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Spaceship or Namecheap: which one should hold your domains? Both come from the same founder, and both give you free domain privacy, so the choice can look like a coin flip.
The Spaceship vs Namecheap difference shows up at renewal. A .com renews at $10.68 a year at Spaceship and $19.98 at Namecheap, and you pay that gap every year for as long as you keep the domain.
For a new domain you plan to keep, I’d pick Spaceship. It’s the newer registrar from the team behind Namecheap, with domains, email and hosting in one account at lower renewal prices. I’d stay with Namecheap if you want ticket support around the clock or a registrar with a much longer track record.
Here’s the whole difference in one table, before the details:
| Factor | Spaceship | Namecheap |
|---|---|---|
| .com registration | $10.38 ($3.60 with COM67) | $15.98 ($6.48 with NEWCOM648) |
| .com renewal | $10.68 a year | $19.98 a year |
| .com transfer | $10.18 on sale | $12.28 |
| Domain privacy | Free | Free |
| Cheapest business email | $11.76 a year, same at renewal | $11.88 first year, $14.88 at renewal |
| Support | Live chat, email and a 24/7 AI assistant | 24/7 live chat and tickets |
| Extensions offered | About 480 | About 567 |
| Around since | 2022 | 2000 |
All prices are in USD, and both registrars add a $0.20 ICANN fee per domain per year.
How Spaceship and Namecheap Are Related
Spaceship is a separate company with close ties to Namecheap. It is an ICANN-accredited registrar, Spaceship, Inc., based in Phoenix, Arizona. Richard Kirkendall, who founded Namecheap in 2000, founded Spaceship too, and the Spaceship name is a Namecheap trademark.
So the two share a lot under the hood:
- Same privacy provider: both use Withheld for Privacy for free WHOIS privacy.
- Matching email plans: Spacemail and Namecheap Private Email offer 1, 3 and 5 mailboxes with the same storage and alias limits.
- Same kind of extras: both sell business email, shared hosting, EasyWP for WordPress and a VPN.
The practical difference is price and age. Spaceship charges less for the same things, and Namecheap has more than 20 years of running domains behind it.
Domain Prices and Renewals
Spaceship is cheaper on every .com price that matters, and the renewal is where the gap gets large.
| Price | Spaceship | Namecheap |
|---|---|---|
| .com registration, regular | $10.38 | $15.98 |
| .com registration, current offer | $9.48 on sale, $3.60 with COM67 | $12.08, $6.48 with NEWCOM648 for new customers |
| .com renewal | $10.68 | $19.98 |
| .com transfer | $10.18 on sale, $10.68 regular | $12.28 |
| ICANN fee | $0.20 a year | $0.20 a year |
Here’s what 1 .com costs over 3 years with each registrar’s current code, as an example:
- Spaceship with COM67: $3.80 in year 1, then $10.88 in years 2 and 3, for $25.56 in total.
- Namecheap with NEWCOM648: $6.68 in year 1, then $20.18 in years 2 and 3, for $47.04 in total.
That’s $21.48 more at Namecheap for the same domain, and the gap grows by $9.30 every year after. With 10 domains, it’s about $93 a year.
Namecheap does take 10% off when you register a .com for 5 years at once, which brings it to $69.61, or about $13.92 a year. That’s still more than Spaceship’s renewal, and you pay all 5 years up front.
I’d use the first-year price only to break a tie. The renewal is the price you live with, and my guide to the best domain registrars compares it across more registrars.
Coupons and Black Friday Deals
Both registrars have a .com code for new registrations right now, and they work a little differently.
- Spaceship COM67: $3.60 for the first year of a new .com, 1 domain per customer, until December 4, 2026. My Spaceship coupon code page covers the rules.
- Namecheap NEWCOM648: $6.48 for the first year of a .com, for new Namecheap customers only.
- Namecheap Black Friday: not live yet. Last year it ran from November 21 to December 5, and my Namecheap Black Friday page will track it once it starts.
Spaceship’s code is cheaper. Namecheap’s code only helps if you’ve never had a Namecheap account.
Free Features With Every Domain
Neither registrar charges for the basics, and the free lists are close to identical.
| Feature | Spaceship | Namecheap |
|---|---|---|
| WHOIS privacy | Free, through Withheld for Privacy | Free, through Withheld for Privacy |
| DNS | DNS management with presets and advanced records | Free BasicDNS, or PremiumDNS at $4.88 a year |
| DNSSEC | Yes | Yes |
| Email forwarding | Up to 100 aliases | Up to 100 addresses |
| URL redirects | Yes, with SSL | Yes, 301, 302 or masked |
| Account security | 2FA and passkeys | 2FA with authenticator apps or hardware keys |
Namecheap’s PremiumDNS is a paid upgrade with no direct match at Spaceship, and most personal sites don’t need it. Spaceship lists DNS DDoS protection as part of its standard security.
Domain privacy has the same gap at both. The .ca registry doesn’t allow it, so a .ca domain shows its owner details at either registrar.
