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For most small-business sites, GoDaddy is the simpler buy and AWS is the cheaper server. AWS Lightsail starts at $5 a month with a public IPv4 address, but you patch and secure the server yourself. GoDaddy’s Economy hosting starts at $5.99 a month on a 36-month prepay and auto-renews at $551.63 for the next 36 months (about $15.32 a month), with the server managed for you. Pick AWS only if someone on your team runs Linux.
Show me GoDaddy’s current hosting price
Comparing Amazon Web Services (AWS) to GoDaddy is like comparing apples to oranges. Or like comparing the space shuttle (AWS) to a commercial airplane (GoDaddy). They’ll both get you around the world, but one is way more complex, with a lot more potential, while the other is very approachable.
GoDaddy is simplified for beginners. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is for developers and advanced users. That split drives almost every row below.
As an aside, you can get the benefits of AWS scale, but with managed support, by going with Cloudways. It runs managed servers on AWS and Google Cloud, among others. Our Cloudways review has the current prices.
Key takeaways
- Headline prices are close. Lightsail’s $5/mo IPv4 bundle vs GoDaddy Economy’s $5.99/mo intro rate.
- The work is not close. On AWS you patch the operating system. On GoDaddy you don’t.
- The AWS free trial changed. Since July 15, 2025, new AWS accounts get up to $200 in credits for six months, and Lightsail’s old free-trial offers are gone for new customers.
- AWS phone help costs extra. Paid support starts at $29/mo per account on Business Support+.
- GoDaddy has a security record. The FTC finalized a data security order against GoDaddy on May 21, 2025.
Winner by use case
| If you are… | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A shop owner with no tech staff | GoDaddy | Managed server, cPanel, daily backups on the plan |
| A developer or agency comfortable on Linux | AWS Lightsail | $5 to $12/mo for a whole server with root access |
| Running a static brochure site | AWS (S3 + CloudFront) | CloudFront’s free flat-rate plan covers CDN, TLS and some S3 storage |
| Wanting phone support without paying extra | GoDaddy | Support is included; AWS’s free Basic tier has no technical cases |
| Planning a custom app next year | AWS | Same account scales to databases, containers and more |
| Worried about a host’s breach history | Depends on you | GoDaddy is under an FTC security order; on AWS, server security is your job |
Pricing head-to-head (as of Sept 24, 2026)
When you’re comparing AWS and GoDaddy pricing, the thing to know is that they price way differently. GoDaddy charges a fixed monthly cost, with promotional pricing for the first term and a higher renewal after it. AWS offers multiple options, both pay-as-you-go by usage and a fixed price with Amazon Lightsail. Lightsail is the AWS product a small business should look at.
AWS figures below come from AWS’s own Lightsail pricing page and documentation. GoDaddy figures come from GoDaddy’s own US hosting pages. Both were read on September 24, 2026. Check checkout before you commit.
| Plan | Monthly price | What you get | Renewal / term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightsail Linux, IPv6-only | $3.50 | 0.5 GB RAM, 20 GB SSD | Pay monthly, no promo |
| Lightsail Linux, IPv4 | $5 | 0.5 GB RAM, 20 GB SSD, 1 TB transfer | Pay monthly, no promo |
| Lightsail Linux, IPv4 | $7 | 1 GB RAM, 2 vCPU, 40 GB SSD, 2 TB transfer | Pay monthly, no promo |
| Lightsail Linux, IPv4 | $12 | 2 GB RAM, 2 vCPU, 60 GB SSD, 3 TB transfer | Pay monthly, no promo |
| GoDaddy Web Hosting Economy | $5.99 intro (36-month prepay, $215.64) | 1 website, 25 GB NVMe, cPanel, daily backups | $551.63 for the next 36 months, about $15.32/mo (GoDaddy checkout terms; our math) |
The IPv6-only bundle is cheaper, but plenty of visitors and tools still expect IPv4. For a business website, budget for the $5 bundle at minimum. A WordPress site with a few plugins will breathe easier on the $7 bundle. That last point is practitioner judgment, not an AWS spec.
