If you’ve ever thought of buying a domain name or hosting your website, you’ve probably considered using Namecheap. That’s completely understandable because Namecheap is one of the biggest and most popular hosting providers and domain registrars in the world.
However, it’s far from perfect and it may not be the best option for you. Namecheap’s hosting service regularly suffers downtimes and inconsistent performance.
Even though Namecheap’s prices are fairly reasonable, there are other companies out there that offer cheaper domain registration, transfer, web hosting plans, and renewal costs.
Furthermore, some hosting and domain registration platforms offer a wider range of features and more comprehensive tools, and some others are much easier to use.
For these reasons, it is imperative to look at Namecheap alternatives that may be more suited to your specific needs or preferences.
In this post, we’ll be recommending other platforms that can easily and efficiently replace Namecheap in terms of all things domain registration and web hosting.
Best Namecheap Alternatives
1. DreamHost
Maybe you want to start your own awesome blog, build a great website for your business, set up an e-shop. Whatever your needs are, DreamHost is equipped to help you get your site up and running without any hassle.
DreamHost currently powers over 1.5 million sites, with hosting offerings that are more varied and robust than what Namecheap provides.
With DreamHost’s Domain Search tool, you can find information about the availability and prices of desired domains, and even get recommendations for befitting domain names for your site.
Like Namecheap, DreamHost can register domain names using over 400 top level domains (TLDs) including popular options like .com, .blog, .net, .club, .tech, .io, .shop, .online, and more.
It also allows you to choose from Dedicated, VPS, or Shared hosting options with access to unlimited free subdomains alongside whichever one you opt for.
One rare feature that DreamHost offers which is hard to find on most domain registration services is free WHOIS Domain privacy. This function enables you to keep your data safe, private, and secure and it automatically renews with your registration.
Unlike Namecheap’s web hosting plans which include a website builder that’s not designed to accommodate WordPress, DreamHost offers WordPress site builder plugins and automated WordPress migrations with its shared hosting plans.
Another reason that makes DreamHost a great alternative to Namecheap is the option to manage all your domains from a single panel. So you can easily edit DNS records and initiate domain lock and forwarding.
And if that’s not enough to hook you, DreamHost provides a 97-day money-back guarantee—the longest in the market. So you can take your time to try out the service and see if it lives up to your hosting needs and expectations.
2. GoDaddy
Since its humble beginnings in 1997, GoDaddy has grown into the biggest domain registration provider in the world.
The service boasts of managing more than 71 million domains and 17 million customers, so it’s far more popular and widely used than Namecheap that has 2+ million customers.
GoDaddy offers a Domain Name Generator that suggests possible domain names for your website based on your business idea or name. It’ll also serve up dozens of sub-domains you can use to set up a custom web address.
If you already have an existing domain, you can migrate it to GoDaddy just as easily as you would with Namecheap. You can use GoDaddy’s unique Domain Broker feature to help you acquire a domain name that’s already been registered by someone else.
A personal broker will contact the current owner of the domain on your behalf, determine the domain’s worth, and negotiate terms and prices for them to surrender the domain to you.
Although GoDaddy doesn’t provide a lot of free add-ons, which is one of the things that makes Namecheap attractive. It makes up for this by offering huge discounts, especially for users acquiring multiple domain extensions for their domain.
With GoDaddy’s WHOIS privacy, you can redact sensitive information such as your name, email, phone number, and address which is generally made public when you register a domain. This way you can eliminate the chances of anyone using this data for malicious activities.
In addition to domain registration and web hosting, GoDaddy offers other useful and interesting features like site builders, web security protocols, email hosting, and MS Office.
3. Bluehost
Bluehost is one of the best Namecheap alternatives in the market today. It’s the perfect option for individuals or businesses looking to build a new website, or their very first website, and bundle their web host and domain.
Since Bluehost is an official WordPress partner, it’s super easy to install a WordPress site builder on the platform. The intuitive nature of the service makes creating websites on Bluehost a breeze, regardless of your technical proficiency.
The simplified domain manager allows you to easily track, buy, update, and transfer domain names from one dashboard. Like Namecheap, BlueHost adds an SSL certificate for free to whichever hosting plan you choose.
