Web hosting · head to head
DreamHost vs Namecheap
What each costs, whether there's a free plan, and what each is best for, from prices checked on their own sites.
| Fact |  DreamHost |  Namecheap |
|---|---|---|
| From | $2.89/mo | $2.28/mo |
| Renews at | $10.99/mo | $4.66/mo |
| Free plan | No · No free plan or trial; 30-day money-back guarantee | Yes · 30-day free trial of shared hosting, one per account |
| Best for | Several WordPress sites without a long prepay | The lowest renewal, and a free trial first |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
| Website | Visit | Visit |
The difference in short
- Namecheap costs less to start: $2.28/mo against $2.89/mo for DreamHost.
- After the first term, DreamHost's cheapest plan renews at $10.99/mo and Namecheap's at $4.66/mo.
- Only Namecheap has a free plan, trial or credit.
- DreamHost is best for several WordPress sites without a long prepay; Namecheap for the lowest renewal, and a free trial first.
DreamHost pricing
All about DreamHost| Plan | Price | Renews at | Specs / includes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Web Hosting Launch | $2.89/mo | $10.99/mo | 25 GB NVMe SSD | 1-year term (first-year price). 4-year term: $1.99/mo, then $7.99/mo. Free domain for 1 year on yearly or longer plans. Email is free for 3 months only. |
| Web Hosting Growth | $3.99/mo | $12.99/mo | 50 GB NVMe SSD | 1-year term (first-year price). Labelled 'Most popular'. 4-year term: $3.49/mo, then $8.99/mo. |
| Web Hosting Scale | $9.99/mo | $25.99/mo | 100 GB NVMe SSD | 1-year term (first-year price). 4-year term: $7.99/mo, then $19.99/mo. |
Namecheap pricing
All about Namecheap| Plan | Price | Renews at | Specs / includes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stellar | $2.28/mo | $4.66/mo | 20 GB SSD | yearly billing, after a free 30-day trial. Renews at $55.88/year (shown here per month). 2-year term: $1.88/mo. Monthly: $5.88/mo. |
| Stellar Plus | $2.98/mo | $7.12/mo | Unmetered SSD (fair-use policy) | yearly billing, after a free 30-day trial. Renews at $85.44/year. 2-year term: $2.28/mo. Monthly: $7.88/mo. Includes AutoBackup. |
| Stellar Business | $4.98/mo | $10.74/mo | 50 GB SSD | yearly billing, after a free 30-day trial. Renews at $128.88/year. 2-year term: $4.48/mo. Monthly: $11.88/mo. Includes AutoBackup. |
What's good, and what to watch for
DreamHost
- Launch allows 25 websites with 25 GB NVMe storage and unmetered bandwidth
- Daily automated backups and unlimited free SSL certificates
- Free domain for 1 year on annual or longer plans
- Renews at $10.99/month after the first year
- Email (20 mailboxes on Launch) is free for 3 months only, then billed separately
Namecheap
- Stellar allows 3 websites with 20 GB SSD storage and 30 mailboxes
- Free automatic SSL, unmetered bandwidth and free website migration
- Imunify360 security included on all plans
- Stellar has no AutoBackup; it comes with Stellar Plus and Stellar Business
- The 30-day money-back guarantee applies only to accounts that did not start with the free trial
- .com renews at $18.48/year after the $11.28 first year (25% off $14.98)
Other web hosting options
Cheapest first where the prices compare.
Hosting.com
GreenGeeks
Hostinger
HostGatorFAQ
Which is cheaper, DreamHost or Namecheap?
Namecheap costs less to start: $2.28/mo against $2.89/mo for DreamHost. Prices checked Oct 18, 2026 on each company's own site.
Do DreamHost and Namecheap have a free plan?
DreamHost: No. 30-day money-back guarantee. Namecheap: Yes. 30-day free trial of shared hosting, one per account.
What else should I compare with DreamHost and Namecheap?
Other web hosting options we've checked: Hosting.com ($1.99/mo), GreenGeeks ($2.95/mo), Hostinger ($2.99/mo), HostGator ($3.75/mo).
Keep comparing
- DreamHost: pricing, free plan and alternatives
- Namecheap: pricing, free plan and alternatives
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Built from the prices and facts we checked on each company's own site. We haven't tested either hands-on.How we work