Hostinger vs Namecheap: Choosing Between Two Budget Mediocrity Traps
Table of Contents
Comparing Hostinger vs Namecheap is like choosing between a mystery box that won’t tell you what CPU or RAM you’re getting (Hostinger), or a clearly labeled box with only 3 websites and 20GB storage (Namecheap).
You get what you pay for. And what you’re paying for is either undisclosed resources or bare minimum features.
Hostinger won’t tell you their CPU/RAM limits - you’re gambling on whether you’ll hit undisclosed throttling. Namecheap is transparent about limits, but you’re stuck with 3 websites max and 20GB storage on their cheapest plan. Neither tells you what hardware you’re actually getting.
Better alternatives:
- ChemiCloud - Best shared hosting
- Scala Hosting - Best managed VPS
- Hetzner - Best unmanaged VPS
I make $0 from Hostinger or Namecheap. I make ~$100 from ChemiCloud and Scala. The difference? ChemiCloud tells you upfront: AMD EPYC 9354 @ 3.8 GHz, 3 CPU cores, 3GB RAM. Hostinger and Namecheap? Mystery meat.
⚡ Quick Verdict: Hostinger vs Namecheap
TL;DR: Namecheap has more honest pricing, but Hostinger has slightly better performance. Neither is actually good. ChemiCloud offers better hardware and no forced upgrades for $239/year total.
Hostinger vs Namecheap vs ChemiCloud
| Feature | Hostinger | Namecheap | ChemiCloud |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intro Price | $2.99/mo | $1.98/mo | $4.49/mo |
| Renewal Price | $10.99/mo | $3.88/mo | $19.95/mo |
| Increase % | 267% | 96% | 344% |
| Storage | 25GB SSD | 20GB SSD | 50GB NVMe |
| CPU/RAM | Undisclosed | Undisclosed | 3 cores/3GB (stated) |
| Free Migrations | No | No | 10-200 sites |
| Hardware | Shared resources | Shared resources | AMD EPYC 9354 (3.8 GHz) |
Winner: Namecheap has the lowest renewal price and most honest pricing, but ChemiCloud is better than both with modern hardware and no CPU limit forced upgrades.
Why: Hostinger lures you in with $2.99/mo, then hits you with $10.99/mo renewal (267% increase). Namecheap is more honest ($1.98/mo → $3.88/mo = 96% increase), but you get what you pay for: basic features, shared resources, and mediocre performance. ChemiCloud has a higher renewal percentage (344%), but total annual cost is $239/year with modern AMD EPYC hardware and no forced upgrades.
Why I Don’t Recommend Either
Hostinger:
- 267% renewal increase ($2.99/mo → $10.99/mo) makes it not actually “budget” long-term
- Undisclosed CPU/RAM limits lead to throttling
- Support quality is hit-or-miss
- No free migrations
Namecheap:
- While more honest on pricing, you get bare minimum features
- Shared resources with no clear allocations
- Performance is mediocre at best
- Limited to 3 websites on entry plan
- Support primarily focused on domains, not hosting expertise
Better alternatives:
- ChemiCloud (best shared hosting with modern hardware)
- Scala Hosting (best managed VPS)
- Hetzner (best unmanaged VPS)
You shouldn’t trust me blindly. Verify everything I claim using the sources linked throughout this article.
Hostinger vs Namecheap: The Direct Comparison
Pricing: The Real Cost
Hostinger Pricing
Advertised pricing:
- “Starting at $2.99/month!”
Actual pricing:
- Year 1: $2.99/mo (requires 48-month prepayment = $143.52 upfront)
- Renewal: $10.99/mo
- Increase: 267%
Hidden costs:
- Domain renewal: $15.99/year (after “free” first year)
- SSL certificate: Free with Let’s Encrypt
- Backups: Included
- CDN: Cloudflare (free)
- Migrations: Not free
Total annual cost (Year 2+): $131.88 + $15.99 = $147.87/year
Source: Hostinger official pricing
Namecheap Pricing
Advertised pricing:
- “Starting at $1.98/month!”
