Natalie CussonSmall Business Writer
Natalie Cusson is a small business owner with over 15 years experience in the creative arts. She's worked on ad campaigns for many trusted brands such as Nike, Subaru, Polaris, Red Bull and Progressive Insurance, just to name a few. Beyond her profes...
See Full Bio
Natalie CussonSmall Business Writer
Natalie Cusson is a small business owner with over 15 years experience in the creative arts. She's worked on ad campaigns for many trusted brands such as Nike, Subaru, Polaris, Red Bull and Progressive Insurance, just to name a few. Beyond her profes...
See Full Bio
Written By
Natalie Cusson
Natalie CussonSmall Business Writer
Natalie Cusson is a small business owner with over 15 years experience in the creative arts. She's worked on ad campaigns for many trusted brands such as Nike, Subaru, Polaris, Red Bull and Progressive Insurance, just to name a few. Beyond her profes...
See Full Bio
Natalie CussonSmall Business Writer
Natalie Cusson is a small business owner with over 15 years experience in the creative arts. She's worked on ad campaigns for many trusted brands such as Nike, Subaru, Polaris, Red Bull and Progressive Insurance, just to name a few. Beyond her profes...
See Full Bio
Small Business Writer
Rob WattsManaging Editor, SMB
With over a decade of editorial experience, Rob Watts breaks down complex topics for small businesses that want to grow and succeed. His work has been featured in outlets such as Keypoint Intelligence, FitSmallBusiness and PCMag.
See Full Bio
Rob WattsManaging Editor, SMB
With over a decade of editorial experience, Rob Watts breaks down complex topics for small businesses that want to grow and succeed. His work has been featured in outlets such as Keypoint Intelligence, FitSmallBusiness and PCMag.
See Full Bio
Rob Watts
Rob WattsManaging Editor, SMB
With over a decade of editorial experience, Rob Watts breaks down complex topics for small businesses that want to grow and succeed. His work has been featured in outlets such as Keypoint Intelligence, FitSmallBusiness and PCMag.
See Full Bio
Rob WattsManaging Editor, SMB
With over a decade of editorial experience, Rob Watts breaks down complex topics for small businesses that want to grow and succeed. His work has been featured in outlets such as Keypoint Intelligence, FitSmallBusiness and PCMag.
See Full Bio
Reviewed
& 1 other
Updated: May 15, 2024, 3:33pm
Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.
GoDaddy is a well-known, affordable domain registrar and web hosting provider. It offers various services such as domain registrations, website hosting, email and marketing, SSL certificates and much more. In addition to GoDaddy, there are many alternative web hosting providers on the market that offer similar services with different features, pricing and customer support.
Those who are looking for a hosting provider will have different needs and will want to compare providers and weigh their options. Here at Forbes Advisor, we have evaluated seven top GoDaddy alternatives to assist you in making the right decision.
Read more
Best Of
- Best Web Hosting Services
- Best Web Hosting Services For Small Business
- Best Cheap Web Hosting Services
- Best Wordpress Hosting Services
- Best Email Hosting Services
- Best Domain Registrars
Featured Partners
Advertisem*nt
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Domain.com
Starting price
$8.99
Renewal cost
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Offer
Use code “FORBES” for 25% off
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Namecheap
Starting price
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Renewal price
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Free WHOIS privacy
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Spaceship
Starting price
$5.91
Renewal price
$9.55
Free WHOIS privacy
Yes
4
Wix
Starting Price
$8
Renewal Price
$8
Free WHOIS Privacy
No
5
Network Solutions
Starting Price
$5.99
Renewal Price
$27.99
Offer
1 free month of starter hosting
Show Summary
- The Best GoDaddy Alternatives of 2024
- Why You Can Trust Forbes Advisor Small Business
- Forbes Advisor Ratings
- How To Choose the Best GoDaddy Alternative
- How Much Does GoDaddy Cost?
- Methodology
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Next Up In Business
The Best GoDaddy Alternatives of 2024
- IONOS: Best for growing teams
- HostGator: Best for cost-effective hosting solutions
- Bluehost: Best for WordPress hosting services
- DreamHost: Best for 100% custom website design
- InMotion Hosting: Best for starting small and scaling up
- Namecheap: Best budget option
- Hostwinds: Best for a variety of hosting needs
Why You Can Trust Forbes Advisor Small Business
The Forbes Advisor Small Business team is committed to bringing you unbiased rankings and information with full editorial independence. We use product data, strategic methodologies and expert insights to inform all of our content to guide you in making the best decisions for your business journey.
