How Many Websites Can You Host on One Hosting Account?

Building multiple websites is common for bloggers launching niche sites, agencies managing client properties, businesses operating different brands, or entrepreneurs testing various ideas. But does each website require its own separate hosting account? Can you run multiple sites from a single hosting plan?

The answer depends on your hosting type, provider, and specific plan details—but in most cases, yes, you can host multiple websites on one account. Understanding the options, limitations, and best practices for multi-site hosting helps you save money while efficiently managing your web properties.

This comprehensive guide explains how many sites different hosting types support, how to set up multiple websites on one account, when separate accounts make sense, and strategies for successful multi-site management in 2025.

Understanding Multi-Site Hosting Capabilities

Different hosting types offer varying capabilities for hosting multiple websites.

Web Hosting: Variable Multi-Site Support

Web hosting plans vary widely in how many websites they support.

Single Website Plans: Some budget entry-level web hosting offers one website only, restricting addon domains.

Limited Multi-Site Plans: Mid-tier plans might allow 3-10 websites.

Unlimited Website Plans: Many quality entry-level web hosting providers offer unlimited websites on their plans.

Example - DreamHost Web Hosting: DreamHost's web hosting starting at $4.95/month (renewal) allows unlimited websites, making it cost-effective for managing multiple sites from one account.

Practical Limitations: While technically "unlimited," web hosting resources (CPU, RAM, bandwidth) are shared among all your sites. Ten high-traffic websites will strain resources that work fine for ten small blogs.

Reality Check: Web hosting realistically supports 5-20 modest websites before performance degrades, depending on traffic and resource intensity.

VPS Hosting: Flexible Multi-Site Platform

Virtual Private Server hosting provides dedicated resources that support multiple websites effectively.

Account Limits: VPS hosting typically allows unlimited websites, restricted only by available resources.

Resource Considerations: Your VPS's RAM, CPU, and storage capacity determine practical website quantity:

• 2 GB RAM VPS: 5-15 small to medium websites
• 4 GB RAM VPS: 10-30 small to medium websites or 5-10 larger sites
• 8 GB RAM VPS: 20-50+ small to medium websites or 10-20 larger sites

DreamHost's VPS hosting starts at $10/month with 2 GB RAM, scaling to 12 GB RAM on higher tiers, supporting substantial multi-site deployments.

Isolation Options: VPS hosting enables creating separate virtual environments for different websites, improving security and performance isolation.

Dedicated Hosting: Maximum Multi-Site Capacity

Dedicated servers provide the most capacity for hosting multiple websites.

No Arbitrary Limits: Host as many websites as server resources support.

Typical Capacity: Modern dedicated servers handle hundreds of small to medium websites or dozens of high-traffic sites.

Resource Control: Complete server control enables optimal resource allocation across sites.

Best For: Large agencies, hosting resellers, or businesses managing extensive website portfolios.

Cloud Hosting: Scalable Multi-Site Solution

Cloud hosting offers flexible scalability for multiple websites.

Dynamic Resources: Cloud infrastructure scales resources automatically based on combined demand from all sites.

Pay-Per-Use Advantage: Only pay for resources actually consumed across all websites.

Practical Limits: Similar to VPS—restricted by allocated or used resources rather than arbitrary account limits.

Best For: Website portfolios with varying traffic patterns where different sites peak at different times.

Managed WordPress Hostingg](/go/dreamhost-wordpress): WordPress-Specific Multi-Site

Managed WordPress hostingg](/go/dreamhost-wordpress) plans vary in multi-site support.

Plan-Based Limits:

• Entry plans: 1-3 WordPress sites
• Mid-tier plans: 5-10 WordPress sites
• Advanced plans: 20-50+ WordPress sites

DreamHost DreamPress Example: DreamHost's managed WordPress hosting starting at $16.95/month supports unlimited WordPress installations while managing performance for each site.

WordPress Multisite Feature: WordPress's built-in Multisite feature enables managing a network of WordPress sites from a single installation—different from hosting multiple separate WordPress installations.

How Hosting Providers Define "Website" Limits

Understanding how providers count websites clarifies plan limits.

Addon Domains

Definition: Completely separate domain names hosted on your account with their own content.

Example: Hosting example.com, another-site.com, and third-domain.com as three separate websites.

Functionality: Each addon domain operates independently with separate files and potentially separate databases.

Plan Limits: Providers specify how many addon domains are allowed (e.g., "5 addon domains" or "unlimited addon domains").

Subdomains

Definition: Subdivisions of your primary domain (blog.example.com, shop.example.com).

Counting: Subdomains typically don't count toward addon domain limits.

Usage: Create unlimited subdomains for different sections, testing environments, or separate applications.

Example: A site with example.com, blog.example.com, and shop.example.com counts as one domain with two subdomains.

Parked Domains

Definition: Additional domain names pointing to the same content as your primary domain.

