InMotion Hosting vs Namecheap – “The Winner Is…”

InMotion Hosting vs Namecheap

99.8 %

Overall Score

InMotion Hosting vs Namecheap

91.8 %

Overall Score

InMotion Hosting and Namecheap are both well-known providers in the web hosting space, but they cater to slightly different audiences. InMotion Hosting focuses on providing feature-rich hosting solutions tailored to businesses, offering options like shared hosting, managed WordPress hosting, and dedicated servers. It is recognized for its reliable uptime, customer support, and performance optimization, making it a strong choice for small businesses and e-commerce.

Namecheap, on the other hand, started as a domain registrar and has expanded into hosting services. Its hosting plans are budget-friendly, catering to individuals and small-scale websites. Namecheap’s strength lies in its domain management and affordability, with hosting options like shared, VPS, and reseller hosting, alongside a user-friendly interface for managing services.

In terms of customer support and performance, InMotion Hosting often outshines Namecheap, especially for business-focused needs, while Namecheap appeals more to users seeking low-cost hosting with seamless domain integration. The choice depends on whether you prioritize advanced hosting features or affordability with domain management.

InMotion Hosting

Performance: |5.0| ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

InMotion Hosting is known for its performance-driven hosting, offering SSD storage, optimized server configurations, and advanced caching technologies. Its focus on speed and reliability is evident in its high uptime guarantees and data centers optimized for performance, making it ideal for business websites and e-commerce platforms requiring consistent, fast load times.

Uptime: |4.9|⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

InMotion Hosting offers a 99.99% uptime guarantee, supported by robust infrastructure, including multiple data centers and proactive server monitoring. This high reliability ensures minimal downtime, making it a dependable choice for businesses that require constant availability.

Customer Service: |4.8|⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

InMotion Hosting is known for its excellent customer service, offering 24/7 support through live chat, phone, and email. Their U.S.-based support team is praised for being knowledgeable and responsive, making it a reliable choice for users who prioritize hands-on assistance.

Namecheap

Performance: |4.8| ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Namecheap provides decent performance for its price point, with SSD storage on many plans and a global network of data centers. However, it may not match the speed or uptime reliability of InMotion Hosting for resource-intensive sites. Namecheap’s performance is well-suited for personal or smaller websites but might fall short for larger-scale or high-traffic projects.

Uptime: |4.9|⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Namecheap provides a 99.9% uptime guarantee, which is reliable for smaller websites or personal projects. However, its uptime may not be as consistent as InMotion Hosting’s, particularly for resource-intensive or high-traffic sites that demand maximum stability.

Customer Service: |4.7|⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Namecheap also provides 24/7 customer support but primarily relies on live chat and a ticketing system, with no direct phone support. While their support team is generally helpful and quick to respond, it may not match the personalized or technical depth offered by InMotion Hosting.

For users who value comprehensive and business-focused customer support, InMotion Hosting is a better fit. Namecheap, however, works well for those seeking straightforward assistance for simpler hosting needs at a lower cost.

Overall Comparison InMotion Hosting vs Namecheap

FeatureInMotion HostingNamecheap
Target AudienceBusinesses, e-commerce, resource-heavy sitesBudget-conscious individuals, small sites
Hosting Types Shared, VPS, Dedicated, WordPress Shared, VPS, Reseller
Uptime Guarantee 99.99%99.9%
Performance High-speed with advanced optimization Decent for small to medium sites
Customer Support 24/7 via phone, live chat, and email 24/7 via live chat and ticket system
Backup Options Free daily backups Weekly backups
Refund Policy 90-day money-back guarantee 30-day money-back guarantee
Key Strength Performance and customer service Affordable plans with domain integration

1. Plans and Pricing

Both Are Budget-Friendly, but NameCheap Offers Lower Prices for Shared Hosting

InMotion Hosting and NameCheap provide a variety of hosting solutions suitable for small to medium-sized websites and businesses, including shared hosting, WordPress hosting, VPS, reseller, and dedicated server options. But how do they compare?

InMotion Hosting offers four shared hosting packages, while NameCheap provides three. However, NameCheap’s plans come at a lower price point, offering slightly better value for money than InMotion Hosting.