Actual pricing:
- Year 1: $1.98/mo (annual prepayment = $23.76 upfront)
- Renewal: $3.88/mo
- Increase: 96%
Hidden costs:
- Domain renewal: $13.98/year (after “free” first year)
- SSL certificate: Free with Let’s Encrypt
- Backups: Not included (paid add-on)
- CDN: Not included
- Migrations: Not free
Total annual cost (Year 2+): $46.56 + $13.98 = $60.54/year
Source: Namecheap official pricing
Pricing Winner
On advertised pricing: Namecheap wins at $1.98/mo vs Hostinger’s $2.99/mo
On renewal pricing: Namecheap wins at $3.88/mo vs Hostinger’s $10.99/mo
On renewal increase %: Namecheap wins with 96% vs Hostinger’s 267%
Total Cost Analysis:
Hostinger total cost:
- Base renewal: $10.99/mo = $131.88/year
- Domain: $15.99/year
- Annual total: $147.87/year
Namecheap total cost:
- Base renewal: $3.88/mo = $46.56/year
- Domain: $13.98/year
- Annual total: $60.54/year
Better alternative - ChemiCloud:
- Base renewal: $19.95/mo = $239.40/year
- Domain: Included
- Annual total: $239/year (stays constant, no forced upgrades)
- AMD EPYC 9354 (3.8 GHz) vs Hostinger/Namecheap’s shared resources
- 50GB NVMe vs Hostinger’s 25GB/Namecheap’s 20GB SSD
- 10-200 free migrations
Real winner by total cost: Namecheap is cheapest at $60.54/year, but you get what you pay for. ChemiCloud costs $179 more annually but gives you significantly better hardware and no CPU limit forced upgrades.
Performance: Hardware & Speed
Hostinger Infrastructure
Hardware:
- CPU: Undisclosed (shared resources on LiteSpeed infrastructure)
- RAM: “Unmetered” (actually capped, limits not disclosed)
- Storage: 25GB SSD on Premium plan
- Web Server: LiteSpeed with caching
Documented performance:
- Average TTFB: Varies, generally decent for the price
- Uptime: Claims 99.9%
- Resource limits: Undisclosed, users report throttling at higher traffic
The problem: While Hostinger uses LiteSpeed (good), they don’t disclose CPU/RAM allocations, meaning you’re gambling on whether your site will be throttled.
Namecheap Infrastructure
Hardware:
- CPU: Undisclosed (shared resources on cPanel infrastructure)
- RAM: Undisclosed
- Storage: 20GB SSD on Stellar plan
- Web Server: Apache with caching
Documented performance:
- Average TTFB: Slower than Hostinger
- Uptime: Claims 99.9%
- Resource limits: Undisclosed
The problem: Namecheap is primarily a domain registrar that also offers hosting. Hosting is not their core competency, and it shows in performance.
Performance Winner
On paper specs: Hostinger wins with LiteSpeed vs Namecheap’s Apache, and 25GB vs 20GB storage
Real-world performance: Hostinger is faster due to LiteSpeed infrastructure
BUT: Neither discloses actual CPU/RAM allocations, making both a gamble
Better alternative - ChemiCloud:
- CPU: AMD EPYC 9354 @ 3.8 GHz (disclosed, 3 cores on Turbo plan)
- RAM: 3GB on WP Turbo plan (disclosed)
- Storage: 50GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSDs (2x faster than regular SSD)
- Web Server: LiteSpeed with LSCache
- Documented performance: Fast TTFB with no forced upgrade CPU limits
- Source: ChemiCloud specs
Real winner: ChemiCloud has superior disclosed hardware (AMD EPYC 9354 @ 3.8 GHz vs Hostinger/Namecheap’s undisclosed shared resources) and transparent resource allocations.
The Hidden Problems Both Hosts Share
While Hostinger and Namecheap have different strengths, they share common budget hosting problems:
Shared problems:
-
Undisclosed resource limits
- Hostinger: “Unmetered” resources (actually capped in practice)
- Namecheap: No clear CPU/RAM allocations stated
- Both can throttle your site without clear warning
- Source: User reports on Reddit r/webhosting
-
You get what you pay for
- Hostinger: Better performance, but 267% renewal trap
- Namecheap: Honest pricing, but mediocre features
- Both use shared resources without transparency
-
Limited support quality
- Hostinger: Support quality varies by agent
- Namecheap: Support focused on domains, not hosting expertise
- Neither offers phone support on entry plans
-
No free migrations
- Hostinger: Charges for migrations
- Namecheap: Charges for migrations
- ChemiCloud comparison: 10-200 free migrations depending on plan
The truth: Both are “budget” hosts that cut corners somewhere. Hostinger cuts corners on pricing honesty (267% renewal). Namecheap cuts corners on features and performance.
