Bluehost vs DreamHost vs Pressillion: WordPress Hosting Showdown for Agencies

Choosing a hosting provider isn’t just a technical decision -it’s a strategic one.

For WordPress agencies managing anywhere from 10 to 1,000+ sites, uptime, support, pricing, and scalability can make or break a client relationship. That’s why the comparison between Bluehost vs DreamHost remains a hot topic.

In this guide, we’ll benchmark Bluehost and DreamHost across core hosting categories, and introduce Pressillion – a purpose-built platform designed exclusively for agencies looking for better performance, direct dev support, and transparent pricing.

“After moving to pressillion from WPengine. PHP worker limitation is completely mitigated. The website can now easily handle 300 orders per minute, where WPengine maxed out at about 7.”

Quick Comparison Table

Feature Bluehost DreamHost Pressillion
Starting Price (per site) £9.49/month £7.99/month £3/month
Hosting Stack Apache + PHP-FPM NGINX + Passenger NGINX + Docker + Redis
Caching Basic page caching (plugin) Server cache + Varnish NGINX microcaching + Redis (included)
Dev Tools FTP, limited SSH (higher plans) SSH, Git, WP-CLI (higher plans) SSH, WP-CLI (always included)
WooCommerce Available, manual config Preinstalled on Woo plans Preconfigured + optimized by default
Backups Daily (not guaranteed) Daily (paid add-on) Daily (included)
Migrations Plugin-based 1 free site (manual) Fully managed custom migration
Support 24/7 chat, tiered 24/7 chat + ticket 24/7 chat + ticket – with engineers
White Label ❌ ❌ ❌
Email Hosting ✅ ✅ ❌

Performance: Bluehost vs DreamHost Speed & Stability

Bluehost still runs a largely Apache-based stack, which is fine for basic sites but falls short under scale or WooCommerce traffic. DreamHost employs NGINX for performance gains, but lacks deeper caching optimizations.

According to Review Signal’s independent benchmarks, both providers show inconsistencies under load, especially during peak hours.

Pressillion, by contrast, is designed with performance-first architecture. Sites run inside Docker containers using NGINX with microcaching, Redis for object caching, and auto-tuned PHP-FPM. The result? Faster load times, lower TTFB, and fewer slowdowns.

Developer Workflows: Balancing Power with Usability

DreamHost wins over Bluehost here with default SSH and Git access on most plans. Bluehost restricts this to Pro or VPS tiers, limiting agility for small-to-mid teams.

Pressillion offers SSH, and WP-CLI access out of the box with preconfigured staging. There’s no upsell or gatekeeping around developer tools. Whether you’re deploying 10 sites or 100, your workflow remains consistent.

WooCommerce Hosting: Which Platform Handles Stores Better?

Both Bluehost and DreamHost support WooCommerce, but neither are optimized. DreamHost’s WooCommerce plans include basic caching and Jetpack. Bluehost leans on bundled plugins and shared infrastructure.

Pressillion sets up WooCommerce stores with Redis caching, microcaching, and FastCGI – all preconfigured to handle flash sales or high-concurrency checkouts.

 

Pricing & Cost Transparency

  • Bluehost: Starts at £9.49/month (renewals rise to £17.99/month). Most tools require Pro plans.

  • DreamHost: Starts at £7.99/month. Add-ons like backups and emails may cost more.

  • Pressillion: £3/month per site. No hidden fees. Includes Redis, staging, support, and backups at all tiers.

 

Agency Scaling: Managing 50+ Sites

Bluehost and DreamHost both rely on traditional cPanel or custom dashboards lacking bulk tools. Managing 50+ clients often means repetitive clicks, outdated UIs, and limited or no overview.

Pressillion’s stack is containerized and cluster-ready. Multisite is supported natively, and every member can scale with flexible per-site isolation and an agency dashboard focused on managing clients.

