GoDaddy vs WP Engine [2024] – Who Comes Out on Top?
- By: Muhammad Imad Ur Rehman
- Comparison, Web Hosting
- Fact Checked By: iblogO Team
Godaddy vs WP Engine
GoDaddy vs WP Engine – the debate over Who is the best web hosting provider for your business. GoDaddy and WP Engine offer a wide range of features and services, but which is truly the best?
In this article, we will compare GoDaddy and WP Engine to determine who comes out on top regarding price performance, features, and customer support.
GoDaddy is a popular choice for getting your website online. It offers shared hosting plans, a user-friendly website builder, and domain registration—all in one. GoDaddy is a popular web hosting provider that offers a variety of hosting plans for businesses and individuals. Its main benefits include affordability, a user-friendly control panel, and 24/7 customer support. GoDaddy also offers a range of website building tools and a comprehensive set of features for its customers.
While, WP Engine is a premium managed WordPress hosting provider that offers fast, secure, and scalable hosting solutions for businesses of all sizes. Its main benefits include exceptional performance, 24/7 customer support, and built-in security features. This company specializes in managed WordPress hosting, focusing on features and security for smooth WordPress website operation.
Need help deciding which one to choose? Don’t worry! This guide will break down their key differences, helping you pick the best fit for your needs and budget. So, Let’s dive right in.
Godaddy vs WP Engine Overview
Core Features | Godaddy | WP Engine |
|---|---|---|
Starting Price  | ||
Free Domain  | ||
Specialized  |
Manage WordPress Hosting |
Premium Manage WordPress Hosting |
Disk Space  |
10GB - 400GB |
15GB - 50GB |
Monthly Traffic  |
unmetered |
25,000 - 400,000 visits |
Money Back Guarantee  |
30 days |
60 days |
Server Location  |
North America, Europe & Asia |
Eu, US, Canada, UK & Asia |
General Features | Godaddy | WP Engine |
|---|---|---|
Site Migrations |
Free | |
Email |
Unlimited accounts | |
WordPress Installation |
1 click |
1 click |
Staging Environment |
Free | |
Websites |
1 - 200 |
Unlimited |
Bandwidth |
Unmetered |
50GB-500GB |
Customer Support | GoDaddy | WP Engine |
|---|---|---|
Phone Support | ||
Live Chat |
24/7 |
24/7 |
Ticket Support |
Only in VPS & Dedicated Server | |
Knowledge base |
Tutorials |
Tutorials |
Performance | Godaddy | WP Engine |
|---|---|---|
Uptime Guarantee |
99.9% |
99.99% |
Free CDN |
cloudfare CDN |
Yes |
Avg Response Time |
267 ms |
124ms |
Security | Godaddy | WP Engine |
|---|---|---|
Firewall DDoS Protection | ||
SSL Certificates |
Free |
Free |
Automatic Backups |
Daily |
Daily and on-demand |
Malware Scanning | ||
Hack Fix Guarantee | ||
WHOIS Domain Privacy |
Ease of use | Godaddy | WP Engine |
|---|---|---|
cPanel |
custom-built | |
Users |
Unlimited |
Unlimited |
Website Builder | ||
Optimization Tools | ||
PHP Versions |
Latest |
Latest |
Godaddy pricing & hosting Types | Monthly |
|---|---|
Web Hosting |
$4.99 - $14.99/mo* |
Web Hosting Plus |
$21.99 - $74.99/mo* |
Managed WordPress Hosting |
$11.99 - $17.99/mon* |
VPS Hosting (Standard) |
$9.99 - $49.99/mon* |
VPS Hosting (High) |
$69.99 - $169.99/mon* |
Dedicated Server (Self Managed) |
$159.99 - $469.99/mon* |
Dedicated Server (Fully Managed)) |
$269.98 - $579.98/mon* |
eCommerce Hosting |
$20.99/mon* |
WP Engine Pricing & hosting types | Monthly |
|---|---|
Managed WordPress |
$35 - $1650/mon* |
Application - Standard |
$20 - $320/mon* |
Database |
$18 - $3250/mon* |
WooCommerce |
Same as Managed WordPress |
Over all Winner
Godaddy Rating
Pros
- Multiple Data Centers
- Responsive Customer Service
- WordPress Optimized
- Fast Load Time
- High Security Features
Cons
- Basic Plan Limitations
- Higher Renewal Prices
- No Cloud Hosting
Close Second
WP Engine Rating
Pros
- Daily and on-demand free backups
- Customer Service Award
- Free Daily Backups
- Malware Protection
- Theme Access Free
Cons
- Expensive Hosting
- Managed Plans Only
- Limited Storage/Traffic
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Comparing Pricing and Plans
Pricing and plans can feel like a confusing maze. But fear not, beginners in the USA! Regarding GoDaddy vs WP Engine, each offers a different path tailored to your needs. Let’s break down the options and see who gives you the most bang for your buck!
