Looking for a domain registrar? This guide to Porkbun vs Namecheap is here to help!
👉 We’ll compare four key aspects of these domain registrars:
- Available domain extensions
- Interface/user experience
- Customer support availability
- Cost
- Add-ons and additional products
We’ll then choose the overall winner based on the results of these categories.
Don’t have time to read the full article? You can see a quick summary of the results below:
Namecheap vs Porkbun: at a glance 🤜🆚🤛
🚀 Here’s a quick list of the winner in each category:
- Available domain extensions: Porkbun wins by an extremely narrow margin
- User interface: Porkbun wins by a narrow margin
- Customer support availability: Namecheap, with 24/7 customer service
- Pricing: Porkbun wins by a significant margin
- Add-ons and additional services: Tie
As you can see, Porkbun is the overall winner. However, Namecheap is a close contender in most categories and offers 24/7 customer service, so you might still want to consider registering your domain there.
Porkbun vs Namecheap: available domain extensions 🌐
A domain extension or TLD (Top-Level Domain) is the final part of your domain name. For example, in domainwheel.com, the TLD is .com.
Domain extensions are intended to categorize your website. Some have highly specific uses, like .edu for educational organizations, while others like .com can be used for any type of website. You can learn more about various types of extensions and what they mean in our full guide to domain extensions.
For our Namecheap vs Porkbun comparison, we’ll focus on both the overall number of TLDs offered by each registrar and the availability of specific, highly sought after TLDs.
TLDs offered by Namecheap
According to TLD list, Namecheap has 539 TLDs currently available [1]. You’ll find all of the common domain extensions like .com, .net, and .org here. You can also get many niche TLDs, such as:
- .ai
- .co
- .io
- .shop
- .tech
- .biz
- .online
- .bio
Namecheap also offers numerous Country Code TLDs (ccTLDS), such as .ca and .co.uk.
TLDs offered by Porkbun
Porkbun has an impressive collection of 542 domain extensions [2]. This includes all of the most popular domain extensions like .com and .net, numerous ccTLDs, and a wide variety of niche TLDs.
Like Namecheap, Porkbun also offers the previously mentioned, high-demand niche TLDs (e.g., .ai, .co, etc).
Available domain extensions: the winner 🏆
Technically, Porkbun wins this round with its 542 TLDs. However, Namecheap isn’t far behind, with 539 domain extensions available. With such a narrow margin between the two, it’s quite possible and likely that the “winner” between them shifts back and forth from time to time. The bottom line is that there’s a good chance you’ll be able to buy a domain with the TLD you want on either platform.
Porkbun vs Namecheap: user interface/ease of use 🖱️
The next thing we’ll look at for our Namecheap vs Porkbun comparison is how easy it is to register a domain with each company.
Let’s start with Porkbun.
Registering a domain with Porkbun
You can start by going to the Porkbun website, typing your ideal domain into the search bar, and clicking on the magnifying glass. This will take you to a page where you’ll see availability for your ideal domain/TLD, plus alternate TLDs available for your desired domain.
The one drawback of this search is that the top TLDs listed, other than the one you searched for, aren’t very common. Of the most common TLDs, only .org is immediately visible, and it’s not actually part of the main list. If you want to get a .net domain, you’ll need to run an entirely separate search.
On the other hand, you’ll notice my favorite thing about Porkbun’s purchase process as soon as you click the + button next to your chosen domain: there’s no upsell. The only thing that appears is a Checkout option.
There are some upsells on the checkout page, but they’re so minimal that I didn’t even notice them at first glance. Plus you’ll see that purchasing a domain name from Porkbun also nets you a variety of free trials, so you can test out anything you’re interested in buying without worrying about money at this stage.
Clicking Continue will take you to a page where you can create an account, and from there you’ll be asked to fill in payment information. And then your domain is registered!
In summary, the Porkbun domain registration process is quite simple and minimalistic, with less aggressive upsells than other domain registrars I’ve personally tested or used.
Registering a domain with Namecheap
Namecheap also makes it easy to buy a domain. You can start your search in seconds by going to the Namecheap website, typing your ideal domain into the search bar, and clicking Search. This takes you to a page where you can see the availability of your ideal domain.
Just like with Porkbun, you’ll also see other TLDs that are available. The main difference vs Porkbun though, is that Namecheap will also show you more commonly used TLDs like .org and .net.
You can buy as many of these domains as you want by clicking the Add to cart button next to every domain you’re interested in.
Clicking on the Add to cart button opens an upsell box, where Namecheap encourages you to buy services like web and email hosting:
This is kind of annoying, but it’s easy enough to move past. If you don’t want any of these services, simply click the Checkout button at the bottom of the page. This will take you to a page where you can review the details of your order and purchase additional services if you want them.
Assuming you don’t want any additional services, the only thing you need to do here is click Confirm Order. You’ll then be asked to create an account and enter your payment information.
All in all, this process is easy, though the persistent attempts to sell you on other products can be a bit frustrating.
User interface: the winner 🏆
Once again, Porkbun is the winner, but the advantage is slight. Both registrars make it quite simple to buy a domain. The difference is that Porkbun isn’t as pushy with its upsells, which can be annoying if you’re certain you only want a domain name.