Purpose: Protect brand variations or redirect alternate domains to your main site.

Example: Parking example.net and example.org to redirect to example.com shows all three domains displaying identical content.

Counting: Usually unlimited or generous limits, since they don't create additional content.

Temporary/Development Domains

Definition: Staging or development versions of websites.

Counting: May or may not count toward limits depending on provider policies.

Usage: Test changes before deploying to production sites.

Setting Up Multiple Websites on One Account

The technical process varies by hosting type and control panel.

Adding Websites via cPanel

Step-by-Step Process:

1. Add Addon Domain:

cPanel Dashboard > Domains > Addon Domains
Enter new domain name
Specify subdomain (auto-filled)
Set document root (e.g., /public_html/newdomain)
Create FTP account (optional)
Click "Add Domain"

2. Update DNS:

Point new domain's DNS to hosting server nameservers
Wait for DNS propagation (4-48 hours)

3. Install Website:

Use Softaculous or manual installation
Navigate to addon domain's document root
Install WordPress, Joomla, or upload files

4. Configure SSL:

cPanel > SSL/TLS > Install SSL
Select addon domain
Install Let's Encrypt free SSL
Enable HTTPS

Adding Websites via Custom Control Panels

DreamHost Panel Example:

1. Navigate to "Websites" → "Manage Websites"
2. Click "Add Website"
3. Enter domain name
4. Choose hosting options (WordPress, PHP version, etc.)
5. Configure HTTPS (automatic with free SSL)
6. Click "Host This Domain"
7. Install application or upload files

Custom panels often streamline multi-site setup compared to cPanel.

Adding Websites via Command Line (VPS/Dedicated)

Advanced Option:

# Create directory
mkdir -p /var/www/newdomain.com/public_html

# Set permissions
chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/newdomain.com

# Configure Apache virtual host
nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/newdomain.com.conf

# Enable site
a2ensite newdomain.com.conf

# Reload Apache
systemctl reload apache2

# Install SSL
certbot --apache -d newdomain.com

WordPress Multisite vs Multiple WordPress Installations

Multiple Separate Installations:

• Each WordPress site is completely independent
• Separate admin dashboards
• Separate plugins, themes, databases
• More resource-intensive but fully isolated

WordPress Multisite:

• Single WordPress installation managing multiple sites
• Unified admin dashboard
• Shared plugins and themes (with network activation options)
• More efficient resources but interconnected

When to Use Multisite:

• Managing similar sites with shared functionality
• Network of related sites (newspaper with city subsites)
• Educational institutions (department websites)
• Franchise or branch locations

When to Use Separate Installations:

• Completely different website purposes
• Different security requirements
• Different update schedules
• Client websites (agencies)

Resource Management for Multiple Websites

Successfully hosting multiple sites requires monitoring and managing shared resources.

Storage Allocation

Web Hosting: Total disk space is shared among all websites.

Planning:

• Track each site's storage usage
• Delete unnecessary files, old backups, unused themes/plugins
• Optimize images to reduce file sizes
• Monitor total usage via control panel

Upgrade Triggers: When combined storage exceeds 80% of available space.

Bandwidth Distribution

Combined Consumption: All websites share total monthly bandwidth allowance.

Monitoring:

• Track individual site traffic
• Identify bandwidth-heavy sites
• Optimize images and enable compression
• Consider CDN for high-traffic sites

Unlimited Plans: Many providers offer "unlimited" bandwidth with acceptable use policies restricting excessive consumption.

Database Limits

Quantity Limits: Some plans limit total database quantity:

• Budget shared: 5-10 databases
• Mid-tier shared: 25-50 databases
• Unlimited plans: No database limits

Strategy:

• One database per WordPress site (recommended)
• Multiple simple sites can share databases using different table prefixes (not recommended for WordPress)
• Monitor database sizes

CPU and RAM Allocation

Web Hosting: Resources shared among all your sites and other users on the server.

Performance Impact:

• High-traffic sites consume more resources
• Resource-intensive plugins affect all sites
• Traffic spikes on one site can slow others

VPS/Dedicated: Dedicated resources enable better multi-site resource allocation.

Monitoring: Control panels show resource usage helping identify problematic sites.

When to Use Separate Hosting Accounts

Sometimes hosting websites on different accounts makes sense.

Separate Accounts Are Better When:

Client Websites: Agencies should never host client sites on the same account as their own or other clients' sites. Each client needs independent hosting for:

• Transfer ownership easily when contracts end
• Maintain separate billing
• Isolate security issues
• Provide client dashboard access

High-Traffic Sites Mixed with Small Sites: A high-traffic e-commerce site alongside small blogs can strain shared resources. Separate hosting gives the large site dedicated resources.

Different Hosting Requirements:

• One site needs VPS hosting while others work fine on entry-level web hosting
• Different platforms (WordPress vs custom applications)
• Different geographic server locations for regional audiences

Security Isolation: High-security sites (financial, healthcare) benefit from complete isolation from other properties.

