Namecheap vs. GoDaddy 2025: A Tight Race With One Clear Value Winner

For the vast majority of websites, Namecheap is the better web hosting option. The reasons are straightforward: ample hardware, more responsive customer support, strong features, and an overall better value.

GoDaddy does offer certain benefits over Namecheap, but unless you’re running a demanding ecommerce website, features like daily backups or built-in AI tools aren’t worth the extra cost.

To understand their differences in depth, read our comprehensive Namecheap vs. GoDaddy comparison below. We’ll take a close look at both hosts’ managed WordPress plans, their pros and cons, features, performance, pricing, security, support, and reputation.

By the end, you’ll be able to decide whether spending extra on GoDaddy is worth it or if Namecheap will meet your needs and save you money.

Namecheap vs. GoDaddy review at a glance

• Namecheap: Best for most small businesses
• GoDaddy: Best for big websites with deep pockets

	Our Pick
Star rating	4.8 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.	4.8 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
Starting price	$3.58/mo	$5.99/mo
Money-back guarantee	Yes — 30 days	Yes — 30 days
Uptime guarantee	99.9% - 99.99%	99.9%
Monthly visits	50K - 500K	25K - 400K
Number of websites	1	1
Storage	10 - 100 GB	10 - 30 GB NVMe *
Free SSL certificate	On all plans	On all plans
Free domain for a year	Starting with Turbo annual	On all plans
Learn more	Get Namecheap Read Namecheap Review	Get GoDaddy Read GoDaddy Review

Namecheap pros and cons

Namecheap offers three managed WordPress plans. They’re mainly divided by how much storage and computing power they give you, and how many monthly visitors your website can receive. Otherwise, all three plans include a free CDN, free SSL, a 99.9% uptime guarantee, on-demand backups, automated WordPress updates, free migration support, and an intuitive control panel.

The two higher plans include additional security tools and the pro version of the Brizy website builder. If you sign up for at least a year, the plans also give you a free domain name and a free business email for that year, plus a 3-month trial of a powerful SEO tool.

The main downside is that Namecheap relies too heavily on third-party solutions for certain features. For example, many managed WordPress hosts offer built-in staging sites, but with Namecheap, you have to use a plugin for it.

There’s also no modern AI website builder, which is peculiar because Namecheap includes an AI web builder with its cheaper, shared hosting plans. One minor drawback is that Namecheap does not offer phone support, although the 24/7 live chat is excellent.

GoDaddy pros and cons

GoDaddy also offers three managed WordPress plans. They include free SSL, a 99.9% uptime guarantee, and a free domain for the first year, but the real highlights are strong security and a depth of AI tools. These run the gamut from website building to image creation to SEO analysis. Granted, you can always access similar tools externally, but the convenience of having everything in one place is a huge plus.

Beyond that, the features are particularly attractive once you reach the tier two Deluxe plan. On that plan, GoDaddy activates a CDN to speed up your site and unlocks the ability to generate staging sites. The latter isn’t available on any Namecheap plan, and with Namecheap, it can only be replicated through a third-party plugin.

On the flip side, Namecheap includes a CDN on all plans, which highlights a weakness in GoDaddy’s entry-level plan. The biggest downside of GoDaddy, though, is the cost — renewal rates are more than twice as much as Namecheap. It’s tough to justify such a wide pricing gap, even with AI tools and built-in staging sites included.

Which web hosting service has the best core features?

If we ignore web hosting price and focus only on features, then GoDaddy takes the crown. GoDaddy’s AI tools, automated daily backups, built-in staging (from tier two), and advanced security on all plans put it a notch above Namecheap.

		Our Pick
Websites per account	1	1 *
Storage available	10 - 100 GB NVMe	10 - 30 GB NVMe *
Bandwidth	Unmetered	Unmetered
Monthly visits	50K - 500K	25K - 400K
Staging environment	No (must use plugins)	Starting from Deluxe (tier two) plan
Migration assistance	On all plans	Paid service or self-migration with docs
Email	No - must purchase separately; higher plans have free 1-year trial	No - must purchase separately
Control panel	EasyWP custom control panel	GoDaddy custom control panel
Website builder	Brizy Pro - starting from Turbo (tier two) plan	On all plans (AI-powered)
Hosting types available	Shared / WordPress / VPS / dedicated servers / reseller hosting	Shared / WordPress / VPS / WooCommerce / website builder
Learn more	Get Namecheap Read Namecheap Review	Get GoDaddy Read GoDaddy Review

One of the big differences between GoDaddy and Namecheap is that GoDaddy’s features are built into the platform, whereas Namecheap partners with other services and connects your Namecheap account to them. This makes the GoDaddy user experience feel more cohesive.