Business Email
This is the clearest win for Spaceship. Spacemail and Namecheap Private Email have the same mailbox and storage limits, and Spacemail costs less in the first year and at renewal.
| Plan size | Spacemail | Namecheap Private Email |
|---|---|---|
| 1 mailbox, 5 GB, 10 aliases | $11.76 a year, renews at $11.76 | $11.88 first year, renews at $14.88 |
| 3 mailboxes, 30 GB, 50 aliases | $17.82 first year, renews at $23.76 | $31.44 first year, renews at $41.88 |
| 5 mailboxes, 75 GB, unlimited aliases | $25.75 first year, renews at $35.76 | $49.88 first year, renews at $71.88 |
Both give you a 30-day free trial. For a small team on 3 mailboxes, Spacemail saves about $18 a year at renewal. Namecheap Private Email includes an AI email assistant on every plan and premium delivery on its 5-mailbox plan. If those matter to you, that’s what the extra cost buys.
If neither is a fit, my list of cheap email hosting options covers Zoho Mail and the others.
Web Hosting
Both sell cPanel shared hosting with a 30-day free trial. Spaceship’s entry plan is cheaper in the first year and much cheaper at renewal.
- Spaceship Shared Essential: $19.88 for the first year, then $28.88 a year, with 1 CPU, 20 GB and 5 domains.
- Namecheap Stellar: $27.36 for the first year. The discount doesn’t apply to renewals, so it then goes to the regular rate, which is more than double that.
- Both: free SSL, and EasyWP as a managed WordPress option.
I have used Namecheap for domains and shared hosting on smaller sites where cost mattered most. My Namecheap hosting review and Hostinger vs Namecheap comparison cover how it performs. For a site that earns money, I’d choose hosting on its own merits and keep it separate from the registrar decision.
Support
Namecheap has the deeper support setup. It offers live chat and tickets around the clock, plus a large help center.
Spaceship has live chat, email at support@spaceship.com and Alf, an AI assistant that runs 24/7. Alf can set up DNS records, redirects and email forwarding for you, which covers the common DNS jobs. Spaceship doesn’t promise round-the-clock human support or a ticket form.
I still don’t love Namecheap’s support speed, so I wouldn’t pay its higher renewals for support alone. If you rarely touch your DNS, Spaceship’s setup is enough.
Which One Should You Pick?
This is how I’d decide, by the kind of buyer you are:
- One new domain you’ll keep: Spaceship. COM67 makes the first year cheap and the $10.68 renewal keeps it cheap.
- A portfolio of 10 or more domains: Spaceship. The renewal gap is about $93 a year at that size.
- Business email on your domain: Spacemail, unless you want Namecheap’s AI assistant.
- Someone who wants human support at any hour: Namecheap, with 24/7 chat and tickets.
- An extension Spaceship doesn’t sell: Namecheap, which carries about 90 more extensions.
- An existing Namecheap account with hosting on it: Namecheap for now, with each domain moving to Spaceship at its next renewal.
If you want a wider field than these 2, my best domain registrars guide includes Porkbun and Cloudflare.
Moving From Namecheap to Spaceship
Moving a domain is a transfer, and it doesn’t cost you the time you’ve already paid for. A .com transfer to Spaceship costs $10.18 during the sale and adds 1 year to the registration.
This is the order I’d follow:
- Unlock the domain at Namecheap and copy its auth code.
- Start the transfer on Spaceship’s transfer page and paste the code.
- Approve the transfer email, then wait for the move to finish, usually within a few days.
- Check the DNS records at Spaceship before you change anything else.
A domain registered or transferred very recently can’t move yet, because of a lock that registries apply. My guide on why and how to transfer your domain covers the lock, DNS and email in more detail.
FAQs on Spaceship vs Namecheap
Is Spaceship owned by Namecheap?
Spaceship is a separate ICANN-accredited registrar, run as Spaceship, Inc. from Phoenix, Arizona. It was founded by Richard Kirkendall, who also founded Namecheap, and the Spaceship name is a Namecheap trademark.
Is Spaceship cheaper than Namecheap?
Yes, for a .com. It costs $10.38 to register and $10.68 to renew at Spaceship, against $15.98 and $19.98 at Namecheap. Spacemail is also cheaper than Namecheap’s Private Email on the same mailbox and storage limits.
Is Spaceship safe to use?
Spaceship is an ICANN-accredited registrar with free domain privacy, DNSSEC, 2FA and passkey sign-in. It has been serving customers since 2022, so its track record is shorter than Namecheap’s.
Can I move my domains from Namecheap to Spaceship?
Yes. You unlock the domain at Namecheap, copy its auth code and start a transfer at Spaceship. A .com transfer costs $10.18 during the current sale and adds a year to the registration, so you don’t lose the time you paid for.
Does Namecheap have a Black Friday sale in 2026?
Namecheap hasn’t started one yet. Last year its sale ran from November 21 to December 5, with .com at $7.48 using a promo code. Spaceship’s sale is already live and runs until December 4.
If you’re still unsure, I’d let the renewal decide. I’d register the next .com at Spaceship and move your Namecheap domains over one at a time as each one comes up for renewal.
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