Support Experience: When You Need Help

  • Bluehost provides Tier 1 support. While available 24/7, it’s often slow and based on scripted responses. 
  • DreamHost has helpful chat agents. Response quality is ok, but not tailored to complex agency needs. 
  • Pressillion connects agencies directly with WordPress engineers via LiveChat or email, offering proactive, no-queue support tailored to WordPress and multiple site scenarios.

Migration and Onboarding: Making the Switch Seamless

Migrating 10–100 sites with Bluehost or DreamHost means either DIY plugin use or extra charges. WooCommerce or multisite setups are often not fully supported.

Pressillion handles every migration manually. Agencies get a dedicated onboarding window, config reviews, DNS walk-throughs, and downtime-free cutovers.

Summary

Bluehost is a solid option for beginners or micro-agencies who want bundled email and a familiar dashboard, but it lacks modern dev tools and scalability.

DreamHost offers slightly more flexibility and developer access but still falls short when it comes to high-volume agency use, staging workflows, and WooCommerce optimization.

Pressillion, by contrast, is purpose-built for agencies managing 10 to 1,000+ WordPress websites. It offers:

  • A containerized architecture built for speed and site isolation

  • Redis and microcaching included by default

  • Live/email support with engineers – not scripted replies

  • Fully managed migrations and WooCommerce-specific tuning

  • Transparent per-site pricing with no hidden fees

If you’re ready to move beyond outdated dashboards and shared infrastructure, Pressillion provides a modern, agency-first hosting experience that scales with your growth – and supports your team like partners, not just ticket numbers.

Real-World Agency Q&A

We manage 40 sites across multiple niches. Which provider scales better for client growth?
Bluehost and DreamHost both rely on shared environments with limited site isolation, making it harder to manage growing site portfolios. Pressillion’s Docker-based infrastructure supports clean separation and per-site scaling.
We need Redis and microcaching for WooCommerce. Do any of these offer it natively?
Pressillion includes Redis and NGINX microcaching on all plans, preconfigured for Woo. DreamHost uses Varnish but lacks Redis by default. Bluehost requires plugins and manual setup.
How fast is support when we hit a major issue at 2am?
Bluehost’s tiered chat support can lead to delays. DreamHost’s support is better, but lacks direct engineer contact. Pressillion provides LiveChat or email access to the engineering team, even during off-hours.
We're planning to migrate 75 sites. Who handles it best?
Bluehost and DreamHost offer limited plugin-based migration with no bulk automation. Pressillion offers fully managed agency migrations – from prep to DNS switchover – free of charge.
We run 10 WooCommerce stores. How well do these hosts handle traffic spikes?
Bluehost’s Apache setup may buckle under Woo load. DreamHost performs better with NGINX, but caching isn’t optimized. Pressillion is designed to handle Woo spikes with Redis and container-level scaling.
Can we stage, clone, and deploy updates across sites easily?
Staging is limited or premium on Bluehost. DreamHost offers basic staging. Pressillion enables staging by default on all plans, with automation options in the roadmap.
How does uptime compare beten bluehost and DreamHost?
Both offer strong uptime, Pressillion provides 100% while Bluehost and DreamHost are at 99.95%.
Can we host membership or LMS sites without server issues?

Pressillion supports high-concurrency PHP workloads. DreamHost may lag during spikes. Bluehost’s infrastructure isn’t ideal for heavy-session or logged-in environments.

Do they allow unrestricted plugin usage for caching, SEO, or security?
Bluehost and DreamHost occasionally block plugins that duplicate native services. Pressillion guides, but doesn’t ban plugin usage unless it harms performance.
We host some PBNs and need isolated IPs. Which hosts accommodate that?
Neither Bluehost nor DreamHost officially supports SEO stacks. Pressillion provides container-based site isolation and works with agencies running private blog networks.
We manage a large multisite blog network. Which host is best?

Pressillion supports multisite natively. Bluehost and DreamHost don’t.

We’ve outgrown shared hosting.

Pressillion offers isolated, scalable infrastructure with agency-grade performance.

