Namecheap vs WPX Hosting: Final verdict
Looking over Namecheap vs. WPX Hosting, the decision comes down to affordability versus performance.
WPX Hosting (Overall grade: 8.3)
offers superior performance, uptime, and support, making it an excellent choice for users needing high-speed hosting, robust security features, and quick response times. The platform includes custom CDN technology, a comprehensive security suite, and free site migrations, making it particularly appealing for those managing e-commerce sites, businesses with high traffic, or those requiring swift and reliable support.
Namecheap (Overall grade: 7.2)
stands out for its affordability and user-friendly features. It provides extensive hosting options, including shared, VPS, and dedicated hosting alongside specialized WordPress plans. Key strengths include a free website builder, free domains for the first year, and versatile security measures. Despite some downtime issues and slower support response times, Namecheap remains an appealing option for beginners or budget-conscious small to medium-sized businesses seeking a wide range of features at a lower cost.
Overall grade:7.2 |
Overall grade:8.3 |
|
---|---|---|
Uptime and Availability | 8.0 | 9.5 |
Hosting Performance | 8.2 | 8.8 |
Hosting Security | 8.5 | 8.8 |
Price | 8.7 | 8.7 |
Hosting Features | 7.5 | 7.4 |
Ease Of Setup | 8.8 | 8.6 |
User Management | 0.0 | 6.1 |
Customer Support | 8.0 | 8.8 |
User feedback | 4.3/5 | 4.7/5 |
Hosting types offered
Both platforms provide a variety of hosting types, each designed to meet the different needs of users.
Shared hosting | ||
Cloud hosting | ||
WordPress hosting | ||
Ecommerce hosting | ||
VPS hosting | ||
Dedicated hosting |
Although both offer a variety of hosting plans tailored to different needs, in
certain cases, one platform may prove to be more suitable.
Detailed comparison
Uptime and availability
Evaluates the average uptime statistics, uptime guarantee and overall availability of the hosting
provider
Score Components:
- Uptime percentage (30%): evaluates the uptime statistics in given period of time
- Uptime guarantee (20%): Assesses if the platform offers an uptime guarantee and
whether the actual uptime matches the promised guarantee. - General performance (25%): Evaluates how fast is the average response time and overall
it’s stability. - Responsiveness (10%): Adaptability to different devices and screen sizes.
- Availability (25%): Reflects the total downtime and number of outages.
🏆 Winner WPX Hosting: Delivers superior uptime and quick issue resolution.
Namecheap offers an impressive uptime guarantee with 100% uptime for shared, business, and dedicated server accounts. Their actual performance varies, with recent tests showing 99.82% uptime due to minor outages. The average response time is slower at 1.05 seconds, though Namecheap provides compensation for confirmed downtime. It uses StatusCake and Uptime.com for monitoring, ensuring generally high availability.
WPX Hosting boasts a 99.95% uptime guarantee and excels in handling high traffic without performance dips. Their response times are remarkably fast, ranging from 22 ms to 83 ms. With daily backups, free malware removal, and quick issue resolution, WPX provides robust support. Customers benefit from advanced features like a custom CDN, application firewall, and unlimited site migrations, making it a comprehensive choice for reliable hosting.
Which one has better hosting performance?
Score Components:
- Hosting speed (30%): This includes SSD quality, Load times, PageSpeed score ranges,
additional information on website speed, built-in plugins for performance enhancement, available caching
methods, and CPU/RAM options - CDN (20%): Considers whether CDN is available or not, whether it’s free or paid, and
the quality of the CDN service - Available data centers (30%): Evaluates the number of data centers and their locations
globally. - Scalibility (20%): Looks at whether elastic scaling is available, the process required
to scale (manual upgrade vs. automatic scaling), the presence of dedicated servers, and the costs
associated with scaling.
🏆 Winner WPX Hosting: Offers superior performance and security features for users with high traffic websites.
Both Namecheap and WPX Hosting offer strong performance, but WPX Hosting takes the lead with its custom XDN technology and high-speed CDN with 37 endpoints worldwide. WPX Hosting uses more CPU and RAM resources designed to handle traffic spikes, whereas Namecheap presents decent performance with SSD storage and a reputable uptime guarantee. Namecheap offers various caching methods and includes a CDN for EasyWP users, while WPX Hosting provides a free high-speed custom CDN for all its customers. For server locations, Namecheap has datacenters in the US, UK, and EU, while WPX Hosting does not specify its data center locations but mentions high-speed through its CDN.
