I keep seeing people saying to stay far away from GoDaddy and that it’s not a good hosting provider. But why? What exactly is it that makes GoDaddy such a poor option for hosting?
For context: I’ve been buying my domains through GoDaddy for years, so I found it convenient to get their WordPress hosting too. But I’ve noticed my sites are incredibly slow, even with only one or two blog posts and minimal plugins. I understand that plugins like Yoast can slow things down, but there are countless sites that run it without issue.
Is it GoDaddy, or is it something I’m doing wrong?
I’m currently in the process of migrating to SiteGround and hoping it’ll be an improvement.
I had my email tied to a domain with GoDaddy for almost 20 years. Out of nowhere, they sent me an email saying they were switching email services, and it would cost way more.
I called to confirm, and they said I’d get a year free and wouldn’t need to do anything. But later, I noticed I wasn’t getting any emails. When I called GoDaddy, they told me the previous info was wrong and that my email was canceled, with all those years of emails permanently gone.
When I asked how they’d fix it, they said, ‘You got a year of free email.’ I transferred all my domains elsewhere after that.
They charge $99 for an SSL certificate when you can get one for free. They might give it free for the first year, but after that, they charge you to renew.
Mackenzie said:
They charge $99 for an SSL certificate when you can get one for free. They might give it free for the first year, but after that, they charge you to renew.
That alone seems like a good enough reason to change hosts.
@Fabian
Exactly. Their after-sales tactics and hidden costs can add up fast—like domain privacy, SSL, and more, all of which are either much cheaper or even free with other providers.
Hailey said: @Fabian
Exactly. Their after-sales tactics and hidden costs can add up fast—like domain privacy, SSL, and more, all of which are either much cheaper or even free with other providers.
Kimberly said:
GoDaddy’s fine if you don’t mind server outages, subpar support, and overpriced services
Their upselling is ridiculous:
Problem: Website got hacked.
GoDaddy’s ‘solution’: Pay us $1500 for added security.
Turns out the issue was actually with the database, which had nothing to do with security. GoDaddy had sold my client multiple ‘solutions’ that didn’t solve anything.
They’re terrible for large-scale business hosting. No proper logs, forced credit preloading to buy domains or SSLs, and support that’s nearly impossible to reach.
Their main tactic is upselling users with things like ‘privacy’ defaults and multi-year registration suggestions. Good for a basic website, but definitely not for serious projects.
Back in the early 2000s, GoDaddy was seen as a ‘cool’ disruptor. That changed when they started policing domains and extorting users if there was any issue.
My company switched our domain after GoDaddy demanded $2500 to reactivate it following a hack. It’s only gone downhill from there.
If you’re moving to SiteGround, you’re making a better choice. SiteGround has solid service, though watch out for renewal prices that tend to go up after the first year.
Callista9 said:
If you’re moving to SiteGround, you’re making a better choice. SiteGround has solid service, though watch out for renewal prices that tend to go up after the first year.
I like SiteGround too. Their support is great, though they can raise prices after the first term.
Chris said:
GoDaddy is like the Walmart of web hosting. Good enough for very basic sites, but don’t expect much in terms of performance or flexibility.
@Fabian
There isn’t a single ‘Nordstrom’ of hosting—it depends on what you need. For WordPress, try WP Engine or Pantheon. They’re optimized specifically for WordPress, with better support and options.
