GoDaddy

GoDaddy is a US company best known as the world's largest domain registrar, and it also offers hosting, email and a website builder. It's used to buy your domain and host your website, all in one place.

See in the comparison →

It depends on the extension, and above all on when you look: GoDaddy's signature move is a heavily discounted — sometimes near-free — first year, with renewal at its standard rate afterwards. That renewal price is the figure that matters if you plan to keep the domain, so check it before you buy instead of judging by the first-year deal. Extras such as domain privacy can add to the bill depending on the domain. If you're comparing registrars, compare renewal against renewal — that's where the real differences sit.

See in the comparison →

If you don't renew, your service is suspended when it expires. The domain enters a grace period during which you can still recover it (sometimes with a restoration fee); if you still don't pay, it's eventually released and anyone could register it. Hosting is deactivated and, after some time, the data is deleted.

See in the comparison →

For hosting, GoDaddy's entry Economy plan starts at US$5.99/mo on the long 36-month term — the low headline rate requires that multi-year commitment up front, and once the first term ends it renews at US$11.99/mo, which is the realistic long-run cost to budget for. Domains follow the same pattern: a cheap first year, then standard market rates at renewal. Factor in the extras, too — backups, some SSL tiers and domain privacy are paid add-ons depending on the plan, where rivals in this comparison bundle them in. A 30-day money-back guarantee covers hosting if you change your mind. As always with GoDaddy, judge the renewal-to-renewal cost, not the intro price.

See in the comparison →