What it is
Namecheap is a domain registrar. You buy and manage domain names there, point them wherever your site is hosted, and renew them annually.
A registrar's job is small and important: hold your domain securely, let you manage DNS, and not charge you extra for privacy or hold your name hostage. Namecheap does all three.
This is where every domain I own is registered, and where I tell clients to register theirs in their own account rather than their developer's.
What it does
Registration, renewal and transfer across every common extension, with DNS management that is clear enough for a beginner to point a domain without help.
Free WHOIS privacy on eligible domains, permanently. Most registrars either charge for this or bundle it for a year.
Two-factor authentication and domain locking, which matter more than people realise: a stolen domain is a stolen business.
They also sell hosting, email and SSL, and I would use a specialist for each of those and keep this account for domains only.
Who it's for
Features
Pros and cons
Pricing
| PLAN | WHAT YOU GET | WORTH IT FOR |
|---|---|---|
| Standard registration | One year of a common extension, privacy included. | Almost everybody. |
| Multi-year registration | Several years paid up front. | Domains you are certain about. |
| Transfer in | Usually one year added at a low rate. | Moving from an expensive registrar. |
| Premium domains | Marketplace pricing for held names. | Compare elsewhere before buying. |
Check the renewal price, not the first-year price, on unusual extensions. Common ones renew close to what you paid.
One-year registration with privacy on and auto-renew enabled, plus two-factor authentication on the account. Nothing else.
Alternatives
My verdict
Namecheap does the job a registrar should do and mostly stays out of the way. Free permanent privacy, predictable renewals and DNS management a beginner can follow, which is all I want from this category.
The one thing I would say to any business owner: register the domain in your own account, with your own card and your own email. More painful migrations start with a domain sitting in a former developer's account than with any technical problem.
If you already use Cloudflare, their registrar is cheaper because it sells at cost. Otherwise this is my default.
Try Namecheap →Who should use it
Who should avoid it
Related articles
Affiliate disclosure
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through one, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you, and it never changes the price you pay. It also does not decide what appears on this page: I recommend tools with no affiliate programme just as readily, and leave off tools with generous ones when they do not deserve the space.