⏳ In a hurry? Here’s your Namecheap Hosting Review snapshot: 0.00
Summary
Namecheap is a popular domain name registrar and web services provider that offers a range of products and services to help individuals and businesses establish and grow their online presence. Its offerings include domain name registration, web hosting, website builders, SSL certificates, email hosting, and various security tools. Namecheap is known for its affordability, user-friendly interface, and excellent customer support. Additionally, it has a strong commitment to privacy and security, making it a popular choice for those who are looking to secure their online presence and protect their personal information. Whether you're looking to register a domain name, build a website, or manage your online presence, Namecheap has a range of tools and resources to help you achieve your goals.
Overall
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Ease of Use - 91%
91%
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Features - 87%
87%
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Performance - 88%
88%
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Support & Resources - 89%
89%
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Pricing - 90%
90%
Pros
- Excellent pricing: cheaper than most hosting providers
- Convenient integration capabilities
- Easy to use: basic setup only
Cons
- Performance could fluctuate
- Limitations on plans
- No free plan
Introduction to our Namecheap Hosting Review:
This NameCheap Hosting review puts one of the best domain registration services under the microscope as a hosting provider.
These days, there are so many hosting services to choose from. But you don’t know which ones will work best for you. Some offer hosting at a low price. Yet, users eventually discover that they’ll have to pay extra to enjoy all the touted benefits.
Overview: One of the Best Domain Registrars, but how about hosting?
The ICANN-accredited name registrar boasts over eleven million users as of mid-2021 and over ten million registered domains. It offers both domain registration as well as site hosting services.
In this Namecheap hosting review, we’ll see if it lives up to the second syllable of its name when it comes to service delivery and overall quality. We'll also learn about NameCheap alternatives you need to consider.
Let's dive right in and begin this NameCheap com reviews!
Ease of Use:
To get started in this Namecheap review, we examine its ease of use. In a nutshell, using this hosting provider is as easy as 1-2-3 – literally.
It gives users a fundamental three-step approach to setting up the service. You only choose a hosting subscription, connect your domain name of choice to it, and then set up your site both visually and on the back end.
The beauty of NameCheap is this. While it is an independent hosting provider, it does have its own site-building platform – SiteMaker. You can use this application in case you want to have everything done in one place.
For the most part, however, NameCheap works well as a third-party hosting service where you can put up sites built on a completely different platform and even those whose domains are listed on a different registry.
In this Namecheap review, if you’re coming into the platform without a clue, you’re in luck: the hosting service offers a comprehensive online tutorial to get you onboard before you start working. As you'll read in our NameCheap WordPress hosting review, the service also performs excellently with WordPress.
Features:
To continue this Namecheap review, what feature can you expect from the service that makes it better than NameCheap alternatives?
Namecheap Domain Review:
Let me tell you something in this Namecheap hosting review. It’s no secret that NameCheap is one of the world’s leading domain registrars, and the fact that you get a free domain when you sign up for the hosting service adds luster to its name.
Domain privacy also comes for free, and that’s also an advantage when you realize that competitors charge users a little extra when it comes to online security and user privacy.
Namecheap Email Review:
In this Namecheap review, email hosting is another category where NameCheap shines. For the most part, people are happy enough with getting a generic email address from popular providers such as Google and iCloud. But for those who are seriously into ecommerce or who are marketing a specific corporate persona online, a domain-specific email address adds to the veneer of respectability and stability.
Namecheap Review of Databases:
In this Namecheap review, depending on your subscription package, you can have anywhere between 30 to an unlimited number of databases on your site if you’re hosting it via NameCheap. The number of databases available for one’s use depends on the number of apps you have running on your site and how many sites you have on a single account.
Applications:
NameCheap offers users a full roster of in-house and third-party applications which they can use to enhance the functionality of their sites. These include NameCheap’s proprietary building platform Site Maker; NameCheap VPN for optimal browsing security; Supersonic CDN to help boost loading speed and overall site performance; and Google Workspace for enhanced productivity and easy collaboration.
For this Namecheap review, the hosting provider also offers several tools that are useful for setting up ecommerce hubs or online retail sites: document generators for creating articles of incorporation and other legal papers for one, and uptime monitoring tools to see if one’s site is down or if loading time has slowed down.
WordPress:
One third-party building platform that works very well with NameCheap is blogging standard WordPress (specifically its open-source form WordPress.org.) NameCheap has a secondary hosting platform called EasyWP, which was exclusively created for hosting and managing sites created with WordPress.
We note in this Namecheap review that the service takes some of the stress out of the self-hosting equation by taking over the server-side configurations for the site, making DIY PHP configuration, manual file uploading, and limit configuration unnecessary.