GoDaddy uses the usual shared-hosting model: a low intro price for prepaying, then a higher renewal. On GoDaddy’s own checkout terms, Economy’s renewal is more than two and a half times the first 36-month bill (GoDaddy). Our math: $551.63 equals GoDaddy’s $11.99 regular monthly rate times 36, plus $119.99, which is the yearly SSL renewal price on the same page. So part of that renewal looks like SSL. GoDaddy does not break it down, and Website Builder Expert reports the hosting renewing at $11.99 a month, so read the cart. Lightsail has no intro discount and no renewal jump. What you see is what you pay each month, plus any extras you add.
The hidden AWS costs. Domain registration, email hosting, backups via snapshots and paid support all sit outside the Lightsail bundle price. GoDaddy bundles some of these into the plan. If you want a mailbox for your domain, compare options in our best email hosting providers guide.
What happened to the AWS free tier?
It changed in July 2025. AWS replaced the old 12-month free tier for new accounts with a credit model. You get $100 in credits at sign-up and can earn up to $100 more by completing onboarding tasks. The free plan ends after six months or when the credits run out, whichever comes first (AWS).
Lightsail’s own short-term free trials are no longer offered to new Lightsail customers. AWS now points new users to the Free Tier credits instead (AWS docs).
Now, it’s a very limited free hosting solution, but it’s a great way to get started. You can test Lightsail for free. Don’t budget around it.
Performance
We have not run our own speed tests for this comparison, and we did not find an independent benchmark that pits Lightsail against GoDaddy shared hosting on the same test.
What we can say from the specs: a Lightsail instance is your own virtual server with dedicated RAM (0.5 GB to 2 GB on the bundles above). GoDaddy Economy is shared hosting, so you share a server with other customers. On a small site, either can be fast. On a traffic spike, your own server behaves more predictably, but only if it’s configured well. That’s inference from how shared and virtual hosting work, not a measured result.
For hosts with published third-party speed data, see our fastest web hosting companies list.
Features: what do you manage yourself?
This is the real decision. AWS’s shared responsibility model says it plainly: customers manage the guest operating system, “including updates and security patches,” plus the software they install and the firewall rules.
As a beginner, try to look at the AWS column below and not get overwhelmed. GoDaddy hosting is a bit more straightforward, and it goes to show that they’re focused on your average mom n pop website builder.
| Task | AWS Lightsail | GoDaddy Economy |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system patches | You | GoDaddy |
| Web server and PHP updates | You | GoDaddy |
| WordPress install | One-click WordPress blueprint | One-click in cPanel |
| Backups | You set up snapshots (extra cost) | Automatic daily backups on the plan (GoDaddy) |
| Firewall | You configure Lightsail firewall rules | Managed |
| Control panel | Lightsail console, SSH | cPanel |
| Static site option | S3 + CloudFront, free flat-rate plan available | Not the product’s focus |
AWS added a new WordPress blueprint to Lightsail on February 27, 2026 (AWS). It gets WordPress running quickly. It does not keep the server patched for you.
If your site is plain HTML, skip servers entirely. CloudFront’s flat-rate plans start with a Free tier at $0/mo and a Pro tier at $15/mo, bundling CDN, a TLS certificate, DNS and some S3 storage credits (AWS).
Support: who fixes it when it breaks?
GoDaddy and AWS are targeting two different markets, and so their support is different. AWS is meant for businesses, so with that in mind you must add on AWS support if you want a human to help with technical problems.
AWS’s free Basic support covers billing and account questions. Technical help is a paid plan. AWS is retiring its Developer and Business plans on January 1, 2027 and moving customers to Business Support+ (AWS docs). Business Support+ starts at a $29/mo minimum per account, per the same AWS notice. CloudKeeper’s summary of the new tiers gives the same figure (CloudKeeper).
On paper it’s difficult to say which one is better because they offer vastly different types of support. So do the math. A $5 Lightsail server plus $29 of support is $34 a month. That’s more than double GoDaddy Economy at its renewal price of about $15.32 a month.
