Known for cheap domains, Namecheap also offers shared hosting from $1.98/mo and managed WordPress (EasyWP) from $3.88/mo. Solid value — but does performance hold up? We tested both for 12 months.
Namecheap is a domain registrar that expanded into hosting — and it shows, in both good and bad ways. The shared hosting is genuinely cheap at $1.98/mo, includes a free .website domain, SSL, and cPanel. The real story is EasyWP, their managed WordPress platform built on Namecheap's own cloud infrastructure. EasyWP delivers noticeably better performance than the shared plans and competes with hosts charging 2-3x more. The catch: shared hosting performance is mediocre, and support can be hit-or-miss compared to Hostinger or Bluehost.
If you are already buying domains through Namecheap (and millions of people are), adding hosting makes your life simpler. Everything under one dashboard, one billing account. For WordPress specifically, EasyWP at $3.88/mo is the smarter pick over their shared plans — the performance gap is significant and worth the extra $2/mo.
We score each hosting provider across five categories. Here is how Namecheap stacks up based on 12 months of real-world testing.
Namecheap shared hosting uses cPanel and LiteSpeed web server. All plans include a free .website domain for the first year, free SSL via AutoSSL, and Supersonic CDN. Prices shown require annual billing.
| Plan | Intro Price | Renewal | Websites |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stellar | $1.98/mo | $4.48/mo | 3 sites |
| Stellar Plus | $2.98/mo | $7.48/mo | Unlimited |
| Stellar Business | $4.98/mo | $12.98/mo | Unlimited |
Stellar Plus jumps from $2.98 to $7.48/mo at renewal — a 151% increase. Stellar Business goes from $4.98 to $12.98/mo. Budget accordingly. If you only need one site, the base Stellar plan renews at a reasonable $4.48/mo, which is still competitive.
EasyWP runs on Namecheap's proprietary cloud infrastructure, not shared servers. It is a purpose-built WordPress platform with better isolation, faster TTFB, and higher uptime than the shared plans. If you are running WordPress, this is the product to choose.
| Plan | Price | Storage | Bandwidth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $3.88/mo | 10 GB SSD | 50 GB |
| Turbo | $7.88/mo | 50 GB SSD | 200 GB |
| Supersonic | $11.88/mo | 100 GB SSD | 500 GB |
EasyWP Starter at $3.88/mo gives you cloud-based WordPress hosting with ~290ms TTFB and 99.98% uptime — significantly better than the shared Stellar plan at $1.98/mo which averages ~480ms TTFB and 99.94% uptime. For $1.90/mo more, the performance improvement is dramatic. If your site is WordPress, start here.
Namecheap bundles a generous set of features even on the cheapest plan. Here is what matters most and how it compares to competitors.
Every shared hosting plan includes a free .website domain for the first year. Not a .com, but useful for personal projects or landing pages. If you want .com, add it from your Namecheap domain dashboard.
Positive SSL certificates via AutoSSL on all plans. Automatic renewal, no manual configuration. HTTPS just works out of the box — essential for SEO and visitor trust.
Namecheap includes their Supersonic CDN for free on all shared plans. Edge caching across 30+ global locations helps reduce load times for international visitors.
Full cPanel access on shared hosting. Install WordPress, manage email, configure databases, and handle files through the familiar cPanel interface. EasyWP uses its own streamlined dashboard instead.
Shared plans include email hosting with your domain. Webmail access, IMAP/POP3 support, and spam filtering included. A genuine advantage over hosts that charge extra for email.
Namecheap offers free website migration for new customers. Their team handles the transfer from your old host, including database and email migration. Typically completed within 24-48 hours.
Automatic daily backups on Stellar Plus and Stellar Business plans. The base Stellar plan gets twice-weekly backups. EasyWP includes automatic backups on all tiers with one-click restore.
Shared hosting runs on LiteSpeed, which is faster than Apache for serving static content and PHP. Combined with LSCache, it delivers reasonable performance for the price tier.
EasyWP includes built-in staging environments. Test theme changes, plugin updates, and customizations on a copy of your site before pushing live. A feature usually reserved for $20+/mo hosts.
We tested both Namecheap shared hosting (Stellar Plus) and EasyWP (Starter) for 12 months with external monitoring tools. These are actual measured results, not marketing claims. The difference between the two products is striking.
Namecheap shared hosting and EasyWP are architecturally different. Shared runs on traditional cPanel servers with LiteSpeed. EasyWP runs on Namecheap's custom cloud with container isolation. The performance gap reflects this. If you care about speed, EasyWP is the clear winner.
480ms TTFB is acceptable for budget hosting but noticeably slower than Hostinger (320ms) or SiteGround (187ms). Expect occasional slowdowns during peak hours due to shared resources. Fine for low-traffic sites under 10K visitors/mo.
290ms TTFB is competitive with mid-tier managed WordPress hosts. Container isolation means your neighbors cannot slow you down. Consistent performance under load. A genuine upgrade over shared at minimal extra cost.
| Host | TTFB | Uptime | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Namecheap (Shared) | 480ms | 99.94% | $1.98/mo |
| Namecheap (EasyWP) | 290ms | 99.98% | $3.88/mo |
| Hostinger | 320ms | 99.95% | $2.99/mo |
| Bluehost | 420ms | 99.96% | $2.95/mo |
| SiteGround | 187ms | 99.98% | $2.99/mo |
Namecheap shared hosting is the cheapest option here but also the slowest. EasyWP at $3.88/mo bridges the gap significantly and outperforms Bluehost at a similar price. For raw performance per dollar, EasyWP Starter is hard to beat.