Reseller Hosting: Running a hosting reseller business requires separate accounts for each client.

Different Owners: Business partners operating different sites should maintain separate accounts for clean ownership division.

Cost Comparison: Single vs Multiple Accounts

Example Scenario: 5 WordPress Websites

Option 1: Single Web Hosting Account

• DreamHost Web Hosting: $10.99/month (renewal price)
• Total: $10.99/month for 5 sites
• Per Site: $2.20/month

Option 2: Five Separate Web Hosting Accounts

• 5 × $10.99/month = $54.95/month
• Per Site: $10.99/month

Savings: $43.96/month ($527.52/year)

Option 3: VPS Hosting (Growing Sites)

• DreamHost VPS: $24.99/month
• Total: $24.99/month for 5-30+ sites
• Per Site: $5.00/month (for 5 sites) or less with more sites

Option 4: Managed WordPress Hosting

• DreamHost DreamPress: $16.95/month
• Supports unlimited WordPress installations
• Per Site: $3.39/month (for 5 sites)

The cost savings of multi-site hosting are substantial, making it the obvious choice when websites share compatible hosting requirements.

Best Practices for Managing Multiple Websites

Organization Strategies

Naming Conventions: Use consistent naming for:

• Document root directories
• Database names
• FTP accounts
• Email addresses

Example Structure:

/public_html/site1-example.com/
/public_html/site2-anothersite.com/
/public_html/site3-thirdsite.com/

Documentation: Maintain spreadsheet tracking:

• Domain names
• Installation directories
• Database names
• Last update dates
• WordPress versions
• Active plugins
• Purpose/owner

Security Considerations

Isolate WordPress Installations: Don't share databases between WordPress sites—use separate databases for security isolation.

Regular Updates: Keep all sites updated:

• WordPress core
• Plugins
• Themes
• PHP versions

Individual Backups: Back up each site separately for granular restoration capability.

Security Plugins: Implement security measures (firewalls, malware scanning) across all sites.

Monitor All Sites: Security breaches on one site can potentially affect others on entry-level web hosting.

Performance Optimization

Caching: Implement caching on each site individually.

CDN: Use Content Delivery Networks for high-traffic sites.

Database Optimization: Regularly optimize databases to maintain performance.

Plugin Minimization: Limit plugins to essentials on each site.

Image Optimization: Compress images across all properties.

Maintenance Efficiency

Bulk Updates: WordPress Multisite or management tools like MainWP enable updating multiple sites simultaneously.

Automated Backups: Configure automated backups for all sites on appropriate schedules.

Monitoring: Uptime monitors track all properties from single dashboard.

Staging: Test updates on staging versions before applying to production sites.

Scaling Multi-Site Hosting

As your website portfolio grows, hosting needs evolve.

Growth Path

1-5 Websites: Entry-level web hosting works well

5-15 Websites: Consider VPS or continue with robust entry-level web hosting

15-30 Websites: VPS hosting recommended

30-100+ Websites: VPS, cloud hosting, or dedicated servers depending on traffic

100+ Websites: Dedicated servers or enterprise cloud infrastructure

When to Upgrade

Performance Degradation: Sites loading slowly indicate resource constraints.

Frequent Downtime: Reliability issues suggest outgrowing current hosting.

Resource Limit Notifications: Hosting control panel warnings about CPU, RAM, or bandwidth usage.

Traffic Growth: Combined traffic exceeding entry-level web hosting capabilities.

Feature Requirements: Needing advanced features unavailable on current hosting type.

DreamHost makes scaling simple with straightforward migrations from Web Hosting to VPS hosting or managed WordPress hosting as your needs grow.

Conclusion: Multi-Site Hosting Maximizes Value

For most website owners, hosting multiple sites on a single account provides excellent value and simplified management. The key is choosing hosting that explicitly supports multiple websites with adequate resources for your needs.

Key Takeaways:

Most Modern Hosting Supports Multiple Sites: Unlimited or generous addon domain limits are common.

Resources Matter More Than Counts: Focus on available CPU, RAM, storage, and bandwidth rather than just website quantity limits.

Separate Accounts for Specific Situations: Client sites, different hosting requirement, or security isolation warrant separate accounts.

Organization Is Critical: Proper naming, documentation, and management prevent confusion as site count grows.

Scalability Matters: Choose providers offering easy upgrades to VPS or cloud hosting as your portfolio expands.

Whether you're managing personal projects, client websites, or business properties, understanding multi-site hosting capabilities helps you maximize value while maintaining performance and security.

Ready to host multiple websites efficiently? Choose web hosting that supports unlimited websites with room to grow, like DreamHost's Web Hosting starting at $2.99/month or their VPS hosting for larger portfolios. Then use Namr's domain name generator to find perfect names for each of your web properties, knowing you can host them all cost-effectively from a single account.