Web hosting · head to head

HostGator vs Namecheap

What each costs, whether there's a free plan, and what each is best for, from prices checked on their own sites.

HostGator and Namecheap at a glance
Fact	HostGator	Namecheap
From	$3.75/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 (not on monthly terms)	Yes · 30-day free trial of shared hosting, one per account
Best for	Many small sites on a 3-year budget	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 $3.75/mo for HostGator.
After the first term, HostGator's cheapest plan renews at $10.99/mo and Namecheap's at $4.66/mo.
Only Namecheap has a free plan, trial or credit.
HostGator is best for many small sites on a 3-year budget; Namecheap for the lowest renewal, and a free trial first.

HostGator plans and prices
Plan	Price	Renews at	Specs / includes	Notes
Hatchling	$3.75/mo	$10.99/mo	10 GB SSD	36-month term, $135.00 upfront. 12-month term: $4.21/mo ($50.49). Monthly: $12.95. Free domain for the first year on 12-month or longer terms.
Baby	$4.50/mo	$16.49/mo	20 GB SSD	36-month term, $162.00 upfront. Labelled 'Recommended'. 12-month term: $5.10/mo ($61.20). Monthly: $13.95.
Business	$6.25/mo	$21.99/mo	50 GB SSD	36-month term, $225.00 upfront. 12-month term: $7.01/mo ($84.15). Monthly: $18.95. Free domain privacy for the first year.
Pro	$13.95/mo	$29.69/mo	100 GB SSD	36-month term, $502.20 upfront. 12-month term: $16.11/mo ($193.29). Monthly: $34.99.

Namecheap plans and prices
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.

The $3.75 price needs a 36-month prepay and renews at $10.99/month
Chat-only support on Hatchling, and a $17.99 domain fee if you cancel in the first year

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)

Cheapest first where the prices compare.

Which is cheaper, HostGator or Namecheap?

Namecheap costs less to start: $2.28/mo against $3.75/mo for HostGator. Prices checked Oct 18, 2026 on each company's own site.

Do HostGator and Namecheap have a free plan?

HostGator: No. 30-day money-back guarantee; not for monthly terms or renewals. Namecheap: Yes. 30-day free trial of shared hosting, one per account.

What else should I compare with HostGator and Namecheap?

Other web hosting options we've checked: Hosting.com ($1.99/mo), DreamHost ($2.89/mo), GreenGeeks ($2.95/mo), Hostinger ($2.99/mo).

Built from the prices and facts we checked on each company's own site. We haven't tested either hands-on.How we work