After trying several budget hosts over the years, I finally landed on Namecheap for my personal site and client projects. But, here is what you NEED to know before you sign up!
Their shared hosting plans are a great bang for your buck, but are they really as good as advertised?
I’ve been using Namecheap for the past two years, so I wanted to share the truth about their shared hosting based on my firsthand experience.
Spoiler alert: for most basic sites, their shared hosting absolutely delivers and then some. Keep reading to find out why I’m such a fan and why you should consider Namecheap for your next hosting plan.
Overview of Namecheap Shared Hosting Plans
As someone who hosts multiple blogs across different providers, I wanted to share my experience with Namecheap’s shared hosting plans.
Here is the information comparing hosting plans, prices, and features from Namecheap:
| Hosting Plan | Type of Hosting | Price | Discount | Duration | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stellar | Shared Hosting | $1.48/mo | 67% off | On the first year | Host up to 3 websites with the CMS of your choice. Includes a free Website Builder and email service. |
| Stellar Business | Shared Hosting | $4.98/mo | 47% off | On the first month | Cloud power your business with unmetered bandwidth and free automatic backups. |
| EasyWP Starter | WordPress Hosting | $0/mo | 100% off | On the first month | Powered by Namecheap’s cloud platform, host your WordPress website with up to 50k visitors/mo and enjoy 10 GB storage. |
| Starter | Email Hosting | $0/mo | 100% off | On first 2 months | Domain-based email at a price that can’t be beat. Includes all the tools you need to maximize your productivity. |
| Quasar | VPS Hosting | $15.88/mo | On the first year | – | Linux-based virtual servers include full root access, giving you all the flexibility to run your business. |
| Magnetar | VPS Hosting | $28.88/mo | – | – | The most powerful VPS at Namecheap with extended hardware resources plus all the benefits of regular VPS plans. |
| Xeon E-2236 | Dedicated Hosting | $85.88/mo | 9% off | On first month | Invest in a physical server that’s 100% yours. Includes full root access and all the customization possibilities1. |
Namecheap offers three shared hosting plans: Value, Professional, and Ultimate. I started with the Value plan to test the waters.
For a few bucks a month, you get solid uptime, 10 GB of storage, and support for one website. Performance was decent for a small site, but I soon outgrew the limits.
I upgraded to the Professional plan and have been happy with it. For under $10/month, you get unlimited websites, 20 GB of storage, and faster speeds. I’ve hosted up to five small sites on this plan without issues. A few key features:
- Easy one-click installs of WordPress, Joomla, and other CMSs.
- Free SSL certificates to enable HTTPS on your sites.
- Daily backups in case anything goes wrong.
- Support for MySQL, PHP, Perl, Python, and more.
| Hosting Plan | Hosting Up to 3 Websites | Free Website Builder | Email Service | Unmetered Bandwidth | Free Automatic Backups | Hosting WordPress Website | Up to 50k visitors/mo | 10 GB Storage | Domain-based Email | Tools for Productivity | Full Root Access | Extended Hardware Resources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stellar | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Stellar Business | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| EasyWP Starter | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Starter | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Quasar | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Magnetar | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Xeon E-2236 | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No |
The Ultimate plan doubles the storage to 40 GB and includes a free domain name, but for my needs, the Professional plan hits the sweet spot of performance, price, and features.
Overall, I’ve been satisfied with Namecheap shared hosting.
While not the fastest or most full-featured, for hosting a few small sites, the value is hard to beat. Their 24/7 live chat support has been helpful the couple of times I’ve needed it. If you’re looking for an affordable, reliable shared host, Namecheap deserves a look.
The Features and Limitations of the Stellar Plan
As an avid blogger, I’m always searching for affordable and reliable web hosting. When I came across Namecheap’s Stellar shared hosting plan, it seemed too good to be true. After testing it out for my personal blogs, here’s the lowdown on what you really get and any limitations to be aware of.
For just $2.88/month, the Stellar plan includes unlimited bandwidth, 20GB of SSD storage, and supports up to 3 websites. It’s perfect for small personal or business blogs. The easy-to-use control panel makes installing WordPress, uploading media files, and managing email accounts a breeze.
