Inside this Article
1. Performance
Domain.com Fails to Meet Google’s Recommended Page Loading Speeds
When a host claims to be “powerful and reliable” like Domain.com does, I like to put those claims to the test. One of the main aspects of performance that I always test is page loading speeds – since slow page loading speeds not only cause over 50% of website visitors to click away, they can also affect your position in search results.When investigating web hosting performance, I use my own test websites or choose websites that are built similarly in terms of WordPress plugins and content. With my test sites, I utilize the speed-boosting tools the hosts provide (if they provide them), such as caching tools and CDNs (content delivery networks), to demonstrate how these value-added features can make a big difference for page loading speeds.
I consider several performance factors. These include:
- Fully loaded time. This is the time it takes for the webpage content and all scripts to be fully loaded from the host server. Google has issued guidance that your web pages should load within three seconds to avoid a high bounce rate (visitors leaving your website before it loads).
- Time to first byte (TTFB). TTFB shows how quickly the server sends the first byte of data to your visitors’ browsers. This is the point at which the page actually begins to load. Slow TTFB times may indicate overloaded or poorly configured servers.
- Contentful paint. This is the point at which your web page content is visible to your visitors – although any content that’s controlled by javascript may not yet be visible. Your visitors can see your webpage but it’s not fully loaded and will only be fully functional when all scripts have loaded.


2. Domain Registration
GoDaddy’s Domain Features Are Simply More Extensive
Yes, I know this is a web hosting comparison, but since GoDaddy and Domain.com were established as domain registration services before they expanded into web hosting and more, it would be foolish not to look at this part of what they offer. GoDaddy often claims to be the best domain registrar – and since nearly 19 million people have bought domain names from it, it must be doing something right! What makes GoDaddy superior for domains compared to Domain.com is the range of domain-related features it offers.GoDaddy | Domain.com | |
Domain Extensions (e.g., .com) | Almost 500, with new ones being added frequently, including .design, .realestate, .fun, and .coffee | Over 300, although some are still in the “early access period,” which incurs higher registration fees, and others are held in the “priority pre-registration” phase |
Domain Transfers | Automated, fully supported process, with the option for bulk domain transfer of up to 500 domains (plus discounts when transferring more than six .com domains) | Automated process with support if needed, but no option for bulk domain transfer |
Domain Privacy (to keep your personal details private in your domain’s WHOIS listing) | ✔ | ✔ |
Domain Name Generator | ✔ | ✘ |
Domain Broker (to help you get the best deal if you want to purchase a domain that’s for sale) | ✔ | ✘ |
Domain Value Appraisal (if you want to sell your domain name later) | ✔ | ✘ |
Business Name Generator | ✔ | ✘ |
Domain Auctions | ✔ | ✘ |
List a Domain for Sale | ✔ | ✘ |
Discount Domain Club (a membership club with discounts for new domain extensions) | ✔ | ✘ |
Domain Backorder (to pre-order a forthcoming domain extension) | ✔ | ✘ |
Discount on Basic Hosting When You Purchase a Domain (but only if you go to checkout without adding hosting) | ✘ | ✔ |
3. Plans and Features
Domain.com Has Simple Pricing and Provides Features GoDaddy Charges For
With shared hosting, you tend to find very similar (or even identical) feature lists and hosting plans. I’ve put the details of what Domain.com and GoDaddy’s hosting plans include in an at-a-glance table below. There are a couple things to note about the differences between the two hosts. First, Domain.com doesn’t use promotional pricing or have pricing that changes depending on whether you pay upfront for a year, two years, or three years. The price is the same no matter the length of your plan. Domain.com does, however, give you a discount on the basic plan if you buy a domain name without adding hosting – but you won’t see this discount on the web hosting sales pages. Domain.com Web Hosting
Plan NameStorageBandwidthFree SSLNumber of SitesPrice
More detailsA free domain name is included with some hosting plans from Domain.com
Domain.com | GoDaddy | |
Shared Hosting Plans | Basic, Deluxe, and Ultra | Economy, Deluxe, Ultimate, and Maximum |
WordPress Hosting Plans | WP Starter and WP Essential | Basic, Deluxe, Ultimate, and E-commerce |
Specific WordPress Hosting Plan Features | WordPress hosting plans offer additional features like pre-installed plugins (e.g., Jetpack and W3 Total Cache) | Less storage space but hosting is optimized for WordPress to deliver better performance, and free malware scanning is included |
Storage Space | Unlimited on all plans | 100 GB to unlimited (shared hosting); 30GB to unlimited (WordPress hosting) |
Bandwidth | Unmetered | Unmetered |
Free Domain Name | Yes, for the first year, but you need to enter a coupon code at the checkout (not automatic) | Yes, for the first year on annual plans |
Free SSL | Yes, free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate on all plans | Free GoDaddy SSL certificate on Ultimate plan and above |
