A2 Hosting vs. GoDaddy
GoDaddy is a great domain registrar. But when it comes to web hosting quality, GoDaddy doesn’t stand a chance against A2 Hosting. Our experience with the two hosting companies puts A2 Hosting as the better choice thanks to their fast servers, low-cost plans, developer-friendly tools, and far better user support. Read on to find out why.
The first step towards choosing a reliable web hosting is weighing your choices. With the long list of packages and web hosts available in the market, finding the right option can be daunting.
For instance, you could be wondering what’s worth investing in between GoDaddy and A2 Hosting. Well, both GoDaddy and A2 Hosting have managed to carve out distinctive identities in the web-hosting stratosphere.
GoDaddy, for instance, started its operations in 1997 and has since become the best domain registrar on the planet. Aside from that, the company offers a wide range of hosting plans for small and big businesses.
A2 Hosting, on the other hand, started business in 2005 and has since offered top web hosting services to its customers. It has made itself a name by providing amazing website speeds alongside other features. With a long list of features, A2 is a great choice for many reasons (more on that later).
Don’t have enough time to dive into the full comparison? Here’s a summary of our research:
In this head-to-head comparison between the two web hosts, we will evaluate the best based on the following key metrics. Namely: Performance, Pricing, Customer Support, Ease-of-Use, Security, and Features.
GoDaddy vs. A2 Hosting Performance Comparison
Performance is a critical metric to consider when choosing a web hosting provider. In this section, we look at page load speed and uptime.
Page load speed in this case is the length of time it takes to display the content on your web page while uptime is the amount of time your hosting server stays up and running.
To put everything into perspective, we decided to purchase the most basic plans with both GoDaddy and A2 Hosting. We then set up two dummy WordPress websites – one hosted with GoDaddy and the other one with A2 Hosting.
From our tests, which run for three months, GoDaddy recorded an average speed of 510ms (0.51s) which wasn’t bad compared to most other hosts. A2 Hosting, on the other hand, lived up to its promise of blazing fast speeds by giving us an average load speed of 391ms (0.391s) thanks to their Cloudflare content delivery network (CDN) and SSD (solid-state drive) storage.
In the uptime aspect, GoDaddy recorded an uptime rating of 99.97% while A2 Hosting gave us an average rating of 99.99%. From, the statistics it’s clear that A2 Hosting guarantees users minimal interruptions ensuring they are accessible all the time.
So, in terms of performance, A2 Hosting beats GoDaddy by far. It would, therefore not be an overstatement to call A2 Hosting the Usain Bolt of the industry.
GoDaddy vs. A2 Hosting Pricing Comparison
Price is essential when picking a good web hosting provider. A variety of factors, such as the plan you choose, determine how much you spend on website hosting. Prices can also change if you need additional features or depending on the number of visitors you expect.
Therefore, you need first to know the kind of services you require. If you want to run a simple WordPress blog, for example, you can go for the lowest plan on either host.
Established business and individual websites, on the other hand, may require more advanced features such as automated backups, more processing power and storage, unlimited databases, DDoS protection, and more – which are normally available on higher-tier plans.
Here are GoDaddy and A2 Hosting prices.
GoDaddy Plans and Prices
| Hosting Plan | Features | Price/month |
|---|---|---|
| Economy | 100GB Storage - 24/7 Support - Free Domain and Business Email - Unmetered Bandwidth | $5.99 |
| Deluxe | All of the economy features - Unlimited Storage - Unlimited Websites and Subdomains | $7.99 |
| Ultimate | All of the Deluxe features - Free SSL Certificate - Double RAM Memory - Unlimited Databases | $12.99 |
| Maximum | All of the ultimate features - Double Traffic - Double Memory and Processing Power - Free SSL Certificate | $19.99 |
A2 Hosting Plans and Prices
| Hosting Plan | Features | Price/month |
|---|---|---|
| Startup | 1 Website - Free SSL certificate - Perpetual security - 100 GB SSD Storage - Free Site Migration | $2.99 |
| Drive | Unlimited Websites and SSD Storage - Free SSL - Free Site Migration - Automatic Backups | $4.99 |
| Turbo Boost | Unlimited Websites - NVMe Storage - Free Site Migration - Automatic Backups - 20X Faster Speeds | $9.99 |
| Turbo Max | Includes all features that come with the Turbo Boost plan but adds 5X more resources. | $14.99 |
As you can see, both A2 Hosting and GoDaddy have flexible pricing and plans. However, A2 Hosting gives better value for money.
