GoDaddy Review (2024)
TL;DR: What We Think of GoDaddy
GoDaddy: The heavyweight champ of hosting and domains, but don’t expect a warm hug. Perfect for mid-sized business websites, but for larger, mission-critical projects, proceed with caution – and maybe pack a parachute.
Suitable for:
Beginners-friendly, Small Business, International Website, or Adult Website Hosting
Our Evaluation: GoDaddy Pros and Cons
GoDaddy Pros
- Easily navigable product range
- Relatively good pricing for high performance hosting plans
- Some useful business-oriented addon services
- Good localization – local call supports available
GoDaddy Cons
- Poor hosting performance based on our experience
- Standard shared hosting plans are expensive and skimpy on resources
- Near constant upsells
- Lack dedicated and Windows hosting services
Our Detail Findings & Experience with GoDaddy
About GoDaddy: Quick Introduction
Founded in 1997 by entrepreneur Bob Parsons, GoDaddy emerged as a powerhouse in web hosting and domain registration. Originally known as “Jomax Technologies,” it swiftly rebranded to “GoDaddy” in 1999. GoDaddy’s rise to prominence was fueled by bold marketing campaigns, including memorable Super Bowl ads, solidifying its position as one of the world’s largest domain registrars. Under the leadership of Aman Bhutani, who assumed the CEO role in 2011, the company embarked on global expansion and diversified its product offerings.
In 2015, GoDaddy made history with its IPO debut on the New York Stock Exchange, signaling a new chapter in its journey. Today, GoDaddy continues its trajectory of international expansion, strategic acquisitions, and unwavering support for small businesses, cementing its status as an industry leader.
| Performance |
Is GoDaddy fast in terms of hosting speed and performance?GoDaddy offers dependable hosting services, with a focus on steady website functionality. While their hosting performance is not exceptional, the web host incorporates essential technologies including NVMe SSD storage, Nginx / Litespeed server,, along with various server upgrades to enhance your website’s speed. |
| Security |
Are websites hosted on GoDaddy secure with server-side security?Yes, websites hosted at GoDaddy are safe. GoDaddy prioritizes security with features such as auto malware scan, advanced web application firewall (WAF), DDoS protection, free SSL certificates, daily backup, . These measures protect your data and ensure your site is secure from common cyber threats. |
| Supports |
What types of customer support does GoDaddy offer?GoDaddy’s customer support is easy to access and efficient. Help is avaliable via phone, live chat, and email. |
| Value for Money |
Is GoDaddy worth its pricing in term of value?It depends. GoDaddy divides their shared hosting solutions into two tiers: “Standard Performance” and “High Performance” plans. Overall, the standard plans offers limited resources despite the higher-than-average market price. For example, the entry-level plan under “Standard Performance” costs $4.99 per month but only supports a single website with very limited server resources. You can get similar features and server resources at 50% lower cost in many other budget hosting providers. Conversely, GoDaddy’s higher-tier plans present a more attractive value proposition. For instance, their $54.99 per month plan allows hosting up to 150 websites with 300 GB of NVMe storage, 16 GB of RAM, and 8 vCPU cores. These specifications are competitive and considered a good deal in the current market. A similar pricing structure applies to GoDaddy’s VPS plans. While the lower-performance standard plans are relatively expensive, the higher performance plans offer reasonable prices and good deals, providing better value for customers seeking more robust hosting solutions. |
| Overall Users Satisfaction |
What do users say about GoDaddy?GoDaddy’s been around for so long that it seems to attract a particular crowd. These are typically driven by bargain deals and basic, easy-to-use services. In this, GoDaddy delivers. Sadly, such bargain deals have led to limited support capabilities, thus driving up dissatisfaction. For additional insights, please refer to the user reviews section below. |
| Beginners Friendliness |
Is GoDaddy suitable for beginners?If you’re new to web hosting, GoDaddy has a lot to offer. It’s intuitive to use and easy to get accustomed to most regular operations. However, be warned that the standard shared hosting plans are pricier than market average. |
| Small Business Friendliness |
Is GoDaddy suitable for small businesses?Like its hosting, GoDaddy extends its simple services to cover small business needs. That includes areas like marketing and email. The main issue remains that businesses often need timely support and reliable services. Something that GoDaddy is slightly questionable in. |
| Web Developers Friendliness |
Is GoDaddy suitable for web developers?Developers have to consider things carefully where GoDaddy is concerned. While support may not be necessary, GoDaddy’s basic plans aren’t very dev-friendly. VPS plans cost more, and finding better bargains elsewhere for stripped-down hosting services is recommended. |
| Host Own Email |
Can you host custom email accounts with GoDaddy?Yes, you can host your own email accounts with GoDaddy. This significantly reduces your costs by eliminating the need for expensive third-party email services. |
| Onboarding |
Is GoDaddy easy for new customers to start with?Overall Godaddy website is easy to navigate and their product offerings are clear. So getting onboard and started with GoDaddy is not difficult. That said, however, content in GoDaddy’s help center seems more promotional than helpful. That, coupled with features that may or may not work, can lead to a tumultuous onboarding process. |
| Free Trial |
Is GoDaddy available for a free trial?Yes, GoDaddy offers a 30-day free trial period. If you are not satisfied with their services for any reason, you can cancel within this period and receive a full refund. |
GoDaddy Plans & Pricing
GoDaddy has streamlined their offerings, no longer providing Windows, Reseller, and Dedicated Hosting through their website. While this indicates a shift in their service strategy, existing users might still retain their current hosting plans. However, there is some uncertainty about the continuity of these services for existing customers, making it essential to stay updated with GoDaddy’s announcements.
