As far as domain and website hosting service platforms go, GoDaddy is one of the largest companies in the world as well as one of the most well-known. While GoDaddy does have its advantages, it is important to keep in mind that there are many similar companies that may suit your needs better. While GoDaddy may be the right fit for you, your website, and your business – spending a little extra time to compare other domain hosting services available might be worth it. Who knows? These GoDaddy alternatives may be just the thing you (and your wallet) are looking for.
#1. Bluehost
- Founded: 2003
- Headquarters: Orem, Utah, United States
Need to know
Bluehost is a web hosting company that is most often recommended as an alternative to GoDaddy. The company has become one of the largest cloud-based online solution providers and is growing in popularity still to this day.
Bluehost offers many free benefits when you sign up including a domain, an SSL certificate, and malware detection tools to keep your website secure. If you are interested in working with WordPress, Bluehost also provides three different optimized plans for an easy and efficient collaboration – in fact, WordPress has officially recommended Bluehost as a website hosting provider.
#2. SiteGround
- Founded: March 22, 2004
- Headquarters: Sofia, Bulgaria, Europe
Need to know
Another web hosting provider that is officially recommended by WordPress is SiteGround, a popular company known for the exceptional quality of its customer support offered through live chat, phone, or email. Siteground offers three other hosting services in addition to WordPress hosting including web, WooCommerce, and cloud hosting.
SiteGround is especially catered to business and eCommerce websites and offers benefits for customers such as a free domain for one year, free SSL certificates, free automated website migrations, and more. Compared to GoDaddy, SiteGround offers an innovative control panel that allows you to manage your website and domain portfolio more efficiently. Another plus to using Siteground over GoDaddy is the extraordinarily low eco-footprint of the company. Because Siteground is powered by Google Cloud, the energy they consume is 100% matched with renewable energy – making the company as environmentally conscious as it is customer-focused.
#3. Network Solutions
- Founded: January 1, 1979
- Headquarters: Herndon, Virginia, United States
Need to know
The first company for domain registration and one that is still going strong to this day is Network Solutions, a GoDaddy alternative that has more than 7 million domains registered through their service. Network Solutions strives for a helpful environment that gives small businesses a chance to effectively create and maintain an online presence – providing a wide variety of informational videos, webinars, and consultation services for their customers to utilize.
From entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 companies, Network Solutions is an excellent alternative to GoDaddy that offers decades of expertise and an innovative platform, designed to help you and your business succeed.
#4. Domain.com
- Founded: 1998
- Headquarters: Burlington, Massachusetts, United States
Need to know
Domain.com is also one of the top web-hosting services, with more than 1.2 million websites around the globe and a focus on entrepreneurs and small businesses. One benefit of using Domain.com over GoDaddy includes being able to recognize and rely on the drive that this GoDaddy alternative has maintained, constantly striving to provide more affordable prices for the same high-quality service.
Doman.com specializes in domain names, web and VPS hosting, web design, online marketing services, and more – including providing free services that give their customers more control over their domains. Domain.com offers benefits such as unlimited disk space, scalable bandwidth, and the ability to create subdomains that help make their services more advantageous than its competitors. This company prioritizes their customers and promises to do what it takes to find the answer to their problems. Like their website says, “We offer sage advice that’s simple, reliable, and works for you.”
#5. HostGator
- Founded: October 22, 2002
- Headquarters: Houston, Texas, United States
Need to know
HostGator started in a college dorm as a tiny company with three servers and is now one of the leading hosting providers in the world – even receiving recognition from Inc. Magazine as one of America’s fastest growing private companies in 2008. HostGator offers incredibly competitive prices in the industry, providing an easy choice for bloggers or startups to make when they find themselves comparing subscriptions costs and services.
With a shared hosting plan through HostGator you’ll receive a free domain for your first year, a free business email, and free SSL to help you kick start your online presence. In addition to a shared hosting plan, HostGator also offers VPS hosting, marketing services and more with the goal to help their customers’ businesses grow and succeed. If you are starting out and want to use a web hosting that will help you and your business thrive, HostGator may be the down to earth and relatable option for you.
#6. Dreamhost
- Founded: April 10, 1996
- Headquarters: Los Angeles, California, United States
Need to know
Similar to Network Solutions, Dreamhost has been around for decades and is one of the oldest open web hosting providers – offering a reliable alternative to GoDaddy and an established presence in the industry. Creating a website through Dreamhost offers many perks and benefits including a free domain, free SSL certification, and 24/7 customer support in addition to in-house WordPress experts.
Dreamhost provides five different types of hosting and has been credited for its more intuitive website management compared to GoDaddy.
#7. WP Engine
- Founded: 2010
- Headquarters: Austin, Texas, United States
Need to know
WP Engine is slightly different from the other GoDaddy alternatives we’ve talked about, but its world leading platform makes it worth mentioning. WP Engine is dedicated to WordPress hosting and WordPress hosting only, which means their services are entirely focused on how to make hosting through WordPress as ingenious as possible.
At WP Engine you will find award-winning WordPress experts that are committed to creating a world class digital experience platform, including a concierge service that will update and backup your website for you. WP Engine is one of the pricier alternatives to GoDaddy in addition to being the only one listed that does not actually offer domain registration. However, the platform is highly optimized for WordPress and the services provided are extremely valuable to many businesses – making WP Engine worth considering when comparing GoDaddy alternatives.
#8. Namecheap
- Founded: 2000
- Headquarters: Los Angeles, California, United States
Need to know
Namecheap is an excellent choice when you are looking for a more cost effective way to create and maintain an online presence. While the name speaks for itself, there are very few domain registration services that provide a web address at such a low price – but there are even fewer that offer WHOIS privacy protection along with it.
In addition to free WHOIS privacy protection, Namecheap offers free SSL certification, automatic backups, 24/7 customer support, and a free website builder. However, even though Namecheap does offer the shared, WordPress, VPS, and dedicated server hosting that GoDaddy and its other alternatives also do – the platform itself is not as intuitively designed for running an online store or business. It is important to weigh what you need or want in a web hosting service while you are considering all the options that are available. So if you are only looking to host using a simple, secure, and inexpensive website… Namecheap might be perfect for you.