A domain name connects your business website with the world online. There are a lot of domain name registrars out there, and choosing the right one for your website can ensure a smooth setup. Google Domains and GoDaddy are two big names in the industry with good reviews and affordable prices, but which one is better?
We’ve done a deep dive with this Google Domains vs. GoDaddy comparison to help you see which provider would work best for your business website.
Featured Partners
1
NameCheap
Starting price
$6.98 Around INR 573.50 for the first year
Renewal cost
$13.98 Around INR 1,148.62 per year
Free WHOIS privacy
Yes
2
Domain.com
Introductory Price
$11.99 (Around INR 997.92 for your first year (.com extension)
Renewal cost
INR 1,830.22 ($21.99) per year
Free WHOIS privacy
No
3
IONOS Domain
Starting price
$5.10 (Around INR 424.25 for .com extension)
Renewal cost
Around INR 1,411 per year
Benefits
Free Wildcard SSL and Free 2 GB email account
Google Domains vs. GoDaddy: At a Glance
Google Domains is a bare-bones domain registrar offering basic domain names at a low price. What it doesn’t offer in bells and whistles, it offers in simplicity.
A major benefit of Google Domains is that it can be integrated with other Google properties. That means you can enjoy automatic domain verification without needing to verify TXT records—which is sometimes a cumbersome process. GoDaddy doesn’t offer this unless you also buy its hosting plan.
You can also view your Google Search Console web traffic report right from your domain’s dashboard. Also, Google Domains partners with Wix, Shopify, Bluehost, Squarespace and Weebly to make linking your domain name with one of these hosts extremely simple.
On the other hand, GoDaddy is a robust powerhouse for domain name registration and website hosting. You can choose from over 500 domain name extensions—which is important as the typical .com and .org spaces continue to get overcrowded. Google Domains only offers 300-plus choices. And it’s easy to add on a GoDaddy hosting and site builder plan so you can manage your entire site in one place—something Google Domains doesn’t have available.
Besides offering real-time monitoring and free domain privacy, GoDaddy also offers a free branded pay link with every domain. This is good if you need to collect payments from customers on the fly and don’t have time to set up a more personalized page.
Other interesting GoDaddy features are bulk domain registration (good if you want to grab every format of a certain domain) and domain auctions (good if you want to sell a highly coveted domain). Google Domains doesn’t include these.
Companies that just want a simple and cheap domain name transaction will find Google Domains beneficial. You’ll need your own web hosting, which requires a little more work, but it offers the cheapest deal.
We think GoDaddy is best for companies that need an all-in-one solution. Solely as a domain provider, it’s not a stellar option, but when you add in its web hosting and site builder, it becomes an attractive pick.
all-in-one solution. Solely as a domain provider, it’s not a stellar option, but when you add in its web hosting and site builder, it becomes an attractive pick.
Google Domains
Price
INR 998.90 ($12) for a .com
Privacy
WHOIS and RDAP privacy
Extensions
300-plus
Price
INR 998.90 ($12) for a .com
Privacy
WHOIS and RDAP privacy
Extensions
300-plus
Google Domains provides a free WHOIS and RDAP privacy, meaning your personal information won’t be available to spammers. Another feature we like is how Google Domains offers insights when you’re searching for a domain to register. For example, it can tell you common misspellings people might make and let you know if you’ve chosen a good length.
Forbes Advisor UK
Google Domains can be easily linked with Shopify, Squarespace, Wix, Bluehost and Weebly. However, it doesn’t have its own web hosting. It also connects to Google Workspace, which is great if you want to add business email accounts and productivity tools for your employees.
- Prices are low and transparent—even after the first year
- Easily connects to popular web hosting providers
- Google products come integrated with the domain
- More robust security features
- Fewer domain extensions to choose from
- No built-in web hosting options
- No bulk registration option
GoDaddy
Price
INR 915.66 ($11) for your first year for a .com, renews at INR 1830.49 ($21.99) per year
Privacy
WHOIS privacy
Extensions
500-plus
Price
INR 915.66 ($11) for your first year for a .com, renews at INR 1830.49 ($21.99) per year
Privacy
WHOIS privacy
Extensions
500-plus
GoDaddy is a one-stop shop for all your website needs. After registering your domain, you can also buy hosting and use the Website Builder tool all in the same place. GoDaddy also offers bulk registration, where you can search for up to 2,000 unique domains at the same time.
Unfortunately, because GoDaddy offers so much, it goes a bit heavy with the upselling during the checkout process. After you add a domain to your cart, you’re presented with options to add on different bundles for professional email, the site builder, additional protection plans and more. These upsells repeat during every stage of checkout. For more detailed information about GoDaddy, check out our GoDaddy review.
- Lower prices for the first year
- Website Builder is included with all domains
- Huge number of domain extensions
- Free domain name for first year if you purchase a hosting plan
- Renewal pricing is expensive
- Many upsells when buying
How Google Domains and GoDaddy Stack Up
To really see the Google Domains vs. GoDaddy battle head-on, it helps to compare key features side by side.
Google Domains is cheaper than GoDaddy in the long term. Both providers offer free domain name privacy—though Google Domains has the edge here with additional RDAP privacy features.
Both offer 100 subdomains, which is great if you need unique URLs for different customers or areas of your business. They also both have robust support options available any time you need help.
