{"id":56308,"date":"2025-07-16T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-16T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crazyeggblog.wpengine.com\/?p=56308"},"modified":"2026-02-17T10:53:45","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T18:53:45","slug":"godaddy-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crazyegg.com\/blog\/godaddy-review\/","title":{"rendered":"GoDaddy Review–The Good and Bad"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes to domains, GoDaddy<\/a> 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. <\/p>

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. <\/em><\/p>

As such, we’ll be focusing mostly on GoDaddy’s other products for this review. <\/p>

\"What's<\/figure>

Compare GoDaddy to The Best Web Hosting Services<\/h2>

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<\/a>. <\/p>

Why? GoDaddy’s hosting is more expensive than other options and we couldn’t find anything to justify the added cost. Providers like Hostinger<\/a> (our favorite), Bluehost<\/a>, and HostGator<\/a> cost half as much.<\/strong> Plus, they’re all focused on improving their hosting services rather than adding dozens of new products you’ll have to pay for separately. <\/p>

With that said, there’s nothing inherently wrong with hosting your site on GoDaddy. It’s just not one of our favorites. <\/p>

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.<\/p>

Doing so will save you a lot of money and potential hassle down the road. <\/p>

GoDaddy: The Good and The Bad<\/h2>

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. <\/p>

However, it’s likely not a good choice for you if saving money, customer service, or upsell-free experiences are your top priority. <\/p>

The Good<\/h3>

One-click WordPress installation<\/strong>: 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.<\/p>

It is also great for those who are ready to get a site up and running as quickly as possible and don\u2019t 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. <\/p>

Easy to use<\/strong>: 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. <\/p>

The only downside of the ease of use is that you don\u2019t have as much room for creativity as you may with other providers. However, if you are new to website building and don\u2019t want to put a lot of time and energy into creating something elaborate, GoDaddy\u2019s ease of use will be particularly advantageous to you. <\/p>

24\/7 phone and chat support<\/strong>: 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\u2019re 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.<\/p>

Strong video guides: <\/strong>If there\u2019s a question or an issue that you\u2019re having and you don\u2019t want to turn to GoDaddy\u2019s support for help, try their video guides instead. The How-To section on GoDaddy\u2019s website is unlike any other hosting provider\u2019s. 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.<\/p>

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. <\/strong><\/p>

\"GoDaddy<\/a><\/figure>

Quick load time<\/strong>: Load time is a very important piece of the website puzzle, and your site won\u2019t do well if it won\u2019t load fast. Because newsflash: no one wants to sit around waiting for a website to load. We want things to happen now<\/em>. Thankfully, GoDaddy\u2019s load times are generally fast\u2014especially on newer plans using NVMe storage and updated server stacks.<\/p>

Multiple data centers<\/strong>: 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. <\/p>

Freebies<\/strong>: Whoever said there\u2019s no such thing as a free lunch didn\u2019t use GoDaddy\u2019s 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\u2019s included depends on the exact plan and promo you choose, so always double-check the checkout screen.<\/p>

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.<\/p>

Robust security<\/strong>: In addition to hosting your website, GoDaddy includes baseline protections like network security and DDoS monitoring on its hosting platforms. Higher-tier security features\u2014like malware scanning\/cleanup, WAF, and more advanced protection\u2014are usually bundled on certain plans or offered as paid add-ons.<\/p>

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\u2019ll need to add a backup upgrade. <\/p>

The Bad <\/h3>

It’s expensive<\/strong>: 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. <\/p>

High renewal rates: <\/strong>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\u2013$6.99 per month can renew much higher, and add-ons like SSL can jump to $119.99 per year if they\u2019re not bundled into your specific plan.<\/p>

Limited basic plan<\/strong>: Despite having a higher price tag than most, GoDaddy\u2019s Basic plan is just that–basic. It doesn\u2019t offer anything that will wow you or include much in the way of special features and bonuses. It doesn\u2019t offer anything that competitors don\u2019t. <\/p>

SSL certificate can still turn into a paid add-on:<\/strong> 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.<\/p>

Loaded with upsells<\/strong>: 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. <\/p>

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\u2019t love that they are added to your cart without your permission. Many people may not even notice those additional charges until after they\u2019ve already made their purchase. <\/p>

GoDaddy Pricing and Options<\/h2>

GoDaddy<\/a>, 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.<\/p>

GoDaddy Shared Hosting<\/h3>

GoDaddy\u2019s shared plans are ideal for small websites and new sites that are just starting out. They\u2019re a great value because you\u2019re sharing server resources with other websites\u2014hence the name \u201cshared.\u201d <\/p>

This means that it\u2019s not quite as powerful as other hosting tiers. But it\u2019s a cost-effective option for personal sites, low-traffic blogs, and even business sites with only a few pages. <\/p>

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.<\/p>

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.<\/p>

You’re also getting optimized servers that GoDaddy says are up to 2x faster than its previous generation. <\/p>

While you’re definitely paying a little bit more for GoDaddy’s brand name, it’s still a solid choice to consider. <\/p>

Here\u2019s a closer look at GoDaddy\u2019s shared hosting packages:<\/p>

\"Godaddy<\/figure>

Web Hosting<\/strong> Economy<\/strong>. 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\u2019s 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\u2013$6.99 per month with longer terms, it can be a decent option for new websites\u2014just pay attention to renewal pricing.<\/p>

Web Hosting<\/strong> Deluxe<\/strong>. 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\u2014still for just a few dollars more per month. On many offers, this is also where unlimited SSL for all your sites is bundled.<\/p>

Web Hosting<\/strong> Ultimate<\/strong>. Starting at $12.99 per month on longer terms, the Ultimate plan is designed for higher-traffic sites. You\u2019ll benefit from increased processing power, support for more sites, additional NVMe storage, and higher resource limits. <\/p>

Web Hosting<\/strong> Maximum<\/strong>. On some GoDaddy sites you\u2019ll also see a Maximum plan that bumps resources even further for people hosting lots of sites under one account. If you\u2019re running a lot of low-traffic microsites, this is the tier to look at.<\/p>

WordPress Hosting<\/h3>

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\u2019t need to learn any coding to use WordPress, although you can if you want to further customize your site. <\/p>

GoDaddy offers fully managed WordPress hosting<\/a>. <\/p>

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\u2019t have to babysit as much maintenance yourself. <\/p>

All WordPress hosting plans also come with a CDN, and newer versions added better onboarding and site tools to help you launch faster.<\/p>

\"GoDaddy<\/figure>

Managed WordPress<\/strong> Basic.<\/strong> For a small site that\u2019s 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.<\/p>

Managed WordPress<\/strong> Deluxe.<\/strong> 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. <\/p>

Managed WordPress Ultimate.<\/strong> 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\u2019s managed WordPress lineup. Pricing commonly starts around $14.99 per month on an annual term.<\/p>

Managed WooCommerce Stores<\/h3>

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\u2014but specifically built for selling through WooCommerce.<\/p>

So you’re still getting all of the managed WordPress features that you’d expect to have, plus so much more.<\/p>

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\u2019s broader commerce tools if you\u2019re selling across channels. <\/p>

\"GoDaddy's<\/figure>

Here’s a quick look at the plans and pricing for these hosting packages:<\/p>