Final verdict
Looking over GoDaddy vs. AccuWeb, both hosting platforms offer a range of features, but differ in performance and overall value.
-
AccuWeb Hosting (Overall grade: 8.4)
presents a strong case with its robust uptime and consistent performance. Noteworthy features include pure SSD storage, free daily backups, and comprehensive security measures like DDoS protection and redundant platform setup. Its customer support gets high marks for prompt, efficient service and detailed assistance options—great for users needing frequent support. While AccuWeb scores lower in site speed compared to GoDaddy, it compensates with free website migration and a user-friendly, versatile cPanel, making it ideal for agencies and businesses requiring solid reliability and extensive customer support.
GoDaddy (Overall grade: 7.8) (Overall grade: 7.8)
excels in server speed and extensive data centers, providing a significant edge in overall performance. Optimized servers, multiple caching options, and an integrated CDN ensure faster response times and page loads. Although GoDaddy also offers strong security features and a broad range of hosting plans, its customer support gets mixed reviews, with some reports of unresponsive service. Its high renewal rates can be a downside for budget-conscious users. However, GoDaddy’s ease of use, variety of features, and extensive ecosystem of digital services make it a suitable option for users seeking an all-in-one hosting solution.
Overall grade:7.8 |
Overall grade:8.4 |
|
---|---|---|
Uptime and Availability | 8.6 | 9.5 |
Hosting Performance | 8.1 | 6.8 |
Hosting Security | 8.6 | 8.9 |
Price | 7.7 | 8.0 |
Hosting Features | 7.1 | 7.8 |
Ease Of Setup | 8.7 | 8.9 |
User Management | 5.0 | 8.3 |
Customer Support | 8.2 | 9.2 |
User feedback | 3.9/5 | 4.3/5 |
Hosting types offered
Both platforms provide a variety of hosting types, each designed to meet the different needs of users.
Shared hosting | Yes | Yes |
Cloud hosting | No | Yes |
WordPress hosting | Yes | Yes |
Ecommerce hosting | Yes | Yes |
VPS hosting | Yes | Yes |
Dedicated hosting | No | No |
Although both offer a variety of hosting plans tailored to different needs, in certain cases, one platform may prove to be more suitable.
Detailed comparison
Uptime and availability
Evaluates the average uptime statistics, uptime guarantee and overall availability of the hosting
provider
Score Components:
- Uptime percentage (30%): evaluates the uptime statistics in given period of time
- Uptime guarantee (20%): Assesses if the platform offers an uptime guarantee and
whether the actual uptime matches the promised guarantee. - General performance (25%): Evaluates how fast is the average response time and overall
it’s stability. - Responsiveness (10%): Adaptability to different devices and screen sizes.
- Availability (25%): Reflects the total downtime and number of outages.
🏆 Winner
AccuWeb Hosting: Demonstrated superior uptime and consistency.
AccuWeb Hosting presents a reliable performance with a 100% uptime record over a 7-day period. The average response time of 285ms remains consistent, mostly falling within the 250-300ms range. The host’s round-the-clock monitoring supports their 99.9% uptime guarantee, complemented by multiple global data centers and secure infrastructure.
GoDaddy offers a competitive 99.9% uptime guarantee, and during testing, reached a 99.98% uptime with only three brief outages. The average server response time of 341ms surpasses the shared hosting average. While short periods of downtime occurred, especially with WordPress hosting, compensation is limited to service credits.
Hosting performance
Score Components:
- Hosting speed (30%): This includes SSD quality, Load times, PageSpeed score ranges,
additional information on website speed, built-in plugins for performance enhancement, available caching
methods, and CPU/RAM options - CDN (20%): Considers whether CDN is available or not, whether it’s free or paid, and
the quality of the CDN service - Available data centers (30%): Evaluates the number of data centers and their locations
globally. - Scalibility (20%): Looks at whether elastic scaling is available, the process required
to scale (manual upgrade vs. automatic scaling), the presence of dedicated servers, and the costs
associated with scaling.
🏆 Winner: GoDaddyGoDaddy offers excellent server speeds, a wide range of data centers, and strong security features, making it a better all-around hosting service.
