If you are looking for web hosting, you must have seen GoDaddy’s name mentioned many times. This host is indeed one of the biggest players in the market around the world. However, this does not necessarily mean that the services offered are good. This is what our team of experts set out to verify as part of this GoDaddy test and review. We give you our feelings afterward.
Who is GoDaddy? What there is to know
GoDaddy first saw the light of day in 1997, which clearly makes it a forerunner in the field. The company has always owned a domain name management service, as well as a hosting service.
According to their official website, GoDaddy currently has over 20 million customers worldwide and manages no less than 80 million domain names. With such numbers, there is no doubt that it is the most popular web host.
Nothing is less certain, especially after the realization of this review on GoDaddy. Our team was indeed able to put the host to the test. And the conclusions that flow from all this may surprise you …
His strengths :
- Availability rate (uptime)
- Free domain name + Microsoft 365 messaging
- Diversity of accommodation
- Linux and Windows servers
Its weaknesses:
- Disappointing performance
- Host very much maligned on the Internet
- Poor customer support
- Choice of imprecise data center location
- Expensive accommodation after renewal
Performance: availability, loading, and speed
If you want advice, the first thing to consider when choosing hosting is the performance and stability offered. That’s why we’re going to give you the results of the tests we were able to conduct with GoDaddy hosting as part of our review.
But first, we want to tell you that the availability rate promised by GoDaddy has been verified. Over several months of testing, we saw an uptime approaching 99.9%. Which is very good.
What about the loading times and the overall speed of our test website (which follows us for the completion of all our reviews, including the IONOS review from 1 & 1 )?
Well on that side, we are not so satisfied. Indeed, we found GoDaddy well behind the top-performing hosts of 2021.
To prove it to you, here are the results of two tests carried out on GTMetrix and Pingdom. We can see that the loading time is rather slow (more than 1.6 seconds on GTMetrix when Hostinger approaches 300 ms).
However, we would like to remind you that we used the same site (structure, theme, plugins installed, etc.). The difference in a performance recorded is therefore totally linked to the quality of the host.
What is our conclusion for this aspect of our GoDaddy review? Our feelings are clearly mixed. We expected much better from a company and a host like this …
Testing the GoDaddy Admin Interface
Do you want to have an overview of the administration interface deployed by the American host? Then you did well to come and read our full GoDaddy review.
We were able to take a large number of screenshots to give you a complete overview of it. And the least we can say is that we found the whole thing to be very good.
The interface is clean, easy to use, and above all complete. You will be able to consult all the information related to your hosting (% of use, performance and stability monitoring of the service, parameters, cPanel panel, etc.):
Speaking of the space related to monitoring your hosting and therefore your website (s), here is what it looks like:
Regarding the management of your account, we don’t have much to complain about either. Our review of GoDaddy is excellent. In 1 click, you can view your invoices, change your payment method, or even delegate access to your administration area.
Contrary to performance, our opinion on the administration interface offered by GoDaddy is excellent. To the point where we simply have nothing to complain about.
Security and protection
Do the means put in place by GoDaddy ensure the security of your visitors, your hosting, and especially yourself?
If you want our opinion, yes it does. And luckily we want to tell you. If it had been the opposite, it would be a real scandal for a host of this size!
In order to protect your administrator account, you will for example be able to activate double authentication:
Regarding the security of your hosting, GoDaddy obviously sets up anti-DDoS protection in order to mitigate possible attacks directed towards your website.
On the other hand, be aware that all the accommodation offered by the host does not come with a free SSL certificate . It will therefore potentially be necessary to budget for this before choosing a plan. And when you know that an SSL certificate costs 83.99 € / year at GoDaddy, it clearly gives you pause.
Once again, our opinion of GoDaddy is mixed. On the one hand there is some very good, and on the other there is a hell of a disappointment (the lack of an SSL certificate included in all hosting offers). It’s up to you to weigh the pros and cons …
Read more: Gandi review (2021): complete test of the web host
Our review of GoDaddy customer support
If you have researched GoDaddy user reviews on the internet, surely you have seen that there is a tremendous amount of negative feedback. And we can’t go against these because yes that’s a fact, GoDaddy’s customer support is far from the best.
Although it is possible to contact an agent by phone between 9 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, we found during our test of the host that the staff were not the most friendly or the most qualified.
Sometimes it is difficult to get a satisfactory answer to your problem . And it is more than embarrassing!
Types of accommodation and pricing
Now that you know our opinion on GoDaddy and its performance, its administration interface, as well as its customer support, we will be able to present to you the different plans offered by the host.
Next, we will look at shared hosting plans, WordPress, Pro, VPS, as well as hosting via dedicated server . Note, however, that GoDaddy also offers corporate messaging solutions, as well as a website creation tool.
Web hosting
This plan offered by GoDaddy is actually hosting based on the principle of shared ownership. This is the most economical offer offered.
In total, we identified during our GoDaddy review, 4 different offers:
- Savings: 4.79 € / month (then 8.99 € / month at the time of renewal)
- Deluxe: € 5.99 / month (then € 11.99 / month when renewing)
- Ultimate: € 9.59 / month (then € 20.39 / month at the time of renewal)
- Maximum: € 15.59 / month (then € 26.39 / month at the time of renewal)
What will vary from one offer to another are the number of sites that it will be possible to host, storage space, performance, as well as the number of databases that can be managed. In addition, you can choose between hosting running on Windows or Linux.
On the other hand, in all cases, you will have the right to a free domain name (for the entire duration of your 1st engagement) . For example, you can opt for a domain extension in .com, .fr, .net, .org, .info, etc.
