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The first step in launching a new website is choosing and registering your domain name. While most people spend hours researching and considering which name to choose, they typically give much less thought to the domain provider they use to purchase and host their domain name.
While the success of your website is not determined by which domain provider you choose, it’s still worthwhile doing a little homework before you purchase. Each registrar has different pricing options, technical specifications, supplemental services, and other factors you should know before signing up. To help our readers make an informed decision, we’ve compared two of the most popular providers, GoDaddy and Namecheap. Both providers offer several options and features for domain registration and web hosting.
Introduction to Domain Registrars
Before you can launch a website, you need a domain name—and that’s where domain registrars come in. Domain registrars are companies authorized to manage the reservation of domain names, making it possible for individuals and businesses to claim their unique address on the internet. Well-known providers like GoDaddy and Namecheap not only handle domain registration but also offer a range of related services, including web hosting, security features, and customer support.
Choosing the right domain registrar is an important step in building your online presence. Factors such as pricing, performance, security, and the quality of customer support can all impact your experience. A reliable registrar ensures your website remains accessible, your data is secure, and you have the support you need if any issues arise. Whether you’re starting a personal blog or running a business, selecting a reputable company like GoDaddy or Namecheap can make managing your domain and website much easier. With a variety of services available, from hosting to enhanced security, these companies provide the tools you need to get your site online and keep it running smoothly.
Overview
Serving over 20 million customers, GoDaddy is one of the leading web hosting and domain providers in the world. GoDaddy’s reputation for reliable services, as well as its controversial marketing campaigns, has helped it become a household brand.
While they are first and foremost a domain name registrar, they offer comprehensive domain registrar services along with a full suite of additional services for businesses operating online, including:
- Website security
- Website builders
- Online store builders
- Web hosting services
- WordPress hosting
- Email hosting
- Domain privacy and security
- Digital marketing tools
- Email marketing
While GoDaddy is the 900-pound gorilla of their industry, many customers choose to work with Namecheap, one of their leading competitors, instead. Launched in the year 2000, Namecheap is a budget web host and domain registrar that manages over 20 million domains. From day one, their goal has been to offer domain registration services at the best rates. They now also provide their customers with some additional services.
Namecheap’s offerings include:
- Web hosting services
- Email hosting
- WordPress hosting
- Website building
- Security certificates
Domain Registration Process
Registering a domain name is a straightforward process, but it’s important to understand each step to ensure you get the best results for your website or business. The first step is to come up with a domain name that reflects your brand or purpose. Using online search tools provided by registrars like GoDaddy and Namecheap, you can quickly check if your desired name is available. If your first choice isn’t available, these tools often suggest alternative names or extensions to help you find the perfect fit.
Once you’ve selected an available domain name, you’ll proceed to register it through your chosen provider. This involves entering your contact information, reviewing the pricing and registration period, and completing the payment. Both GoDaddy and Namecheap make this process user-friendly, guiding you through each step and offering support if you need assistance. After registration, you’ll receive a confirmation email with details on how to access your account and set up your website.
It’s important to review the terms and conditions of your registration, including renewal policies and customer support options. Understanding these details helps you avoid unexpected costs and ensures you have access to help when you need it. By choosing a reputable registrar and following the registration process carefully, you can set up your domain with confidence and provide a better experience for your website’s visitors.
Domain Registration Comparison
When it comes to domain registration, both Namecheap and GoDaddy offer competitive pricing and a variety of features. However, Namecheap stands out for its free WHOIS privacy protection, a valuable feature for domain owners who want to keep their personal information private. This means that when you register a domain with Namecheap, your personal details, like name, address, and email, are not publicly visible, adding an extra layer of security and privacy.
In terms of pricing, Namecheap generally offers lower rates than GoDaddy, especially when it comes to renewals. This can make a significant difference in the long-term cost of maintaining your domain. Additionally, Namecheap provides a wider range of top-level domains (TLDs), giving you more options to find the perfect domain name for your website. Their domain registration interface is also more user-friendly, making the process of searching for and registering a domain straightforward and hassle-free.
Variety of Domain Extensions
While most people prefer a .com domain extension for their website, the limited supply of available names quickly steers most website owners towards alternative options, such as .co, .org, .net, and many others.