Consider Renewal Prices When Choosing
When evaluating hosting options, it is important to note that many hosting companies offer substantial discounts during the initial signup period, but prices often increase significantly upon renewal. Be sure to research and compare the renewal prices and not just the introductory rates to understand the true cost of hosting over time.
To help you in making an informed decision, we have prepared two tables below that compare the initial signup costs and renewal costs of GoDaddy services with several other providers we monitor.
Compare GoDaddy’s Signup Cost Against Competitors
| Web Host | Shared | VPS | Dedicated | Cloud | Managed WP | Windows |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GoDaddy | $4.99 – 74.99/mo | $8.99 – 199.99/mo | $159.99 – 469.99/mo | $ – /mo | $ – /mo | $ – /mo |
| HostArmada | $2.99 – 5.49/mo | $29.95 – 74.23/mo | $81.95 – 180.95/mo | $ – /mo | $2.99 – 5.49/mo | $ – /mo |
| Chemicloud | $4.95 – 22.95/mo | $29.95 – 262.12/mo | $ – /mo | $ – /mo | $4.95 – 22.95/mo | $ – /mo |
| TMDHosting | $2.99 – 8.99/mo | $44.99 – 125.99/mo | $119.99 – 249.99/mo | $2.99 – 8.99/mo | $2.99 – 8.99/mo | $4.99 – 9.99/mo |
| NameCheap | $1.48 – 4.98/mo | $6.88 – 24.88/mo | $59.57 – 238.88/mo | $ – /mo | $2.91 – 5.74/mo | $ – /mo |
| Servers.com | $ – /mo | $5.37 – 692.04/mo | $104.9 – 712.64/mo | $5.37 – 692.04/mo | $ – /mo | $ – /mo |
Compare GoDaddy’s Renewal Cost Against Competitors
| Web Host | Shared | VPS | Dedicated | Cloud | Managed WP | Windows |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GoDaddy | $4.99 – 109.99/mo | $14.99 – 339.99/mo | $ – /mo | $ – /mo | $12.99 – 22.99/mo | $ – /mo |
| HostArmada | $11.95 – 21.95/mo | $59.90 – 148.45/mo | $163.90 – 361.90/mo | $ – /mo | $11.95 – 21.95/mo | $ – /mo |
| Chemicloud | $13.95 – 22.95/mo | $54.95 – 285.95/mo | $ – /mo | $ – /mo | $13.95 – 22.95/mo | $ – /mo |
| TMDHosting | $9.99 – 19.99/mo | $49.99 – 139.99/mo | $139.99 – 279.99/mo | $9.99 – 19.99/mo | $9.99 – 19.99/mo | $9.99 – 17.99/mo |
| NameCheap | $4.48 – 9.48/mo | $9.88 – 28.88/mo | $67.88 – 259.88/mo | $ – /mo | $6.88 – 19.88/mo | $ – /mo |
| Servers.com | $ – /mo | $5.37 – 692.04/mo | $104.9 – 712.64/mo | $5.37 – 692.04/mo | $ – /mo | $ – /mo |
Caution: Prices May Vary Web hosting prices can change frequently. For the most accurate and up-to-date pricing information, please visit the official GoDaddy website.
Is GoDaddy the Right Choice for You?
One of the longest-standing names in the hosting and domain name industry, GoDaddy is no doubt a powerhouse in the market.
However, their basic shared hosting plans are a bit pricey for what you get, making them less prefered compared with other providers. If you’re looking for more powerful and high-performance hosting, their higher-tier plans offer good value with competitive features at reasonable prices.
That said, GoDaddy can feel a bit impersonal, and they’ve stopped offering some hosting options, so it’s wise to tread carefully if you have a larger, mission-critical project. Also, like any gigantic coperations, they can be a little slow to adapt to the latest technology and lack personal touch in their service offerings.
Summary of GoDaddy Pros and Cons
GoDaddy Pros
- Easily navigable product range
- Relatively good pricing for high performance hosting plans
- Some useful business-oriented addon services
- Good localization – local call supports available
GoDaddy Cons
- Poor hosting performance based on our experience
- Standard shared hosting plans are expensive and skimpy on resources
- Near constant upsells
- Lack dedicated and Windows hosting services
GoDaddy Alternatives to Consider
In case GoDaddy is not right for you, below are some alternatives to consider. You can also find more options in our hosting reviews page (full list).