Choosing a domain registration and web hosting service can be a daunting task, especially considering a large number of hosting service providers out there.
In this review, we’ll look closely at how the two providers compare and help you choose the best depending on your needs.
Namecheap vs GoDaddy Overview
GoDaddy and Namecheap primarily deal with domain name registration, but they have recently expanded their portfolio to include hosting services.
Namecheap
Namecheap was founded in 2000 and has grown to become one of the best domain registrars in the market today. The registrar is accredited by ICANN, and it currently has almost 8 million (7,927,926) registered domain names.
GoDaddy
When it comes to size and market domination, GoDaddy has a massive edge. In fact, it is the biggest domain registrar.
To bring it into perspective, GoDaddy owns almost a third of the domain registry market share. This translates to more than $59million (59,605,374) registered domain names under GoDaddy. You probably know it from the Super Bowl ads.
Comparison
User Experience
Namecheap has a fast and straightforward check-out process. The user experience is free of upselling and pop-ups. Also, Namecheap has a good search engine, particularly useful in domain suggestions.
GoDaddy’s website is lively but not devoid of downsides, notably the constant upsells.
Reputation
Although GoDaddy easily wins the popularity contest, Namecheap is equally good. Seeing as they handle millions of domain names, both are highly-reputable.
Top-Level Domains (TLDs) options
Here, GoDaddy and Namecheap offer almost similar products. For instance, both offer traditional TLDs such as .com, .biz, .org and .net. Country code TLDs such as .de for Germany are also included.
User Panel
On account of its simplified panel, GoDaddy takes the lead here. Namecheap basically displays the options available, whereas GoDaddy goes a step further to guide the visitor.
Speed & uptime
Both have an excellent uptime score (over 99.9%). However, when it comes to speed and server response, Namecheap takes the lead.
Ease of Registration
During sign up, a majority of the hosts will bombard you with pop-ups to register for extra services/features. GoDaddy is a perfect example of such hosts. If you are not prepared, you may end up spending more than you expected when you sign up for those extras.
Namecheap has a much simpler registration process. You don’t really need technical skills to get through the sign-up process.
Price
It is difficult to directly compare these providers in terms of hosting cost since each varying plans. Instead, we will compare the renewal rate for each.
To renew a “.com” domain each year, you will pay a renewal fee of $12.98 at Namecheap. The same at GoDaddy will cost you $17.99 (+ $9.99 for domain privacy).
Both have additional discounts for long term subscriptions, and there are also promo codes. For the best value at GoDaddy, you need to sign up for 3 years. Altogether, Namecheap has affordable prices for its services.
In some cases, it can cost you a lot more if you have an SSL certificate for each one of your domains. Some of these addons are often offered for free from other hosting providers. That is why some people consider moving out to a cheaper alternative and that is to transfer their domain to Bluehost.
The good and the bad
Each domain & hosting provider has its own sets of pros and cons.
Namecheap
The Good
- Excellent services and robust security features
- Accredited by ICANN
- Has few upsells, so you get a smooth experience
- All around the clock customer support
The Bad
- Expensive domain extensions
- The automatic renewal feature occasionally has glitches
- Short money-back period, i.e., 14 days
GoDaddy
The Good
- Well trusted and respected brand in the industry
- A user-friendly website that has an easy to use interface
- Responsive and knowledgeable customer support
- Free WHOIS privacy package for 12 months
- Has tutorial videos to guide new subscribers
The Bad
- Lots of upselling can be annoying
- Complex check out process
- The domain transfer process is challenging
Note: GoDaddy is a much bigger company than Namecheap. As such, it faces the challenges big companies do. Case in point, it lacks the personal touch compared to Namecheap.
Verdict
Without taking anything away from either, both GoDaddy and Namecheap are good choices for domain registration and web hosting. The latter is especially ideal if you want excellent services and fast server response on a budget. For additional features such as site-building tools, GoDaddy is the way to go.