NameCheap vs Cloudways -Which Internet Host Reigns Supreme? 2023 Get hold of US

This Namecheap vs. Cloudways comes from somebody with firsthand expertise with each internet hosts. 

I began utilizing Namecheap in 2015, then on a shared internet hosting server. In 2020, throughout covid 19, I migrated to EasyWP, the cloud-managed WordPress internet hosting from Namecheap. 

After three years with EasyWP, I migrated to the Cloudways DigitalOcean server in June 2023.

Why did I transfer to Cloudways? And go away EasyWP? 

You’ll discover all of the solutions on this Namecheap versus Cloudways comparability evaluate. 

What You’ll study on this information

Listed below are a few takeaways from studying this put up.

• The principle cause I moved to Cloudways and why you must care. 
• How simple is it to deploy WordPress on each hosts?
• Who ought to use Namecheap or Cloudways?
• Efficiency check and internet hosting options.
• Which internet host helps with Google Core Internet Vitals? 
• Worth mannequin and internet hosting plan. 
• How responsive and supportive is buyer care? 

Cloudways and NameCheap – Overview

Co-founded in 2012 by Pere Hospital and Aaqib Gadit, Cloudways is a famend cloud internet hosting supplier that has redefined how companies and people construct an internet presence by high-quality internet hosting companies. 

By way of 5 fastidiously chosen cloud service suppliers (extra on that later), Cloudways supplies a user-friendly platform geared in direction of simplicity, delivering optimum server efficiency, scalable internet hosting plans, and aggressive internet hosting costs.

Cloudway’s goal clients are businesses, small companies, firms, internet builders, and people searching for internet hosting options that adapt to their distinctive wants and provide versatile scalability, permitting you to deal with enterprise progress with out worrying about server-side administration.  

Whereas it focuses on WordPress and WooCommerce internet hosting, Cloudways helps you to deploy different internet functions like Magento, PHP, and Laravel. All internet hosting sorts run on a managed internet hosting surroundings, so you’ll be able to focus extra on rising your online business. 

Namecheap is understood for being an accredited ICANN area identify registrar first and internet hosting second. The corporate is the second-largest area identify registrar worldwide, with over 16 million domains and counting.  

Solely GoDaddy, with over 76 million registered domains, has extra lively registered clients’ domains than Namecheap. 

It was based in 2000 by Richard Kirkendall with one mission: to make high-quality internet hosting companies reasonably priced for particular person and small enterprise homeowners. True to its mission, most Namecheap internet hosting packages are cheap but provide high-quality internet hosting options and companies.  

By way of the years, Namecheap has developed a number of cost-effective, revolutionary internet hosting and advertising and marketing options that assist companies and people begin, develop, and handle their companies with out breaking the financial institution.

Like Cloudways, Namecheap permits companies, people, and internet devs to put in internet functions within the Cpanel. As a part of the corporate’s internet hosting affordability mission, Namecheap launched EasyWP in Could 2017 to supply managed WordPress internet hosting options which might be reasonably priced to all. 

Now that you just grasp a quick overview of each firms let’s dive in. 

Ease of Use

Consumer expertise performs a big position in rapidly deploying internet functions, finding important internet hosting options and instruments, navigating the interface, and finishing essential duties. 

Each Cloudways and Namecheap have a easy and intuitive consumer interface, guaranteeing you don’t get misplaced your first time. 

In July 2023, Cloudways launched the redesigned consumer dashboard, which is extra intuitive, clean, and provides a greater consumer expertise. The brand new dashboard lets customers discover and handle internet hosting options extra successfully, showcase mandatory account settings, and simplify navigation. 

Right here is the brand new Cloudways consumer dashboard

Hovering your laptop mouse to wherever on the facet menu reveals a slideout panel. This slideout panel incorporates extra internet hosting options, account and mission settings, and administration. 

Right here, you’ll be able to entry options like Cloudways addons, group administration, mission administration, affiliate packages, add funds to your account, entry to servers and functions, and many others. 

You probably have been following by the picture, you’ll discover the Cloudways new consumer dashboard tries to be as clear and decluttered as potential. 

There aren’t any pointless components or options on the principle display screen space. Entry to most options is barely revealed by the slideout panel when wanted.

Nonetheless, you’ll be able to entry your server and utility settings from the principle display screen space with out sliding out the panel. 