GoDaddy includes support with hosting plans, and they really focus on helping small businesses and personal website owners. If you need to connect with someone right away and don’t want a second bill, GoDaddy would be the better option. For how GoDaddy stacks up on help and uptime, read our GoDaddy hosting review.
Ownership and stability
AWS is Amazon’s cloud segment. It grew sales 37% to $42.2 billion in Q2 2026 (Amazon). Lightsail is not going anywhere soon.
GoDaddy is a public company (NYSE: GDDY). It reported Q2 2026 revenue of $1.3 billion, up 7%, and says its Airo AI tools reached a $50 million annualized bookings run rate (GoDaddy).
Is GoDaddy hosting secure after the FTC case?
Here’s the record. On May 21, 2025, the FTC finalized an order against GoDaddy by a 3-0 vote. The agency alleged that GoDaddy claimed “award-winning security” while failing to use basic practices like multi-factor authentication and threat monitoring on its hosting. The order bars GoDaddy from misrepresenting its security and requires a full information security program with independent assessments (FTC).
Our read: the order forces outside scrutiny that most budget hosts never face. It doesn’t erase the history. On AWS, security of your server is mostly on you, which is safer only if you actually do the work.
Verdict by reader type
Everyone knows GoDaddy, it’s the Wal-Mart of hosting. It’s on the cheaper end (although not the cheapest long-term), does the job just fine, and has good support. They do things their own way, but GoDaddy is used to that.
AWS is perfect for seasoned web developers and sys admins, but not for your everyday business owner. It all depends on your needs to accomplish your goals.
Pick GoDaddy if you run a local business, want a WordPress site and email under one login, and nobody on your team wants to touch a terminal.
Don’t pick GoDaddy if you care about long-run price. The 36-month renewal is more than two and a half times the first bill. Compare it with HostGator vs GoDaddy and Namecheap vs GoDaddy first.
Pick AWS Lightsail if you or a contractor can manage Linux, you want root access, and you expect to grow into other AWS services. Start on the Lightsail pricing page.
Don’t pick AWS if you need someone to call when the site is down and you won’t pay for Business Support+. A cheap server with no one watching it is not cheap.
Get GoDaddy hosting set up for me
If you’re interested in comparing AWS to another affordable host, check out our Amazon AWS vs Bluehost post. Or, check out our Bluehost vs GoDaddy post to see how these budget hosts stand up head to head.
FAQ
Is AWS cheaper than GoDaddy?
On sticker price, often yes. Lightsail starts at $5/mo with IPv4 and doesn’t jump at renewal. Add paid support and your own time, and GoDaddy can come out cheaper.
Can I host a WordPress site on AWS?
Yes. Lightsail has a WordPress blueprint that launches a ready-to-use instance. You still handle updates, backups and security yourself.
Does AWS still have a 12-month free tier?
Not for accounts created on or after July 15, 2025. New accounts get up to $200 in credits over six months instead.
Is GoDaddy good for small business websites?
It’s easy and includes support, which suits non-technical owners. Watch the renewal price, and know about the 2025 FTC security order.
Can I move from GoDaddy to AWS later?
Yes. A WordPress site can be migrated to a Lightsail WordPress instance. Plan for DNS changes and a short test period.
Sources
- Lightsail instance bundles (AWS docs)
- AWS Free Tier credits announcement
- AWS Shared Responsibility Model
- AWS Support plan end-of-support notice
- FTC finalizes GoDaddy order
- GoDaddy Q2 2026 results
- GoDaddy: Cheap Web Hosting (Economy checkout terms)
- GoDaddy: Web Hosting plans
- GoDaddy pricing 2026 (Website Builder Expert)
Related
- Amazon Web Services vs SiteGround
- AWS vs Bluehost
- GoDaddy Managed WordPress review
- Best small business hosting
- Best cloud hosting
- DreamHost vs GoDaddy
Update log
- : Rewrote and fact-checked the page: the first full update since 2020. Kept Joe’s original writing where it still holds.
- : Prices and facts checked against the cited sources, read September 24, 2026.
