GoDaddy vs Drupal: guide for 2024

Final verdict

GoDaddy and Drupal both offer unique advantages, but they cater to different user needs and skill levels.

GoDaddy (Overall Grade: 7.5/10)

is a comprehensive platform that excels in ease of use and customer support. It is particularly well-suited for beginners and small businesses looking for an all-in-one solution for website creation, domain registration, and hosting. GoDaddy’s user-friendly interface, extensive template collection, and robust ecommerce features make it a strong choice for those seeking simplicity and convenience.
Drupal (Overall Grade: 6.4/10)

, on the other hand, is an open-source CMS known for its flexibility and extensibility. It is ideal for developers and advanced users who need to build complex websites with custom functionalities. Drupal offers a wide range of modules and themes, making it suitable for various types of websites, from personal blogs to large corporate sites. However, its steep learning curve and need for technical expertise may be challenging for beginners.

	Overall grade: 7.5	Overall grade: 6.4
Design functionalities & templates	8.0	7.8
Ease of use	8.2	5.4
Ecommerce	7.2	7.5
Website Editors	6.7	7.5
Product testing options	8.1	7.1
Price	7.9	5.7
Hosting quality	7.8	0
Website speed optimization	7.6	6.4
Plugins and integrations	7.3	8.6
Marketing features	7.3	8.0
Customer support	8.5	6.7
Security	6.8	8.3
AI capabilities	7.5	7.5
User Management	7.3	9.1
Overall	7.5	6.4

Best for ecommerce

7.2

7.5

Verdict

: GoDaddy is user-friendly and suitable for beginners, while Drupal offers extensive customization for advanced users.

GoDaddy

: Known for its simplicity and ease of use, GoDaddy is ideal for small businesses and beginners. It offers essential ecommerce features like payment processing, shipping options, and SEO tools. However, when comparing GoDaddy vs Drupal, GoDaddy may lack the advanced customization and flexibility that more complex ecommerce operations require.
Drupal

: As an open-source CMS, Drupal provides a high level of flexibility and customization, making it suitable for developers and businesses with specific needs. Its extensive range of modules and themes allows for detailed customization of ecommerce functionalities. However, it requires a higher level of technical skill to fully utilize its capabilities.

Best for informational & business websites

7.9

7.5

Verdict

: GoDaddy is the preferred choice for users seeking an easy-to-use platform with comprehensive hosting services, while Drupal is better suited for those needing extensive customization and advanced functionalities.

GoDaddy

: GoDaddy scores 7.9 for informational and business websites, making it a strong contender for users who prioritize ease of use and integrated services. Its user-friendly website builder, extensive template collection, and robust hosting options make it ideal for beginners and small businesses. GoDaddy’s all-in-one platform simplifies the process of creating and managing a website, offering tools for domain registration, web hosting, and online marketing.
Drupal

: Drupal, with a score of 7.5, is a powerful open-source CMS that excels in flexibility and customization. It is suitable for developers and advanced users who need to build complex websites with custom functionalities. Drupal’s extensive range of modules and themes allows for a high degree of customization, making it a versatile choice for various types of websites, including corporate, political, and government sites. However, its steep learning curve may be a barrier for beginners.

Detailed comparison

8.0

7.8

🏆

Winner: GoDaddy.

GoDaddy edges out Drupal with a slightly higher score in design functionalities and templates.

GoDaddy provides an extensive collection of over 1500 website templates catering to diverse industries and design preferences. These templates cover business, ecommerce, creative, personal, and non-profit sectors, offering various styles such as modern, classic, bold, minimalist, and content-focused.

GoDaddy Themes

On the other hand, Drupal, as a highly flexible and powerful content management system, offers a vast array of templates and designs to cater to virtually any website need. With thousands of themes available, users can choose from minimalist designs, industry-specific layouts, and highly customizable multipurpose themes.

Drupal Themes

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8.2

5.4

🏆 Winner: GoDaddy

. Scoring 8.2, GoDaddy is known for its user-friendly platform, making it particularly popular among beginners. On the other hand, Drupal, with a score of 5.4, offers a powerful platform for building complex websites and applications, but its flexibility comes with a steep learning curve, especially for those not familiar with web development principles.