Namecheap’s EasyWP makes use of a considerably extra simplified strategy to its consumer dashboard. 

Simplicity is at its finest. The consumer dashboard or management panel is custom-made to make server and web site administration as painless as potential. 

After finishing the signup course of, you’ll be greeted with a dashboard like this. 

To handle internet hosting options like SFTP and database access, CPU and RAM utilization report, provoke backups, and entry to add-ons, click on the “handle” button. Use the opposite button/hyperlink, “WP Admin,” to log in to your WordPress admin backend. 

Clicking the handle button/hyperlink opens the management panel for extra choices. 

Through its navigation menu, you’ll be able to entry different essential internet hosting options. On the overview web page, you’ll be able to entry account settings like billing, improve your internet hosting account, and think about the following compensation date. 

The overview web page additionally shows your utility’s WordPress model, CPU and RAM utilization, and entry to vary the area identify linked to your internet hosting account. 

An essential factor to notice is that EasyWP assigns a short lived area identify when opening the account. You need to later change this to your customized area identify earlier than making your weblog go dwell.  

This course of is extra simple in case your area identify is registered with Namecheap. Nevertheless, if registered with a 3rd get together, you could observe your area identify registrar’s directions for connecting to a internet hosting account. 

You can also follow this instruction to attach your area identify to the EasyWP internet hosting account. The hyperlinks work, too, should you use Cloudflare CDN or your area identify is registered with Cloudflare.

Area Administration 

Pointing your internet hosting account to a customized area identify on each platforms requires some clarification, particularly if that is your first time. 

Since Cloudways doesn’t provide area identify registration companies, EasyWP is extra of a standalone product from Namecheap; it turns into essential to configure your area identify to level to your server IP addresses. 

If you create a internet hosting account in Cloudways and EasyWP, your web site routinely deploys below a subdomain. One thing like this: 

(in Cloudways)

(in EasyWP)

You need to change this to your customized registered area identify handle. 

In Cloudways, click on the applying you wish to change its internet handle and choose “Area Administration” from the record. Click on “Add Area,” enter your area identify, and make it the first. 

Notice that you could have configured the DNS information in your area identify registrar to the Cloudways server IP for it to work. The way you do that will rely on the place your area is registered, although most processes observe the identical. 

Configuring domains in EasyWP is just like Cloudways.

Click on the change button subsequent to the default EasyWP subdomain identify on the management panel overview web page. 

On the following web page, choose the choice that most closely fits your scenario.

If it’s with a third-party supplier, choose the choice and observe the next directions configuring the DNS and creating new ALIAS information. 

The processes are very comparable, and every thing is easy and simple to grasp. Nevertheless, Cloudways and Namecheap provide real-time responsive help resp should you get caught and wish help.

I’ll talk about intimately the standard of their customer support later on this put up. 

Evaluating how simple it’s to finish the method on each platforms, I believe it’s a tie and nothing out of the peculiar.  

Efficiency and Server Pace

That is the place issues get a bit complicated and wish thorough analysis. 

Bear in mind I instructed you earlier on this put up that I moved to Cloudways for a cause however didn’t allow you to into why I did? 

This part explains why I migrated to Cloudways and discusses the problems I skilled whereas internet hosting with EasyWP. 

To be exact, I accomplished migration to EasyWP on April 20, 2020, and velocity and efficiency improved as anticipated. I used to be getting worth for cash till site visitors progressively elevated, and I began experiencing connection timeout points and often 429 error warnings. 

Although the efficiency was nice when testing with web page velocity testing instruments like Gtmetrix, Pingdom, and the remaining, the connection timeout was changing into extra frequent and worrisome as site visitors progressively elevated. 

The common connection timed out, or downtime doesn’t relate to excessive server useful resource utilization or something like that. With the quantity of site visitors I get on the time, I hardly run 50% of the server sources allotted. 

This was one of many GTMetrix assessments finished on the time for the weblog homepage. (Notice the date within the check outcome)

Since EasyWP has its built-in three-layer cache mechanism, I don’t have to fret about optimization a lot. The built-in cache mechanism works nice.

However as my weblog site visitors elevated, I noticed I wanted to maneuver to a better plan. So, I upgraded to the EasyWP Turbo plan with 1.5X extra CPU and RAM. 50 GB storage and 200k month-to-month visits.

