Namecheap alternatives 2025: find better and cheaper
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Namecheap is a well-known domain registrar that also offers hosting services. While it may seem like a convenient all-in-one solution, it’s not always the best choice. This is especially true if you’re concerned about high renewal prices or looking for better performance at an affordable price tag.
In this article, I present the 6 best Namecheap alternatives. Each option on this list has unique strengths, so you can choose the one that best suits your needs.
6 best Namecheap alternatives
- Hostinger – best alternative to Namecheap overall
- Bluehost – Namecheap competitor for cheaper shared hosting
- DreamHost – secure Namecheap alternative
- HostGator – Namecheap competitor for better performance
- InMotion Hosting – Namecheap alternative for developers
- Liquid Web – VPS hosting alternative to Namecheap
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Why should someone consider switching from Namecheap hosting?
Namecheap is a solid web hosting provider, but far from being the best. It lacks in some key areas, including:
- Inconsistent performance. While Namecheap’s performance isn’t terrible, it struggles under higher traffic loads and has slower response times.
- Basic security features. Namecheap offers backups only twice a week with most plans, and automatic daily backups are only available on higher-tier plans.
- Outdated control panel. Namecheap relies on cPanel, which isn’t the most intuitive or modern control panel.
- Hidden costs. While Namecheap might seem very cheap at first, its pricing can increase very quickly. For example, while a free domain is included in all plans, it only applies to select domain extensions, so if you want a .com, you’ll need to pay extra.
Best Namecheap alternatives and competitors – detailed list
When selecting the best web hosting provider to replace Namecheap, I ensured my alternatives are affordable but offer better security, performance, and features.
1. Hostinger – the best Namecheap alternative overall
| Rating: | |
| Starting price: | $2.69/month |
| Hosting types: | Shared, WordPress, VPS, cloud, and email hosting |
| Best deal: | Get up to 78% OFF Hostinger + free months |
Hostinger is my top pick to replace Namecheap because of its performance, built-in features, and price-to-value ratio. It’s especially great if you want more tools without paying extra.
My reasons why Hostinger is an alternative to Namecheap:
- Extensive AI tools. I found that Hostinger’s AI features are far more advanced than Namecheap’s. It includes an AI writer, blog generator, SEO assistant, and Kodee AI, which can troubleshoot issues for you. Namecheap’s AI tools felt more basic in comparison.
- More features and resources included. Hostinger gives you weekly backups, as well as more storage and websites, even with the entry plan. I found it a better deal overall, especially since Namecheap charges extra for many of these features.
- Wider data center coverage. Hostinger has 10 global server locations, while Namecheap only covers 4. In my experience, this had a significant impact on international site speeds.
- Beginner-friendly. I found that Hostinger is easier to use. Its custom hPanel is much more intuitive than Namecheap's cPanel. Also, the AI assistant helped me navigate smoothly.
If you’re curious to learn more about its features, check our Hostinger review for more details.
Performance. Based on our in-house tests, Hostinger is certainly a better choice. While Namecheap showed decent results, Hostinger excelled in website speed, response time, and uptime.
| Hostinger | Namecheap | |
| Uptime results | 100% | 100% |
| Website speed | 0.915s | 1.188s |
| Response time | 60ms | 179ms |
Pricing. Hostinger shared hosting plans start at $2.69/month. The cloud hosting plans begin at $7.19/month, while VPS hosting starts at $4.49/month. All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it without any risk.
2. Bluehost – affordable Namecheap alternative
| Rating: | |
| Starting price: | $1.99/month |
| Hosting types: | Shared, WordPress, WooCommerce, VPS, cloud, and dedicated hosting |
| Best deal: | Get up to 83% OFF Bluehost |
Bluehost is a great competitor to Namecheap if you want budget-friendly pricing. It offers robust features even with the entry plan, ensuring an excellent price-to-quality ratio.