See more web hosting red flags
Support Quality
Hostinger Support
Claimed support:
- 24/7 live chat
- Ticket system
- Knowledge base
Actual support quality:
- Average response time: 2-3 minutes for chat
- Quality varies significantly by agent
- Some agents very helpful, others just script readers
- No phone support on entry plans
Support score: 6/10
Namecheap Support
Claimed support:
- 24/7 live chat
- Ticket system
- Knowledge base
Actual support quality:
- Average response time: 5-10 minutes for chat
- Support primarily focused on domains, not hosting
- Hosting expertise is limited
- No phone support on entry plans
Support score: 5/10
Support Winner
Winner: Hostinger has slightly faster response times and marginally better hosting knowledge
Better alternative support:
- ChemiCloud: 24/7 chat/ticket support, average response under 10 minutes, actual hosting expertise
- Scala Hosting: 24/7 support with SPanel expertise, migration assistance included
- Source: ChemiCloud Review, Scala Hosting Review
Features Comparison
Features Comparison
| Feature | Hostinger | Namecheap | ChemiCloud |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free SSL | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Free Backups | Yes (weekly) | No (paid add-on) | Yes (daily) |
| Free Migrations | No | No | 10-200 sites |
| Websites Allowed | 25-100 | 3 | Unlimited |
| CDN Included | Yes (Cloudflare) | No | Yes (Cloudflare) |
| Control Panel | hPanel | cPanel | cPanel |
| Storage Type | SSD | SSD | NVMe (faster) |
Features winner: Hostinger has better features than Namecheap (more websites, CDN included, backups included), but ChemiCloud beats both with faster NVMe storage, unlimited websites, and 10-200 free migrations.
Why You’re Probably Looking at the Wrong Hosts
You searched “Hostinger vs Namecheap” because:
- Both are cheap (Namecheap especially)
- Both advertise heavily
- YouTubers recommend them (Hostinger pays decent affiliate commissions)
Here’s what they’re not telling you:
About Hostinger:
- 267% renewal increase ($2.99 → $10.99/mo)
- Undisclosed CPU/RAM limits despite “unmetered” marketing
- Performance is decent but resources are still shared
- Support quality is inconsistent
About Namecheap:
- You get what you pay for (cheapest, but basic features)
- Hosting is not their core business (domains are)
- Limited to 3 websites on entry plan
- Slower performance (Apache vs LiteSpeed)
The better question: “What hosting should I actually use for long-term value?”
Also comparing against Bluehost or GoDaddy? See our Bluehost vs Hostinger or Hostinger vs GoDaddy comparisons.
What You Should Actually Use Instead
If You Need Shared Hosting
Don’t use: Hostinger (267% renewal) or Namecheap (basic features)
Use instead: ChemiCloud
Why:
- Modern hardware: AMD EPYC 9354 (3.8 GHz) vs Hostinger/Namecheap’s undisclosed shared resources
- No CPU limit forced upgrades (transparent resource allocations)
- Total annual cost: $239/year with no forced upgrades
- 10-200 free migrations vs Hostinger/Namecheap’s paid migrations
- 50GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSDs (faster than regular SSD)
- LiteSpeed with LSCache (same as Hostinger, better than Namecheap)
Yes, ChemiCloud has 344% renewal increase. But:
- Total cost is $239/year with no forced upgrades
- You get disclosed resources (3 cores, 3GB RAM)
- Modern hardware vs shared mystery resources
- Better value long-term
If You Need Managed VPS
Don’t use: Hostinger Cloud ($20+/mo) or Namecheap VPS
Use instead: Scala Hosting
Why:
- $44.95/mo managed VPS vs paying for multiple shared hosting accounts
- 0% renewal increase on VPS plans (price stays the same)
- Faster CPU: AMD EPYC 9474F (4.1 GHz)
- SPanel included (saves $15/mo cPanel license)
- Better for growing sites that need dedicated resources
Read full Scala Hosting review
If You Can Handle Unmanaged VPS
Don’t use: Hostinger or Namecheap at any price
Use instead: Hetzner
Why:
- €3.79/mo unmanaged VPS vs Hostinger’s $10.99/mo shared hosting
- AMD EPYC CPUs, NVMe SSDs, German engineering
- 0% renewal increase - price stays the same forever
- Full control over your server environment
