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E-Commerce · head to head

Namecheap vs Sellfy

Namecheap logo

Namecheap

E-Commerce

ICANN-accredited domain registrar that also sells shared hosting, SSL certificates and email

From
$0.88/year
Rated
-
Sellfy logo

Sellfy

E-Commerce

Ecommerce platform for creators and entrepreneurs

From
$22/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Namecheap domains are advertised at a promotional first year price and renew at the standard registry rate, which for many extensions is several times higher, so the visible cost of a portfolio understates what it costs to keep.; Sellfy every plan caps annual sales volume: $10k on Starter, $50k on Business and $200k on Premium
  • They diverge on capability: Namecheap covers Domain registration, Sellfy covers Physical & digital products.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Namecheap and Sellfy actually diverge.

Attributes where Namecheap and Sellfy differ
AttributeNamecheapSellfy
Starting price$0.88/year$22/month
Founded20002013

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (E-Commerce).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Namecheap

  • Domain registration
  • Free WHOIS privacy
  • DNS management
  • Shared and VPS hosting
  • SSL certificates
  • Private email
  • Domain transfers

Only in Sellfy

  • Physical & digital products
  • Membership/subscription sales
  • Email marketing
  • Marketing automation
  • Affiliate program
  • Analytics
  • Mobile app
  • Multi-currency support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Namecheap

  • Registering and holding the domain for a store hosted on a separate platformnot Sellfy
  • Consolidating a portfolio of defensive domain registrations under one accountnot Sellfy
  • Managing DNS for a site whose hosting and mail live with different providersnot Sellfy
  • Standing up a low traffic brochure site or landing page cheaply before a real buildnot Sellfy

Sellfy

  • Selling digital downloads, subscriptions or print on demand goods from a hosted storefrontnot Namecheap
  • Running a small creator store without building a sitenot Namecheap

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Namecheap

  • Domains are advertised at a promotional first year price and renew at the standard registry rate, which for many extensions is several times higher, so the visible cost of a portfolio understates what it costs to keep.
  • ICANN rules impose a sixty day transfer lock after registration and after registrant detail changes, so a domain registered in the wrong account or under the wrong entity cannot be moved for two months regardless of urgency.
  • Shared hosting is oversubscribed by design, so a storefront on it degrades under traffic spikes, which is precisely when a promotion or a press mention makes traffic spike.
  • Support runs through chat and tickets with no telephone escalation, so an outage affecting DNS or mail is resolved at the pace of a support queue rather than at the pace of your revenue loss.
  • It is a registrar and host rather than a commerce platform, so anyone comparing it against a store platform is comparing two different purchases and will still need to buy the platform separately.

Sellfy

  • Every plan caps annual sales volume: $10k on Starter, $50k on Business and $200k on Premium
  • Exceeding the cap forces a plan upgrade rather than an overage charge, so growth is a step change in cost
  • Maximum file size per digital product is tied to the plan, at 10 GB, 15 GB and 20 GB
  • Email marketing credits are metered per plan, from 2,000 to 50,000
  • Cart abandonment, upselling and the affiliate programme all require the Business plan
  • Payment processing fees from PayPal or Stripe are charged on top of the subscription

Pricing, plan by plan

Namecheap

$0.88/year
  • Standard Domains$0.88/year
    • Domain registration
    • Free WhoisGuard
    • Dynamic DNS
  • Web Hosting$2.88/month
    • Unlimited bandwidth
    • Free SSL
    • Easy WordPress install

Sellfy

$22/month
  • Starter$22/month
    • From $22/month with annual billing (or $39/month with monthly billing)
    • Basic e-commerce features for digital and physical products
  • Business$null/month
    • Mid-tier option with expanded capabilities
  • Premium$null/month
    • Highest tier with up to 20GB per digital product file storage

Which should you pick?

Choose Namecheap if

  • You need domain registration.
  • You also want free whois privacy.

Choose Sellfy if

  • You need physical & digital products.
  • You also want membership/subscription sales.

Questions people ask

Is Namecheap or Sellfy better?
Neither clearly leads. Namecheap starts at $0.88/year and Sellfy at $22/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Namecheap or Sellfy?
Namecheap starts at $0.88/year and Sellfy at $22/month.
Does Namecheap or Sellfy run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Namecheap best used for?
Namecheap is most often used for registering and holding the domain for a store hosted on a separate platform, consolidating a portfolio of defensive domain registrations under one account, managing dns for a site whose hosting and mail live with different providers, standing up a low traffic brochure site or landing page cheaply before a real build. Of those, registering and holding the domain for a store hosted on a separate platform and consolidating a portfolio of defensive domain registrations under one account are not what Sellfy is typically brought in for.
What can Namecheap do that Sellfy cannot?
Namecheap covers Domain registration, Free WHOIS privacy, DNS management, Shared and VPS hosting. Sellfy covers Physical & digital products, Membership/subscription sales, Email marketing, Marketing automation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Namecheap: Can I run an online store on Namecheap?

You can host store software there, but shared hosting is not a sensible home for a transacting storefront. Use it for the domain and DNS and put the store on a platform built for it.

Sellfy: How much does Sellfy cost?

Sellfy starts at $22/month for the Starter plan with annual billing ($39/month with monthly billing). Higher tiers (Business and Premium) are available but specific pricing requires contacting sales or visiting the pricing page.

Source
Namecheap: Why is renewal more expensive than registration?

The first year is promotional. Renewal reflects the registry's standard wholesale price plus margin. Check the renewal rate, not the headline, before registering an extension.

Sellfy: Does Sellfy charge transaction fees?

No, Sellfy charges zero transaction fees on sales, unlike competitors such as Gumroad which charges 10%. If revenue exceeds a plan limit, a 2% fee may apply unless you upgrade to a higher tier.

Source
Namecheap: Can I move my domain away if I change my mind?

Yes, but not immediately. ICANN enforces a sixty day lock after registration or after changing registrant details, and the domain must be unlocked with an authorisation code to transfer.

Sellfy: Does Sellfy offer a free trial?

Yes, new users can access a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. During the trial you can customize store design and add product types, but upgrading to a paid plan is required to start selling.

Source
Namecheap: Is WHOIS privacy extra?

Namecheap includes it rather than billing for it annually, which is a real difference from several larger registrars where it is a recurring line item per domain.

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