A Closer Look at the Strengths and Weaknesses of Namecheap as a Domain Registrar and Web Host
Namecheap is a company that offers several types of services, from web hosting to registering domain names. The company name gives the impression that what they’re offering is inexpensive. However, it also makes many people wonder about their reliability and trustworthiness. There is no shortage of companies offering domain registration and hosting solutions so it’s crucial that you take your time looking at what each company is offering. And in the event that you’re thinking of buying a domain or hosting your web site with Namecheap, this article should give you an idea as to what kind of company you can expect to deal with.
While not many people are aware that Namecheap offers web hosting, you’ll find that its basic and reseller packages are affordable. If you want to venture into the hosting business, you can do so by getting reseller hosting. This package is perfect for small business, and particularly if creating websites for local businesses is your primary job. Reseller hosting can be expensive, but Namecheap offers some good deals on this, starting at under $20 per month. You can also take the reseller hosting for a test drive for a month and pay just $1. A reseller account isn’t recommended if you really just want one web site. However, it’s the most cost-effective option for you if you see yourself buying several domains and putting up many sites.
Namecheap periodically has discount coupons too.
If your web site is a business site, you’re sure to need content and a steady supply of it. Namecheap offers RichContent, a service that provides access to relevant content. RichContent is super easy to use. In fact, all you need to do is past the widgets on your site and visitors will see content that’s relevant to the theme of your web site.
RichContent is compatible with any site, whether it’s a regular site or one that’s powered by WordPress. Take note, though, that RichContent isn’t a free service, it’s just made available to Namecheap customers for free for 30 days. After the trial period is over, you can decide whether or not to continue using the service or not. RichContent isn’t an expensive service, though. RichContent helps keep your site fresh with new content. It’s actually a cost effective investment because you only will spend a low fee to keep the content flowing to your site and without you having to really lift a finger to create content.
We recommend purchasing your domain name through Namecheap and hosting your site with a company other than Namecheap. Namecheap’s reputation as a domain registrar is excellent, but as a web host, it’s gotten mixed reviews. They have been registering domains since 2000, but only started out as a web host a few years ago. Because they’re new at web hosting, Namecheap hasn’t really proven itself as a good web host and thus doesn’t have a lot of customers yet. Do a search online and you’ll see some customers complaining about up-time and speed. Hopefully, Namecheap will eventually emerge as a leading web host, but for now using them for this is something of a risk.
Namecheap is well regarded, particularly as a domain name registrar. Its web hosting service was introduced only recently so it’s still a largely untested in terms of reliability and when you compare it with the more established web hosting companies. This is why many of its customers host their sites with other companies after buying their domains from Namecheap. If you’re looking for a domain registrar, web host, or both, this review of Namecheap should give you an idea if the company is something well worth considering.
1 COMMENT
I do the same thing. I have some sites with GoDaddy and some with Namecheap. Depends on the clients preferences.