Namecheap review
Namecheap is a sensible shortlist option for developers and small teams putting a conventional website or WordPress site online on a tight budget. Watch the renewal bill: the introductory rate is a temporary discount on a prepaid commitment.
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Score breakdown
Scores come from one formula for every shared & wordpress host, explained on our methodology page.
Plans and the true 3-year price
| Plan | vCPU / RAM / Disk | Monthly | Renews at | 3-year cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stellar12-month term | 20 GB | $2.28 | $4.66 | $139 |
| Stellar Plus12-month term | Shared resources | $2.98 | $7.12 | $207 |
| Stellar Business12-month term | 50 GB | $4.98 | $10.74 | $318 |
Providers change prices often, and we regularly verify prices against their own pricing pages, though small differences from current prices are possible. Prices checked 7 Oct 2026. Excluding tax.
Who it's for
Pick it if
- You want an inexpensive starting point for a conventional website
- You are comfortable prepaying for hosting
- You want included automated backups on Stellar Plus or Stellar Business
- You prefer chat, ticket or email support
Skip it if
- You need the introductory rate to continue at renewal
- You expect Stellar to include automated backups you can rely on for recovery
- You prefer to avoid a prepaid hosting commitment
Reliability, SLA and policies
Our take
Namecheap makes sense when your immediate job is publishing a website and keeping the hosting bill contained. For an indie founder, that might be a product site or a WordPress publication. We would assess it around that workload: the cost of keeping the site online, the recovery options included with the plan and the support channels available when something breaks. SSH access is useful for administration, but it should not decide the purchase by itself. Start with what your site needs to run and recover.
The introductory price is an acquisition discount, so use the renewal rate when deciding whether the hosting remains affordable. On the listed prepaid term, Stellar starts at $2.28 a month and renews at a monthly equivalent of $4.66. Those monthly equivalents help comparison, but your commitment is to the prepaid term. Treat that payment as a reason to check the fit before buying. The advertised discount does not apply to renewals, and moving later still means spending your team's time on a migration.
Backup coverage is the plan distinction we would pay closest attention to. Stellar does not include AutoBackup, and its server backups are explicitly for maintenance purposes. Do not treat those as your recovery plan. Stellar Plus and Stellar Business include AutoBackup, although Stellar Plus has a backup storage cap. That makes the upgrade worth considering if you want automated backups included. You should still keep an independent copy and practise restoring it: a backup feature only helps if you can recover the site when needed.
Compare Namecheap with Bluehost, DreamHost, Hostinger, SiteGround and Cloudways using the same expected workload and renewal budget. A lower introductory bill should not outweigh backup coverage you would otherwise have to arrange. Our recommendation is to shortlist Namecheap for a conventional site, then choose the plan around recovery needs. For apps and agents, write down your runtime and process requirements before selecting any host. This review's website recommendation should not substitute for checking whether a plan supports the application you intend to deploy.
We use Namecheap to register our domains. Our relationship with the company is limited to domain registration; we do not host sites on its shared plans. That makes us customers, but it gives us no firsthand basis for judging shared hosting performance, uptime or support during a hosting incident. Our hosting judgement here rests on the plan terms and documented features.
FAQ
How much does Namecheap hosting cost when it renews?
For the prepaid terms listed here, the monthly renewal equivalents are $4.66 for Stellar, $7.12 for Stellar Plus and $10.74 for Stellar Business. The introductory discount does not continue at renewal, so budget around those renewal rates.
Does Namecheap shared hosting include automatic backups?
Stellar Plus and Stellar Business include AutoBackup, with a backup storage cap on Stellar Plus. Stellar does not include AutoBackup; its server backups are for maintenance purposes, so arrange your own recovery method if you choose it.
Is Namecheap a good choice for a small WordPress site?
It is a reasonable shortlist option if you want a low introductory cost and are comfortable with prepaid hosting. We would give Stellar Plus particular consideration when included automated backups matter, then check that its renewal cost and backup cap fit your site.
How can I contact Namecheap hosting support?
Namecheap offers chat, ticket and email support. Those channels give you ways to request help, but they do not establish how quickly a particular hosting problem will be resolved.
What is Namecheap's refund window?
The refund window is 30 days. Read the applicable refund terms before paying, and use the window to check that the plan fits your site's requirements.