DreamHost is a website hosting service with features such as managed VPS hosting, public cloud computing, and dedicated servers. Managed options include WordPress with the DreamPress upgraded service with staging and coaching, WooCommerce hosting, as well as dedicated server hosting.
$3.95
per month
JetRails
Score 9.8 out of 10
Mid-Size Companies (51-1,000 employees)
JetRails headquartered in Des Plaines is a managed hosting at scale provider supporting Drupal, WordPress, as well as ecommerce solutions (Magento, WooCommerce, BigCommerce).
If you're not too technical, don't want to spend time managing a server and want something quality while sticking to a budget, DreamHost is the best it can get. We may be able to save money by switching to something like AWS, but for our usage it doesn't totally make sense even with potential cost-savings and improved speeds. The support and ease of use cannot be overstated here.
Hosting is a complicated thing to get right, JetRails is well suited at understanding a client's business case and technology needs in order to match them with the right solution at the right price. Finding a great hosting partner is very difficult, as in most cases one gets treated like a number or just another customer. The JetRails team takes a personal interest in the success of their clients and in the success of JetRails as a whole.
There was one instance where DreamHost support caused unnecessary downtime because they misread my request. Unfortunately I don't have access to that account anymore (it was an old employer) so I don't remember the details. To avoid this, make it very clear whether you're just asking a question or want support to handle it (they can be quite eager to fix the problem even when you've just asked a question), and be VERY clear what you need when doing the wrong thing may cause serious problems.
We have every intention of staying with Dreamhost, but we are a tad concerned with the company's recent involvement in high profile litigation and controversial topics. While we don't take a position one way or another on what type of content they should host, one concern we have is that repeated attacks on their infrastructure have caused significant downtime during business hours for us, and that's something we'll have to take into consideration going forward.
The usability of JetRails comes down to the team, the people at JetRails are entirely the reason we continue to work with them and focus on the future with them. The people are insightful and interested in our and our clients' success. Sure the fact they use cutting edge technology helps, but it wouldn't mean much without the personal touch to match the specifications to the clients' needs perfectly.
Whether we're calling in on the phone, live chatting or emailing, we get immediate high-quality, native English-speaking support. This cannot be overstated when it comes to hosting, because support tickets are usually time sensitive and high stress. I've always had great experiences with the limited times we've needed to use DreamHost support. We've dealt with support for many other providers and no one comes close to DreamHost.
We've tried a few other WordPress-specific hosts, as well as other shared hosting providers (Rackspace, WPEngine, and others). We have found that DreamHost gives the best balance of cost, performance, and features, for our needs. All vendors have their own pitfalls and shortcomings, and DreamHost isn't without its own, but it works for us.
We used HostGator in the past when our website was still small and fairly new. Easy to set up, but nowhere near the level of complexity, details, and help from actual human beings that JetRails provides.