After carefully evaluating a total of 11 GoDaddy alternatives, we have compiled a list of our top seven service providers using a comprehensive methodology. Our assessment criteria encompassed elements such as pricing, general features, additional features, ratings and reviews and expert scoring, all of which were conducted by our editorial staff.
Best for Growing Teams
IONOS
4.6
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Domain name
As low as $1 per month for the first year for .com domains
(renews at $17 per year)
Web hosting
As low as $1 per month for the first year
(renews at $12 per month)
Other services
Business email, website builder, Deploy Now, Compute Engine
On IONOS' Website
As low as $1 per month for the first year for .com domains
(renews at $17 per year)
As low as $1 per month for the first year
(renews at $12 per month)
Business email, website builder, Deploy Now, Compute Engine
Editor's Take
IONOS is a web hosting service that offers a variety of web hosting plans, including shared hosting, VPS hosting, WordPress hosting and dedicated hosting. It is well known for its best-selling plan that is targeted to larger web projects, starting at just $1 per month for 12 months.
All plans include a free domain for one year, free Wildcard SSL certificate, free professional email, daily backup and recovery. Storage and bandwidth range from 10GB to unlimited depending on the plan. IONOS also stands by a 30-day money-back guarantee and 99.9% uptime.
Similar to GoDaddy, IONOS offers free domain services included in all plans for the first year. If you plan to host multiple websites, you can register additional domains for as low as $1 per year for the first year. The renewal fee for a .com domain is $17 per year. GoDaddy, on the other hand, costs a bit more for a domain name, running at $7.99 for the first year and $21.99 thereafter for the renewal rate.
IONOS hosting plans also come with a website builder, which makes it easy for users to create a professional-looking website without any coding skills. Along with GoDaddy, IONOS also includes 24/7 customer support via phone, email and live chat.
Learn more: Read our full IONOS review.
Who should use it:
IONOS caters to entrepreneurs starting their online journey, and small to medium-sized businesses looking to expand.
Pros & Cons
- PHP 8.2 with JIT compiler
- DDoS protection
- Geo-redundant infrastructure
- Scalable performance
- Fast page loading times
- Limited Storage on entry-level plan
- Significant Increase in price after first year
Best for Cost-Effective Hosting Solutions
HostGator
4.4
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Domain name
As low as $12.99 per year for the first year for .com domains
(renews at $19.99 per year)
Web hosting
As low as $2.64 per month for 36 months
(renews at $9.99 per month)
Other services
Website builder, register domains, transfer domains, web design, pay-per-click advertising, CodeGuard, Google Workspace, SEO
On HostGator's Website
As low as $12.99 per year for the first year for .com domains
(renews at $19.99 per year)
As low as $2.64 per month for 36 months
(renews at $9.99 per month)
Website builder, register domains, transfer domains, web design, pay-per-click advertising, CodeGuard, Google Workspace, SEO
Editor's Take
HostGator is a web hosting provider that offers a variety of services including shared hosting, Windows hosting, cloud hosting, WordPress hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated hosting and reseller hosting.
All HostGator hosting plans include free domain name for the first year, email, unmetered bandwidth, one-click WordPress installs, chat support and SSL certificate. Unlimited disk space, phone support and additional features are included in higher paid tiers. It also offers an intuitive website builder, free website transfer and 24/7 customer support through phone or live chat.
As with GoDaddy, free domain registration is included in your hosting plan automatically for the first year. With HostGator, if you already have a domain, you can transfer your .com for free. GoDaddy, on the other hand, offers the same service but charges an additional $10.99 for .com domain transfer.
Although HostGator and GoDaddy offer similar plans, HostGator is more affordable with its cheapest shared hosting plan starting at $2.64 per month for a three-year term vs. GoDaddy starting at $6.99 for a three-year term.
Learn more: Read our full HostGator review.
Who should use it:
HostGator is best for beginner websites and small to medium-sized businesses that are looking for affordable web hosting, domain services and website builder tools.
