Dreamhost Domain – Founded in 1997, DreamHost is a web hosting company that powers over 1.5 million websites. Alongside popular shared hosting plans, DreamHost also allows customers to register and manage domain names including both common TLDs like .com and .net as well as newer domain extensions.
As an ICANN-accredited registrar, DreamHost enables users to register, renew and transfer domains to use with their hosting accounts or third-party servers. Key features include free private registration, easy management through their online control panel, and integration with other DreamHost services.
In terms of pricing, DreamHost offers domain registration and transfers starting at $11.99 per year. Their rates are higher than most dedicated registrars but may appeal to those already using their web hosting and wanting domain convenience. Renewal pricing also remains reasonable compared to budget providers.
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Dreamhost Domain Registering
Dreamhost is a web hosting provider established in 1996 and registered just a year later in the county of L.A. in California. They now boast over 400 thousand customers. They offer web hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated hosting, cloud hosting and the important WordPress Hosting. DreamHost are also in the Domain business and offer a range of Top Level Domains including .com and .co.uk.
Taking pride in offering their customers the best service possible is one of DreamHosts goals. They also want their customers to be in full control of their own data, so DreamHost don’t mine your data for their own beneficial purposes.
Dreamhost Domain Pricing;
Very similar to many other Domain Registrars, Dreamhost have many prices that are the same for more than one domain. Below I have produced a table showing you all the pricing for registering a domain and renewing your domain with Dreamhost. Dreamhost also offer domain transfers, so this is also included within the table produced below.
Generally the price of the domain will be the price of the renewal and the transfer, which is quite similar to competitors. Dreamhost do have a few extensions on sale (11/2023). They are;
The price for transferring domains is usually the same price as the domain itself and the domain renewal price.
| TLD | Register | Renew | Transfer |
|---|---|---|---|
| .comSale | $7.99 | $19.99 | $9.99 |
| .netSale | $10.99 | $17.99 | $13.95 |
| .orgSale | $11.99 | $17.99 | $13.95 |
| .infoSale | $13.95 | $17.99 | $13.95 |
| .clubSale | $2.99 | $12.95 | $12.95 |
| $19.95 | $19.95 | $19.95 | |
| .guru | $39.95 | $39.95 | $39.95 |
| .link | $10.95 | $10.95 | $10.95 |
| .photography | $19.95 | $19.95 | $19.95 |
| .today | $19.95 | $19.95 | $19.95 |
| .xyzSale | $1.99 | $12.99 | $12.99 |
| .coSale | $6.99 | $26.95 | $26.95 |
| .com.co | $19.95 | $19.95 | $19.95 |
| .net.co | $19.95 | $19.95 | $19.95 |
| .nom.co | $19.99 | $19.99 | $19.99 |
| .co.uk | $11.95 | $11.95 | $11.95 |
| .me.uk | $9.99 | $9.99 | $9.99 |
| .org.uk | $9.95 | $9.95 | $9.95 |
| .co.nz | $40.99 | $40.99 | $40.99 |
| .net.nz | $40.99 | $40.99 | $40.99 |
| .org.nz | $40.99 | $40.99 | $40.99 |
| .asiaSale | $2.99 | $14.95 | $14.95 |
| .biz | $16.99 | $16.99 | $16.99 |
| .mobi | $24.95 | $24.95 | $24.95 |
| .name | $12.95 | $12.95 | $12.95 |
| .bz | $24.95 | $24.95 | N/A |
| .ca | $16.95 | $16.95 | $16.95 |
| .cc | $24.95 | $24.95 | $24.95 |
| .de | $9.95 | $9.95 | $9.95 |
| .es | $12.95 | $12.95 | $12.95 |
| .eu | $9.95 | $9.95 | $9.95 |
| .in | $14.95 | $14.95 | $14.95 |
| .meSale | $2.99 | $32.95 | $32.95 |
| .tvSale | $9.99 | $34.95 | $34.95 |
| .usSale | $2.99 | $11.95 | $11.95 |
| .ws | $24.95 | $24.95 | N/A |
| .academy | $29.95 | $29.95 | $29.95 |
| .accountant | $29.95 | $29.95 | $29.95 |
Some of the above prices are on a deal so may be cheaper than the original price. With the deals the price for the renewal and transfer are the same. All the pricing was accurate at time of writing but are subject to change by Dreamhost themselves. We will take great care to be on top of any pricing changes!