Also, we reiterate in this NameCheap WordPress hosting review that additional caching apps are also not necessary. This is because EasyWP utilizes three levels of advanced caching to ensure the rapid delivery/loading of a site built via WordPress.
Site Staging:
In this NameCheap hosting review, site staging to see how your website works before it goes live is one of the neat features offered by NameCheap. For the most part, this is made possible using a plugin called Duplicator, enabling users to create a functional mirror image of their site that they can use to test out aesthetic impact, readability, user experience widgets, and scripts.
NameCheap Website Builder:
For this Namecheap review, we have a particular issue when it comes to the NameCheap website builder. It’s pretty darned hard to find because it’s buried quite deep in the user interface (UI). As a result, you'll need a separate account for it to work. The website builder is located inside NameCheap’s control panel (cPanel), and you need a different account with which to log into it; no, your NameCheap account won’t work here.
Hence, while in this Namecheap hosting review, we give it plus points for a diverse range of design templates and a drag-and-drop interface (pro forma, we think, for many of today’s site-building platforms), it can be difficult to work with for those with little to no experience of site creation. It’s also quite hard to work with as menus are not where you expect them to be, and it’s hard to delete multiple blocks or elements.
Namecheap Hosting Review eCommerce and SSL certificate:
With many businesses moving to the online marketplace following the rise of COVID-19, the security of ecommerce sites is a matter of great concern for site owners. If you opt for its Shared Hosting services, the installation of an SSL certificate is included in all packages. Indeed, all Shared Hosting packages come with 50 PositiveSSL certificates, which are valid for one year.
For this Namecheap review, concerning ecommerce in general, the provider offers a comprehensive guide for getting started and includes the best possible platforms users can consider when creating their online stores, including such big players as Shopify and BigCommerce.
Security and Backups:
For this NameCheap hosting review, NameCheap’s core security features include standard account security with periodic notifications, domain lock, protection against denial of service attacks, as well as two-factor TOTP authentication to ensure that online transactions are done most safely. Additional services such as extra SSL certificates and the creation of VPNs for a particular site or entity are also available.
Backups are dependent on one’s subscription package, but rest assured that these are already included in the package and are automated. Servers are normally backed up every three to seven days, depending on account type and server specifications.
Performance:
In this NameCheap hosting review, NameCheap doesn’t disappoint when it comes to uptime. Likewise, we have to commend the service for the smooth migration of sites from different hosting platforms – it’s one less headache for site owners. This provides it an edge over other NameCheap alternatives.
Namecheap Review of Server Locations:
Compared to NameCheap alternatives, NameCheap data centers are located in the United States, United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. However, its shared hosting servers, VPS carriers, and dedicated servers are mostly located in Phoenix, AZ. It is important to note that you can actually ask to have your site hosted on a country server best suited to deliver it to its key markets.
Namecheap Hosting Review of Speed Results:
We have this to say about sites hosted on NameCheap. For this NameCheap hosting review, while uptime is guaranteed, loading time takes an average of four seconds. These days, that’s pretty slow compared to other NameCheap alternatives.
Namecheap Review of Average Uptime, Bandwidth, and Webspace limits/Storage:
In this NameCheap hosting review, average uptime doesn't disappoint at 99.96%.
Support and Resources:
For this NameCheap hosting review, how does the hosting service ensure you get adequate support?
The neat thing about NameCheap is that it offers expert 24/7 technical assistance via LiveChat. Also, if your support request isn’t at all that urgent, they have a ticketing system. This support channel enables the earliest available customer support team member to get back to you. Like other NameCheap alternatives, the platform's knowledge base is also fairly extensive. It offers everything from insightful blog posts on developmental matters and many audiovisual tutorials to make things a whole lot easier.
See more NameCheap support features
Namecheap Pricing:
Namecheap's hosting prices are affordable and they also offer Namecheap Coupon Renewal ie discounts through promo codes on hosting renewal prices.
Additionally, Namecheap offers SSL promo codes for securing websites and domain renewal promo codes for keeping domain names active. With these promo codes and affordable prices, Namecheap makes it easy for individuals and businesses to keep their online presence secure and active.
Namecheap is popular among students as they offer a discount for students on their hosting plans.
Shared Web Hosting:
In this NameCheap Hosting review, it is in pricing that NameCheap really lives up to its name. Its three Shared Hosting packages are among the lowest in the world:
- Stellar = $1.18 monthly
- Stellar Plus = $1.98 monthly; includes unlimited websites, unmetered SSD, and automatic backups
- Stellar Business = $4.98 monthly, includes unlimited websites, cloud storage, 50GB SSD, and automated backup.
Additional savings await you if you use a NameCheap promo code renewal.