Pros & Cons
- Free unmetered bandwidth
- Free domain registration (one year)
- Free one-click WordPress install
- Free SSL certificate
- Email included
- No phone support on basic plan
- Money-back guarantee does not apply with monthly billing
- No refunds on dedicated servers and domain names
Best for WordPress Hosting Services
Bluehost
4.3
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Domain name
As low as $12.99 per year for a .com domains
Web hosting
As low as $1.99 per month for 12 months
(renews at $3.99)
Other services
Email, website design, digital marketing, Pro Design Live support
On Bluehost's Website
As low as $12.99 per year for a .com domains
As low as $1.99 per month for 12 months
(renews at $3.99)
Email, website design, digital marketing, Pro Design Live support
Editor's Take
Bluehost is a reliable and affordable hosting provider officially recommended by WordPress and
is highly recommended for WordPress users. It offers specialized training and support, making it a great hosting provider for those who run their websites on WordPress.
Bluehost offers a variety of hosting plans including shared hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated hosting and WordPress hosting. In addition, Bluehost offers domain registration, email, website design, digital marketing and design support. It is known for excellent performance, a user-friendly interface and reliable 24/7 customer support via live chat, phone and email. Bluehost also goes the extra mile with website security and includes SSL certificates, SiteLock, CodeGuard basic (which provides automatic backups), two-factor authentication and malware scans.
With that said, both Bluehost and GoDaddy are leaders in the web hosting industry as they each offer competitive pricing and a wide range of features, including a domain name for your website. All Bluehost plans come with a free domain name for the first year with the option of a 12-month plan or a 36-month plan. Take note, Bluehost charges an additional fee for domain privacy on its Basic plan while GoDaddy includes it in its plans for free.
Learn more: Read our full Bluehost review.
Who should use it:
Bluehost is an excellent choice for individuals and small to medium-sized businesses that use WordPress and want an easy-to-use website builder.
Pros & Cons
- Free SSL certificate
- Free domain first year
- Custom WordPress themes
- Flexible Google Workspace tools
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- No month-to-month plans
- Costly add-ons
- Website migration fee
Best for 100% Custom Website Design
DreamHost
4.3
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Domain name
As low as $8.99 per year for the first year for .coms
(renews at $17.99)
Web hosting
As low as $2.59 per month for 36 months
(renews at $5.99 per month)
Other services
Custom web design, WordPress website builder, email hosting, Google Workspace, Pro Services
On DreamHost's Website
As low as $8.99 per year for the first year for .coms
(renews at $17.99)
As low as $2.59 per month for 36 months
(renews at $5.99 per month)
Custom web design, WordPress website builder, email hosting, Google Workspace, Pro Services
Editor's Take
DreamHost is a web hosting service that offers a variety of hosting plans, including shared hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated hosting, cloud hosting, managed hosting and WordPress hosting services. All hosting plans come with standard features such as a custom control panel, one-click installer, free domain, unlimited traffic, WordPress preinstalled, WordPress website builder and free SSL Certificate.
DreamHost offers 100% uptime guarantee on all plans, while GoDaddy offers a 99.9% uptime guarantee. DreamHost stands out for including fast SSD storage on all hosting plans, whereas GoDaddy only includes SSD storage on select plans. DreamHost also offers flexibility with its option to choose monthly, yearly or three-year plans with a 97-day money-back guarantee while GoDaddy, on the other hand, offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
DreamHost also offers affordable domain registration, and every domain that is purchased is provided with multiple layers of privacy protection for free. Other registrars including GoDaddy charge for this service. Domains provided by DreamHost start at 8.99 for a .com and renew at $19.99 with a $9.99 transfer fee.
Learn more: Read our full DreamHost review.
Who should use it:
DreamHost caters to individuals and all sizes of businesses looking for an affordable and reliable hosting provider. It is great for customers who require a high level of performance, custom web designs and outstanding customer service.
