When it comes to domains, GoDaddy works just fine. Registering a domain is a simple process and your domain registrar doesn’t matter too much. Sure, there are a few details that make them different, but it ultimately isn’t that big of a decision. Just pick one.
We can’t say the same for web hosting or GoDaddy’s massive range of other products. It does matter and it matters a lot.
As such, we’ll be focusing mostly on GoDaddy’s other products for this review.
Compare GoDaddy to The Best Web Hosting Services
GoDaddy’s been around for a long time and it’s great for domain registrations. However, it didn’t make our list of the best web hosting providers.
Why? GoDaddy’s hosting is more expensive than other options and we couldn’t find anything to justify the added cost. Providers like Hostinger (our favorite), Bluehost, and HostGator cost half as much. Plus, they’re all focused on improving their hosting services rather than adding dozens of new products you’ll have to pay for separately.
With that said, there’s nothing inherently wrong with hosting your site on GoDaddy. It’s just not one of our favorites.
On top of that, we recommend registering your domain separately from your hosting provider in case you decide to switch providers later. Getting a free domain with hosting is great–there’s no problem with doing that. But we suggest transferring your domain name elsewhere once your free year is up.
Doing so will save you a lot of money and potential hassle down the road.
GoDaddy: The Good and The Bad
Despite not being one of our favorites, GoDaddy has a lot of good things going for it and a massive selection of products and tools to help you build and manage your business.
However, it’s likely not a good choice for you if saving money, customer service, or upsell-free experiences are your top priority.
The Good
One-click WordPress installation: GoDaddy offers one-click installation for a number of different apps, including WordPress. This is ideal for those who are new to building websites but still like to do things on their own.
It is also great for those who are ready to get a site up and running as quickly as possible and don’t have the time or desire to spend time fussing with a complex WordPress setup. While WordPress can sometimes be a bit clunky for newbies, GoDaddy really simplifies the process for its web hosting clients.
Easy to use: GoDaddy is a great hosting provider for those who are fresh to the world of websites. The builder available via GoDaddy does all the hard work for you and allows you to simply pick what you want your website to look like by choosing from a variety of templates.
The only downside of the ease of use is that you don’t have as much room for creativity as you may with other providers. However, if you are new to website building and don’t want to put a lot of time and energy into creating something elaborate, GoDaddy’s ease of use will be particularly advantageous to you.
24/7 phone and chat support: Getting someone on the phone to help you in this day and age is not as easy as it once was. It feels as if everything is automated and you’re constantly run through bots until you lose patience and eventually hang up. That is not the case with GoDaddy. Though they certainly do use bots, GoDaddy also has phone and live chat support available 24/7. Response times are generally quick, especially on chat, but can be longer during peak traffic.
Strong video guides: If there’s a question or an issue that you’re having and you don’t want to turn to GoDaddy’s support for help, try their video guides instead. The How-To section on GoDaddy’s website is unlike any other hosting provider’s. They have playlists of video guides to help you through things such as how to plan your online presence, how to set up your email, marketing basics, and much more.
This extensive resource will come in handy for more than just troubleshooting issues you may be having. It’s a place for you to take your website and the concept behind it to new levels.
Quick load time: Load time is a very important piece of the website puzzle, and your site won’t do well if it won’t load fast. Because newsflash: no one wants to sit around waiting for a website to load. We want things to happen now. Thankfully, GoDaddy’s load times are generally fast—especially on newer plans using NVMe storage and updated server stacks.
Multiple data centers: The more data centers a hosting provider has, the faster their speeds can be. GoDaddy uses global infrastructure across North America, Europe, and Asia, and you can typically choose your preferred region on many Linux/cPanel hosting options and change it later if traffic patterns shift.
Freebies: Whoever said there’s no such thing as a free lunch didn’t use GoDaddy’s hosting service. When you purchase a shared web hosting plan, you can get solid freebies like a domain for the first year on annual terms, email on eligible offers, and access to one-click installs for common apps. Just remember that what’s included depends on the exact plan and promo you choose, so always double-check the checkout screen.
The biggest one is the domain, however. Since GoDaddy is known for its domain registration, it is smart of them to give a free domain to someone purchasing their hosting. Domain names can otherwise cost anywhere from $5 to $5,000 per year, so a free one is always nice. However, do note that the domain is free just for the first year. Following that, you will be charged the regular annual price.
Robust security: In addition to hosting your website, GoDaddy includes baseline protections like network security and DDoS monitoring on its hosting platforms. Higher-tier security features—like malware scanning/cleanup, WAF, and more advanced protection—are usually bundled on certain plans or offered as paid add-ons.
GoDaddy also includes automatic daily backups on Web Hosting (cPanel), but the standard backup history is limited. If you want a longer restore window (like 7, 14, or 30 days), you’ll need to add a backup upgrade.
The Bad
It’s expensive: GoDaddy charges more than similar web hosting plans from other providers. We couldn’t really find anything that consistently justified this higher price tag for most small sites.
High renewal rates: While this is true with almost all hosting providers, GoDaddy is still one of the worst when you compare their introductory prices to the renewal rate. An Economy plan promo around $5.99–$6.99 per month can renew much higher, and add-ons like SSL can jump to $119.99 per year if they’re not bundled into your specific plan.