Porkbun vs Namecheap: customer support availability 🧑💻
Now let’s take a look at the customer service options provided by each of these registrars.
Porkbun customer support availability
Porkbun offers three types of customer support:
- Phone support, available from 4AM – 5PM Pacific Time during the work week and 9AM – 5PM Pacific Time on Saturdays and Sundays. This service is also available during these times on holidays.
- Live chat, available during the same hours as phone support.
- Email, which you can send at any time, but you’ll only receive a response during the hours listed for phone support.
Namecheap customer support availability
Namecheap offers two types of customer support:
- Support tickets, which can be submitted through the Namecheap website and are handled by support staff who work 24/7. Therefore, you can submit a ticket at any time and expect a prompt response.
- Live chat, which is similarly available, 24/7.
Customer support options: the winner 🏆
This is one area where Namecheap wins the Namecheap vs Porkbun debate. Technically Porkbun offers more options, but you can’t get support at any time of day – and if you’re in a different time zone, you might struggle to access it during your workday.
Namecheap, on the other hand, makes its customer support available 24/7, which is ideal for users in time zones other than PST, and users who might need prompt service at unusual hours.
Porkbun vs Namecheap: pricing 💳
Next, let’s look at what each registrar charges for specific TLDs. We’ll consider both initial prices and renewal pricing.
Porkbun domain pricing
Here’s a quick roundup of what popular domain extensions cost on Porkbun:
- .com – $10.37 per year
- .org – $6.60 for the first year, $10.72 per year upon renewal
- .net – $11.48 per year
- .co – $9.58 per year, $22.97 per year upon renewal
- .ai – $72.40 per year
Namecheap domain pricing
Now let’s take a look at what those same domain extensions cost on Namecheap:
- .com – $9.98 for the first year, $13.98 per year upon renewal
- .org – $6.98 for the first year, $12.98 per year upon renewal
- .net – $11.18 for the first year, $13.98 per year upon renewal
- .co – $3.48 for the first year, $26.98 per year upon renewal
- .ai – $79.98 for the first year, $89.98 per year upon renewal
Pricing: the winner 🏆
Both registrars offer seasonal deals on certain domains. However, even taking that into consideration, this is one area of the Porkbun vs Namecheap debate where Porkbun edges out Namecheap. Porkbun doesn’t offer first year deals on all domains, but you’ll still pay less on your domain for the first year and every year after.
Porkbun vs Namecheap: add-ons and additional services ⚙️
Like most domain registrars, both Namecheap and Porkbun offer a wide range of services that can help you start an online business. We’ll take a closer look at these in this section, starting with the services offered by Porkbun.
Porkbun add-ons and additional services
All Porkbun domains come with WHOIS privacy and SSL certification, which is notable as these are sometimes considered (paid) add-ons by other domain registrars.
The company also offers some additional services:
- Web hosting to help you create a website. This starts at $2.50 per month.
- Site builder so you can build your website with no technical experience. This starts at $3 per month.
- Email hosting for custom email addresses at your domain (like
yourname@example.com). This starts at $24 per year.
As noted in the registration section of this Porkbun vs Namecheap comparison, you’ll get a free trial of these services with every domain registration. You can then decide if you wish to purchase them as separate products when the free trial ends.
Namecheap add-ons and additional services
Namecheap bundles WHOIS privacy into every domain purchase. You can also buy a Premium DNS add-on which provides 100% DNS uptime and DDoS protection, available for $4.88 per year. If you want SSL certification, you can purchase this for an additional $5.99 per year.
There are also numerous additional services available through Namecheap, including:
- Web hosting starting at $4.48 per month.
- Email hosting for $41.88 per year.
- VPN starting at $0.99 per month and renewing at $7.88 per month.
- SEO manager for $9.88 per month.
And these are just the main services available. Namecheap also provides a variety of other marketing and security tools for running an online business.
Add-ons and additional services: the winner 🏆
This one is hard to choose a winner for. Namecheap seems like the instinctive first choice as it offers a wider variety of services. However, Porkbun offers the most essential core services for building an online business, and they’re more affordable than the Namecheap equivalents.
In the end, I decided to declare this one a tie. If you want more services in one place, Namecheap is the solution. If your main goal is to save money, however, Porkbun is the company to go with.
Porkbun vs Namecheap: the verdict 🧑⚖️
So, what is the best domain registrar? Well, here’s a roundup of our winner in each category:
- Available domain extensions: Porkbun wins by an extremely narrow margin
- User interface: Porkbun wins by a narrow margin
- Customer support availability: Namecheap wins with 24/7 service
- Pricing: Porkbun wins by a significant margin
- Add-ons and additional services: Tie
Based on these categories, it’s clear that Porkbun is the winner of the Porkbun vs Namecheap debate. However, if you’re concerned about receiving prompt customer service and you live outside of Pacific Time, it’s still worth considering Namecheap.
Want to transfer a domain to one of these registrars to save money? Check out our step-by-step guide on how to transfer a domain.