Pros & Cons
- Custom control panel
- Easy to use
- Full-featured
- Fast and reliable
- Beautiful WordPress themes
- No cPanel
- U.S.-only data centers
- No phone support
- Promotional offers for new accounts only
Best for Starting Small and Scaling Up
InMotion Hosting
4.1
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Domain name
$19.99 per year
(flat rate)
Web hosting
As low as at $2.29 per month for 36 months
(renews at $8.99 per month)
Other services
Domains, marketing tools, security suite, website builder
On InMotion Hosting's Website
$19.99 per year
(flat rate)
As low as at $2.29 per month for 36 months
(renews at $8.99 per month)
Domains, marketing tools, security suite, website builder
Editor's Take
InMotion Hosting is a popular web hosting service that offers many hosting plans including shared hosting, WordPress hosting, VPS hosting, reseller and dedicated servers.
InMotion Hosting services offer a wide range of features, including website builders, email addresses, cPanel, free migration tools, free SSL Certificate, WordPress preinstalled and more. InMotion Hosting is a great alternative to GoDaddy and offers more advanced features such as unlimited bandwidth and SSD hosting for 20 times faster content delivery and improved website performance.
Similarly, InMotion and GoDaddy both offer low pricing plans; however, InMotion offers a 90-day money-back guarantee on its plans versus GoDaddy, which offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. InMotion also offers fast and reliable performance with 99.9% uptime.
With that said, InMotion Hosting only includes free domain registration or domain transfer in its higher-priced hosting plans and a domain name that is purchased through InMotion costs a flat rate of $19.99 per year.
Both InMotion Hosting and GoDaddy offer 24/7 customer support and both received excellent user reviews for their high-quality support team, providing fast and efficient service.
Learn more: Read our full InMotion review.
Who should use it:
InMotion is great for any size business that is looking for advanced hosting features and high-quality support. It’s particularly beneficial for small businesses that are looking to scale up their operations.
Pros & Cons
- Domain management
- SSL certificates
- Free website builder
- cPanel and WHM
- 90-day money-back guarantee
- U.S. data centers only
- Limited monthly billing plans
Best Budget Option
Namecheap
4.1
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Domain name
$9.98 for the first year for .com
(renewal rate higher)
Web hosting
As low as $1.48 per month for first year
(renews at $44.88 per year)
Other services
Email, Apps, Security features
On Namecheap's Website
$9.98 for the first year for .com
(renewal rate higher)
As low as $1.48 per month for first year
(renews at $44.88 per year)
Email, Apps, Security features
Editor's Take
Namecheap is a web hosting and domain registration service that offers some of the most affordable plans on the market, including shared hosting, WordPress hosting, VPS hosting, reseller hosting and dedicated hosting. When compared to GoDaddy, Namecheap wins for being the most affordable.
All Namecheap plans come with a free domain, an SSL certificate, unmetered bandwidth, free website builder, 24/7 support and 30-day money back guarantee. Namecheap’s lowest-priced plan starts at $1.48 per month and includes three websites, which is great for those who need to host multiple sites. In comparison, GoDaddy’s cheapest plan starts at $6.99 per month and includes only one website.
Namecheap also has a stronger focus on security and offers several advanced features to help protect customers’ websites and data. Plans include top-notch two-factor authentication and DDoS protection, all free of charge. Additionally, plans also include SSL products ranging from basic to advanced with account security. Namecheap also offers AutoBackup for free with premium hosting plans.
To add, Namecheap offers one free domain name and privacy protection with all plans. If you are looking to register a domain name separately, Namecheap offers a variety of options at prices starting as low as 98 cents for the first year. Take note, renewal rates do apply and can raise in price significantly depending on your chosen web address.
Learn more: Read our Namecheap reviewand our Namecheap vs. GoDaddy comparison.
Who should use it:
Namecheap is great for small businesses and individuals on a budget looking for a hosting provider that offers a wide range of hosting and domain services.
Pros & Cons
- 100% uptime
- Free website builder
- Unmetered bandwidth
- Free SSL installation
- Free Supersonic CDN
- Free website migration
- No phone support
- Cloud storage only available with Stellar plans
- Supersonic CDN is only available for domain names that use shared hosting name servers
Best for a Variety of Hosting Needs
Hostwinds
3.7
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Domain name
As low as $17.89 per year for .coms
(renews at $17.89 per year)
Web hosting
As low as $5.24 per month or $63.08 for the first year
(renews at $6.99 per month)
Other services
Weebly website builder, business email
Learn More
Read Forbes' Review
As low as $17.89 per year for .coms
(renews at $17.89 per year)
As low as $5.24 per month or $63.08 for the first year
(renews at $6.99 per month)
Weebly website builder, business email
Editor's Take
Hostwinds is a web hosting provider that offers a range of hosting services, including web hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated servers and cloud servers. Hostwinds offers a plethora of features including unlimited bandwidth, unlimited disk space, unlimited subdomains, unlimited email accounts, free website transfers, free SSL certificates, solid-state drives and so much more.