GoDaddy and AccuWeb both provide solid hosting performance, but they differ significantly in specific areas. GoDaddy boasts optimized servers with up to 40% faster response times and has a 99.9% uptime guarantee. It also offers extensive global data centers across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. AccuWeb has been highly rated for uptime and server speed, also maintaining multiple global server locations including Denver, London, and Sydney. While AccuWeb’s use of pure SSD drives bolsters performance, GoDaddy’s multiple caching options and free integrated CDN contribute to faster page loads and a superior speed experience.
Website Speed
GoDaddy’s optimized servers and extensive data centers ensure quick response times and speedy page loads. Their use of NVMe storage provides an additional performance boost. AccuWeb, featuring pure SSD storage and favorable user reviews, also delivers quick server speeds but lacks GoDaddy’s integrated acceleration features. Both providers perform well in this category, but GoDaddy edges out with its built-in tools and higher user-rated performance.
Scalability
GoDaddy offers various hosting plans, allowing users to manually upgrade from shared to VPS or dedicated servers as needed. VPS hosting starts at $8.99 per month, providing scalable resources like RAM and CPU upgrades. AccuWeb’s scaling solutions are less clear, but they seem to require manual upgrades rather than elastic scaling. Both services offer dedicated servers, but GoDaddy’s extensive range and easy upgrading process offer better scalability options at clearer costs.
Hosting security
and regulatory requirements
Score Components:
- Technical security measures (40%): This includes encryption, firewalls, DDoS
protection, secure configurations, server monitoring, access control and availability of security addons
(e.g Sitelock security). - Operational security measures (30%): Encompasses data privacy, backups and data
redundancy. - Compliance and certifications (20%): Adherence to legal and regulatory requirements
(e.g., GDPR, HIPAA) and possession of certifications (e.g., ISO 27001, SOC 2). - Business and reliability (10%): Factors in the provider’s reputation, uptime
guarantees, and customer support.
🏆 Winner AccuWeb Hosting: AccuWeb Hosting provides a robust suite of security features, ensuring highly secure and reliable hosting services.
Both GoDaddy and AccuWeb Hosting, have notable differences in their approaches to technical and operational
security, as well as in their compliance with regulations.
Technical security measures:
GoDaddy offers a variety of SSL certificates, including AutoSSL and Managed SSL Services, which provide constant updates and renewals. Meanwhile, AccuWeb Hosting also provides free basic SSL certificates and premium SSL upon request. Both offer the latest PHP versions, ensuring optimal performance and security. GoDaddy stands out with features like CloudLinux and Cage FS for resource management, while AccuWeb’s highlights include KernelCare for automatic kernel patching without reboot requirements. AccuWeb additionally provides proactive defense mechanisms against PHP script attacks and a redundant platform setup.
Operational security measures:
Operationally, GoDaddy offers features such as Web Application Firewall (WAF), malware scanning, daily backups, and 24/7 support. AccuWeb counters with DDoS protection, server firewalls, server antivirus, and regular security patches. AccuWeb’s inclusion of spam filtering with SpamExperts and free website migration provides a comprehensive approach to operational security. GoDaddy’s global data centers ensure faster page loads, while AccuWeb boosts performance with a free CDN and RAID architecture.
Compliance and certifications:
Both GoDaddy and AccuWeb comply with GDPR requirements, ensuring user data protection and privacy within the EU. GoDaddy demonstrates PCI compliance through its certified products, enhancing payment security for its users. AccuWeb also adheres to PCI standards, making it a robust option for online transactions.
SSL certificate |
Yes |
Yes |
Additional security features |
Yes |
Yes |
PHP versions |
7.4, 8.0 |
7.x, 8.x |
GDPR compliance |
Yes |
Yes |
HIPAA compliance |
Not specified |
Not specified |
PCI compliance |
Yes |
Yes |
Hosting features
Score Components:
- Domains (20%): Assesses the availability of a free domain, domain purchase options, and
pricing - Email (15%): Considers if the provider offers full email hosting, or is reselling
third-party service, and if the email is only transactional or not - Website builder (15%): Checks if website builder is available, and it’s user
friendliness and overall the level of customization allowed. - Staging environment (20%): Determines if a staging environment is available, allowing
for testing changes before going live. - FTP & SFTP accounts (10%): Evaluates if and how easily users can access FTP and
SFTP accounts - Git and SSH access (20%): Assess whether Git is integrated into the hosting service and
if SSH access is provided
🏆 Winner
AccuWeb Hosting: A versatile and feature-rich hosting provider with strong security and support.
