Best way to move away from GoDaddy shared hosting?

I have about 10 domains registered with GoDaddy, but my hosting is expiring soon, and I want to switch. I already bought a hosting plan from InMotion.

Most of my sites are just for learning, and one is mainly to validate an LLC. Here’s what I need help with:

  1. Should I keep my domain registrations with GoDaddy? I know there’s a cost to transfer, but does it extend the registration time?
  2. Some domains don’t need a site right now—I just want to park them.
  3. Should I use Cloudflare for DNS, or just stick with InMotion’s default DNS setup?
  4. I’ve seen people say that domain registration, DNS, and hosting should all be separate. Does that really matter for small, low-traffic sites?

Would love some advice from people who’ve done this before!

I’d move both domains and DNS to Porkbun. Good prices, solid support, and an easy transfer process.

Dens said:
I’d move both domains and DNS to Porkbun. Good prices, solid support, and an easy transfer process.

Porkbun is great, and you can park unused domains there too.

Just make sure you don’t let your domain registrations lapse, or things can get tricky.

Transferring your domains shouldn’t cost extra beyond the renewal fee, but you will lose any remaining time at GoDaddy.

@Harley
Actually, the remaining time on your domain carries over when you transfer it. So you won’t lose anything.

Nathan said:
@Harley
Actually, the remaining time on your domain carries over when you transfer it. So you won’t lose anything.

You’re right—when I moved my last domain to Porkbun, the time transferred too. I wonder if that wasn’t always the case or if I just misremembered.

I’d move the domains and DNS to Cloudflare, then transfer the sites over to InMotion one by one. Some people like BigScoots for hosting, too.

  1. Transferring to Porkbun (or another registrar) adds a year to your domain registration, and your remaining time from GoDaddy moves over too.
  2. For parked domains, you can either leave them with the default nameservers or set them up with Cloudflare but without any DNS records.
  3. Cloudflare works well, but it can be a little complicated to set up. A simple option is to use InMotion’s DNS first, then switch to Cloudflare later—Cloudflare can automatically pull in your records to make the transition easier.
  4. Keeping domains and hosting separate is a good idea in general, but for small projects, it’s not a big deal if you use your host’s DNS instead of a third-party service.

A few things to do before moving:

  • Get the EPP/Auth codes for all your domains and unlock them.
  • Transfer domains to a registrar-only service. You’ll have to pay for a renewal, but you’d need to renew eventually anyway.
  • Download copies of all your website files so you have backups.
  • Check if InMotion offers a migration service—if they do, let them handle it. If not, you’ll need to manually upload your files.
  • If you’re using cPanel, you can use the built-in migration tools to move your website files and email accounts.

I recently moved my email from GoDaddy/MS 365 to Google Workspace, and I’m about to move my domains to Cloudflare. Cloudflare has detailed step-by-step instructions for transferring from GoDaddy, so that part should be easy.