The platform’s hosting plans are incredibly cheap and they come with a free domain name registration—a service you’d have to pay for separately on Namecheap.
Shared hosting plans on Bluehost have a starting price of $2.95 per month, which is slightly more expensive than Namecheap’s plan that starts at $2.88.
But when you consider the free domain name, custom themes, WordPress integration, free CDN, and additional 20 GB of SSD storage that’s included in Bluehost’s plan, the extra cents are well worth paying.
You can consult the Bluehost pricing page for up-to-date information about the company’s shared hosting plans.
4. InMotion Hosting
If you’re looking for a powerful and reliable hosting provider like Namecheap, InMotion is an option worth considering. It’s specifically designed for small business owners and services thousands of clients across the globe.
InMotion provides high-quality servers—Dedicated, Shared, VPS, and Reseller—with great uptime and faster web pages. Its hosting plans come with free domain name registration, renewals, and SSL certificates.
The platform’s plans are eCommerce ready so you can quickly and easily set up your own eCommerce store with Magento, OpenCart, and PrestaShop and start selling in a few minutes.
This gives InMotion an edge over Namecheap for businesses that want to bundle their domain, web hosting, and eCommerce site together.
Additionally, InMotion users get a variety of marketing tools, free advertising credits, and automatic backups that they can leverage to ensure their site gets the attention it deserves.
It also offers comprehensive guides and tutorials through its blog and online knowledge base. So if you run into any issues or have any questions while using InMotion, you can consult them and resolve the problems without even needing to contact the technical support staff.
5. NameSilo
With over three million domains under its control, NameSilo is one of the biggest domain registrars on the globe. NameSilo is one of the cheapest platforms where you can get ICANN accredited domains, making it a comparably better Namecheap alternative.
You can get a .com TLD on NameSilo for $8.99/year, which is less than Namecheap’s asking price of $9.06/year for a .com domain.
The price difference becomes even more glaring at the point of renewal. Unlike its counterparts, including Namecheap, NameSilo does not charge you extra when you want to renew your domain.
NameSilo’s shared hosting plans are also incredibly affordable compared to its rivals with a starting price of $2.99, inclusive of 20GB SSD storage, custom email accounts, and unmetered bandwidth.
This means that you’ll keep paying the same $8.99 for your domain after the first year. But on Namecheap, your .com domain will go to $12.98/year when it’s time to renew it
Feel free to visit NameSilo’s pricing page to get updated information about the cost of the platform’s services.
NameSilo rewards users who migrate existing domains to the service with a one-year extension on your domain expiration date. NameSilo also provides free WHOIS privacy features that are more comprehensive than what Namecheap offers, so your data enjoys advanced security.
6. Domain.com
As the name implies, Domain.com primarily helps you register top-level domains (TLDs), country code top-level domains (ccTLDs), and special extensions like .coop, .jobs, .design, etc.
However, it also provides additional services such as web hosting, site builder, SSL certificates, email builder, and more.
The process of acquiring a domain on this platform is fairly straightforward, and the backend is intuitively designed to foster seamless domain management.
And since Domain.com is a much bigger service than Namecheap, you can find more available domain extensions than you would on the latter.
When you purchase a Domain through the ICANN accredited platform, you get a website builder for free that you can use to design the site of your dreams.
Like Namecheap, Domain.com has a search tool that you can use to research premium, suitable, or available domain names.
Domain.com also gives you access to a wide range of tools you may require for domain management including WHOIS privacy protection, email account, bulk registration, website transfers, and private registration.
Also Read: Best Free Cpanel Alternatives
7. iPage
If you’re on the hunt for a cheaper alternative to Namecheap, don’t hesitate to check out iPage. This hosting provider has been around since 1998 and manages over one million domains.
Unlike Namecheap, iPage hosting plans come with a free domain name and the ability to create an unlimited number of custom email accounts. It even allows you to host unlimited sites with one account and gives you control to set email forwarding and autoresponders.
You can get the company’s plan for as low as $1.99/month which is lower than Namecheap’s starting price of $2.88/month.
