When choosing between web hosting providers DreamHost vs Namecheap, it’s important to consider all of the factors that go into hosting and maintaining your website. Both Namecheap and DreamHost provide basic web hosting at a reasonable price, but DreamHost includes features like a drag-and-drop website editor and more robust email, which helps set it apart from Namecheap. Here’s how things shake out:
Here’s a quick take on when to choose DreamHost and when to use Namecheap:
- DreamHost: You want to build a WordPress site but think you’ll need a website builder
- Namecheap: You’re looking for the absolute least expensive option available for hosting your website
DreamHost vs Namecheap at a Glance
 |  | |
|---|---|---|
Expert Score | 4.9 out of 5 | 4.1 out of 5 |
Cost per Month* | From $2.95 | From $1.98 |
Ecommerce From* | From $2.95 (requires plugin) | From $1.98 (requires plugin) |
Storage | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Bandwidth | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Website Builder | BoldGrid drag-and-drop builder | Basic website builder (non-WordPress only) |
Automatic Updates | ✓ | ✓ |
Free Themes | ✓ | ✕ |
Daily Backups | ✓ | ✓ |
Basic Email | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Support | 24/7 ticket, chat, and phone support (callback) | 24/7 ticket and chat support |
*With annual billing; renews at higher rate | ||
Important note: Both DreamHost and Namecheap offer second-tier plans that deliver dramatically more features for not much more money. Because the first-year costs are so low and provide so many features, we chose these plans for our comparisons, as we feel they represent the best fit for most small businesses.
When to Use DreamHost
Starting at just $2.95 a month, DreamHost’s Shared Unlimited plan includes virtually everything a small business owner needs to build a website using WordPress. Here’s when to consider using DreamHost:
- You’re a new WordPress user: WordPress is a popular content management system (CMS), but it can be challenging to master. Every DreamHost account includes BoldGrid’s drag-and-drop WordPress website builder to help make your job just a little easier.
- You plan on hosting many images or products: With the Shared Unlimited plan, you get unlimited storage, unlimited bandwidth, and unlimited email accounts. This means no matter how big your website (or your company) grows, you’ll never run out of resources in your hosting plan.
When to Use Namecheap
Namecheap’s Stellar Plus plan is a great product at a phenomenal price. Whether you’re looking for a WordPress website or want a non-WordPress website builder, Namecheap has you covered. All of their managed WordPress accounts include a free content delivery network (CDN) to help speed up the delivery of your site. Here’s when to use Namecheap:
- Your website has a global audience: Namecheap includes a CDN, which caches copies of your site on servers around the world, speeding delivery and improving your overall search engine performance.
- You don’t need a WordPress website: All Namecheap shared hosting tiers include a content-block website editor and page builder that makes easy work of creating your website without having to learn WordPress
Best Alternatives to Namecheap & DreamHost
DreamHost and Namecheap can both deliver a good value when it comes to hosting your small business website. However, they may not be the best fit for your business. Here are some alternatives to DreamHost and Namecheap:
 |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
Cost/Month* | $16 | $2.99 | $16 |
Ecommerce Plans Monthly* | $27 | $2.99 | $33 |
Websites | 1 | Up to 100 with Hostinger Site Builder or WordPress | 1 |
Storage | 2GB plus page-count limits | 100GB with unlimited page counts | Unlimited, but page-count limits apply |
Bandwidth | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Website Builder | AI builder or template-based, plus drag-and-drop editing | AI-driven with section-based editing | Block-based templates with drag-and-drop editing |
Templates | ~900 | ~60 | 110 |
1-click Add-ons | 300+ | ~12 | ~36 |
Learn More | |||
*With annual billing; Hostinger renews at a higher rate ($8.99) | |||
Namecheap vs DreamHost Pricing
| |
|---|---|
Plan: Shared Unlimited Starting Cost per Month: $2.95* Renews at: $19.99/month* Includes: Unlimited websites Free domain Free SSL Unlimited storage Unlimited traffic WordPress pre-installed BoldGrid WordPress website builder Unlimited basic email addresses | Plan: Stellar Plus Starting Cost per Month: $2.98* Renews at: $6.48* Includes: Unlimited websites Free domain Free SSL Unlimited storage Unlimited traffic Free CDN One-click WordPress installation OR Block-based website builder 30 basic email addresses |
*Billed annually | |
DreamHost’s Shared Unlimited plan is one of the most robust web hosting solutions we’ve ever reviewed. The plan includes unlimited storage, bandwidth, websites, and basic email accounts—essentially everything you need to grow a website for a business. The one thing DreamHost lacks is a free CDN to speed content delivery. It offers a CDN as an add-on, but you’ll pay 12 cents per GB, which can significantly increase the cost of your service.
