Last updated on December 21st, 2023 at 08:51 am
In this article, we are looking at Godaddy vs Namecheap.
See, domain names are the backbone of your website, they are what people type into their browser to get to you. A domain name is something that should be carefully considered when launching a new site or blog.
You want it to reflect who you are and what your business does.
If you go with an unreliable company for hosting your domain, you could find yourself in trouble down the road – but which one is more reliable?
Let us look into Godaddy vs Namecheap.
Who is Godaddy?
Godaddy is a domain name registrar, also known as an ICANN-accredited business.
They are well known for their extremely competitive prices and numerous customer perks like free site parking, private registration, among other domains services.
Godaddy was founded in 1997 by Bob Parsons and they have gone public since 2015.
Today they host over 60 million domains under their brand and they are the largest ICANN-accredited registrar in the world.
Who is Namecheap?
Namecheap was founded in 2000 by Richard Kirkendall, it is one of the oldest domain name companies around today.
They host over 10 million domains under their brand and employ more than 400 people, with headquarters located in Los Angeles, California.
Namecheap is ICANN-accredited and is not a certified domain registrar with the BBB (Better Business Bureau).
Godaddy Vs Namecheap: Popularity
I know we have already mentioned this earlier.
But who is popular between Godaddy and Namecheap?
Well, according to DomainState.com, Godaddy is on the lead with 63,107,508 domains registered as of August 2021.
Namecheap follows second with 11,237,425 domains registered as of August 2021.
Godaddy wins this content outright having registered almost 10X domains than Namecheap.
With the overall number of domain names registered worldwide estimated at around 330 million, this gives GoDaddy a market share that is 18% greater than Namecheap’s 2%.
In short: Though both companies offer inexpensive prices for registering new web addresses and protect their customers with security features like firewalls or spam filters – there is one major difference between them when you compare pricing structures.
Godaddy Vs Namecheap: Domain Registration process
The registration process on Godaddy is rather straightforward.
All you have to do is headover to their homepage at https://www.godaddy.com/ and get started.
Type the domain name into the box and hit search domain.
You will then be presented with a huge list of available domains.
And a ton of domain extensions and their prices.
They even give you an option to purchase any available premium domains related to the name you just searched.
While the list is helpful at first, it gets weirder as you scroll down. And you start struggling with which one to choose, each domain looks right!
As such, before searching for a domain on Godaddy, be sure to make a decision on the domain extension you will be using.
Otherwise, you will have a harder time choosing from the huge list of enticing domain names.
And it doesn’t stop there.
GoDaddy is a well know ‘king of upsells.’
In fact, all the domain choices presented on the first page are all aimed at increasing your order value (AOV).
On the other hand, getting started on Namecheap also begins on their home page.
Start by typing your preferred domain name onto the box.
What is different from Godaddy is that Namecheap comes with two domain name search modes; Beast Mode for bulk search and Search for normal searches.
If you want to search a huge list of domains, go with the Beast Mode, otherwise, pick the normal search mode.
Namecheap as well suggests possible domains you can choose from;
The company does have some addons, but not as aggressive as Godaddy’s.
Godaddy Vs Namecheap: Domain Prices
Domains are some of the most complicated digital products to price. They do not have the clearest prices from the word go, which makes it harder to pinpoint who has what.
To make it worse, different TLDs have different price tags. At the same time, the price you will pay depends on whether the domain is new, you are renewing, or just transferring the domain (changing registrars).
Here is a tale summing up the prices of domains on Godaddy vs Namecheap
| TLD | GODADDY NEW | GODADDY RENEWAL | NAMECHEAP NEW | NAMECHEAP RENEWAL |
| .COM | $12.17 | $19.17 | $7.98 | $13.98 |
| .NET | $15.17 | $20.17 | $9.98 | $12.98 |
| .ORG | $10.17 | $21.17 | $7.48 | $12.98 |
| .INFO | $3.17 | $29.17 | $3.98 | $15.98 |
| .BIZ | $8.17 | $25.17 | $4.88 | $15.98 |
AS you can see, the prices of domains on Godaddy VS Namecheap is very different.
Namecheap seems to be the cheapest domain register and even have cheaper domain renewals as compared to those at Godaddy.
Finally, when it comes to price, Namecheap is definitely the cheaper option.
They offer more domains for less money, but some of their features are limited when compared to Godaddy.
