Before starting a GoDaddy vs. Squarespace comparison and understanding who does what, we should introduce our protagonists. In fact, the giant of Arizona (GoDaddy) and the ever-rising value of New York (Squarespace) have much in common. Both were founded in Maryland, respectively, in 1997 and 2004. Both are specialized in website building and hosting.
We will already stop here because we are certainly not talking about twins for all that. Although we will keep exploring their similarities within this article, we will also try to highlight their main differences.
Ease of Use
Choosing a website hosting according to your needs is too normal, and your priority can be ease of use. In this situation, you shouldn’t worry about how simple GoDaddy and Squarespace are because both focus on ease of use for their users. That’s why you should choose a builder according to your other needs. However, we can say that most users find GoDaddy easier than Squarespace because Squarespace has many themes, and it is important to learn all details about the customization. Of course, it is an advantage, but you need to discover many things as you are free with themes. Choosing themes and customization options is less than Squarespace, so it will be more straightforward. In addition, GoDaddy has a simple guide for designing your website. You will answer some questions and get directions according to your requests.
Theme Customization
Let’s be a little vain and start with the looks. After all, a website’s general appearance contributes to its attractiveness, right? The GoDaddy vs. Squarespace confrontation here gives a significant advantage to the latter over the former.
Squarespace comes up with more than 100 templates with various styles. This means you have much more chance to find one that reflects your niche’s spirit. You can also customize your CSS and 404 pages, making them more coherent. With those templates, you get a well-thought design right from the start. However, you can personalize them by applying the font styles wherever you want on your website. The photos are generally large, and the characters are bold and easy to read. Overall, the features are a perfect match for aesthetic lovers.
On the other hand, GoDaddy seems satisfied with limited themes. We can’t say that they are varied either. There is a repetitive combo of image – headline – action button. The styles are really sober compared to those in Squarespace, almost boring. You can change a few details (color, font, etc.), but all in all, you will be quite restricted. Some good news, though: you can modify your theme without losing your content. This isn’t possible in Squarespace, in which a template modification means that you have to start over and rebuild your site.
Toolbox
Yes, we are using the term ‘toolbox’ in a literal sense here. Indeed, one needs to know precisely what tools and features a website builder offers. Let’s pick the ones that are used the most.
The email looks like a good classical example. With Squarespace, you can get your custom email addresses. Moreover, you can get onsite email marketing campaign opportunities through Squarespace Email Campaigns. Various options are possible, thanks to the company’s extension store. This means you can customize your Squarespace templates and content according to your recipients’ needs. Some apps like Delighted allow you to automate post-sale processes (client feedback, etc.).
GoDaddy also has a built-in email service and onsite email marketing possibilities. However, we must admit that they are limited compared to their competitors.
Social Media
What about social media? Well, Squarespace is not satisfied with a simple integration plan. It also enables users to share your content easily through social shares. Additionally, you can embed your social feed directly on your site.
GoDaddy is not bad at all when it comes to social media integration. It is just a little limited: your social media accounts are embedded in your site via dedicated buttons, and that’s it. Hopefully, the company is currently working on new functionalities.
Blogging
Blogging is another significant aspect when running a GoDaddy vs. Squarespace comparison. Here again, Squarespace seems ahead of its challenger. It offers a blogging space as intuitive as can be. Users can find older posts easily via the search feature. It may sound simple but just think about how messy those things are on so many websites… Archiving and bookmarking are among the other advantages of Squarespace.
GoDaddy keeps it more ‘old school.’ In other words, you just get basic features like blog post categorization and RSS feed.
SEO
SEO stands for search engine optimization and contains strategies for getting high rankings on search engines. It is significant to get website traffic, and most web hosting website provides tools for improving your website’s SEO. GoDaddy and Squarespace have important SEO tools for optimizing your website. There are shortcuts for editing meta descriptions and titles and URL slugs. In addition, you can find mobile responsive themes in both website builders, and they provide keyword support. The only important thing that makes Squarespace stand out in SEO is automatic sitemap updates. It means you should think about how to submit your Squarespace sitemap for once.