To top it off, iPage’s hosting plan comes with a $100 Bing Ads credit and a $100 Google Ads offer to help you generate much-needed traffic for your site.
For up-to-date pricing information on iPage’s hosting service and plans, check out their pricing page.
iPage regularly offers enormous discounts on its web hosting plans that make it even more affordable for those looking to save extra bucks.
The cost-saving solution also supplies you with all kinds of useful features to help you host your sites such as scalable bandwidth, unlimited storage disk space, and unlimited MySQL bandwidth.
8. HostGator
HostGator is a highly rated hosting service and one of the best Namecheap alternatives you can find. It hosts over two million websites.
Although the install time and uptime on HostGator are similar to Namecheap, the former edges out the latter in terms of speed. It also offers a more convenient and generous cancellation policy with a 45-day money-back guarantee, while Namecheap only offers a 30-day trial.
HostGator gives you VPS, Dedicated Server, and Shared Hosting options just like Namecheap. However, its shared hosting plans are less expensive with a starting price of $2.75 per month and the delicious added benefit of a free domain.
When compared to Namecheap’s introductory price of $2.88/mo and the cost of its domains, the difference is very clear. For current pricing information, you can always pay a visit to the HostGator pricing page.
Regardless of which hosting plan you pitch your tent with, you get to enjoy HostGator’s website builder and dozens of mobile-friendly templates you can use to get your site functional in no time.
HostGator also comes with other features like free website transfer, unlimited storage, free email, spam blocker, unmetered bandwidth, $100 AdWords credit, and one-click WordPress installs.
9. SiteGround
SiteGround is trusted by three million domain owners and built to help you host your websites, register domain names, and easily manage your domains.
SiteGround’s hosting plans are relatively cheap when you consider the benefits that come along with it. For $3.99/per month, you get The StartUp plan which is capable of handling up to 10,000 visits per month.
Some of the features included in SiteGround’s plans are free CDN, email, site migration, WordPress installation, unmetered traffic, dedicated caching system, SSH, WP-CLI, daily backups, and data security.
Feel free to check SiteGround’s pricing page for updated information about the cost of hosting your site or registering a domain on the platform.
For those who have WordPress sites or are looking to create an online shop, SiteGround provides managed WordPress and WooCommerce hosting, services that are either lacking or not comprehensive enough on Namecheap.
10. BuyDomains
Another domain registration service that gives Namecheap a run for its money is BuyDomains. The platform enables you to easily register domain names whether it be bulk registration, single domain registration, or even domain migration from another service.
With BuyDomains, you can manage and control DNS records, emails, subdomains, FTP, and more from a single dashboard. Any domain you register on BuyDomains includes a forwarding and masking tool that directs visitors to the websites for all the domains you own.
In addition, BuyDomains gives you a domain locking feature to help you stop other people from intentionally or accidentally transferring the ownership of your domain to themselves. It even goes as far as preventing people from rerouting your name servers.
Unlike Namecheap, domain transfers are completely free and automated on BuyDomains. It allows you to order unavailable domains ahead of time so you don’t miss out on them when they finally become available.
11. 1&1 IONOS
For small businesses and individuals who want a reliable and affordable domain registrar that they can build their brand with, 1&1 IONOS is the platform of choice.
In addition to the registration and transfer of domains, this service provider offers web hosting, marketing tools, email, MS Office, and other digital products.
Compared to Namecheap, IONOS gives you very low introductory prices when it comes to the purchase of domains. You can get a .com, .net, .org, and .biz TLD for the stunningly low price of $0.50 for the first year.
IONOS also heavily discounts its prices when you choose a longer contract duration of at least two years. Whereas Namecheap and other counterparts only offer yearly contracts for their hosting plans, IONOS takes a different approach.
It provides an optional monthly billing structure for a relatively low price so that you’ll have the power to cancel your hosting services at any time instead of waiting for an entire year to run out before you can move on to another provider.
Feel free to check out the IONOS pricing page for updated information at any time.
When you buy a hosting plan from IONOS it will include essential resources like unlimited traffic, DDoS protection, one-click installer, 10 GB web space, CMS performance optimizations, SSL certificate, and custom email accounts.