After transferring to the Turbo plan, the downtime was considerably higher, and efficiency was improved. However one specific concern stays unresolved – Google Core Internet Very important, particularly Time to First Byte and the Largest ContentFul Paint.

Whereas tons of of different components or variables might have an effect on Core Internet Very important, a poor internet hosting server won’t assist, no matter how optimized different components are.  

One other concern I had with EasyWP is the built-in cache. Since it’s constructed into the core software program, there isn’t any method I can customise its settings. 

Furthermore, WP Rocket is on the record of restricted plugins in EasyWP. On the time, WP Rocket was one of many plugins I wished to check to enhance velocity and efficiency. So, this can be a no-bargain. 

After attempting many choices to enhance velocity, efficiency, and CWV, I migrated to Cloudways in April 2023. 

After migrating to the Cloudways DigitalOcean server, I observed improved server response time and CWV. 

This was not shocking, evaluating the Turbo plan and Cloudways DigitalOcean CPU and RAM dimension. You’ll at all times get what you pay for.

The small distinction in CPU and RAM sizes makes all of the variations within the velocity and efficiency of the web site pages. 

One other vital benefit I had internet hosting with Cloudways is the choice to take away its Breeze cache plugin. In contrast to EasyWP, Cloudways makes it simple to make use of cache plugins. You’re not compelled to make use of the beneficial plugin, Breeze. 

So, if Breeze is inadequate to your wants, you’ll be able to safely uninstall it and use one thing extra highly effective like WP Rocket, Perfmatters, or any mixture of cache and file/code optimization plugins you deem match to your web site.  

Relating to web site efficiency, velocity, and server response time, Cloudways is healthier than EasyWP, primarily based on my expertise. 

Cloudway’s partnership with Cloudflare Enterprise provides one other layer of velocity and efficiency to its core server infrastructure. With its world CDN, it pushes the internet hosting efficiency past good and makes sooner web site pages obtainable to customers no matter location. 

EasyWP additionally has free CDN for its Turbo and SuperSonic internet hosting plans, however it doesn’t present the identical options, velocity, and efficiency as Cloudflare Enterprises’ resolution. 

Internet hosting Options

EasyWP gives primary or important internet hosting options in comparison with at present’s cloud internet hosting options. There’s nothing out of the peculiar or unbelievable jaw-dropping internet hosting options. 

Here’s what you get for internet hosting with EasyWP:

• Free SSL certificates
• Free Supersonic CDN.
• Constructed-in 3-layer cache mechanism. (Varnish, Opcache, and Redis Object Cache)
• 100GB for its SuperSonic internet hosting plan, 50GB for Turbo, and 10GB for the Starter plan.
• Computerized updates – Plugins, themes, and WordPress Core software program. 
• On-demand and common backup. 
• Limitless bandwidth.
• Free Migration
• 30-day free trial 
• Secured entry to the database and STPF server.
• Actual-time useful resource utilization analytics report.
• Entry to add-ons (brand maker, Enterprise e mail, CDN, and Premium DNS)
• 24/7 help – On-line chats, e mail, and ticket help. 

Whereas these internet hosting options look spectacular, they fall wanting what you might have in Cloudways. 

Cloudways gives internet hosting options that make operating an internet presence enjoyable and painless, permitting you to place extra vitality, sources, and time into rising your online business. 

Internet hosting with Cloudways provides you entry to the next options: 

• Auto therapeutic
• Devoted firewall 
• Common automated and on-demand backup.
• Workforce administration
• Staging websites
• Free ObjectCache Professional.
• Set up limitless functions.
• SSH and SFTP entry.
• Safety patching.
• Free 1-year Astra Professional addon
• SSD-based server.
• Cloudflare Enterprise add-ons – (CDN + Picture optimization + cache, file minification, cellular optimization, early pre-hint, scrape defend, and web page edge caching). Additionally, embrace Cloudflare below the assault mode function. 
• Breeze plugin preinstalled (Cloudways devoted cache plugin.)
• Bot safety
• Cron job administration. 
• Highly effective analytics – server and useful resource utilization monitoring and error logs. 
• Deploy codes by way of GIT 

Now, let’s verify a few of what separates these two internet hosting options.

First, staging is one thing lacking in EasyWP on the time of scripting this line. You cannot clone your web site in a staging surroundings. 

