Wix and GoDaddy are each best for certain use cases. While Wix offers
an intuitive website building experience for non-technical website
designers. However, GoDaddy offers more flexible capabilities for those
looking for a truly customized final site. Learn how each compares on
price, features, e-commerce tools and customer support.
Wix vs. GoDaddy: Overview
Wix and GoDaddy offer domain registration, website hosting and
website building tools. Wix is a better option for someone wanting an
all-in-one platform to build and manage their website, while GoDaddy
offers more tools and flexibility and the potential to get a lower cost
than you would with Wix. Here’s a closer look at Wix vs. GoDaddy to help
you choose the best website platform for your small business.
Wix is an all-in-one platform for creating websites. For small
business owners, it offers a method of registering and building a
website without advanced coding skills. Wix features drag-and-drop
functionality to build your website from hundreds of templates or from
scratch.
Restaurants.
Appointment booking.
Event ticket sales.
Online stores.
Outside of building your website, you don’t need any additional
advanced technical knowledge. Wix hosts the website on its own platform,
so you don’t have to worry about servers or linking your domain name
through a third-party.
The two most significant drawbacks of Wix are its cost and, for those
without basic website design skills, a system that makes it easy to
build websites that are not great looking or easy to use. Because
building a website with Wix can be challenging, it offers a premium
service to connect business owners with professional Wix designers who
can build or improve your site for an added fee.
Websites built with Wix are also locked into the Wix platform and
can’t be exported and moved to outside website hosting. If you want to
leave Wix, you must rebuild your website from scratch.
What is GoDaddy?
GoDaddy is a large internet company offering domain names, website
hosting and website-building features. Using GoDaddy, you can pick and
choose which services you need. For example, you could get your domain
name from GoDaddy and choose website hosting elsewhere.
If you get your domain name and hosting from GoDaddy, you still have
multiple choices. Using the website builder, you can create a website
with drag-and-drop tools or hire a website designer to create a site for
you. You can also use GoDaddy’s hosting for WordPress websites or other
supported content management systems (CMS).
With GoDaddy, you may need more background knowledge about how
websites work. Still, you can build a site with much more flexibility
and the option to leave and take your domain or website elsewhere if you
outgrow GoDaddy or are unhappy with the experience.
Wix vs. GoDaddy: Pricing
Winner: GoDaddy
GoDaddy’s a la carte pricing model gives you more flexibility over
what you’ll pay for your website needs. You can get started for as
little as $21.99 per year for the first year (which comes out to $1.83
per month) for a .com domain name and $4.99 per month for website
hosting. A website built with the GoDaddy website builder costs $9.99
per month to $16.99 per month for the first year.
However, if you choose more advanced hosting or need more server
space, you could pay up to $20.99 for the top tier Managed WordPress
hosting plan or much more for a virtual private server or dedicated
server.
Wix includes a domain name for free for the first year, then you have
to pay annually when renewing, and Wix doesn’t share the cost unless
you’re a logged-in customer with a Wix account. For the website builder
and hosting package, you’ll pay $16 per month for the lowest package and
up to $159 for the top-tier small business package.
While you have to be a bit more knowledgeable, building a self-hosted
WordPress website with GoDaddy allows you to run a small business
website for about $9 to $12 per month, while the cheapest plan from Wix
costs $16 per month, plus the domain name after the first year. Overall,
GoDaddy gives you more bang for your buck.
Wix vs. GoDaddy: Free plan comparison
Winner: Wix
With Wix, you can sign up for a free tier plan, where your website
domain includes Wix branding (yourwebsite.wixsite.com). Websites also
display Wix advertisements and features are limited.
With GoDaddy, you can start a website for free but will likely need
to upgrade to a paid version for added design flexibility. Free websites
come with several basic features, including appointment booking and
GoDaddy payments for e-commerce sales.
For most small businesses, paying for a website with your own domain
name is a better option than a domain ending with another brand’s name.
Getting your own .com or similar is a good investment.
Wix vs. GoDaddy: Design and user interface
Winner: GoDaddy
When comparing the website builders, Wix and GoDaddy offer similar
functionality. You can start with a template and customize it to your
liking. Wix offers more robust tools for different kinds of businesses,
while GoDaddy offers a more streamlined website-building experience.