Website Speed
WPX Hosting stands out with lightning-fast website speeds thanks to its custom CDN and optimizations, promising a 99.95% uptime. Website owners on WPX benefit from free speed optimizations and daily malware scans which aid in speed. Namecheap offers 0.7 seconds fully loaded time and competitive TTFB for WordPress sites, but WPX’s combined technologies make it marginally faster for high-traffic sites.
Scalability
Scalability in WPX Hosting is more favorable as it offers diverse plans catering to various needs, from basic websites to large-scale eCommerce platforms, with pricing starting from $20.83/month. WPX provides unlimited free site migrations and managed security features, ensuring smooth scaling. Namecheap offers flexible plan upgrades and various hosting options like VPS and reseller hosting, but specifics on automatic scaling and dedicated servers aren’t provided, adding a bit of uncertainty for heavy traffic websites.
Which one has better security features?
and regulatory requirements
Score Components:
- Technical security measures (40%): This includes encryption, firewalls, DDoS
protection, secure configurations, server monitoring, access control and availability of security addons
(e.g Sitelock security). - Operational security measures (30%): Encompasses data privacy, backups and data
redundancy. - Compliance and certifications (20%): Adherence to legal and regulatory requirements
(e.g., GDPR, HIPAA) and possession of certifications (e.g., ISO 27001, SOC 2). - Business and reliability (10%): Factors in the provider’s reputation, uptime
guarantees, and customer support.
🏆 Winner
WPX Hosting: A top choice for comprehensive WordPress security and performance features.
Both Namecheap and WPX Hosting, have notable differences in their approaches to technical and operational
security, as well as in their compliance with regulations.
Technical security measures:
Namecheap offers various SSL certificates, supporting multiple types, including DV, OV, and EV. Namecheap also provides multiple PHP versions from 5.X to 8.X. WPX Hosting automatically updates PHP and WordPress versions, ensuring the latest security patches. Both Namecheap and WPX include WHOIS privacy protection. WPX also provides a custom XDN (CDN) for enhanced load speeds and additional DDoS protection. WPX leads in technical security with proactive measures like daily malware scans and rapid SSL certificate renewal.
Operational security measures:
Namecheap’s operational security features include 2FA, domain privacy, and advanced email filtering solutions like Jellyfish Spam Protection and BoxTrapper. They also offer ClamAV virus scanning and IP Deny Manager for blocking specific IP addresses. WPX has advanced brute-force defense mechanisms, proactive threat monitoring, and free malware removal services. Daily backups are a standard feature, securely stored for 28 days with one-click restorations. WPX stands out with its Fixed for You Guarantee and hybrid DDoS protection on its custom XDN (CDN).
Compliance and certifications:
Both Namecheap and WPX comply with GDPR standards, ensuring users’ personal data rights. WPX users can revoke data processing consent by contacting their support team. Namecheap offers rights under GDPR, including access, rectification, and portability of data. Neither Namecheap nor WPX explicitly mentions HIPAA compliance. Namecheap helps meet PCI compliance requirements through various security features. WPX uses an external credit card processing system to avoid the need for PCI-DSS compliance.
SSL certificate |
DV, OV, EV, Single, Wildcard, Multi-domain |
Free (Let’s Encrypt), auto-renewal |
Additional security features |
Domain Privacy, 2FA, PremiumDNS, FastVPN, Jellyfish Spam Protection, BoxTrapper, ClamAV virus scanner, IP Deny Manager, Leech Protect, Hotlink Protection, PGP/GPG, SSH access, eAccelerator, xCache, CodeGuard Backup |
Brute-Force Defense, DDoS Protection, Daily Malware Scans, WAF, Daily Backups, Fixed for You Guarantee, Custom XDN |
PHP versions |
5.X to 8.X |
Automated updates |
GDPR compliance |
Yes |
Yes |
HIPAA compliance |
Not specified |
Not specified |
PCI compliance |
Helps meet requirements |
Not necessarily needed with external card processors |
Hosting features
Score Components:
- Domains (20%): Assesses the availability of a free domain, domain purchase options, and
pricing - Email (15%): Considers if the provider offers full email hosting, or is reselling
third-party service, and if the email is only transactional or not - Website builder (15%): Checks if website builder is available, and it’s user
friendliness and overall the level of customization allowed. - Staging environment (20%): Determines if a staging environment is available, allowing
for testing changes before going live. - FTP & SFTP accounts (10%): Evaluates if and how easily users can access FTP and
SFTP accounts - Git and SSH access (20%): Assess whether Git is integrated into the hosting service and
if SSH access is provided
🏆 Winner Namecheap: An affordable and feature-rich hosting provider suitable for diverse needs.
