You may already know that cPanel pricing changes every year. These are standardized pricing changes to its licenses for all partners, distributors, and cPanel store customers. Hosting providers like Namecheap are affected, so we must also update some of our cPanel account prices. 

We understand how the new pricing may impact your business, so we’ve done everything possible to minimize the price increase for your hosting plan with us. 

Here’s what Namecheap Hosting customers with cPanel accounts can expect.

Shared Hosting & Reseller Hosting

Namecheap Shared and Reseller Hosting plans remain unchanged by the pricing updates. Although the price increases from cPanel still affect these hosting plans, we’ve made it possible for our customers to keep their current pricing. 

VPS 

Due to the cPanel price increases, all VPS customers will pay slightly extra for each of their cPanel accounts. These price increases will come into effect on December 20, 2023. 

Dedicated Hosting 

All Dedicated Hosting plans with cPanel accounts will also see a slight price increase, which will come into effect on December 21, 2023. 

If you have Namecheap VPS or Dedicated Hosting with User Responsible Management and the cPanel price increases present a challenge, you can take this chance to choose from two alternative control panels. 

InterWorx offers accounts without limits, which is not the case with cPanel. Prices are fixed at $12.00 per month for VPS customers and $18.00 per month for Dedicated Hosting customers.

Webuzo offers easier migration and server management at all levels. Prices start from $2.88 per month for VPS customers and $5.88 per month for Dedicated Hosting customers.   

Namecheap is here for you

Please understand we’ve done all we can to make the new cPanel prices as easy as possible for our customers. If you are affected by the price changes, you will receive an email notification with detailed information on your hosting plan. We hope to offer complete transparency in what you can expect to pay every month, and we want to be sure that no confusion is caused.

Don’t forget to update your calendars — the price changes are set to go into effect for VPS and Dedicated Hosting cPanel account customers in December 2023.

If you need additional cPanel accounts in the future or find that you are not making use of your existing accounts, we make it easy to upgrade or downgrade your license. We can also help with the downgrade of your Reseller Hosting account if needed. 

For any questions or further clarification, please go to our 24/7 Help Center.

We’ve arrived at an inflection point for Internet freedom. Political polarization, disinformation, and AI deep fakes threaten access to accurate information worldwide. The rise of generative AI, coupled with a growing mistrust in what we see and hear online, only compounds these fears.

Trusted knowledge is essential for citizens to make informed choices in changing times. Yet censorship and state propaganda are rising, aiming to control narratives and restrict free speech. The need to safeguard truth and resist manipulation has never been more urgent.

In this turbulent era, virtual private networks (VPNs) have become portals for accessing uncensored information. By encrypting traffic and bypassing location-based geo-blockers, VPNs allow unfiltered access to news, international opinions, and verified facts. 

For those of you dedicated to knowledge, VPNs are a bridge over troubled waters, connecting us to the truth when we need it most. 

The cloud of unknowing is growing darker

Censorship and disinformation pose growing threats to your Internet freedom, which is declining globally. Oppressive regimes are passing laws to silence dissent, manipulate narratives, and control the information citizens can access.

In September 2023, Russia passed a law that requires all Internet service providers to install deep packet inspection (DPI) systems. DPI systems allow the government to monitor and block Internet traffic.

The law has been criticized by privacy advocates, who argue that DPI systems can track users’ online activity and censor content without their knowledge.

In October 2023, the Ugandan government shut down the Internet during presidential elections, arguing that the move was necessary to prevent the spread of violence.

The Internet shutdown lasted for several days, making it difficult for Ugandans to access information about the election. It also made it difficult for journalists to report on the election and for human rights groups to monitor the situation.

Globally, state-sponsored disinformation campaigns sow confusion, fear, and division. Russia notoriously uses disinformation to justify military aggression and undermine pro-democracy movements in neighboring countries.

How a VPN can enable Internet freedom

VPNs can help you access information and opinions from other countries by encrypting your traffic and routing it through a remote server, bypassing location-based blocks. By hiding your IP address, you can access content freely from other countries, especially if you use “no-logs” software that doesn’t track your digital footprint. 

Without a VPN, access to verifiable news and information will depend on where you live. In 2022, during the country’s general election, the Turkish government blocked access to Twitter. They also prohibited users from accessing Wikipedia, which they accused of spreading “disinformation” about the Turkish military. In response, citizens used VPNs to bypass government-sanctioned blocks and access unfiltered content. 

Even in Western democracies, streaming platforms and news websites are geo-blocked for monetary reasons. For example, Netflix has entertainment content that you cannot watch if you live outside of the United States. With VPN software, you can connect to a New York or Californian server and stream your favorite show, regardless of whether you’re in the US or traveling on vacation.

