Bluehost vs Namecheap:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Namecheap had more branded searches than Bluehost among domain registrars worldwide. Namecheap had about 1.3 million branded searches, while Bluehost had 201,000. Namecheap made up 12% of all domain registrar searches we track, and Bluehost accounted for 1.9%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about domain registrars, Namecheap appeared in all five answers and Bluehost in none.
Who do people search for more?
Namecheap, about 6 searches for every 1 for Bluehost
Who does AI mention more?
Namecheap, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Namecheap, the only one of the two named
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Top domain registrars in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Namecheap appeared in all five answers. Bluehost did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Cloudflare5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- Namecheap5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Porkbun4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Spaceship3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- GoDaddy2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Dynadot1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Hover0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Bluehost0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
NameSilo0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Name.com0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about domain registrars
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which domain registrar should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best domain registrars?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best domain registrar for a website address?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“domain registrar”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“buy a domain”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Is Bluehost or Namecheap more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Bluehost and Namecheap by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten domain registrars we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Namecheap, Bluehost. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | GoDaddy | Cloudflare | Namecheap | Porkbun | Hover | Bluehost | Dynadot | NameSilo | Spaceship | Name.com |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 48.3% | 29.6% | 13.6% | 2% | 2.2% | 2.7% | 0.81% | 0.54% | 0.18% | 0.2% |
| Nov 2025 | 25% | 63.4% | 7.1% | 1% | 1.1% | 1.4% | 0.43% | 0.28% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Dec 2025 | 38.4% | 43.7% | 11% | 1.6% | 1.8% | 2.1% | 0.66% | 0.44% | 0.15% | 0.16% |
| Jan 2026 | 47.7% | 30.1% | 13.8% | 2% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 0.68% | 0.45% | 0.18% | 0.16% |
| Feb 2026 | 43.4% | 33.1% | 15.2% | 2.2% | 2% | 2.4% | 0.74% | 0.4% | 0.24% | 0.18% |
| Mar 2026 | 44.6% | 34.5% | 13.3% | 2.3% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 0.64% | 0.42% | 0.25% | 0.15% |
| Apr 2026 | 38.7% | 36.5% | 16.9% | 2.4% | 1.8% | 2.2% | 0.67% | 0.44% | 0.27% | 0.2% |
| May 2026 | 39.8% | 37.6% | 14.4% | 2.5% | 1.9% | 2.3% | 0.69% | 0.46% | 0.28% | 0.21% |
| Jun 2026 | 40.1% | 37.9% | 14.4% | 2.6% | 1.5% | 1.9% | 0.7% | 0.46% | 0.27% | 0.25% |
| Jul 2026 | 39.8% | 38% | 14.4% | 2.6% | 1.5% | 1.9% | 0.85% | 0.46% | 0.33% | 0.21% |
| Aug 2026 | 35.1% | 41.2% | 15.6% | 2.8% | 1.7% | 2% | 0.76% | 0.41% | 0.3% | 0.23% |
| Sep 2026 | 40.4% | 39.1% | 12% | 2.6% | 2.4% | 1.9% | 0.72% | 0.39% | 0.34% | 0.17% |
How has the Bluehost and Namecheap comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Namecheap was ahead of Bluehost in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Bluehost’s share of searches among domain registrars worldwide moved from 2.7% to 1.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 201K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Namecheap’s share of searches among domain registrars worldwide moved from 13.6% to 12%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1M to 1.3M.
How did search popularity change for domain registrars worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Hover overtook Bluehost to rank 5th among domain registrars worldwide, with 2.4% of the searches.
In September 2026, Namecheap lost share of searches among domain registrars worldwide, from 15.6% to 12%.
How are branded searches counted?
6 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Bluehost’s and Namecheap’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among domain registrars
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