Limited basic plan: Despite having a higher price tag than most, GoDaddy’s Basic plan is just that–basic. It doesn’t offer anything that will wow you or include much in the way of special features and bonuses. It doesn’t offer anything that competitors don’t.
SSL certificate can still turn into a paid add-on: GoDaddy bundles free, unlimited SSL on certain shared hosting tiers (like Deluxe and above), but some entry-level offers only include SSL for the first year and then renew around $119.99 per year. Other hosts include SSL indefinitely across all plans, so watch your invoice closely.
Loaded with upsells: While there are some freebies included in the hosting plans, where GoDaddy gets you is with the upsells. A lot of features are available when you use GoDaddy for your hosting, but most of them come at a price.
You may find yourself overwhelmed by the checkout process that attempts to upsell you on all sorts of products and sometimes will automatically add some things to your cart. While they may be great additions, we don’t love that they are added to your cart without your permission. Many people may not even notice those additional charges until after they’ve already made their purchase.
GoDaddy Pricing and Options
GoDaddy, like other web hosting providers, offers several different plans that each fit different needs. And, as to be expected, the lower-tiered plans limit what you can do with your hosting, but also come at a low price and serve as a great place to get started.
GoDaddy Shared Hosting
GoDaddy’s shared plans are ideal for small websites and new sites that are just starting out. They’re a great value because you’re sharing server resources with other websites—hence the name “shared.”
This means that it’s not quite as powerful as other hosting tiers. But it’s a cost-effective option for personal sites, low-traffic blogs, and even business sites with only a few pages.
Compared to other web hosting providers on the market, GoDaddy’s shared plans are still a bit more expensive. In some cases, these plans are double or triple the cost of other entry-level promotional rates.
The higher rates do come with some extra perks. You’re getting DDoS monitoring, a 99.9% uptime guarantee, and automatic daily backups on Web Hosting (cPanel). GoDaddy also uses NVMe storage on many shared hosting offers, which is faster than the older SSDs many rivals still sell.
You’re also getting optimized servers that GoDaddy says are up to 2x faster than its previous generation.
While you’re definitely paying a little bit more for GoDaddy’s brand name, it’s still a solid choice to consider.
Here’s a closer look at GoDaddy’s shared hosting packages:
Web Hosting Economy. Beginners that are just getting started building websites should lean towards the Economy plan. It supports a single site and often includes a free SSL for the first year (then renews unless it’s bundled on your offer), plus a free domain on eligible terms and email on select promos. Storage varies by offer, but entry-level listings commonly start around 25 GB of NVMe storage. Starting around $5.99–$6.99 per month with longer terms, it can be a decent option for new websites—just pay attention to renewal pricing.
Web Hosting Deluxe. The Deluxe package is made for beginners that need a hosting solution for multiple websites. It comes with everything included in the Economy plan but supports up to ten websites and has more NVMe storage—still for just a few dollars more per month. On many offers, this is also where unlimited SSL for all your sites is bundled.
Web Hosting Ultimate. Starting at $12.99 per month on longer terms, the Ultimate plan is designed for higher-traffic sites. You’ll benefit from increased processing power, support for more sites, additional NVMe storage, and higher resource limits.
Web Hosting Maximum. On some GoDaddy sites you’ll also see a Maximum plan that bumps resources even further for people hosting lots of sites under one account. If you’re running a lot of low-traffic microsites, this is the tier to look at.
WordPress Hosting
For those who are new to websites, WordPress may be your best friend. It will make hosting and building your website much easier and a much smoother process. You don’t need to learn any coding to use WordPress, although you can if you want to further customize your site.
GoDaddy offers fully managed WordPress hosting.
So in addition to getting WordPress pre-installed and WordPress-optimized servers, you’re also getting extra service perks. GoDaddy includes automatic WordPress core updates, security updates, and daily backups. Plan details vary, but the whole point is that you don’t have to babysit as much maintenance yourself.
All WordPress hosting plans also come with a CDN, and newer versions added better onboarding and site tools to help you launch faster.
Managed WordPress Basic. For a small site that’s just getting started, the Basic plan is all you need. This tier typically includes a free SSL while you stay on the plan, daily backups, and around 10 GB of NVMe storage. The starting price for this is commonly $6.99 per month on an annual term.
Managed WordPress Deluxe. If the Basic plan feels tight, the Deluxe plan adds more storage, more performance features, and additional site tools, plus everything in the Basic tier. This package commonly starts at $10.99 per month on an annual term.
Managed WordPress Ultimate. The Ultimate plan is designed for larger sites and higher traffic. It comes with more storage and resources, plus the most complete set of features in GoDaddy’s managed WordPress lineup. Pricing commonly starts around $14.99 per month on an annual term.
Managed WooCommerce Stores
If you want to turn your WordPress site into an ecommerce shop, these plans are for you. They’re similar to GoDaddy’s managed WordPress plans—but specifically built for selling through WooCommerce.
So you’re still getting all of the managed WordPress features that you’d expect to have, plus so much more.