Migration: Leaving Hostinger or Namecheap
Don’t wait until renewal. Here’s how to migrate:
Backup Everything First
- Use a backup plugin: UpdraftPlus (free) or All-in-One WP Migration
- Download backups locally: Don’t trust the old host to keep them
- Export database: Via phpMyAdmin or cPanel backup
- Save wp-config.php: You’ll need database credentials
Migration Options
Option 1: Use ChemiCloud/Scala’s free migration
- ChemiCloud offers 10-200 free migrations depending on plan
- Scala Hosting includes free migrations on all VPS plans
- Support handles everything (24-48 hours)
Option 2: DIY migration
- Sign up for new host
- Install WordPress on new host
- Use UpdraftPlus or All-in-One WP Migration to restore backup
- Test site on temporary URL
- Update DNS when ready
- Keep old host active 7-14 days during transition
Timeline
- Week 1: Sign up for new host, request migration or start DIY
- Week 2: Test new site, verify everything works
- Week 3: Update DNS, monitor transition
- Week 4: Cancel old host (Hostinger or Namecheap)
Migration cost:
Migration Cost Breakdown
| Feature | Method | Cost | Time Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChemiCloud/Scala free migration | $0 | 24-48 hours | None |
| DIY migration | $0 | 2-4 hours | Medium |
| Professional service | $50-$150 | 1-2 days | None |
Real User Experiences: Hostinger vs Namecheap
Hostinger User Complaints
Common pattern in user reviews:
“Hostinger was great the first year at $2.99/month, but renewal at $10.99 was a shock.”
“Support quality varies wildly - sometimes great, sometimes useless.”
“Site started slowing down as traffic increased, despite ‘unmetered’ resources.”
Pattern: Users report good initial experience, but shocked by renewal pricing and inconsistent support.
Namecheap User Complaints
Common pattern in user reviews:
“It’s cheap for a reason - you get bare minimum features.”
“Moved my hosting back to a real hosting company, keeping Namecheap just for domains.”
“Support knows domains well, but hosting questions get generic responses.”
Pattern: Users find Namecheap adequate for basic sites, but limited features and support expertise becomes an issue as sites grow.
ChemiCloud User Experiences
From Online Media Masters ChemiCloud Review:
“Fast TTFB and wp-admin speeds with 3.8 GHz CPUs, NVMe SSDs, and 3 CPU cores + 3GB RAM on WP Turbo plan.”
Pattern: Users migrating from budget hosts report significant performance improvements with disclosed resources and no throttling surprises.
The Bottom Line: Hostinger vs Namecheap
Direct comparison verdict:
Hostinger vs Namecheap is like choosing between renewal shock (Hostinger’s 267% increase) and bare minimum features (Namecheap’s basic offering).
If you must choose between them: Namecheap has more honest pricing ($3.88/mo renewal vs Hostinger’s $10.99/mo), but Hostinger has better performance and features.
But honestly? Neither.
What you should actually do:
- Need shared hosting? → ChemiCloud (modern hardware, disclosed resources, no forced upgrades)
- Need managed VPS? → Scala Hosting (0% renewal increase, dedicated resources)
- Can handle unmanaged? → Hetzner (best value, full control)
Verify This Yourself
Don’t trust me. Here’s the data. Verify everything:
Hostinger claims:
- Pricing: Hostinger official pricing
- Renewal increases: Check current customers on Reddit r/webhosting
Namecheap claims:
- Pricing: Namecheap official pricing
- Features: Namecheap shared hosting features
My commission claims:
- Hetzner has no affiliate program: Verify on their site
- ChemiCloud affiliate program exists: ChemiCloud Partners
- Scala Hosting affiliate program exists: Scala Partners
Better alternatives:
- Try ChemiCloud with 45-day money-back guarantee
- Compare performance yourself
- Read independent reviews on Reddit: r/webhosting
Legal Note: This comparison contains both documented facts (linked to sources) and my personal opinions based on those facts. All opinions are clearly marked as such.
Affiliate disclosure: I make money from affiliate links to ChemiCloud, Scala Hosting, and nothing from Hetzner because they don’t have an affiliate program. I don’t promote Hostinger or Namecheap.
