In this article, we share our research and opinions about GoDaddy vs Google Domains. We tried to put the best in the market side by side and find out who wins.
Our findings are based on real users’ opinions, sales figures, rankings data, PR comparisons, and personal experience.
GoDaddy is one of the most popular competing registrars for Google Domains. GoDaddy operates a bit differently from Google Domains in that it tries to upsell you on additional products.
In this case, you get the domain at “good prices” and they try to sell you hosting services afterward.
But before we dive in deep we need to look at each individually.
GoDaddy
It was founded in 1999 and is currently headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. The company has more than 17 million customers worldwide.
It manages over 61.5 million domain names—placing it among the world’s largest ICANN-accredited registrars.
GoDaddy is a publicly-traded company on NYSE under the symbol GDDY. Its market capitalization is about $1 billion.
Most of its revenue comes from domain name registration fees and then a decent chunk from additional services such as:
- Website hosting,
- Website builders
- SSL certificates
- Marketing tools, etc.
Features of GoDaddy
1. Cheap plans
GoDaddy offers reasonable prices for domain name registration and renewal – both while you buy it and later on when you renew it.
It’s fairly simple to add other services like SSL certificates, email accounts, etc. They ensure that each package is well-priced so you don’t have to pay for something that you may not use.
However, their pricing is usually lowest on packages with more features. It’s a way to trick people into getting hosting services.
2. Domains available worldwide
You can register a dot-com (.com), .net., .org., .biz, or .info domain with GoDaddy. You can also get ccTLDs like .de, .es, .be, etc.
GoDaddy offers a wide range of TLDs that you can choose from to make your website look genuine. Besides they are the most popular company in this domain space so you can expect excellent domains and availabilities.
3. Good email features
They offer some of the best free email solutions available on the market. You have access to their Office Suite Pro which has tons of features like unlimited storage, online file sharing, and Dropbox-like capabilities, etc.
They ensure you reach out to clients and offer the best services easily. One also is able to manage their business well with their email features.
Communication is very important for every entity.
4. Self-managed website builder
Their website building platform is pretty good and includes templates for hundreds of different types of websites.
They also have pre-built designs to help you get started p quickly. You can add third-party content to your site from other companies like eBay, etc.
It’s not as good as Squarespace but gets the job done for those who may not have a website yet.
5. SSL certificates support
GoDaddy offers SSL certificates which you can purchase from them or through partners. This gives you an added layer of security and ensures data is encrypted and sent securely to your visitors.
This certificate will work on any device and increases your SEO rankings as well. So clients are inclined to work with you because of the security.
6. Promotions and discounts
GoDaddy runs promotional offers on a regular basis like additional free months on new registrations, domain transfer credits, etc.
They also run targeted offers for specific domain names which will give you some extra money if someone buys it from you.
These are usually called “Buy Back” offers.
Google Domains
Before we look at each other it’s important to stop and think about where Google is coming from? What does their motive behind this business?
It was founded in 2015 and is currently headquartered in Mountain View, California (just like Google). Google purchased the domain name from a small web development firm called “Next Web.”
The registration service is limited to registering .com and .net domains only. This company was previously known as “Domainite” and they only offered .com and .net domain names.
Google is a multinational technology company specializing in Internet-related services and products. These include:
- Online advertising technologies
- Search
- Cloud computing
- Software, and hardware, etc.
It is considered the world’s most popular search engine. It has many other ventures in different fields of technology.
Google started with fewer products and stayed focused on core competencies. Now it has grown to be the best.
Features of Google domains
1. Fast and reliable service
Whenever you visit a website hosted on Google domains you’ll notice the site is extremely fast and loads within a fraction of a second.
Google has some of the best infrastructures available in the market and they use machine learning to make their content delivery network even faster.
They can do this because hosting services are not their core competency, unlike GoDaddy which primarily provides web hosting services.
Google can afford to build the best infrastructures because its main revenue source is through online advertising.
2. Living up to its industry standard
Google domains are also well-reputed in the web hosting world. Even though they do not provide any technical information on their website, you can contact them anytime and someone will respond within a day to assist you.
They also run a tight ship and monitor their network very closely. One is guaranteed safety and quality services.
3. No advertisements on website pages
Every Google domains customer has the option to block any ads served by third parties or even host their own adverts on their sites.
This is one of the main reasons why people usually choose websites hosted by GoDaddy. They can monetize their sites and serve ads to customers with their very own adverts.
Google domains do not serve any ads on your website pages, unlike GoDaddy which has strict terms of service for this purpose.
4. Easy integration with top website builders
Google domains are extremely easy to integrate with top website builders like Squarespace, OLITT, Weebly, etc.
You do not have to go through any third-party integrations or coding languages to get started. You can choose a design template from the online library and publish your site in 10 minutes.
Their only requirement is that you should not violate their terms and conditions.
5. Real-time content delivery network
Google domains offer a real-time CDN to all its clients. This gives an added layer of security and ensures data is encrypted at all times.
Get to transact safely and securely. No need to worry about data integrity since Google takes care of the security.
6. Automated email protection
All emails sent from your Google domains are automatically protected against spam and viruses, so hosting emails on their servers is not necessary.
Send and receive emails without hassle. Get to reach out to clients and offer the best services at ease with their email services.
GoDaddy vs Google Domains Similarities:
1. They are both reputable companies
They both operate in different industries, so their core business model is not to compete for customers. Their terms of service are the same for all customers regardless of industry.
The main selling point of each company is its unique features. They are known by many as “The Good Guys” in the web hosting world.
They both have a well-defined customer service department that is easy to contact and responds within a reasonable time frame.
