We Bought & Tested the Most Popular Domain Registrars. Here’s Why Namecheap Is #1

Summary: Namecheap is a reliable, privacy-driven company that offers competitively priced services, including for domain names, web hosting, and more. It's super easy to use, even for those that are setting up their very first site. It enables fast, reliable solutions to get a website up and running and offers customized apps to make the entire process easy to manage.

We set out to determine which domain registrar really is the best out there. As a professional who has gone through this process numerous times with my own and client’s website, I was pretty excited to take on this project to review the best domain registrars out there. I thought I understood the best product, having used the same company for years. I was really surprised at what happened.

As I started to compare options, I quickly learned that the name brand that I know and have used so well – which is so heavily recognized in the industry – really did not stand a chance against Namecheap. That is, the services are quite alike, but the features and extras really helped to make this product the best.

I thought I was going to prove anyone wrong that said that the brand I was using wasn't the best. Boy, was I wrong!

The Namecheap site really changed the game and offered a better product for a better price.

First Impression

When I first got started, I went to the Namecheap site and did not initially notice anything really different from the competition. I thought that it was just another option. However, when I started reading through the details and really getting into the information provided, I realized that there was a lot of difference here.

One of the first things I liked even before I got started was that the website really is eye-catching and easy to understand, even if you do not know what a domain registrar is.

I got started by using the simple to use the search bar on the homepage and typed in a few options, did some research, and decided to move forward. That's when I really got into what this product had to offer.

Testing it out

From the start, the entire site was super easy to use. There are a few areas where you can ask questions, and you have a help desk available for you to use (more on that later). The user interface for comparing domain names and getting some quotes is easy to navigate, even if you don't have a lot of info on the process.

The next thing that I liked was that it offers something many other companies do not – free domain privacy. There’s no doubt this is big because this is an ongoing concern for many companies, and most of my clients are all about finding the most effective way to keep things safe. A free domain privacy feature that lasts the entire life of the domain is a nice bonus.

So, as I was working through the process, I wanted to see how complex and costly it would be to transfer a domain name. The company offers free migration – that’s another nice benefit that many other companies just do not provide (and it is so nice to know this is an option for those just starting out who need this help)!

I found that the entire process was pretty affordable – every feature, including the add-ons available, was well within most budgets, I would say. The company is most well known for this feature – keeping costs low. Of course, they make more of their money when they sell their other services, but from my experience, they are still super cheap.

Another important fact to think about when choosing a domain name is how well it meets all of your needs.

Namecheap offers a number of site-building apps to use to create the website. Some of these are free, and the free versions are simple and pretty easy to use. You can also link to the paid options the company offers (again, they are quite affordable) and get just what you need. I used these apps to create a free logo and then used them to help with SEO and even with some business organizations.

Because it is very common to use web hosting from the domain registrar, I took the time to check that out, too. I found the web hosting was robust, and there were plenty of options to choose from for the types of websites I typically create. Namecheap made setting up web hosting as simple as a few clicks, too.

The company supports a ton of top level domains – around 1500, according to the company. That is one of the highest of any domain registrar that I have seen. That includes the basics like .net and .com but also options like .IO and .AI. The pricing associated with the domain really relates to the type of domain selected, but some of the most expensive are over $30 for the year (and that's pretty competitive or lower than what I have seen in other providers).

What Makes Namecheap Different From Other Products?

It’s hard to say that the end outcome is any different when using Namecheap because the goal is to get a domain name. However, there are some things that really help Namecheap to stand out overall.

• Domain Privacy - By far, this is one of the best benefits of using this service. The free domain privacy is important because most other companies, even some of the largest, charge an extra fee for this service. Every penny counts when designing a website.
• Easy, Free Migration - Another key benefit that is nearly as important is the free migration process. Without a doubt, companies that need to migrate a lot of material through the website will find this to be one of the best features.
• Low Cost - Namecheap lives by its name. It is a cheap product, and there is no doubt that it is highly competitive overall in this way.
• Easy to Use and Learn - This applies to the domain registry but also to the other services the company offers, such as web hosting. The company provides a lot of videos and tutorials to use, and that really makes a difference when setting up your first website.
• Support - A lot of companies do not put as much time and effort into their support for domain registrars, but Namecheap does, and it pays off. I created some questions, inquired with the company about them, and found that I was able to get answers within a matter of minutes. Tried this out several times with the same results.
• Apps and More - The apps provided through Namecheap significantly enhance the product, and that really makes it the ideal choice for those starting from scratch. You can do just about anything with the apps available.

Verdict

Namecheap is highly reliable, easy to use, and affordable, but it is also a robust tool that provides you with everything you need to set up your domain name, transfer it, migrate your website, and more. Most importantly, there’s ample customer service to utilize as well.

Common Questions & Answers

Q: Is Namecheap’s webhosting affordable?

We found it is just as affordable or more so than the competition.

Q: Can I use Namecheap for my WordPress Site?

Yes! That is one of the options that the company offers.

Q: Is the free privacy software and tools good and reliable?

Yes, they are on the same level as most other providers.

How Much Does It Cost?

You can learn more about the costs on the company’s website. For a .com extension, you can expect to pay around $8.88. A .net extension costs around $10.98.

There are some products that are as low as 99 cents! I highly recommend checking out each one to determine what the cost is based on the extension you need.

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