Both GoDaddy and AccuWeb Hosting offer a range of hosting features, catering to different user needs. GoDaddy provides various performance tiers within its web hosting plans, from standard to maximum, accommodating up to 50 websites and 100 GB NVMe storage. It includes a free domain for the first year and free SSL certificates, which are cost-saving benefits. Noteworthy features at GoDaddy also encompass a free email account and the automatic daily backups that help with data recovery. Managed WordPress hosting by GoDaddy comes with AI creation tools and advanced security features like DDoS protection and automated malware scans.
On the other hand, AccuWeb Hosting emphasizes security and support with 24/7 live chat, ticket, and phone support, as well as extensive knowledge resources. AccuWeb stands out for its SSD storage, unlimited MySQL databases, and free migration services. Users enjoy free daily backups, free premium SSL, and access to a free website builder with templates. AccuWeb also includes free CDN, enhancing site load speeds globally. Another key advantage of AccuWeb Hosting is the inclusion of SSH access, enabling more control over the server environment for developers. Both hosting providers offer unique benefits, but AccuWeb’s focus on robust security, extensive customer support and SSD storage makes it a compelling choice for users seeking reliability and performance.
Free domain |
Yes, for the first year |
Yes |
Free SSL |
Yes, for the first year |
Yes |
Email hosting |
Yes |
Yes |
Website builder |
Yes |
Yes |
Staging environment |
Yes |
Yes |
FTP & SFTP accounts |
Yes |
Yes |
Git and SSH access |
Yes |
Yes |
Free backup |
Yes |
Yes, daily |
Money-back guarantee |
Yes, 30 days |
Not mentioned |
a location.
As a result in rare cases the features mentioned here can differ from the ones you see on their websites.
Both providers support a range of users from beginners to experts with user-friendly website builders and WordPress staging areas. However, in terms of developer tools, both GoDaddy and AccuWeb Hosting offer robust options including SSH access, support for multiple programming languages, and Git for version control, thus appealing to developers looking for advanced capabilities.
Email services:
GoDaddy provides free email hosting along with its plans, enabling users to set up personalized email addresses. AccuWeb Hosting matches this with free business email account creation and additional features like email forwarding, auto-responders, and spam filters. Both providers support transactional email capabilities, but neither specifically highlights reseller services for third-party email products like Google Workspace or Outlook.
Price
Score Components:
- Plan value (40%): What each pricing tier offers.
- Transparency and clarity (30%): Clearness of pricing structures.
- Flexibility of plans (20%): Range of options to suit different budgets.
- Hidden costs (10%): Additional expenses not included in the plan.
Winner AccuWeb Hosting: Offers diverse plans with strong features and attractive pricing.
Evaluating the pricing of plans among various hosting providers can be complex due to their differing pricing and renewal strategies. Additionally, certain plans require annual commitments, which adds to the difficulty of making comparisons. The prices listed are based on monthly commitments; plans requiring annual commitments are indicated. Additionally, although some providers offer identical plans for WordPress and shared hosting, we have created separate tables for each to enhance clarity.
GoDaddy and AccuWeb Hosting both offer various pricing plans for shared, WordPress, and VPS hosting, but their features and costs vary. GoDaddy’s shared hosting plans range from $5.99 to $17.99 per month with features like free domains and SSL certificates, but renewal rates are significantly higher. AccuWeb, however, provides better storage and bandwidth in their shared plans starting at $6.99. For WordPress hosting, GoDaddy’s prices start at $12.99 per month with robust security features, whereas AccuWeb offers a more budget-friendly option at $2.75 per month, though with fewer advanced features. In VPS hosting, GoDaddy’s prices begin at $8.99 per month with varied IP and control panel options. AccuWeb’s VPS plans begin at $5.99 with comprehensive security features. Overall, AccuWeb offers better value-for-money, more consistent pricing, and enhanced features.