Compared, staging is a part of the important internet hosting options in Cloudways, and it’s obtainable to all customers, no matter internet hosting package deal or plan.

EasyWP doesn’t provide automated web site backup. You may create a complete web site backup anytime, however it’s not dealt with routinely. It’s a must to provoke the backup course of manually.  

In distinction, Cloudways retains common day by day automated backups of your total web site in case of a sudden or surprising web site crash. 

The above screenshot exhibits the day by day automated backup of my web site within the Cloudways account. The very best half is restoring any backup restore factors is only one click on away. 

With this function, you don’t have to fret should you by chance make surprising adjustments to your web site; you’ll be able to restore it to an earlier state in a single click on. 

If that you must set cron jobs to automate duties, you cannot try this in EasyWP. Solely in Namecheap shared internet hosting are you able to arrange cron jobs. 

Additionally, as a result of method EasyWP is created, you cannot select which PHP model to your web site or configure limits to fit your distinctive wants. 

Whereas each platforms provide analytics options, the knowledge you entry with Cloudways is incomparable to EasyWP. 

EasyWP exhibits analytics knowledge on CPU and RAM utilization solely. 

Cloudways gives complete insights into server efficiency, error logs, disk utilization, MYSQL database, operating cron, and many others. It presents a deep perception into site visitors statistics, as you’ll be able to view real-time site visitors by IP handle, bot site visitors, requested URLs, and URL standing codes. 

These knowledge may help you provide a greater consumer expertise and enhance web optimization. 

One other vital benefit of Cloudways internet hosting is the bot safety options, which routinely stops hackers and dangerous bot from reaching your web site. 

With this function, you’ll be able to relaxation assured your web site is protected against hackers, cybercriminals, and dangerous bots. Cloudways preinstall the bot safety plugin, so that you don’t have to do it your self.

Moreover, Cloudways gives utility settings that give extra management over web site safety and web site efficiency. 

For instance, you’ll be able to allow/disable entry to your utility in a single click on. Block entry to your PHP information to stop hackers from importing information by backdoors. 

As well as, you’ll be able to disable WordPress XMLRPC to stop potential brute-force or DDoS assaults. Allows HTTPS 301 redirection for all mapped domains to your utility. This may enhance web optimization and improve crawling and indexing. 

As you may need guessed by now, making an attempt to cowl all of the Cloudways hoisting options on this Namecheap vs Cloudways with be exhausting. 

One factor to notice is that this Cloudways gives superior internet hosting options to Namecheap EasyWP. There isn’t any contest right here; it’s clearly a win for Cloudways. 

Pricing and Plans

EasyWP worth and plan are extra simple than Cloudways. This makes it important to check Namecheap’s EasyWP and Cloudways pricing fashions. 

You may select from three normal costs in EasyWP – Starter, Turbo, and Supersonic. Every plan provides you entry to a set restrict of sources and options. 

For its starter plan prices $6.88/month, you get 10GB SSD-based storage, 50k most month-to-month site visitors, and a free SSL certificates. 

The Turbo plan permits as much as 200k month-to-month visits, 50GB SSD storage, a free SSL certificates, and CDN. It additionally provides you extra CPU and RAM energy and prices $12.88 month-to-month. 

Its Supersonic plan has 100GB space for storing, a 99.99% uptime assure, 200k month-to-month visits, and a free CDN and SSL certificates. It has the very best RAM and CPU energy. 

Speaking about RAM and CPU, here’s what you get in EasyWP. 

Get a 30-day freed from EasyWP if that you must check it earlier than committing to a paid plan. 

On its half, Cloudways gives cloud internet hosting service from three completely different cloud service suppliers (it was 5, however Cloudways has dropped Vultr and Linode):

• Google Cloud
• DigitalOcean
• AWS – Amazon Internet Service

These suppliers provide completely different entry ranges and high quality of cloud internet hosting service by Cloudways partnership. DigitalOcean, being the most affordable, gives an entry-level internet hosting plan for freshmen and small enterprise homeowners.

Relating to flexibility in internet hosting pricing, Cloudways provides you extra management over how and what you’re paying for. 

In contrast to mounted internet hosting costs, no matter sources used throughout the month, Cloudways gives a pay-as-you-go pricing mannequin. As well as, you’ll be able to select to pay for sources used per hour or month-to-month.

