GoDaddy WordPress Hosting Review: Good Value or Not?

A Comprehensive Review of GoDaddy’s WordPress Hosting Plans

Introduction

Are you contemplating whether GoDaddy’s WordPress hosting plans are the right choice for your website? GoDaddy, a prominent name in the hosting industry, offers specialized plans tailored for the popular content management system, WordPress. In this in-depth review, we will delve into the features, support system, performance, and pricing of GoDaddy’s WordPress hosting, helping you make an informed decision.

1. Diverse Hosting Options

GoDaddy prides itself on offering a wide range of hosting solutions, including shared plans, virtual private servers (VPS), dedicated hosting, and, of course, WordPress-specific hosting.

2. Exploring the Basic WordPress Hosting Tier

Let’s take a closer look at the features included in GoDaddy’s Basic WordPress hosting plan:

• Complimentary business email and domain for one year.
• Daily malware scans in partnership with Sucuri.
• Automatic backups with one-click restoration.
• SFTP access to your server.
• Seamless integration with a content delivery network (CDN).
• Automatic updates for the WordPress core.

While these features are solid, they are not particularly groundbreaking compared to other hosting providers.

3. Support Quality and Options

GoDaddy’s support system offers 24/7 availability, but there are some nuances to consider. Phone support is the primary channel, and whether this is advantageous or not depends on personal preferences. Alternative support options include browsing the GoDaddy Help articles, seeking assistance on community forums, or locating a live chat option within the Product Support page. However, live chat is region-specific (United States) and operates during limited hours, which might inconvenience international users.

While GoDaddy’s support is generally accessible, its quality can vary. In a survey of over 830 users, GoDaddy received moderate scores for support:

• Overall support: 3.3
• WordPress-specific support: 3.3

Comparatively, other budget WordPress hosts outperform GoDaddy in terms of support quality.

4. Performance Matters

Performance is a critical factor when selecting a web hosting provider. GoDaddy addresses this concern with several speed-boosting features, including CDN integration, load-balanced server environments, and a 99.9% uptime guarantee. However, these features are not unique and are on par with industry standards.

To gauge performance, we conducted comprehensive tests using Load Impact. The results showed decent response times, with a minimum of 0.63 seconds and a maximum of 0.83 seconds. While not the fastest, GoDaddy’s performance-to-price ratio remains competitive.

Monitoring our hosting uptime revealed that GoDaddy occasionally falls below its 99.9% uptime guarantee, resulting in additional downtime. However, users are entitled to a 5% discount for uptime failures.

5. Pricing and Value

GoDaddy’s WordPress hosting plans are among the most budget-friendly options available. The pricing structure includes a free domain name for the initial 12-month contract term and a complimentary SSL certificate while hosting with GoDaddy. Below are the pricing details for each plan:

• Basic ($2.99 per month): One website, 20 GB of storage.
• Deluxe ($11.99 per month): One website, 40 GB of storage.
• Ultimate ($18.99 per month): One website, 60 GB of storage.
• WooCommerce ($20.99 per month): One website, unlimited storage.

It’s important to note that basic plans support only a single website, requiring an upgrade to the pricier Pro plans for multi-site hosting. Additionally, many features promoted by GoDaddy are available for free through plugins, but the WooCommerce plan offers substantial value with premium extensions included.

To access the advertised prices, users must commit to a 36-month contract. Month-to-month payments incur higher costs, with the Basic plan priced at $14.99 per month and lacking the free domain.

6. Shared vs. WordPress-Specific Plans

GoDaddy’s basic shared hosting plan is marginally cheaper than its managed WordPress counterpart. While both options allow for WordPress installations, WordPress-specific plans provide optimized performance and additional features like automatic updates, staging sites, and malware removal.

7. Pros and Cons

In summary, here are the key advantages and drawbacks of GoDaddy’s WordPress hosting:

Pros:

• Competitive pricing for managed WordPress hosting.
• A robust feature set, particularly for e-commerce.
• Solid performance relative to the price.

Cons:

• Limited support for a single website on basic plans.
• Difficulty in accessing live chat support.
• Some features are available for free through third-party plugins.

Conclusion

In recent years, GoDaddy has made significant improvements in its hosting services, shedding its previous reputation for subpar performance and support. While GoDaddy’s WordPress hosting plans offer decent performance and an appealing feature lineup, they are best suited for those hosting a single website. If you require multi-site hosting, alternative options may be more suitable for your needs.