We carried out hours of research to compare the best hosting providers on the market, meaning we can help find the best choice for you. Based on our testing, IONOS is the better host overall. Its quality performance and cheap pricing mean it edges out GoDaddy, and we recommend it to users who want a fast, well-performing site at a low cost. But is it the right fit for you?
- IONOS has cheaper introductory deals, with plans starting from just $1
- Based on our testing, IONOS has better site speed than GoDaddy
- GoDaddy is easier to use and manage, making it a good option for beginners
- GoDaddy has its own website builder if you’re looking for an all-in-one package
IONOS vs GoDaddy: Quick Comparison
Performance and Security
IONOS has the better security and performance
It’s a tough one, but IONOS has to take the victory lap for this round. They’re both speedy providers, but IONOS breaks away when it comes to security. GoDaddy’s expensive renewal of SSL certificates on its plans really lets it down in this section.
Performance
The first provider to draw its sword when it comes to performance is IONOS. First and foremost, it has 99.98% uptime, which is pretty impressive. Uptime is the percentage of time a server is up and running, meaning your website is live and available to visitors online.
IONOS has also the quickest site speed of our providers, with a server response time of only 286.11. For comparison, GoDaddy has a server response time of 529.335. This means your visitors will have no issue having to wait around for anything to load.
If you plan to use WordPress with IONOS, rejoice, as it has the highest performance we’ve tested in our WordPress hosting research with a whopping 4.9 out of 5 compared to GoDaddy’s 3.7 out of 5.
That isn’t to say GoDaddy’s hosting performance isn’t good. In fact, it scores the third highest performance in dedicated hosting with a 4.1 out of 5. But it has a slightly lower uptime than IONOS with 99.97%, which is still good but not quite as impressive as 99.98%!
Additionally for IONOS, if you’re on cloud hosting, you can choose your data center. Why is this so handy? Well, if you have a large UK audience, for example, you can give them faster load speeds by choosing a data center based in the UK, rather than the US.
IONOS also optimizes your site for speed, whatever plan you choose. On shared hosting, for example, IONOS maximizes your performance by having the web servers and storage on the same platform. This might sound small, but it’ll really speed things up for your visitors!
Security
All IONOS plans come with a free Wildcard SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate, which encrypts any information, like payment details, being passed through your website. When a site has SSL, the URL address turns from “HTTP” to “HTTPS,” accompanied by a padlock symbol.
Visitors to your site will be warned that your site is not secure if there’s no SSL certificate in place, so it really is an essential feature to have. Wildcard SSL is even better because it protects all your subdomains under a single certificate.
DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) protection is also included, and keeps your website safe from malicious attempts to disrupt traffic to your website.GoDaddy wades right in with 24/7 security monitoring, combined with its own DDoS protection. You also get fraud, virus, and spam protection to keep your sites safe from attacks.
The best part? GoDaddy has dedicated website security plans which you can purchase for extra protection.
The three plans range from $7.99 to $19.99 per month, and include features such as unlimited malware removal and brand reputation monitoring.
GoDaddy has got your back when it comes to security and protecting your site from any unwanted attention. However, its SSL security can be quite expensive. While it does provide its users with free SSL certificates for a year, it renews at its regular rate once that first year is over – adding $99.99 per year onto your hosting plan.
Our top tip would be to always double check what you’re getting with your plan before you sign up – don’t assume you’ll get the full package with every plan!
Further Information
- Read our review of the Best Free SSL Hosting Providers to make sure protection doesn’t come at a cost.
- Want to know more about SSL? Find out Why Your Site Needs HTTPS in our helpful article.
Types of Hosting
IONOS has a better variety of hosting
Both offer a broad range of hosting types, but IONOS provides cloud hosting whereas GoDaddy does not, giving it another win over its rival. While this won’t affect those who don’t need cloud hosting, it does put IONOS in a more dominant position than GoDaddy.
| Type of Hosting | What is it? | IONOS | GoDaddy Hosting |
| Shared | Hosting where the server is shared between multiple websites. The most basic type of hosting, it’s like having a room in a shared house. Best for very small and static sites, like blog pages. | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Managed WordPress | Specific hosting tailored for WordPress sites, usually including automatic updates and specialist support. Best for WordPress sites. | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| VPS (Virtual Private Server) | Sites still share a server but have more generous resources. More secure and sustainable than shared hosting, it’s like living in an apartment block rather than a house share. Best for most websites! Small business sites, regular websites, and sites which are scaling up their growth. | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Cloud | Flexible hosting, where you can change your resources as and when you need. Best for sites which have sudden hikes and dips in traffic, like an online store running deals and sales. | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Dedicated | Hosting where your site has a server all to itself. Usually the most expensive type of hosting. Very large websites. | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Chances are, you might be after a specific type of hosting. While both providers offer the important ones, IONOS’s extra offer of cloud hosting definitely puts it ahead. In our research, we gave GoDaddy a respectable 4 out of 5 for types of hosting, but it can’t compare to the 4.3 out of 5 we gave to IONOS, making it our top choice.
