When you think of registering a domain, a name that pops into most people’s minds is GoDaddy. GoDaddy is a household name thanks to their marketing and advertising techniques.
The registrar is reputable, offers great deals and coupons, and they also offer an auction marketplace to buy expired and existing domains from sellers.
You’ll even find 99 cent domain registration coupons.
But is there another option? Does anyone else offer great deals like GoDaddy? Yes.
NameCheap offers great domain registration, and one benefit that the company offers over GoDaddy is that they offer: private registration. GoDaddy charges $7.99 for private registration, but NameCheap offers this same service for free.
I prefer private registration because it keeps your personal information private.Spam emails and phone calls are eliminated when you have private registration. If you choose public registration, anyone can find your information through a simple “whois” search.
If you hate spam calls and email, private registration is a must-have.
NameCheap vs GoDaddy
NameCheap and GoDaddy, as far as basic registration are concerned, are going to be able to register your domain properly. There is no doubt about it: they both register domains – like a lot of other registrars.
But what about pricing?
NameCheap offers “.com” domains for $10.69 per year, and the price is often cheaper thanks to sales.
GoDaddy offers “.com” domains for $11.99 per year.
In the pricing department, NameCheap isn’t just cheaper, they also don’t charge you for the private registration. GoDaddy’s $7.99 for private registration is a bit on the pricey side.
NameCheap will charge you for private registration after the first year offer ends. The price is still cheaper than GoDaddy at $2.88 per year. You’ll find a lot of coupons which offer private registration for a lot cheaper, too.
Coupons are more available through NameCheap than GoDaddy, too.
You’ll find NameCheap coupons offered monthly, and there are great deals for domain renewals and private registration.There are also options for other products that the company offers.
When you need support, I’ve also found that NameCheap is favorable. GoDaddy has a way of trying to upsell you on everything. A lot of people are suckered into products and services that they don’t need because the company’s support agents are great sellers.
NameCheap Pros
- Top-end security features
- ICANN accredited
- Domains are easy to transfer
- Help desk is very helpful
- Support is available day and night
- Priced competitively, and lower than most registrars
- Keeps upsells to a minimum
NameCheap Cons
- User interface is clunky
The main complaint I have with NameCheap is that the user interface, when you have an account, is clunky. You’ll have to go through several menus and options to find what you’re looking for in your dashboard.
GoDaddy has the same issue, but it’s something worth noting.
I’ve heard of issues with automatic renewals, but this is something I’ve never experienced. The company sends so many emails prior to a domain expiring that I’ve always had ample time to renew a domain.
GoDaddy Pros
- Offers a lot of additional services
- Large, trusted provider
- ICANN accredited
- Marketplace is filled with high-end domains
- Customer service is available day and night
GoDaddy Cons
- Upsells, upsells, upsells
- Slow customer service
GoDaddy tries to squeeze every last penny out of their customers. The company upsells and confuses their customers more than any other domain registrar that I have ever used.
And while available day and night, the company’s customer service is often slow and not helpful. You’ll find that the customer service agents are also very good at trying to make sales.
If you’re looking for additional services, such as e-mail or hosting, I recommend choosing a company that specializes in these areas. While affordable, GoDaddy and NameCheap can’t compete in the hosting department. The e-mail service is also very costly.
NameCheap’s e-mail provider also charges a lot of additional fees if you let your e-mail expire.
But when talking about strictly domain registration, I’m a huge fan of NameCheap. The company’s platform makes it fast and easy to register a domain and find all extensions available.There’s also a neat suggestions tab that will suggest domains for you to register based on your query.