With Namecheap’s Stellar Plus tier, you get unlimited bandwidth, storage, websites, and email—identical to DreamHost’s comparable plan. However, two things give Namecheap an edge: a free CDN on all accounts, and a renewal rate that is less than a third of DreamHost’s renewal rate. These features alone represent a tremendous value over DreamHost.
Most Affordable: Namecheap
Because of the addition of a free CDN and the lower renewal price after the introductory period, Namecheap comes out on top of pricing in the Namecheap vs DreamHost comparison. In addition, Namecheap offers a number of niche and advanced products and features at prices that are significantly lower than similar offerings from DreamHost.
DreamHost vs Namecheap Products & Services
| |
|---|---|
Shared web or WordPress hosting from $2.95/month* | Shared web or WordPress hosting from $1.98** |
WooCommerce hosting from $16.99/month* (plugin included free) | WooCommerce hosting from $1.98/month* (Must purchase WooCommerce separately) |
Managed WordPress hosting from $16.95/month* | Managed WordPress hosting from $2.91/month* |
Virtual private server (VPS) starting at $10.00/month* | Virtual private server (VPS) starting at $6.88/month* |
Dedicated servers from $249/month | Dedicated servers from $48.88/month |
Domain registration ($8.99-19.99/year for .com) | Domain registration ($5.98/year for first year, $13.98 renewal for .com) |
Google Workspace from $7.20/user/month | Must purchase directly from Google |
Custom website design from $1,499; SEO, social media marketing, and more from $399/month | Professional services not offered |
*Billed annually; renews at a higher rate | **Reflects the Stellar plan; reviews utilize Stellar Plus | |
When it comes to products and services, DreamHost vs Namecheap provide many of the same items. Both providers sell everything from shared hosting packages to dedicated servers. Customers can purchase managed WordPress from either provider, as well as virtual private servers. However, DreamHost provides a number of standout professional services worth your consideration.
DreamHost will custom build a website for you for as little as $1,499. In addition, you can contract with the provider for search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, and more, with services starting at just $399 a month. Namecheap offers none of these services, giving DreamHost a significant advantage for those small business owners seeking a one-stop solution for their online marketing needs.
Best Web Hosting: Namecheap
| | |
|---|---|---|
Storage | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Bandwidth | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Free Domain & SSL | ✓ | ✓ |
Email | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Content Delivery Network (CND) | Add-on, 12 cents per GB | ✓ |
When it comes to a straight-up comparison between hosting packages, Namecheap comes out on top. This is due solely to their inclusion of a free CDN with all hosting plans. Namecheap plans include unlimited storage, bandwidth, and email, as well as a free domain and SSL certificate.
With DreamHost, you can get the CDN as an add-on, but the expense can be considerable for a high-volume website. That being said, DreamHost provides unlimited storage, bandwidth, and email. Learn more about DreamHost’s products and services in our in-depth DreamHost review.
An included CDN is a hard value to overcome. When combined with the unlimited features in the Stellar Plus plan, Namecheap handily comes out ahead of DreamHost on web hosting.
Best WordPress Hosting: DreamHost
| | |
|---|---|---|
WordPress Pre-installed | ✓ | ✕ |
WordPress Page Builder | ✓ | ✕ |
Daily Backups | ✓ | ✓ |
Automated WordPress Migration | ✓ | ✓ |
Automatic WordPress Updates | ✓ | ✓ |
WooCommerce-ready Plans | $16.99/month* | $1.98/month* |
*Billed annually | ||
WordPress is a popular and powerful CMS. It’s not exactly easy to learn, however. DreamHost’s platform is almost custom-designed to make your WordPress journey as easy and simple as possible. It includes a pre-installed instance of WordPress with every hosting plan. To help smooth your path even further, DreamHost gives you a free installation of BoldGrid, a drag-and-drop website builder made exclusively for WordPress. A WordPress website builder is just one of the major reasons DreamHost ranks at the top of our best cheap WordPress hosting providers for small businesses.