Further Information
- IONOS is the best cloud hosting provider – find out why in our Best Cloud Hosting Providers review
- Make sure you choose the best provider for your site with our detailed reviews:
Hosting Features
IONOS has better hosting features
IONOS triumphs with more quality features than its competitor. Yes, GoDaddy offers a competitive array of features such as free backups and cPanel, but it can’t keep up with IONOS’s extensive offerings. And it’s no wonder – in our research, IONOS scores 4.5 out of 5 overall for its hosting features!
Shared Hosting
GoDaddy’s $99 renewal fee for an SSL certificate definitely sours the palate, but on the plus side, you get a free domain unlike VPS and dedicated hosting. IONOS’s full coverage plus greater storage offering puts it firmly at the top in this round, with a 4.6 out of 5 for shared hosting features compared to GoDaddy’s 4.3.
VPS Hosting
While still lacking a free domain, GoDaddy steals the win over IONOS in this round with a 3 out of 5 to IONOS’s 2.5 for VPS features. GoDaddy’s VPS hosting plans have a wider range of disk space and RAM, which are important if you want to have a lot of content on your site, and with root access, you can access your server and customize it to suit your needs.
Dedicated Hosting
IONOS is miles better than GoDaddy with a dedicated hosting feature score of 4.3 compared to GoDaddy’s 2.7! With its more generous storage allowance and better uptime, IONOS comfortably takes the win and the title this round.
Ease of Use
GoDaddy is easier to use
GoDaddy is the clear winner for ease of use. IONOS isn’t exactly difficult to use, but it can’t compete with GoDaddy’s choice of cPanel or beginner-friendly focus. IONOS gives you a custom, tailored control panel, but GoDaddy gives you uncluttered and seamless service.
Hosting can be pretty daunting for anyone who’s new to the world of servers, control panels, and domain names. But it doesn’t have to be a difficult task – hosting providers should make running your site as easy as possible.
One of the main things that affects ease of use is the provider’s control panel. The control panel is a central dashboard, where you log in to run your site. You manage everything there, including domains, security, and email accounts.
Most providers use cPanel, because it’s a user-friendly control panel with a clean and easy to use interface. However, IONOS does not use cPanel – instead, it has its own custom control panel. Compared to cPanel, it’s frankly a bit dated and cluttered.
In contrast, GoDaddy has followed the crowd by using cPanel, and it’s paid off. GoDaddy’s branding revolves around being beginner friendly, so it makes sense its control panel would keep things simple and straightforward.
GoDaddy also has one-click app install, making it effortless to download software like WordPress or Drupal. With cPanel you get over 125 apps to choose from – and it only takes a click to get started!
Further Information
- Do you want an easy-to-use control panel? Read our review of the Best cPanel Hosting Providers to find your perfect provider
Domain Registration
IONOS and GoDaddy offer equal domain services
It’s a draw! Yes, GoDaddy may be the biggest domain registrar worldwide, and has a ton of helpful services, but IONOS includes a free domain in more of its hosting plans, making your life much easier.
Both IONOS and GoDaddy provide domain name registration services, making it easy to kill two birds with one stone when you sign up. Get hosting for your website and register your own custom domain at the same time. Simple!
IONOS Domains
IONOS actually throws in a free domain name with most of its hosting plans, meaning you don’t have to pay for the first year. This is an easy, headache-free way of getting a domain that won’t cost you the earth – or anything, for that matter.
If you do need to buy a domain, you can do it through IONOS directly.
You can check to see if your domain is available, and see how much it will cost before you purchase it. You even get a free email, private registration, and an SSL Wildcard certificate thrown in too.
GoDaddy Domains
GoDaddy has already established itself as the world’s largest domain registrar, and it definitely knows how to flex those muscles. Say hello to a host of domain services, including various domain name searches, domain privacy, and even domain auctions!
Unlike IONOS, however, GoDaddy doesn’t include a free domain on all of its hosting plans – you’ll need to sign up for shared or WordPress hosting to get the free domain.
GoDaddy can have lots of details in its renewal terms, so always make sure you read the fine print so you know exactly what you’re getting, and for how long.
Further Information
- Do you have questions about domain names? Read our What Is a Domain Name? Beginner’s Guide for an in-depth introduction to all things domain!
Help and Support
What would you do if your php.ini/user.ini changes aren’t taking effect? If you know the answer, you can probably skip straight past this section! For most people, that question will have you scratching your head and looking around for clues.
Enter the game-changing help and support.
IONOS Support
IONOS has a range of support options for you to use if you ever need a helping hand with your hosting. These include:
- IONOS Help Center
- 24/7 phone support
- Contact Support
- IONOS Community
The phone support is the most personalized – you can ring any time, seven days a week, or request an immediate callback by leaving your number.