Although these other extensions are certainly less popular, they can also help you with branding your site in other ways. For example, if you run a nonprofit, then a .org domain will make your site look more credible. Similarly, if your website exclusively serves users in the UK, then a .co.uk can make you look more relevant to your website visitors.
Both providers have over 500 extensions from which to choose.
When searching through their database for a suitable name, Namecheap gives the option to filter searches by price, extension, name length, and more. GoDaddy allows filtering only by extension category, making it a bit more time-consuming and frustrating to find the right domain name.
Web Hosting Options
Both companies offer web hosting services that include shared hosting, VPS, and dedicated server packages. If you have a small website, both providers are fine to use. Each one offers Linux and Windows-based hosting, as well as managed WordPress hosting.
While we would not enthusiastically recommend the hosting services of either company, as neither is considered among the best web hosting services, there is a nice convenience factor in having your site hosted by the same provider you use for your domain. It saves a few steps in the setup process and makes things simpler, especially if you’re not technically savvy.
The two companies are comparable for hosting smaller sites as their differences mainly boil down to pricing. GoDaddy’s shared hosting plans start at $6.99 per month, while their WordPress packages start at $7.99 per month.
However, Namecheap has shared hosting packages for as low as $1.98 per month and go up to $4.98 per month for their premium “Stellar Business” plan. For a company that prides itself on providing its customers with the lowest possible price, it certainly delivers.
It should be noted that if your site includes lots of heavy, multimedia files and is receiving many thousands of visitors, you will likely need to upgrade to VPS hosting or dedicated server plans. We would not recommend either of these providers for these types of hosting packages. It’s simply not their focus. However, you can start with a shared hosting plan with one of these providers and simply upgrade to another high-performance hosting company when the time comes.
Web Hosting and Domain Bundles
Both Namecheap and GoDaddy offer web hosting and domain bundles that can save you money and simplify the management of your online presence. However, Namecheap’s bundles are generally more affordable and come with more features. For instance, Namecheap includes free SSL certificates and unlimited email accounts with their hosting plans, which are essential for securing your website and managing communications.
Namecheap’s web hosting plans are also more flexible, catering to a range of needs and budgets. Whether you’re running a small personal blog or a larger business site, you’ll find a hosting plan that fits your requirements. On the other hand, GoDaddy’s hosting plans are more limited, and you may need to pay extra for essential features like SSL certificates and website backups. This can add up, making GoDaddy a more expensive option in the long run.
Domain Management and Security
When it comes to domain management and security, both Namecheap and GoDaddy offer a range of features to help you protect your domains and online presence. Namecheap stands out with its free DNS service, which can improve your website’s performance and security. This service allows you to manage your domain’s DNS settings easily, ensuring that your site runs smoothly and efficiently.
Namecheap also offers robust security features, including two-factor authentication and domain locking, to prevent unauthorized changes to your domain settings. Certain user actions, such as attempting unauthorized changes or suspicious operations, can trigger security protocols and result in being blocked from accessing your site until the issue is resolved. These features are crucial for maintaining the integrity and security of your website. While GoDaddy offers similar security features, they often come with additional fees, making Namecheap the more cost-effective option for comprehensive domain security.
Server Locations and Performance
Both Namecheap and GoDaddy have a global presence, with servers located in multiple data centers around the world. However, Namecheap’s server locations are more focused on North America, Europe, and Asia, which may limit their reach compared to GoDaddy’s more extensive network.
In terms of performance, both web hosting providers offer fast and reliable servers with uptime guarantees of 99.9% or higher. However, Namecheap’s performance is generally more consistent, with faster page loading times and fewer outages. This reliability can be crucial for maintaining a positive user experience and ensuring that your website is always accessible to visitors.
Ease of Use and Control Panel
Both Namecheap and GoDaddy offer user-friendly control panels that make it easy to manage your domains, web hosting, and other online services. However, Namecheap’s control panel is more intuitive and easier to navigate. It offers a range of features and tools that help you manage your online presence efficiently, even if you’re not particularly tech-savvy.
Namecheap’s control panel also provides more customization options, allowing you to tailor your online presence to your specific needs and preferences. This flexibility can be a significant advantage if you have particular requirements for your website. In contrast, GoDaddy’s control panel is more limited, with fewer customization options and a more rigid interface, which might not suit everyone’s needs.
