GoDaddy Review 2024: Is This Popular Web Hosting Platform Really a Good Web Builder?

GoDaddy is a popular web hosting and web-building platform that’s been around for a long time, but it isn’t the only player worth considering. We tested GoDaddy and liked its large offering of useful tools, multiple options like a proprietary web builder and WordPress integration, and helpful AI assistance. But we also found it to have more AI glitches than other web builders we tried.

Considering GoDaddy’s resources are tested and seasoned, we understand why it’s an attractive choice. Read on below for our full experience and recommendations.

GoDaddy review at a glance

We last tested GoDaddy on November 26, 2024.

Our experience

We signed up for a GoDaddy free trial with no credit card required upfront. We opted to test the GoDaddy ecommerce webpage builder. Compared to a non-commercial website, this trial has the most ecommerce and editing options, and we wanted to try them all.

We immediately experienced some issues. The AI assistant that helped us build the site glitched out several times and had to be reloaded. Each time, we lost the answers to our questions and had to start from the beginning, which was very time-consuming.

We finally got through the AI questions after four tries, but then the website sat in a perpetual state of “building.” After 20 minutes, we tried reloading it. We were expecting it to send us back to the start, but this time, it populated the webpage built by AI. The website looked great, but the process of getting there was frustrating and arduous.

The website was easier to edit once fully loaded. The media editing tools were useful, and we found everything to be well organized and categorized. We could change our template design and color palette, add pages, upload our own media, and do everything else you can do with a traditional web design platform.

Our main dashboard presented us with action items to get the website up and running. These tips were helpful and took us to the places within the site editor to customize. We were also impressed with the SEO tools that used AI to make suggestions.

Overall, GoDaddy lives up to its reputation with tools and functionality, but the glitches were surprising. While it’s an excellent resource for creating an ecommerce site, beginners may find less expensive web builder platforms easier to use. We would use GoDaddy if we were already comfortable with ecommerce, but if we were new to the industry, we would go for a more beginner-friendly platform like Wix.

GoDaddy prices and subscriptions

GoDaddy ranges between $9.99/mo-$20.99/mo, and the features and functionality you get depend on your chosen plan. GoDaddy is at the top of the price range for ecommerce web builder platforms, but it’s not as pricy as Shopify, which ranges between $29/mo-$2,300/mo.

While GoDaddy is more expensive than some competitors, we do think you get your money’s worth when it comes to what’s offered. However, because of the upfront costs, we think that beginners may find more economical options that will ease them into ecommerce.

If you’re in a service-based industry or are a creative, GoDaddy might be a bit much for you. While you can sell products and take appointments through the site, other platforms like Wix and Hostinger have a smaller monthly price tag and will work just as well. Plus, those two include a free custom domain with paid plans. Like Shopify, GoDaddy doesn't automatically give you a custom domain. You only get a free custom domain if you purchase a 1-year term on web hosting or WordPress plans.

If your goal is ecommerce, you should choose GoDaddy’s Commerce plan. It has the most resources to help you build out a thriving business. It’s the most expensive plan option, but you can start smaller and grow into it. It’s the best choice for anyone who takes their online business seriously. But you'll need to integrate third-party analytics tools like Google Analytics, SimilarWeb, and HotJar if you want to track site analytics. 

GoDaddy features

GoDaddy has a variety of features that all lend themselves to building a professional and profitable online business. You’ll find:

• Web-building tools
• Editing capabilities
• Widget integration
• Ecommerce help
• SEO and blogging assistance
• Marketing tools
• And other bonus features

Building a website

We answered three simple questions that allowed the AI to build a complete site for us. While this isn’t necessary, we think that using AI is the easiest way to get your site started. GoDaddy gave us a short tutorial on website builders so we knew what each section was and how to customize it.

Using and editing media

GoDaddy offered us more robust media editing options than some of the other platforms. We liked being able to upload an image and then make it our own. Some of the features we liked the most were the remove, filter, and adjust options. It’s nice knowing we have the option to edit our media directly in GoDaddy, rather than relying on outside software.

Widget library

If you integrate WordPress into your GoDaddy site, you can use the WordPress widgets. If you create a site from the proprietary builder like we did, you can use separate GoDaddy-compatible marketplaces like Elfsight to choose your widgets.

Ecommerce tools

The ecommerce tools have an entire menu split out by what you want to do. We were able to customize our product and service pages in one section and view orders in another. The selling tools are well-organized and easy to use, and we found them to be the most comprehensive of the sites we’ve tested.

SEO and blogging tools

GoDaddy uses AI to help determine SEO needs based on your site. This was the most comprehensive SEO section we’ve seen in a web-building platform, and we could see how this would be an invaluable tool as your business grows. We chose to build an outdoor adventure gear site, so GoDaddy’s AI scanned the web to see what customers of similar stores are searching for to help us optimize our SEO.

Marketing tools

From social media integration to a partnership with Microsoft 365 for email marketing, we were given a lot of opportunities to create marketing campaigns. GoDaddy even includes an AI assistant to help you create and schedule posts. It’s very intuitive.

Bonus features

There are a lot of bonus features, including payment acceptance, order syncing, and analytics. Our favorite was the analytics tool. If we were running a real site, we would be able to see our key demographics and make decisions on products and services based on the information GoDaddy provided about customer engagement.

Security and bandwidth

GoDaddy includes an SSL and unlimited storage space. For an additional monthly fee, GoDaddy sells extra security, such as DDoS protection and priority support. Hackers are more likely to target bigger and more profitable sites, so we recommend additional security packages if you have one of those.

Create a free cookie policy for your ecommerce business

As a business owner, you need a cookie policy to disclose what you do with user data. You also need privacy policies, a refund policy, and others. With TermsFeed, you can quickly create legal provisions for GDPR, CCPA, CPRA, and more.

4.8

AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Editorial Rating

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On TermsFeed's website

TermsFeed

• Flexible and affordable pricing
• Pay-per-item option instead of monthly fees
• Free version may be missing policies

GoDaddy customer support

We love to see live chat and even AI chat with 24/7 support. GoDaddy includes this feature, like many of its competitors. However, GoDaddy is one of the only platforms we’ve seen that has a phone number for support. If you’re more of a self-help kind of person, the online guides are well-organized and efficient. We like them.

FAQs

Bottom line: Is GoDaddy good?

GoDaddy is a powerful option for ecommerce, but beginners may find it overwhelming at first. If you’re ready to dive into the online marketplace world, you’ll love the tools you get. As you scale your business up, GoDaddy offers additional security tools like DDoS protection and priority support, which we haven’t found offered by other platforms.

If you’re ready to try to become the next Amazon, platforms like GoDaddy help you create a professional, functional site that will impress customers. We’re rooting for you.

4.3

AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Editorial Rating

Learn More

On GoDaddy's website

Website Builders

GoDaddy

• Impressive editing SEO, marketing, and ecommerce tools
• More customizable than other ecommerce builders like Shopify
• The AI web builder is intuitive but very glitchy

Author Details

Mary James

About the Author

Mary is a seasoned cybersecurity writer with over seven years of experience. With a B.S. in Liberal Arts from Clarion University and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Point Park University, she educates audiences on scams, antivirus software, and more. Her passion lies in educating audiences on helpful ways to protect their data.