Take, for example, GoDaddy’s website builder. It’s a modern AI-powered tool with a built-in logo maker, a written content generator, and an image creator. All you need to do is give it some prompts, and it will get to work.

In contrast, Namecheap has similar tools, but they are external to the EasyWP control panel, and not all of them even integrate with EasyWP. For example, even though Namecheap has a website builder tool, it’s not accessible via EasyWP, and instead, you have to rely on WordPress plugins if you want a website builder experience.

The same goes for staging sites — GoDaddy has them built in, while Namecheap forces you to use a plugin. Instead of just tapping a button, you have to sift through plugins, decide on one, install it, and get familiar with its settings. All of that requires time that could be spent on growing your business.

Which web host has the best performance and reliability?

Based on our testing, Namecheap has marginally better uptime, while GoDaddy has slightly better FCP (how quickly the first element on a web page loads) and LCP (how quickly the largest element on a web page loads). In a practical sense, the differences are so fractional that there's very little gap between the two.

	Our Pick
Uptime guarantee	99.9% - 99.99%	99.9%
Tested uptime	100%	99.931%
Average performance score	99	100
Average FCP	0.7 seconds	0.4 seconds
Average LCP	0.7 seconds	0.5 seconds
Learn more	Get Namecheap Read Namecheap Review	Get GoDaddy Read GoDaddy Review

Since both hosts scored so well across all metrics, in practice, factors such as theme choice, image optimization, and the number of plugins will have a far greater impact on site speed than choosing either GoDaddy or Namecheap.

The one exception is the entry-level plans, where Namecheap has an edge since it includes a CDN on all plans, whereas GoDaddy reserves it for plans at the second tier and above.

Which web host is the better value?

Without question, Namecheap is the better value for most website owners. GoDaddy’s premium features are nice, but certainly not worth the significantly higher asking price.

	Our Pick
Price range	$3.58-$26.88/mo	$5.99-$12.99/mo
Best value plan	Starter for $3.58/mo	Deluxe for $10.99/mo
Money-back guarantee	30 days - Starter plan only	30 days
Free domain for a year	Starting at Turbo (tier two) plan; minimum 1-year contract	On all plans; minimum 1-year contract
Free CDN	On all plans	Starting at Deluxe (tier two) plan
Free SSL	On all plans	On all plans
Learn more	Get Namecheap Read Namecheap Review	Get GoDaddy Read GoDaddy Review

Namecheap plans

All Namecheap EasyWP plans let you host one website, and they use their own WordPress-specific control panel. There’s no cPanel access. This could be good or bad, depending on your preference. Additionally, a 30-day money-back guarantee is available — but only for the Starter tier.

Every plan includes a free SSL certificate, a CDN, manual backups with easy restores, malware scanning, WordPress auto-updates, database access, and 24/7 live chat support. If you purchase an annual contract, the two higher-level plans also include a free domain name and business email in the first year.

• EasyWP Starter: 10 GB SSD storage, 512 MB RAM, 0.5 CPU core, 99.9% uptime guarantee, and supports up to 50,000 monthly visits
• EasyWP Turbo: 50 GB SSD storage, 768 MB RAM, 0.75 CPU core, 99.9% uptime guarantee, up to 200,000 monthly visits, Brizy Pro site builder, malware removal, and SEO tools
• EasyWP Super Sonic: 100 GB SSD storage, 1152 MB RAM, 1.125 CPU core, 99.99% uptime guarantee, up to 500,000 monthly visits, everything from Turbo, plus priority support

GoDaddy plans

GoDaddy managed WordPress plans are also limited to one website — though you can pay to add extra sites. Like Namecheap, GoDaddy uses its own proprietary control panel, though unlike Namecheap, it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee across all tiers.

All plans include a free SSL, a free domain name for the first year, automated daily backups, malware scanning with automatic removal, DDoS protection, a web application firewall, AI-powered site-building tools, a drag-and-drop block builder, and 24/7 support via phone or chat. CDNs and staging sites are available on the two higher tiers.

• Managed WordPress Basic: 10 GB NVMe storage
• Managed WordPress Deluxe: 20 GB NVMe storage, SEO optimizer plugin, and TrustedSite security badge
• Managed WordPress Ultimate: 30 GB NVMe storage, includes everything from Deluxe plus a WordPress plugin manager, developer-focused tools, and priority customer support

Which web host has the best security features?

GoDaddy outperforms Namecheap in providing advanced security across all plans. Namecheap’s security is good, but advanced features are limited on the entry-level plan.

