Gandi vs Namecheap (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Namecheap grades higher than Gandi: 2.2 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Namecheap grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Gandi
European web hosting plans with a domain and mailboxes included
Namecheap
Domain registrar's cPanel shared hosting, billed monthly or yearly
Which one is for you
Pick Gandi if
- Fits if you want a domain, a mailbox and a small site from one company
- Makes sense if you want your data kept in France or Luxembourg
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free trial, as none is listed
- Tight if you host more than one site, because Essential and Starter allow one at up to 512 MB RAM
- Watch out: no renewal price is stated, and a banner offers 50% off a first site
- Watch out: support is email and chat only, and prices are in euros without tax
Pick Namecheap if
- Fits if your domains already live at Namecheap
- Works for people who already know their way around cPanel
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you need more than 3 sites or automatic backups, which start on Stellar Plus
- Pricey if you keep the free SSL past year one, as it's a paid renewal after that
- Skip it if you want to try it without committing, as the trial turns into a paid year
- Watch out: only renewal rates could be read, as the hosting page answered with a bot check
- Not for you if you count on a full refund, as cPanel and Softaculous licenses aren't refunded
How we grade them
| 1.8GPAGandiWeak | 2.2GPANamecheapFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BEssential is €2 a month billed yearly, which is under the $5.28 cheaper-quarter line, but the renewal price is not stated and the plan has 512 MB of RAM. | AOnly renewal rates could be read, and Stellar on a 2-year term is still $102.88, about $4.29 a month over two years, under the $5.97 an A needs. Any first-term discount would only bring that down. Monthly is $5.88. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan or trial is listed on the pages read. | DA 30-day trial on yearly Stellar packages, which turns into a paid first year at the after-trial price when it ends. That makes it a trial you sign up to pay for, not a free plan. |
| Features | CA domain, mailboxes, one-click installs, SSL, snapshots and PHP, Python or Node. Prestashop and Nextcloud start at Advanced. | CcPanel with Softaculous for 200+ apps, AI site builders, malware scanning and 2FA. The gaps are on Stellar: manual backups only, 3 websites and 30 mailboxes, and the free SSL lasts a year per domain. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. A hosting control panel and DNS are yours to set up. | CNo app store rating to go on. cPanel and Softaculous are familiar to many, but there's a fair bit to learn if you're new to them. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, with WordPress, Prestashop and Nextcloud installs. | CA web dashboard only. The named integrations are installers and builders, WordPress, Softaculous, Sitejet and Extendify, with no API on record. |
| Best for | cheap hosting bundled with a domain and mailbox | cPanel hosting beside your domains |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Gandi and Namecheap. How we grade
Price against what you get
Gandi starts at about $2.23 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Namecheap starts at $4.29 a month and scores 2.0.
They score the same, and Gandi starts $2.06 a month lower. Of the other web hosts on the chart, 6 score higher than Gandi for less, and 9 score higher than Namecheap for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Gandi also covers page speed.
- Namecheap also covers malware protection.
At a glance
| Gandi | Namecheap | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | €2.00 per month, billed yearly; renewal price not stated | $5.88 per month (Stellar), or $102.88 every 2 years, at renewal rates |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 30-day trial of yearly Stellar packages, after which the first year is charged at the after-trial price |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Gandi | Namecheap, Inc. |
| Price read from | gandi.net | namecheap.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Gandi
- Prices are in euros and exclude taxes. The page states no renewal price, and a homepage banner offers 50% off a first website on a yearly plan.
- Essential and Starter allow one website and up to 1 CPU and 512 MB of RAM.
- Prestashop and Nextcloud installs start at the Advanced plan.
- Support is by email and chat only, with no phone support listed.
Namecheap
- Only the renewal rates could be read: the shared hosting page, which shows first-term discounts and trial terms, answered our readers with a bot check.
- The free SSL lasts one year per domain; keeping it after that is a paid renewal.
- Stellar stops at 3 websites, 30 mailboxes and 20 GB; unlimited sites and automatic backups need Stellar Plus or Business.
- The 30-day money-back guarantee covers first-time hosting accounts only, and cPanel or Softaculous licenses are not refunded.