Hostwinds plans are generally affordable and similar to GoDaddy in price, starting at $5.24 per month with multiple contract options available. Hostwinds offers more features than GoDaddy with the most basic plans including 24/7 website monitoring, nightly backups, an entire website builder and 24/7 customer support via live chat, ticket, email and phone. On the downside, Hostwinds only offers a 72-hour prorated refund and must be made by request within the client portal.
Hostwinds also provides domain registration with its hosting plan including a single domain for free on the Basic plan and unlimited domains on its higher-priced plans. The price to register a new domain depends on your chosen web address. For example, the cost of using a common .com domain extension starts at $17.89 per year. Renewal and transfer fees also apply at the same price.
Learn more: Read our full Hostwinds review.
Who should use it:
Hostwinds is a great choice for individuals, small businesses and medium-sized businesses that need a hosting service that tailors to their specific needs.
Pros & Cons
- Website builder
- Nightly backups
- User-friendly control panel
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Unlimited disk space
- No e-commerce hosting
- 72-hour prorated refund
Forbes Advisor Ratings
Company | Company - Logo | Forbes Advisor Rating | Forbes Advisor Rating | Domain name | Web hosting | Other services | Learn More CTA text | Learn more CTA below text | LEARN MORE |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IONOS | 4.6 | As low as $1 per month for the first year for .com domains (renews at $17 per year) | As low as $1 per month for the first year (renews at $12 per month) | Business email, website builder, Deploy Now, Compute Engine | Learn More | On IONOS' Website | |||
HostGator | 4.4 | As low as $12.99 per year for the first year for .com domains (renews at $19.99 per year) | As low as $2.64 per month for 36 months (renews at $9.99 per month) | Website builder, register domains, transfer domains, web design, pay-per-click advertising, CodeGuard, Google Workspace, SEO | Learn More | On HostGator's Website | |||
Bluehost | 4.3 | As low as $12.99 per year for a .com domains | As low as $1.99 per month for 12 months (renews at $3.99) | Email, website design, digital marketing, Pro Design Live support | Learn More | On Bluehost.com's Website | |||
DreamHost | 4.3 | As low as $8.99 per year for the first year for .coms (renews at $17.99) | As low as $2.59 per month for 36 months (renews at $5.99 per month) | Custom web design, WordPress website builder, email hosting, Google Workspace, Pro Services | Learn More | On DreamHost's Website | |||
InMotion | 4.1 | $19.99 per year (flat rate) | As low as at $2.29 per month for 36 months (renews at $8.99 per month) | Domains, marketing tools, security suite, website builder | Learn More | On InMotion Hosting's Website | |||
Namecheap | 4.1 | As low as $9.98 for the first year for .coms (renewal rate varies) | As low as $1.48 per month for first year (renews at $44.88 per year) | Email, Apps, Security features | Learn More | On Namecheap's Website | |||
Hostwinds | 3.7 | As low as $17.89 per year for .coms (renews at $17.89 per year) | As low as $5.24 per month or $63.08 for the first year (renews at $6.99 per month) | Weebly website builder, business email | Learn More | Read Forbes' Review |
How To Choose the Best GoDaddy Alternative
Choosing the best GoDaddy alternative requires weighing various factors. Here are some steps to consider:
- Determine your hosting needs: The first step is to consider your hosting needs, this will help narrow down which hosting services are able to meet your criteria. Decide which type of hosting service you’ll need for your website—for example, shared hosting, VPS hosting, WordPress hosting, dedicated hosting, managed hosting, cloud hosting, etc. Consider factors such as website traffic, storage, bandwidth and whether or not you’ll need a domain name.