Comparison table of DreamHost’s domain registration pricing and features versus key competitors:
| Registrar | Initial .COM Price | Renewal .COM Price | Privacy Included? | Supports Transfer In? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DreamHost | $11.99 per year | $14.95 per year | Yes, free private registration | Yes |
| GoDaddy | $2.99 first year | $17.99 per year | $9.99 per year for privacy | Yes |
| Namecheap | $8.88 first year | $9.88 per year | Yes, free WhoisGuard | Yes |
| Bluehost | $15.99 per year | $15.99 per year | No, $2.88 per year for privacy | Yes |
Notes & Key Takeaways:
- DreamHost pricing is higher than budget registrars for initial and renewal fees
- Privacy protection included free with each domain registration
- Supports transferring domains from other registrars
- Renewal pricing remains quite reasonable compared to rivals
- Best value for those already using DreamHost hosting
Additional features with Dreamhost;
With every domain purchase, users will get access to many features, including DNS management, Subdomains and Whois privacy. Receiving free Whois privacy is great as it means all personal information associated with your domain will be protected. All information will be changed to Dreamhost’s information. This feature usually costs, so it is a great feature to have. This means you as an owner of a domain will receive no email spam and a no amount of calls from people looking to design your site.
Dreamhost also give their users access to DNS management. This allows you to update your named server easily and to reference certain computer and devices with the help of IP addresses. This will improve the security of your domain and site.
Users also get access to free Subdomains. This will help you make your site more yours and more a business if you would like that. With Subdomains, your site will look and feel more professional. Free custom name-servers are also included with Dreamhost, also making your domain/site look more professional.
With Dreamhost you’re able to use your domains to forward/re-direct to another website and URL. Many big companies would do this to get more traffic to their websites. An example of this would be banter.com.
You are also able to lock your domain with Dreamhost. This is a great option for many users. This will protect your domain against transfer requests that haven’t been made by you and scammers, trying to disturb you.
Additional details on key domain features offered by DreamHost:
Domain Privacy Protection:
- Yes, DreamHost includes free private domain registration and WHOIS privacy with each domain purchase. This hides your personal contact details from public view.
Domain Management Dashboard:
- All domains can be managed from the DreamHost web hosting control panel dashboard. It provides options to:
- Update nameservers & DNS records
- Set up domain forwarding/redirects
- Configure email accounts and routing
- Renew domains manually or enable auto-renew
- Manage contacts and transfer lock status
- Add/Update private registration details
The domain tools in the DreamHost control panel cover most standard use cases around managing domains although they lack some advanced capabilities like domain tasting/apraisal offered at dedicated registrars.
But for basic domain management like keeping registration information updated, configuring email and more, DreamHost provides sufficient tools without needing external registrar logins or interfaces. Everything can be handled in one place alongside website hosting administration.
Dreamhost Domain Customer Support & Responsiveness:
DreamHost provides 24/7 customer support via multiple channels including live chat, email tickets, and US-based phone support. While overall support ratings are positive, responsiveness specifically around domain issues has received a mixed reception:
- Live Chat: Average wait times are 12-15 minutes before being connected to a human agent. Many domain issues are unable to be fully handled via chat.
- Support Tickets: The average first response time for domain requests like transfers, nameserver changes is typically 2-3 days which can be painful. Most domain support tickets end up escalated to senior specialists.
- Phone Support: While phone allows immediate responses or callbacks, it can take days to have more complex domain issues resolved. Agents are not as knowledgeable around domain registration.
While DreamHost offers education around configurations like domain forwarding or masking, more technical issues around newly registered domains not propagating or transfers timing out end up requiring senior support escalation.
Compared to dedicated registrar customer support teams, DreamHost agents are still learning how to address unique domain management issues like expired registrations, WHOIS info updates, inbound transfers timing out etc. Responsiveness has room for improvement.
So in summary – options to contact DreamHost for domain help exist 24/7 but the level of responsiveness and complexity resolved remains behind GoDaddy and more specialized registrars. Be prepared to have patience!
