A domain name is a must-have online asset for launching a website, starting a blog, or creating an online store for individuals and businesses.
So choosing the right domain name is just as important as choosing the right domain registrar. It empowers everyone to easily establish and manage their online presence.
Namecheap is the most popular domain registrar and has the second-largest market share (around 14.46%) in the public domain industry. And I hope they overtake GoDaddy (with a 14.75% market share) in the first place very soon.
They have been well-known as trusted domain registrars by consistently providing reliable, user-friendly, and cost-effective services since 2000. They also offer other services and products.
In this comprehensive review, we dive deep into the Namecheap domain, exploring its affordability, features, ease of use, reliability, and overall user experience.
As an avid user of Namecheap, I’m excited to share my first-hand insights and step-by-step guides to help you make an informed decision when it comes to domains.
So, let’s get started to learn more about Namecheap registrar.
Namecheap Domain Review
Namecheap Domain Review
The Verdict:
If you are looking for a reliable domain registrar that combines affordability, user-friendliness, and exceptional customer support, then Namecheap is your ultimate choice.
Pricing
Registration
Namecheap offers a reasonable .com domain registration price ($9.58/yr) for both new and existing customers, however, when it comes to renewal it goes up to $14.58/yr!
If you’re not familiar with Namecheap, we have good news for you.
You can register a .com domain for only $5.98 by applying the promo code NEWCOM598 for the first time when registering a .com domain name with your Namecheap account.
Renewal
The Namecheap domain renewal price is a little high! They usually charge $14.58 for .com and $14.98 for .org to renew when your domain is about to expire or it renews automatically.
However, you can save a minimum 10% discount on domain renewal if you do it before the expiration date. Simply, you need to consider adding years (1-9) to your domain name and it can save a few bucks.
So as you can see, you can save some money by renewing your domain names in advance with Namecheap, and you can be sure that your domain name will not expire for a certain period.
Transfer
Namecheap is one of the best places to transfer your domain names and save money.
Transferring a .com domain name to them will cost you $9.78. However, you’ll get an additional year for free, which will be added to your domains after the current expiration date.
Here are some popular top-level domain prices on Namecheap:
| TLD | Register | Renew | Transfer |
| .com | $9.58 | $14.58 | $9.78 |
| .net | $11.98 | $14.98 | $11.98 |
| .org | $8.98 | $14.98 | $10.98 |
| .ai | $79.98 | $89.98 | $221.98 |
| .dev | $12.98 | $16.98 | $14.98 |
| .guide | $29.98 | $31.98 | $29.98 |
| .io | $40.16 | $44.98 | $41.98 |
| .shop | $1.78 | $36.98 | $30.98 |
| .me | $8.98 | $20.98 | $15.98 |
The prices mentioned above may change from time to time as they are related to the current promotions and offers of each different domain extension. Please visit the official site to see the latest pricing before you order any domain.
Features
Namecheap is one of the best domain name registrars that offer the ultimate features for individuals and organizations, including a powerful domain name search box with tons of different TLDs and filters for easy navigation, a free domain buying and selling marketplace, a top-up account balance for the hand-free payment, and more.
Let’s get into the Namecheap details features now.
Easy Domain Name Search Box Functionality
The best part of Namecheap is its beautiful domain name search box with 400+ suggested extension results for each name search, and it comes with different filters for choosing the right domains.
Bulk Domain Name Search
They also offer a bulk domain name search tool where you can search up to 5000 domains or keywords to generate the results for free.
Reliable Renewal by Easy Top-Up Account Balance
What I like the most about Namecheap is the top-up account balance, where I can assure myself that I have topped up my account in advance and set it on the renewal payment method.
So, you can add funds to ensure that you’ll always have enough in your account to cover your upcoming purchases using your credit card and PayPal with a minimum of $5.00 and $1.00 for cryptocurrencies.
