In this article I will be comparing and reviewing the hosting services of two popular and solid companies. These are Bluehost and Namecheap.
In a hurry? This is our Recommended Service
Note: This article contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links without any extra cost to you. Our Recommendations however are not biased in any way.
Are you familiar with the relationship between a tenant and their landlord? If not, well then let me refresh your memory.
The landlord, who owns the structure, leases parts of it out to tenants. In exchange for a fixed rate per month, he or she manages the area, spearheads any repairs, and finds ways to enhance the property.
The occupants, moreover, are given the freedom to design their unit and live in it according to what pleases them, assuming it doesn’t clash with other people.
Now the reason why I chose to describe that is it perfectly encapsulates the role of a shared hosting service provider.
Similar to a property manager, a shared web hosting company also rents out space on the Internet and handles all technicalities that make a web page run.
This service not only simplifies the task at hand but also strengthens the presence of your digital footprint.
Here in this article, we’d like to compare two of the most top-rated shared hosting providers on the market. Hopefully, learning more about both Bluehost and Namecheap will help you decide which option best matches your needs.
Brief Description
Bluehost
Bluehost, which has been in this industry for almost two decades, is a web hosting company owned and supported by the Endurance International Group (EIG).
It was founded by Matt Heaton and Danny Ashton, two tech moguls, in 2003, before control of the business changed hands in 2010 due to controversy.
Currently, Bluehost is powering more than 2-million websites worldwide and has a strong partnership with WordPress.
Namecheap
Namecheap, on the other hand, is primarily a domain registrar but offers also an excellent hosting service.
Here are the Current Deals at Namecheap
It offers users a variety of different web related services and features, which have helped satisfy their millions of customers.
Ever since its introduction in 2000 by CEO Richard Kirkendall, Namecheap has rapidly become one of the most trusted shared hosting websites in the world (in addition to its bread-and-butter service which is domain selling and registrations).
Bluehost Vs Namecheap – Plans and Pricing
PRICING WINNER: Namecheap
Shared hosting is easily the most economical way to build your own website or blog if you are just starting out.
Many companies have rates for as low as $2 per month, together with packages designed to meet the growing needs of society.
Bluehost and Namecheap are no different, either, as they too offer customer-friendly plans and pricing schemes.
Main Payment Plans Differences
- Bluehost Does not offer monthly plans. You need to pay for 12, 24, or 36 months in advance.
- Namecheap offers both monthly payment plans and also yearly payment plans.
- Both have 30-day money back guarantee.
- Bluehost offers 4 different plans whereas Namecheap offers 3 different plans.
Pricing Comparison
Quick Pricing Comparison Table (Yearly Contract Plans)
Namecheap | Bluehost |
|
|
NameCheap
Between the two hosting companies, it is Namecheap that has more affordable fees and better payment terms.
Interested users can choose between the following packages (paid yearly in advance):
- Stellar package at $1.29 per month ($15.44 prepaid)
- Stellar Plus at $2.21 per month ($26.44 prepaid)
- Stellar Business at $4.12 per month ($49.44 prepaid)
 The Stellar Business to be honest does not have much differences with the Stellar Plus package except some performance features on PHP and script caching.
In my opinion, Stellar Plus is the best package offered from NameCheap with unlimited SSD storage, unlimited bandwidth, unlimited websites and much more.
Furthermore, all those bundles above already come with unmetered bandwidth, a free website builder, a website domain name with built-in privacy, and 30-day money back guarantee, Free SSL certificates, Auto-Backup tool etc.
Bluehost
As for Bluehost, they too offer attractive deals that will surely appeal to consumers.
Have in mind that the prices shown on their website are for the 3-year contract packages.
In order to compare similar plans, we are listing below the yearly contract plans of Bluehost to be compared with the yearly plans of Namecheap as listed above:
- Basic Plan at $4.95 per month ($59.40 prepaid)
- Plus Plan at $7.45 per month ($89.40 prepaid)
- Choice Plus Plan at $7.45 per month ($89.40 prepaid)
- Pro Plan at $18.95 per month ($227.40 prepaid)
The most basic package of Bluehost (Basic plan) allows only for 1 website, 50GB of storage, a free SSL certificate and 1 domain. However, its still more expensive from the basic Stellar package of Namecheap which comes down to just $1.29.
