Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

hosts.click VS Namecheap

Compare hosts.click VS Namecheap and see what are their differences

hosts.click logo hosts.click

Preview your website with a temporary URL before updating DNS. Test any site without modifying your DNS settings!

Namecheap logo Namecheap

The Best Domain Name Registrar when it comes to Customer Service. Learn why over 800,000 customers trust us with a total of over 3,000,000 domains.
Not present

Hosts.Click is a free tool that allows developers and website administrators to test their websites before updating DNS records. It provides a temporary URL that redirects traffic to a specified IP address and domain, enabling instant testing without modifying local hosts files or waiting for DNS propagation.

  • Namecheap Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-18

hosts.click

$ Details
freemium $5.0 / Monthly (Pro version)
Release Date
2018 April
Startup details
Country
Portugal

hosts.click features and specs

No features have been listed yet.

Namecheap features and specs

  • Domain Registration
    $9.76
  • Domain Renewal
    $14.76
  • 5 Years Cost
    $68.80

hosts.click videos

No hosts.click videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Namecheap videos

HONEST Namecheap Review 2020 | Everything You Need To Know (Namecheap Domain & Hosting)

More videos:

  • Review - 🀫🀫Namecheap Hosting Review: Why I Still LOVE Them in 2020!🀫🀫
  • Review - The BEST Place to Buy Domain Names | Namecheap Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to hosts.click and Namecheap)
WordPress Developement
100 100%
0% 0
Web Hosting
2 2%
98% 98
Domain Name Registrar
0 0%
100% 100
Web Development Tools
100 100%
0% 0

Questions and Answers

As answered by people managing hosts.click and Namecheap.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

hosts.click's answer

βœ… 1. Instant, No-Setup Preview Links

Unlike other tools that require hosts file edits, browser extensions, or VPNs, Hosts.click lets you preview a site on a specific IP instantly β€” no software to install, no DNS changes required. πŸš€ 2. Lightning-Fast Workflow for Developers & Agencies

Hosts.click is built with speed and simplicity in mind:

Enter your domain and target IP

Get a temporary link

Share it with your team or clients

Done in seconds β€” perfect for client approvals and staging reviews.

πŸ§ͺ 3. Ideal for DNS Migration Testing

Perfect for:

Verifying a new server setup before DNS goes live

QA testing on a staging server

Validating HTTPS certificates or redirect rules in production-like conditions

πŸ” 4. Secure, Private, and Ephemeral

Temporary links expire automatically (Pro users can customize duration)

No need to give clients access to real domains or servers

SSL by default β€” links are secure and sharable

πŸ› οΈ 5. Developer-Focused and Growing

Hosts.click is not just a link generator β€” it's evolving into a toolkit for developers, with features like:

WP-specific testing tools

Header/response viewers

Planned support for client-friendly previews and branded links

πŸ†“ 6. 100% Free for Core Features

Whereas some competitors lock preview functionality behind a paywall or require sign-ups, Hosts.click offers powerful functionality for free, making it accessible to freelancers, students, and indie devs. 🧩 7. No DNS Propagation Waiting

Preview instantly without:

Editing your /etc/hosts file

Flushing DNS caches

Waiting hours for DNS propagation

βš™οΈ 8. Designed by Developers, for Developers

Built specifically for real-world problems like:

Testing sites before going live

Verifying server changes

Helping clients preview work safely

Namecheap's answer:

  • Good support
  • Established
  • Trustworthy

What makes your product unique?

hosts.click's answer

  • No DNS Wait Times: Test changes instantly without waiting for DNS propagation.
  • No Local Hosts Editing: Avoid manually modifying the hosts file on your device.
  • Universal Compatibility: Works on any browser or device.
  • Free and Simple: The service is completely free and easy to use.