Both Namecheap and WPX Hosting offer robust hosting services tailored to various user requirements. Namecheap provides comprehensive shared, reseller, and WordPress hosting plans, boasting a fully integrated website builder, free SSL certificates, and personalized email services. Its affordability is a standout, with competitive initial pricing and a suite of features like auto-backup, Softaculous script installer, and personalized email services. On the other hand, WPX Hosting excels in providing speed and performance, featuring a custom CDN (XDN), LiteSpeed server with OpCache, and a 99.95% uptime guarantee. Furthermore, WPX Hosting’s services come with free site migrations within 24 hours and rapid support response. While WPX does not explicitly encompass a built-in website builder, it ensures user satisfaction through high-speed optimizations, security measures like brute-force protection, and unlimited FTP users.
For those seeking a user-friendly website builder, Namecheap stands out with its integrated tool. Additionally, Namecheap offers a cost-effective solution with no hidden fees, providing free Supersonic CDN and auto-backup features. WPX Hosting, while more expensive, offers unparalleled support with an average 30-second response time and comprehensive security features including managed WAF and daily malware scans with free removals. Depending on user priorities—be it cost-effectiveness and additional services or speed and premium support—either hosting provider could serve well.
Free domain |
Yes, for the first year |
No |
Free SSL |
Yes, for the first year |
Yes, auto-renewing |
Email hosting |
Yes |
Yes |
Website builder |
Yes |
No |
Staging environment |
No |
Yes |
FTP & SFTP account |
Yes |
Yes |
Git and SSH access |
Yes |
No |
Free backup |
Yes |
Yes |
Money back guarantee |
Yes, 30-day |
Yes, 30-day |
a location.
As a result in rare cases the features mentioned here can differ from the ones you see on their websites.
Both providers support a range of users from beginners to experts with user-friendly website builders and WordPress staging areas. However, in terms of developer tools, both Namecheap and WPX Hosting offer robust options including SSH access, support for multiple programming languages, and Git for version control, thus appealing to developers looking for advanced capabilities.
Email services:
Namecheap offers email hosting with Stellar plans offering 30 email accounts and unlimited in higher tiers, along with advanced tools like SpamAssassin and Jellyfish Spam Protection. WPX Hosting provides unlimited email boxes and spam filtering across all plans. Both providers support transactional emails, but Namecheap offers a more feature-rich experience with extra options for domain keys, BoxTrapper, and CSV import capabilities, appealing to users needing comprehensive email management tools.
Price
Score Components:
- Plan value (40%): What each pricing tier offers.
- Transparency and clarity (30%): Clearness of pricing structures.
- Flexibility of plans (20%): Range of options to suit different budgets.
- Hidden costs (10%): Additional expenses not included in the plan.
🏆 Winner
Namecheap: Competitive pricing and comprehensive features for shared, reseller, and managed WordPress hosting.
Evaluating the pricing of plans among various hosting providers can be complex due to their differing pricing and renewal strategies. Additionally, certain plans require annual commitments, which adds to the difficulty of making comparisons. The prices listed are based on monthly commitments; plans requiring annual commitments are indicated. Additionally, although some providers offer identical plans for WordPress and shared hosting, we have created separate tables for each to enhance clarity.
