Overview
Namecheap is a US-based retail registrar that sells domains alongside shared hosting, SSL certificates, email and PremiumDNS. Its pricing leans on promotions: in September 2026 a .com was $10.98 for the first year (list $14.98), with a $6.79 offer for new customers limited to one per household. From year two the .com renews at $18.48, and a $0.20 ICANN fee is added at checkout.
Every eligible domain comes with free-for-life domain privacy, provided through Withheld for Privacy, plus free BasicDNS with DNSSEC, URL forwarding and email forwarding. PremiumDNS, at $4.88 a year, adds DDoS protection and a 100% uptime guarantee. The dashboard is approachable and there is 24/7 chat support.
Namecheap is a reasonable choice for people who want one familiar account for a domain plus hosting or email. For a domain you plan to keep for years, compare the renewal price: at $18.48 it costs roughly $7 a year more than registrars that sell .com near wholesale.
Pricing and plans
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| .com registration | $10.98 first year | Sale price, list $14.98; new customers $6.79 with a promo code, one per household |
| .com renewal | $18.48/yr | Standard renewal rate |
| .com transfer | $11.48 | Sale price, includes a year |
| PremiumDNS | $4.88/yr | DDoS-protected DNS with a 100% uptime guarantee |
| Private Email | Free trial | One-month trial, then paid |
What it does
- Free domain privacy
- Privacy through Withheld for Privacy is free for life on every eligible domain; a few TLDs do not allow it.
- BasicDNS with DNSSEC
- Free DNS hosting on servers in Europe and the US, with DNSSEC on eligible domains.
- PremiumDNS
- Optional DDoS-protected DNS with a 100% uptime guarantee for $4.88 a year.
- Forwarding
- URL and email forwarding are included when the domain uses Namecheap DNS.
- Promotions
- Frequent first-year discounts, including a new-customer .com price limited to one domain per household.
Strengths and limitations
Strengths
- Free lifetime privacy and DNSSEC on eligible domains
- Low first-year prices, especially for new customers
- Hosting, email and SSL available in the same account
- 24/7 support
Limitations
- .com renews at $18.48, well above the first-year sale price
- A $0.20 ICANN fee is added on top of the listed price
- The new-customer .com offer is limited to one domain per household
- Some domains must be set to auto-renew days before expiry or they enter redemption
Who it suits
Good for
- Beginners who want a guided buying flow
- Small sites that also need cheap hosting or email
- Buying one domain cheaply in year one
Look elsewhere if
- Long-term portfolios where renewal price dominates
- Anyone wanting at-cost or flat pricing
Pricing history
-
Price increase on 226 Identity Digital extensions
Namecheap announced higher registration, renewal and transfer prices on 226 Identity Digital TLDs effective 2026-10-06; for example .email renewal goes from $40.98 to $45.98 (effective date). Source ↗
Alternatives to Namecheap
Questions
How much is a .com at Namecheap after the first year?
$18.48 a year in September 2026, plus the $0.20 ICANN fee. The first year was $10.98 on sale or $6.79 for new customers.
Is WHOIS privacy free at Namecheap?
Yes, free for life on eligible domains, supplied by Withheld for Privacy.
Does Namecheap support DNSSEC?
Yes, DNSSEC is available on eligible domains using Namecheap BasicDNS or PremiumDNS.
What does Namecheap PremiumDNS cost?
$4.88 per year per domain.
Sources read for this page