How would you describe your primary audience?

hosts.click's answer

πŸ§‘β€πŸ’» Web Developers

Freelancers, agency devs, and in-house engineers

Frequently manage domain/DNS changes, migrations, or new deployments

Need a fast, frictionless way to preview websites before DNS changes take effect

Often work on multiple staging environments

πŸ—οΈ DevOps & Sysadmins

Responsible for DNS, SSL, and server configuration

Use Hosts.click to verify site behavior on new IPs without DNS propagation delays

Appreciate tools that work across environments and don’t require local configuration

πŸ§‘β€πŸ’Ό Agencies & Client-Facing Teams

Need to show clients "work in progress" or "pre-launch" sites

Want a professional, shareable link that doesn't require technical knowledge on the client side

Benefit from short-lived, secure, and branded preview URLs

πŸ› οΈ WordPress Developers

Frequently migrate or clone sites between hosts

Need a way to test plugins, themes, and redirects before going live

Value upcoming WP-specific tools like wp-config helpers, debug viewers, and migration aids

πŸŽ“ Students & New Developers

Learning how DNS, domains, and server environments interact

Want to test real web deployments without modifying local system settings

In summary: Your ideal users are developers and tech-savvy teams who need a reliable, zero-hassle way to test websites before going live β€” especially when dealing with DNS, new servers, or client previews.

User comments

Share your experience with using hosts.click and Namecheap. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare hosts.click and Namecheap

hosts.click Reviews

We have no reviews of hosts.click yet.
Be the first one to post

Namecheap Reviews

9 Best SiteGround Alternatives 2024 {#1 is Most Voted}
Then must try Namecheap hosting. This is also one of the most popular domain and hosting providers. Namecheap is more popular for its domain selling.
8+ Best Cheap Domain Name Providers in 2024 [Compared]
Namecheap comes with WHOIS privacy, which you can enable from your control panel. Your personal details are fully protected with Namecheap. You can find the cheapest domain names from Namecheap.
Source: themehunk.com
Best Linux VPS [Top 10 Linux VPS Provider 2024]
The catch with NameCheap is that they offer different types of hosting services and their primary products are domain names. They may not be a good solution for Linux users who need a VPS for purposes other than web hosting. Another problem is that their variety of products may leave the impression that their virtual servers are not as powerful as other VPS-focused providers.
Source: cloudzy.com
13 Best Web Hosting Companies in Pakistan 2024
Namecheap, a domain registrar and hosting provider, is recognized for its simplicity, affordability, and positive customer reviews.
10 Best Web Hosting Companies in India(December 2023)
Namecheap offers a wide range of affordable domain registration, web hosting, and online tools to help individuals and businesses of all sizes build their online presence.
Source: www.vikatan.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Namecheap seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 172 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

hosts.click mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of hosts.click yet. Tracking of hosts.click recommendations started around May 2025.

Namecheap mentions (172)

  • Tools for Starting a Business or Testing an Idea: A Beginner's Guide
    Domain Name - Namecheap - 8 USD/year Secure your domain name for just $8 a year, providing your business with a professional online identity. - Source: dev.to / 9 months ago
  • Namecheap.com Complaint
    I am writing to bring to your attention the fraudulent and deceptive practices of Namecheap.com (https://namecheap.com). I fell victim to this company's unethical behavior when they renewed all my domain names without my consent costing me $422.18. Despite my repeated selection of the DO NOT RENEW option within my personal account, Namecheap.com disregarded my wishes. - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
  • Cheap domain?
    Check porkbun.com, namesilo.com, then namecheap.com. They offer most but not all TLDs but each offers a few the other doesn't. There are some that none of them offer so you can try GoDaddy but they're pricey. Those three are among your best bets for long term low pricing. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Can someone explain why this happens?
    Namecheap.com :) your welcome. Been a happy client for more than 5 years or even more. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Moving DNS Records from NameCheap to Cloudflare
    I would like to setup a small server at home. Prior to doing this, I needed to move my DNS records from Namecheap. I am planning on using Cloudflare's free plan to host my DNS and also front the services once I have migrated the zone first. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing hosts.click and Namecheap, you can also consider the following products