GoDaddy's Web Hosting Economy plan starts at $5.99/mo when paid for a 3-year term (list price $11.99/mo, shown struck through as a 50% discount); GoDaddy does not state a renewal rate anywhere on the captured pricing page. Namecheap's entry-level Stellar plan runs $5.88/mo on the monthly toggle -- almost identical to GoDaddy's discounted 3-year rate, but without the 3-year commitment -- and drops to $2.28/mo on the yearly toggle and $1.88/mo on the bi-yearly toggle. Namecheap's step-up tier, Stellar Plus, runs $7.88/mo monthly. Neither Namecheap plan discloses a numeric renewal price; Namecheap's own page states only that the trial-period discount does not apply at renewal.
The real decision here isn't which sticker price is lower -- it's what each plan includes at that price, what commitment it takes to get there, and what's left unstated for later. Below is the full breakdown.
Disclosure: HostingDive may earn a commission if you buy through the Namecheap link on this page, at no extra cost to you. GoDaddy's link on this page is a direct, non-affiliate link -- HostingDive has no commission relationship with GoDaddy for this entity.
Quick Comparison
| Criterion | GoDaddy (Web Hosting Economy) | Namecheap (Stellar / Stellar Plus) |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $5.99/mo (3-year term) | $5.88/mo Stellar (monthly toggle) / $7.88/mo Stellar Plus (monthly toggle) |
| Renewal price | Not stated on GoDaddy's captured page (NOT_FOUND) | Not disclosed for either plan (NOT_FOUND) |
| Websites included | 1 | 3 (Stellar); not captured for Stellar Plus |
| Storage | 25GB NVMe | 20GB SSD (Stellar); not captured for Stellar Plus |
| Bandwidth | Unmetered | Unmetered |
| Free domain | Yes, first year | Yes, first year (non-premium) |
| Free SSL | Yes, 1 year | Yes, 50 certificates, 1 year |
| Free migration | Not listed for this plan | Yes, included |
| Backups | Automatic, daily | Twice a week |
| Uptime guarantee | 99.9% | 100% |
| Money-back window | 30 days | 30 days |
| HostingDive rail | PLAIN -- no affiliate relationship | CLOAK -- live affiliate link |
Pricing Table: Every Toggle and Term
| Plan | Term / Toggle | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| GoDaddy Web Hosting Economy | 3-year term | $5.99/mo | List price $11.99/mo struck through (SAVE 50%); no renewal figure stated |
| Namecheap Stellar | Monthly | $5.88/mo | After 30-day free trial |
| Namecheap Stellar | Yearly | $2.28/mo | 61% off, after free trial |
| Namecheap Stellar | Bi-yearly | $1.88/mo | 68% off, after free trial |
| Namecheap Stellar Plus | Monthly | $7.88/mo | After 30-day free trial |
| Namecheap Stellar Plus | Yearly | $2.98/mo | After free trial |
| Namecheap Stellar Plus | Bi-yearly | $2.28/mo | After free trial |
Cost Over the Disclosed Term (Worked Example)
| Plan | Disclosed Term | Rate Used | Total for That Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| GoDaddy Web Hosting Economy | 3 years (36 months) | $5.99/mo | $215.64 |
| Namecheap Stellar, monthly toggle | 12 months (no fixed term required) | $5.88/mo | $70.56 |
| Namecheap Stellar, yearly toggle | 12 months | $2.28/mo | $27.36 |
| Namecheap Stellar, bi-yearly toggle | 24 months | $1.88/mo | $45.12 |
| Namecheap Stellar Plus, monthly toggle | 12 months (no fixed term required) | $7.88/mo | $94.56 |
| Namecheap Stellar Plus, yearly toggle | 12 months | $2.98/mo | $35.76 |
| Namecheap Stellar Plus, bi-yearly toggle | 24 months | $2.28/mo | $54.72 |
These totals are calculated by HostingDive from each plan's certified monthly rate multiplied by its disclosed term length -- neither GoDaddy nor Namecheap publishes a total-due-today figure in this cohort's capture. Matched over the same 24-month window, Namecheap's bi-yearly Stellar toggle ($45.12 total) costs less than a third of what GoDaddy's 3-year commitment would run for the equivalent 24 months ($5.99/mo x 24 = $143.76). Neither vendor states what either plan costs starting year four (GoDaddy) or after the disclosed toggle period (Namecheap), so nothing here should be read as a lifetime cost projection -- only as a same-terms snapshot of the pricing each company has actually published.
GoDaddy: Full Spec Breakdown
GoDaddy's entry-level plan is Web Hosting Economy, priced at $5.99/mo when paid for a 3-year term (list price $11.99/mo, shown struck through as a 50% savings). GoDaddy's captured pricing page does not state an explicit "renews at" figure anywhere -- that's a genuine gap in the published page, not an oversight in this comparison, so it's reported here as not stated rather than estimated.
Economy includes 1 website, 25GB of NVMe storage, unmetered bandwidth, a free domain for the first year, free SSL for one year, free email, cPanel access, and automatic daily backups. GoDaddy backs the plan with a 99.9% uptime guarantee and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Economy does not list a free migration feature -- GoDaddy does advertise a WordPress migration tool, but that tool sits on a separate, higher plan and doesn't apply to Economy.
GoDaddy's link on this page is a plain, direct link to godaddy.com. There is no affiliate relationship between HostingDive and GoDaddy for this entity -- nothing on this page implies HostingDive earns anything if you buy GoDaddy hosting.