This lets you solely get invoices for the sources used throughout the month or hourly. You by no means get billed for what you didn’t use.  

The DigitalOcean beginning worth is $11 month-to-month, with 25GB SSD-based storage and 1TB bandwidth. 

This worth is the start line; it’s $14 month-to-month if you swap to Premium as an alternative of the usual DigitalOcean server. 

Google Cloud’s beginning worth is $37.45 month-to-month, with 20GB storage and 2GB bandwidth. And AWS provides you 2GB bandwidth 20GB storage and prices $38.56 month-to-month for the beginning plan. 

Cloudways gives over 15 internet hosting packages for Google Cloud and AWS and 5 internet hosting packages for its DigitalOcean server; you’ll be able to verify them on the pricing web page. 

If that you must check Cloudways earlier than getting into together with your cash, you’ll be able to take the 3-day free trial provide, which provides you entry to the DigitalOcean server. Google Cloud and AWS servers aren’t obtainable for the free trial gives. 

Buyer Assist Service

I might argue each Cloudways and Namecheap provide wonderful help companies. 

I’ve engaged with the shopper departments a number of occasions, and each internet hosts have finished excellently. 

First, no uncommon delay in response time, and the onsite help reps are pleasant and supportive and at all times get my queries resolved. 

Namecheap gives onsite 24/7/365 dwell chat and ticket help. You’ll at all times get a reply by way of your registered e mail. No cellphone help on the time of writing. 

Whereas each platforms have finished effectively relating to help service high quality, Cloudways takes issues to the following stage by providing completely different help ranges for consumer wants. 

There are Normal, Superior, and Premium help add-ons.

The usual help is adequate for many Cloudways customers. It gives 24/7/365 responsive help reps. 

You’ll get Cloudways infrastructure and platform help, entry to open tickets, and onsite dwell chats. 

The superior help gives extra for customers who want greater than the common normal help companies. 

Along with every thing within the Normal helps, you’ll be able to entry utility and customization helps. And obtain well timed alerts for Proactive monitoring to analyze points rapidly. 

The Premium help addon is for mission-critical websites that want nearer collaboration and partnership with Cloidways. It provides you entry to every thing within the Superior, plus 24/7/365 entry to a personal Slack channel and cellphone help. 

As you must anticipate, there isn’t any free lunch. It prices cash to supply the additional help. Listed below are the extras you pay for the Superior and Premium help. 

Who Ought to Use Namecheap or Cloudways

For those who’re beginning with little to no expertise in digital advertising and marketing and wish to deal with internet hosting your self, Namecheap is your perfect internet host. 

Additionally, in case you have a restricted price range for a internet hosting plan and wish one thing extra reasonably priced with out sacrificing internet hosting efficiency, you must attempt Namecheap. It may very well be the shared internet hosting or its managed WordPress product – EasyWP. 

Namecheap is extra beginner-friendly, low-cost, and appropriate for low-traffic websites.

Conversely, Cloudways is extra appropriate for rising web sites with respectable site visitors and entrepreneurs with internet hosting administration expertise. 

Certain, most settings are hands-on, and also you don’t have to get entangled in server administration should you don’t wish to. However nonetheless, the extent of internet hosting options you get in Cloudways is extra geared in direction of intermediate and superior customers. 

Cloudways is the perfect possibility for businesses, internet growth firms, companies, and people with rising wants for internet hosting platforms that enable them to deal with the enterprise facet moderately than server administration. 

It’s the platform that allows you to customise your internet hosting expertise to fit your distinctive wants and entry different trade companies and instruments. 

Contemplate Cloudways should you want a internet hosting platform that ensures no downtime throughout sudden site visitors spikes or viral launches. Internet hosting sources are routinely allotted throughout high-traffic occasions and downgrade when the honeymoon ends.

Conclusion

I began utilizing Namecheap as a newbie, then Cloudways, as you possibly can guess, with extra expertise and data, so I had adequate data of each platforms. 

After fastidiously evaluating Namecheap vs Cloudways, options, infrastructures, pricing, and helps and sharing my expertise, it’s clear that Cloudways is the winner. 

Although Namecheap has some sturdy competing internet hosting options, it lacks superior options, mechanisms, and adaptability in Cloudways. 

Cloudways internet hosting is quicker, supplies extra safety features, and delivers high-performance internet hosting time than Namecheap.