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Leeron HooryContributor
Leeron is a New York-based writer with experience covering technology and politics. Her work has appeared in publications such as Quartz, the Village Voice, Gothamist, and Slate.
Leeron Hoory
Leeron HooryContributor
Leeron is a New York-based writer with experience covering technology and politics. Her work has appeared in publications such as Quartz, the Village Voice, Gothamist, and Slate.
Contributor
Kiran AdithamDeputy Editor
With 20 years of experience, Kiran Aditham has navigated the field in editorial and writing, from working with major pubs like Adweek, AdAge and PSFK to now working at Forbes Advisor.
Reviewed
Kiran Aditham
Kiran AdithamDeputy Editor
With 20 years of experience, Kiran Aditham has navigated the field in editorial and writing, from working with major pubs like Adweek, AdAge and PSFK to now working at Forbes Advisor.
Deputy Editor
Reviewed
Updated: Dec 5, 2023, 1:34am
Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.
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Table of Contents
- WordPress Vs. GoDaddy: At a Glance
- WordPress vs. GoDaddy: How Are They Different?
- How WordPress and GoDaddy Stack Up
- Cost of WordPress vs. GoDaddy
- Top WordPress and GoDaddy Alternatives
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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Your website is often your business’s first online impression. Whether you’re building an online store, portfolio or company blog, it’s essential that your website loads quickly, is well-designed and easy to navigate. If you want to create a website, you’ve likely already come across WordPress and GoDaddy. These two popular options offer different services. Below, we cover everything you need to know about the differences between WordPress vs. GoDaddy and how to choose the best one for your needs.
Featured Partners
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1
Bluehost
Starting price
$2.95 per month
Storage Limit
Unmetered bandwidth, SSD storage starts at 10GB
Standout Features
Free domain name & SSL for a year
2
HostGator
Starting Price
$2.75 per month (for first 36 months)
Money-Back Guarantee
30 days
Standout Features
Free SSL certificate, free website transfer
3
Web.com
Starting price
$2.75 per month
Website Building
Yes
Standout Features
Customizable templates, Easy drag-and-drop technology, SSL certificate
WordPress Vs. GoDaddy: At a Glance
WordPress and GoDaddy offer services that are necessary for building a website. WordPress is an open-source content management system (CMS) that enables users to build a website from scratch. GoDaddy offers both website hosting and a website builder for a monthly subscription fee. GoDaddy’s website builder comes with templates that are easy to use so you can get a professional website up and running quickly (with fewer customization options).
Please note that this is a review of WordPress.org (the website builder and CMS), not WordPress.com (the blog hosting platform).
WordPress
4.7
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.
Starting price
Free (third-party web hosting required)
Design
Thousands of unique, customizable themes
E-commerce add-on
Yes
Free (third-party web hosting required)
Thousands of unique, customizable themes
Yes
Why We Picked It
As the world’s most popular CMS, you can’t go wrong with WordPress. The platform offers thousands of different templates and plugin options that are free to use, making it possible to build nearly any website imaginable. If you have the time and resources to overcome the steep learning curve, there are endless possibilities for the type of website you can build.
Pros & Cons
- Free, open-source content management system
- Extremely flexible and customizable
- Thousands of themes and plugins to choose from (free and premium)
- Ability to add nearly any feature with third-party plugins
- Steep learning curve
- Time-intensive to use
- Costs add up after buying hosting, premium themes and plugins
- Potential plugin conflicts cause sites to break easily
GoDaddy
4.7
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.
Starting price
$6.99 per month for your first year (renews at $219.87 per year)
Design
200+ website templates
E-commerce add-on
Yes
On GoDaddy's Website
$6.99 per month for your first year (renews at $219.87 per year)
200+ website templates
Yes
Why We Picked It
GoDaddy is a domain registrar, a website host and a website builder all in one. As a business owner, you can use it for one or all of these functions as each of these services is charged separately. With exceptional customer service and plenty of options for different plans, GoDaddy is a great company to consider if you’re looking to start a website from scratch.