Namecheap: Full Spec Breakdown
Namecheap sells two distinct entry-tier plans that are easy to conflate: Stellar and Stellar Plus. They are not the same plan at two prices -- they're different tiers, and every price below is named against the specific plan it belongs to.
Stellar opens with a 30-day free trial, then bills at $5.88/mo on the monthly toggle, $2.28/mo on the yearly toggle (61% off), or $1.88/mo on the bi-yearly toggle (68% off). It includes 3 websites, 20GB of SSD storage, 30 mailboxes, unmetered bandwidth, a 100% uptime guarantee, free SSL (50 certificates, 1 year), free migration, a free domain for the first year (non-premium domains only), backups twice a week, cPanel, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Stellar Plus also opens with a 30-day free trial, then bills at $7.88/mo monthly, $2.98/mo yearly, or $2.28/mo bi-yearly. The certified capture for this cohort documents Stellar Plus pricing specifically but does not spell out additional feature deltas beyond Stellar's spec list -- if the extra $2/mo (monthly toggle) matters to your decision, check Namecheap's own plan-comparison page for the specific resource increase before signing up.
Neither Stellar nor Stellar Plus discloses a numeric renewal price. Namecheap's page states that its promotional discount does not carry over to renewal, but it does not name what the renewal rate actually is -- so budget accordingly rather than assuming the discounted rate is permanent.
Namecheap's link on this page is a live affiliate link. HostingDive may earn a commission if you sign up through it, at no extra cost to you.
Head-to-Head: Pricing (Intro and Renewal)
GoDaddy's $5.99/mo requires locking in a 3-year term to get that rate; nothing on GoDaddy's page tells you what you'll pay starting year four. Namecheap's Stellar plan matches that price almost exactly at $5.88/mo -- but on the monthly toggle, with no multi-year prepay required. If you're willing to pay annually or biennially instead, Stellar drops to $2.28/mo or $1.88/mo, both well under GoDaddy's discounted 3-year rate.
The gap widens once commitment levels are factored in: GoDaddy's headline number needs a 3-year prepay to unlock, while Namecheap's headline number ($5.88/mo) needs none. Namecheap's cheaper toggles do require prepaying a year or two years upfront, similar in spirit to GoDaddy's structure -- but at a lower monthly-equivalent rate at every matched term. The one thing neither vendor tells you is what happens after the discount period ends; budget for an increase on both sides, since neither company states a number to plan against.
Head-to-Head: Storage, Site Limits, and Backups
GoDaddy Economy caps you at 1 website with 25GB of NVMe storage and automatic daily backups. Namecheap Stellar allows 3 websites on the same entry-tier price, with 20GB of SSD storage and backups twice a week.
If you're running more than one small site, Namecheap Stellar's 3-site allowance covers that need on its entry plan where GoDaddy Economy would require an upgrade. If backup frequency matters more than site count -- for example, a single site that changes daily -- GoDaddy's daily automatic backup cadence beats Namecheap's twice-weekly schedule.
Which Should You Buy
Choose GoDaddy Web Hosting Economy if: you're running a single brochure or small-business site, want backups running every day without configuring anything, are comfortable prepaying a 3-year term to lock in $5.99/mo, and want cPanel plus a bundled free email account.
Choose Namecheap Stellar if: you're hosting up to 3 small sites and want them on one entry-tier plan, want the option to pay month-to-month at $5.88/mo without a multi-year commitment, or want the lowest possible monthly-equivalent rate ($1.88-$2.28/mo) by prepaying a year or two.
Choose Namecheap Stellar Plus if: Stellar's spec list fits your site but you've confirmed with Namecheap that you need the next tier up -- the $7.88/mo monthly rate (or its discounted toggle equivalents) buys headroom Namecheap doesn't itemize against Stellar in this cohort's certified capture, so verify the specific difference before paying the higher tier.
See the full review for GoDaddy and Namecheap on HostingDive -- with intro vs renewal pricing and support response time data, where available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does GoDaddy's $5.99/mo Web Hosting Economy price include a free domain forever?
No. The free domain applies to the first year only, per the certified capture. No renewal price is stated for the hosting plan or the domain.
What's the actual difference between Namecheap's Stellar and Stellar Plus plans?
Stellar runs $5.88/mo on the monthly toggle ($2.28/mo yearly, $1.88/mo bi-yearly); Stellar Plus runs $7.88/mo monthly ($2.98/mo yearly, $2.28/mo bi-yearly). Both start with a 30-day free trial, and neither discloses a numeric renewal rate.
Does GoDaddy or Namecheap charge more at renewal?
Neither vendor's captured pricing page states a specific renewal number for these entry plans, so a direct year-over-year comparison isn't possible from published figures. Namecheap does confirm that its trial-period discount doesn't apply at renewal, without naming the new rate.
Can I host more than one website on GoDaddy's Economy plan?
No -- Economy is capped at 1 website. Namecheap's Stellar plan allows up to 3 websites at $5.88/mo on the monthly toggle.
Does either plan include free site migration?
Namecheap's Stellar and Stellar Plus both include free migration. GoDaddy's Economy plan does not list a free migration feature for that tier; GoDaddy's WP migration tool applies to a separate plan.
Is HostingDive paid for referring GoDaddy signups on this page?
No. GoDaddy's link on this page is a plain, non-affiliate link with no commission relationship for this entity. Namecheap's link is a live affiliate link, and HostingDive may earn a commission if you sign up through it.
Comparing more than these two hosts? See HostingDive's roundup of the best WordPress hosting for 2026, tested and ranked.