Free Website Migrations | No | No |
Backups | Not included – website backup and restore is available as a separate product (not an add-on) | Not included – available for an additional monthly fee, and can be added at checkout |
One-Click App Installation | 100+ applications | 125+ applications |
cPanel | No | Yes |
Email Accounts | Unlimited email addresses (G Suite available for additional cost) | 1 free Office365 email address for the first year |
Free Website Builder | Separate website builder hosting packages | Separate website builder hosting packages |
SSH Access | No | Yes |
PHP 7 | On some servers | Yes, but must be requested |
4. Security
No Built-In Security Features – But GoDaddy Offers Website Security at a Lower Price
Many of the budget web hosting companies don’t include the kind of security features you really need – such as malware scanning and removal and web application firewalls – within hosting plans. Instead, security is offered as an “optional” add-on (even though there’s nothing optional about keeping your website protected from hackers!). Both GoDaddy and Domain.com charge extra for security – but there’s a big difference between the two. Domain.com has partnered with SiteLock to provide three optional levels of protection – Essentials, Prevent, and Prevent Plus. Unfortunately, the Essentials add-on only provides the bare minimum of protection (and may double the cost of your hosting on the cheapest hosting plan). To get protection from DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks and benefit from a WAF (web application firewall) that stops malicious traffic from reaching your website, you need to be on the Prevent plan – which will more than double the cost of the most expensive hosting plan.

5. Support
GoDaddy’s Support Isn’t 24/7 Worldwide – But Domain.com’s 24/7 Support Isn’t Great
I spend a lot of time trying out customer support via live chat and I’ve learned that although having 24/7 support sounds great, if the quality of support is poor, then you’re no better off. A host that doesn’t offer 24/7 but is actually willing and able to help resolve your issues is a much better solution. GoDaddy is known for having somewhat complicated support availability. If you’re in the US or Canada, you can get 24/7 support via live chat and phone. If you’re in the UK, Australia, Hong Kong, India, or Israel, for example, you can get 24/7 support via phone, but live chat is only available during certain hours (often 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday). There’s a whole web page dedicated to phone numbers and availability times for global support. I’m in the UK and I prefer to test support via live chat, so I can only evaluate GoDaddy on weekdays. At first, that seems like an inconvenience – but then I tried Domain.com’s live chat support and, well, I got better support from GoDaddy’s live chat during weekends (when it’s closed) than I got from Domain.com! Below is a screenshot of my exchange with Domain.com’s live chat agent. After failing to actually answer my questions properly (just copying and pasting information from the website) and insinuating that I wasn’t looking at the website properly, the support agent simply stopped responding to my questions and the chat window was automatically closed due to inactivity.
GoDaddy Is Better Than Domain.com, but You Can Do Even Better
GoDaddy’s hosting isn’t perfect, and it’s not at the top of my list of recommended hosts, but compared to Domain.com, it’s superior in performance, domain registration features, support, and security. If you’re looking to build your first website for a blog or business, one of GoDaddy’s shared hosting plans could work for you. But even if you’re just starting out, you shouldn’t compromise on the quality of your hosting. Switching to a different host later on could be a major hassle. That’s why I recommend choosing an excellent web host right from the get-go. Hostinger’s shared hosting plans are cheaper than anything GoDaddy can offer. They also include better features and provide some of the best performance I’ve seen. It’s no surprise that Hostinger made it to our list of the top web hosting services for 2023.Domain.com | GoDaddy | |
Performance | Pages are slower to load, failing to meet Google’s recommended maximum of 3 seconds | Pages load faster with GoDaddy – and it has better uptime/reliability |
Domain Registration | Basic domain registration services – but watch out for the automatically added domain name protection at checkout | Comprehensive range of domain registration and management services, including the option for bulk transfer of domain names |
Plans and Features | Plans are less expensive than GoDaddy’s and pricing is clearer; Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates are included | Plans include most of the standard features you’d expect with shared hosting, but there’s no free SSL on lower-priced plans |
Security | Website security is an optional extra and is provided by SiteLock; only higher-priced plan have DDoS and firewall protection | Website security is an add-on – but backups and basic security are available for a low monthly price |
Support | Support was awful when I tried it – both times I used the live chat, the support agent couldn’t answer my questions and simply stopped responding | Support has improved, with shorter waiting times and a better quality of support; it’s not 24/7 worldwide – some countries will only get support Monday through Friday |