Hostinger vs Namecheap 2024 – I personally tested both

Last updated on May 20th, 2025 at

So, you’re trying to choose between Hostinger vs Namecheap for your website hosting? You’re in the right place! Think of it like picking between two affordable and popular hosting companies — both can get your site online, but which one gives you more value for your money?

Hostinger is known for its super low prices, fast loading speeds, and beginner-friendly setup. It’s a great choice if you’re starting your first website, blog, or even an online store. But keep in mind, the cheapest plan may come with a few limits.

Namecheap, on the other hand, started as a domain name provider but now offers web hosting too. It gives you free domain privacy, solid customer support, and very straightforward pricing. But compared to Hostinger, its performance and features might feel a bit more basic.

In this Hostinger vs Namecheap comparison, I’m not here to pick a winner. I’ll break down the important differences, pros and cons, and help you decide which one is the better fit for your needs — whether you’re just getting started or looking to switch hosts.

AspectHostingerNamecheapQuick Take
PricingFrom $2.69/mo, packed with featuresFrom $1.58/mo, fewer featuresHostinger gives better value overall.
SpeedFast (0.8s load time)Slower (2.7s load time)Hostinger is faster, better for SEO.
SecurityFree SSL, backups, BitNinja protectionFree SSL, but extras cost moreHostinger includes more security free.
Control PanelEasy-to-use hPanelAdvanced cPanelHostinger is simpler for beginners.
Support24/7 live chat + tutorials24/7 live chat + ticket systemNamecheap replies faster, but Hostinger has great guides.
Uptime100% uptime99.82% uptimeHostinger is more reliable.
ScalabilityGreat for small to growing sitesVPS/dedicated options availableHostinger fits most users; Namecheap suits advanced needs.
FreebiesFree domain, Cloudflare (except Single plan)Free domain, WHOIS privacy, emailBoth give extras, but in different areas.
BackupsWeekly (daily on higher plans)Manual or paid automatic backupsHostinger handles backups for you.
Server LocationsGlobal networkUS, Europe, AsiaHostinger covers more regions for better speed.

Winner –

Hostinger vs Namecheap

Hostinger vs Namecheap – Pricing

💬 Who win For Pricing:

Hostinger gives you more features for the price — like backups, speed, and global servers.
Namecheap is cheaper upfront and great for basic websites.

Hostinger Hosting Plans

(If you Use My link then you get a 20% Discount)

Premium Plan

Hostinger vs Namecheap - Pricing and Plan

 

Starts at: $2.49/month
🟢 Known for: Fast performance + tons of features at low prices

🔹 Premium Plan – $2.49/month

  • Host 100 websites
  • 100GB SSD storage

  • ~25,000 monthly visits

  • Free domain (1st year)

  • Free SSL & email

  • Free CDN

  • Weekly backups
    👉 Great for personal sites, blogs, or small businesses

🔹 Business Plan – $3.49/month

  • 200GB NVMe storage

  • ~100,000 monthly visits

  • Daily + on-demand backups

  • Smart WordPress updates
    👉 Ideal for growing sites needing more resources

🔹 Cloud Startup – $7.59/month

  • Host up to 300 websites
  • ~200,000 monthly visits

  • WordPress AI tools

  • Dedicated resources + IP
    👉 Built for high-traffic or professional sites

🟢 Why Hostinger?
✔️ Very fast & beginner-friendly
✔️ Free domain, SSL, backups
✔️ Great value even on lowest-tier plans

Namecheap Shared Hosting Plans

Hostinger vs Namecheap - Pricing and Plan

Starts at: $1.98/month
🟢 Known for: Affordable entry pricing + free email and domain privacy

🔹 Stellar Plan – $1.98/month (Renews at $44.88/year)

  • Host 3 websites

  • 20GB SSD

  • 30 email accounts

  • Free domain & WHOIS privacy
    👉 Best for simple or starter websites

🔹 Stellar Plus – $2.98/month (Renews at $68.88/year)

  • Unlimited websites

  • Unmetered SSD

  • Auto backups
    👉 Perfect for users managing multiple sites

🔹 Stellar Business – $4.98/month (Renews at $108.88/year)

  • 50GB SSD

  • Cloud storage

  • Advanced backups
    👉 Built for small businesses needing more stability

🟢 Why Namecheap?
✔️ Free domain privacy & email
✔️ Very affordable starting price
✔️ No surprise upsells


🔍 So, Which One Wins on Pricing?