Free Business E-mail
Namecheap provides 2 months of free custom [email protected] for any domain name you register with, and you can also get a full year of a professional business email subscription with a 31% discount by applying promo code HELLOMAIL.
Google Workspace Support
If you need everything to be productive in one place then Google Workspace should be your choice instead of Namecheap business e-mail.
It connects you with people, tools, and enhanced performance. Using the browser or apps, collaborate and organize seamlessly. However, you need to configure Google Workspace MX records to DNS records manually. Here’s the official guide to set it up.
Sell Domain
Namecheap offers a free domain buy-sell marketplace with a fixed pricing model! However, when a domain is sold, a 10% commission will be charged and that payment will be processed through PayPal only.
Parking Page
If you are not interested in buying or selling a domain on the marketplace and don’t want your site to go live shortly, you can consider using their parking page feature. It will appear in web browsers when users try to access your domain. Plus, you and your users will get relevant online web pages that can be helpful to both.
Domain Management
Namecheap provides an intuitive dashboard and domain management tools that are pretty productive for managing a domain name’s settings and functionality, from nameservers to changing domain ownership.
Nameservers
If a domain name is pointed to Namecheap’s BasicDNS, PremiumDNS, or Namecheap Web Hosting DNS, then you get Advanced DNS control to set up A, AAAA, ALIAS, CNAME, NS, SRV, TXT, URL Redirect, MX, MXE, and CAA records.
Otherwise, if you use Custom DNS Nameservers, you must manage your records outside Namecheap.
Domain Forwarding
Domain forwarding (aka URL redirecting) is an important function of a domain name. It is essential when you redirect visitors from one domain to another.
They offer only 301 permanent unmasked redirects with simple redirection and wildcard redirection that tells search engines and web browsers that the original domain has been permanently redirected to a new address.
However, Namecheap doesn’t support other types of URL forwarding and is not an ideal domain registrar when you are primarily looking for a domain for URL forwarding.
For that, I recommend Porkbun where you can create unlimited URL redirection from one single domain to multiple different domains or URLs.
E-mail Forwarding
Namecheap’s free email forwarding feature allows you to create personalized email addresses for a domain and forward emails to other email addresses.
You can make up to 100 forwarding email addresses, but you must point your domain name to their BasicDNS and PremiumDNS nameservers to use this feature.
Sharing & Transfer
In the Namecheap Sharing & Transfer tab from the domain details page, you can change access rights for the individuals designated to act as domain managers and designate a new manager using that person’s email address or Namecheap username.
Here’s what it looks like.
Share Access
In the Share Access part, you can assign a New Manager to a technical person in your company while retaining the contact change rights, nameserver update rights, change ownership rights, etc.
Change Ownership
In the Change Ownership part, you can change the domain ownership from one Namecheap account to another for free using the New Owner‘s username or registered e-mail address. Remember, this ownership change feature doesn’t support any external domain registrars.
Transfer Out
From Transfer Out, where you can transfer your domain names out from Namecheap to another registrar like GoDaddy, Namesillo, Porkbun, etc. However, before transferring your domain names make sure that your Domain Lock is turned OFF and you’ve got your Auth Code.
After you receive your code in your registered email, you must enter the code and complete the domain transfer request made by the other registrar.
The transfer may take up to 5 days to complete, but you can complete the transfer immediately if you accept the transfer request, which will be sent to your e-mail address.
Security
DNSSEC Support
Namecheap offers Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC), which help protect users from fraudulent websites and redirect to unexpected addresses.
For example, when a user types “https://websiteguideline.com” into their browser, it automatically suggests traffic redirecting “https://websiteguidelines.com”.
Make sure you enable DNSSEC on your website to get this extra benefit. You can use it with Namecheap Basic DNS, WebHosting DNS, Premium DNS, and Custom DNS.
PremiumDNS
Namecheap offers PremiumDNS as a paid service that can be used with any domain name registered with any domain registrar. It is essential to improve your overall website performance with the fastest DNS response, vital uptime, and solid security.