GoDaddy welcomes you with an inviting $4.99 monthly plan, perfect for those just starting their website adventure. They offer various plans, including Web Hosting and Managed WordPress Hosting, at affordable prices, making GoDaddy a great choice for budget-conscious beginners.
Just be a heads-up, crew: renewal rates can jump slightly, so keep that in mind!
WP Engine, on the other hand, is like the VIP section of web hosting, with plans starting at $35 per month. It’s a haven for WordPress enthusiasts who crave top-notch security and lightning-fast performance.
While the starting price is higher, the value of having them manage everything behind the scenes is undeniable for those who rely heavily on WordPress.
Value for Money: It’s All About What You Get
Let’s be honest: Value isn’t just about the cheapest price tag. It’s about getting the most features and support for your hard-earned cash. GoDaddy’s charm lies in its initial affordability and many services, making it versatile.
With its laser focus on WordPress, WP Engine offers an unmatched environment perfectly tuned for WordPress success.
The Winner: GoDaddy
In the pricing and plans battle, GoDaddy emerges victorious for those seeking an affordable and flexible hosting solution. Its low entry-level prices and broad range of services make it excellent for beginners and small to medium-sized projects.
WP Engine shines for dedicated WordPress hosting but at a premium. This makes GoDaddy the more accessible choice for most.
GoDaddy vs WP Engine: An In-Depth Head-to-Head Features Comparison
We’ve discussed pricing and plans; it’s time to peek under the hood! Let’s compare GoDaddy’s and WP Engine’s features to see which offers the most bang for your buck, especially for beginner website owners in the USA.
GoDaddy: The All-Rounder for Beginners (and Beyond!)
GoDaddy is like your friendly neighborhood store, offering everything you need to get your website up and running quickly and affordably. Here’s what makes it a great starting point:
- User-Friendly: GoDaddy’s website builder is a hit, especially for beginners. With drag-and-drop functionality, you can create a beautiful website without any coding knowledge.
- Storage and Emails: Their plans offer generous storage, which is perfect for storing your website content and media. Plus, unlimited email accounts enable you to manage your communication needs effectively.
- Freebies: Some plans include a free domain name and SSL certificate, saving you money on essential website elements.
WP Engine: Built for WordPress Only
WP Engine takes a more specialized approach, focusing solely on managed WordPress hosting. This means they handle the technical aspects of running your WordPress site, like security updates and server maintenance, freeing you up to focus on creating awesome content.
Here’s why it might be your pick if you’re building a WordPress website:
- Managed Hosting: Think of WP Engine as your website’s dedicated manager, taking care of everything behind the scenes so you can focus on the bigger picture.
- Performance and Security: Automatic updates, daily backups, and top-notch security are all built-in features, ensuring your website runs smoothly and securely.
- Scalability: As your site grows, WP Engine’s plans grow with you, making it a solid choice for expanding projects.
Feature Showdown: Who Takes the Crown?
Both platforms have strengths. GoDaddy offers a broad range of user-friendly services at an affordable price, making it a great choice for beginners venturing into the online world. It is also a solid choice if you prioritize a hassle-free experience and plenty of room for growth.
With its laser focus on WordPress hosting, WP Engine provides a level of specialization and performance ideal for those serious about building a successful WordPress website. If speed, security, and peace of mind are your top concerns, WP Engine is worth considering.
The Winner: WP Engine
Considering the balance between user-friendly features, affordability, and a wide range of services, GoDaddy shines for beginner website owners. It’s a great starting point with room to grow as your needs evolve.
However, for those who prioritize performance, security, and a specialized WordPress experience, WP Engine is a strong contender for long-term website success.
Performance Analysis: Is WP Engine faster than GoDaddy?
We’ve compared features, and now it’s time to talk speed! Website speed is crucial, especially for WordPress sites where every second counts. GoDaddy and WP Engine boast impressive performance stats, but who takes the lead in the race?
Uptime Guarantees
Both GoDaddy and WP Engine offer high uptime guarantees, meaning your website’s lights (availability) are on most of the time. GoDaddy promises 99.9% uptime, which is standard.
WP Engine goes a notch higher with a 99.95% uptime guarantee. While these numbers might seem close, even a 0.05% difference can impact your site’s availability over a year.
Server Response and Loading Times
Server response times can improve your website’s user experience and SEO rankings. Based on our recent GTmetrix tests, GoDaddy’s sites loaded in just under 792ms, with a notable Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) at 470ms.