Namecheap offers a variety of hosting plans with attractive introductory prices, ranging from shared hosting to managed WordPress hosting. WPX Hosting provides comprehensive WordPress and WooCommerce plans that include free site migrations, DDoS protection, and 24/7 WordPress support, but with higher monthly and annual pricing. Namecheap’s shared hosting starts as low as $1.98 per month, while WPX’s entry-level WordPress plan is priced at $24.99 per month. Namecheap’s managed WordPress plans are significantly cheaper, starting at $2.91 per month compared to WPX’s $24.99. Both providers offer a range of features, including free SSL, CDN, and automated backups, but WPX stands out for its dedicated support and unlimited site migrations.
EasyWP Starter $6.88
1 Website, 10 GB SSD, Free CDN, Free SSL, 50k Visitors, 99.9% Uptime, 3X Faster Than Traditional Hosting, Easy Backups Value for price:8.0
|
Business Plan $24.99
Up to 5 Websites, 15 GB Storage, 200 GB Bandwidth, Free Malware Removal, Free Fixes If Site Offline, 30 sec Average Support Response Value for price:7.8
|
EasyWP Turbo $12.88:
1 Website, 50 GB SSD, 1.5x More CPU, Free CDN, Free SSL, 200k Visitors, 99.9% Uptime, Easy-to-use Dashboard Value for price:8.0
|
Professional Plan $49.99
Up to 15 Websites, 30 GB Storage, 400 GB Bandwidth, Free Malware Removal, Free Fixes If Site Offline, 30 sec Average Support Response Value for price:7.8
|
EasyWP Supersonic $19.88:
1 Website, 100 GB SSD, 2x More CPU, Free CDN, Free SSL, 500k Visitors, 99.99% Uptime, Safe and Secure Value for price:8.0
|
Elite Plan $99.00
Up to 35 Websites, 60 GB Storage, ∞ Bandwidth, Free Malware Removal, Free Fixes If Site Offline, 30 sec Average Support Response Value for price:7.8
|
Stellar $4.48
3 Websites, 20 GB SSD, Free Domain Name, 30 Mailboxes, Free SSL, Free CDN, Website Builder, 30-day Money-back Guarantee Value for price:8.5
|
N/A |
Stellar Plus $6.48
Unlimited Websites, Unmetered SSD, Unlimited Mailboxes, Website Builder, Free SSL, Free CDN, Free Domain Name Value for price:8.5
|
N/A |
Stellar Business $9.48:
Unlimited Websites, 50 GB SSD, Unlimited Mailboxes, AutoBackup, Cloud Storage, Website Builder, Free SSL, Free CDN Value for price:8.5
|
N/A |
Basic Dedicated Server $44.88
Full Root Access, Customizable Configuration, 7-day Money-Back Guarantee, 24/7 Support, 200 GB Backup Storage Value for price:9.0
|
N/A |
Advanced Dedicated Server Varies
Full Root Access, Customizable Configuration, 24/7 Support, 7-day Money-Back Guarantee, High-Traffic Support Value for price:9.0
|
N/A |
As a result in rare cases the prices displayed here can differ from the ones you see on their websites.
Enterprise plans
Namecheap’s advanced dedicated server plans are suitable for enterprises requiring high-traffic website support, content streaming, and advanced configurations. These plans offer customizable configurations, full root access, and extensive backup storage. WPX Hosting’s Elite Plan provides up to 35 websites and includes unlimited bandwidth, but is less flexible than Namecheap’s dedicated server options. While WPX offers superior support response times and malware removal, Namecheap’s extensive configuration options and lower price make it a strong contender for enterprises.
Namecheap vs WPX Hosting: Ease of setup
platform.
Score Components:
- Site migration (25%): Assesses whether the provider offers tools for site migration,
either automated or manual, and whether these services are free or require a fee. - Admin panel usability (35%): Evaluates the type of admin panel provided, such as the
standard cPanel or a custom solution, focusing on its accessibility and user-friendliness for both
technical and non-technical users. - Setup features (20%): Examines the availability and ease of use of various setup
features, including FTP accounts, file managers, email account setup, PHPMyAdmin, and easy CDN
configuration. - Help center quality (20%): Measures the quality and accessibility of the provider’s
help center resources, including articles and tutorials.
🏆 Winner
Namecheap: A user-friendly hosting provider with easy setup and extensive support resources.
