Overview
What is GoDaddy Domains?
GoDaddy was started up in Baltimore, under the name Jomax industries, by founder Bob Parsons. They changed their name to GoDaddy in 1999 and they are based in Arizona. In 2005 they became the biggest ICANN-accredited online registrar.
GoDaddy is currently the largest domain registrar in the world, managing more than 80 million domain names. They have over 14 offices worldwide and 37000 servers in 9 different locations. The closest ones to the UK are in Amsterdam and Serbia.
They also offer competitive hosting and a website builder if you want everything in one place, but it’s not mandatory and you can use domains registered through them with any other host.
In this Godaddy Domains Review, I’m going to take you through their interface, domain extensions availability, pricing, customer service and addons so you can see if you should join the millions of others who register their domain with GoDaddy.
Ease of Use
Is GoDaddy’s Interface Easy to Use?
GoDaddy is super easy to use. You can search for your chosen domain name under a specific TLD (Top Level Domain) and they will tell you if it is available. They also then give you a list of the prices for other TLDs so you can compare easily and find a great deal.
Although, you should be aware that the price shown is the discounted first-year price. Some of these prices require you to sign up for a two-year plan, so it’s always a good idea to check the renewal price before you sign up.
Through GoDaddy’s site, you can search, transfer or protect your domain name. In addition, you can browse available names to get inspiration or try out their name generator if you need a hand deciding.
They also auction off domain names and have a guide to help you invest in them, so you could make some money if you have an unused domain already in your possession.
You also have an option to find the owner of a domain name using their WHOIS database. This gives you information about when the domain was created and updated and when the ownership is expiring.
Domain Extensions
Domain Extensions Availability
TLD stands for Top Level Domain, and website addresses must have one as a suffix. While you commonly see TLDs that denote the website’s country, you can choose whatever you’d like for your domain name.
GoDaddy offers an extensive list of TLDs and currently has around 500 for you to choose from. You can check the availability of your desired domain name on their site for free, and GoDaddy will give you the prices by TLD and suggest other domain names that might be of interest to you. GoDaddy offer all the usual TLDs, such as .org, .com and .co.uk.
They also offer others that are industry-specific like .shop, .design, .tech and .life. You can choose yours based on price, or you may want to think about what impression it puts across. You may want to consider .org, one of the original TLDs and is considered among the most trusted on the internet.
A .com is one of the most commonly known TLDs, and it is the best one for SEO. If you want to attract visitors from the UK, use .co.uk. People will look for .co.uk to get UK products or information specific to the UK. GoDaddy also offers .uk as a TLD.
If your chosen domain name is unavailable, they will give you similar available options. Of course, GoDaddy recommends buying your domain name with every TLD to avoid other people using your brand. Still, unless you are a multinational corporation, this may get a bit pricy!
You can bulk-buy domains through GoDaddy, as well as buy names that you think someone else might want so you can try and sell them at an inflated price.
Is your Domain Name already taken?
Pricing & Addons
How Much Does a GoDaddy Domain Cost?
Pricing can get a little complicated, as it depends on the TLD. As GoDaddy has so many TLDs to choose from, I’m just going to give you the pricing structure for the top 4 to provide you with a rough idea of cost. – Priced at a discounted rate of 99p on the first year of a two-year contract. After that, you’ll be charged £34.24 for your two-year contract, or you can pay £17.12 annually. However, if you want to go down from a two year contract to paying yearly, then you’ll have to contact GoDaddy, as they will automatically renew your agreement to be the same as your starting contract
– Offered at £7.99 for the first year, and £19.12 per year to renew.
– This starts with a discounted rate of 1p on the first year of a two-year contract. Subsequently, you’ll be charged £23.98 for every two years, or you can change your contract and years can be added annually at £11.99 per year.
– is also offered at the same rate as .co.uk.
You are also able to transfer an existing domain to GoDaddy. So, for example, you can transfer a .co.uk for free, or a .com for £5.92, plus taxes and fees.
If you want to safeguard your domain from hackers, or in case you miss a payment, you can get domain protection and security for an added cost of £8.99 or £24.99 per domain per year, depending on the scale of protection. They also offer an email to match your domain for an extra £1.49 a month.
