We are considering a move to WordPress for our websites and are looking for a reputable online host specializing in Wordpress (not dedicated VMs we manage, or even a basic shared host that we install wordpress on).
Really looking for someone else to manage the Wordpress bits and security while still allowing us to run custom modules and themes and whatnot.
I’m leaning towards DreamPress Advanced (by Dream Host) for $35.95/mo (I believe they have a 35% discount though).
Thoughts? Experiences?
We’re going from self-hosted, which is cumbersome over time but also allows us to throw tons of RAM & CPU at it, so I’m hoping to move to a decent online host without losing the speed we currently experience.
We also have several domains and would like to manage them in the same place but with different settings/themes/etc if at all possible.
We used Dreamhost and have moved to Bluehost. I know that we manage multiple domains. While I don’t manage the sites directly I can say that they tick all the boxes that you specified. It’s definitely nice to not worry about a DMZ for a webhost.
This group may not do what you are looking to do and that would be a good thing, but you might want to stay away from the Endurance International Group. They own several different hosting companies and I have had some times where the connection to the databases drop and all of my sites are down. They also seem to be slower than a lot of other hosting companies. Again, I don’t think this company does exactly what you are wanting but I wanted to throw a caution out there for you in case you run across one of them.
We are in the process of migrating from a dedicated HostGator server to WPEngine. After having Bluehost/HostGator [they are the same company] go down multiple times over the past couple years, we needed a more reliable WP solution. I am very happy with WPEngine and recommend giving them a look. The migration is straight-forward and they have a lot of extra tools specifically designed for WP hosting. They offer several different tiers and non-profit rate.
@tkd_fan: did you move from DreamHost’s DreamPress product, or their general shared host product?
@dljordaneku: I was with PowWeb before they got bought about 15 years ago and they were amazing, I saw the service drop like a rock so I moved to DreamHost, then I just got flat-out cheap and switched to a < $50/year micro-VPS since I stopped doing web stuff anyway. Interesting to hear your experience with them.
@troda: wow, WPEngine is pricey! I’d be really interested to learn a bit more about WPEngine vs. DreamPress because it may still be less expensive over time when considering all of the services we’re looking to add that may be included in WPEngine.
@OneSeventeen I use Fatcow for several sites and I’ve noticed a difference in some sites where I used Fatcow to build out a beta site and then move to another hosting site for the live version. There have been several times where I go to one of the sites and get SQL connection errors.
In the last little bit their support has fallen behind some. You can’t just submit a ticket anymore if you have a basic question on what they have. You have to start a chat session with a support person which on the surface is ok but when you just need to drop a quick question and get back to work, you can’t because you have to sit and wait on a support person on chat to answer.
I believe we moved from their general shared host product. As far as I know…that’s what we’re on with Bluehost as well. I can double check that if you need me to.
Edit 11-6-2017 3:32 PM:
Was doing some troubleshooting for forms on the website and noticed that we are indeed on the shared product.
The great thing about wordpress is it can run pretty effectively on a lot of different shared hosting services. We’ve used hostgator quite a bit with a lot of success. If you’re looking for a wordpress specific environment Flywheel is pretty great as is WP-Engine, but in both cases you’ll pay a bit more than you would with a standard shared server.
Hi Chris - We moved from BlueHost to Flywheel this year. I now host all 6 of our domains there and we love it! Support has been great, the platform is awesome and we have separate themes and settings for each site.