WordPress Hosting:
Let's talk pricing in this NameCheap WordPress hosting review. Its EasyWP packages are free for the first month only. Afterward, users will be billed $3.88 for the EasyWP Starter; $7.88 for EasyWP Turbo; and $11.88 for EasyWP Supersonic. As previously stated, all EasyWP sites are hosted via a cloud server for optimal uptime and faster loading time.
Reseller Hosting:
In this NameCheap hosting review, reseller hosting comes in three plans: Nebula, Galaxy, and Universe Pro.
VPS Hosting:
There are two packages offered under the VPS Hosting Category:
- Pulsar = $6.88 monthly; includes 2 CPU cores, 2GB RAM, 40GB SSD, 1TB bandwidth
- Quasar = $12.88 monthly; includes 4 CPU cores, 6GB RAM, 120GB SSD, 3TB bandwidth
Dedicated Hosting:
For our NameCheap hosting review, monthly plans are on sale and will set you back from $51.88 for the first month (Xeon E3-1241 v3) to as much as $298.88 (Dual Xeon Gold 5218).
Namecheap Free trial, refund policy, and money-back guarantee:
Unfortunately, unlike NameCheap alternatives, NameCheap doesn’t offer free subscription plans. It does, however, offer a longer trial period – 60-day free trial, as a matter of fact.
Theirs terms page states that for those who choose to cancel their subscriptions, the release of a refund is dependent on the filing of the said cancellation. Service fees may also be deducted from the full amount of the refund.
First-time Dedicated Server purchases may only be refunded if the service is cancelled within the first week of use. Also, no refunds are given to those cancelling Premium Domains.
>> Check for latest NameCheap pricing discount plans <<
Conclusion and Recommendations to our Namecheap Review:
To wrap up this NameCheap hosting review, what are our key takeaways?
In all, NameCheap is a fairly good hosting service, and the numerous options it offers users say a lot about the diversity of their clientele.
What is it best for?
It would have to depend on the package. For the most part, though, based on our NameCheap WordPress hosting review, it’s a great hosting service to use with WordPress.org, though it also works for those working with popular ecommerce builders.
What is it not best for?
While its prices are reasonable, we feel in this NameCheap hosting review that many of NameCheap’s service offerings won’t work for smaller businesses or individuals.
Namecheap Alternatives:
Ranking | Hosting Company | Our View |
---|---|---|
1 | WPX Hosting | Best for Managed Wordpress Hosting |
2 | SiteGround | Best for Customer Support *Wordpress.org Recommended! |
3 | Kinsta | Best for Uptime |
4 | A2 Hosting | Best for Reliability |
5 | GreenGeeks | Best Budget Friendly *Eco-Friendly Hosting |
6 | Bluehost | Best for Beginners *Wordpress.org Recommended! |
7 | Nexcess | Best for small & medium eCommerce enterprises built in WooCommerce or Magento |
8 | LiquidWeb | Best for medium and large eCommerce enterprises |
9 | Scala Hosting | Best for VPS or Dedicated Hosting |
10 | Digital Ocean | Best for Cloud Hosting (Advanced Users) |
- NameCheap vs Bluehost. As one of the best NameCheap alternatives, Bluehost is always a great choice if you’re working with WordPress. However, when it comes to managed hosting for ecommerce, we feel that you’ll do just fine with the hosting service included with a subscription to either Shopify or Squarespace.
- NameCheap vs GoDaddy. While GoDaddy bests NameCheap in popularity, the latter is cheaper. However, GoDaddy has a slightly faster uptime as one of the NameCheap alternatives.
- Namecheap vs Hostgator: Namecheap offers more flexible pricing options and a wider range of services, while Hostgator is known for its strong customer support and straightforward interface.
- Namecheap vs Google Domains: Namecheap offers more features and customization options, while Google Domains provides a simple, straightforward interface.
Namecheap Review Final word:
While we have presented NameCheap as a great option for site hosting, we still recommend that users shop around for hybrid solutions (site builder + host) or stand-alone NameCheap alternatives that are in keeping with their specific requirements.
FAQs:
Can I use NameCheap with a site builder other than WordPress?
Yes, you can. In fact, our NameCheap WordPress hosting review would reveal that the hosting service recommends several alternative site builders its customers can use, particularly those running online stores.
Does NameCheap offer cloud server storage?
Yes, but this is quite limited. The service is only offered for those availing of the EasyWP hosting packages for WordPress users.
That’s all for now:
Thanks for reading our NameCheap review, and don’t forget to keep an eye out for our ever-growing blog of review and comparison articles. Check out related NameCheap hosting reviews and its alternative reliable web hosting, website builder, and eCommerce platform review and comparison articles such as;