Help and Support
You should consider help and support opportunities regardless of your hosting website. It is an investment for personal or business purposes, and you should contact the support team easily in any circumstance. The good news is that GoDaddy and Squarespace have 24/7 support. You can contact GoDaddy via live chat, and it is possible to call and send a text. However, the score of email support is low according to user experience.
On the other hand, you can also contact Squarespace via bot assistant but cannot call or text. Most users like Squarespace support more than GoDaddy because the Squarespace help center is simpler and clearer.
Plan Range and Prices
Let’s switch to a more holistic view and understand what you globally obtain with your money. This is probably what matters the most in the GoDaddy vs. Squarespace game.
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Squarespace plans cover everything via 4 options: personal, business, basic commerce, and advanced commerce. The monthly fees (subject to change) go from 16 to 49 dollars. They are paid annually. You get SSL security with every plan. You can build an entire store online with the customization advantages mentioned in the previous sections. You can have a taste of those opportunities via the 14-day free trial. The plans are personal, business, commerce basic, and commerce advanced.
Plans are one of the strengths of GoDaddy as well. This company also offers 4 plans: basic, premium, commerce, and commerce Plus. The prices are approximately 10 and 30 dollars per month, depending on the selected package. The approach is non-discriminatory since you can use similar tools (editor, themes, etc.) no matter the plan. But of course, you would get an enhanced experience with the more expensive options. Indeed, especially the eCommerce plan unlocks extra SEO tools and social sharing alternatives. There is a 1-month free trial possibility for all the plans. One downside is that unlike with Squarespace, SSL security is not automatically granted with GoDaddy.
Let’s add that when you pay annually, both companies offer a free custom domain.
Connect GoDaddy Domain to Squarespace
What? Well, don’t be so surprised. You have the ultimate possibility of using Squarespace along with GoDaddy. Yes, it sounds like a ‘get them all’ mindset. So let’s suppose that you already have a domain from GoDaddy but also want to benefit from Squarespace services. First, ensure your domain is suitable for third-party connections (as stated by Squarespace). Then, deactivate the DS records you were using on GoDaddy. Indeed, record settings are slightly different from one company to the other. You can find further information directly on their websites. Once you have completed those first steps, you can connect your domain;
- To introduce your domain, select respectively ‘Home Menu’ -> ‘Settings’ -> ‘Domains’ -> ‘Use a Domain I Own’.
- Type your full domain name in the ‘Enter domain’ area.
- Then click the arrow and ‘Connect Domain’.
- Now it’s time to refine the information about your GoDaddy domain.
- Choose ‘GoDaddy’ in the menu and click ‘Connect Domain’.
- You should see a ‘GoDaddy Sign In’ pop-up notification.
- Log into your GoDaddy account through there.
- Click ‘Connect’. You will get one more pop-up message at this point. Click ‘Continue’.
The connection process can take up to 72 hours, so be patient and monitor the progress. You can do so by going to the DNS settings located in the Domains panel. You can watch the records there.
In case of a problem, check the default nameservers once more. You can usually see if there is any adjustment needed. If so, you may need to start over and try to connect your domain manually. Don’t forget that you can contact the support team of the companies if you fail to solve the issue on your own. Also, use the detailed troubleshooting guides available on their respective sites.
GoDaddy vs. Squarespace Verdict
Honestly, it doesn’t seem realistic to announce any definitive winner here. Yes, Squarespace is a slightly younger and maybe more modern company compared to its rival. We also have to admit that it gets higher scores in many online reviews. The product range is undeniably more diversified and straight to the point, not to mention the overall attractivity for younger users. However, GoDaddy’s minimalistic features inspire some trust and a sense of simplicity. You don’t get lost in overly complicated features. So eventually, we end up again with a matter of personal preference. Plus, for those who can really not make up their mind, there is always the final possibility of blending the two options. You remember the last section of the article, right?
1 Comment
Godaddy and Squarespace offer different features and pricing plans. While both have their advantages and disadvantages, it’s important to consider which one best meets your needs. My suggestion is to take the time to compare and contrast the two to make an informed decision.