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More business owners than ever are looking to the internet for additional sales, but few know how to get started. Enter Namecheap, a web hosting platform doubling as a domain provider with tools businesses large and small can rally around. This Namecheap review provides a detailed look into all the service has to offer.
Check out Namecheap today to start building the website your company needs.
Namecheap Review: Verdict
Namecheap focuses on domains, which are as low as $2.98 per year. If you sign up for web hosting, you’ll get fast, free site migration and a domain name for a year. There aren’t the marketing or optimization tools you can find on other sites, though. Namecheap lacks phone support for immediate help, but you have 30 days to request a refund if things aren’t going your way.
Pros
- Cheap domain names
- Free website migration
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Lacks advanced features
- No phone support
- Prices jump during renewal
Pick up one of Namecheap’s budget-friendly plans to see just what the web host can do.
Namecheap Review at a Glance
Namecheap brings a lot to the party through its domain acquisition and web hosting. Read on to see who can benefit from Namecheap’s offerings and what pricing looks like.
Who Namecheap is Best For
With a wide range of web hosting options, Namecheap works for startups, large businesses, and everything in between. Those just finding their way as a company can take advantage of shared hosting and an intuitive website builder with hundreds of templates to choose from. There’s also an option to plug your Namecheap site into WordPress.
Dedicated servers can support organizations needing a lot of firepower under the hood of their website. That said, you won’t find some advanced features that can take your web page to the next level.
Namecheap Pricing
If you’re stopping for nothing more than a domain name, you’ll find some of the cheapest web hosting services here. Costs change often, but at the time of writing you can pick up a .com domain for $6.98 per year or a .net at $10.98. Less traditional monikers like .us are currently $2.98.
Namecheap also has several web hosting plans at various levels of functionality. For shared servers, you’ll get the biggest bang for your buck by purchasing a two-year subscription. Each tier includes a domain name, unmetered bandwidth, and free website migration.
- Stellar: The Stellar plan offers three websites and 20GB of SSD storage for $1.88 per month.
- Stellar Plus: Stellar Plus gives unlimited disk space and does not restrict the number of hosted domains for $2.88 per month.
- Stellar Business: Namecheap’s business plan only offers 50GB of disk space but introduces cloud storage and tools to boost server speed for a monthly rate of $4.48.
The web host also has three virtual private server hosting options to consider. Monthly fees are the cheapest if you sign up for a year at a time.
- Pulsar: 2 CPU cores, 2GB RAM, 40GB of SSD RAID 10 storage, and 1000GB bandwidth for $6.88 per month
- Quasar: 4 CPU cores, 6GB RAM, 120GB of SSD RAID 10 storage, and 3000GB bandwidth for $6.88 per month
- Magnetar: 8 CPU cores, 12GB RAM, 240GB of SSD RAID 10 storage, and 6000GB bandwidth for $6.88 per month
If you’re looking for top-tier performance, dedicated servers are the way to go. They boast same-day setup, free site migration, and 99.99% uptime. You’ll save a bit of cash purchasing hosting plans a year at a time.
- Xeon E3-1240 v3: 4 cores @ 3.4 GHz, 8 GB DDR3, 2 x 1 TB HDD, 100 TB/mo Bandwidth for $566.88 per year
- Xeon E-2234: 4 cores @ 3.4 GHz, 16 GB DDR4, 480 GB SSD, 100 TB/mo Bandwidth for $669.88 per year
- Xeon E-2236: 6 cores @ 3.4 GHz, 32 GB DDR4, 2 x 480 GB SSD, 100 TB/mo Bandwidth for $765.88 per year
- Xeon E-2236: 6 cores @ 3.3 GHz, 64 GB DDR4, 2 x 960 GB SSD, 100 TB/mo Bandwidth for $861.88 per year
- Dual Xeon Silver 4310T: Dual 10 cores @ 2.3 GHz, 64 GB DDR4, 2 x 2 TB NVMe, 500 GB Backup Storage, Unmetered Bandwidth for $2,138.88 per year
- Dual AMD EPYC 7313: Dual 10 cores @ 2.3 GHz, 64 GB DDR4, 2 x 2 TB NVMe, 500 GB Backup Storage, Unmetered Bandwidth for $2,700.88 per year
Namecheap Features
Namecheap may not go as deep as some other best web hosting services, but does have some interesting features. Let’s take a look at those now.