By considering these factors, you can make a more informed decision about which domain registrar and web hosting provider is the best fit for your needs.
Variety of Premium Domains for Sale
If you’re looking to purchase a premium domain name, meaning a domain that’s more memorable and has already been registered, you can find a massive database of domains for sale at both providers. So, you should ideally check both GoDaddy and Namecheap to see which premium domains each one has to offer that might be a good fit for your website.
If you’re looking to invest a large amount of money in a domain name, or are thinking of buying many premium domains that you plan to resell for a profit, then GoDaddy will give you access to professional tools that Namecheap does not have, including domain cash parking, domain appraisals, and brokerage services.
Pricing
GoDaddy and Namecheap both have variations in their pricing models due to seasonal promotions and discount offers. For instance, GoDaddy offers a free domain for the first year when you subscribe to their hosting plans, which can provide significant savings. Their pricing also differs for new domain registrations, domain renewals, and domain transfers.
Before registering, you should consider the period for which you are registering because longer registration periods have lower yearly prices.
As of this writing, below are the current yearly prices for domain registration for 1 year:
| GoDaddy | Namecheap | |
| .COM | $11.99 | $6.49 |
| .NET | $14.99 | $12.98 |
| .ORG | $9.99 | $7.48 |
| .CO | $19.99 | $12.48 |
| .CO.UK | $12.99 | $6.98 |
As their name suggests, Namecheap is the place to go if you’re looking for a good deal.
Add-On Features
In addition to domain registration, both providers offer add-on services that you can bundle into your plan when you sign up. These services make it easy and seamless to get started with the tools you need to launch your website. For instance, Namecheap offers free domain privacy and a free SSL certificate with their hosting plans, ensuring enhanced security and protection for your online presence.
GoDaddy Ad-Ons
- Domain protection – from $11.99 per year
- Email hosting for your domain email – from $1.99 per month
- Web hosting plans – from $6.99 per month
- Domain privacy protection – Free
- Website builder and hosting packages – from $6.99 per month
Namecheap Ad-Ons
- Domain SSL (security) Certificate – from $5.99 per year
- Web hosting plans + Sitebuilder – from $1.98 per month
- Email hosting for your domain email – Free
- Domain privacy protection – Free
As mentioned above, GoDaddy offers many more useful supplemental services for website owners. However, Namecheap offers many of the core services you need for launching your new website, and at a much lower price.
Customer Support Options
When it comes to maintaining your website, it’s essential to have proper support to resolve issues quickly. Both Namecheap and GoDaddy offer support in multiple forms.
The main downside of Namecheap is that they do not offer phone support. If you are a person who needs to talk to a human to resolve any issues, then Namecheap is not the option for you. However, they do provide live chat, which is available 24/7. Besides that, they have a community forum, basically like an FAQs section where you can find answers to almost anything issue you’re having.
If you want options, such as 24/7 support over the phone, live chat support, video tutorials, or even a forum to address, then GoDaddy is the better option. You should note that the support over the phone is only restricted to a few selected countries, including the UK, the USA, Australia, and Canada. GoDaddy’s chat support is available only on weekdays, and their phone support is available only during pre-defined hours.
Although GoDaddy has more options for support, it has its limitations, as the wait time can be up to 20 minutes, based on our testing. On the other hand, Namecheap’s support is available 24/7.
In some cases, if you are blocked from accessing your site due to security measures such as Cloudflare protection, you may receive a Ray ID. Providing this Ray ID to the support team can help them diagnose and resolve the issue more efficiently.
The Verdict
If your priority in choosing a domain registrar is getting the best deal, then Namecheap is easily the better option. In the comparison of Namecheap vs GoDaddy, Namecheap outperforms GoDaddy in terms of cost-effectiveness and value-added features. Not only is domain registration much less expensive than with GoDaddy, but all of their add-on services are far cheaper as well. As far as we could see from our research, their services were in no way inferior to GoDaddy. Users should also consider other web hosting providers to explore more tailored solutions available in the market.
On the other hand, if you’re looking to purchase domain names for thousands of dollars and hold them as an investment, or if you’re comfortable paying a premium so that you can have every imaginable service you’ll need for your new website, all in one place, then GoDaddy is the better choice for you.