Web Hosting Economy $5.99
1 website, 25 GB storage, shared resources, free domain, free SSL for 1 year Value for price:7.0
|
Basic ++ $6.99
1 website, 50 GB storage, 750 GB bandwidth, free daily backups, free SSL Value for price:8.5
|
Web Hosting Deluxe $7.99
10 websites, 50 GB storage, shared resources, free domain, free SSL for all websites Value for price:7.5
|
Premium ++ $9.99
Unlimited websites, 75 GB storage, 1 TB bandwidth, free daily backups, free SSL Value for price:8.0
|
Web Hosting Ultimate $12.99
25 websites, 75 GB storage, shared resources, free domain, free SSL for all websites Value for price:7.5
|
Enterprise Pro ++ $13.99
Unlimited websites, 100 GB storage, 1.5 TB bandwidth, free daily backups, free SSL Value for price:8.0
|
Managed WordPress Basic $12.99
1 website, 10 GB storage, WordPress pre-installed, free domain, free SSL, weekly backups Value for price:7.0
|
WordPress Basic ++ $2.75
1 website, 10 GB storage, 100 GB bandwidth, free SSL, add-ons available Value for price:7.5
|
Managed WordPress Deluxe $13.99
1 website, 20 GB storage, WordPress pre-installed, free domain, free SSL, daily backups, CDN, staging site Value for price:7.5
|
N/A |
Managed WordPress Ultimate $15.99
1 website, 30 GB storage, WordPress pre-installed, free domain, free SSL, daily backups, CDN, WooCommerce, priority support Value for price:8.0
|
N/A |
1 vCPU / 2GB RAM $8.99
1 vCPU, 2 GB RAM, 40 GB NVMe SSD, snapshot backups Value for price:7.0
|
Basic VPS Plan $5.99
Daily & weekly backups, free SSL, security monitoring, dedicated IP, firewall Value for price:8.0
|
2 vCPU / 4GB RAM $17.99
2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM, 100 GB storage, global data centers Value for price:7.5
|
N/A |
4 vCPU / 8GB RAM $34.99
4 vCPU, 8 GB RAM, 200 GB storage, global data centers Value for price:7.0
|
N/A |
As a result in rare cases the prices displayed here can differ from the ones you see on their websites.
Enterprise plans
AccuWeb’s Enterprise Pro ++ is available at $13.99 per month, which includes unlimited websites, 100 GB storage, daily backups, and capacity for 1.5 TB of bandwidth. By contrast, GoDaddy’s Web Hosting Maximum plan is $17.99 per month and supports up to 50 websites, with 100 GB storage and free SSL for all websites. Both offer extensive features, but AccuWeb provides better value for larger enterprises with more websites and bandwidth, at a lower price.
Ease of setup
platform.
Score Components:
- Site migration (25%): Assesses whether the provider offers tools for site migration,
either automated or manual, and whether these services are free or require a fee. - Admin panel usability (35%): Evaluates the type of admin panel provided, such as the
standard cPanel or a custom solution, focusing on its accessibility and user-friendliness for both
technical and non-technical users. - Setup features (20%): Examines the availability and ease of use of various setup
features, including FTP accounts, file managers, email account setup, PHPMyAdmin, and easy CDN
configuration. - Help center quality (20%): Measures the quality and accessibility of the provider’s
help center resources, including articles and tutorials.
🏆 Winner
AccuWeb Hosting: Comprehensive features and user-friendly setup make this hosting provider stand out.
Both GoDaddy and AccuWeb Hosting use an industry-standard cPanel for their admin panels. This makes it straightforward for users to manage their websites, regardless of technical skill. GoDaddy’s cPanel is designed for easy navigation, allowing users to install applications, manage backups, and configure security settings effortlessly. The interface is intuitive, making it accessible to beginners while still offering advanced options for experienced users. Features like automatic daily backups add an extra layer of convenience.