My reasons why Bluehost is an alternative to Namecheap:
- Better WordPress features. I found that Bluehost’s WordPress setup is seamless. WordPress comes pre-installed, and tools like automatic updates and optimization features make site management very simple.
- Better support. Unlike Namecheap, Bluehost offers phone support in addition to 24/7 live chat and email. I found this especially useful when I needed quick assistance for urgent issues.
- Security. Bluehost includes daily backups on all plans and offers built-in malware scanning. It also uses Cloudflare CDN, which I found to be more reliable and easier to activate than Namecheap’s Supersonic CDN.
- Ease of use. Even though both providers use cPanel, Bluehost’s dashboard felt more intuitive. Plus, its AI-powered WordPress builder made the setup a lot easier.
For a deeper dive into its features, take a look at our detailed Bluehost review.
Performance. In my tests, Bluehost handled traffic spikes better than Namecheap and had faster server response times. While Namecheap’s page load speed was slightly faster, I found that the overall performance was better with Bluehost.
| Bluehost | Namecheap | |
| Uptime results | 100% | 100% |
| Website speed | 2.001s | 1.188s |
| Response time | 119ms | 179ms |
Pricing. Bluehost is similarly affordable, with shared hosting pricing starting at $1.99/month. You also get more value with extra storage, security features, marketing tools, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
3. DreamHost – Namecheap alternative for security
| Rating: | |
| Starting price: | $2.59/month |
| Hosting types: | Shared, WordPress, VPS, cloud, and dedicated hosting |
| Best deal: | Get DreamHost, now 72% OFF |
If you’re looking for stronger security features and an easier hosting experience, DreamHost is a solid competitor to Namecheap. It offers built-in protection without extra charges, making it a better long-term value.
My reasons why DreamHost is an alternative to Namecheap:
- Easy to use. I found DreamHost’s custom control panel much easier to navigate than Namecheap’s cPanel. It’s clean, well-organized, and great for beginners.
- Better security. DreamHost includes a web application firewall (WAF) with all plans, while Namecheap only offers that through its paid SiteLock upgrade. DreamHost also gives you free daily backups by default, which Namecheap only includes in higher-tier plans.
- Greater resources and tools. I liked that DreamHost offers 50GB storage even on the base plan. In contrast, Namecheap only offers 20GB. It also includes site analytics and a Business Advisor tool, which helped me track SEO and marketing progress. And unlike Namecheap, DreamHost lets you claim a free .com domain.
- Extended money-back guarantee. Dreamhost allows you to test its service for 97 days. I think that’s a major advantage if you need extra time before committing.
You can find more information in our comprehensive DreamHost review.
Performance. In our testing, DreamHost’s loading speeds were slightly slower than Namecheap’s. However, both providers maintained 100% uptime.
| DreamHost | Namecheap | |
| Uptime results | 100% | 100% |
| Website speed | 1.209s | 1.188s |
| Response time | 239ms | 179ms |
Pricing. DreamHost’s plans start at $2.59/month for shared hosting. VPS plans start at $10.00/month, while cloud hosting plans start at $4.50/month.
4. HostGator – performance-focused Namecheap alternative
| Rating: | |
| Starting price: | $2.29/month |
| Hosting types: | Shared, WordPress, VPS, cloud, and dedicated hosting |
| Best deal: | Get up to 81% OFF HostGator |
HostGator is a great alternative to Namecheap for those looking for excellent performance. It delivers fast speeds and remains reliable even during traffic spikes, making it ideal for high-traffic websites.
My reasons why HostGator is an alternative to Namecheap:
- Ease of use. Both providers use cPanel, but I found that HostGator’s dashboard is more convenient. It includes shortcuts to essential settings, making management quicker and more intuitive.
- More resources. HostGator offers generous resources. Even the cheapest plan provides 10 websites, 10GB storage, and a malware scanning feature. Namecheap, on the other hand, offers 3 websites and 20GB of storage.
- Security. HostGator includes malware scanning, daily backups, and a firewall. These same features on Namecheap either cost extra or are only available on pricier plans.