For one, A2 Hosting offers lots of freebies to its users such as free SSL certificates, SSD speed boost, Cloudflare free CDN, and more with all their plans. With GoDaddy, you have to pay extra to get some basic features such as SSL certificates and automatic website backups unless you are subscribed to the Ultimate plan.
GoDaddy vs. A2 Hosting Customer Support Comparison
Another factor you need to take seriously is customer support. A web host with good customer support will give you the confidence to use their services.
So, how do GoDaddy and A2 Hosting compare on customer support?
GoDaddy, for instance, offers 24/7 customer support to their customers. You can access their support staff through a live chat, messaging, phone, or email. The best thing is the distribution of their customer support staff across the globe and their multi-language support.
Their live chat is highly responsive compared to many web hosts. It takes 5 minutes on average to get a response, and their customer support is highly professional and friendly. Although there’re many complaints about their live support, GoDaddy has significantly improved its support services.
A2 Hosting, on the other hand, offers stellar customer support to help their customers solve problems and get answers. The support team works 24/7 round-the-clock and you can reach them via live chat, phone, and ticketing.
Aside from that, their tech team is highly knowledgeable, helpful, and friendly to ensure they handle every complaint conclusively. They also have got a lot of information on their website where beginners can navigate through different functions without getting any help from the customer support team.
A2 Hosting’s support team also responds promptly to avoid keeping you waiting for long. The average wait time is five minutes from our experience.
While none of the two hosts beats the other in terms of basic support, A2 Hosting seems to have a better tech support team (presumably) that would come in handy if you run bigger –complicated issues.
GoDaddy vs. A2 Hosting Ease of Use Comparison
User experience is one of the most crucial factors when selecting a reliable web hosting provider. But why is that? To put it simply, user experience aims at providing positive experiences that keep users loyal to the brand or product.
That said, there’re three main features that both A2 Hosting and GoDaddy have in place to simplify usage. Check them out below.
Control Panel
Both A2 Hosting and GoDaddy have cPanel to make usage easy for their customers. A2 Hosting has the standard cPanel features, making it suitable for beginners.
GoDaddy has added a few features to the standard ones available on A2 Hosting. GoDaddy’s additional features have been helpful to their customers.
One-Click Installer
One-click installation is an essential feature for website owners. It helps users to save time and install components that they’re not conversant with for website building.
A2 Hosting offers one-click installation for customers to set-up for WordPress and plugins. GoDaddy has a one-click installation for many popular apps – over 50 applications.
Website Navigation
The ease of navigating a website affects user experience. A2 Hosting has an easy-to-navigate website making it easy to access information on plans and more.
They’ve displayed their plans, features, and prices in a table on one page. Conversely, GoDaddy has a more complex website requiring a few more clicks before you access essential information.
As you can see, both web hosts have their strengths and weaknesses in ease of use. Both have one-click installation and cPanel, although GoDaddy has more advanced cPanel features. A2 Hosting’s website is easier to navigate, while GoDaddy is a bit complex. As such, A2 Hosting takes the lead here thanks to its simplicity.
GoDaddy vs. A2 Hosting Security Comparison
Whether you own a business website or personal blog, security should top your priorities list. Using web hosting with the latest security features can help mitigate cyberattacks.
Both GoDaddy and A2 Hosting have updated security features that help website owners prevent malware attacks, identity theft, data breaches, and cross-site scripting, among others.
To start with, GoDaddy provides a SiteLock – an important security feature that helps prevent malware attacks and scans your website daily to check for and prevent potential attacks from happening. Aside from the SiteLock, users can purchase an SSL certificate to protect their sensitive website data from attackers.
A2 Hosting on the other hand doesn’t lag when it comes to security. It comes with a free, perpetual security service that comes with multiple protection features. It also features 24/7 website monitoring features that ensure no attackers or malware access customer’s websites.