Learning Resources

🏆 Winner: Drupal

. Both platforms offer solid learning resources, but Drupal goes a step further with its extensive official documentation, a vibrant community forum, and a variety of online courses and tutorials. This makes it accessible for beginners and beneficial for advanced users looking to deepen their expertise.

Learn GoDaddy

Learn Drupal

7.2

7.5

GoDaddy and Drupal both offer robust ecommerce solutions, but they cater to different needs and skill levels. GoDaddy’s ecommerce features are user-friendly and straightforward, making it a good choice for beginners or small businesses. On the other hand, Drupal’s ecommerce capabilities are more flexible and customizable, but they require a higher level of technical skill to fully utilize.


Ecommerce themes and templates	6.5	7.8
Product page customization	6.0	8.3
Payment processing and commissions	7.5	7.5
POS capabilities	6.0	5.5
Payment gateways	7.0	7.7
Product numbers	7.0	7.0
Additional ecommerce features	6.5	8.0

GoDaddy ecommerce features:

Payment processing
Shipping options
SEO tools
Email marketing features
Social media integrations
Detailed reports

Godaddy add a product

Drupal ecommerce features:

Shopping Cart and Checkout Process
Payment Gateway Integration
Order Management and Invoicing
Tax Calculation and VAT Support
Shipping and Fulfillment
Promotions and Discounts
Reporting and Analytics
Security and Compliance

Ecommerce themes & templates

GoDaddy offers around 70-80 ecommerce themes that cover a wide range of industries and styles. However, these themes may lack the variety and cutting-edge designs found on dedicated ecommerce platforms. On the other hand, Drupal offers a wide array of ecommerce themes that are responsive and customizable, catering to different types of online stores.

Product page customization

GoDaddy offers basic customization options for product pages, with advanced customization requiring coding knowledge. Drupal, on the other hand, offers extensive customization possibilities through its modular architecture, allowing for detailed content types, flexible displays, and theme customizations.

Payment processing

GoDaddy Payments provides a versatile solution for online, in-person, and phone payments with a tiered pricing structure. However, it may lack advanced Point of Sale (POS) features and specific integrations with shopping carts or CRM systems. Drupal supports a wide range of payment gateways through third-party modules, but the individual payment gateways integrated with it do have their own fee structures.

6.7

7.5

🏆

Winner: Drupal

. Drupal, with a score of 7.5, offers a wide range of features tailored for content creation and management. It supports rich text editing, enabling users to format text, insert links, images, and media, as well as create tables and lists with ease. The editor is highly customizable, allowing administrators to configure toolbars and options according to the needs of their site. Furthermore, it integrates seamlessly with Drupal’s content management system, supporting features like automatic content saving, version control, and access control, making it a powerful tool for building and managing diverse web content.

Drupal editor

GoDaddy’s editor, scoring 6.7, is a user-friendly drag-and-drop tool enabling website creation without coding. It offers pre-designed templates, a mobile-friendly interface, basic SEO tools, and ecommerce integration, making it accessible for beginners, with affordable pricing plans and an all-in-one solution. However, it has some design limitations, basic features compared to dedicated platforms, a learning curve for extensive use, and potentially limited third-party app integrations.

Godaddy editor

Mobile editor/app

5.5

🏆

Winner: GoDaddy

. Both GoDaddy and Drupal lack a dedicated mobile app for editing websites. However, GoDaddy users can log into their account and access the website builder through a mobile web browser. While the experience might be slightly more constrained on a smaller screen, it still provides some form of mobile editing. On the other hand, Drupal does not offer any form of mobile editing, making GoDaddy the clear winner in this category.

8.1

7.1

Overall Result

:

GoDaddy Wins

. GoDaddy scores 8.1, offering a free version, no trial version but a 30-day money-back guarantee, and the possibility to test all premium features within the refund window. Drupal, scoring 7.1, offers a free version as it is an open-source CMS, but lacks a trial version, the possibility to test premium features, and a money-back guarantee.