This indicates a speedy delivery of the main content on your site. WP Engine, however, shines with its site loading in a swift 2.0 seconds and an LCP at 1.1s, ensuring quick access to content for your visitors.
Free CDN
A Content Delivery Network (CDN) can significantly enhance your site’s global performance by reducing the geographical distance between your server and your audience. GoDaddy offers Cloudflare CDN integration to optimize content delivery.
WP Engine includes free CDN usage ranging from 1000GB to 6000GB, depending on your plan, giving it an edge in serving content efficiently worldwide.
The Winner: WP Engine
Based on the data, WP Engine takes the crown for website performance. Their focus on managed WordPress hosting and optimized servers leads to faster loading times, crucial for a great user experience and SEO.
However, it’s important to remember that GoDaddy also offers very good performance, especially for beginners on a budget.
GoDaddy vs WP Engine: Security
We saw how speed can impact your website, but security is just as important! A secure website protects your visitors’ information and builds trust. Let’s compare how GoDaddy and WP Engine stack up regarding security.
Both GoDaddy and WP Engine offer essential security features, such as firewalls (which protect against attacks) and malware scanning (which finds hidden threats).
- SSL Certificates: Both offer SSL certificates, which scramble information like passwords and credit card numbers, making them unreadable to hackers. GoDaddy offers various SSL options depending on your needs, while WP Engine includes them for free.
- Backups: Having regular backups is like having a spare castle gate. If your website is damaged, you can restore it from a backup. Both GoDaddy and WP Engine offer backups, but GoDaddy might require an extra purchase on some plans.
Unique Security Features
GoDaddy: GoDaddy offers email protection features like spam filters to keep your inbox clean.
WP Engine: WP Engine uses a global security network to identify and block threats before they reach your website. They also include features like automatic security updates for WordPress, reducing your workload.
The Winner: WP Engine
While GoDaddy offers solid security features, WP Engine takes the crown here. Their focus on WordPress security, automatic updates, and global threat protection make them a strong choice for website safety.
Which provider offers better customer support, GoDaddy or WP Engine?
When considering customer support in the GoDaddy vs WP Engine, the approach and availability of support services are key factors, especially for those managing high-stakes websites.
Both GoDaddy and WP Engine offer ways to get help, but they differ in how easy it is to reach them.
GoDaddy offers 24/7 phone support, which is great if you prefer talking to someone. However, their live chat is only available during weekdays.
WP Engine offers 24/7 live chat support on all plans and phone support on higher-tier plans. This means you can get help anytime, day or night!
Fast Help is Key!
Waiting on hold can be frustrating, especially when you need help with your website. User reviews suggest that GoDaddy’s phone and chat support wait times can be long. WP Engine has faster response times, especially for live chat.
Beyond Phone Calls: Articles and Tutorials
Sometimes, you might need a quick answer. Both GoDaddy and WP Engine have online resources like articles and tutorials to help you troubleshoot common problems.
However, WP Engine’s support center is known for being more user-friendly, with clear and easy-to-follow instructions.
The Winner: WP Engine
WP Engine takes the crown for customer support with 24/7 live chat, faster response times, and a user-friendly support center.
Ease of Use and User Experience
We’ve covered a lot, but using your website quickly is crucial! Let’s see how GoDaddy and WP Engine compare in terms of user-friendliness, especially for beginners.
When managing your website, the control panel is your mission control. GoDaddy uses the widely recognized cPanel, which is known for its user-friendly approach, making it easier for beginners to find their way around various site management tasks.
WP Engine, however, provides a custom user interface tailored specifically for WordPress, streamlining tasks like site updates, backups, and more.
Setting Up Your Site: The First Steps
Both GoDaddy and WP Engine offer one-click WordPress installations, simplifying the process of getting your WordPress site up and running. This feature is mainly beneficial for beginners who need to be more comfortable with manual installations.
Resources and Tutorials: Learning and Growing
Both providers understand the importance of support beyond customer service. GoDaddy offers various articles, tutorials, and videos catering to multiple levels of expertise. WP Engine uses extensive resources, including best practices and optimization tips, to maximize WordPress performance.
While GoDaddy’s general user-friendliness and broad service offerings make it an attractive option for those looking for simplicity and affordability, WP Engine’s specialized approach to WordPress hosting provides a seamless experience that caters to the platform’s specific needs.
For users dedicated to WordPress, WP Engine’s tailored environment, coupled with its robust set of tools and resources, makes it the go-to choice for optimizing user experience and site performance.
The Winner: WP Engine
Choosing between GoDaddy and WP Engine depends on your site’s specific requirements and your comfort level with web management. GoDaddy serves a broad audience, especially beginners, while WP Engine is the choice for WordPress enthusiasts seeking an optimized hosting experience.
Our Verdict: Which is better, GoDaddy or WP Engine?