Domain Names
Namecheap began as a site for purchasing domain names, and it’s still one of the best places on the web to do so. You can find popular domains at competitive prices that are super easy to set up. If you sign up for web hosting, Namecheap will include a domain name at no extra charge.
Free Site Migration
No matter where your site currently resides, Namecheap will migrate it to one of its servers entirely for free. The web host states it will move your site over within 24 hours with no more than 15 minutes of total downtime. If you’re not satisfied with the process, Namecheap will credit your account with up to a year’s worth of service.
Unmetered Bandwidth
Shared plans have unmetered bandwidth, so you never have to worry about overages or extra charges out of the blue. Namecheap can throttle back the bandwidth allocated to your business if it proves a little too popular.
If you find this happening to you, it may be time to upgrade to a VPS hosting or dedicated server with large bandwidth limits solely for your site.
Website Builder
When you sign up for a shared host server, Namecheap allows the use of its immersive website builder. Once inside, you’ll find over 200 design templates reflecting different industry types to build your site around. From there, the drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to place things exactly where you want them to go.
The website builder streamlines your look across all device types, from mobile to desktop. You can even introduce eCommerce payment options to help generate income.
CDN + SSL
Shared hosting plans come with supersonic CDN as part of your package. Being part of a fast content delivery network can award your clients faster browsing speeds and quicker downloads through nearby CDN servers.
Similarly, Namecheap hands out SSL certificates to anyone purchasing a subscription to a shared server. If you’re asking for any personal information on your site, having SSL is a must.
Unlimited Websites
Even with Namecheap’s lowest tier of shared hosting, you can create up to three websites for your business. This is a significant step up from most web hosts that provide only one. Any plan beyond this introductory level allows for an unlimited number of websites for you to do with as you please.
WordPress Hosting
Those using WordPress for content management can link up with Namecheap’s EasyWP hosting platform. It’s possible to create and manage your website on EasyWP and increase your server load as the situation demands. Data is stored on the Namecheap Cloud and has a 99.9% uptime rate.
Disk Space
You receive a healthy amount of disk space when picking up one of Namecheap’s many plans. There’s nothing less than 20GB of SSD storage space to work with, and dedicated servers can reach up to 8 terabytes of NVMe.
Security
Namecheap uses two-factor authentication and domain privacy to keep your account secure and your data out of the wrong hands. Protection extends DDoS coverage to deter hackers and SSL certificates for authenticating your site. The web host offers a VPN for an added cost if you need even more anonymity.
Support
Customer support is on-hand 24/7 to address your issues and concerns as they pop up. It’s only possible to communicate through chat or by submitting a ticket, which can slow down the process significantly. Namecheap’s site also has a comprehensive knowledge base and help guides should you wish to figure out the solution yourself.
Alternatives to Namecheap
If Namecheap doesn’t have everything you’re looking for, consider one of the following Namecheap alternatives instead.
HostGator
Like Namecheap, Hostgator gives a free domain with the purchase of any of its shared plans. Also included are SSL certificates and unmetered bandwidth for you and your customers. Keep in mind that HostGator isn’t a part of the CDN network, potentially bringing in slower internet speeds.
If you’re new to the website game, HostGator makes use of a wizard to help you construct the perfect site. The system asks a series of questions and generates a design based on the results. From there, you can further customize the design or start over from scratch.
You can pick up a shared hosting plan for $2.75 per month before tacking on any of the upsells you deem worthy. If you’re looking for a dedicated plan, expect to pay $89.98 at a minimum.
