Linode (Akamai) Wins
Score Comparison
Criteria
Linode (Akamai)
DreamHost
Overall Score
8.4
8.1
Performance
8.6
8.0
Features
8.2
8.2
Ease of Use
8.5
7.8
Pricing/Value
8.6
8.5
Support
8.0
7.5
Pricing & Features
Specification
Linode (Akamai)
DreamHost
Starting Price
$5/mo
$2.59/mo
Pricing Model
Subscription
Subscription
Making Your Decision
When to Choose Linode (Akamai)
Price-conscious developers who want reliable performance and good support
Linode (now part of Akamai) offers solid VPS hosting with competitive pricing and reliable performance. A great middle-ground choice for those who find AWS too complex but need more than basic shared hosting.
Strengths
- Consistent performance with dedicated CPU options
- Competitive pricing with generous bandwidth
- Now backed by Akamai CDN infrastructure
- Strong uptime track record
Limitations
- Fewer one-click apps than competitors
- Akamai acquisition creating some uncertainty
- Control panel less polished than DigitalOcean
When to Choose DreamHost
Privacy-conscious users and those who value a generous refund policy
DreamHost combines solid performance with an industry-leading 97-day money-back guarantee and strong privacy values, though its custom control panel requires some adjustment for cPanel users.
Strengths
- 97-day money-back guarantee (industry leading)
- Officially recommended by WordPress.org
- Unlimited traffic and SSD storage on shared plans
- Free domain privacy protection included
Limitations
- Custom control panel instead of industry-standard cPanel
- Email hosting costs extra on basic plans
- No phone support on shared hosting plans