Plan TypeInMotion HostingNamecheap
Shared HostingStarting at $2.99/monthStarting at $1.98/month
WordPress Hosting Starting at $4.99/monthStarting at $3.98/month
VPS HostingStarting at $19.99/monthStarting at $6.88/month
Dedicated HostingStarting at $139.99/monthStarting at $50.88/month
Reseller HostingStarting at $15.39/monthStarting at $19.88/month

For Unmanaged VPS Hosting, InMotion Hosting Is More Affordable than NameCheap

Both InMotion Hosting and NameCheap provide appealing introductory discounts on their hosting plans. While NameCheap typically offers better discounted rates, it also stands out with significantly lower renewal prices for most plans. For example, the Pro plan, InMotion Hosting’s highest shared hosting option, renews at almost three times the price of NameCheap’s Stellar Business plan.

InMotion Hosting offers flexible billing options for shared hosting, including annual, biennial, or triennial terms, though monthly billing is only available for the Pro plan. NameCheap, in comparison, limits billing to annual or biennial terms. To secure the best rates, you’ll need to commit to the longest subscription period—triennial with InMotion Hosting or biennial with NameCheap.

InMotion Hosting stands out with its 90-day money-back guarantee, which is three times longer than NameCheap’s 30-day guarantee.

While NameCheap wins this round for its lower shared hosting prices and cheaper renewal rates, Hostinger surpasses both by offering even lower prices and unbeatable discounts.

Hosting Management

Feature InMotion HostingNamecheap
Control Panel cPanel cPanel
Website Builder BoldGrid (Free with plans) Website Builder (Paid Option)
Managed Hosting Available (for WordPress & VPS) Managed WordPress Hosting
Domain Management Full domain management available Full domain management available
Email Hosting Free email accounts (on most plans) Email hosting available
Backup Options Free daily backups Weekly backups
One-Click Install Available (Softaculous) Available (Softaculous)
Security FeaturesFree SSL, DDoS Protection, HackFix Free SSL, Basic Security Tools
Server Location U.S. (Multiple data centers) U.S., Europe (multiple data centers)

2. Features

InMotion Hosting Packs More Value-Added Features into Its Plans

Both InMotion Hosting and NameCheap include a solid range of value-added features and freebies in their plans, but InMotion Hosting takes the lead with its offerings.

With InMotion Hosting, all shared and WordPress hosting plans (except the entry-level shared plan) include a free domain (.com, .biz, .org, .us, or .info) for the first year of your subscription. Additionally, you get free website migration with no downtime, though this service is limited to a site size of 10GB.

All shared hosting plans also feature a free SSL certificate, cPanel control panel, Softaculous one-click installer (with over 400 applications), WP-CLI, Spam Experts, and the BoldGrid website builder at no extra cost. WordPress hosting plans come with added perks like free site staging, a free CDN, free JetPack, and automated backups.

NameCheap also includes a free domain, but only with the .website extension, though it does provide free domain privacy protection. It offers free website migration with no size limits, making it more flexible than InMotion in this regard.

For backups, NameCheap provides an AutoBackup tool for free with its premium plans (Stellar Plus and Stellar Business). All plans include internal backups performed twice a week, but these aren’t guaranteed, and NameCheap advises users to create their own backups.

Refer to the table below to see a detailed comparison of InMotion Hosting and NameCheap.

FeatureInMotion HostingNamecheap
Hosting TypesShared, WordPress hosting, VPS, reseller,
dedicated, bare metal servers
Shared, VPS, reseller, WordPress hosting,
email hosting, dedicated servers
Storage SSD storage for all plans SSD storage for many plans
Free Domain
Free SSL Certificate
Disk Space10 GB – Unlimited20 GB – Unlimited
BandwidthUnlimited1000 GB – Unlimited
Automatic BackupsAvailable as a paid add-onWith premium plans
Control PanelcPanelcPanel
Email AccountsUnlimited30 – Unlimited
Free CDNWith WordPress hosting (except for the WP-VPS plan)With some WordPress hosting plans
Free Site MigrationOnly if website is under 10 GB
Money-Back Guarantee90 days30 days
CachingAdvanced caching and toolsEasy-to-use domain management

Overall, InMotion Hosting provides more comprehensive features with its shared and WordPress hosting plans compared to NameCheap’s standard offerings, making InMotion Hosting the winner in this round.

3. Performance

NameCheap Delivers Faster Page Loading Speeds

If your website’s audience is located outside the US, InMotion Hosting may not be the best choice. It operates only US-based data centers, whereas NameCheap has one data center in the US and another in Europe (the Netherlands).

Both providers use SSD storage, which significantly outperforms traditional HDD storage, leading to faster loading times, improved stability, and better overall performance.

Both hosts include a free CDN with select plans and provide a 99.9% uptime guarantee. In our tests, both NameCheap and InMotion Hosting consistently maintained uptime above 99.9%. InMotion Hosting demonstrated slightly better overall uptime reliability compared to NameCheap.