Namecheap offers a simple and straightforward user experience: upon completing your order, your hosting plan is instantly set up, and cPanel login details are provided in a welcome email. They also have an exclusive EasyWP Dashboard for users who prefer not to deal with cPanel. This dashboard brings together all the essential tools needed to manage and maintain websites, allowing users to connect domains and manage backups seamlessly. Softaculous app installer within the cPanel offers one-click installations for over 200 scripts, making it accessible to both technical and non-technical users.
WPX Hosting provides a custom control panel designed for speed and ease of use. Setting up a website involves a few straightforward steps: selecting a hosting plan, adding a new website, and filling in some basic information. The control panel includes options for managing services, account details, support tickets, and migrations, packaged in a user-friendly interface. Though it lacks the traditional cPanel, the focus is on a streamlined setup and usability, making it accessible for both novice and experienced users.
Both Namecheap and WPX Hosting offer free migration services, making it easy to switch from another hosting provider. Namecheap uses the All-in-One WP Migration plugin for this process, allowing them to migrate your site regardless of the previous host. WPX Hosting also prioritizes seamless migrations, requiring users to select a hosting plan and submit a migration request; their team completes the migration within 24 hours. Both services eliminate the stress associated with manual migrations by offering these tools for free.
The platforms provide extensive knowledge bases filled with guides, how-to articles, and instructional content. Namecheap offers a wide range of resources alongside 24/7 chat and phone support. WPX Hosting also boasts a detailed help center with an intuitive search function and around-the-clock support via live chat, phone, and ticketing, ensuring comprehensive user support.
User management
accessibility.
Score Components:
- Role customization (40%): Flexibility in creating and defining user roles and
permissions. - Ease of management (30%): User interface and tools for managing users.
- Access control (20%): Effectiveness of access control measures for different user
levels. - Scalability (10%): Ability to manage a growing number of users efficiently.
🏆 Winner WPX Hosting: WPX Hosting provides comprehensive user management features that cater to a wide range of user needs with efficiency and ease.
When comparing the user management capabilities of Namecheap and WPX Hosting, WPX Hosting stands out for its robust features. WPX Hosting allows users to add database and FTP users with relative ease through a straightforward interface, whereas information on Namecheap’s user management isn’t available. WPX Hosting further enables multi-user access, promoting collaborative management of hosting accounts. This flexibility ensures that users can assign specific roles and permissions to different users, customizing access based on the needs of the team. Without detailed information about Namecheap, it’s difficult to gauge its capabilities in this area.
The user interfaces and tools provided by WPX Hosting are intuitive and user-friendly. Users can manage database users easily through a dedicated menu, where they can add, view, and delete users, and even retrieve forgotten passwords. The FTP Users page offers similar simplicity, allowing users to add or delete FTP users and change their passwords efficiently. Assistance is readily available via live chat support, ensuring any issues in managing user roles and permissions are promptly addressed.
WPX Hosting shows effectiveness in access control measures. The platform’s multi-user access ensures secure and efficient management of multiple users, enabling growth without compromising on security. Users can easily control who has access to specific databases and FTP accounts, helping to maintain a streamlined workflow. This capability is crucial for businesses or projects with multiple stakeholders, ensuring everyone can perform their tasks without unnecessary access to certain areas.
WPX Hosting User Roles Table:
Role | Description | Access highlights |
---|---|---|
Database User | Manages database specific tasks. | Can be added, viewed, and deleted via the Databases menu. Password retrieval available. |
FTP User | Manages file transfers. | Can add/delete users and change passwords via the FTP Users page. |
Multi-User Access | Allows multiple users to manage the hosting account. | Promotes collaborative management with customizable access levels. |
Customer support
hosting provider.
Score Components:
- Support communication channels (30%): Measures the variety of customer support types
provided (live chat, chatbot, email, phone, etc.) - Availability (20%): Assesses the availability hours for each channel, including 24/7
support options. - Technical support quality (30%): Assesses whether the provider offers comprehensive
technical support, including hardware upgrades (e.g., HDD to SSD), software installations, and web
server configuration changes. - Enterprise support (20%): Checks if there are dedicated or priority support services
for enterprise-level customers.
🏆 Winner
WPX Hosting: WPX Hosting offers a customer service experience marked by quick response times, comprehensive support options, and additional services like free malware removal and site speed optimization.
