Getting your own domain name can be both exciting and confusing at the same time. Creating your own domain name definitely excites you, but owning it is another thing — it may confuse you. There are a lot of web hosting providers in the industry today and choosing one really does give confusions. Two of the booming web hosting companies are GoDaddy and Namecheap. These two almost comes with similar features but, of course, the difference is still evident. But with GoDaddy vs Namecheap, who has the best hosting, services, and emails? Well, let’s find out.
GoDaddy vs Namecheap Legacy
Both GoDaddy and Namecheap actually started in the industry as domain name registrars without additional features. By that time, they are selling and managing domain names as well, the service that both are really well-known for. As time goes by, they offer quite a number of complementary services. You have to remember as well, that you can also just buy any web services such as hosting, domains, and even email separately. Whatever suits your needs, and of course, budget.
If you aren’t sure about a domain and hosting, we have laid down the differences between domain vs hosting. Here is the full review for GoDaddy vs Namecheap:
Price
When it comes to pricing, web hosting providers really does varies in this area. The thing about the pricing is actually looking for the 1-year renewal pricing before anything else. You have to look deeper unto what comes with the price you will be paying for.
For the .com domains, GoDaddy actually runs at $14.99/year. On the other hand, the Namecheap runs at $12.88/year.
If you are currently in need of a web hosting provider which will let you save money right now and don’t plan to renew, then GoDaddy has the upper hand. They offer a $0.99 .com domain name discounts. Though you can also get special discounts for Namecheap, GoDaddy still has the lower price.
However, if you plan to run your website for more than 2 years, Namecheap is the better choice.
See also: Choosing the Best Shared Hosting Plan
User Experience
As a user, one thing you would want to consider before buying is the overall experience, especially using and navigating the website. Here are the things that you can notice about the two providers, both the good and bad things:
GoDaddy
- The checkout process may confuse you;
- Domain manager of GoDaddy tends to open on a separate window, it may give you the feels the domains are off-site;
- Their color scheme is clean, however, you will notice the cluttered upsells;
- Decent email and chat support;
- Vast knowledgebase;
- It has a suggestion engine which may have a bias toward TLD instead of the actual names;
Namecheap
- Occasionally, you may experience trouble with its auto-renewal function;
- Has a very good suggestion engine with diverse TLDs;
- The chat support is great but it lacks phone support;
- It has a minimalist design;
- Support experience may be below average due to miscommunication;
- It has a pretty well put together knowledgebase;
- Easy checkout process
For the overall experience, Namecheap definitely has stronger points than GoDaddy. If you are in the market side, then the upsells of GoDaddy may be a good thing, however, if you just want to claim a domain, then you might not like it.
Interface
Though, the interface may have been added in the user experience section, this is still another thing we have to look deeper. Having a bad interface may frustrate your day compared to an easy, one-time easy setup interface.
Both the contenders actually has a great display of their contents, however, Namecheap is the winner. It has already the options that you need on the sidebar with no clutter or any unnecessary things. GoDaddy’s interface may confuse you due to their extra settings with their upsell email, the hosting, and as well as the services.
However, the good thing about GoDaddy’s interface is how it is actually widely popular. You will be able to find support easily thru the internet or even just GoDaddy’s knowledgebase.
Extras
Now let’s talk about the extras. Usually, when you purchase a domain name, you get to have few extras around it. Security is one of the extras you can get which are commonly expected and very valuable. Here is how GoDaddy and Namecheap differs:
- Email – GoDaddy’s forwarding pushes upsells for their very own email product, while Namecheap is 100% free.
- Hosting – Namecheap offers a great range of shared hosting services. On the other hand, GoDaddy only offers a limited hosting package for an entire year with photo storage space.
- Reliable DNS – The DNS of GoDaddy has already been hacked while Namecheap’s actually hasn’t been. This is definitely a huge deal.
- Custom DNS – When it comes to free custom nameservers, Namecheap is present while GoDaddy isn’t.
If we take a look at it, Namecheap does focus on technical giveaways more rather than few other extras just like GoDaddy. But still, GoDaddy does a very decent job on the technical side.
Final Verdict: GoDaddy vs Namecheap
So, now what? Do we go with GoDaddy or did Namecheap topped the game?
As said, the web hosting provider really does matter. For those who want cheap domains upfront and prefers phone support, GoDaddy is a good fit. But, if you plan to build and run a website for the long term, you should go and grab Namecheap.
Well, good luck with deciding on which web hosting provider to go with. If you like, you can also try other providers:
Now, do you agree with the final verdict? Feel free to let us know by dropping a comment down below.
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