Pros
- Free domain
- SSL certificate included
- Unmetered bandwidth
Cons
- Not a part of CDN network
- Constant site upsells
- Monthly pricing is on the higher side
GoDaddy
GoDaddy has one of the best website builders on the market. It’s effortless to use and has a large number of templates you can use to get started. There are also advanced tools for online selling and marketing your wares. You can bring products to some of your favorite marketplaces, like Etsy and Amazon.
Signing up for one of GoDaddy’s web hosting plans comes with a domain name of your choice. As you navigate the many features GoDaddy has to offer, be on the lookout for unexpected upsells.
For all GoDaddy has to offer, it does make sense that prices are higher than less feature-full web hosting sites. When you go to renew, prices jump even higher.
The cheapest plan available on GoDaddy costs $5.99 each month for web hosting and increases to $9.99 if you need the website builder. To unlock all GoDaddy’s features, you’re looking at $19.99 monthly or $29.99 with web builder.
Pros
- Built-in tools for online selling
- Domain included in a paid subscription
- Comes with an easy-to-use website builder
Cons
- Plans are on the expensive side
- Prices increase significantly when you renew
- Software offers a lot of upsells
Bluehost
Bluehost is a breath of fresh air for WordPress users, as the web host integrates seamlessly with the content management platform. Its entry-level plan does leave a lot to be desired and still sits at a higher price than Namecheap.
You will get a free domain for the first year of service, along with CDN and SSL certificates. Most other features come as optional upsells that drive the price up further. If you’re bringing a site over from another location, you’ll have to pay for that, too.
Bluehost’s customer service team helps rejuvenate things with 24/7 support through email, chat, and phone. Even if you have an issue, this crew should be able to get you back on your feet in short order.
Shared plans start out at $2.95 each month if you sign up for a year, but anyone needing more than one website will need to shell out $5.45. Dedicated hosting costs $79.99 monthly and has enough meat to make the price point worth it.
Pros
- One of the top recommended WordPress providers
- Free domain name
- Chat, phone, and email support available 24/7
Cons
- Several upsells
- Entry-level plan lacks a lot of features
- Site migration isn’t free
Hostinger
Hostinger’s shared web hosting plans come with several goodies, including 50 gigabytes of storage space, an email account, and SSL certificates for just $1.99 per month. Upgrading to a higher tier increases these amounts while throwing in a free domain for good measure.
The service has security measures to protect you and your clientele, plus weekly backups in case a crash sends you back to square one. Hostinger doesn’t take advantage of cPanel software that many others use as the norm.
As you deal with customer service, be aware there’s no way to contact anyone by phone. Chat support moves reasonably quickly but never works quite as well. WordPress users will be happy to hear that integration is simple with Hostinger.
Pros
- Lots of SSD disk space
- Free email
- Domain included in higher tiers
Cons
- No domain with the lowest tier
- Does not have cPanel software
- No phone support
Frequently Asked Questions About Namecheap Review (FAQs)
Learning the nuances of web hosting and servers isn’t always black and white. This FAQ serves to answer the questions you may have about Namecheap.
Is Namecheap Trustworthy?
Namecheap has over 20 years of experience in domain registration and web hosting. It manages over 17 million domains across all corners of the globe.
Can You Buy a Domain Name Forever?
No, it is not possible to buy a domain name permanently. You can only “rent” the space on the internet, but you can do so for up to 10 years at a time.
Does it Matter Where You Buy Your Domain Name?
A domain is the same no matter where you buy it, but the services that come with the purchase differ from place to place. Some sites offer protection or added perks that you can’t find elsewhere.
Where Are Namecheap Servers?
All of Namecheap’s dedicated servers sit at the company’s headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona. There are data centers for shared hosting in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.
Bottom Line on Namecheap Review
Namecheap specializes in domain name registration for new business sites, supplementing the service with web hosting and design. With several plans to choose from, Namecheap’s features grow with your company, providing the tools you need to succeed.
Even established businesses can take advantage of virtual or dedicated servers to meet bandwidth needs. Budget-friendly pricing and several free perks should place Namecheap on anyone’s radar.