Encrypting your Internet traffic also makes it trickier for hackers to access your data. If you use public Wi-Fi regularly, it’s advisable to switch on your VPN, especially in coffee shops or transport hubs, as they are vulnerable to hackers installing “evil twin” networks that steal your passwords and banking details. 

Exploring VPN solutions for global citizens

Among the array of VPNs available, FastVPN by Namecheap is an attractive option for freedom seekers due to its user-friendly interface and affordable pricing. While many VPNs offer military-grade encryption, users will need a no-logs policy to browse privately. 

If you have access to 1000+ secure servers in popular locations such as the US, UK, Canada, and Germany, you can also bypass geo-restrictions and access content from anywhere. 

Essential security features for VPN users 

Leading VPNs, including FastVPN, support security protocols like WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2, offering premium encryption with AES-256 that makes it practically unbreakable, so you don’t need to worry about criminals on public Wi-Fi.  

Other security features include:

• Kill Switch – If your Wi-Fi connection drops, FastVPN will block all Internet traffic to ensure your data isn’t adversely affected.
• OpenVPN Scramble – This feature hides OpenVPN traffic from your device, enabling you to bypass advanced VPN geo-blocks.
• DNS leak protection – DNS (Domain Name Systems) reveals sensitive information about the websites and apps you visit. By using FastVPN, you can prevent your browsing habits from being leaked. 

Accessing verifiable facts with a VPN 

With oppressive governments preventing citizens from accessing verifiable information, you cannot take your Internet freedom lightly. Freedom can die in the darkness, not with a bang or a whimper but with a shrug.  

Many people now ask whether we can believe anything we see or read on social media or cable channels, given that AI technology can fake stories so effectively. 

While VPNs are not a panacea to misinformation and AI fakery, they are helpful tools in the face of political repression. So, by encrypting your Internet traffic and routing it through a remote server, you can access fact-checked news without third parties watching.

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A VPN is a low-cost investment to protect your Internet freedom, with FastVPN offering plans for less than a dollar a month.

We live in an AI-powered age, with popular tools like ChatGPT and Bing AI grabbing all the headlines. But what else is out there beyond the big names? As your resident tech geek, I’m on a mission to uncover the best AI apps designed to give your productivity a timely boost.

While AI dazzles with human-like conversations, its practical applications can simplify your workday. I tried out 5 game-changing apps to help you finish in minutes those tasks that used to take hours. From effortless meeting notes to rapid research reports, these AI assistants passed my test with flying colors.

Putting AI through its paces 

As a solo entrepreneur and website builder with a packed schedule, I don’t have time for tools that don’t deliver. Before recommending anything, I put these apps through their paces to assess if they measure up to my standards.

I considered criteria like:

• Does the AI save me real time or just overpromise?
• How accurate and helpful are the results?
• Is the app easy and intuitive to use daily?
• What are the pros and cons from a user perspective?
• Is it worth the price tag?

Keeping those key questions in mind, here are the 5 AI apps that can unlock serious productivity power.

1. Summarizing meetings in seconds with Otter.ai

As a small business owner, meetings are a necessary time sink, but I despise notetaking. Otter.ai is an AI-powered app that generates automated meeting notes with scary accuracy, which should, in theory, save me a ton of time.

Otter.ai eliminates notetaking drudgery by turning meetings, lectures, and interviews into shareable, searchable transcripts. I put it to work in client calls, networking events, and conferences —  anytime I want to reference a discussion without painstaking notes.

Did it pass the Undercover Geek test?

Yes, Otter.ai passed my test! While not perfect, it takes meeting notes to the next level as an invaluable productivity booster.

Pros:

• Instantly creates shareable transcripts from meetings, lectures, interviews, etc.
• Imports audio or notes from Zoom, Google Meet, etc.
• Searches transcripts to jump to key moments.
• Identifies different speakers automatically.
• Securely stores recordings and notes.

Cons:

• Transcription accuracy drops in noisy environments.
• Importing very long recordings can be glitchy.
• Premium features like searching are paywalled.

Verdict: Otter.ai won’t replace human notetaking entirely. But for automated meeting summaries, 

it’s a game-changing timesaver.

2. Generating reports in a flash with Jasper.ai

Research reports are a necessary evil, requiring extensive reading and writing. Jasper.ai makes report creation painless by generating polished documents just by describing needs.

Jasper.ai eliminates the drain of researching, analyzing data, and crafting summaries. I tell it what I need in plain English, and it returns formatted, cited reports in minutes. The results amazed my research-loathing brain.