Page performance

InMotion Hosting’s page loading speeds in North America are decent but fall short of being truly reliable or impressive, with even less promising results in other regions. For more insights, check out our detailed performance review of InMotion Hosting.

On the other hand, NameCheap delivered impressive page loading speeds not only in North America but also in Europe and parts of Asia. You can find the complete performance breakdown in our expert review.

While InMotion Hosting offers slightly better uptime, NameCheap’s significantly faster global page loading speeds make it the winner in the performance category.

4. Ease of Use

InMotion Hosting:

cPanel Interface: Provides an intuitive and user-friendly interface, making it easy to manage domains, emails, and databases.

BoldGrid Builder: Offers an easy-to-use drag-and-drop website builder, ideal for users without technical experience.

Managed Options: With managed hosting plans, it takes care of technical aspects, simplifying site management for users.

Automatic Backups: Daily backups are performed automatically, minimizing the need for manual intervention.

Free Migration: Offers free website migration, making the switch to InMotion hassle-free for users.

Namecheap:

cPanel Interface: Similar to InMotion, Namecheap also provides a straightforward cPanel, ideal for beginners.

Affordable Plans: Easy-to-understand pricing with minimal upsells, making it easy to choose the right plan.

Domain Management: Seamless integration between domain registration and hosting makes managing both services easier for users.

One-Click Install: Simple one-click installs for popular CMS like WordPress and Joomla.

Limited Support Channels: While helpful, customer support is primarily through live chat and ticketing, which might not be as immediate or personal as phone support.

Hosting Provided

What Our Customers Have to Say?

InMotion Hosting:

Excellent Customer Support: Customers frequently praise the responsive, knowledgeable support team, especially for their quick resolutions and friendly service.

Reliable Uptime: Many users report minimal downtime, with the 99.99% uptime guarantee being a major selling point for businesses.

Fast Load Times: Users appreciate the consistent speed and performance, especially for e-commerce sites.

Easy-to-Use Interface: The cPanel interface and BoldGrid website builder are commonly highlighted for their ease of use.

Solid Features: Customers like the variety of hosting plans and features offered, including free backups, free SSL certificates, and robust security.

Namecheap:

Affordable Pricing: Customers often mention the competitive pricing as a key benefit, especially for smaller websites and startups.

User-Friendly Experience: The simple setup process and easy-to-navigate dashboard are appreciated by beginners.

Good Domain Management: Many users praise the seamless integration between domain registration and hosting, making it easy to manage everything in one place.

Decent Customer Support: While generally helpful, some customers feel support could be more responsive and personal due to reliance on live chat and tickets.

Satisfactory Performance: For smaller sites, customers report solid performance, but some mention it may not be as reliable for larger, high-traffic websites.

Advantage of InMotion Hosting and Namecheap

InMotion HostingNamecheap
Excellent customer support (24/7 via phone, chat) Affordable pricing, ideal for budget users
High uptime (99.99% guarantee) Easy-to-use control panel and management
Fast website performance with SSD storage Seamless domain and hosting integration
Variety of hosting plans for different needs Good for smaller websites and personal blogs
Free daily backups and free SSL certificatesOne-click installs for popular CMS platforms
Advanced security features (DDoS protection) Lower-cost options for entry-level hosting
Free website migration Great for managing multiple domains
Managed hosting available (for WordPress & VPS) Simplified customer support system

Disadvantage of InMotion Hosting and Namecheap

InMotion HostingNamecheap
Higher starting prices for basic plansNo phone support for customer service
Limited lower-tier plan options Performance may suffer on higher-traffic sites
Higher renewal rates after the initial term Backup options are less frequent (weekly)
No free domain with the lowest plans Limited advanced security features
Restrictions on storage for lower plans Less comprehensive customer support
Limited data center locations (U.S.-based) Fewer server location choices
May be overkill for smaller websites May lack the same performance for business use
Setup fees for some plansInterface can feel more basic for advanced users

5. Support

InMotion Hosting Provides More Support Channels and Better Assistance

Both InMotion Hosting and NameCheap offer comprehensive Knowledge Base sections filled with articles and tutorials on a wide range of topics. Their Knowledge Bases are well-organized, making it easy to find the information you need.

InMotion Hosting offers 24/7 support through live chat, phone, email, and support tickets, all based in the U.S. I tested the live chat option, and although it took a little time to connect with an agent, I received thorough and helpful assistance. The agent was knowledgeable, professional, courteous, and overall very supportive.

InMotion Hosting:

24/7 Support Availability: Offers round-the-clock support through phone, live chat, and email, ensuring customers can get help at any time.

