Namecheap Pricing
One of the most popular budget-friendly domain registrars. Known for competitive pricing and free WHOIS privacy on all domains.
3.2/5.0
Score Breakdown
Registration Price (.com)5/5
15%Renewal Price (.com)2/5
25%Renewal Markup1/5
20%WHOIS Privacy5/5
15%Transfer Ease4/5
15%Checkout Transparency4/5
10%View raw data
| Dimension | Score | Key Data |
|---|---|---|
| Registration Price (.com) | 5 | .com registration:$6.79 Note:Significant decrease from $10.98 — 55% off 1st year promo (Feb 2026 extraction) |
| Renewal Price (.com) | 2 | .com renewal:$18.48 |
| Renewal Markup | 1 | Renewal markup:172% Formula:((18.48 - 6.79) / 6.79) × 100 = 172.0% Note:High markup due to aggressive first-year promo pricing |
| WHOIS Privacy | 5 | WHOIS privacy included:✅ Yes WHOIS privacy cost:$0 |
| Transfer Ease | 4 | Transfer features:3 Features present:auth epp code in dashboard, no outbound transfer fee, automated unlock process Features absent:no transfer lock beyond icann |
| Checkout Transparency | 4 | Dark patterns found:1 dark patterns present:auto renew no clear toggle Dark patterns checked:email hosting preselected, website builder preselected, domain privacy preselected, ssl certificate pushed |
Last verified: 2026-02-19 · Full methodology
Domain Pricing
| TLD | Register | Renewal | Transfer |
|---|---|---|---|
| .com | $10.98 | $18.48 | $9.98 |
| .org | $7.48 | $15.98 | $9.98 |
| .net | $11.98 | $18.58 | $12.98 |
| .io | $34.98 | $75.98 | $32.98 |
| .co | $12.48 | $39.98 | $11.98 |
| .dev | $12.98 | $20.98 | $15.98 |
What's Included (Free)
✓ WHOIS Privacy Protection
✓ DNS Management
✓ Email Forwarding
✓ Domain Parking
✓ URL Forwarding
✓ Domain Lock
⚠️ Hidden Costs & Fine Print
Renewal Price Increase
.com renewals are $18.48 vs $10.98 registration — a 68% increase. Factor this into long-term costs.
Premium DNS
PremiumDNS service costs $4.88/year extra for faster DNS resolution and DDoS protection.
Email Forwarding Limits
Free email forwarding included, but limited to 100 forwards/hour. Business users may need paid email.
Marketplace Premiums
"Premium" domains on Namecheap Marketplace can cost hundreds or thousands more than standard registration.