A few downsides to note: the plan only allows for a max of 25,000 monthly visitors. If your site gets heavy traffic, you’ll want to upgrade to a VPS or dedicated server. Email is also limited to just 100 accounts. While the Stellar plan offers daily backups, the restore points are only kept for 2 days. If something goes haywire, you have a small window to recover your site.
Namecheap’s Stellar shared hosting is a solid, budget-friendly option for casual bloggers and small business owners. For the money, you get a reliable host with great uptime and customer support. Just go in with realistic expectations about the limitations. For bigger, busier sites, their higher tier plans provide more resources to keep your web property humming. But if you’re just starting out and building up your online presence, the Stellar plan has everything you need to launch your blog or website without breaking the bank.
The Features and Limitations of the Stellar Plus Plan
I’ve been using Namecheap’s Stellar Plus shared hosting plan for a couple of years to host a few of my personal websites and blogs. Overall it’s a solid plan for the money, but there are some features and limitations to be aware of.
Generous but limited resources
The Stellar Plus plan provides a good amount of storage, bandwidth, and email accounts for a small website. However, if your site starts getting a lot of traffic, you’ll quickly max out the limited CPU and memory resources which can slow down your site’s performance. Upgrading to a higher-tier plan may be necessary to accommodate growth.
Free SSL but limited control panel
Namecheap includes a free SSL certificate to encrypt your site and provide the “secure” HTTPS prefix. However, their control panel is very basic. If you want more advanced features like staging environments, git integration, or auto-updates, you’ll need to look at other hosts. I’ve found workarounds for most things, but it can sometimes be frustrating.
Reliable uptime but limited support
In my experience, Namecheap’s uptime has been very good. However, their customer support leaves something to be desired. The live chat is often unavailable, and ticket response times can be quite slow. The knowledge base helps for common questions, but for more complex issues, you may be on your own.
Affordable but watch the renewal
Namecheap’s low introductory prices are appealing, but be aware that after your initial term, your plan will automatically renew at the regular renewal rate. This is often 50-100% higher than the first year. If the renewal cost is too high for your budget, make sure you cancel before the term ends so you can find an alternative.
Overall, the Stellar Plus plan is a good starter option if you need an inexpensive, no-frills solution to get a website up and running. Just go in with realistic expectations about the resources and support—you get what you pay for. If your needs outgrow the Stellar Plus specs, you’ll want to consider upgrading or switching to a more robust web host.
How Namecheap Shared Hosting Compares to Other Budget Hosts
As someone who blogs and hosts multiple websites, I’m always on the lookout for budget-friendly hosting options. Namecheap shared hosting is one I’ve tried, and here’s how it compares to other low-cost hosts in my experience.
Plan Options & Pricing
Namecheap’s shared hosting plans start at just $2.88/month and include unlimited bandwidth, storage, and email accounts. Their mid-tier plan is only $3.98/month. This is very comparable to Bluehost and HostGator, who also have basic shared plans for a few dollars a month. For the money, Namecheap gives you a lot of the same features.
Ease of Use
I found Namecheap’s control panel to be intuitive and simple to navigate. It has a modern interface with clearly laid out options for things like installing WordPress, setting up email, managing domains, etc. Their knowledge base and 24/7 live chat support were helpful for any questions I had. This is on par with Bluehost and HostGator, in my experience. Some other budget hosts have more outdated or clunky control panels that could frustrate beginners.
Performance & Reliability
In testing Namecheap for a few of my smaller blogs, page load times and uptime were solid. I didn’t experience any significant downtime or speed issues. For basic shared hosting at this price point, performance was good. While I can’t say if it would handle hundreds of thousands of monthly visitors as well as a VPS, for most personal blogs and small business websites, Namecheap should work great.