Free Plan	Yes	Yes (open-source software)
Trial Duration	No (30-day money-back guarantee)	No
Testing Premium Features	Yes	No

7.9

5.7

GoDaddy offers a range of price plans, while Drupal is free but requires separate purchases for domain, hosting, and website builder subscriptions.

	Offerings	Offerings
Free	Free ($0/month): Build a basic website with limited templates, storage, and features. Ideal for testing the platform.	No offering at this amount.
$0-$8	Basic ($5.99/month): More templates, custom domain support, email marketing, SEO tools, social media integrations, analytics. Ideal for personal websites and small businesses. Value for Price: 6.5	No offering at this amount.
$8-$10	Premium ($9.99/month): All Basic features + blog, ecommerce with product listings and payments, advanced marketing tools, and analytics. Ideal for businesses with online sales or growing web presence. Value for Price: 8.0	No offering at this amount.
$10-$18	Commerce ($15.99/month): All Premium features + advanced ecommerce tools like cart recovery, discounts, reviews, memberships, and unlimited products. Ideal for businesses with significant online sales and complex product offerings. Value for Price: 9.0	No offering at this amount.
$18+	Pro ($19.99/month): All Commerce features + priority support, higher bandwidth, website security, and CDN. Ideal for businesses with high traffic and critical online presence. Value for Price: 9.5	No offering at this amount.

In some cases companies have different prices based on various components like a
location. As a result in rare cases the prices displayed here can differ from the ones you see on their
websites.

7.8

Winner: GoDaddy

. GoDaddy offers a range of hosting services, including shared hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated hosting, and WordPress hosting. It also provides a 99.9% uptime guarantee and has data centers in the USA, France, Germany, and the UK. On the other hand, Drupal does not directly provide hosting services, and the uptime and data centers depend on the hosting provider chosen by the user.


Do they offer hosting?	Yes, included in all plans	No, depends on hosting provider
Data Centers:	USA, France, Germany, UK	Depends on hosting provider
Type of hosting:	Shared Hosting, VPS Hosting, Dedicated, WordPress Hosting	Depends on hosting provider
Uptime:	99.9%	Depends on hosting provider
Uptime Guarantee:	Yes, 99.9%	Depends on hosting provider

7.6

6.4

🏆 Winner: GoDaddy

Both GoDaddy and Drupal prioritize website performance and page speed, but GoDaddy takes the lead with its comprehensive speed optimization strategies and infrastructure upgrades.


Focus	CDN, Automatic Maintenance, Resource Optimization	User-guided optimization
Performance Tools	Infrastructure upgrades, caching mechanisms, image optimization tools, automatic minification of code files	User-guided optimization
Key Strategies	CDN, Automatic Maintenance, Resource Optimization	User-guided optimization
Load Times	Shared Hosting: 2-4 seconds, VPS Hosting: 1-2 seconds, Dedicated Server: 0.5-1.5 seconds	Varies depending on optimization and website complexity
Page Speed Scores Range	Shared Hosting: 50-70/100, VPS Hosting: 70-85/100, Dedicated Server: 80-95/100	Varies depending on optimization and website complexity
Core Web Vitals Improvement	Infrastructure upgrades, caching mechanisms, image optimization tools, automatic minification of code files	Depends on users

GoDaddy has enhanced its platform through infrastructure upgrades, including improved server infrastructure and data centers, resulting in faster loading times. Additionally, the implementation of effective caching mechanisms, image optimization tools, and automatic minification of code files contribute to a smoother user experience and improved Core Web Vital metrics. The website builder features optimized templates and code structures for efficient rendering, further enhancing overall performance.

On the other hand, Drupal’s speed optimization is largely user-guided. The platform offers numerous guides and tutorials on speed optimization, allowing users to optimize almost all aspects of their website. However, this means that the load times and PageSpeed scores can vary greatly depending on the optimization and complexity of the website. The improvement of Core Web Vitals also depends on the users’ optimization efforts.

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7.3

8.6

🏆 Winner: Drupal.