Key features
Gandi
- Domain and mailboxes included
- Every plan includes a domain name from a list of over 80 extensions, plus one mailbox (Essential) or two (the other plans) with 10 GB each.
- One-click app installs
- WordPress, Matomo and GravCMS install automatically. Advanced and above add Prestashop and Nextcloud.
- Custom code in PHP, Python or Node
- All plans can host a custom application or website written in PHP, Python or Node, with PostgreSQL or MySQL databases.
- SSL, DNS and snapshots
- Plans include unlimited auto-renewed SSL certificates, Anycast DNS with DNSSEC and snapshots of a web instance that can be restored.
- Data hosted in France and Luxembourg
- The plan table lists France and Luxembourg as the data hosting locations. Support is by email and chat.
- Hosting Booster on higher plans
- Hosting Booster is listed as included on Pro and Business and not on the three cheaper plans.
Namecheap
- cPanel with Softaculous
- Plans are run from cPanel, with the Softaculous installer for WordPress and more than 200 other scripts, plus email, file, database and DNS tools.
- AI site builders
- Sitejet in cPanel can generate a one-page site from a few business details, and Extendify adds AI site setup and writing help to new WordPress installs.
- Free SSL for the first year
- Each domain or subdomain on a shared account gets a single-domain SSL certificate free for a year, issued and installed automatically, up to 50 per account.
- Malware scanning and 2FA
- cPanel includes ImunifyAV or Imunify360 malware scanning, ModSecurity and two-factor authentication.
- AutoBackup
- Stellar Plus and Stellar Business restore from automatic backups, with unlimited backup storage on Business. Stellar has manual backups only.
Plans
Gandi
Essential€2.00
per month, billed yearly; renewal price not stated
1 website, 20 GB storage, up to 1 CPU and 512 MB RAM, 1 mailbox. €24 a year, taxes excluded.
Starter€3.99
per month, billed yearly; renewal price not stated
1 website, 20 GB, up to 1 CPU and 512 MB RAM, 2 mailboxes. €47.88 a year, shown against a crossed-out €180.
Advanced€4.99
per month, billed yearly; renewal price not stated
5 websites recommended, 50 GB, up to 2 CPU and 1 GB RAM. €59.88 a year, shown against a crossed-out €240.
Pro€5.99
per month, billed yearly; renewal price not stated
10 websites recommended, 100 GB, up to 3 CPU and 2 GB RAM, with Hosting Booster. €71.88 a year; €300 crossed out.
Business€7.99
per month, billed yearly; renewal price not stated
15 or more websites, 200 GB (upgradable to 1 TB), up to 4 CPU and 4 GB RAM, with Hosting Booster. €95.88 a year; €360 crossed out.
Namecheap
Stellar, 1 month$5.88
per month, the renewal rate
3 websites, 20 GB SSD and 30 mailboxes. The renewal rate since May 19, 2026; first-term discounts were not readable.
Stellar, 1 year$55.88
per year, the renewal rate
The same Stellar plan billed yearly. A 30-day trial is offered on yearly packages.
Stellar, 2 years$102.88
every 2 years, the renewal rate
The same Stellar plan billed every two years, the lowest rate for it.
Stellar Plus, 2 years$146.44
every 2 years, the renewal rate
Unlimited websites and mailboxes, unmetered SSD storage and AutoBackup. Also $7.88 a month or $85.44 a year.
Stellar Business, 2 years$251.88
every 2 years, the renewal rate
50 GB SSD, fewer users per server, a choice of US, UK, EU or Singapore servers. Also $11.88 a month or $128.88 a year.
Ways to pay less
Gandi
- Other savings
50% off a first website on a yearly plan
The homepage advertises 50% off the first website for a yearly subscription. The hosting page shows crossed-out yearly prices next to the lower ones.
Namecheap
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Gandi or Namecheap?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Gandi is cheaper to start with: about $2.23 a month, against $4.29 a month for Namecheap. Gandi starts at €2.00 per month, billed yearly; renewal price not stated, and Namecheap starts at $5.88 per month (Stellar), or $102.88 every 2 years, at renewal rates.
Which has a free plan, Gandi or Namecheap?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Gandi nor Namecheap has a free plan. Namecheap has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.