Namecheap offers WordPress hosting as well. You can build a WordPress website on any of its hosting plans, starting for as little as $1.98. For the best value, we recommend choosing the Stellar Plus plan because, like DreamHost’s Starter Unlimited, you get far more bang for just a little more buck. Namecheap’s managed WordPress plans start at just $2.91 per month, compared to DreamHost’s $16.99 per month.
Where Namecheap falls short on the WordPress front is value-added features and ease of setup and use. Whereas DreamHost pre-installs WordPress and includes a website builder, with Namecheap, you’re kind of on your own. You’ll have to install WordPress from the control panel, and you’ll need to source a template or website builder that works for your site—which you’ll also have to install and configure.
Namecheap’s much lower cost notwithstanding, DreamHost’s ease of use makes it the winner of the WordPress hosting category.
Best Place to Buy Domains: Namecheap
| | |
|---|---|---|
.com Introductory Price | $8.99 | $5.98 |
Renews At | $19.99 | $13.98 |
Domain Privacy | Included | Included |
Whether you’re just starting your business or considering expanding into a new area, there may be a time that you need to purchase a domain without hosting a website or email. Other reasons include protecting domain names that are similar to yours, the names of proprietary products or services, or other intellectual property. Buying a domain name without hosting is known as “parking” a domain.
With both DreamHost and Namecheap, you can park a domain indefinitely. Both companies act as domain registrars in their own right. That being said, if you’re just buying a domain name and don’t plan on hosting a website on it anytime soon, your best bet is Namecheap. The name says it all. Where a domain from DreamHost will cost you $8.99 for the first year and $19.99 each year after, Namecheap comes in at a much more affordable $5.98 for the first year, with a renewal price of $13.98. Score domain purchases for Namecheap.
Best Business Email Provider: DreamHost
| | |
|---|---|---|
Standalone Email Hosting | $1.67/address/month | $1.24/address/month |
Storage | 25GB | 5GB |
Email Aliases | Yes | Yes |
Anti-phishing & Virus Protection | Yes | Yes |
Mobile & Desktop Apps | Yes | Yes |
Add to Email Clients | Yes | Yes |
Google Workspace Add-on | $7.20/user/month | Direct purchase from Google |
When a business wants to use professional email, yourname@yourdomain.com, without building a website, the business can purchase standalone email hosting. Both Namecheap and DreamHost sell standalone email hosting services on a per-address basis.
Namecheap charges $1.24 per address, per month, and it includes 5GB of storage as well as some basic security features like virus scan and anti-phishing protection. You can connect to your email account via Namecheap’s webmail interface or through any of the popular email apps, such as Mac Mail or Microsoft Outlook.
With DreamHost, you’ll pay a slightly higher $1.67 per address, per month, but you’ll get so much more. In addition to identical features offered by Namecheap, DreamHost provides you with 25GB of storage for each address. That makes DreamHost email hosting a great value, especially if you only need a few email addresses, which is why it earned inclusion in our list of best email hosting providers.
Additionally, DreamHost makes it easy to upgrade your email experience with Google Workspace. This turns each email address into a productivity suite, with the Google Docs word processor, Sheets spreadsheet program, and Slides for building presentations. You can add Google Workspace right from your control panel for $7.20 per user, per month.
Best Professional Services: DreamHost
| | |
|---|---|---|
Website Design | From $1,499 | ✕ |
Social Media Marketing | From $399 | ✕ |
SEO | From $399 | ✕ |
Website Management | From $59 | ✕ |
Custom Web Development | From $89/hour | ✕ |
DreamHost professional services include website design from $1,499 monthly, and social media marketing, SEO, website management from $399 per service, per month. Additionally, DreamHost programmers will do custom web development for added functionality from $89 an hour. These services will help you grow your online brand presence.
For its part, Namecheap does not offer professional services. This means you’ll either be on your own or you’ll need to find an online marketing agency to help you manage your needs.
