Namecheap
Namecheap is one of the largest independent domain registrars still operating outside the major hosting conglomerates. Founded in 2000, it built its reputation on transparent pricing, free WHOIS privacy, and a straightforward control panel that does not upsell at every click.
Official RDAP endpoint: https://rdap.namecheap.com/
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Namecheap is an ICANN-accredited domain registrar (IANA ID 450) based in United States. with a 4.2★ Trustpilot rating from 21,283 reviews as of July 2026.
Namecheap also appears as a web hosting provider in the HostList directory. Hosting and domain registration are separate products with separate profiles.
View hosting profile →What Customers Say About Namecheap
What people are saying
Trustpilot★★★★★Cheap domains loads of tools great customer service“Product was cheap. Easy setup and a decent selection of add-ons. I imagine it would be very simple for new customers to purchase from them. They offer an array of different things from domains to help setting up an LLc. . Can be a little confusing at moment because of the third party and partners they use but you will…”
Trustpilot★★★★★Just absolutely amazing in every way so…“Just absolutely amazing in every way so far. Let me tell you, I've tried other domain sites only to end up confused and frustrated. Namecheap does the simple things that every other domain company has failed to do for me... Simply, send me instructions with the URL so I can easily type it in and write it down, sent…”
Trustpilot★★★★★Good Service as always“Good Service as always, I have been using since 2018 since no complain.”
Trustpilot★★★★★very good service“very good service. timely reponse incase u feel any issue.”
Trustpilot★★★★★Keeps working, after almost 20 years!“As a very "long" term customer - what's it now, coming up to almost 20 years right - this is just something that "works". I don't have to worry about it, never had any outage or issue in the whole time i've been with Namecheap. On top of that, super competitively priced as well.”
Last checked July 2026 · Sourced from Trustpilot/G2/Reddit
OVERVIEW
The company has expanded well beyond domains into shared hosting, managed WordPress (EasyWP), VPS, and business email. For agencies and freelancers, Namecheap is often the default registrar for client domains because the pricing is predictable and the transfer-out process is not obstructive.
Namecheap is ICANN-accredited and appears on the official registrar list. Its founder Richard Kirkendall has been a vocal participant in ICANN policy discussions, including .com price-cap debates.
WHAT IT DOES
- Domain registration across 1,000+ TLDs
- Free WHOIS privacy on eligible domains
- Shared hosting, EasyWP managed WordPress, VPS, and email
- Marketplace for expired and premium domains
BEST FOR
- Freelancers and agencies registering client domains at volume
- Budget-conscious users who want free WHOIS privacy included
- WordPress users who want registrar and EasyWP hosting in one account
PRICING
Domains from ~$5.98/yr (.com promo); hosting from ~$1.58/mo intro
ALTERNATIVES TO NAMECHEAP
The world's largest domain registrar by volume, with a full stack of hosting, website builders, and business tools.
Compare →Independent registrar praised for transparent pricing, free WHOIS privacy, and a no-nonsense control panel.
Compare →At-cost domain registration for Cloudflare customers, bundled with DNS, CDN, and security.
Compare →NAMECHEAP FAQ
Is Namecheap ICANN-accredited?
Yes. Namecheap, Inc. is an ICANN-accredited registrar (IANA ID 1068) authorized to register generic top-level domains. Its accreditation status is listed on the official ICANN and IANA registrar directories.
Does Namecheap include free WHOIS privacy?
Namecheap includes free WHOIS privacy (WhoisGuard) on most domain registrations, which redacts registrant contact data from public WHOIS/RDAP lookups. This is a meaningful differentiator versus registrars that charge extra for privacy.
Namecheap vs GoDaddy for domains?
Both are ICANN-accredited and offer domains plus hosting. Namecheap tends to win on renewal pricing transparency and included privacy; GoDaddy wins on brand recognition and upsell breadth. For pure domain registration without aggressive renewal jumps, Namecheap is the more common agency choice.
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