Namecheap's entry shared hosting plan, Stellar, runs $5.88/mo on the monthly toggle (drops to $2.28/mo on the yearly toggle and $1.88/mo on the bi-yearly toggle). Hostinger's closest match, the Premium plan, runs $2.99/mo on its 48-month default term and renews at $10.99/mo. Both plans give you 3 websites and 20GB of storage -- the specs tie almost exactly. The pricing structures behind those numbers do not: one host prices in short toggles with no disclosed renewal figure, the other locks buyers into a multi-year term with a stated renewal rate. That structural difference, not the sticker price, is what should drive the decision here.
One more thing to flag before the numbers: Hostinger currently ships on HostingDive as a plain, non-affiliate link (Pending Approval status, no live commission relationship as of this cohort's capture). Namecheap ships as a live HostingDive affiliate partnership. Neither status changes which plan is the better fit for your site -- it only changes whether HostingDive earns anything if you click through, which is disclosed below so it doesn't quietly shape the recommendation.
Disclosure: HostingDive may earn a commission if you buy through the Namecheap link on this page, at no extra cost to you. The Hostinger link on this page is a direct link to the vendor -- HostingDive does not currently have a live affiliate relationship with Hostinger, and no commission applies to that link.
Quick Comparison
| Criterion | Namecheap (Stellar) | Hostinger (Premium) |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $5.88/mo (monthly toggle) | $2.99/mo (48-month term) |
| Lowest available rate | $1.88/mo (bi-yearly toggle, 68% off) | $2.99/mo (Hostinger's only captured rate) |
| Renewal price | Not disclosed as a number -- Namecheap's page states the discount "does not apply to renewals" but names no figure | $10.99/mo |
| Websites | 3 | 3 |
| Storage | 20GB SSD | 20GB SSD |
| Commitment structure | Toggle: monthly, yearly, or bi-yearly -- no forced multi-year lock | 48-month default term ($143.52 total, list price $575.52) |
| Rail on this page | CLOAK -- HostingDive affiliate link | PLAIN -- direct vendor link, no commission |
| Verdict | Best for buyers who want a stated renewal caveat up front and don't want a multi-year lock | Best for buyers comfortable prepaying 4 years for the lowest monthly sticker price |
Namecheap: Full Spec Breakdown
Namecheap sells two distinct shared hosting tiers -- Stellar and Stellar Plus -- and they are not interchangeable. Mixing up which price belongs to which plan is a common mistake, so name the plan every time you see a Namecheap price.
Stellar (base plan): 30-day free trial, then $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 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, a 30-day money-back guarantee, and cPanel.
Stellar Plus (the next tier up -- do not conflate this with Stellar): also a 30-day free trial, then $7.88/mo monthly, $2.98/mo yearly, or $2.28/mo bi-yearly. Namecheap's own pricing page did not break out separate site-count or storage figures for Stellar Plus in this capture, so the confirmed difference from Stellar is the price tier itself -- treat the numbers above as the certified delta between the two plans rather than assuming Stellar Plus simply doubles Stellar's specs.
No numeric renewal price is disclosed for either Namecheap plan. Namecheap's pricing page states that its promotional discount does not apply to renewals, but it does not name a renewal dollar figure anywhere on the captured page. That is a real gap buyers should ask about directly before signing up, not an oversight in this comparison.
Hostinger: Full Spec Breakdown
Hostinger runs on a 48-month default term across its shared hosting lineup, which is a longer default commitment than either Namecheap toggle option.
Premium: $2.99/mo on the 48-month default term, renewing at $10.99/mo. That works out to $143.52 for the full 48 months against a stated regular price of $575.52. It includes 3 websites and 20GB SSD storage. A prior reconciliation of live HostingDive pages this cohort ran found other pages incorrectly describing Premium as offering "100 websites" and "100GB storage" -- that figure is stale and does not match Hostinger's current spec page. The certified current spec is 3 websites and 20GB storage, and that is what this page uses.
Unlimited: $3.79/mo on the same 48-month default term, renewing at $16.99/mo. This tier lifts the site cap entirely -- Hostinger's page names it "Unlimited" websites rather than a numeric ceiling, plus 50GB of NVMe storage. A separate prior reconciliation found this tier understated as "100" sites on one live HD page; that is also stale. Unlimited means uncapped, per the certified capture.
Beyond price, term, site count, and storage, Hostinger's captured pricing page did not state SSL terms, migration policy, backup frequency, or an uptime guarantee figure for either plan. This page does not compare those attributes because they were not part of the certified capture -- not because Hostinger necessarily lacks them.
Head-to-Head: Pricing (Intro and Renewal)
At the entry tier, Namecheap's monthly-toggle Stellar price ($5.88/mo) is roughly double Hostinger's 48-month Premium price ($2.99/mo), but that comparison only holds if you're willing to match Hostinger's commitment length. Namecheap's bi-yearly toggle ($1.88/mo) actually undercuts Hostinger's Premium rate, without requiring a four-year prepay -- Namecheap's bi-yearly toggle covers a 2-year term, half of Hostinger's default.