12. Network Solutions
Network Solutions is a domain registrar that serves as a one-stop shop for businesses that want to establish and grow their online web presence.
Alongside its domain registration and web hosting services, it provides website security tools, online marketing, WordPress hosting, custom email address, website builder, IT support, and SEO services.
The company gives you a wider variety of domain registration options and extensions than the ones found on Namecheap. With Network Solutions’ domain search feature, you can research available, expired, held, and premium domains.
Another great thing about Network Solutions that puts it above Namecheap and other rivals is the ability to lock your domains for a long time without worrying about renewals or the possibility of losing ownership.
Network Solutions allows you to secure your domain for one to one hundred years. So if you believe your brand or company is going to be around for the long haul, all you have to do is pay the domain lock fee for as many years as you want upfront.
Also, Network Solutions offers other domain-related features including WHOIS privacy protection, private registration, website transfer, and DNS management.
13. Above.com
As long as we’re talking about the best Namecheap alternatives, we can’t avoid mentioning Above.com.
It specializes in domain registration and gives you access to a wide array of tools and features including domain brokerage, monetization autopilot, domain for sale marketplace, and more.
Above.com is particularly useful for people who are in the business of buying and selling domains for profit.
On the marketplace, you find domains that are expired, being auctioned, or available for use and choose one that’s suitable for your business or personal website.
In terms of pricing, Above.com places a relatively affordable price tag of $9.45 on its .com TLD.
Although it costs a few cents more than Namecheap, it’s still ultimately the more cost-effective option because its prices don’t go up at the time of renewal, unlike Namecheap.
This means that you will continue paying the same amount for your TLD year after year. Above.com also offers bulk discounts that can help you save more money. Check out the Above.com pricing page for updated pricing information.
14. GreenGeeks
If you’re passionate about pollution and saving the environment, GreenGeeks might be the best Namecheap alternative for you.
The platform prides itself on being an eco-friendly web hosting provider, so instead of producing carbon emissions your website will utilize renewable energy and be 100% carbon neutral.
Despite being one of the smaller services in this list, GreenGeeks packs a powerful punch. It offers high performance and more advanced hosting options and features than Namecheap.
With a starting price of $2.49 per month which is lower than Namecheap’s starting price tag of $2.88/month, this provider helps you cut costs while giving a better value for your money.
GreenGeeks shared hosting plans come with unlimited space, nightly backups, unmetered bandwidth, CDB, comprehensive caching technology, and unlimited email accounts.
Your hosting will also be supported with automatic brute force detection, real-time security scanning, automatic app updates, and a 99.9% uptime guarantee.
You can always get up-to-date information about the cost of GreenGeeks’ plans by visiting its pricing page.
15. FastComet
Since it launched in 2010, FastComet has earned a name for itself as a hosting provider with strong uptime and excellent customer service. It’s a perfect alternative to Namecheap if you prioritize speed, diverse features, and enthusiastic customer support.
FastComet offers VPS, dedicated servers, and shared hosting plans just like Namecheap does. Its hosting plans come with free domain registration, backup, free CDN, unmetered bandwidth, free website transfer, unlimited email, and a free SSL certificate.
To make things even more interesting, FastComet has the same renewal price policy so you never have to worry about paying more than the sign-up price when it’s time to renew.
On the contrary, Namecheap increases the price at the point of renewal after the first year expires.
When you host your domain on FastComet, you can boost your website speed by up to 300%. This will ultimately reduce your page loading time and increase your chances of landing a coveted spot in Google search engine page results.
Conclusion
Finding a good hosting service or domain registrar is one of the most important parts of building and growing your own website. And although Namecheap is one of the most popular names in the industry, you don’t have to use it if it’s not right for you.
The alternatives discussed above provide services that are just as good or even better than Namecheap, so you’ll feel right at home regardless of which one you choose. However, if you’re looking for the best of the best, we recommend going with Bluehost.
Its hosting and domain registration service are both excellent so you don’t need to outsource either service to another provider.
Bluehost is incredibly easy to use for beginners and experts alike and it’s also cost-effective because it comes with charge-free add-ons like free domain name when you buy a hosting plan.