Contact Support works by tailoring suggestions for you based on the options you select, and the Help Center has plenty of useful articles to help you out.
The best thing about IONOS is you get your very own personal consultant when you sign up. This is a fantastic way of getting personalized answers to questions, and lets you experience a whole new level of customer support. Plus, it’s free!
The main downside of IONOS is there’s no 24/7 live chat feature, so it can feel a little slow finding answers, depending on how busy the phone support is at the time you need help.
GoDaddy Support
GoDaddy has consistently high scores for help and support across all hosting types in our research – it never dips below a 4 out of 5 which is really impressive! In the shared hosting category, IONOS only gets a 2.8 out of 5 for help and support but GoDaddy scores 4 out of 5. Let’s have a look at the range of options GoDaddy supports then:
- GoDaddy Help Center
- 24/7 phone support
- Live chat
- Community
- Videos
GoDaddy doesn’t have a 24/7 live chat feature, but its Monday to Friday chat is very easy to find and tells you when it’s busy or available.
You can also contact the support team by phone, or go to the GoDaddy Help Center for articles and resources.
GoDaddy also has a ton of videos to help get started with domains, find your way around cPanel, and more.
Pricing and Value for Money
IONOS has the best value for money
You guessed it – IONOS wins! GoDaddy is definitely not one of the most expensive providers on the market, but it didn’t stand a chance against IONOS and its killer promotions. GoDaddy’s lack of a money-back guarantee put the last nail in its virtual coffin.
Let’s be honest – in the war to be your hosting provider, the battle of pricing is often the deal-breaker. We don’t just look at how much these providers charge, though – we also look at how much value you get for your money.
In our research, IONOS has an overall value score of 4.8 out of 5 – our best value for money score of any provider we tested! This is due to its amazingly cheap hosting plans still giving you a lot of bang for your buck. If you’re on a budget, IONOS should be your go-to.
GoDaddy sadly can’t compete and its prices can often fall on the slightly pricey side, especially for dedicated hosting. It scores a more middle-of-the-road 3.5 out of 5 overall for value for money.
Pricing varies depending which type of hosting you choose, so we’ll have a quick comparison of the three main hosting types, and then have some final thoughts below.
Most hosting providers tend to offer and show the prices of 3-year contracts with their plans. When spread out over 36 months, the monthly price looks a lot cheaper than it actually is.
For example, the prices on GoDaddy show $5.99 per month for 3 years for the cheapest shared hosting plan.
If you take the 12-month contract, the price then becomes $6.99 per month, and for the 1-month option, it’s $11.99 per month.
At Website Builder Expert we think the 12-month option is the most accurate for our users (that’s you!) for assessing the value of a plan, as you’re not attached to a hosting provider for too long a period of time.
Shared Hosting Pricing
As you can see, IONOS offers considerably lower sale and regular prices than GoDaddy. In our research, IONOS scores 3.9 out of 5 for value for money in shared hosting, higher than GoDaddy’s 3.1 out of 5. When you throw in that IONOS includes free SSL certificates on all its shared hosting plans, it’s clear which offers the better value!
VPS Hosting Pricing
IONOS earned it a value score of 3.9 out of 5, with GoDaddy not far behind however with a 3.8 out of 5. However, while similar in value, their actual prices are very different. IONOS’s second most expensive plan the IONOS VPS XL, which is usually $30 per month, is on sale for just $2 per month. In contrast, GoDaddy’s second most expensive plan is on sale for $49.99 per month.
Further Information
- Are you on the search for cheap prices? Read our in-depth review of the Best Cheap Web Hosting Providers to compare over 50 plans!
- VPS hosting is needed by most regular sites – find the best prices in our review of the Best Cheap VPS Hosting Providers
- Dedicated hosting can be expensive, so make sure you read our review of the Best Cheap Dedicated Server Hosting for the best prices
IONOS vs GoDaddy: Conclusion
This article has seen IONOS and GoDaddy battle it out to be your hosting champion. We’ve seen each blow in performance, every swing in features, and didn’t miss a scratch in pricing.
By the end of it, there’s one provider whose banner is still flying strong – our winner is IONOS! It dominated in the pricing round, took the winning title for performance and security, and tipped the scales with its free SSL and domains.
Still, that doesn’t mean it’s right for everyone…
Why Should You Choose GoDaddy Over IONOS?
Just because IONOS is our winner, doesn’t mean it’ll be the perfect provider for you. You’re better off with GoDaddy if you:
- Want an easy to use control panel
- Need better help and support
- Will use most of GoDaddy’s domain services
Why Should You Choose IONOS Over GoDaddy?
Are you still torn between GoDaddy and IONOS? Here are the three main reasons to choose IONOS:
- You need cloud hosting
- You want a free Wildcard SSL certificate
- You need a cheap hosting provider with promotional prices starting at only $1/month
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