On the other hand, AccuWeb Hosting’s cPanel also provides a seamless user experience with one-click software installation for various applications via Softaculous. The free website builder templates can be particularly appealing for users who want to create a website quickly without diving into technicalities. The cPanel’s layout is clean and accessible, which helps in managing tasks like DNS settings, email configurations, and backups. Moreover, AccuWeb offers valuable extras like a free CDN and SSL certificate, enhancing site performance and security, which can be easily managed through their cPanel.
Both GoDaddy and AccuWeb Hosting provide free tools for website migration. GoDaddy offers a free WordPress migration tool, which simplifies transferring an existing WordPress site. This tool automates much of the process, minimizing downtime and reducing the complexities associated with migration. AccuWeb Hosting, meanwhile, provides free migration services performed by their data specialists. They offer a temporary URL for clients to review and approve the migrated site before pointing their domain to the new hosting service. This hands-on approach ensures precise migration, accommodating various CMS platforms beyond just WordPress.
Regarding help center resources, GoDaddy provides extensive 24/7 support through phone, chat, and SMS. Their knowledge base includes comprehensive FAQs, numerous help articles, and a detailed product support page, covering a wide range of topics related to web hosting. Conversely, AccuWeb Hosting also offers 24/7 customer support via live chat, phone, and a ticket system. Their rich knowledge base is filled with articles aimed at troubleshooting and other web hosting needs. They even offer personalized enterprise technical support for more complex issues.
User management
accessibility.
Score Components:
- Role customization (40%): Flexibility in creating and defining user roles and
permissions. - Ease of management (30%): User interface and tools for managing users.
- Access control (20%): Effectiveness of access control measures for different user
levels. - Scalability (10%): Ability to manage a growing number of users efficiently.
🏆 Winner
AccuWeb Hosting: Offering more comprehensive user management features with customizable roles and extensive accessibility options.
When it comes to managing user roles, permissions, and accessibility, both GoDaddy and AccuWeb Hosting offer distinct capabilities. GoDaddy lacks detailed information about user management in the provided context, making it hard to assess its features thoroughly. AccuWeb, on the other hand, allows users to create multiple accounts with specific roles, enhancing control over website, application, and email management. It offers both predefined and customizable roles, providing flexibility in defining permissions. This makes AccuWeb more user-friendly for those needing detailed role management and accessibility options.
AccuWeb’s user interface for managing users is straightforward and efficiently designed within its Plesk platform. Users can easily access the necessary tools and options to add, edit, or remove user accounts, set permissions, and assign roles. The flexibility to create custom roles can be particularly useful for organizations with unique needs. In contrast, the specifics of GoDaddy’s user management interface and tools are not detailed, making it challenging to provide a direct comparison. However, AccuWeb’s user management interface is evidently more suited to complex requirements due to its comprehensive options.
Access control measures are crucial, and AccuWeb shines in this aspect with its predefined user roles and the capability to create customized ones. This flexibility aids in managing a growing number of users efficiently. As your user base expands, maintaining control over who has access to what parts of your hosting environment becomes increasingly important. AccuWeb’s design appears to anticipate such needs by providing a scalable solution. By contrast, GoDaddy’s effectiveness in access control and scalability in user management is not apparent based on the available information. This lack of clarity limits our ability to fully evaluate its capabilities in this regard.
AccuWeb Hosting User Roles Table:
Role | Description | Access highlights |
---|---|---|
Admin | Full access to all settings and configurations. | Can manage everything including websites, apps, and emails. |
Webmaster | Focused on website management tasks. | Can create and manage websites, but limited access to account settings. |
Email Manager | Manages email accounts and services. | Can create, delete, and configure email accounts. |
Application User | Installs and manages applications. | Limited to app-related settings without broader server access. |
Custom Role | User-defined role tailored to specific needs. | Permissions depend on custom settings chosen by the account owner. |
Customer support
hosting provider.