Pros & Cons
- All-in-one platform for website hosting, domain names and a website builder
- Competitive prices
- Very reliable 24/7 support with minimal wait times
- Many features cost extra, such as SSL setup service ($39.99) and Web Security Standard ($6.99)
- Limited customization
- Price increases when you renew
WordPress vs. GoDaddy: How Are They Different?
Before we discuss the specific features of WordPress vs. GoDaddy, it’s important to understand the different services you will need for your website and the services they each provide.
When you create a website, there are several components you need. You need a domain name, a website host and a platform to build that website. For website builders, you can either build it yourself (which may require knowledge of coding and a lot of time and patience) or you can use a website builder that is specifically designed to be easy to use with templates and drag-and-drop features.
Part of what makes GoDaddy so easy to use is that you can log on to the website, purchase a domain name and hosting and also build a website with the provided templates. GoDaddy offers all of these services as a one-stop shop.
WordPress.org is a free, open-source CMS that you can use to build a website. The platform is free to use, but you’ll still need to purchase a domain name and website hosting elsewhere (on GoDaddy, for example) and then integrate your website with your website host.
WordPress does offer website hosting for free, but it will generate the domain name for you and it will be a subdomain of WordPress (for example, www.wordpress.com/yourbuisnessname). As a business, it’s safe to say you’ll want a custom domain name (www.yourbuisnessname.com) and a website host, which you will need to purchase. Domain names can generally cost around $100 per year, charged by a web hosting company such as GoDaddy.
If you decide to use a website builder because it’s easier, you’ll need to pay a monthly fee. GoDaddy charges $9.99 per month (Basic plan) to use the website builder.
Additionally, while WordPress.org is free to use, the learning curve is steeper. Building a website with WordPress is not as easy or fast as using a website builder such as the one GoDaddy or other companies like Squarespace or Wix offer. However, there are two main benefits to building a website with WordPress: you will have many more customization options and, once the website is built, you will not have to pay a monthly subscription fee to keep it running.
How WordPress and GoDaddy Stack Up
To better capture the differences between the two services, we’ve compared some of the features WordPress and GoDaddy offer.
| WordPress | GoDaddy | |
|---|---|---|
| Plan Costs | Free (third-party web hosting required) | $5.99 per month for your first three years (renews at $9.99 per month) |
| SEO Tools | SEO plugin tools available | SEO tools available with the GoDaddy site editor |
| Allows Plugins | Yes | Yes |
| Website Templates | Yes—many templates are offered as website themes (some cost extra) | 175 free templates |
| Backup and Storage | Varies by the host company | 25GB, unmetered |
| Customer Support | Community forums | 24/7 phone, live chat, SMS |
| Learn More | -- | On GoDaddy's Website |
| Read Reviews | Read WordPress Review | Read GoDaddy Review |
Cost
We break down the cost differences below. The main differences are that GoDaddy charges a subscription fee to use its website builder, a service that allows you to easily build a professional website, while WordPress is free to use but the additional plugins or templates may cost a fee (either as a one-time payment or a subscription fee).
Website Templates, SEO Tools and Plugins
GoDaddy’s website templates are easier to use and require less customization. WordPress offers thousands of website templates and customization options.
GoDaddy does offer a few plugin options and SEO tools, but WordPress offers many more options as it is open source.
Customer Support
Since WordPress is free and open source, it does not have a customer support center. However, there are plenty of resources available through community forums. This is something to keep in mind when choosing a platform to build your website. You will have to factor in the time that it takes to solve technical and design issues.
GoDaddy has exceptional customer support. They are fast, thorough and easy to reach by phone, live chat or email. If you run into a technical issue, you can rely on being able to get in touch with GoDaddy for the support you need.
Cost of WordPress vs. GoDaddy
As discussed above, WordPress.org is free to use. There are currently nearly 60,000 plugins and over 11,400 themes available on this open-source platform. While many are free, some cost money either as a one-time charge or a recurring expense.
Even if you use WordPress to build your website, you will still need to pay for your domain name and for website hosting.
GoDaddy charges for website hosting and for a website builder. These are two separate services, so you could use GoDaddy for web hosting and WordPress to build your website, for example.