If you want something more robust and feature-rich, you can go for Bluehost’s mid-tier packages called the Plus and Choice Plus, both priced at $7.45 and with almost identical offerings.
Finally, their most expensive package is the Pro, which can be availed at $18.95 but with the only real advantage over Choice Plus being the dedicated IP address.
PRICING WINNER: Namecheap
Main Similarities
If you do your research on the features of the two contestants in this article, both shared hosting companies offer almost the same services and have had a good reputation for providing solid overall value.
By looking at the Core Hosting features of both providers, they offer exactly the same level. By core features we mean number of domains allowed, storage space, bandwidth, databases etc.
Both Namecheap and Bluehost offer pretty-much unlimited quantities (starting from mid-tier plans) regarding to the above resources.
Both also have reliable connections to the Internet (although Namecheap advertises 100% uptime), can be used to host your WordPress sites (or anything else), assist in building your website, and other helpful services.
Needless to say, you won’t go wrong with either Bluehost or Namecheap regarding technical features.
Main Differences
The most glaring difference between the two is that Namecheap is a privately owned, independent company whereas Bluehost is owned by a large venture, called Endurance International Group (EIG) which owns many other hosting providers.
Neither of the above is a bad thing but Namecheap is well known for its transparency about their services and pricing and consistent dedication to Internet freedom and security.
Moreover, they are corporate partners with Electronic Frontier Foundation and FightForTheFuture organizations which shows their values as a company.
At present, Namecheap has already reached 10-million domains under management with mostly happy customers. This gives Namecheap much more experience and resources to work with.
Conversely, Bluehost is dedicated to web hosting only which can be seen as an advantage.
Being a member of a very large enterprise, Bluehost’s service sometimes falls off. We have seen some negative reviews about this company and this also shows on Bluehost Trustpilot Rating here.
To be fair, we are including also Namecheap Trustpilot Rating here as well.
We don’t claim that Bluehost is a bad option as it is still one of the most popular webhosts. However, when comparing Namecheap vs Bluehost we believe that Namecheap is a more solid and trustworthy option.
WINNER: Namecheap
Security and Backup
Both of these aspects are incredibly important to users. After all, what’s the point in building your website if it can easily be breached, right? Therefore, both Bluehost and Namecheap have really put a premium on this matter. Let’s take a look at each one.
Security
Let me tell you that almost all shared hosting companies have a real threat in terms of security. Since they host so many websites, they must make sure that even if one website gets compromised, then the others must stay intact.
Fortunately, mature and expert web host providers have managed to mitigate the above risks. This is what applies to both Bluehost and Namecheap. However, although the web host server is well guarded, your WordPress website must be well protected as well, as I have explained here.
Both companies offer free SSL certificates which is what makes your site run as secure HTTPs protocol instead of the old HTTP.
Additionally, they likewise offer a premium DNS uptime and a two-factor authentication system.
Backup
In terms of backup, both companies offer free regular backups which are essential for preserving all of your site’s data and files.
Namecheap has automatic backup feature (twice per week) on its Stellar Plus and Stellar Business whereas Bluehost has backup feature on all of its plans (Daily, Weekly etc).
It seems that Bluehost is a little better compared to Namecheap when it comes to backup. However, you can always use a website tool (such as wordpress backup plugin) and customize your own backup procedure accordingly.
Support Methods
Finally, these two selections are incredibly supportive to their respective consumers. Not only do they have a 30-day money back guarantee, but also a 24/7 hotline in case issues arise. T
Though as we mentioned earlier, Bluehost is more thorough and personal when answering concerns, primarily because they are part of a larger company with many support agents.
Still, it’s difficult to really nitpick since they both do a good job in customer assistance.
Conclusion
As you have probably seen throughout this article, shared hosting is an integral cog in the digitalization of the world. These service providers truly make life much easier for individuals and companies alike; by keeping their information secure, creating avenues to advertise their products, and crafting ways to reach out to consumers.
After careful consideration of our research findings – and after carefully studying every one of their features – it can be concluded that Namecheap is the slightly better option.
It is more affordable, carries a stronger brand trust, and is also more beginner friendly. These reasons, among others, are why it slightly edges out Bluehost as our recommended shared hosting website.
Leave a Reply