Phone support |
No | No |
Live chat support |
Yes | Yes |
Chatbot |
No | No |
Email/ticket support |
Yes | Yes |
Enterprise support (dedicated agent, priority support) |
No | No |
Namecheap provides extensive resources and multiple support channels, including 24/7 live chat and a detailed knowledge base. Their customer service is professional and prompt, with free website migration services adding significant value. However, the absence of phone support can be limiting for users who prefer direct verbal communication. Namecheap’s systematic approach to support, emphasized by detailed guides and helpful resources, is commendable but may sometimes require ticket escalation as indicated by some user experiences.
WPX Hosting sets itself apart with a 30-second average live chat response time and a 15-minute average case resolution time. The hosting provider offers 24/7 WordPress-specific tech support, proactive malware removal, and free speed optimization, ensuring that users receive timely and effective assistance. With a Trustpilot score of 4.9/5, WPX Hosting is praised for its commitment to customer satisfaction. The customer reviews and the additional site security measures further enhance the reliability of WPX Hosting.
Namecheap vs WPX Hosting: User feedback
Namecheap is widely appreciated for its affordability, reliability, and high-quality customer support. Users commend the availability of free SSL certificates, user-friendly cPanel, and outstanding hosting speed. However, shared hosting speed and the occasional slow response from support are noted concerns. Despite these minor drawbacks, Namecheap remains a popular choice for beginners and small to medium businesses due to its competitive pricing and satisfactory service quality.
WPX Hosting receives consistently high praise for its outstanding customer support and fast hosting speeds, with many users noting the support team’s quick and effective responses. Clients appreciate the user-friendly panel and the added benefits such as their custom-built CDN, though some users miss having features like cPanel and SSH access. A few reviews mentioned issues with email services and occasional server errors, as well as slower performance for larger, critical websites. Despite some mixed experiences, the hosting provider is highly recommended by most users for its reliable performance and excellent support.
Namecheap vs WPX Hosting: FAQ
Which platform is better suited for hosting WordPress websites?
Both Namecheap and WPX Hosting offer specialized WordPress hosting with robust features for optimal performance and management. WPX Hosting, with its high-speed CDN and superior support, slightly edges out as the better choice for those prioritizing speed and reliable customer service. However, beginners and budget-conscious users may find Namecheap’s affordable plans more appealing.
Which platform offers better customer support?
WPX Hosting offers far superior customer support, featuring live chat response times of around 30 seconds and average case resolution times of 15 minutes. Namecheap also provides 24/7 support through live chat and a comprehensive knowledge base, but its support response times can be slower. WPX Hosting’s proactive malware removal and speed optimization services further enhance its support quality.
Which hosting service offers better security features?
WPX Hosting leads in security features with proactive measures like daily malware scans, managed WAF, DDoS protection, and free malware removal services. Namecheap offers various SSL certificates, multiple PHP versions, and tools like ClamAV virus scanner and IP Deny Manager, but it lacks some of the advanced security features found in WPX Hosting. Overall, WPX Hosting provides a more comprehensive security package.
What are the major differences in pricing and value between Namecheap and WPX Hosting?
Namecheap offers a wider range of hosting plans with attractive introductory prices, making it a cost-effective option for budget-conscious users. WPX Hosting, while more expensive, provides better performance and superior customer support. Namecheap’s shared hosting starts as low as $1.98 per month, whereas WPX’s entry-level plans start at $24.99 per month. Both offer free SSL, CDN, and automated backups, but WPX stands out with unlimited site migrations and additional security features.
Which hosting service offers more scalability options for growing websites?
WPX Hosting offers a variety of plans catering to different needs, from basic websites to large-scale eCommerce platforms, making it more favorable for scalability. Namecheap offers flexible plan upgrades and various hosting options like VPS and reseller hosting. However, WPX’s managed security features and free site migrations ensure smooth scaling, giving it an edge in terms of scalability.
Which service is more suitable for hosting a high-traffic website?
WPX Hosting is more suitable for hosting high-traffic websites due to its superior uptime, high-speed CDN, and robust performance. WPX also features proactive security measures and manages resource spikes effectively. While Namecheap provides dedicated server offerings and SSD storage that can handle high traffic, WPX Hosting’s custom technology and comprehensive support make it the better choice for high-traffic sites.
The making of this blog
We followed a clear, step-by-step process to write and research this article.