The renewal comparison is where the two hosts diverge most. Hostinger states its renewal rate plainly: $10.99/mo for Premium, a 3.7x jump from the $2.99/mo intro rate. Namecheap discloses no renewal number at all for Stellar or Stellar Plus -- only that the intro discount does not carry over. A buyer comparing "what will I actually pay in year two" can get a straight answer from Hostinger's page and cannot get one from Namecheap's.
At the next tier up, Hostinger's Unlimited plan ($3.79/mo intro, $16.99/mo renewal) buys uncapped websites and 50GB of NVMe storage. Namecheap's Stellar Plus ($7.88/mo monthly, $2.98/mo yearly, $2.28/mo bi-yearly) buys a step up from Stellar in price alone, since specific site/storage deltas for Stellar Plus were not part of this capture.
Head-to-Head: Commitment Length and Flexibility
This is the real differentiator between the two hosts. Namecheap's pricing is built around a toggle -- monthly, yearly, or bi-yearly -- with no plan requiring a multi-year prepay to access its lowest listed rate tier (bi-yearly still tops out at 2 years). Hostinger's $2.99/mo Premium rate is gated behind a 48-month default term; there is no shorter-term option shown in this capture at that price point.
For a buyer who isn't certain a site will still exist in four years -- a client project, a seasonal business site, an early-stage side project -- Namecheap's toggle structure caps the financial exposure of a wrong bet. For a buyer who already knows they want to run a stable site for years and wants to lock in the lowest possible monthly number today, Hostinger's 48-month term turns that certainty into a lower price.
When to Choose Namecheap
- Buy if you want a stated 100% uptime guarantee and a documented feature list (30 mailboxes, twice-weekly backups, free migration) attached to the plan you're paying for.
- Buy if you don't want to commit past 2 years to get a competitive per-month rate.
- Buy if you want your purchase to route through a live HostingDive affiliate link.
- Skip if an unresolved renewal price is a dealbreaker -- Namecheap will not tell you the number until you're already a customer.
When to Choose Hostinger
- Buy if you want the lowest available entry price at the 3-site, 20GB tier and are comfortable prepaying a 48-month term ($143.52 total for Premium).
- Buy if you need an uncapped website count -- the Unlimited plan is the only option between these two hosts that removes the site ceiling entirely.
- Buy if you want a stated renewal number ($10.99/mo Premium, $16.99/mo Unlimited) so you can plan year-two costs precisely.
- Skip if you want your purchase to generate an HD commission -- Hostinger's link on this page is plain, with no live affiliate relationship behind it.
The Fine Print
Hostinger's 48-month default term means paying for four years of hosting up front to access its lowest stated rate; that is real capital tied up before you know how the site performs. Namecheap avoids that lock-in but leaves the renewal price as an open question -- confirm the actual year-two number directly with Namecheap before you sign up, since it is not published anywhere on the captured pricing page.
Rail status matters here too. Namecheap's link on this page is a live HostingDive affiliate cloak (hostingdive.com/go/namecheap/). Hostinger's link is a direct, non-affiliate link to the vendor's own pricing page (hostinger.com/web-hosting) -- Hostinger's status is Pending Approval with no live commission relationship as of this capture, despite Hostinger appearing on other existing HostingDive comparison pages. No commission is implied or should be inferred from that link.
See the full review for Namecheap and Hostinger on HostingDive -- with intro vs renewal pricing and support response time data.
Still weighing Hostinger against another host? See our Hostinger vs Bluehost comparison for how Hostinger stacks up against Bluehost's tiered renewal model.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Namecheap's Stellar plan have a disclosed renewal price?
No. Namecheap's pricing page states that its promotional discount does not apply to renewals but does not publish a numeric renewal rate for Stellar or Stellar Plus. Confirm the actual figure directly with Namecheap before signing up.
What is the difference between Namecheap Stellar and Stellar Plus?
Stellar runs $5.88/mo monthly, $2.28/mo yearly, or $1.88/mo bi-yearly, with 3 websites and 20GB SSD storage. Stellar Plus runs $7.88/mo monthly, $2.98/mo yearly, or $2.28/mo bi-yearly. Specific site and storage figures for Stellar Plus were not part of this capture -- the confirmed difference is the price tier itself.
How long is Hostinger's Premium plan term?
48 months by default, at $2.99/mo, renewing at $10.99/mo. That works out to $143.52 total for the full term against a stated regular price of $575.52.
Does HostingDive earn a commission if I buy Hostinger through this page?
No. Hostinger's link on this page is a plain, direct link to the vendor. Hostinger currently has Pending Approval affiliate status with no live commission relationship, so no commission applies.
Which host offers an unlimited number of websites?
Hostinger, on its Unlimited plan ($3.79/mo on the 48-month term, renewing at $16.99/mo, 50GB NVMe storage). Namecheap's Stellar plan caps at 3 websites; Stellar Plus's site cap was not part of this capture.
Do Namecheap Stellar and Hostinger Premium offer the same storage?
Yes, at the entry tier both offer 20GB storage -- Namecheap specifies 20GB SSD, Hostinger specifies 20GB SSD as well, at matching 3-website caps.