Are you looking for a budget-friendly web hosting service with excellent performance?
I have tried numerous web hosts and can assure you that NameCheap offers affordable, reliable, exceptional hosting services.
NameCheap? Yes, you heard me right.
The same NameCheap you may have known as a budget-friendly domain registrar.
Though famous for domain name registration, the company added other services, including web hosting. It offers a variety of hosting solutions for individuals, small businesses, and organizations that don’t need complex set up.
NameCheap offering hosting services? Of course, not being famous as a web host doesn’t mean the company isn’t providing quality hosting services.
Web hosting needs vary, and it is necessary to find a provider that is a perfect solution for your specific requirements. You never know whether NameCheap is the web host you seek.
I will share my findings about NameCheap, including its strengths and weaknesses. Read on to discover if this hosting company is your ideal web host.
About NameCheap
NameCheap was established in 2000 as a domain registration company and later added other services, including web hosting. It gained popularity for offering budget-friendly domain name registration services.
Though NameCheap isn’t among the top hosting providers, it may offer the exact solutions you need. The company hosts over three million domain names and has over eleven million clients.
The figures indicate that the company has gained the trust of its customers. Also, its products are valuable.
Following its name, the company offers affordable pricing plans to cater to users’ hosting needs. The benefits of NameCheap hosting options include the following:
- Free SSL certificates
- Unmetered bandwidth
- Privacy and domain name protection
- Free website builder
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Other NameCheap’s services are:
- VPN for protecting your devices and safe browsing on public Wi-Fi.
- Content Delivery Network (CDN) for improving the speed of hosted websites.
- SSL certificates protect customers’ details on websites to prevent identity theft.
NameCheap Pros and Cons
I will walk you through the benefits and downsides of NameCheap’s hosting services to help you decide about the web host.
Pros
Here are the advantages of hosting your website on NameCheap’s servers:
- Easy-to-use Interface: NameCheap’s user-friendly interface and simple dashboard allow users to easily manage their domain and hosting plans. You can also purchase products, renew your subscriptions, or quickly check your plan’s renewal status.
- Fast Page Loading: Visitors will likely leave a website for another if it takes over 4 seconds to load. A quick loading time, below Google’s acceptable “less than 3 minutes,” should be the focus. With an average page load speed of 458 m/s, NameCheap’s blazing speed surpassed it. Besides, the hosting provider’s load time has continued to improve.
- Excellent Uptime: NameCheap provides an average uptime of 99.97%, which keeps hosted websites online. The company will compensate users if they experience downtime. Choosing a web host providing a high uptime percentage is necessary, translating to less downtime for hosted websites. You wouldn’t want your website to stay offline and lose customers during that period.
- Money-back Guarantee: If your NameCheap experience isn’t satisfactory, you can decide within the first month to discontinue the services. You will get a refund. However, you may switch plans at the end of the first month.
- Value-packed Basic Plan: NameCheap offers more than the minimal necessities for its entry-level plans. The hosting provider provides value-packed basic packages more than most competitors, even at a cheaper rate. With NameCheap’s lowest plans, you can get bi-weekly backups, unmetered bandwidth, a first-year free SSL certificate, and hosting for three websites.
- Free Website Migration and Domain: NameCheap can help you switch your website from your host to its platform. According to this host company, free migration occurs within 24 hours. Besides, the hosting plans come with a free domain, saving the cost of registering for one.
Cons
Here are the drawbacks of NameCheap’s hosting services:
- Fewer Data Centers: The web host’s three data centers are in the UK, Netherlands, and Arizona. Other web hosts have more data centers. Hosting your website in the UK or Netherlands data centers attracts an additional charge of $1 per month.
- One-year Free SSL Certificate: You need an SSL certificate to protect your online customers’ data and validate your website. NameCheap offers an SSL product at no extra cost for a year, after which you will pay for it. However, other hosting companies provide a free SSL certificate for the entire period of a user’s subscription.
- Limited Support System: NameCheap doesn’t offer phone support. However, you can use the platform’s knowledge base and live chats. The knowledge base refers to self-help resources provided by the web host to help users resolve common issues others have experienced. These resources include articles on different topics and video guides that answer various questions. The live chat provides 24/7 support. You can get a quick response to your inquiry through this option. However, replies to subsequent questions may not be fast.