Domain Name Privacy
Google Domains and GoDaddy have pretty standard privacy features. When these features are turned on, your personal contact info will be removed from the WHOIS database. Instead, it will be replaced with generic info from your registrar.
Google Domains and GoDaddy let you turn privacy protection on and off as desired. Some domain extensions can’t have privacy protection—but Google Domains or GoDaddy don’t have control over this.
Business Email
Google Domains offers 100 free email aliases for your domain. These won’t be email addresses with their own mailboxes, but rather, proxy addresses that forward mail to another mailbox of your choice. If you do want your own business email addresses with a dedicated mailbox, it’ll cost you INR 599.34 ($7.20) per user per month.
GoDaddy doesn’t include any email forwarding options. Instead, you’ll need to buy email as an add-on. It partners with Microsoft 365, and plans start at INR 165.65 ($1.99) per user per month for the first year, and INR 498.62 ($5.99) per user per month after that.
Domain Extensions
Google Domains offer over 300 top-level domain extensions, while GoDaddy has over 500. Clearly, GoDaddy is better if you’re looking for a more obscure extension. But for most businesses, it doesn’t make sense to choose something too complicated. The standard .com accounts for around 48% of all websites, so it’s what consumers will expect.
Even with a more obscure domain extension, such as .studio, Google Domains still wins out on pricing. These domains start at $20 per year versus $39.99 per year on GoDaddy.
Customer Support
In terms of customer support, Google Domains wins, though both services offer many ways to get in touch. We tried to use the GoDaddy live chat with a representative, but our estimated wait time was 57 minutes. After switching to the texting option, we noticed the chat interface was the same, so it seems like the only benefit would be the option to get support on the go without waiting at your computer.
Meanwhile, with Google Domains, we connected with a chat agent in under a minute. They quickly directed us to the resources we needed to connect a domain to a web host. It seems like this is the better pick if you think you’ll need help setting up and maintaining your domain.
Cost of Google Domains vs. GoDaddy
GoDaddy may seem cheaper at first, but that’s only for the first year. If you plan on holding your domain for longer than that (and most likely, you will), then you’ll be paying far more than you would with Google Domains.
Google Domains’ pricing is transparent and cheap. As an example, .com domains are always INR 998.90 ($12) a year. GoDaddy lures you in with INR 248.89 ($2.99) first-year pricing, but after that, the price skyrockets to INR 1830.49 ($21.99) per year. That cancels out your savings.
GoDaddy lets you sign up for one-, two-, three-, five- and 10-year terms, whereas Google Domains lets you choose anywhere from a one-year to a 10-year term.
Customer Reviews and Reputation
Both Google Domains and GoDaddy have overwhelmingly positive customer reviews. Both got praise for their ease of use. In particular, people liked how well Google Domains integrated with other Google services—a huge plus if you’re heavily invested in the Google ecosystem. Customers did mention some cons, such as the lack of integrations or video tutorials for assistance.
GoDaddy users also liked how well the customer service representatives could handle their issues. We couldn’t verify that when researching this review because of the wait time, but it seems that if you can get through, you’ll be in good hands. However, some customers did complain about the price jumps after a year as well as add-ons they don’t remember purchasing.
Top Google Domains and GoDaddy Alternatives
Both GoDaddy and Google Domains made our list of the best domain registrars, so they’re some of the best in the business. That said, there are other options out there that might better suit your needs. Let’s take a look at three competitors.
Featured Partners
1
NameCheap
Starting price
$6.98 Around INR 573.50 for the first year
Renewal cost
$13.98 Around INR 1,148.62 per year
Free WHOIS privacy
Yes
2
Domain.com
Introductory Price
$11.99 (Around INR 997.92 for your first year (.com extension)
Renewal cost
INR 1,830.22 ($21.99) per year
Free WHOIS privacy
No
3
IONOS Domain
Starting price
$5.10 (Around INR 424.25 for .com extension)
Renewal cost
Around INR 1,411 per year
Benefits
Free Wildcard SSL and Free 2 GB email account
Bottom Line
Google Domains and GoDaddy are both winners in our book. Both offer quality domain registration services that will help you get your business website up and running in no time.
That said, since Google Domains is so much cheaper, it’s generally our top pick for most businesses—especially those with a tight budget in mind. However, businesses that want an all-in-one solution for their domain registration, hosting and website builder can’t go wrong with GoDaddy.
Google Domains is best for:
- Businesses on a budget
- Businesses that live in the Google ecosystem
GoDaddy is best for:
- Businesses that want an all-in-one solution for their website
- Businesses that want to buy a domain in as many extensions as possible
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is it better to buy a domain on GoDaddy or Google?
It depends on your needs. Google Domains is generally cheaper, but it lacks the features of GoDaddy. GoDaddy lets you add on hosting and email for an all-in-one solution.
Which domain provider is best?
We think Google Domains edges out over GoDaddy. However, both made our list of the best domain registrars.
How much does a Google domain cost after one year?
Currently, Google charges INR 998.90 ($12) a year for its .com domains. Pricing remains consistent every year, so there’s no introductory pricing.
Do you actually own the domain from GoDaddy?
Yes, when you buy a domain from GoDaddy, you’ll own it for your entire registration term. If you choose not to renew, however, you’ll lose ownership.