Best Customer Support: DreamHost
| | |
|---|---|---|
24/7 Support | ✓ | ✓ |
Chat Support | ✓ | ✓ |
Email/Ticket Support | ✓ | ✓ |
Phone Support | Via callback | ✕ |
Knowledge Base | ✓ | ✓ |
Tutorials | ✓ | ✓ |
Chances are you’re new to the website building game, and that means, most likely, you’ll need technical support at some point in your journey. Both DreamHost and Namecheap provide multiple support channels, so you can get the help when you need it.
Those support channels include email and ticket support and a 24/7 chat support function. In addition, both providers sport extensive knowledge bases and have created a number of video tutorials covering virtually every aspect of building and managing your website. That being said, DreamHost stands out in one key way: it offers phone support via scheduled callback. Namecheap does not have a phone support option, which is why DreamHost wins the category.
Customer Reviews of Namecheap vs DreamHost
On the review site G2, customers heap praise to DreamHost, which garners a respectable 3.7 out of 5 stars. Customers highlight informed and responsive customer support. They also shared positive experiences with the professional services team. However, some customers did report difficulty onboarding, particularly with transferring existing sites to DreamHost, and surprising hidden fees when they attempted to move service away from the hosting provider.
Namecheap scores an impressive 4.4 out of 5 stars among G2 respondents. Customers highlighted transparent pricing that is also very affordable, top-notch customer service, and a product that is both easy to purchase and easy to use. Some customers experienced delays when attempting to implement third-party services using a domain they purchased from Namecheap. Also, Namecheap support can take a little longer to resolve complex issues than some customers like.
Both Namecheap and DreamHost have garnered overwhelming positive feedback from G2 reviewers. Any complaints are rare, and few complaints have direct bearing on the long-term quality of service users receive from the providers. In our opinion, DreamHost and Namecheap are tied when it comes to customer reviews.
Expert Opinion & Scoring
To assess Namecheap vs DreamHost, we tapped into decades of web design and development experience to assess each provider’s core features. We also looked at the niche features both providers offer, and we weighed that against what each provider charges for their services. Here’s how things shook out:
20% of Overall Score
Price is the single most important factor for most small businesses, especially startups. We awarded the provider that will save you the most money in the long run a higher score.
30% of Overall Score
In many ways, web hosting is web hosting, no matter where you go. But there can be some major differences in general features. These features include free domains and SSL certificates, storage space, bandwidth, email, and more. We considered each of these to arrive at our best-for determination.
15% of Overall Score
A niche feature is something unique or rare that a provider offers, such as a particular website builder or a service that sets them apart. We took a look at niche features offered by both providers and listed the pros and cons to determine how well these features serve the user.
10% of Overall Score
If you’re new to the website-building game, you’ll probably need at least some customer support. We gave an edge to the provider that offers the most in the way of support and guidance.
25% of Overall Score
You can’t substitute experience. Our expert score is based solely on our own knowledge and history with building websites. We have more than 20 years of design and development experience to back up our assessment of both providers, and then we checked our opinions against what customers have to say.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are the differences between Namecheap & DreamHost?
The two primary differences between Namecheap and DreamHost are pricing and ease of use. When it comes to price, it’s hard to beat Namecheap. They pack a tremendous amount of value into their plans at some of the most affordable prices we’ve ever reviewed. For its part, though, DreamHost scores highly by making WordPress much, much easier to use than any other hosting provider. If you’re building with WordPress, you might find it hard to beat DreamHost.
Is DreamHost a good web host for WordPress?
DreamHost isn’t just good for WordPress—it’s practically built for WordPress. Every DreamHost account sold comes with WordPress pre-installed on your domain. It also includes a WordPress website builder, BoldGrid, which gives you drag-and-drop control over your website. Additionally, DreamHost provides a number of support options for WordPress as well as automatic updates of WordPress core and security features.
What are the drawbacks of Namecheap?
Namecheap offers a great product at a great price. However, there are a few drawbacks. Namely, you might find creating and building a WordPress website more complicated than you might be able to handle. While Namecheap is affordable, it lacks many of the add-on services common to other hosting providers, such as website design or development, search engine optimization (SEO), and ongoing website maintenance.
Bottom Line
Overall, the race between DreamHost and Namecheap is a close one. The provider you choose is, ultimately, going to be driven by your specific needs and your goals for your small business. If you’re looking to save money—and only save money—Namecheap is your clear choice. But if you’re looking to build a website yourself, particularly using WordPress, you’ll be better served by DreamHost.
