Cheap shared vs one-login hosting vs not buying hosting at all. We recommend a default. We name the exceptions. We do not sell star ratings.
Material connection. This page includes affiliate links to Hostinger. If you buy through those links, we may earn a commission. It does not change the price you pay. We do not sell star ratings. Read the full disclosure.
Qualitative comparison. Plan names and prices change — verify on each vendor’s site.
| If you… | Start with | Accept this tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
| Already own a domain and have files or WordPress | Hostinger shared | You will point DNS yourself. Keep mail at Workspace or 365. Budget the renewal, not the teaser. |
| Want one login for domain, site, and maybe mail | GoDaddy path on Start A Site (builder or their hosting) | More add-on checkboxes. Calmer for people who refuse a second vendor. |
| Need a page this Saturday and have no files | Squarespace, Wix, or GoDaddy Website Builder | You may not need a host. Design and apps vary. Editorial links unless marked affiliate. |
| A developer asked for root | Whatever they maintain (sometimes a VPS) | This comparison is not for that shop. Do not freelance sysadmin. |
Strengths: shared hosting priced for a brochure, a panel that will install WordPress or take files, SSL, and a path that lets you keep the domain at GoDaddy. For a shop that already decided it wants hosting, fewer surprises than a random cPanel reseller.
Tradeoffs: you are now in two logins (registrar + host). First-year discounts are real; renewals are the bill that matters. If you wanted a pretty template and no files, you bought the wrong product.
Start A Site recommends GoDaddy as the default for domain plus first-year path, often a builder rather than a host. If you already live there and the site works, do not migrate for a teaser.
GoDaddy hosting (as distinct from their builder) is the honest pick when you refuse a second vendor. It loses when you specifically want cheap shared for a static export and you are willing to paste an A record. We do not treat GoDaddy as the affiliate on this property; that lives on Start A Site.
They include hosting. That is the feature. Squarespace wins on visual calm. Wix wins on apps. Neither needs Hostinger. If you are reading this comparison to pick a builder, leave this site and take the domain with you.
Editorial mentions. We will not invent plan prices.
No files, need a page: builder. Files or WordPress, want cheap: Hostinger shared, domain stays put. One vendor forever: GoDaddy as on Start A Site. Developer with a preference: theirs. Then go publish. Comparison pages are not launches.