We’ve compared pricing, performance, features, support, and ease of use for GoDaddy and WP Engine. Now it’s time to decide which one works best for you!
Getting Started Online:
For beginners dipping their toes into the website world, GoDaddy offers a user-friendly experience with affordability in mind. Their website builder, domain registration, and web hosting services make them a strong choice for personal blogs and small business websites.
High-Traffic Websites and E-commerce:
If you expect a lot of visitors or are running an online store, WP Engine shines. They specialize in managed WordPress hosting and provide top-notch security, robust performance, and expert support. This makes them ideal for high-traffic websites and e-commerce platforms that require reliability and scalability.
The Beginner’s Best Friend: GoDaddy
For absolute beginners with no prior experience, GoDaddy’s user-friendly tools and budget-friendly plans make setting up and managing their website a breeze.
WP Engine: The Managed WordPress Hosting
For those explicitly building a WordPress website and are comfortable with some learning, WP Engine offers a streamlined WordPress experience with exceptional security and performance.
Conclusion: WP Engine
Both GoDaddy and WP Engine are great options, but the best choice depends on your goals and priorities:
GoDaddy: Beginner-friendly, affordable, perfect for bloggers and those new to website building.
Save 30%!WP Engine: Managed WordPress hosting and exceptional security, ideal for growing businesses and high-traffic websites.
saves $120!Remember: This is just a starting point! Consider your budget, technical comfort level, and how much you plan to use WordPress to make the best decision
Which are the best alternatives to GoDaddy and WP Engine?
Need help finding your ideal match with GoDaddy or WP Engine? Don’t worry! The web hosting world offers a vast selection to suit every need. Here are some top providers to explore, each with a link to our in-depth review to help you make an informed decision:
- Hostinger: Known for affordable hosting. Read our Hostinger review.
- DreamHost: Known for affordability and user-friendly experience. Read our DreamHost review.
- HostGator: Offers user-friendly hosting plans. Read our HostGator review.
- Namecheap: Offers competitively priced domains and hosting services. Read our Namecheap review.
- A2 Hosting: High-performance hosting with a focus on speed and reliability. Read our A2 Hosting review.
- Kinsta: Premium managed WordPress hosting for demanding websites. Read our detailed Kinsta review.
- InMotion Hosting: Balanced offerings with great support and reliability. Read our InMotion Hosting review.
- GreenGeeks: Eco-friendly hosting with a commitment to sustainability. Read our GreenGeeks review.
- TMD Hosting: Known for excellent customer service and diverse hosting plans. Read our TMD Hosting review.
- BlueHost: Known for WordPress hosting. Read our BlueHost review.
- OVHCloud: Offers extensive cloud and web hosting services. Read our OVHCloud review.
- HostPapa: Small business-oriented with a range of easy-to-use tools. Read our HostPapa review.
- StableHost: Reliable hosting with an emphasis on stability. Visit our Read our StableHost review.
- Cloudways: Cloud hosting management is made easy and efficient. Read our Cloudways review.
Looking for more options?
Check out our comprehensive guides:
- Top 18 WP Engine Alternatives: Explore a broader range of options beyond WP Engine.
- Top 18 GoDaddy Alternatives: Explore a comprehensive list of alternatives to GoDaddy, catering to various needs and budgets.
Want to see all the best options in one place?
Our in-depth guide, “Best Web Hosting Provider – Reviewed and Tested,” provides a comprehensive analysis of various providers, helping you make an informed decision. Click here for Best Web Hosting Provider – Reviewed and Tested: link to your best web hosting provider article.
FAQs of GoDaddy vs WP Engine
GoDaddy vs WP Engine: Which is cheaper?
When it comes to pricing, GoDaddy generally offers more affordable options, especially for beginners. They have various plans that cater to different needs without breaking the bank.
Is GoDaddy good for WordPress hosting?
GoDaddy is a versatile platform that supports WordPress hosting with ease. They provide one-click installation and managed WordPress plans, making it a suitable choice for WordPress users.
Is WP Engine better than GoDaddy?
WP Engine is known for its focus on Managed WordPress websites, offering advanced features and support for WordPress sites. WP Engine might have the edge if your primary concern is WordPress optimization and security.
What is the difference between GoDaddy and WP Engine?
The main difference lies in their specialization. GoDaddy offers a broad range of hosting services, including shared, VPS, and dedicated hosting, making it versatile. WP Engine, conversely, specializes in managed WordPress hosting, focusing on performance and security for WordPress sites.
Is WP Engine worth the cost?
For WordPress users who need premium features like daily backups, enhanced security, and expert support, WP Engine’s higher price point can be justified by the value it adds.
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Muhammad Imad Ur Rehman
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