Obviously, all of these offers are compatible with the main CMS (Drupal, WordPress, etc.). To find more information on GoDaddy’s shared hosting, do not hesitate to visit their official website.
Who is this plan for? GoDaddy’s “Web Hosting” offer is simply shared hosting. It is suitable for those who are new to the web world because of its simplicity as well as its economical prices.
WordPress hosting
Like many web hosts, GoDaddy offers plans optimized for WordPress.
You will once again have the choice between 4 different offers:
- Basic: € 4.79 / month
- Deluxe: € 5.99 / month
- Ultimate: € 9.59 / month
- eCommerce: € 17.99 / month.
These are not the best WordPress hosting deals but they are still decent. We just regret the fact that the prices will only be valid for a limited time (the time of your 1st engagement).
And also that you have to take the Ultimate offer at least in order to get a free SSL certificate. On the other hand, with the 4 offers, you will indeed have access to a free domain name.
Who is this plan for: this plan is very clearly intended for people who have one and only goal of creating and administering websites running on WordPress. This applies to an individual as well as a web agency with more substantial needs.
Pro Web Hosting
Continuing on with this comprehensive GoDaddy review, we’re going to tell you a bit about “Pro Web Hosting” offers.
This type of offer is based on VPS (Virtual Private Server) technology, while keeping the maximum simplicity. These are the words of the host himself.
In fact, you will have access to different types of accommodation that will meet various needs. The proof in pictures:
In our opinion, GoDaddy’s Pro offerings appear to be rather limited for the listed prices. Therefore, we recommend that you look at Hostinger instead .
Who is this plan for? As its name suggests, this “Pro” plan is aimed more at companies or sites generating high traffic. The purpose of this hosting is to host several websites… and not just one. It will be suitable for e-commerce sites, news sites, or blogs with a large visitor base.
VPS hosting
Obviously GoDaddy offers some VPS offers. You will find two categories here: standard RAM and high RAM. As the names suggest, the only difference will be the amount of RAM made available.
To give you an idea, the first price VPS hosting is offered at 5.99 € / month, while the most premium offer is available for 105.59 € / month.
Either way, it’s good to know that you’ll be entitled to: unlimited traffic, daily backups, as well as a cPanel / WHM or Plesk admin panel.
Who is this plan for: Do you need flexibility because you think your needs can change quickly? Then VPS hosting is the plan for you.
Dedicated server
The final type of hosting that we are going to present to you as part of this GoDaddy review is the dedicated server.
This type of offer is clearly not aimed at individuals because the first price is available at 119.99 € / month . We find this rather expensive given the functionality and features made available.
But we recommend that you make up your own mind by visiting the GoDaddy site.
An SSL certificate will be offered to you (but only for the duration of your 1st commitment – which is very regrettable). In addition, you are going to have the possibility of obtaining a dedicated IP address.
Who is this plan for: a dedicated server type hosting will especially suit companies needing autonomy and very important needs. It is absolutely not adapted to the needs of an individual.
Additional Info About GoDaddy
It is impossible for us to conclude this full review on GoDaddy without mentioning a number of other aspects. Below, you will find more information about the domain name offered by GoDaddy, the presence or not of free hosting, the conditions related to the money-back guarantee, and more!
Free domain name at GoDaddy
As you have seen and especially read during our GoDaddy review, the host offers a domain name with its hosting.
Except that you need to be made aware of one thing: the domain name offered will not remain free indefinitely . After your 1st commitment period, you will have to go to the cash register and pay a high price for your domain name.
What does this mean exactly? Quite simply that if you take web hosting from GoDaddy for 1 year, you will be able to benefit from a free domain name for 1 year. Following this period, it will become chargeable.
Does that bother you? If the answer is yes, then consider PlanetHoster instead which offers a free domain name for life with its hosting .
Does GoDaddy offer free web hosting?
We’re not going to go all the way, NO, GoDaddy doesn’t offer free hosting .
If your goal is to find a free web host worthy of the name, however, we can advise you to check out Hostinger or PlanetHoster.
Even if be warned, you will not have access to unlimited hosting. You will have to face many limitations. Which makes sense for free hosting.
Domain name purchase
As we pointed out at the start of our GoDaddy review, the company is the number 1 registrar in the world . So yes indeed, you will be able to buy a domain name.
Be aware, however, that we find the prices a little higher than those offered by other competitors on the market.
For you to compare, a .net extension will cost GoDaddy € 16.99 / year while you will be charged for:
- € 11.99 / year at Hostinger
- € 12.99 at PlanetHoster
This observation is the same for domain names in .fr, .com, etc. If you want our opinion, you should therefore rather look for an alternative to GoDaddy in order to register a new domain name .
30 day repayment period
No matter what GoDaddy hosting plan you choose, it’s good to note that you’re going to be entitled to a 30-day money-back guarantee.
After some research in the general conditions of the official website of the host, here is what we could find:
This money-back guarantee will last for 30 days for plans over 1 year… or more! While you will only have 48 hours to backtrack if you have purchased 1 month hosting .
Regardless of the situation, you should contact GoDaddy customer support to let them know that you want a refund. After validation on their side, you will get your money back within 1 to 2 weeks.
Where are GoDaddy’s data centers located?
This is an excellent question for which we struggled to find precise answers.
Indeed, GoDaddy does not reveal the exact location of its datacenters (no country is given). The only thing we know is that data centers are present in several areas of the world.
For website maintenance service contact us.