The AI writing tool is intended to produce professional-quality research reports that would typically require extensive manual effort. For instance, if a business user needs a competitive market analysis comparing several companies, they could describe this request in plain English to Jasper.ai.

Now, I’m sure you’re wondering — how does it compare to ChatGPT? Well, Both whip up content from scratch to save you research and writing time. But Jasper’s an ace at crafting detailed reports, while ChatGPT’s better for kicking back and chatting.

So, in a nutshell, Jasper.ai rules for structured business research, and ChatGPT’s better for free-flowing conversations. 

Did it pass the Undercover Geek test?

Yes, Jasper.ai passed with flying colors. It delivers excellent on-demand reports through easy natural language prompting. With practice, it’s an unbelievable game-changer.

Pros:

• Created customizable reports covering various topics.
• Asks clarifying questions if the initial prompt is unclear.
• Sources timely statistics, facts, and images to support key points.
• Checks for grammar, spelling, and logical flow.
• Provides appropriately cited sources.

Cons:

• Requires careful prompt framing to get good results.
• Only generates content in English currently.
• Custom styling options are limited.

Verdict: For research writing on demand, Jasper.ai boosts productivity tremendously despite some limitations.

3. Captioning videos in a flash with Descript

As a YouTube creator, writing and syncing video captions devoured my time. Descript uses AI to automatically transcribe audio and add captions with little effort.

No more wasting hours transcribing lectures, tutorials, conference talks, or podcasts. Descript analyzes the audio file and generates a text transcript complete with captions. It’s a huge boost for video accessibility, too. 

Did it pass the Undercover Geek test?

Descript passed with ease for generating instant video captions. With some minor editing, it’s a quantum leap in productivity.

Pros:

• Creates captions for podcasts, YouTube videos, lectures, and more.
• Edits generated captions easily if needed.
• Transcribes clear, accurate captions even with background noise.
• Exports captions in .srt, .vtt, .txt, and other formats.

Cons:

• Transcription accuracy suffers with heavy accents.
• Doesn’t punctuate sentences or capitalize properly.
• Lacks ability to stylize captions.

Verdict: Descript eliminates the video captioning time drain. Despite small errors needing fixes, it’s a true timesaver.

4. Simplifying task management with Fireflies.ai

As a solo entrepreneur, staying on top of my workload and pipeline is a constant battle. Fireflies.ai takes the pain out of task management with AI-powered automation.

Fireflies.ai eliminates the hassle of tracking tasks, deadlines, and team member availability. Its intelligent algorithm schedules tasks automatically and integrates with my other tools like Slack and Gmail.

Did it pass the Undercover Geek test?

Yep. Fireflies.ai passed as a powerful task management assistant. Despite a steep learning curve, its automated scheduling, assigning, and integration make workloads smooth and organized.

Pros:

• Assigns tasks to correct team members automatically.
• Intelligently schedules tasks and meetings.
• Integrates with tools like Slack, Gmail, and more.
• Allows easy reassignment, rescheduling, and status updates.
• Provides an overview of team workload and schedules.

Cons:

• Steep learning curve for extensive features.
• Reporting functionality is lacking.
• Mobile app needs work.

Verdict: For streamlining complex team tasks, Fireflies.ai is a robust AI solution with some fixes needed.

5. Prioritizing your inbox with SaneBox

My inbox is a bottomless pit of distractions destroying my productivity. SaneBox uses AI to filter out unimportant emails automatically.

SaneBox eliminates the headache of an overflowing inbox by separating trivial emails like receipts and notifications. It surfaces only priority emails so I can focus on messages requiring action.

Did it pass the Undercover Geek test?

SaneBox passed the test by instantly organizing my chaotic inbox. By clearing away clutter, I can finally see and respond to meaningful emails efficiently.

Pros:

• Moves trivial emails like receipts into a separate folder.
• Surfaces priority emails so you focus on what matters.
• Learns from your actions to improve over time.
• Integrates workflows with Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and more.
• Offers customizable rules and settings.

Cons:

• iOS app needs improvement.
• Set-up can be time-consuming.
• Not designed for advanced email users.

Verdict: If email overload buries your productivity, SaneBox provides an AI lifeline to an organized, effective inbox.

Embrace the AI productivity revolution

The age of AI is here, and these apps prove it can boost real productivity for actual humans like you and me. While AI can’t replace human intelligence completely (yet!), it takes care of tedious tasks efficiently.

The key is choosing AI tools that enhance your strengths rather than overly relying on algorithms alone. Used wisely, AI can free up time for more meaningful work.

Why not give one of these apps a test run? Unlocking your productivity potential is just a download away. The future is here, and with the right AI by your side, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without it.