U.S.-Based Support Team: Customer support is based in the U.S., with staff members known for being knowledgeable and efficient.

High-Quality Assistance: Users report fast, helpful, and professional responses, with support agents going the extra mile to resolve issues.

Specialized Support: Offers dedicated teams for specific issues, such as WordPress hosting or e-commerce solutions, ensuring more personalized help.

Live Chat and Phone Support: Phone support is a standout feature, offering direct, immediate assistance, unlike many competitors that rely on chat only.

Namecheap:

24/7 Live Chat Support: Provides 24/7 support via live chat, making it easy to reach assistance at any time.

Ticket-Based System: In addition to live chat, support is available via a ticketing system, which can be slower but useful for detailed inquiries.

Knowledge Base: Offers an extensive online knowledge base with helpful guides and FAQs for self-service solutions.

No Phone Support: Lacks phone support, which can be inconvenient for users seeking direct communication.

Helpful but Limited: While generally helpful, some users find Namecheap’s support less personal or slower compared to competitors like InMotion Hosting.

InMotion Hosting offers more support channels than NameCheap, and while response times could be slightly improved, I ultimately received the assistance I needed. InMotion Hosting clearly wins in the support category.

6. Security

InMotion Hosting Offers More Advanced and Reliable Security Features

In terms of security, both InMotion Hosting and NameCheap provide standard protections compared to more security-focused hosts like Hostinger.

Both hosts secure their servers with DDoS protection and 24/7/365 server monitoring. However, InMotion Hosting goes a step further by including hack protection, an advanced firewall, and an internal vulnerability patching application across all its plans to safeguard your websites from malicious threats.

NameCheap’s security features include custom security notifications, personalized password recovery, and dynamic support PIN numbers to prevent unauthorized access to your account. Additionally, NameCheap offers Domain Lock and supports Two-Factor Authentication (2FA).

Security FeatureInMotion Hosting Namecheap
SSL CertificatesFree SSL with most plans Free SSL with most plans
DDoS Protection Advanced DDoS protection included Basic DDoS protection
Backups Free daily backupsWeekly backups
Malware Protection Proactive malware scanning and protectionBasic malware protection
Firewalls Customizable firewalls for added security Standard firewall protection
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)Available for account access Available for account access
Security Monitoring 24/7 security monitoring and alerts Limited monitoring
Account IsolationIsolated accounts for better security Standard account security

While both hosts offer solid security measures, InMotion Hosting’s more advanced and comprehensive security features make it the clear winner in this round.

Final Recommendation

Criteria InMotion Hosting Namecheap
Best for Businesses, e-commerce, resource-heavy websites Budget-conscious users, small websites
Performance Excellent, high uptime, fast load timesDecent, good for smaller websites
Customer Support 24/7 phone and chat support, highly rated 24/7 live chat and ticket support, less personalized
Ease of Use User-friendly interface, managed hosting options Easy-to-use, good for beginners
Pricing Higher starting prices, but offers value Affordable, especially for basic hosting
Security Advanced security features, free daily backups Basic security, weekly backups
Scalability Excellent scalability for growing businesses Suitable for small to medium websites
Overall Ideal for business users and
performance-focused websites
Best for personal projects, small businesses,
and budget users

Frequently Asked Questions

  • InMotion Hosting offers shared hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated hosting, WordPress hosting, and reseller hosting plans.
  • Yes, Namecheap provides managed WordPress hosting, but it does not offer fully managed VPS or dedicated hosting like InMotion Hosting.
  • InMotion Hosting offers a free domain with many of its hosting plans, though some plans may not include it.
  • InMotion Hosting offers a 99.99% uptime guarantee, ensuring minimal downtime for websites.
  • Namecheap offers hosting starting as low as $1.98/month for shared hosting, with other plans like VPS starting at $6.88/month.
  • Yes, Namecheap includes a free SSL certificate with most of its hosting plans.
  • Yes, InMotion Hosting offers free daily backups on most of its hosting plans.
  • Yes, InMotion Hosting allows easy upgrading of hosting plans, from shared to VPS or dedicated hosting, as your site grows.
  • Yes, Namecheap offers 24/7 customer support via live chat and a ticketing system, but it does not offer phone support.
  • Yes, InMotion Hosting is known for its strong performance, uptime, and features, making it ideal for e-commerce websites.
  • Yes, Namecheap offers easy domain transfer services, allowing you to move your domain to their platform.
  • Yes, Namecheap offers a website builder (paid option) to help users create websites without coding knowledge.
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