👉 Choose Hostinger if you want more features out of the box — like backups, fast speeds, and global server options — all at a great price.

👉 Choose Namecheap if you’re on a tight budget, want a simple setup, and care about free extras like domain privacy and email hosting.

💡 Both are affordable, but Hostinger gives you more speed and features, while Namecheap wins on initial price and simplicity.

Winner –

 

Namecheap vs Hostinger

Ease of Use: Hostinger vs Namecheap

💬 Who win For ease of use:

Hostinger is easier for beginners — with a simple dashboard and one-click tools.
Namecheap offers more control, but it’s less beginner-friendly.

Hostinger – Very Beginner-Friendly

Hostinger - Ease of use

Hostinger is really easy to use. As soon as you log in, everything is simple and easy to understand. The dashboard is clear, so you won’t feel confused about where to go next.

One of the best things about Hostinger is their hPanel. Instead of the traditional control panel (called cPanel), Hostinger uses a simpler version that’s much easier to navigate. Whether you’re managing domains, setting up email accounts, or installing WordPress, everything is just a click away. You don’t need to be a tech expert to figure it out.

Another great thing is one-click installs. This means you can install things like WordPress with just a single click, which saves a lot of time. Plus, if you need help, Hostinger has easy step-by-step guides to walk you through tasks like installing SSL certificates or setting up domains.

If you’re starting a website and want something simple and quick to use, Hostinger is perfect. It’s easy to manage and doesn’t come with a steep learning curve.


Namecheap – Simple, but a Bit More Complicated

Namecheap - Ease of use

Namecheap is also easy to use, but it’s a little more complex than Hostinger, especially if you’re just starting out. The dashboard looks modern and is organized well, so you can manage things like domains and emails easily. But when you need to do more advanced tasks, it gets a little trickier.

Namecheap uses cPanel, which is a very powerful tool but can be a bit overwhelming for beginners. You can do things like manage databases, configure email settings, and access other advanced features, but it takes more time to learn. Unlike Hostinger’s simple interface, cPanel has a lot of options, and it may feel confusing if you’ve never used it before.

If you already know a bit about web hosting, cPanel is great because it gives you full control over your hosting. But if you’re new to this, it might take a bit more time to figure out.


What I Recommend

If you want something that is easy to use, Hostinger is the better choice. Its clean design, simple dashboard, and hPanel make it easy to manage everything. The one-click installations and helpful guides mean you can get your website up and running quickly, without stress.

In short, if you want something simple and easy to use, go with Hostinger. But if you want more control and don’t mind learning a few extra things, Namecheap could work well for you.

Winner –

Hostinger vs Namecheap

Performance: Hostinger vs Namecheap

💬 Who win For Performance:

Hostinger is faster, more reliable, and handles traffic better.
Namecheap is okay for smaller sites, but it falls behind under pressure.


Uptime: Which Host Keeps Your Site Online?

Hostinger:

Hostinger Uptime Robot test results

When it comes to uptime—basically, how often your site is actually available—Hostinger nailed it. I tracked them over a period of time, and they delivered 100% uptime. That’s right—zero downtime.

Namecheap:

Namecheap uptime and response time monitoring

Namecheap, on the other hand, didn’t perform as well. They had 16 outages, adding up to 31 minutes of downtime. Their uptime ended up at just 99.82%, which is below the 100% they claim to guarantee. For me, that’s a bit concerning.


Response Time: How Quickly Does Your Site Load?

Hostinger:

Hostinger Uptime Robot test results

Hostinger was impressive in terms of response time. It averaged just 0.8 seconds, meaning your visitors don’t have to wait long for the page to start loading. This is important for both user experience and SEO. Google loves fast-loading websites, and so do your visitors. Faster websites keep users happy and help improve your rankings on Google.

Namecheap:

Namecheap uptime and response time monitoring

Namecheap came in slower with a response time of 1.05 seconds. While not terrible, it’s a bit slower than Hostinger. And every second matters when it comes to loading times. If your site takes too long to load, you risk losing visitors before they even see your content. When it comes to performance, faster is definitely better.