- Research alternative hosting providers: Look for hosting providers that offer similar services to GoDaddy, such as our seven top GoDaddy alternatives provided in this article. Take note of their features, uptime guarantee, customer support, pricing and user interface. Keep an eye on hosting services that include free services such as SSL certificate, domain name, website builder and auto-backups.
- Compare pricing: Compare the pricing of different hosting providers and identify which ones offer the best value for money. Consider not only the initial price but also the renewal rates and any additional fees. Some hosting platforms offer monthly, yearly and three-year plans. In addition, first-time customers usually receive a discounted rate but after the initial term, the rate is likely to increase. Make sure to account for the regular rate and cost increase per term.
- Check uptime and reliability: Look for hosting providers that offer at least 99.9% to 100% uptime. Check their uptime guarantees and read reviews from other customers to see how reliable and fast their services are. It’s important to choose a hosting service that minimizes downtime and keeps your website up and running.
- Evaluate customer support: Choose a hosting provider that offers excellent customer service. Look for providers that offer 24/7 support, multiple support channels and quick response time. In addition, some providers offer an online help center, knowledge base, courses and videos.
- Consider website migration: If you are currently using GoDaddy, make sure to confirm that your alternative hosting provider offers website migration services. Some providers will offer free migration services but others may offer this as a paid feature. The migration process should be relatively straightforward and seamless.
- Check scalability options: If you want to upgrade or downgrade your plan as needed, look for a hosting provider that offers scalability options.
By following these suggestions as a guideline, you can feel more confident and knowledgeable deciding which GoDaddy alternative is right for you.
Featured Partners
Advertisem*nt
1
Domain.com
Starting price
$8.99
Renewal cost
$13.99
Offer
Use code "FORBES" for 25% off
2
Namecheap
Starting price
$5.98
Renewal price
$14.58
Free WHOIS privacy
Yes
3
Spaceship
Starting price
$5.91
Renewal price
$9.55
Free WHOIS privacy
Yes
5
Network Solutions
Starting Price
$5.99
Renewal Price
$27.99
Offer
1 free month of starter hosting
How Much Does GoDaddy Cost?
GoDaddy offers a wide range of hosting plans with different pricing options. Here is a brief overview of its hosting services and pricing plans:
Shared Hosting: GoDaddy offers four basic shared hosting options, they are the most affordable plans and work with basic websites. All plans include unlimited bandwidth, daily backups, free one-click WordPress install, free domain and free SSL Certificate.
- Web Hosting Economy: Starts at $5.99 per month with a three-year term. Includes 25GB plan with free matching domain, free email and free SSL.
- Web Hosting Deluxe: Starts at $7.99 per month with a three-year term. Includes multiple site hosting with SSL certificate for all websites, free matching domain and free email.
- Web Hosting Ultimate: Starts at $12.99 per month with a three-year term. Includes increased processing power with multiple sites, storage, databases and SSL for all websites. Plus, free domain and free email.
- Web Hosting Maximum: Starts at $17.99 per month with a three-year term. Includes maximized processing power and speed, SSL for all websites, free email and free matching domain.
WordPress Hosting: GoDaddy offers four WordPress hosting plans for your web presence and commerce needs. All plans include one website, three times faster performance with global Cloudflare CDN, WordPress plugins, 24-hour malware scans and removal, website backup, free SSL certificate and free domain.
- Managed WordPress Basic: Starts at $8.99 per month with an annual term. This plan is best for hosting simple websites.
- Managed WordPress Deluxe: Starts at $11.99 per month with an annual term. This plan is ideal as you grow, with upgraded resources.
- Managed WordPress Ultimate: Starts at $18.99 per month with an annual term. This plan is perfect for complex sites requiring more storage.
- Managed WooCommerce Stores: Starts at $19.99 per month with an annual term. This plan is the one solution for your commerce needs: sell online, in-person and in marketplaces.
VPS Hosting: GoDaddy offers VPS hosting plans, perfect for system administrators and developers. All managed VPS hosting plans include three times the speed plus unlimited traffic, unlimited hosting accounts with optional cPanel/WHM, root access, monitoring and alerts, backup and recovery console, global data centers, scalability and advanced security.
- Self Managed VPS: Starts at $9.99 per month with a three-year term, for experienced users who want full control over their server. Pricing plans vary according to specific needs.