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NameCheap Services
NameCheap offers a range of quality hosting services to users. NameCheap has a perfect solution for you whether you are a beginner, a small business, or a user with more demanding or high-traffic websites.
1. Shared Hosting
NameCheap offers more for shared hosting plans than other providers at affordable prices. This hosting option is suitable for newbies and websites that require fewer resources.
The shared hosting services host many websites on a single server. The benefit of this option is its affordable pricing, as the platform divides the server costs among the multiple accounts on the server.
Unfortunately, sharing the server’s resources among numerous websites can negatively affect speed. As a result, a spike in traffic from a website can slow other sites hosted on the same server.
NameCheap optimizes its shared servers for enhanced speed and performance by complementing the hosting plans with generous resources. The starter plan can host three websites, while most hosting providers allow only one site on their lowest shared plan.
The benefits of hosting your website with NameCheap shared hosting plans include the following:
- Bi-weekly backup
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Free Domain
- 1-click Softaculous installation of over 150 applications and WordPress
- cPanel
- A website builder
Also, users enjoy a first-year free SSL certificate. However, payment for the SSL product at the expiration of the free period or its renewal isn’t that cheap compared to other providers’ offers.
2. WordPress Hosting
You can host WordPress websites on shared hosting plans. NameCheap offers more resources through its EasyWP plans optimized for improved WordPress speeds. Websites on these plans are three times faster than shared hosting WordPress sites.
The starter plan offers 10GB storage and no SSL. However, the higher packages come with more storage and resources and a free SSL for the plan’s lifetime. All the EasyWp plans support a single website.
EasyWP fast and managed WordPress hosting allows your website to go live within minutes. Besides, NameCheap will handle the installation of services and other management tasks, saving money and time.
The cloud-based platform helps the hosted websites to stay live with a 99.9% uptime guarantee. It facilitates the quick growth of websites and supports them during heavy traffic.
3. VPS Hosting
Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting is ideal for more demanding sites and professionals. This hosting option gives you control over your hosting environment. NameCheap offers fast and customizable VPS hosting with robust security.
The unmanaged VPS hosting allows users to manage the servers, install and manage applications, restore failed servers, and perform other tasks. However, they do not provide a cPanel.
The easy-to-use managed VPS system is more expensive. Adding a cPanel and total server management comes with an extra cost, increasing the prices of the higher packages.
4. Dedicated Hosting
With NameCheap’s dedicated hosting, you can get a server and resources for your website. If you want to control your server and avoid sharing resources, choose any package from the entry, medium, or advanced options.
The dedicated servers are optimized for fast loading and handling of heavy traffic. They are secure, protecting your website and the applications you run on it.
The platform allows you to choose your deserved server management options for higher plans. If you opt for complete server management, NameCheap’s technicians will conduct routine checks on your server and rectify any issues.
Though the managed dedicated servers cost more, they are worth the price, and you don’t have to pay for setup. The lowest plan is unmanaged, leaving users to run their servers.
NameCheap prevents users from adding more backup drives or RAM on a base server. If the configuration isn’t your priority, you will enjoy this hosting plan. Besides, it is a perfect solution for heavy-traffic sites requiring reliability and speed.
5. Reseller Hosting
You can earn income by reselling hosting plans to end users. With NameCheap web services, you will offer value to your clients. The web host’s reseller hosting plans come with the following:
- Free WHM/cPanel
- Unmetered bandwidth
- Account management tools
- High-powered servers
- 30-day money-back guarantee
NameCheap uses servers designed with cutting-edge technology for its reseller hosting. With the Web Host Manager (WHM), a reseller can create and manage clients’ hosting accounts. You can brand the web service to build your business identity.
6. Email Hosting
NameCheap offers a hosting service that allows users to create professional email addresses, using them to send or receive messages. The platform’s email hosting is secure and ad-free. Its plan comes with tools for expansion, data protection, and security improvement.