Website Loading Speed: The All-Important Page Load Time

Hostinger:

Hostinger GTmetrix test results

When I tested Hostinger’s loading speed, I was pretty impressed. Their average loading time was around 0.8 seconds—which is fast. I ran several tests, and pages loaded almost instantly. This means that not only will your visitors get a smooth experience, but it also helps with your SEO rankings. Google loves sites that load quickly, and so do visitors.

Namecheap:

Namecheap fully built website speed test

On the other hand, Namecheap had a Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) time of 2.3 seconds, which is slower than the ideal time of under 2 seconds. The total Fully Loaded Time was 2.7 seconds. While this isn’t terrible, it’s still slower than what I’d expect from a top-tier hosting provider. Slower speeds can hurt your site’s SEO and make visitors leave before your site finishes loading.


Handling Traffic: Can Your Host Handle Busy Times?

Hostinger:

Hostinger stress test results

For traffic, Hostinger passed the test with flying colors. I ran a stress test with 50 virtual users, which is meant to simulate a busy period when lots of people visit your site at once. Hostinger handled over 7,000 requests with no problem. Their servers stayed fast and responsive, even under pressure. If your website gets popular and starts receiving lots of visitors, Hostinger can handle it without slowing down.

Namecheap:

Namecheap stress test 1 (fail)

I also ran the same test on Namecheap with 50 virtual users. They had some issues—many requests failed.

Namecheap stress test 2 (success)

I had to drop the number of virtual users to 30 for them to pass the test. Even then, the response time wasn’t as smooth. This tells me that Namecheap might struggle with handling heavy traffic, which could cause issues for your site if it grows quickly or goes viral.


Which Web Host Gives You Better Value?

After using both Hostinger and Namecheap for my own websites, it’s clear that Hostinger offers much better overall value, especially for people who want a fast, reliable, and user-friendly experience.

Here’s why I recommend Hostinger based on my experience:

  • Uptime: Hostinger’s perfect 100% uptime gives me peace of mind, knowing my sites are always available.
  • Speed: With lightning-fast loading times (just 0.8 seconds), Hostinger keeps my visitors happy and helps my site rank higher in Google.
  • Traffic Handling: Hostinger can handle heavy traffic without breaking a sweat. Whether it’s 50 visitors or 7,000, I don’t need to worry about my site slowing down.

Winner –

Hostinger vs Namecheap

Website security

💬 Who win For Security:

Hostinger takes the lead with more built-in protection. Namecheap offers the basics, but many important security features either require manual setup or cost extra. Hostinger includes strong tools by default, making it a better choice for stress-free website protection.

🔐 SSL Certificates

Both Hostinger and Namecheap offer free SSL certificates on all plans — so your site is encrypted and secure from day one.

🏆 Winner: Tie (Both include free SSL on all plans)


🔄 Backups

Hostinger offers weekly backups on basic plans and daily + on-demand backups on higher-tier plans.
Namecheap gives bi-weekly backups on the Stellar plan, and daily backups only on the Stellar Plus and Business plans.

🏆 Winner: Hostinger (More frequent and flexible backup options)


🛡️ Malware Protection

Hostinger includes a real-time malware scanner on all plans. Suspicious activity is detected and handled quickly.
Namecheap only offers malware scanning through SiteLock, which costs extra.

🏆 Winner: Hostinger (Built-in protection without added fees)


🔥 Firewall & DDoS Protection

Hostinger includes BitNinja security, DDoS protection, and 24/7 server monitoring on all plans.
Namecheap provides basic DDoS protection through Supersonic CDN, but you need to activate it manually. Their WAF (firewall) costs extra.

🏆 Winner: Hostinger (Better out-of-the-box security with no setup needed)


🔍 Security Extras

  • Hostinger: Two-factor authentication (2FA), free CDN, and a WordPress vulnerability scanner.

  • Namecheap: Free WHOIS domain privacy and 2FA. Advanced tools like WAF and SiteLock are paid add-ons.

🏆 Winner: Hostinger (More security features included, fewer upsells)


🏁 Final Thoughts:

👉 Choose Hostinger if you want strong security features built-in, like malware scanning, backups, and DDoS protection — without extra effort or cost.
👉 Choose Namecheap only if you’re okay with setting things up manually or paying extra for advanced tools.

🏆 Winner – Hostinger


Winner –

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