Alexis Kestler
As a tech geek and data analyst, I‘ve spent countless hours researching, testing, and crunching numbers on Wix and GoDaddy – two of the most popular do-it-yourself website builders today.
If you‘re looking to launch a professional site without coding, this comprehensive head-to-head comparison will help you make the right choice based on hard data and expert insights (not just opinions)!
Let me walk you through the key differences between these platforms across 10 important criteria. I‘ll also share my recommendations based on various use cases.
Ready? Let‘s dive in!
A Quick Intro to Wix and GoDaddy
First, what exactly are these two website builders we‘re comparing?
Wix is an Israeli company founded back in 2006 that has grown into one of the largest SaaS platforms globally. Over 200 million people have used Wix to create websites for personal or business use.
GoDaddy entered the website builder space more recently in 2020 to complement its domain registration and web hosting solutions. As an established brand, GoDaddy appeals to entrepreneurs looking for an integrated platform.
Both offer drag-and-drop editors and AI-powered templates to design sites quickly without coding. But there are some significant differences under the hood.
Website Creation Process and Ease of Use
For non-technical people, the website builder‘s user experience is make-or-break. Complex interfaces lead to frustration (and abandoned projects)!
Here‘s how Wix and GoDaddy compare when it comes to creating a site:
With Wix, you:
- Sign up for a free account
- Answer questions about the site‘s purpose
- Select a site type (blog, business, etc.)
- Choose from 800+ templates
- Customize the design and features
- Publish your live site
With GoDaddy, you:
- Choose your site‘s niche
- Enter business details like name
- Decide to publish a "Coming Soon" page or full site
- Pick from 130+ structured templates
- Use their modular editor to fill in sections
- Publish your live site
Although both are easy to use, Wix offers a more flexible and intuitive drag-and-drop experience in my opinion. GoDaddy simplifies site building with their structured editor but it‘s limiting for customization.
As a beginner, GoDaddy‘s linear steps help you build sites faster. But most users will outgrow it quickly. Wix enables greater creative freedom no matter your skill level.
Design Capabilities and Customization
How much you can customize the design directly impacts your website‘s professionalism and branding.
GoDaddy provides 130+ nicely designed templates spanning different industries like restaurants, yoga studios, and portfolios.
But Wix completely blows it out of the water with over 800 designer templates catering to every niche imaginable.
Unlike GoDaddy‘s structured sections, the Wix editor offers full drag-and-drop flexibility. You can rearrange elements anywhere on the page and tweak every aspect of the design.
Wix even lets you incorporate special effects, animations, and video backgrounds to make truly one-of-a-kind websites.
For customizing design, Wix is the undisputed winner here.
Pricing Comparison
Now let‘s look at how much these website builders cost…
Wix offers a free basic plan but you need to upgrade to their paid plans starting at $14/month to unlock key features.
GoDaddy‘s paid plans are super budget-friendly at just $6-$19/month for their website builder.
Here‘s a pricing breakdown:
| Plan | Wix | GoDaddy |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Branded domain, 500MB storage | No free option |
| Basic Paid | $14/month, 3GB storage | $6/month, unlimited pages |
| eCommerce | $23/month | $15/month |
| Premium | $49/month, VIP support | $19/month |
For simple sites, GoDaddy definitely wins on price. But you get what you pay for – Wix offers far more advanced capabilities.
Ultimately it comes down to your budget and needs. For professional features and customization, Wix justifies the higher cost. GoDaddy is ideal if you want maximum value.
Built-In Tools and Integrations
Expanding your website‘s functionality through apps and integrations is a must these days.
Wix has a clear advantage with its App Market that offers 250+ apps and extensions. These add capabilities like booking systems, payment processing, email marketing, and more.
Meanwhile, GoDaddy provides 50+ integrations via their Website Builder Hub. There are apps for scheduling, Microsoft Office 365, email marketing, and other basics.
But GoDaddy‘s limited selection pales in comparison to the breadth offered by Wix. For any advanced needs beyond core website building, Wix has GoDaddy beat.
Ecommerce Capabilities
Selling products or services online? Let‘s explore how Wix and GoDaddy compare for ecommerce sites.
Wix provides an expansive suite of store features through Wix Stores:
- Customizable shop design
- Robust inventory and order management
- Automatic tax calculations
- Discounts and promotions
- Integrated payment processing
With GoDaddy‘s GoCentral Online Store, you also get:
- Shopping cart and checkout functionality
- Tax and shipping cost calculation
- Inventory and order tracking
- Multiple payment options
Both platforms offer user-friendly, integrated online store builders for physical and digital goods.
However, Wix gives you greater design flexibility and more advanced management features. GoDaddy just covers the ecommerce basics effectively at a lower price.
SEO Tools
Your website won‘t get far online without good SEO. So optimization features are important in a website builder too.
Wix provides an SEO Wiz tool with recommendations to optimize on-page elements like title tags, content, alt text, etc. Their paid plans also include advanced tools like Google Site Search.
Similarly, GoDaddy offers integrated SEO capabilities like sitemap creation, search engine indexing, and page-level SEO customization.
For basic technical SEO, both Wix and GoDaddy perform equally well. Wix just provides more recommendations out-of-the-box through their helpful SEO Wiz.
But for in-depth analysis, you‘ll need dedicated SEO tools like Ahrefs, SEMRush, or Moz.
Support Options
Let‘s quickly look at customer support provided, since issues inevitably come up building sites.
Both Wix and GoDaddy offer:
- 24/7 customer support via live chat and phone
- Extensive tutorials and documentation
Wix also provides email support with priority assistance for paid users.
Overall, both companies deliver excellent customer service through multiple channels. Wix just edges out GoDaddy when it comes to comprehensive self-help content.
Recommendations – When to Choose Wix or GoDaddy
So which website builder should you choose? Here are my top recommendations based on your needs:
Choose Wix If You:
- Want maximum design flexibility with total creative control
- Need advanced functionality like booking systems or forums
- Are building an online store with customizable features
- Desire access to hundreds of third-party integrations
- Have a medium to large budget
Choose GoDaddy If You:
- Need to build a website extremely fast and easily
- Don‘t need much customization or complex features
- Are on a tight budget
- Value outstanding support and documentation
- Prefer their integrated domain + hosting bundles
The Final Verdict
So what‘s the final ruling? My overall recommendation is to go with Wix.
The extensive design capabilities, powerful ecommerce features, and broad app integrations make Wix the superior choice for creating advanced websites on your own.
GoDaddy Website Builder is great for total beginners looking to publish basic sites on a budget. But you will likely outgrow its simpler feature set quickly.
While Wix costs more, its broad functionality and scalability justify the pricing. Plus they offer a free plan to get started.
For the best DIY website building experience with professional outcome, I‘d take Wix over GoDaddy any day.
I hope this data-driven comparison helps you make the right decision for your website! Let me know if you have any other questions.