Score Components:
- Support communication channels (30%): Measures the variety of customer support types
provided (live chat, chatbot, email, phone, etc.) - Availability (20%): Assesses the availability hours for each channel, including 24/7
support options. - Technical support quality (30%): Assesses whether the provider offers comprehensive
technical support, including hardware upgrades (e.g., HDD to SSD), software installations, and web
server configuration changes. - Enterprise support (20%): Checks if there are dedicated or priority support services
for enterprise-level customers.
🏆 Winner
AccuWeb Hosting: Known for its speed, reliability, and exceptional customer support.
Phone support |
||
Live chat support |
||
Chatbot |
||
Email/ticket support |
||
Enterprise support (dedicated agent, priority support) |
GoDaddy offers extensive customer support through 24/7 availability on phone, email, and a rich knowledgebase that includes blog articles and video guides. They also provide live chat support, albeit limited to the United States subdomain, free WordPress migration, daily backups, and a 30-day money-back guarantee, making them a comprehensive choice for user support.
AccuWeb Hosting also boasts round-the-clock support via phone, live chat, and a ticket system, with an impressive first response time of 11 minutes for tickets and 7 seconds for live chat. In addition, they offer fully managed hosting plans with enterprise-level technical support, free daily backups, free SSL certificates for the first year, and a free CDN on request. These features, coupled with overwhelmingly positive customer feedback, underscore their commitment to reliable and speedy support.
User feedback
GoDaddy generally receives praise for its ease of use, affordability, comprehensive service offerings, and user-friendly interface, making it a popular choice for domain registration and basic web hosting. Many users appreciate the ability to purchase domains, web hosting, email services, and other digital products all in one place, along with frequent discounts for new customers. However, customer service experiences are inconsistent; while some users find it helpful and responsive, others report long wait times and unknowledgeable support staff. Additionally, recurring issues include high renewal costs, persistent upselling, and occasional technical difficulties.
AccuWeb Hosting garners praise for its reliable performance, user-friendly interface, and robust features, especially appealing to WordPress beginners and budget-conscious users. Many customers appreciate the low downtime, responsive customer support, and comprehensive control panel offerings. Nonetheless, some users express dissatisfaction with the mandatory review requests to maintain free hosting services, labeling the practice as coercive and unethical. Additionally, a few reviewers note occasional slow customer service responses and some technical limitations, but overall, the service remains well-regarded for its value and functionality.
FAQ
Which platform is better suited for hosting WordPress websites?
Both GoDaddy and AccuWeb offer managed WordPress hosting with daily backups and optimization. GoDaddy includes features like CDN and AI creation tools, while AccuWeb provides more comprehensive support and security measures. Overall, they are well-suited for WordPress hosting, with the choice depending on specific needs and preferences.
Which hosting service offers better security features?
While both GoDaddy and AccuWeb offer robust security features, AccuWeb stands out with its proactive defense mechanisms, free daily backups, and KernelCare for automatic kernel patching. GoDaddy provides advanced features like CloudLinux and Cage FS for resource management, but AccuWeb’s comprehensive security measures, including DDoS protection and redundant platform setup, make it a slightly better choice for security.
Which platform offers better customer support?
AccuWeb Hosting is praised for its prompt, efficient customer support, available 24/7 via phone, live chat, and a ticket system. In comparison, GoDaddy offers extensive support options but has received mixed reviews regarding the responsiveness and effectiveness of its service. Overall, AccuWeb’s consistent and high-quality customer support gives it an edge.
What are the major differences in pricing and value between GoDaddy and AccuWeb?
GoDaddy’s pricing starts at $5.99 per month for shared hosting, with higher renewal rates, while offering a variety of tiers with robust features. AccuWeb starts at $6.99 per month, providing better storage and bandwidth with more consistent long-term pricing. AccuWeb offers more comprehensive features at a lower cost, making it a better value overall.
Which hosting service offers more scalability options for growing websites?
GoDaddy provides clear and straightforward scalability options with various plans allowing easy upgrades from shared to VPS or dedicated servers. AccuWeb’s scaling solutions are less clear and may involve more manual intervention. GoDaddy’s extensive range and user-friendly upgrading process provide better scalability options for growing websites.
The making of this blog
We followed a clear, step-by-step process to write and research this article.