2. GoDaddy vs Google Domains: Both offer domains
They provide excellent support for other web-related things like website builder, email configuration and security, etc.
They both have a similar pricing model where you pay for the services you need instead of bundles. There are multiple packages to choose from and you can easily select an appropriate one based on your needs.
One is guaranteed to make it online. Besides, their prices for their domains and other services are affordable.
3. Both support major countries
Their services are available in most countries of the world. This means clients are from every geographical region from all around the world.
Be assured to get quality services from these two companies. Get online without hassle and showcase your skills.
4. GoDaddy vs Google Domains: They both provide privacy protection
Your privacy is protected on both platforms. You can sign up for any service anonymously without providing your personal information.
All billing details are kept private between you and the company and nobody else. They both offer SSL certificates and their domains support encryption protocols.
This means your data is completely safe while traveling between your devices and the web server where they are hosted.
GoDaddy vs Google Domains Differences
1. GoDaddy vs Google Domains: Ease of use
When it comes to using Google domains, it is completely hassle-free. You can sign up for any service in the domain portal quite easily.
It has a simple interface where you input your contact details and choose an appropriate package based on your needs.
It’s really easy to navigate through the menus until you find what you are looking for. With GoDaddy, it is not as straightforward.
Their website is full of different links where you have to click and go through menus to access what you need.
It gets slightly confusing, and the lack of a search feature makes it even more difficult for people who are new.
Their interface needs some overhauling in this regard.
2. Support
Google domains are known to offer the best customer service in this industry. Their support team is available 24/7.
Their customers are attended to within a few minutes of placing a call. Get real-time assistance via live chat or telephone, so you can get your issue resolved without delay.
GoDaddy on the other hand has a lesser-known customer service department. Their phone lines are always engaged or they ignore your call completely.
You need to fill in contact forms online and wait for their response, which could take days.
3. GoDaddy vs Google Domains: Informative site
GoDaddy has been around since 1997 while Google domains came into the scene only in 2009. This makes Google domains less experienced than GoDaddy, but they have a more informative site.
This is because of Google’s simplified interface where everything is clear to the eye and you can find out more about their services without difficulty.
Their website loads within 3 seconds which mean no lag time for those who need speed. It has all the features that you might look for in a domain company.
GoDaddy on the other hand takes just under 8 seconds to load. Their site also has a cluttered design, full of ads and complicated menus.
The amount of information available is not as much as Google domains offer, but it still contains all you might need to know about their services.
4. Uptime and performance
Both platforms offer top-notch service and they have a 99.9% uptime guarantee. This means you won’t experience any downtime on either of them.
Their servers are fast, secured, and optimized for performance. They both make sure their clients get the best customer service no matter what their location is.
If you want a fast, secure, and reliable server then you are best off with either of them.
5. GoDaddy vs Google Domains: Price
When it comes to pricing, GoDaddy is slightly more expensive than Google domains. This means you have to pay more for the same features at GoDaddy.
Even though their services are affordable, if you compare the two side by side, Google Domains offers better packages.
Google domains offer more options for their customers with competitive pricing schemes. They also offer 3 different packages so you can choose what works best for you.
GoDaddy brings only one product to the table which they upgrade every few years depending on market trends. Their packages are not as flexible as Google domains, and it will be difficult if you have special needs.
GoDaddy vs Google Domains alternatives
1. Namecheap
It’s a good contender for cheaper alternatives. It is a reliable service provider that offers domain registration, SSL certificates, and more.
This company was founded in 2000 and has been steadily growing ever since then. Some of their features include:
- Free privacy protection
- Millions of domains on sale
- Free WHOIS protection
- Affordable pricing
One of its features is free private registration which ensures that all your personal information stays safe from prying eyes.
This keeps you protected from spammers and annoying marketers who use people’s information to send them emails and other junk mails.
It also prevents anyone from stealing your domain even though it had similar contact details before you registered it.
This is a great way to keep your personal information safe, and most importantly your money won’t go to waste in the case of identity theft.
2. Domain.com
This company is a domain name registrar and web hosting service, and it’s been around since 1996. They offer flexible packages to suit your needs and budget.
Their packages include:
- Domain Privacy Protection
- Free professional logo design
- 24/7 live support in 12 languages
- And more.
This company offers a free site builder with a comprehensive design editor for a convenient and fast web experience.
They also provide free email id forwards to save you the hassle of switching every time your current email address expires.
This company has been providing domain registration services since 2009, but they don’t offer improvements or updates to their site’s speed and design.
This means that your site might look outdated and the features may become obsolete in a few years.
3. Truehost
They offer domain registration as well which is cheaper than most companies. Their packages include:
- Domains
- SSL certificates
- Servers
- No hidden charges or compulsory advertisements
This company has a good, intuitive, and functional website where you can find everything you need. It’s easy to use and offers all the information you require right on the home page.
Their web hosting packages are designed for professionals and businesses. There are many other providers available that can ensure you get the best domains and services.
GoDaddy vs Google Domains: The verdict
There are various factors to consider when choosing a domain provider. But if you are looking for an affordable, secure, and fully-featured server, then Google Domains is the best option.
They offer top-notch services at competitive prices with the most flexible packages available on the market.
GoDaddy falls behind in some of these areas, which means you might want to give Google Domains a shot.
They have been running since 2009 while GoDaddy has been around for over 15 years. This makes them the better option when it comes to customer service and features.
Google domains are by far the superior platform if you want an affordable, secure, and easy-to-use tool. GoDaddy on the other hand is a better pick if you want only one product from a platform with an older interface.
Google Domains beats GoDaddy in every aspect, and it’s clear that they have been around for longer than GoDaddy.
Although they are both worth your money, Google Domains is clearly the better choice.