Can we use our preferred cloud provider?
Yes. Pressillion lets you choose VPS from Linode, DigitalOcean, and Vultr.
We want to move 100+ sites without downtime.

No problem, Pressillion handles zero-downtime migrations with coordinated rollout fast no matter how many sites you need migrating.

Which host is more scalable for traffic spikes?

Pressillion’s load balancing proxy servers auto-scale to meet all traffic demands. Bluehost and DreamHost may throttle and/or require plan upgrades.

Do we get direct access to someone who understands DevOps?
No – Bluehost and DreamHost rely on general support staff. Pressillion connects you directly with the team who maintains the hosting stack.
“Everything about their service is first class and provides us the best security, speed and support available. They have provided exceptional service time and again. I truly feel they are an extension of our team.”

Bluehost vs DreamHost: Our Stack

Our platform was built as the foundation of rock-solid hosting that handles all of the technical aspects of running a WordPress website.

Multi-cloud infrastructure

We have partnered with the leading cloud hosting providers so you can choose predictable and exceptionally reliable hosting for your site.

Superior caching architecture

Backed by NGINX‘s powerful and robust caching technology, our architecture produces extremely fast performance for your WordPress sites.

Advanced network security

Prevent and mitigate threats and meet all your compliance objectives with advanced server security, monitoring, and extensive scans.

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SSL certificate management

Security is your top priority. Support for Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates to encrypt connections and protect sensitive user data in transit.

Expert support response

Ticket and live chat support are available 24/7/365. Thorough investigation, malware cleanup, and remediation to assist with security issues.

Stage & sync to production

Effortlessly launch new websites, test environments and rapidly deploy changes to production with our customized staging environments.

Managed WordPress updates

Core WordPress, plugins, and themes are monitored and patched by our team to ensure your site is protected by the latest security updates.

Website backups & redundancy

Emergency failover and disaster recovery ensures you’re able to quickly restore your website in the event of an incident.

How we support your business

As a WordPress hosting provider, we know you need more than just a place to host your website. You need a partner to do the backend work automatically behind the scenes, so it’s one less thing to worry about.

We take the burden of updates, security, performance monitoring, and server maintenance so you can focus on your business.

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Choose your preferred provider

Businesses looking for an extra edge can choose to host their sites with their preferred server provider. Choose from DigitalOcean, Vultr or Linode. You are in full control.
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Transparent pricing, every year

With Pressillion you only pay what you use, are not tied into a contract. There are no hidden costs or any 3X price increases after your initial deal ends.

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Host unlimited sites on a single account

Launch as many websites as you want – even on our smallest servers. As long as you have resources available, you can set up and manage unlimited websites on your server.

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Everything your site needs, out-of-the-box

Free SSL, Firewalls, Monitoring, Backups, Staging, and more. People that don’t want to complicate their server maintenance, you’ll love how simple it is to launch a site with us.

 “Simply fantastic WordPress hosting. Transferred from another hosting provider. Support did all of the work for me and everything worked perfectly.”

Real testimonials from real people

Learn what people have to say about our platform and support teams

"Fantastic WordPress hosting."

"Superb hosting for a great price."

"Great hosting and support."

"Great WordPress hosting"

"The easiest way to switch hosting provider."

"stable, fast and reliable."

"Highly recommended."

"the support is second to none."

"support is even open on New Year’s Day!"

"Pressillion's managed WordPress hosting service is exceptional"

"At last, WordPress hosting that is done the right way."

"Happily used them for the last two years"

"Awesome hosting. Really fast"

"outstanding performance"

Our promise to you

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24/7 Expert Support

When you win, we win. That’s why our team of WordPress specialists is always available to support you.

30-Day Money-Back Guarantee

We’re so sure you’ll be satisfied that we offer you the world’s best WordPress hosting with no strings attached.

100% Uptime Guarantee

You need reliability - we provide it. Our multi-cloud architecture ensures success by making your site available 24/7/365.

 

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