Namecheap Review: Is It the Web Host for Me?
As the name entails, Namecheap is quite affordable. However, there might be other questions hovering over your head, like is it reliable? Is it secure? Is it the right option for my business or personal needs? In this review, we will cover all your burning Namecheap questions and more!
Pros
Cons
Quick Stats
Plans and Pricing
Like mentioned before, Namecheap’s prices are competitively low. This is especially clear when taking both the starting and renewal prices into consideration.
1. Starting price
Namecheap offers a competitively low price for your domain name, starting at $9.48 per year for a .com Top-Level Domain (TLD), $10.98 for a .net, and a very affordable $7.98 per year for a .co TLD.
However, you should keep in mind that, like any domain registrar, the price varies depending on how in-demand your domain name is. You might have to make an offer for a concise, 2 or 3 syllabled domain name.
An additional ICANN fee of $0.18 applies to most TLDs and is paid yearly for each domain name you register.
2. Renewal price
Like most domain registrars, the renewal rate is slightly higher than the starting price, and again it depends on the TLD used. However, with Namecheap, the renewal price would still sit low at $13.48 per year for .com domains.
Here you can find the renewal rates for different TLDs.
| Top-Level Domain | Registration Price | Renewal Price |
|---|---|---|
| .com | $9.48/year | $13.48/year |
| .net | $10.98/year | $14.98/year |
| .org | $9.18/year | $14.98/year |
| .co | $7.98/year | $25.98/year |
3. Grace period
Timely renewal is critical in domain registration. If you fail to pay for your domain name at the time of renewal, it will expire, which means that someone else could buy it and ask for a higher price if you want to claim it back. And here comes the importance of a grace period. A period that retains your domain name for a set duration even if you fail to renew on time.
Luckily, Namecheap grants you a grace period of 30 days for most TLDs.
4. Bulk domain purchase discount
Namecheap offers a reduced price for users wanting to purchase multiple domain names at once, starting from 50 domains or more all the way up to 800 domains. In case you have more than 800 domain names you want to register, you can contact their customer care directly for a more reduced rate.
Click Here For Our Discount!
Privacy and Protection
After creating your account at Namecheap, you will be able to tell how dedicated they are to security and privacy. From their 2-factor authentication log-in to their free, life-long WHOIS privacy and protection offered with each new domain registered.
1. WHOIS privacy and protection
Namecheap offers a life-long free service of concealing your private information (such as your name, phone number, email address, etc.) from the WHOIS database. This is very beneficial as other sites charge you an annual fee of around $10 for this service.
2. DNS security
For only $2.88 a year, you can get a premium DNS subscription that provides you with a global DNS service and DNS security that blocks any unwanted traffic and prevents hoax DNS requests.
3. Namecheap VPN
To better conceal and secure your identity, Namecheap has its very own VPN that you can get a first free month on once you set up your account.
4. 2-factor authentication and time based one-time password
In order to secure and protect your Namecheap account, Namecheap has 2-factor authentication available for activation and a one-time password to log in. This ensures that your account is only accessible by you.
5. Bitcoin payment
Since 2013, Namecheap started accepting bitcoin as a valid payment method. Using cryptocurrency as a payment method is much safer than credit card transactions. The transaction happens on a blockchain of computers on a private network without the involvement of third and fourth parties.
6. Domain lock
Making sure that your domain is not transferred to any other registrar is an essential feature that Namecheap provides, which further enhances the security and privacy of your data.
Domain Transfer
Transferring to Namecheap
Transferring your domain name to Namecheap is pretty quick and simple. Namecheap does not charge any additional fees for the transfer.
You start by checking if your domain is eligible for transfer. You unlock your domain using your previous registrar. Then you enter your authorization code obtained from your previous registrar. What’s left is a simple registration process as if you are buying the domain.
Transferring from Namecheap
Transferring to another registrar requires unlocking your domain and then transferring it to your selected domain. Although some domain registrars charge you for unlocking your domain name, Namecheap does it free of charge.
User Experience
All in all, the website is quick to load and easy to use for the not very tech-savvy. Creating an account takes less than a minute, and the domain registration process takes another minute or less.
Customer support
Namecheap provides live chat with one of their agents if you face any issues. We tried the feat and waited around 2 minutes to connect to an agent and around another 2 minutes for the agent to provide a solution. In most cases, the solution provided was something that can already be found on the KnowledgeBase of the website.
Knowledgebase
With their very informative KnowledgeBase, you will rarely need customer support. The base has a search bar and is loaded with articles that troubleshoot and walk you through any possible hiccups.
Free Apps and Add-on services
Along with your registration, Namecheap also provides a variety of apps that help businesses grow, either at reduced rates, free trials, or entirely for free!
Free CDN
With Namecheap’s CDN, you can keep your website safe from DDoS on various servers worldwide. With that, your website will load much quicker for your visitors.
Logo builder
The free Logo Maker app can assist you in selecting the ideal typeface, iconography, and color scheme for your personal or professional logo. With a unique design wizard to choose the template you prefer. The software will do the rest, narrowing down thousands of design alternatives and providing you with the ones that are best suited to you.
Canvas: website builder
Namecheap also provides a free website builder that allows you to build your website smoothly and professionally. You will get a free starting plan, and you get to add more advanced features as your company grows.
Easy WordPress
With Easy WordPress, you will have the ability to build your free WordPress website hosted on Namecheap Cloud with Easy backups and restores SFTP and database access. The first month is free of charge, and $3.88 monthly after that.
The Final Verdict
After trying Namecheap for ourselves, do we recommend Namecheap as a domain registrar? YES!
Like we mentioned in the article, Namecheap’s dedication to privacy and security, along with its competitive prices, makes it a go-to choice for anyone starting their own website and looking for a reliable domain registrar at an affordable price.
One of its cons would be the somewhat automated support provided by the customer support agents, but that could be averted by using their knowledge base for information or submitting a high-priority ticket to get a more tailored response.
Another hiccup may be some missing international top-level domains, but you can get around this by registering your domain name on another registrar and transferring it to Namecheap.