- Support. I really appreciate that HostGator includes phone support. It helped me solve issues much faster than using chat alone.
Learn how it performs in real-world scenarios by reading our HostGator review.
Performance. HostGator offers great performance. During our tests, it handled increased traffic very well while maintaining fast response speeds.
| HostGator | Namecheap | |
| Uptime results | 100% | 100% |
| Website speed | 1.235s | 1.188s |
| Response time | 162ms | 179ms |
Pricing. HostGator’s shared hosting ranges from $2.29/month to $4.59/month. While slightly pricier than Namecheap, the added features justify the cost.
5. InMotion Hosting – alternative to Namecheap for developers
| Rating: | |
| Starting price: | $2.29/month |
| Hosting types: | Shared, WordPress, VPS, reseller, cloud, eCommerce, and dedicated server hosting |
| Best deal: | Get InMotion Hosting, now 79% OFF |
If you’re a developer or want more server control, InMotion Hosting might be a perfect choice. It offers significantly more storage, a longer money-back guarantee, and better performance overall.
My reasons why InMotion Hosting is an alternative to Namecheap:
- More resources. InMotion’s entry plan includes 100GB of storage, which is significantly more than Namecheap’s 20GB. I found this very beneficial for more content-heavy websites.
- Extended trial period. InMotion Hosting comes with a 90-day money-back guarantee, which is three times longer than Namecheap’s.
- Many performance-enhancing features. It comes with multiple built-in caching tools and other optimizations designed to boost your site’s performance.
- Developer-friendly. InMotion offers developer-level access and automation tools. I liked how much flexibility it gave me to control and customize my hosting environment.
We covered its features in detail in our InMotion Hosting review.
Performance. In my testing, InMotion outperformed Namecheap. It had faster load times, quicker server response, and maintained strong speeds even during stress tests.
| InMotion Hosting | Namecheap | |
| Uptime results | 100% | 100% |
| Website speed | 1.016s | 1.188s |
| Response time | 116ms | 179ms |
Pricing. Shared hosting pricing ranges from $2.29/month to $10.99/month. The VPS hosting plans start at just $4.49/month, while dedicated hosting starts at $35.00/month – much cheaper than Namecheap.
6. Liquid Web – alternative to Namecheap for VPS hosting
| Rating: | |
| Starting price: | $5.00/month |
| Hosting types: | Managed WordPress, VPS, Cloud, and dedicated hosting |
| Best deal: | Get Liquid Web, now 85% OFF |
Liquid Web is a great Namecheap alternative, especially for VPS hosting. It offers superior performance, customizable control panel options, and more advanced security features.
My reasons why Liquid Web Hosting is an alternative to Namecheap:
- Allows you to choose the control panel. Liquid Web lets you choose between InterWorx, Plesk, or cPanel, while Namecheap only supports cPanel. I think, this added flexibility makes it ideal for users who want a more tailored setup.
- Security. It includes robust features like DDoS protection, server monitoring, firewalls, and malware scans. These go beyond Namecheap's basic protection, making Liquid Web better suited for high-traffic websites.
- Support. Liquid Web provides 24/7 support through live chat, email, and phone. I found the phone support especially helpful when resolving issues quickly, and Namecheap doesn’t offer that.
- VPS hosting. Liquid Web specializes in VPS hosting with scalable and feature-rich plans. In comparison, Namecheap’s VPS plans are more limited.
Check out our full Liquid Web review for expert insights.
Performance. Liquid Web showed excellent performance compared to Namecheap. While both had 100% uptime, Liquid Web’s servers responded faster and handled traffic spikes with ease.
| Liquid Web | Namecheap | |
| Uptime results | 100% | 100% |
| Website speed | 0.836s | 1.188s |
| Response time | 113ms | 179ms |
Pricing. VPS plans start at $5.00/month, making it more affordable than Namecheap’s $6.88/month. Liquid Web’s dedicated hosting plans are also cheaper, starting at $39.50/month, with better renewal rates overall.
