamHost also makes searching for a domain and purchasing it quite simple. With just a few clicks, you’ll have your new domain paid for and secured. When we attempted to make a similar purchase through A2, we ran into repeated difficulties with the interface, including multiple errors and conflicts. In DreamHost vs A2, DreamHost is the better place to buy domains.
Best Business Email Provider: DreamHost
Standalone Email Hosting | $1.67/month per address | $1.59/month per address |
Storage | 25GB | 10GB |
Email Aliases | Yes | Yes |
Productivity Suite (Documents, Spreadsheets, Presentations) | Add-on | Add-on via Google WorkSpace |
Anti-Phishing & Virus Protection | Yes | Yes |
Mobile & Desktop Apps | Yes | Yes |
Add to Email Clients | Yes | Yes |
Google Workspace Add-on | $7.20/user, per month | Must purchase directly from Google |
For businesses that don’t require a website, standalone email is the answer. Both A2 and DreamHost offer email-only solutions for small businesses. If you only need a couple of email addresses, either provider’s email hosting plan can save you money. However, they don’t stack up easily.
DreamHost allows you to purchase email addresses on its email-only plan for $1.67 per address, per month. This includes 25GB of email storage and an available productivity suite add-on. Additionally, each email box enjoys anti-phishing, anti-virus, and spam-blocking features to help keep your email box secure. This is why DreamHost lands a spot on our list of best email hosting providers.
With A2’s standalone email purchase, you’ll pay a slightly cheaper $1.59 per address, monthly. However, you’ll only get 10GB of storage, and if you want a productivity suite, you’ll need to purchase Google Workspace—which you’ll have to get and configure manually directly with Google. (DreamHost makes this a one-click add-on in its control panel.)
When it comes to business email purchases, DreamHost handily tops A2 on included storage and value. With more than twice the storage for only about 20 cents per month in additional cost, DreamHost wins.
Best Professional Services: DreamHost
Website Design | From $1,499 | ✕ |
Social Media Marketing | From $399 | ✕ |
SEO | From $399 | ✕ |
Website Management | From $59 | ✕ |
Custom Web Development | From $89/hour | ✕ |
DreamHost offers professional services like web design, search engine optimization (SEO), and website management to help you improve overall brand presence online. DreamHost will even manage your social media accounts and advertising to maximize traffic.
These professional services make DreamHost a one-stop source for almost all of your online marketing needs (you’ll still need to run your own Google Ads campaigns). Professional services like social media marketing and SEO start at $399, while website design starts at an affordable $1,499.
Unfortunately, A2 offers no professional services, which means you’re left to your own devices for managing your website, building pages, and engaging potential customers via social media. Because only DreamHost offers professional services, it carries the category.
Best Customer Support: A2
24/7 Support | ✓ | ✓ |
Chat Support | ✓ | ✓ |
Email/Ticket Support | ✓ | ✓ |
Phone Support | Via callback | ✓ |
Knowledge Base | ✓ | ✓ |
Tutorials | ✓ | ✓ |
Access to customer support is critical, especially when you run into a technical problem with your website. DreamHost and A2 both provide easy access to customer support 24/7, but support options are not exactly equal.
DreamHost offers 24/7 support via web chat, email/ticket support, and an extensive knowledge base. It also offers a range of written and video tutorials to help you master website construction and management. If you prefer phone support, you can schedule a callback either through the chat interface or via a web form. But it does not offer a direct-dial support option.
For its part, though, A2 does offer on-demand telephone support. You can reach a friendly, qualified adviser via phone 24/7. This gives A2 the edge over DreamHost when it comes to customer support.
Customer Reviews of A2 vs DreamHost
On the customer review site G2, DreamHost users report generally positive experiences with DreamHost, awarding the provider 3.7 out of 5 stars. Customers appreciate DreamHost’s customer support team. They also report excellent results from DreamHost’s professional services. That being said, not everything was rosy. Some users found the onboarding process difficult. Also, many users were surprised by hidden fees when trying to move away from DreamHost.
The picture is slightly better for A2, with G2 reviewers giving the provider 4.4 out of 5 stars. A2 users highlighted website load speeds, flexible services that grow with your website, and excellent customer support. The single biggest issue users report with A2 is a slightly higher than expected pricing compared to other providers.
Overall, both DreamHost and A2 received mostly favorable reviews. Very little jumps out as a point of major concern. On customer reviews, it’s a tie.
See how DreamHost performs against the competition. We placed DreamHost in a head-to-head matchup with some of the top web hosting providers. See how it did:
Expert Opinion & Scoring
To assess A2 vs DreamHost, we tapped into decades of web design and development experience to assess each provider’s core features. We also looked at the niche features both providers offer, and we weighed that against what each provider charges for their services. Here’s how things shook out:
20% of Overall Score
Price is the single most important factor for most small businesses, especially startups. We awarded the provider that will save you the most money in the long run a higher score.
30% of Overall Score
In many ways, web hosting is web hosting, no matter where you go. But there can be some major differences in general features. These features include free domains and SSL certificates, storage space, bandwidth, email, and more. We considered each of these to arrive at our best-for determination.
15% of Overall Score
A niche feature is something unique or rare that a provider offers, such as a particular website builder or a service that sets them apart. We took a look at niche features offered by both providers and listed the pros and cons to determine how well these features serve the user.
10% of Overall Score
If you’re new to the website-building game, you’ll probably need at least some customer support. We gave an edge to the provider that offers the most in the way of support and guidance.
25% of Overall Score
You can’t substitute experience. Our expert score is based solely on our own knowledge and history with building websites. We have more than 20 years of design and development experience to back up our assessment of both providers, and then we checked our opinions against what customers have to say.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The key differences between A2 and DreamHost come down to services. Both providers offer affordable, user-friendly web hosting and email experiences, but only DreamHost provides customers with optional professional services for website design, social media marketing, and SEO. These professional services almost make DreamHost a one-stop shop for your online marketing needs.
DreamHost is one of the top-rated web hosting providers in the market today. Their servers are incredibly fast and stable, customer support is above par, and building a WordPress website with DreamHost is easier than any other provider we’ve reviewed. DreamHost frequently ranks highly in our buyer’s guides for these reasons and many, many more.
The biggest drawback to A2 is its user-friendliness. While A2 offers a host of services and products at very competitive prices, many of these products and services are self-managed, leaving users to figure out how to work them on their own. Technical support is available, but there’s no substitute for front-loading a product or service with easy configurations and pre-installed features.
Bottom Line
In the match-up between DreamHost vs A2, it’s a dead heat tie. Both providers offer similar products and features at prices that are competitive—both with the market in general as well as with one another. DreamHost wins on introductory plans, but A2 delivers more value when it comes time to renew. A2 wins the price war on the basic advanced features like VPNs, but DreamHost makes VPNs easier. Which you choose will ultimately come down to your needs.