Overall, Namecheap shared hosting delivers good value for the money. They offer simple but reasonably powerful plans at budget-friendly prices. For hosting basic WordPress sites or other lightweight web applications, Namecheap is worth considering along with Bluehost and HostGator. I’d recommend them as a reliable, low-cost hosting option, especially for beginners looking to get started with a simple shared hosting account.
Is Namecheap Shared Hosting Right for You?
As an avid blogger, I’m always on the lookout for affordable yet reliable web hosting for my various blogs. I’ve tried several different shared hosting providers over the years to host Toptut.com, and Namecheap shared hosting plans are definitely at the top of my list.
Namecheap’s shared hosting is perfect for small- to mid-sized blogs and basic websites. Their plans start at just $2.88/month and include everything you need to get started—a free domain name, cPanel access, email accounts, and 24/7 support. I’ve found their servers to be fast and stable, with minimal downtime. The cPanel interface is intuitive and easy to navigate, even for beginners.
One of my favorite things about Namecheap is that they don’t try to upsell or lock you into long-term contracts.
Their plans are very affordable and you can cancel at any time without penalty. They frequently run promo codes offering even steeper discounts. I’ve often been able to find coupon codes for 50-60% off my first year of hosting.
- Fast, reliable servers with minimal downtime
- Intuitive cPanel interface that’s easy to use
- No long-term contracts – cancel anytime
- Frequent promo codes for 50%+ off
The only downside is that Namecheap’s shared hosting probably isn’t ideal for large, resource-intensive sites. Their basic plans only include 10-50GB of storage and limited bandwidth. However, for small personal blogs and portfolios, Namecheap shared hosting can’t be beaten.
If you’re looking for an inexpensive, no-frills hosting plan to get your blog or website up and running, Namecheap shared hosting deserves your consideration. Their combination of affordability, reliability and flexibility is hard to match. I highly recommend giving them a try.
What I should be aware of before signing up with Namecheap web hosting?
When considering signing up with a web hosting provider like Namecheap, there are several factors you should be aware of:
- Understanding Your Needs: Before choosing any hosting plan, you should have a clear understanding of your website’s needs. This includes things like the estimated amount of traffic, the type of content you’ll be hosting (e.g., video, high-resolution images, etc.), and any specific software requirements.
- Uptime Guarantee: Uptime refers to the amount of time that the servers are up and running. Most hosting providers will offer an uptime guarantee, typically in the realm of 99.9%. You should check Namecheap’s uptime guarantee and their history of uptime.
- Cost: While the cost of the hosting plan itself is important, you also need to be aware of any additional costs that might arise, such as for domain registration, SSL certificates, or premium support. Be sure to understand what is and isn’t included in the price of each hosting plan.
- Scalability: As your website grows, your hosting needs may change. It’s important to choose a provider that offers the flexibility to upgrade your hosting plan as needed.
- Customer Support: Customer support is critical in a hosting provider. Check to see if Namecheap has 24/7 support, and what methods of contact they offer (e.g., live chat, email, phone). You can also look at customer reviews to get a sense of their support quality.
- Security: Security should be a top priority when choosing a hosting provider. Check what security measures Namecheap has in place, such as firewalls, malware scanning and removal, and whether they offer SSL certificates.
- Backup: Regular backups are crucial for recovering your data in case of a security breach or other disaster. Check if Namecheap provides automatic backups and how often they’re performed.
- Terms of Service: Make sure you read and understand the terms of service and any usage policies. These documents will outline what you can and can’t do with your hosting, and what the consequences are for violations.
Remember, each individual’s or business’s hosting needs are unique, so what works best for one person might not work as well for another. It’s important to do your own research and make an informed decision based on your specific needs and circumstances.
Conclusion
So in summary, Namecheap’s shared hosting plans are solid and affordable options for small business and personal websites. While the server resources may not always be the most powerful, for basic sites the performance is perfectly suitable. The cPanel interface is intuitive, their support is helpful when you need it, and the overall experience is simple and frustration-free. If you’re looking for an easy, budget-friendly solution to get your website up and running, Namecheap shared hosting deserves your consideration. I’ve been using them for years and have no plans to switch anytime soon. For the money, you really can’t beat it.
