Bluehost
Starter plan
$3.99/mo
$143.64 over 3 years
- Websites
- 10
- Storage
- 10 GB
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Prices reviewed on October 1, 2026 from Bluehost's and Namecheap's pages and a third-party hosting guide. Intro prices change often. Confirm at checkout.
Domain registration, SSL upgrades, email and backup add-ons are not included.
Bluehost vs Namecheap: what you will actually pay
Hosting ads show the first-term price. The bill after renewal is often 2 to 3 times higher. Choose how long you'll stay and see what each host really costs.
For your setup, Namecheap costs $4.52 less over 3 years.
Namecheap
Stellar plan
$3.86/mo avg
$139.12 over 3 years
- Websites
- 3
- Storage
- 20 GB
- The intro price lasts one term. The monthly figure averages the renewals in.
Prices are in USD, before tax. We earn a commission if you buy through these buttons; it never changes the math above.
Where every dollar goes
Each bar uses the same scale, so a longer bar means a bigger monthly bill. Every line is a charge you would see at checkout.
Bluehost
Starter plan
- $3.99/mo
Starter plan
Billed once for the whole team
Total over 3 years$143.64
$3.99/mo
Namecheap
Stellar plan
- $3.86/mo
Stellar plan
$2.28/mo in year 1, then $4.66/mo
Total over 3 years$139.12
$3.86/mo avg
Feature differences, line by line
Green marks the side that comes out ahead on that row, red marks something you can't get at all. Tap the question mark next to any term for a plain explanation.
| Spec | Bluehost | Namecheap |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
Entry plan, intro price Per month for the first term, before the regular price starts. | Starter: $3.99 | Stellar: $2.28 (advantage) |
Term behind the intro price The intro rate is only locked in for as long as the term you pay for up front. | Lowest price needs a prepaid term. Check the term shown at checkout. | Intro pricing applies to annual and 2-year billing, not monthly |
Renewal billing options Renewal is priced by how long you pay for. Longer terms usually cost less per month. | Renews at the regular rate after the intro term | Renewal priced for 1 month, 1 year or 2 years (advantage) |
| Limits | ||
Websites on the entry plan How many sites the cheapest plan can host. | 10 (advantage) | 3 |
Storage on the entry plan Disk space included on the cheapest plan. | 10 GB NVMe SSD | 20 GB SSD (advantage) |
Unlimited sites The cheapest plan with unlimited websites. | Not offered (up to 100) | Stellar Plus: $2.98 intro (advantage) |
| Ecommerce | ||
Online store plan The hosting plan aimed at online stores. | eCommerce Essentials: 100 sites, 100 GB (advantage) | No separate store plan |
| Included | ||
Free domain A domain name (like yourshop.com) included at no charge, usually for the first year only. | First year, redeem within 90 days, on 12 or 36-month terms | First year, non-premium domains only |
Free SSL certificate The padlock that makes your site load over https. Browsers warn visitors without one. | Included (Let's Encrypt) | Included on all plans |
Email with your domain Mailboxes like you@yourshop.com. | Pro Email free trial, then $2.50/mo | 30 mailboxes on Stellar, unlimited on Plus and Business (advantage) |
| Safety | ||
Backups on the entry plan Copies of your site you can restore if something breaks. | Weekly website backups | Twice a week (AutoBackup tool on Plus and Business) (advantage) |
Uptime guarantee The share of time the host promises your site will be online, and what you get if it misses. | 99.99%, one 5% monthly credit if missed | 100%, subject to its hosting terms |
Money-back guarantee How long you can cancel and get your hosting fee refunded. | 30 days (domain fees may apply) | 30 days, first-time shared hosting customers only |
Moving an existing site in Help transferring a site you already run elsewhere. | Free site migration tool | Free transfer by migration specialists from cPanel hosts (advantage) |
If you look like this, buy this
Common buyers, each run through the same calculator. Load any of them to adjust from there.
First website
One site, staying a year while you learn.
Namecheap Stellar
Stellar is $2.28 a month in year one. Bluehost Starter is $3.99.
- Bluehost
- $3.99/mo
- Namecheap
- $2.28/mo
Small business site, five years
One site you plan to keep for five years.
Namecheap Stellar
Bluehost's $3.99 lasts 3 years, then renews at $9.99. Namecheap Stellar is $2.28 in year one, then about $4.66 a month, so it stays cheaper over five years.
- Bluehost
- $6.39/mo avg
- Namecheap
- $4.18/mo avg
Freelancer hosting client sites
10 sites with up to 50 GB.
Namecheap Stellar Plus
Stellar Plus has unlimited sites and unmetered storage. Bluehost needs its Business plan.
- Bluehost
- $9.79/mo avg
- Namecheap
- $6.29/mo avg
WordPress beginner who wants a guided start
A few sites, one year, and setup help matters more than price.
Bluehost Starter
Our pick, costs more
It costs more than Namecheap Stellar. Choose it if Bluehost's guided WordPress setup matters to you more than the lower price.
- Bluehost
- $3.99/mo
- Namecheap
- $2.28/mo
Pricing questions buyers ask
Why is the monthly price so different after the first term?
Hosts discount the first term to win you as a customer, then charge the regular rate when it renews. Bluehost's lowest prices apply to a prepaid term (check its length at checkout), and Namecheap prices renewals separately for 1 month, 1 year and 2 years. This calculator averages intro and renewal so you can see the real monthly cost.
Can I pay month to month on Namecheap?
Yes, Namecheap lists a 1-month renewal price for each plan, but its intro discounts apply to annual and 2-year billing only. The calculator prices a 12-month term, so monthly billing will cost more than the figures shown here.
Is storage really unlimited on Namecheap Stellar Plus?
Namecheap lists Stellar Plus with unmetered SSD storage and unlimited websites, and unmetered bandwidth on all three plans. These are subject to Namecheap's fair-use terms, so read them if you host very large files.
Does hosting include a free domain?
Both hosts include one free domain for the first year. Bluehost requires you to redeem it within 90 days on a 12-month or longer term. Namecheap's offer excludes premium domains, and neither includes renewal of that domain for free.
What are the money-back terms?
Both offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. Bluehost refunds hosting if you cancel within 30 days, though domain fees may apply if you keep the free domain. Namecheap's guarantee covers first-time shared hosting customers only, and not accounts started with a 30-day trial.
Which host backs up my site?
Bluehost's Starter plan lists weekly website backups. Namecheap's Stellar plan lists backups twice a week, and Stellar Plus and Business add the AutoBackup tool in cPanel. Keep your own copy for anything important.
How many websites does each entry plan allow?
Bluehost Starter allows 10 websites with 10 GB of storage. Namecheap Stellar allows 3 websites with 20 GB. If you need more than 3 sites on Namecheap, Stellar Plus lists unlimited websites.