These features include:
- Free forwarding addresses to improve the credibility of your business
- Powerful anti-spam protection to safeguard messages
- Strong and safe 2FA for identity verification
- Better app security for privacy and account protection
- Brand impact, which involves using customized logos and social media links to strengthen your brand
- Extra mailboxes with the “Ultimate” and “Pro” plans
With NameCheap’s email hosting, you can make your brand look more professional. Besides, you can control your email flow by adding all your email accounts into a unified inbox.
NameCheap Plans and Pricing
NameCheap offers a range of competitively priced plans to cater to various hosting needs and budgets. The hosting provider is an excellent option if you require performance, reliability, and affordability.
Here is an overview of NameCheap’s hosting plans and options:
1. Shared Hosting Plans
NameCheap uses the latest technology for its shared hosting hardware, providing exceptional performance. The provider offers more resources for its three shared hosting plans. These packages are:
- Stellar ($1.98/month): NameCheap’s lowest shared hosting plan supports hosting three websites. It offers 20GB SSD storage and 30 mailboxes.
- Stellar Plus ($2.98/month): This plan offers unlimited websites, unmetered SSD storage, mailboxes, and auto backup.
- Stellar Business ($4.98/month): This option suits small businesses. It offers 50GB SSD storage, unlimited websites, unlimited mailboxes, and auto backup.
All the shared hosting plans offer unlimited bandwidth to cushion the negative impact of heavy traffic.
2. VPS Hosting Plans
NameCheap offers users flexibility and control over the hosting environment through virtual private servers. Here are the three VPS hosting plans:
- Pulsar ($6.88/month): This hosting package provides a 2-core CPU, 40GB SSD RAID 10, 2GB RAM, and 1000GB bandwidth.
- Quasar ($12.88/month): The unique offerings of this plan includes a 4-core CPU, 120GB SSD RAID 10, 6GB RAM, and 3000GB bandwidth.
- Magnetar ($24.88/month): The top-tier VPS hosting plan offers an 8-core CPU, 240GB SSD RAID 10, 12GB RAM, and 6000GB bandwidth.
All VPS hosting plans give users full root access and server management options.
3. WordPress Hosting Plans
NameCheap offers managed hosting services optimized for WordPress and handles the technical part of server management. The WordPress hosting plans and pricing options include the following:
- EasyWP Starter ($6.88/month): Create your first WordPress website with this plan. It offers 10GB SSD storage, Free CDN, and 50,000 monthly visitors.
- EasyWP Turbo ($12.88/month): This plan offers 50GB SSD storage, 1.5 times more RAM, 1.5 times more CPU, 200,000 monthly visitors, free SSL, and free CDN.
- EasyWP Supersonic ($19.88/month): With this package, you can add extra resources to improve your website’s performance. It provides 100GB SSD storage, two times more RAM and CPU, and 500,000 monthly visitors. The plan includes free SSL and CDN and a 99.99% uptime guarantee.
4. Dedicated Hosting Plans
NameCheap offers different dedicated server plans for various hosting needs. They provide exceptional website performance. Other benefits include:
- Same-day set-up
- 99.99% uptime
- Free Migration
You can choose any of the following dedicated hosting options:
- Xeon E3-1230 v5 ($48.88/month): This plan provides a 4-core CPU, 8GB RAM, 100TB/month bandwidth, and 480GB SSD storage.
- Xeon E-2234 ($62.88/month): With an introductory monthly fee of $62.88, you will get a 4-core CPU, 16GB RAM, 100TB/month bandwidth, and 480GB SSD storage.
- Xeon E-2236 ($71.88/month): This package has a 6-core CPU, 32GB RAM, 100TB bandwidth, and two times 480GB SSD storage.
- Xeon E-2236 ($85.88/month): This plan offers a 6-core CPU, 64GB RAM, 100TB/month bandwidth, and two times 960GB SSD storage.
- Dual Xeon Silver 4208 ($139.88/month): This hosting plan offers two times 8-core CPU, 64GB RAM, unmetered bandwidth, 500GB backup storage, and two times 1TB SSD storage.
- Dual AMD EPYC 7282 ($238.88/month): The offerings of this hosting package includes two times 16-core CPU, 128GB RAM, unmetered bandwidth, 500GB backup storage, and four times 1.92TB SSD storage.