Remember, Namecheap Premium DNS does not work when you use custom nameservers (jillian.ns.cloudflare.com and rudy.ns.cloudflare.com) for CDN services like Cloudflare.
Domain Vault
Domain Vault is another paid service provided by Namecheap, but you can get a 30-day free trial to check if it works for you! It works to securely lock to protect your domain names from hackers or cybercriminals from hijacking or any unauthorized nameserver changes and domain transfers.
Free Lifetime WHOIS Privacy Protection
Namecheap provides WHOIS privacy protection for free as long as you are with them. This can help to protect your personal information from being displayed in the public WHOIS lookup directory.
If someone were to look up your domain name, they would see anonymous domain registration information just like in the example below.
SSL Certificates
Namecheap doesn’t provide or support any SSL certificates for the domain names. You can get free SSL certificates when you use a Namecheap web hosting plan or any other third-party hosting provider.
If you need SSL certificates for your domain name, then Porkbun might be your choice because they offer free SSL for any domain name you have with them.
Two Factor Authentication
With a Namecheap account, you’ll get an option to enable Two Factor Authentication (2FA) which is essential to keep your account 100% safe even if your password has been hacked, guessed, or even phished via suspicious links.
Considering using it for free, you can ensure high security by verifying your registered phone number every time you log in to your account because, without approval at the second factor, a password, and username alone are useless.
Support
Live Chat
Namecheap live chat support works for both logged-in users and guest users, which is helpful for newbies who don’t have an account but want to know about pre-sales questions for their domain or other services.
Overall, their live chat support is recommended and it takes less than a minute to connect with an agent, but they take a long time to answer and resolve customer issues.
Ticket
If you want to migrate a website and need direct help from Namecheap or any other support, you need to create a ticket. It is often recommended when you didn’t find a solution to your problem in their knowledge base.
Phone Calls
Namecheap does not provide any service or support through direct phone calls. Use 24/7 live chat support instead of phone calls!
Pros and Cons of Namecheap Domains
- Easy-to-use
- Top-up account balance
- Affordable registration
- Free WHOIS privacy
- Free domain marketplace
- High renewal price
- Lacks on domain forwarding services
Namecheap Alternatives Domain Registrars
GoDaddy
GoDaddy is one of the top alternatives to Namecheap. They’re the largest domain registrars and web hosting providers that offer a wide range of domain services, website builders, and hosting plans.
Porkbun
Porkbun is another domain registrar that has gained popularity in recent years. It offers domain registration services with low prices and renewals and a user-friendly interface with all the essential features that Namecheap offers.
NameSilo
NameSilo is more popular than Namecheap among users looking for bulk domain registration with competitive pricing and features. They also offer a domain marketplace to buy and sell domain names.
Google Domains
Google Domains is a domain registration service operated by Google.com, which should be a great alternative to Namecheap. It offers an intuitive interface, transparent pricing, and integration with other Google services
Hostinger
Hostinger is a popular web hosting provider that also offers domain registration services. It is recommended as a top alternative to Namecheap when you are looking for a great web hosting plan at a cheap price rather than buying a domain name only.
Conclusion: Is Namecheap Domain Good?
Overall, Namecheap is the most trusted domain registrar for its affordability, reliability, and popularity. In addition, they offer web hosting services, security services, e-mail hosting, business and brand design tools, and much more.
I recommend Namecheap as a top domain registrar. However, you can consider using GoDaddy as a top alternative provider. They offer the cheapest discount price for the first time you get a .com domain, but they charge more for domain renewals than Namecheap!
However, everything will depend on your needs and the requirements of your purposes.
Which domain registrar are you currently using? — Please write your review below!
If you have questions or any suggestions or complaints regarding this Namecheap domain review, please contact us through our contact form or e-mail address at [email protected].
We’ll be happy to hear your thoughts.
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