Bluehost specializes in WordPress hosting with official WordPress.org endorsement and includes free domain for one year, while Namecheap excels as a domain registrar with affordable renewal rates and better domain privacy protection. Bluehost costs $2.95-$13.95/month for hosting, while Namecheap domains start at $0.88/year with renewals at standard rates.
Bluehost vs Namecheap — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Budget-friendly shared hosting platform owned by Endorphina, popular for WordPress beginners.
Budget-focused domain registrar with advanced features and aggressive renewal pricing.
Primary Service Focus. Initial Domain Cost (1st Year). Domain Renewal Cost (.com). Shared Hosting Starting Price. Free SSL Certificate Included. 24/7 Customer Support Available. WHOIS Privacy Protection
Choose Bluehost if you're launching a WordPress site and want an all-in-one solution with free first-year domain, superior WordPress optimization, and 24/7 phone support. Choose Namecheap if you prioritize affordable domain registration with free WHOIS privacy, lower renewal costs, and flexibility to host elsewhere while managing domains in one place.
Bluehost: Traditional Data Centers | Namecheap: N/A
Bluehost: None (Third-party required) | Namecheap: N/A
Bluehost: Standard resource allocation | Namecheap: N/A
Bluehost: Yes (Official List) | Namecheap: N/A
Bluehost: Restrictive limits enforced | Namecheap: N/A
Bluehost: Paid migration service | Namecheap: N/A
Bluehost: Phone, chat, email | Namecheap: N/A
Shared Hosting Monthly Cost (Introductory)
Bluehost: $2.95 | Namecheap: N/A (domain registrar)
Bluehost: $13.95 | Namecheap: N/A (domain registrar)
Bluehost: Free (with hosting) | Namecheap: $8.88
Bluehost: Yes, 24/7 | Namecheap: Business hours only
Bluehost: Yes, all plans | Namecheap: Yes, all plans
Bluehost: Yes, listed as recommended | Namecheap: No
Bluehost: Yes (with annual plan) | Namecheap: N/A
Bluehost: No - Phone/Email only | Namecheap: N/A
Bluehost: No - Extra charge | Namecheap: N/A
Bluehost: 24-48 hours (email) | Namecheap: N/A
Bluehost: Yes | Namecheap: Yes, Positive SSL
Bluehost: No (paid add-on) | Namecheap: N/A
Bluehost: Basic (limited) | Namecheap: N/A
Bluehost: First year only | Namecheap: N/A
Bluehost: Yes (automatic) | Namecheap: N/A
Bluehost: N/A | Namecheap: Under 1 second (US)
Bluehost: N/A | Namecheap: $1.99 (promotional)
Bluehost: N/A | Namecheap: No, lower renewal pricing instead
Bluehost: N/A | Namecheap: Limited presence
Bluehost: N/A | Namecheap: Free basic migration
Bluehost: N/A | Namecheap: Third-party only
Bluehost: N/A | Namecheap: Free with all domains
Bluehost: N/A | Namecheap: $0 (included)
Global Market Share (Registered Domains)
Bluehost: N/A | Namecheap: Limited (requires third-party)
Total Cost Over 5 Years (Domain + WHOIS + SSL)
Bluehost: N/A | Namecheap: Yes (Whoisguard)
Bluehost: N/A | Namecheap: $24.88 (Comodo)
Bluehost: N/A | Namecheap: Limited (upgrade required for premium)
Bluehost: N/A | Namecheap: Not primary offering
DNS Query Response Time (Global Average)
Bluehost: N/A | Namecheap: $1.74 (3-month promo)
Bluehost: N/A | Namecheap: Basic only (not specified)
Bluehost: N/A | Namecheap: Limited (basic DNS for registered domains)
Bluehost: N/A | Namecheap: Not available
Bluehost: N/A | Namecheap: Yes (active 2026)
Bluehost: N/A | Namecheap: 0 (third-party only)
Bluehost: N/A | Namecheap: No (WHOIS privacy only)
Bluehost: N/A | Namecheap: 8-12% (with third-party CDN)
Bluehost: N/A | Namecheap: Basic (included)
Bluehost: N/A | Namecheap: Free with hosting
Bluehost: N/A | Namecheap: Yes, full API
Bluehost: N/A | Namecheap: Manual DNS setup required
How to choose between Bluehost and Namecheap
Bluehost vs Namecheap — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Bluehost vs Namecheap. Contains 121 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Bluehost vs Namecheap — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Bluehost vs Namecheap.
Is Bluehost actually affiliated with WordPress?
Yes, Bluehost is the only hosting provider officially recommended by WordPress.org and is part of the Automattic family (WordPress creator). This means their servers are optimized specifically for WordPress performance, and they commit to best practices for security and updates.
Why is Namecheap's domain renewal cost so much cheaper than Bluehost?
Namecheap operates primarily as a domain registrar with high-volume sales, allowing them to offer competitive renewal rates ($8.88 for .com). Bluehost bundles domain registration with hosting services and charges $17.95 renewal, which subsidizes their hosting infrastructure. If you only need domains, Namecheap is significantly cheaper; if you need both hosting and domains, Bluehost's free first year may offset renewal cost differences.
Can I use a Namecheap domain with Bluehost hosting?
Yes, absolutely. You can register your domain with Namecheap and point it to Bluehost hosting using DNS records. This gives you the benefit of Namecheap's cheap renewal rates while using Bluehost's WordPress-optimized hosting. You'll just need to update nameservers or A records in Namecheap's control panel.
Namecheap offers basic shared hosting and WordPress hosting as add-on services, but it's not their specialty. Their hosting is competitively priced but lacks the WordPress.org endorsement and dedicated WordPress optimizations that Bluehost provides. Namecheap's strength is domain registration, not hosting.
What happens to my free Bluehost domain after year one?
After your first year, you'll be charged Bluehost's renewal rate of $17.95/year for that domain. If you want to avoid this cost spike, you can transfer the domain to Namecheap (which costs $8.99-$9.99 for transfer) and pay their $8.88 renewal rate instead, saving $9.07/year going forward.
How to Choose Between Bluehost and Namecheap
Primary Service Focus: Bluehost has WordPress hosting specialist, while Namecheap has Domain registrar with hosting add-on.
Consider: Initial Domain Cost (1st Year)
Initial Domain Cost (1st Year): Bluehost has Free with hosting plan, while Namecheap has $0.88-$12.99 depending on TLD.
Domain Renewal Cost (.com): Bluehost has $17.95/year, while Namecheap has $8.88/year.
Shared Hosting Starting Price: Bluehost has $2.95/month (first 3 months), while Namecheap has $2.99/month for basic (domains only).
Free SSL Certificate Included: Bluehost has Yes, all plans, while Namecheap has Yes, all plans.
Consider: 24/7 Customer Support Available
24/7 Customer Support Available: Bluehost has Phone, chat, email, while Namecheap has Chat, email, phone (limited hours).
WHOIS Privacy Protection: Bluehost has Paid add-on ($11.88/year), while Namecheap has Free with all domain registrations.