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Namecheap vs Cloudflare Registrar: which free plan?
Both free plans are on a par by our score. The differences below decide it.
Both checked against their official pricing pages on 1 Nov 2026.
| Type | Domain registrar | At-cost registrar |
|---|---|---|
| Free-tier score | 62 / 100 | 62 / 100 |
| Card to sign up | Required | Required |
| Free plan ends | 1 year (renewable) | 1 year (renewable) |
| Sleeps when idle | No | No |
| Commercial use | Allowed | Allowed |
| Own domain on free | Not stated | Not stated |
| Free subdomain | None | None |
| Free limits |
|
|
| The catch | The .com renewal is clearly higher than the first-year price, so check the cart before you pay. | Your domain must use Cloudflare's DNS, and .com wholesale rose to $10.97 on 1 November 2026, so the at-cost price rose with it. |
| Paid from | .com registration | .com renews $11.17/yr |
| Source | Official pricing for Namecheap (opens in a new tab) | Official pricing for Cloudflare Registrar (opens in a new tab) |
Which one should you pick?
Pick Namecheap if…
- your project is: first domains and student .me
Pick Cloudflare Registrar if…
- your project is: renewal-price honesty
Questions
Which is better for free, Namecheap or Cloudflare Registrar?
Both free plans are on a par by our score. The differences below decide it.
Does Namecheap or Cloudflare Registrar need a credit card?
Namecheap: yes. Cloudflare Registrar: yes.
What is the catch with Namecheap and Cloudflare Registrar?
Namecheap: The .com renewal is clearly higher than the first-year price, so check the cart before you pay. Cloudflare Registrar: Your domain must use Cloudflare's DNS, and .com wholesale rose to $10.97 on 1 November 2026, so the at-cost price rose with it.