You can use GoDaddy’s WooCommerce plans to sell physical goods, memberships, subscriptions, digital goods, gift certificates, and more. GoDaddy lets you customize the checkout experience with WooCommerce, and it can integrate with GoDaddy’s broader commerce tools if you’re selling across channels.
Here’s a quick look at the plans and pricing for these hosting packages:
- Essentials – Starting at $24.99 per month
- Flex – Starting at $79.99 per month
- Expand – Starting at $129.99 per month
All plans come with the ability to sell unlimited products with discounted shipping rates of up to 84%. You can even take advantage of GoDaddy’s built-in payment processing system, with fees starting at 2.3% per transaction.
The biggest difference between each plan tier is how many orders you can sell through online marketplaces each month. The Essentials plan supports 1,000 marketplace orders, while Flex and Expand stand at 2,500 and 5,000, respectively.
Every plan comes with built-in shopping cart abandonment emails. But you’ll get an extra message in your drip with each tier.
If you’re planning to sell online using WooCommerce and you’re interested in GoDaddy, going this route is really a no-brainer. Your store will also be backed by GoDaddy’s uptime guarantee.
VPS Hosting
A VPS-hosted website will see much quicker speeds and performance thanks to the fact that there are servers allocated specifically for your website, and your website only. Thus, if you are looking for a fast website that generally runs better, VPS hosting may be for you.
Just be advised that the self-managed plans are still the cheapest, and you’ll need some technical knowledge to get the most out of them.
Generally speaking, self-managed VPS hosting from GoDaddy is best for developers and system administrators. You’re getting full root access with SSH keys—providing total control. These plans are built to scale without manual migrations.
GoDaddy’s VPS lineup changes over time, but the general idea stays the same: you pay for more CPU, RAM, and storage as you move up the tiers.
GoDaddy also continues to offer fully managed VPS options for people who don’t want to handle updates and server maintenance themselves—those typically start well over $100 per month but include proactive monitoring and management.
Web Hosting Plus
Web Hosting Plus is an upgraded version of GoDaddy’s VPS hosting. These plans come with faster page loading speeds and a user-friendly control panel. It’s essentially all the benefits of a VPS server, but without the technical headaches.
Web Hosting Plus Launch. For the basics on multiple websites, this package is a great place to start. Starting at $17.99 per month, it includes upgraded resources compared to shared hosting and commonly bundles extras like daily backups and a dedicated IP on select offers.
Web Hosting Plus Enhance. If you expect your website to be high-traffic, then this plan is what you want. For $29.99 per month, it comes with more storage and RAM.
Web Hosting Plus Grow. For more demanding sites, the Web Hosting Plus Grow plan adds even more resources for sites that need extra horsepower. Pricing and specs vary, so check the current plan details before you buy.
Web Hosting Plus Expand. Built for resource-heavy websites, this plan bumps resources further for people hosting a lot of sites under one account. Most of you likely won’t come close to maxing out what these tiers support, but it’s there if you need it.
Expanding Your Knowledge: GoDaddy
How trustworthy is GoDaddy?
GoDaddy is one of the most recognizable names in the world of web hosting and domain registration. More than 20 million customers globally use GoDaddy, and it manages tens of millions of domains. There are also plenty of verified reviews from real customers across major review platforms.
Overall, GoDaddy is a safe place to get a domain name and host your website. For domains, eligible registrations include privacy by default to keep your personal info off public WHOIS listings.
Is GoDaddy good for domain names?
GoDaddy is great for registering domain names. It’s the largest registrar on the market, and it’s a great option for both single domain names and bulk domain registration alike. Domain privacy is included on eligible domains, and you can also add on extra protection services for transfer security and account changes, plus additional safeguards if a payment method fails at renewal.
For GoDaddy alternatives, check out our list of the best domain registrars.
Is GoDaddy good for web hosting?
GoDaddy is a good option for web hosting if you’re looking for a platform that’s easy to use with 24/7 support options. It’s a solid choice for beginners because it’s straightforward to start small and upgrade to bigger plans later. GoDaddy has a wide range of hosting types, like shared hosting, VPS hosting, WordPress hosting, and dedicated servers, so you can always move up if you need more resources or better performance.
Refer to our reviews of the best web hosting providers for additional options beyond GoDaddy.
Why is GoDaddy so expensive?
GoDaddy is expensive compared to other web hosts and domain registrars largely because it’s a mainstream brand with a huge product catalog and lots of bundled services. People recognize GoDaddy, so they’re willing to pay more compared to a provider that’s less recognizable.
GoDaddy also seems more expensive because they offer low introductory rates that jump on renewal. In some cases, GoDaddy even charges for things that other providers include for free. For example, certain entry-level shared hosting offers may come with SSL for the first year and then renew at $119.99 each year. Other web hosts offer a free SSL certificate indefinitely with all hosting plans.
Does GoDaddy have any special promotions?
One of the best-known GoDaddy promos is a .com domain name for $0.01 for one year for new customers (on eligible offers). They also offer web hosting packages that are discounted when you lock in a longer contract. Get started now to claim your special offer.