Dreamhost Domain – User reviews citing DreamHost’s performance specifically as a domain registrar:
Positive:
“I’ve registered several domains with DreamHost over 3 years and they make it really easy to manage everything in one place along with my hosting.” – Sam W., DreamHost customer via BestCompany.com
“Their domain privacy protection works well and hides all my personal details from public view without any extra charges.” – Amy L., DreamHost user via WebHostingTalk forums
Negative:
“It took nearly 5 days to just get a transfer authorization code from them which ended up timing out and canceling my inbound domain transfer.” – Lucas C., unhappy client via Reviews.io
“I wouldn’t recommend DreamHost if you plan to register more than just a handful of domains – pricing adds up and their support team seems overwhelmed at scale.” – Darren P., domain investor via YouTube comments
The consensus from most user commentary in 2023 centered on domains seems to be that DreamHost works well enough for basic registrations and management needs. But issues emerge once you get to more complex tasks like transferring large domain portfolios in or need urgent support responses.
Feature limitations, lagging support, and higher pricing notes compound over time for savvier domain buyers. DreamHost excels primarily at hosting while domain registration remains more of an ancillary offering.
DreamHost’s reliability and security as a domain registrar:
Reliability
- As an ICANN-accredited registrar, DreamHost meets stringent standards for uptime, performance, and customer fund handling. ICANN conducts annual audits for accreditation.
- Domains registered with DreamHost rely on their globally distributed DNS network with redundancy measures like load balancing and failover. This provides excellent DNS resolution reliability.
- Over 1.5 million websites hosted relies on DreamHost’s domain registration system indicating most customers find their domains sufficiently reliable.
- However, some users have experienced longer than average propagation times for newly registered domains which hurts site access reliability in the short term.
Security:
- DreamHost utilizes SSL/TLS encryption for customer logins and other communication adding a layer of security.
- Domain management accounts are protected by two-factor authentication as an optional added security capability.
- Payment information for domains is stored on PCI-compliant servers that meet modern cybersecurity standards.
- Behind the scenes DreamHost domains are stored across access-controlled DNS servers to prevent tampering.
While not perfect, DreamHost offers respectable reliability and security controls for most general domain registration use cases. More advanced users may find limitations but their foundation meets common customer standards via ICANN accreditation and policies.
My thoughts on Dreamhost Domain;
Overall I believe Dreamhost to be a good company to buy a domain with or transfer you domain too. Domains seems quite reasonable and are between the $0-$40 mark which I believe is a good price for a domain. Prices can go up to the hundreds and thousands but that is a running theme with the type of domain extensions they are.
All the additional features including the Whois privacy, the domain lock and the DNS management also make Dreamhost a worthwhile consideration when buying a domain. These features help protect your domain/site from spammers and and hackers.
So the question really is, would I use Dreamhost fro buying or transferring a domain? And the answer would be yes I would for the reasons I have said above.
Dreamhost Domain FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about DreamHost Domain Registration:
Q: Does DreamHost offer free WHOIS privacy protection?
A: Yes, private domain registration is included free with each domain purchase.
Q: Can I transfer domains into my DreamHost account?
A: Yes, DreamHost supports inbound domain transfers with some limitations around transfer response times.
Q: What TLDs can be registered with DreamHost?
A: They offer registration for popular TLDs like .com and .net as well as over 200 new domain extensions.
Q: Is DreamHost better for domain registration or web hosting?
A: Primarily web hosting – domain registration capability is secondary and best suited for simpler needs.
Dreamhost Domain Conclusion
In summary, DreamHost can serve as a capable registrar for basic domain registration and management needs but shows limitations at greater scale. While pricing is higher than other registrars, one-stop management alongside hosting accounts may appeal to some customers.
However, those needing advanced domain features, bulk transfers, or urgent support issues may find better value from a dedicated low-cost registrar like Namecheap vs paying DreamHost’s premium. As primarily a hosting provider, domain registration remains a secondary line of business.
For managing a handful of domains, DreamHost gets the job done. But buyers should carefully weigh the conventience factor against potentially cheaper and more specialized alternatives focused exclusively on domains.
Check out our other Domain Reviews; 123Reg | GoDaddy | NameCheap | Name.com | Gandi | Hover | Flippa.com | HostGator | 1&1 | Dreamhost
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