GoDaddy Domain Pricing
Popular Domain Extensions | Initial Price Per Year | Renewal Price Per Year |
.com | £0.99 | £34.24 |
.co.uk | £0.01 | £23.98 |
.uk | £0.01 | £23.98 |
.co | £2.99 | £53.98 |
.biz | £6.12 | £20.12 |
.org | £7.99 | £19.12 |
.info | £3.12 | £20.12 |
.net | £11.99 | £15.12 |
.online | £0.99 | £40.12 |
.xyz | £0.85 | £10.97 |
.site | £0.99 | £28.12 |
.mobi | £6.12 | £24.12 |
.io | £43.37 | £45.54 |
.shop | £2.29 | £32.66 |
.buzz | £3.74 | £36.27 |
.pro | £5.18 | £19.64 |
Additional Extras Offered By GoDaddy
All of GoDaddy’s domain registries include basic security, namely the redaction of any personal information from their WHOIS database. They do offer other security features, but you will have to pay extra if you want any additional domain protection.
If you’re concerned about load time, they offer Premium DNS for around £3 per month. They distribute your DNS information over multiple servers so visitors can connect to your website faster.
This package also offers protection from hackers who might try and redirect your site traffic.
Marketing tools on offer include email and Microsoft 360, as well as a digital marketing suite so you can manage your social media from a single dashboard.
Quality of Support
How Good is GoDaddys Support?
GoDaddy has a Help Centre that will answer most FAQs about your account. This includes how to find, set up and get started with your domain. In addition, the articles cover renewals, transfers, monetising and more.
So, if you have a general question, it’s worth looking here before you contact them. GoDaddy makes it incredibly easy to search for and purchase your domain, so I can’t imagine you’d even need to contact their customer services anyway.
Nevertheless, if you have a more specific issue, they do also offer 24/7 telephone support. As if that wasn’t enough, they also provide a live chat feature and a WhatsApp number.
While their customer support land-line number is free to call, they mention that your mobile provider may add a connection charge if you’re calling from your mobile phone.
If you’re worried about being charged, stick to the live chat or WhatsApp options. GoDaddy’s customer service reviews do vary, with some people reporting that they aren’t the easiest to deal with.
By and large, however, their support is friendly and knowledgeable, and being able to contact them any time is a massive bonus. In addition, the live chat is genuinely helpful and perfect if you don’t like talking on the phone!
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Pros & Cons
What We Like & Dislike About GoDaddy Domains
GoDaddy Pros
Easy to use – You can find and purchase a domain name in no time.
Lots of options – They offer so many TLDs that you will be spoilt for choice.
Reliable – A company doesn’t get this big by providing poor service.
Excellent customer service – with telephone support available.
GoDaddy Cons
Higher fees – While their initial offers seem amazingly low, these are only for the first year and you may have to sign up for a two-year contract to get the discounted first year.
Hidden costs – Some basic features require you to pay extra, and you may find you have to deselect some options if you want to buy a domain name.
Checking out – Can be confusing.
GoDaddy Domains: Final Verdict
GoDaddy is a highly reputable company and very trustworthy. The fact that they are the largest domain registrar speaks volumes about their performance.
Their fees may be a little high after the first year, but the company does have a lot of reach and experience. They have plenty to offer, and their domain search means you can easily find and compare prices.
Plus, they offer a domain name for free if you use their hosting service, which is a fantastic incentive to use them as a host! With millions of users, GoDaddy is suitable for anyone who wants to grab a domain name.
They are used by companies, developers and even integrated with other web hosts. They also offer features that help you buy and sell domain names if that’s what you’re after.
Ready to find your perfect domain?
How-to Register a GoDaddy Domain
GoDaddy Domain Registration
Alternatively, you could use the Bulk Domain search to look for eligible ideas. Finally, if you have your heart set on a name that’s already been taken, GoDaddy offers a broker service that will try and purchase the name from the current owner.
However, this can get pretty costly as you’ll be paying a fee to the seller and GoDaddy’s broker fee and the yearly subscription price. So it’s probably better to wait and see if the other person forgets to renew it.
GoDaddy even offers a Domain Backordering service so you can add your name to a waiting list for the domain. If more than one person is waiting, GoDaddy will auction the name. Otherwise, it just goes to the person who has registered.
Your yearly subscription will include:
– 24/7 customer service.
– Basic privacy protection.
– Up to 100 sub-domains for your site.
– Free forwarding to Facebook, Linkedin or Twitter for personal domain names.
– Domain monitoring and security in real time.
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