Wix offers an entirely freeform drag-and-drop editor, so you can move
and position sections and elements of your website without
restrictions. Your results may not be excellent, but it doesn’t restrict
you from building a site that’s awkward or difficult to use.
GoDaddy is the winner because it offers more than a basic website
builder, however. You can also use WordPress with fully managed
WordPress hosting or general self-hosting. Once logged into the hosting
control panel, you can install more than 125 different website
applications, including WordPress, Drupal and Joomla.
Wix vs. GoDaddy: Features
Winner: GoDaddy
Wix features focus on providing small businesses with a single
platform to manage their entire website without the need to know about
the technical aspects of how their website works. Using the Wix ‘what
you see is what you get’ (WYSIWYG) editor, the website you see when
editing is what your customers and other website visitors will see.
Wix supports a broad range of websites and lets you plug into any
supported payment processor you choose. However, even with the ability
to create your own apps, eventually, you may run into a restraint with
Wix. The Wix platform is designed to work with Wix hosting and only does
what the platform allows, and it enforces certain limitations.
With GoDaddy, you can build a website using your own dedicated
server. Again, you’ll need more technical expertise and may need support
for more complex websites, but you can do almost anything you want
that’s legal and possible to do with a web server. That includes highly
customized WordPress sites or custom websites and web apps.
If you consider yourself less tech-savvy or prefer an all-in-one
platform where you don’t have to worry as much about the backend setup,
Wix may be better for you. If you want nearly unlimited flexibility in
building your website, GoDaddy is the better choice.
Wix vs. GoDaddy: E-commerce options
Winner: Tie
Wix features a strong e-commerce platform you can use to add product
sales to your website. With e-commerce tools at Wix, you can quickly add
products and process sales, again without advanced technical knowledge.
Wix includes the ability to:
Track inventory.
Manage shipping and fulfillment.
Automatically add sales tax.
Track your sales using the Wix Owner app.
Work with your choice of over 80 payment systems.
With the GoDaddy Site Builder, you can create a working e-commerce
site, though features are less robust than Wix. But if you use GoDaddy
Managed WordPress or install WordPress or another sales system on your
GoDaddy hosting account, you gain access to many additional features.
For example, WordPress works with the WooCommerce plugin (a robust
sales plugin) or a more specialized plugin like easy digital downloads.
The WordPress directory features around 960 plugins in the e-commerce
category.
For less tech-savvy users, Wix includes everything you need for
e-commerce with less work to get selling. However, if you want more
flexibility and functionality, GoDaddy hosting can help you get there.
Wix vs. GoDaddy: Customer support
Winner: GoDaddy
Wix features 24/7 phone support using a callback tool. If you want
help, you need to log into your Wix account and register for a phone
call. You should hear from a Wix support representative shortly.
GoDaddy features 24/7 chat support, or you can call its 24/7 support phone number.
With more options and the same 24/7 operating hours, GoDaddy has a slight edge over Wix regarding contacting customer support.
Which is best for your business?
Winner: GoDaddy
Wix is a top choice for business owners who want to manage their
entire website in one place and don’t want to learn a lot about building
or managing websites. If you want a platform that works fairly easily
and you need to get started quickly without additional technical
knowledge or website-building support, Wix is the better choice for your
business.
If you’re willing to learn a little more about website management and
want the most flexibility, GoDaddy is a better option. GoDaddy also
lets you start for around $10 per month, while you’ll pay more for the
introductory level plan at Wix.
Due to its lower potential costs and higher flexibility overall,
GoDaddy is our top choice when considering Wix vs. GoDaddy. But don’t
count out Wix. When comparing these two platforms, there’s no universal
best option for everyone. Knowing what you need from a website and
website builder can guide your choice between Wix and GoDaddy.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Do you get a free domain name with Wix?
Wix includes a free domain name for the first year. You must pay for your domain name registration after the first year.
Can I connect my GoDaddy domain to Wix?
If you own a domain name through GoDaddy, you can connect it to Wix for website building and hosting.
Do I have to pay for Wix if I already have a domain?
If you already have a domain, you must still pay for Wix hosting
and the website-building platform. You can get your domain from Wix or a
third party. But Wix charges a platform fee regardless.
Is Wix or GoDaddy easier to use?
Wix may be easier to use for many website-building small business
owners. Both platforms are beginner-friendly, but the all-in-one
platform from Wix makes it easier to use for the average person.