For example, Namecheap does not offer premium domains with all of their domain registrations – only the more expensive ones include that feature.
Godaddy Vs Namecheap: Domain privacy protection
Both Godaddy and Namecheap offer free domain privacy protection with all of their domains – this keeps your contact information private from WHOIS searches.
Godaddy Vs Namecheap: Available TLDs
They also both offer a variety of domain extensions (or TLDs) to choose from, including the new .co domain.
Namecheap offers a wider range of extensions than Godaddy does, but they are both missing some ccTLDs.
Additional services
Besides domains, what else does Godaddy VS Namecheap has to offer?
Hosting
Both companies have web hosting packages.
While Godaddy’s starts at $5.99 per month for the lowest package, you get access to 100 GB of storage, host one website, 10 databases, unmetered bandwidth, and a free 1-click wordpress installer.
On the other hand, Namecheap charges $1.35 per month for the cheapest web hosting packages.
This gives you access to a free domain name, host up to 3 websites unlike 1 on Godaddy, free CDN, and 20GB SSD storage space.
The storage is a little lower as compared to 100GB while on Godaddy’s lower hosting package.
Extra features on all hosting plans;
Godaddy;
- Easy-to-use control panel.
- 1-click install of over 150 free apps.
- 24/7 network security.
- Global data centers – Get faster page loads and better visitor experience with nearby, state-of-the-art data centers in North America, Europe, or Asia-Pacific.
- 1-click domain name setup.
Namecheap;
- Unmetered bandwidth
- Free website builder
- Domain name and privacy protection
- Free automatic SSL installation
- Free Supersonic CDN
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Free in <24 hours website migration
Other things include wordpress hosting.
WordPress hosting on Godaddy starts at $6.99 per month, while Namecheap tags theirs at $24.88 per month.
The Godaddy’s offer more features than Namecheap wordpress hosting.
What to consider when choosing a domain registrar
a). Price
What are the prices of each registrar? Do they have any specials for first-time customers or long-term registrations that you can take advantage of?
b). Features
The features offered by a domain name registrar are extremely important. Make sure to research what platforms their web interface is compatible with, as well as how many domains and subdomains are allowed per account.
c). Brand Name
What brands does the domain name registrar have available?
Do they have any well-known names that you want to use in your website or web application?
Some popular brand names include Google, Amazon, and Apple domains. There may be costs associated with these types of names though.
d). Support
Customer support is something that every business should strive for and a domain name registrar isn’t an exception.
What type of customer service experience does the company provide?
Is it through email or phone only, or using another medium like social media channels as well?
How quickly do they respond to inquiries and how knowledgeable are their support staff?
e). Trust
The internet is full of various scams and phishing attempts. Make sure to research the domain name registrar that you are thinking about using.
You can look up reviews on websites or forums or even search for them online through places like Google, Yahoo!, Bing, etc.
That way you’ll be able to see what other people are saying.
GoDaddy vs Namecheap: best alternatives
Here are some of the most appropriate alternatives;
a). Bluehost: Bluehost is one of the best hosting providers in the market. It has a wide range of features and is very affordable.
b). HostGator: HostGator is also a great alternative to GoDaddy and Namecheap. It offers high-quality hosting services and excellent customer support.
c). WP Engine: WP Engine provides top-of-the-line WordPress hosting services. It is perfect for those who want to host their website on a high-performance platform.
d). SiteGround: SiteGround is another great alternative to GoDaddy and Namecheap. It offers reliable hosting services and excellent customer support.
e). InMotion Hosting: InMotion Hosting is a popular hosting provider that offers high-quality services at an affordable price.
Which one of these providers is best for you depends on your needs and budget. However, all of them are great alternatives to GoDaddy and Namecheap. So, whichever one you choose, you can be sure that you’ll get excellent service.
Final verdict
Both companies have a solid reputation in the industry and they both provide excellent support to help you through any issues you may have. They also offer a wide variety of hosting options to choose from, so you can be sure to find the perfect one for your needs.
In the end, it really comes down to personal preference. If you want a wider range of domain extensions and don’t mind spending a bit more money, go with Godaddy. If you’re looking for a more affordable option with limited features, Namecheap is the better choice.
Wrap up
There you have it, Godaddy vs Namecheap comparison.
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Our services are tailored for developers looking for reliable hosting and domain registration services.