Namecheap alternatives compared
Choosing the best Namecheap alternative isn’t always easy, so I’ve gathered the key details about the best options to help you compare them side by side.
| Brand | Starting price | Uptime results | Server location | Storage | Bandwidth | Free SSL | Free domain | Customer support |
| Hostinger | From $2.69/month | 100% | The US, the UK, the Netherlands, France, Lithuania, Brazil, Indonesia, and India | From 25GB SSD | Unlimited | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | 24/7 |
| Bluehost | From $1.99/month | 100% | The US | From 10GB SSD | Unlimited | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | 24/7 |
| DreamHost | From $2.59/month | 100% | The US (Virginia and Oregon) | From 50 GB SSD | Unlimited | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | 24/7 |
| HostGator | From $2.29/month | 100% | The US | From 10 GB SSD | Unlimited | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | 24/7 |
| InMotion Hosting | From $2.29/month | 100% | The US and the Netherlands | From 100 GB SSD | Unlimited | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | 24/7 |
| Liquid Web | From $5/month | 100% | The US and the Netherlands | From 40 GB SSD | 1TB | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | 24/7 |
Methodology for picking Namecheap's alternatives
At Cybernews, we follow a clear and detailed testing methodology. You can read more about it in our how we test web hosting page.
To find the best Namecheap alternative, I started by evaluating 58 providers and selected those that matched Namecheap in both pricing and performance. From there, I narrowed it down to the top contenders and rated each one based on the following five criteria:
- Ease of Use (30%). I considered how intuitive the setup process was, the quality of the dashboard, and the control panel.
- Pricing (20%). I looked at the overall cost, including renewal rates and value for money. Plans with generous resources and lower costs scored higher.
- Performance (20%). Together with the research team, I evaluated uptime, server response times, and how well the hosting handled traffic under load.
- Features (15%). I took note of features included, such as free domains, email hosting, backups, website builders, and control panel options.
- Security (15%). I ensured providers offer robust security, including SSL certificates, DDoS protection, malware scanning, and firewalls.
Each provider was rated from 1 to 6, based on how well it performed.
Wrapping up
While Namecheap is affordable and beginner-friendly, I found that Hostinger and Bluehost are much better alternatives. Both offer a significantly better price-to-value ratio, especially when it comes to features, performance, and ease of use.
Hostinger really impressed me with its built-in AI tools. I used the AI website builder, image generator, and content generator. These tools made creating a professional website fast and simple. The interface was intuitive, and the site performance was excellent.
Bluehost, on the other hand, was my top pick for WordPress hosting. Setting up WordPress was incredibly easy. I appreciated the AI-powered website builder and pre-installed plugins. Everything felt optimized for beginners, but powerful enough for hosting a professional website.
FAQ
Which hosting providers are most similar to Namecheap in terms of features?
Bluehost and HostGator have similar features to Namecheap. All offer staging environments, free SSL, built-in firewall protection, free domain, competitive pricing, cPanel access, easy WordPress installation, email hosting, and beginner-friendly tools.
Which Namecheap alternative offers the best value for long-term hosting?
Hostinger offers the best long-term value due to its affordable pricing, scalable options, and feature-rich plans that outperform Namecheap’s offerings.
Do any Namecheap alternatives include free domain names or email hosting?
Yes, Hostinger and DreamHost include a free domain name and email hosting with their plans. Most importantly, they allow you to set up a .com domain at no extra cost, making them strong alternatives to Namecheap.
Which Namecheap competitors provide free website migration services?
Hostinger and Bluehost both offer free website migration services. Hostinger supports unlimited automated migrations for all websites, while Bluehost provides free transfers for WordPress sites.
Which hosting providers are better suited for eCommerce than Namecheap?
Hostinger is the best Namecheap alternative for eCommerce. It offers excellent performance, resource-rich plans, and useful eCommerce-oriented features.
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