		Our Pick
Malware scanning
Firewall protection	Yes – starting from the Turbo (tier two) plan
DDoS protection
Backup frequency	On demand (manual)	Daily
Other	Malware removal starting from the Turbo (tier two) plan	Malware removal on all plans
Learn more	Get Namecheap Read Namecheap Review	Get GoDaddy Read GoDaddy Review

Despite having a general penchant for paywalling features behind higher-tier plans, security is one area where GoDaddy doesn’t skimp. All three plans come with:

• An SSL certificate (encrypts data between your site and visitors)
• Malware scanning and removal
• A web application firewall (blocks attacks before they reach your site)
• DDoS protection (prevents traffic floods from knocking you offline)
• Automated daily website backups

Namecheap plans cover the essentials: an SSL certificate, malware scanning, and DDoS protection. However, the entry-level plan falls short in features such as malware removal and a web application firewall. These are only activated starting from the tier two plan. Additionally, website backups are left to you to manage manually — regardless of the plan you're on.

So which of these gaps actually matter? SSL and DDoS protection are non-negotiables that both providers handle equally well. The difference maker is Namecheap’s Starter plan, which offers no web application firewall or malware removal (only detection). Both of these are important, especially the firewall.

For these reasons, GoDaddy has the upper hand in terms of security, especially for beginners.

Which web host has the best support and reputation?

GoDaddy offers more support channels, but after interacting extensively with both support teams over the past three years, I feel that Namecheap has better support. Their reputations are fairly similar and lean mainly positive on review sites.

	Our Pick
24/7 customer support
Support options	Live chat, AI chat, email, knowledge base	Phone, live chat, AI chat, email, SMS (text), knowledge base
Trustpilot score	4.3	4.1
G2 rating	3.9	4
Capterra rating	N/A	4.2 *
Learn more	Get Namecheap Read Namecheap Review	Get GoDaddy Read GoDaddy Review

GoDaddy and Namecheap both offer 24/7 chat support, but use an AI bot when contact is initiated. The bots are helpful, but if you’re not logged in, the GoDaddy one routes you to a sales agent after two or three questions. That’s frustrating, but to make it worse, wait times can sometimes be 20+ minutes! It’s actually faster to open an incognito window, start another chat, and ask the same question.

On the other hand, Namecheap’s bot — named Suzy Q. — is more helpful and doesn’t quit unless “she” gets stuck on a question or you ask to speak with a human. Even then, the wait time is typically no longer than a minute. In terms of the human service, Namecheap’s agents have always been friendly and resolved my issues most of the time.

With GoDaddy, I’ve had mixed experiences. In the past, I found them to be borderline annoyed that I contacted them. More recently, they’ve been friendlier, but unfortunately, not that helpful.

As for reputation, both hosts have received relatively positive feedback on Trustpilot and G2. Although the reviews on G2 seem to be more genuine. As mentioned in our Namecheap review, the Trustpilot entries have some red flags, like identical back-to-back posts that are supposedly from different people. Take them with a grain of salt.

Top alternatives

If you’ve made it this far and aren’t impressed by either host, you may want to consider an alternative. The managed WordPress hosting market is competitive, and there are plenty of options available to host your site. Three alternatives you should consider are:

Bluehost: Offers managed WordPress features merged into traditional web hosting. Pricing is competitive, and there’s a 99.99% uptime guarantee. Best for users who want managed WordPress benefits but need cPanel for other projects or simply prefer its familiar interface over proprietary dashboards.

Learn more in our Bluehost review.

IONOS: Provides a built-in AI website builder on all plans, with higher tiers letting you generate text and images as well. The mid-tier plan is only $12 for the entire first year. Best for content creators, bloggers, and small businesses who want AI assistance to accelerate their site-building process.

Learn more in our IONOS review.

Hosting.com: Gives you enterprise-level infrastructure (Rocket.net + Cloudflare Enterprise) that’s typically reserved for major publishers, but at an accessible price. While more expensive than Namecheap or GoDaddy on a per-dollar basis, the enterprise-grade performance represents exceptional value for what you get. Best for medium to large ecommerce stores.

Namecheap vs. GoDaddy: Which is better?

Taking everything into consideration, Namecheap is the better managed WordPress hosting choice.

	Our Pick
Value
Core features
Performance and reliability
Security
Support and reputation
Learn more	Get Namecheap Read Namecheap Review	Get GoDaddy Read GoDaddy Review

Namecheap wins on the fundamentals: It's significantly more affordable, with transparent pricing, delivers excellent uptime and performance, and includes a CDN on all plans — all backed by a strong reputation for reliable customer support.

GoDaddy, on the other hand, excels at security and advanced features. Its extensive AI tools can genuinely save time when building a new site. However, the renewal rates are steep and more than double Namecheap's pricing.

Choose Namecheap if you want solid, dependable hosting at an honest price. It's ideal for small businesses, bloggers, and anyone building their first site — especially if you value affordability and reliability.

Choose GoDaddy if security is your top priority or if you're willing to pay premium renewal rates for features like AI tools and built-in staging environments.

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