With a score of 8.6, Drupal outperforms GoDaddy, which scores 7.3. Drupal’s open-source nature allows it to offer over 51,000 free and open-source modules, extending its capabilities beyond its core features. These modules enable functionalities like advanced SEO tools, e-commerce solutions, and custom content types and fields. On the other hand, GoDaddy offers a limited set of built-in features with certain premium apps available for additional fees. However, it provides access to the WordPress plugin repository in case of Managed and Unmanaged WordPress Hosting.

GoDaddy Applications

Drupal Applications

Drupal modules

7.3

8.0

🏆

Overall Winner: Drupal

. Drupal stands out for its flexibility and extensibility, enabling developers to create complex websites with custom functionalities. GoDaddy is strong in email marketing and blogging, ideal for content-driven strategies.


SEO Tools
Email Marketing
Blogging
Social Media Integration	Tools for social media linking and content sharing	Advanced integration for content sharing and posting
Analytics and Reporting	Basic analytics with more detailed insights on higher plans	Basic built-in features, and Google Analytics integrations through modules
Ads and Promotions	Features to create and track online ads, including Google Ads	Yes, but with third-party extensions

8.5

6.7

🏆 Winner: GoDaddy

. Comparing GoDaddy vs Drupal, GoDaddy stands out with its extensive customer support options, including 24/7 phone support in multiple languages, live chat, and email assistance. The platform also offers a 24/7 Community Forum and social media support, ensuring users have access to help whenever they need it. Enterprise customers benefit from dedicated account managers and priority routing for quicker issue resolution.

Drupal, on the other hand, provides a community support system through Drupal.org, including forums and documentation. Professional 24/7 support services are available via providers like Drupal Connect and GreenGeeks, offering flexible plans and optimized hosting. However, Drupal’s support is not as comprehensive as GoDaddy’s, particularly for enterprise-level needs.

6.8

8.3

🏆

Winner: Drupal

. Drupal’s security score of 8.3 outperforms GoDaddy’s 6.8, indicating a more robust security framework. Drupal’s open-source nature allows for extensive customization and configuration to enhance security, including role-based access control, field permissions, and encryption for data at rest. Regular updates and security audits, along with security-focused modules, further bolster Drupal’s security.

GoDaddy, while offering encryption and adherence to security standards, provides limited options for private data storage protection. Its website security features include SSL certificates, malware scanning, and web application firewalls, but users seeking comprehensive data security may need to consider additional solutions.

7.5


AI Website Builder
AI Ecommerce Features	AI-generated product descriptions, customer service tool, and digital ad creation	Chatbots, automated content generation, SEO optimization, and cognitive services
AI Content Generation	AI-generated product descriptions, customer service messages, and social media ads	AI Connect module for content generation, SEO optimization, and multilingual support
Additional AI Features		AI-based search enhancements, content personalization, automated content moderation, language translation, content localization, and accessibility improvements

🏆 Winner: Drupal

. Despite both platforms having the same score for AI capabilities, Drupal offers a wider range of AI features, particularly in content generation and additional AI features. Drupal’s AI capabilities are more versatile and can be enhanced through modules, third-party services, and custom development. On the other hand, GoDaddy’s AI capabilities are more focused on eCommerce and content generation.

7.3

9.1

🏆 Winner: Drupal

. Both GoDaddy and Drupal offer different approaches to user management.

GoDaddy’s number of users who can edit a website varies based on the hosting plan and website building tool. For Website Builder (GoCentral and Websites + Marketing), the free plan permits one user, while Deluxe and Ultimate plans allow up to five users with full editing permissions. In WordPress Hosting, there’s default support for unlimited users, each with customizable permission levels controlled through the WordPress dashboard.
Drupal’s flexible permission and role system allows for an unlimited number of users to manage and edit a website, only constrained by server capacity and practical management considerations. Administrators can create various roles, such as “Editor” or “Administrator”, each with customized permissions.

GoDaddy User Roles and Access Levels:

Role	Description	Access Highlights
Account Holder	The primary owner of the GoDaddy Website Builder account.	Full access to all website builder features, domain management, hosting settings, and account settings.
Delegate Access	Users granted permission by the account holder to access specific parts of the GoDaddy account.	Can be given varying levels of access, from managing domains and products to making purchases on behalf of the account holder.
Website Editor	Users with permissions to edit and update the website through the Website Builder interface.	Can customize the website, add or edit sections (e.g., image galleries, menus), and update content.
Online Store Manager	Specifically for websites with e-commerce capabilities, managing product listings, orders, and payments.	Access to manage the online store, including product listings, coupons, shopping cart, shipping, and payments.