Moreover, A2 Hosting has rare server and dual firewall protection features. It also runs daily virus scans and sells SSL certificates to keep data entered into websites secure. It is, therefore, easy to identify and prevent threats from happening with A2 Hosting.
As mentioned, both A2 Hosting and GoDaddy are doing their best to reduce cybersecurity attacks. However, A2 Hosting’s security features are better and more advanced compared to GoDaddy’s.
GoDaddy vs. A2 Hosting Features Comparison
Features are the major deal-breaker for website owners looking for a reliable host. With the various web hosting options available, coming with different characteristics, finding the best can be daunting. Here are A2 Hosting and GoDaddy features to help you choose the best.
Check out the key features to compare.
- Databases: Website owners can get SQL Databases on both A2Hosting and GoDaddy on all their plans. However, GoDaddy allows users a limited number of databases depending on the payment plan you choose. A2Hosting, on the other hand, only limits databases for customers on the cheapest plan.
- Domain Registration: The first thing to-be website owners think about is how to find a domain name for their upcoming websites. A user can purchase a domain name or even transfer an existing one on both A2 Hosting and GoDaddy. A free domain is available for customers subscribing to GoDaddy’s plans on a yearly or more basis.
- ECommerce Solution: Both web hosts have unique approaches to eCommerce. GoDaddy provides its customers with a one-stop-shop for all their eCommerce needs. You can purchase their unlimited products and pay once for their monthly proprietary shopping cart.
- Website Builder: A website builder comes with various features to help you set-up and launch your site. Both GoDaddy and A2 Hosting have website building features. However, you have to part with a monthly fee to access GoDaddy’s website building features. A2 Hosting, on the other hand, provides its RVSiteBuilder free for life on all its plans.
- WordPress Hosting: You can get excellent WordPress hosting with either web host. GoDaddy allows users to migrate their existing WordPress sites or create new ones on their platform. Additionally, there’re training videos to help you interact with the GoDaddy WordPress environment and free daily backups. A2 Hosting allows you to have and manage several WordPress sites from one point.
GoDaddy vs. A2 Hosting: Our Pick
Choosing between GoDaddy and A2 Hosting can be challenging. Both web hosts have amazing features that help users build websites and manage them easily. It is fair to say that they’re both worthy competitors, and none wins easy. However, A2 Hosting carries the day.
- Performance: As seen from the review, A2 Hosting offers blazing-fast speeds making it a dream web host for many website owners. It’s industry-standard uptime, and security features also make it an excellent pick. In general, you’ll never go so wrong with A2 Hosting.
- Pricing: A2 Hosting plans are slightly cheaper than GoDaddy’s. They also come with more features, which gives you value for money. A2 Hosting also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee that allows users to cancel their account anytime and get a full refund. GoDaddy, on the other hand, has a vague 30-day money-back guarantee that only works when you sign up for an annual plan. For short-term purchases, GoDaddy gives you only 48 hours to decide if you are satisfied with their service or not.
- Customer support: Both companies offer average customer support via the usual channels and a rich knowledgebase. However, when it comes to solving complex issues, A2 hosting carries the day.
- Ease-of-use: A2 hosting was easier for us to use compared to GoDaddy. We preferred A2 Hosting simplicity.
- Security: While both hosts offer a plethora of security features, A2 Hostingoffers most of them for free such as SSL certificates, DNS management, and more. With GoDaddy, you have to chip in a few extra bucks to even get a basic SSL certificate..
- Features: Both offer excellent features. A2 hosting however has more features and is easy to use compared to GoDaddy.
So, which of the two hosts wins this comparison?
Well, A2 Hosting carries the day when compared to GoDaddy. Although the latter has excellent features, A2 Hosting comes top in most important metrics. If you are still undecided on which host to choose, feel free to check our list of GoDaddy alternatives.
A2 Hosting delivers better performance and has a wider range of features when compared to GoDaddy. The customer support is more readily available and helpful, no matter the channel through which you contact them. And on top of that, it is way easier to use, offering both newcomers and experts alike a pleasant experience.