5. Reseller Hosting Plans
NameCheap offers three reseller hosting plans.
- Nebula ($19.88/month): The lowest reseller plan provides 30GB SSD storage and 25 cPanel accounts.
- Galaxy Expert ($39.88/month): This hosting package has 90GB SSD storage and 100 cPanel accounts.
- Universe Pro ($58.88/month): This plan offers 150GB SSD storage, 150 cPanel accounts, and a WHMCS starter.
6. Email Hosting Plans
NameCheap offers three email hosting plans. All the packages have a 2-month free trial option. Here are the three hosting options:
- Starter ($1.24/month): This plan provides one mailbox and 5GB for emails.
- Pro ($3.49/month): The offerings of this package includes complete mobile sync support, three mailboxes, and 30GB for emails.
- Ultimate ($5.99/month): The email hosting highest plan offers five mailboxes, 75GB for emails, and mobile sync support. Also, it provides top-quality email delivery, sheets, docs, and presentations.
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NameCheap Performance
One of the numerous things I love about NameCheap is its commitment to delivering exceptional performance to its customers.
The vendor has cutting-edge technology and solid infrastructure to ensure maximum uptime, website speed, and overall performance.
This company uses advanced caching mechanisms and high-speed servers for optimal website loading speed. They optimize their servers for performance, resulting in a smooth user experience and fast loading time.
I decided to NameCheap to the test based on its numerous claims.
Interestingly, I was not disappointed by the results. The test website recorded a great server response time and loading speed.
Uptime is another vital thing I paid close attention to.
NameCheap has backup power systems and redundant network connections to minimize the chances of downtime. Thanks to their infrastructure, the company guarantees a 99.9% uptime rate.
The uptime rate guarantees your website will always be online and accessible to your visitors.
I did not notice any downtime during the test period, not even due to maintenance.
Furthermore, NameCheap employs advanced security measures to protect your website and data.
They implement robust firewalls, malware scanning, and regular system updates to keep your website safe from potential threats and vulnerabilities. This proactive approach to security contributes to a secure and reliable hosting environment.
NameCheap Support
NameCheap provides reliable customer support services to help you with your website hosting and domain registration needs.
I highly commend their exceptional customer support, as I was impressed by how fast they responded to me.
This company provides various support channels, including live chat, email, and ticketing.
Live chat is one of their major support channels; you can reach them through this channel 24/7.
I reached out to NameCheap via their live chat support, and an agent responded in just a few minutes. In addition to responding quickly, the agent is highly knowledgeable and helpful.
I had no real issue to resolve, I only reached out to them to ask questions. A question I already have the answer to, smiles.
Another support channel I found very helpful was their ticketing system. You can submit more complex inquiries or detailed descriptions of a technical issue through this channel.
In addition to live chat and ticketing support, NameCheap provides a knowledge base and a community forum.
The knowledge base is a comprehensive resource containing articles, tutorials, and guides that cover a wide range of topics related to domain management, web hosting, and other services.
The community forum allows users to engage with fellow NameCheap customers, share experiences, ask questions, and seek advice.
NameCheap Features
Though NameCheap started as a domain registrar, the company has created an excellent web hosting platform. It offers high-performing, secure, reliable, and affordable hosting plans.
Here are features that make NameCheap the preferred web host for many users:
1. Ease of Use
This provider is a user-friendly platform suitable for newbies and experienced users. Its easy-to-use interface and simple dashboard allow users to manage their hosting plans, domains, and other web services.
NameCheap provides login and account details when you purchase its hosting package. The provider supports easy installation of Content Management System (CMS) platforms like Joomla and WordPress with the Softaculous installer.
You don’t have to worry if you have no mastery of software installation. You can find detailed tutorials and documentation about the company’s website on its knowledge base.
With these resources, you can better understand website management and web hosting. Besides, the knowledge base also provides resources for resolving common hosting issues.
2. Improved Security
Privacy protection and robust security are among NameCheap’s strengths. The hosting company uses high-end security measures like SSL certificates, efficient firewalls, updates, and backups to protect your data and website from possible threats.