Drupal User Roles and Access Levels:

Role	Description	Access Highlights
Editor	Users responsible for content creation, editing, and publishing.	Can create, edit, delete, and publish content; can also manage comments.
Moderator	Users focused on site moderation, including comment and user management.	Can approve or delete comments, block users, and manage reported content.
Administrator	Users with full access to all administrative features of the site.	Can change site configuration, manage all content, users, permissions, and install modules/themes.

Additional Features


SSL Certificate
Custom Domain
Free Custom Domain Included
International Domains
Mobile Responsive
Page Speed
Website Builder Mobile App
Convert a Website To An App
Website Analytics
Multilingual Sites
Multiple Users

User Feedback

GoDaddy

838 reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars

Drupal

415 reviews

3.8 out of 5 stars

Users generally praise GoDaddy for its affordability, reliability, and user-friendly interface, particularly in domain registration and hosting services. However, concerns include occasional interface changes, perceived slowness in website hosting, and dissatisfaction with pricing increases.

Users appreciate Drupal for its ease of use, security, and flexibility as an open-source CMS, highlighting its ability to scale and support a variety of websites and applications with modern technology tools. The community and documentation are frequently mentioned positives, providing ample support and resources. However, criticisms include a relative lack of plugins and themes compared to competitors like WordPress, the learning curve for customization without coding, and some challenges with installation and updates. The platform is praised for its robust content management capabilities, enabling users to manage content and user access efficiently. Overall, feedback underscores Drupal’s strength in creating secure, customizable, and scalable web solutions, despite some desires for more intuitive UI and easier setup.

The making of this blog

We followed a clear, step-by-step process to write and research this article.

Our Ranking Criteria

FAQ

Which platform is easier for beginners, GoDaddy or Drupal?

GoDaddy is generally easier for beginners due to its user-friendly interface and comprehensive service offerings, including domain registration, web hosting, and a website builder. Drupal, while powerful and flexible, has a steeper learning curve and is better suited for users with more technical expertise.

Can I use both GoDaddy and Drupal for ecommerce websites?

Yes, both platforms can be used for ecommerce websites, but they cater to different needs. GoDaddy offers a straightforward ecommerce solution perfect for beginners or small businesses, while Drupal provides a highly customizable platform ideal for creating complex ecommerce sites that require detailed customization and flexibility.

How do GoDaddy and Drupal compare in terms of design functionalities and templates?

GoDaddy provides an extensive collection of over 1500 website templates catering to diverse industries and design preferences, making it easier for users to find a design that fits their needs. Drupal offers a vast array of templates and designs through its open-source community, catering to virtually any website need with a focus on flexibility and customization.

Which platform offers better customer support, GoDaddy or Drupal?

GoDaddy offers 24/7 phone support in multiple languages, live chat, and email assistance, making it more accessible for users seeking direct support. Drupal relies on a community support system through forums and documentation, which can be beneficial for users looking for a collaborative approach to problem-solving but may not provide immediate assistance.

In terms of security, which platform is more robust, GoDaddy or Drupal?

Drupal’s security framework is more robust, offering extensive customization and configuration options to enhance security, including role-based access control and encryption. GoDaddy provides basic security features like SSL certificates and malware scanning but may require additional solutions for comprehensive data security.

Are there any significant differences in the AI capabilities between GoDaddy and Drupal?

Both platforms have similar scores for AI capabilities, but Drupal offers a wider range of AI features, particularly in content generation and additional AI functionalities. Drupal’s AI capabilities are more versatile and can be enhanced through modules, third-party services, and custom development.

Which platform is recommended for users needing advanced user management features?

Drupal is recommended for users needing advanced user management features due to its flexible permission and role system, allowing for an unlimited number of users with customizable permissions. This makes Drupal ideal for managing complex websites with multiple contributors.