- Fully Managed VPS: Starts at $99.99 per month with a three-year term, for those who don’t have the time or advanced server skills. Pricing plans vary according to specific needs.
Dedicated Server Hosting: GoDaddy offers high-powered dedicated server hosting for system administrators and developers. All plans include monitoring and alerts, bare metal servers, SSD or HDD, expert dedicated hosting support, built-in security, easy-to-use control panel, reliable 99.9% uptime and free SSL certificate.
- Self Managed Dedicated Server: Starts at $129.99 per month with a two-year term, for experienced users who want full control over their server
- Fully Managed Dedicated Server: Starts at $239.98 per month with two-year term, for those who don’t have the time or advanced server skills.
Take note, the pricing and features of these hosting plans may vary depending on the specific plan, add-ons, introductory offers and length of billing term.
Methodology
Forbes Advisor has developed a rubric to assess and score each company on the list. We evaluated a total of 11 GoDaddy alternatives to objectively determine our top seven. The rubric assesses five main areas of criteria that were scored and weighted. Each area contributed a specific percentage towards the final score of 100%. By dividing the score into categories, we aim to provide a comprehensive evaluation taking into consideration various factors that are important to users when choosing the best provider.
Pricing
In our evaluation to determine our top GoDaddy alternatives, we assessed each provider by their shared hosting plans, starting with the lowest price tier. Providers were rated according to renewal rate, number of websites included, money-back guarantee and free plan offers. Plans that had an introductory offer of less than $3 received a greater score. Hosting providers that offered a 15- to 30-day money-back guarantee or more also received a higher score. This factor contributed to 10% of the overall score.
General Features
We determined scoring to general features by evaluating which provider offered a free domain name, unlimited storage, unlimited bandwidth, cPanel, one-click WordPress installation, SSL certificate, uptime guarantee and 24/7 support. These general features are essential for a website to function properly as they directly impact the functionality of the website. Providers that offered these features received the highest score. This factor contributed to 30% of the overall weighted score.
Additional Features
Hosting services that included additional features such as free business email, website builder, CDN, free domain privacy and automatic backups were assigned higher scores in our evaluation. Email accounts and business emails included in the plans are also a perk, as it uses the website’s domain name, giving the website a professional image. This factor contributed to 20% of the overall weighted score.
Reviews and Ratings
High ratings and reviews indicate satisfied customers and they provide valuable insights into the quality and reliability of the service they provide. Customers who have used the service can share their opinions and experience. In our evaluation, ratings and reviews were determined based on information provided by Trustpilot. Hosting services that received a rating of 3.5 or higher were given a higher score. Those that received over 300 reviews were also taken into account and were rated a higher score. This factor contributed to 10% of the overall weighted score.
Expert Score
During our evaluation, we determined our expert score by analyzing any standout features of the service provider, the popularity of the hosting service and its ease of use. Ratings were determined by dividing the web hosting services into three categories: excellent, good and fair. This factor contributed to 30% of the overall score.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is shared hosting?
Shared hosting is a type of web hosting service that enables multiple websites to be hosted on a single server. Users share the server maintenance cost, making it a cost-effective hosting option. It is an affordable and popular option for small websites and blogs that do not require a lot of resources or high levels of performance.
What is dedicated hosting?
Dedicated hosting is a type of web hosting service where a server is exclusively dedicated to a client or website. The user has full control over the server and has full access to all the resources of the server without sharing them with other websites. Dedicated hosting is ideal for websites that require high levels of performance, security and reliability.
What is VPS hosting?
VPS is short for virtual private server hosting. VPS hosting is a type of web hosting where a physical server is divided into multiple virtual servers, each running its own operating system. VPS hosting is much cheaper than a dedicated server and is best for website owners who have medium-level traffic that exceed the limits of shared hosting plans.
Does it matter which domain registrar I use?
Not all domain registrars offer the same domain name extensions, such as .com or .net, or features. Some include free domain privacy. Others offer additional web services, such as web hosting, email and marketing tools. Many of the best web hosting services usually offer domain registration.
Is GoDaddy the best domain registrar?
Along with GoDaddy, many domain registrars offer low introductory rates that are offset by high renewal rates, inclusions and longer contract lengths. The best domain registrar will depend on your specific preferences and needs, so we created a list of the top domain registrars on the market.
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