3. Easy-to-use control panel and dashboard
NameCheap’s user-friendly cPanel and dashboard are tailored to enable users to manage their domains and hosting accounts. With no prior experience, you can edit DNS records for your domain and add or remove add-on subdomains.
Also, you can upload and manage website files, create backups, and more
4. Free Website Migration
NameCheap guarantees a seamless transition from another hosting environment to its platform. If your website is hosted with another provider, NameCheap will handle the migration process to its server for free.
Within 24 hours, its team of experienced technicians will complete the migration with minimal downtime, barely 15 minutes.
5. Bandwidth and Storage Limit
NameCheap offers unmetered bandwidth for its hosting plan. Unlike packages with limited bandwidth, you don’t have to pay extra charges for exceeding a given limit. With its hosting plans, there is no limitation to data transfer between websites and their visitors.
6. High-speed CDN
NameCheap offers high bandwidth and fast speeds with its Content Delivery Network (CDN). Consequently, website content will load within seconds, leading to shorter load times.
NameCheap included this feature for free in its shared hosting plans. The tool supports the smooth running of small business websites.
7. Website Builder
You don’t need coding skills to use this tool. The drag-and-drop site builder has various designs you can use to create stunning websites.
You can sign up for a free website builder trial and later opt for a paid plan if you have had a good experience.
Besides, NameCheap includes extras like a free first-year SSL certificate, automatic backup, and a free domain name in its hosting plans. The platform offers discounts and even two-month free trials for selected hosting packages.
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Do We Recommend NameCheap?
After assessing NameCheap’s pros and cons, services, pricing, and features, we recommend it as a reliable and affordable web host.
It offers various hosting solutions to satisfy the different needs of users. You can choose from its shared hosting for beginners and small businesses to dedicated and VPS hosting for resource-intensive websites and professionals.
Adding features like a website builder, free domain name, and security tools in its hosting plans offers a better user experience.
Besides, its high uptime, secure hosting, fast load times, and affordable pricing make NameCheap the ideal choice of web host for many users. NameCheap offers excellent value, providing more resources for its lower plans.
Though it has drawbacks, its benefits outnumber them. The company remains a reputable provider in the hosting industry.
NameCheap is an ideal hosting solution for freelancers and small businesses who need robust and budget-friendly hosting services. Also, it offers higher plans for more demanding websites. It may be the web hosting solution you seek.
Who Is NameCheap Best For?
NameCheap offers hosting plans that satisfy the different needs of users. The provider’s basic shared hosting package provides all you need to get your website live online and more. However, it provides higher hosting plans for websites that require more resources.
NameCheap is a perfect hosting provider for the following:
1. Users Seeking Affordable Hosting Options
Due to the lower pricing for its web hosting plans, NameCheap has become an affordable provider option for small businesses and individuals. You will find an option that can address your hosting needs at a budget-friendly price.
This platform allows beginners without technical knowledge to easily build and manage their websites. NameCheap also offers managed hosting options allowing the platform’s technicians to manage the users’ accounts.
2. Users Who Require Multiple Hosting Plans
NameCheap offers shared hosting, WordPress hosting, dedicated servers, VPS hosting, and more. Users can choose plans that satisfy their needs from the various options provided by the platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does NameCheap offer an uptime guarantee?
NameCheap gives a 99.9% uptime guarantee on its hosting plans. Users receive a free day to the maximum of a month’s hosting for every hour of downtime experienced or unscheduled maintenance in a month.
Does NameCheap offer a money-back guarantee?
NameCheap offers a 30-day refund guarantee for its VPS and shared hosting packages. The web host offers a 7-day money-back guarantee for dedicated hosting.
Besides, you can get a refund for some domain name renewals if you request it within five days of making a payment.
Where are the locations of NameCheap data centers?
NameCheap has three data centers in the UK, USA, and Netherlands. However, more data centers will give users more site hosting options. Also, it will improve the quality of their hosting services.
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Conclusion
NameCheap is among the most reliable and fastest providers in the hosting industry. It offers more value at competitive prices. If you are looking for a reliable and affordable hosting provider, NameCheap is an ideal option. It is also perfect for beginners with less demanding websites.
