Namecheap is a well-known player in the domain industry, managing over 17 million domains and serving more than 3 million customers with active domains. In addition to domains, Namecheap also provides web hosting services suitable for both small and large businesses. While it may not have some of the more advanced features, its user-friendly website management makes it an excellent choice for beginners.
Overall, Namecheap earns positive ratings for its services and is quick to resolve customer concerns. The company’s customer service is generally reliable, with responsive agents and multiple contact options available.
Namecheap Pricing & Plan Overview
Namecheap offers three shared hosting plans, each including a free website builder, domain name, privacy protection, unmetered bandwidth, Supersonic CDN (content delivery network), SSL, and free website migration. The website builder is enhanced with AI tools like text and image generators, along with a writing assistant. For a detailed breakdown of the costs, refer to our guide on web hosting expenses.
| Plans | Introductory Rate | Renewal Rate | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stellar | $1.58 per month (2-year plan) | $3.50 per month (2-year plan) | 3 websites, 20GB SSD storage, website builder, AI tools |
| Stellar Plus | $2.28 per month (2-year plan) | $4.95 per month (2-year plan) | Unlimited websites, unlimited SSD storage, automatic backups |
| Stellar Business | $4.48 per month (2-year plan) | $9.04 per month (2-year plan) | 50GB SSD storage, cloud storage, 61% discount on .com domains |
Best Namecheap Plan for Small Businesses: Stellar Plus
The Stellar Plus plan stands out as the best option for small businesses seeking an affordable web hosting solution. It removes limits on the number of websites, offers unlimited storage and mailboxes, and includes automatic backups. Even with monthly billing, the plan costs just $6.48 per month, making it an economical choice for businesses.
However, keep in mind that this is still shared hosting, meaning server resources such as CPU, RAM, and network bandwidth are shared among customers. While Namecheap imposes few restrictions on the Stellar Plus plan, performance could be impacted by this shared arrangement.
Pros:
- Unlimited websites, SSD storage, and mailboxes
- Automatic backups
- Affordable pricing
- Cloud storage available with an EU data center
Cons:
- No cloud storage for the U.S. data center
- Storage capped at 300,000 files
- SSL only free for the first year
Additional Services Offered by Namecheap
Beyond the core features, Namecheap offers several additional services:
- Website Migration: Namecheap guarantees website migration within 24 hours. If it fails or if you’re unsatisfied, you’ll receive a credit equivalent to your first shared hosting purchase.
- Automatic Backups: Websites on shared hosting are backed up twice weekly, with additional automatic backups available starting with the Stellar Plus plan.
- Free Domain Privacy Protection: This feature is free for life with Namecheap plans.
- cPanel Management: Manage your hosting account easily through cPanel, accessible via your web browser.
- 100% Uptime Guarantee: Namecheap promises 100% uptime for all shared hosting plans.
- FastVPN: A VPN service starting at just $0.99 per month, allowing you to hide your IP address and access restricted websites.
- Business Formation: Namecheap offers free LLC formation, including articles of organization, a name check service, and an LLC checklist.
Namecheap provides numerous features, even in its more affordable plans. Naturally, higher-tier plans offer even more.
Platform and Customer Support
Namecheap delivers a generally user-friendly experience, utilizing visual tools like cPanel and WordPress for website management. EasyWP, Namecheap’s managed WordPress hosting solution, features a quick setup wizard, enabling users to get their sites up and running in minutes. It also includes one-click backup and restore options, allowing users to manage multiple websites from a single dashboard.
Customer support is available 24/7 via live chat, or you can submit a support ticket. Namecheap also provides a comprehensive knowledge base with well-organized articles covering a wide range of topics. However, there is no phone support, limiting live support options to chat.
Security at Namecheap
Namecheap offers several security features, such as domain privacy protection, SSL, DDoS protection, and a firewall, to keep your data safe. Two-factor authentication (2FA) is also available for accessing cPanel, and Namecheap continuously monitors servers for security updates.
However, there have been security incidents in the past. For example, in 2023, a hacker gained unauthorized access to Namecheap’s email system and launched a phishing campaign. While Namecheap confirmed the breach, it stated that no customer accounts or personal information were compromised.
User Reviews of Namecheap
Namecheap typically receives positive reviews, with ratings of 4.3/5 on both Trustpilot and G2. Trustpilot ratings reflect the company as a whole, while G2 focuses on Namecheap’s hosting services. Verified users praise its cost-effectiveness, ease of use, excellent customer support, uptime reliability, and robust infrastructure. However, some users have reported slow customer support response times.
On the downside, Namecheap doesn’t score well on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website, where it holds an average rating of 1.39 out of 5 and a D- grade.
Comparison with Namecheap Alternatives
| Provider | Starting Price per Month | Free Trial? | Storage (GB) | Unlimited Bandwidth? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Namecheap: Stellar Plus | $2.28 | No | Unlimited | Yes |
| Hostinger: Premium Plan | $2.99 | Yes | 100GB | Yes |
| A2 Hosting: Drive | $3.95 | No | Unlimited | Yes |
Namecheap vs. Hostinger: Hostinger’s Premium plan offers many features similar to Namecheap’s Stellar Plus, such as free website migration, unlimited bandwidth, AI tools, and a free CDN. However, Hostinger includes 10GB of SSD storage, compared to Namecheap’s unlimited space. Hostinger also supports 400,000 files versus Namecheap’s 300,000 and provides unlimited free SSL, while Namecheap only offers SSL free for the first year.
Namecheap vs. A2 Hosting: A2’s Drive plan, like Namecheap’s Stellar Plus, offers unlimited websites, storage, free website migration, and cloud backups. However, while Namecheap uses NVMe storage, A2 utilizes the potentially slower RAID-10 SSD for its Drive plan. Neither offers a free trial, but both have a refund policy or money-back guarantee. Additionally, A2 Hosting has a data center in Asia, while Namecheap does not.
Is Namecheap Right for You?
Namecheap positions itself as a user-friendly web hosting solution that simplifies the process of launching a website. Its plans are very affordable, particularly for shared hosting. With a built-in website builder and AI tools, it’s easy to start designing your site. While shared hosting can have performance limitations and Namecheap lacks a data center in Asia, small businesses and entrepreneurs may find it more than sufficient for their needs.
FAQs
Why is Namecheap so cheap?
Namecheap hosting is one of the cheapest options on the market, especially when considering its shared hosting plans. Namecheap doesn’t provide information about this on its website, but it can likely offer such low prices because it has a large customer base. Cost may decline for each additional customer, allowing it to offer lower prices for shared hosting. Prices also increase for most plans when they renew, so they aren’t as low in the long run.
How reliable is Namecheap hosting?
Namecheap is generally reliable and guarantees 100% uptime on all its shared hosting plans. While reviews from verified users typically attest to Namecheap’s reliability, some reports suggest its services aren’t as unwavering as the guarantee would make it seem. However, while some downtime may be possible in the real world, Namecheap should be reliable in most cases.
Is Namecheap owned by GoDaddy?
No, Namecheap is not owned by GoDaddy. The two are separate companies and are direct competitors. Both companies made a name for themselves by offering cheap domains. However, both companies now offer web hosting services as well.