Stellar at $1.98/mo is one of the lowest intro prices in the industry. Even renewal at $4.48/mo is reasonable for the base plan. Hard to find cheaper with cPanel.
Managed WordPress from $3.88/mo with cloud-based infrastructure, 290ms TTFB, and 99.98% uptime. Outperforms hosts charging double. The best-kept secret at Namecheap.
If you already manage domains at Namecheap, adding hosting means one login, one billing account, unified DNS management. Convenience matters.
No nickel-and-diming. SSL, Supersonic CDN, and email hosting included on shared plans. Many budget hosts charge extra for these.
Full cPanel access on shared hosting. No proprietary control panel to learn. Familiar interface for anyone who has used hosting before.
Free WhoisGuard domain privacy on all domains. Namecheap has a track record of standing up for user privacy and fighting against SOPA/PIPA.
480ms TTFB on shared plans is below average. Hostinger and SiteGround both deliver significantly better speed at similar prices. You get what you pay for.
Live chat is available 24/7, but agent quality varies widely. Some are knowledgeable, others read from scripts. Response times during peak hours can stretch to 10-15 minutes.
The checkout process pushes add-ons hard. Domain privacy, premium DNS, VPN, email — expect to click "no thanks" several times. The base product is fine; just skip the extras.
Stellar Plus goes from $2.98 to $7.48/mo (151% increase). Stellar Business from $4.98 to $12.98/mo (160% increase). The base Stellar renewal is acceptable at $4.48/mo.
Chat and ticket only. If you prefer picking up the phone when something breaks, Namecheap is not for you. Bluehost and HostGator still offer phone support.
The better-performing EasyWP product only supports WordPress. If you need to run other CMS platforms, custom PHP apps, or static sites, you are stuck with the shared plans.
Namecheap hosting is not trying to be everything to everyone. It occupies a specific niche: affordable hosting from a trusted domain registrar. Here is who benefits most — and who should look elsewhere.
How does Namecheap stack up against other popular budget hosts? Here is a side-by-side comparison on the factors that matter most.
| Feature | Namecheap | Hostinger | Bluehost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $1.98/mo | $2.99/mo | $2.95/mo |
| Renewal Price | $4.48/mo | $7.99/mo | $10.99/mo |
| TTFB | 480ms (shared) | 320ms | 420ms |
| Uptime | 99.94% | 99.95% | 99.96% |
| Free Domain | .website only | .com included | .com included |
| Control Panel | cPanel | hPanel | cPanel |
| Free Email | Yes | Yes | Yes (1st year) |
| Free CDN | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| WordPress Option | EasyWP ($3.88) | Managed ($3.99) | Basic ($2.95) |
| Phone Support | No | No | Yes |
Bottom line: Namecheap wins on intro pricing and renewal value (the base Stellar plan renews at just $4.48/mo vs. Bluehost at $10.99/mo). Hostinger wins on performance. Bluehost wins on beginner-friendliness and free .com domain. If long-term cost is your priority, Namecheap Stellar has the best renewal math.
Namecheap manages over 17 million domains. If you are one of their domain customers, the hosting integration creates genuine convenience that other hosts cannot match.
Manage domains, hosting, SSL certificates, and email from one account. No juggling between registrar and host. DNS changes propagate faster when both services are under the same provider.
Namecheap frequently offers domain + hosting bundles at a discount. Free WhoisGuard on every domain. Combined with the $1.98/mo Stellar plan, you can launch a complete website for under $15 for the first year.
When you add hosting to an existing Namecheap domain, DNS records are configured automatically. No manual nameserver changes, no waiting for propagation. Your site is live faster than with a third-party host.
Namecheap earns a 4.2/5 as a solid budget hosting option — particularly for existing Namecheap domain customers. The shared hosting is genuinely cheap and includes everything you need to get started, but performance is merely adequate. The real standout is EasyWP: managed WordPress hosting at $3.88/mo that punches well above its weight class.
Our recommendation: if you are running WordPress, skip the shared hosting and go straight to EasyWP Starter. The $1.90/mo premium buys you dramatically better TTFB (290ms vs 480ms), higher uptime (99.98% vs 99.94%), and a purpose-built platform. If you need cPanel, email hosting, or non-WordPress apps, the Stellar plan at $1.98/mo is hard to beat on price — just set realistic expectations for speed.
For faster shared hosting performance, consider Hostinger. For premium managed WordPress, Bluehost is worth a look. But if value-per-dollar is your primary metric, Namecheap — especially EasyWP — delivers.
Senior Hosting Analyst, BestWebHostingUSA
Jason has tested over 40 web hosting providers using standardized benchmarks since 2019. He runs real WordPress sites on every host he reviews, measuring actual TTFB, uptime, and support responsiveness over 12-month periods. His focus is separating marketing claims from measured reality — especially on budget hosts where the gap tends to be widest.
We purchased Namecheap Stellar Plus shared hosting and EasyWP Starter plan with our own money. Both accounts hosted identical WordPress test sites with the flavor theme, sample content, and standard plugins (Yoast, WooCommerce, Contact Form 7). Performance was monitored 24/7 using UptimeRobot (uptime) and GTmetrix (TTFB/load time) over 12 months. Support was tested via live chat at different times of day and week. Pricing was verified directly from Namecheap.com on March 21, 2026. We received no compensation from Namecheap for this review. Read our full methodology.
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