GoDaddy’s website builder starts at $9.99 per month for the Basic plan and goes up to $29.99 per month for the Commerce Plus plan.
Here’s how the cost of GoDaddy website hosting breaks down:
| Economy | Deluxe | Ultimate | Maximum | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Three years | $5.99 | $7.99 | $12.99 | $17.99 |
| Two years | $6.49 | $8.99 | $13.99 | $19.99 |
| One year | $6.99 | $9.99 | $14.99 | $21.99 |
| Monthly | $11.99 | $15.99 | $21.99 | $29.99 |
Each of these plans comes with storage, a free domain, free email and an SSL certificate. The Deluxe plan can host up to 10 websites, an SSL certificate for every site and three Microsoft 365 mailboxes. The Ultimate plan offers more storage, hosting for 25 websites, and five Microsoft 365 mailboxes. Finally, the Maximum plan comes with hosting for 50 websites and additional storage.
Customer Reviews & Reputation
WordPress is the most popular CMS and is used by 42% of all websites. It’s easy to use, free and a helpful and active community can help with technical questions you have.
GoDaddy is also highly rated and has a reputation as one of the best web hosting services on the market. Of the nearly 84,000 people who rated GoDaddy on Trustpilot, 84% gave it five-star reviews.
Top WordPress and GoDaddy Alternatives
While WordPress and GoDaddy are two of the most popular options, there are plenty of other choices to consider.
If you’ve decided you will use a website builder, it’s a good idea to try out several different options before choosing one. In addition to GoDaddy, Wix, Weebly and Squarespace are three more great options to consider. All three were listed in our Best Website Builder (Top 10 of 2023). Weebly scored best overall, Squarespace best for creatives and Wix best for code-free customizations.
You’ll find that different companies have different styles, features and capabilities. For example, Squarespace’s design features are more limited to the templates it offers while Wix and Weebly offer more customization options in terms of how you design your website. Again, keep in mind that more customization typically means more time you’ll need to spend building your site. Squarespace’s templates are clean, well-designed, reliable and don’t require a lot of work to be ready to publish.
Here’s how a few important features stack up:
| Wix | Weebly | Squarespace | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $16 per month | Free, $10 per month | $16 per month |
| Domain Name | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Drag-and-Drop Interface | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Customer Support | 24/7 customer support through phone, email and live chat | Community forum, chat and email support for all plans, phone support for advanced plans | 24/7 email and chat support, no phone option available |
| Learn more | On Wix's Website | -- | On Squarespace's Website |
| Read Reviews | Read Wix Review | Read Weebly Review | Read Squarespace Review |
Bottom Line
WordPress and GoDaddy are best suited for business owners with different needs. Use WordPress if you need to build a website with advanced customization and have the capacity to create a more complicated and customized site. Use GoDaddy if you want an easy-to-use website builder and are willing to pay a monthly subscription fee for the service.
WordPress is best for:
- Business owners who need advanced website capabilities and features
GoDaddy is best for:
- Website hosting and purchasing a domain name
- Business owners who want to get a professional website up and running quickly and don’t need extensive customization options
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do I need WordPress if I have GoDaddy?
If you want to build a website quickly and prefer to use a pre-built template, GoDaddy’s website builder could be a good option. However, if you want customization options for your website and you have the resources to invest in building a more complicated website, WordPress may be a better choice.
Which is better, WordPress or GoDaddy?
WordPress and GoDaddy are different services, so the best one will depend on your needs. WordPress is an open-source content management system that allows you to build your own website with thousands of different customization options. It’s free but it also takes more time and expertise to get right. GoDaddy offers web hosting and a website builder that allows you to easily create a website with a template (there are 175 to choose from). This is a great option if you need a simple website with minimal or no customization and you are willing to pay the monthly subscription fee, which starts at $5.99 per month for your first three years.
What are the cons of using GoDaddy?
GoDaddy was ranked as one of the top 10 best web hosting services of 2023. The company also made our list of the top 10 best website builders of 2023, making it a reliable and solid choice for both of these services. However, some business owners may find that GoDaddy’s website builder has limited customization options, depending on their needs.
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