About DreamHost
DreamHost is a prominent web hosting provider and domain registrar founded in 1997. Known for its commitment to open-source software and privacy, it hosts over 1.5 million websites worldwide.
The brand is particularly famous for its 100% uptime guarantee, an industry-leading 97-day money-back guarantee, and being one of the few hosting companies officially recommended by WordPress.org. They offer a wide range of services including shared hosting, VPS, dedicated servers, and managed WordPress hosting.
DreamHost Affiliate Program Overview
DreamHost’s affiliate program is designed for marketers and site owners to earn commissions by referring new hosting customers. It is a straight performance-based program.
| Feature | Description |
| Industry | Web Hosting / Technology / Internet Services |
| Product Type | Digital Services (Shared Hosting, VPS, Dedicated Servers, WordPress Hosting) |
| Affiliate Program Type | CPA (Cost Per Action) / CPS (Cost Per Sale) |
DreamHost Affiliate Program Offers
The program provides various resources to help affiliates succeed, though it has specific strictness regarding traffic sources and content.
| Feature | Description |
| Promotional Materials | Ready-made banners (HTML, Image), text links, and tracking URLs. |
| Affiliate Cookie Duration | 30 Days (The customer must sign up within 30 days of the click, but the commission is held for 97 days to clear the money-back guarantee). |
| Accepted Traffic Sources | Websites, Blogs, Social Media, Email Marketing (No spam). <br>Restrictions: No “coupon-only” sites, no trademark bidding (PPC), no domain forwarding. |
| Accepted Countries | Worldwide (Global acceptance, as long as the referral is a new customer). |
| Explicit Content | Prohibited. Sites containing adult content, violence, or illegal activities are not accepted. |
| Religious or Political Content | Generally accepted, provided it does not violate hate speech policies or the Acceptable Use Policy. |
DreamHost Affiliate Commissions & Payments
DreamHost offers competitive one-time payouts. They do not use a multi-level structure; you earn directly from your own referrals.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| MLM | No (Single-tier affiliate program). |
| Commission Rate |
|
| Commission Structure | Flat-fee, one-time commission per qualified signup. |
| Payout Frequency | Monthly — however, there is a 97-day holding period to ensure the customer does not cancel. |
| Payout Methods | PayPal (primary method) or Check (for specific tiers/requests). |
| Minimum Payout | $100 standard threshold (some Refer & Earn terms mention $20 via PayPal, depending on region/network). |
Suitable Affiliates for DreamHost
DreamHost is best suited for content creators who educate their audience on building an online presence.
- Bloggers (Tech, Business, Marketing, & “How to Start a Blog” niches) ✅
- YouTubers (Tech reviews, Web Design tutorials) ✅
- Influencers (Entrepreneurship & Digital Nomad niches) ✅
- Web Developers/Designers (Referring clients) ✅
- Video Editors (If creating tutorials or tech content) ⚠️ Less direct fit unless teaching freelancing.
- TikTokers (Tech tips, Side hustle ideas) ✅
- KOC / KOL (Key Opinion Consumers/Leaders in Tech) ✅
- Livestreamers (Tech Q&A, Coding streams) ✅
DreamHost Affiliate Software
DreamHost uses TUNE (formerly HasOffers) as their affiliate tracking software. This is a robust third-party platform that provides detailed reporting, tracking links, and asset management. They also have an internal “Refer & Earn” dashboard for simple customer referrals.
3 Alternatives for DreamHost Affiliate Program
Here is a comparison of DreamHost with three major competitors: Bluehost, SiteGround, and HostGator.
| Comparison Factor | DreamHost | Bluehost | SiteGround | HostGator |
| Average Bill (User Cost) | Low ($2.59/mo start) | Low ($2.95/mo start) | Medium ($3.99/mo start, high renewal) | Low ($2.75/mo start) |
| Entry Fees | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Withdrawal Threshold | ~$100 | $100 | No minimum (PayPal) | $100 |
| Payment Frequency | Monthly (after 97-day hold) | Monthly (45-70 day processing) | Weekly (after 30-day hold) | Monthly (2 months + 10 days) |
| Commission | $15 – $200 (Flat) | ~$65+ (Flat) | $50 – $100+ (Tiered by volume) | $65 – $125 (Tiered by volume) |
| Cookie Duration | 30 Days | 30 Days | 60 Days | 60 Days |
| Marketing Materials | Good (Banners, Links) | Excellent (Banners, Widgets) | Excellent (Custom Banners, Landing Pages) | Good (Banners, Coupon Codes) |
