GoDaddy: What You’re Really Paying For (and How to Avoid the Upsells)

Compare the cost over the full registration or hosting term, including renewal and any optional services in the cart.

Check the renewal price

A promotional first-year price may differ from the renewal price. Rates vary by extension, including .info, and by the terms of the offer. Check the renewal amount and billing period shown for the domain you are buying.

Review the checkout extras

Review the items in your cart and remove optional services you do not need. Compare each service with what your hosting plan already includes.

• SSL certificates — check whether your host includes a certificate or supports free options from Cloudflare or Let’s Encrypt.
• Privacy protection — check what the registration includes and whether an extra service adds anything you need.
• “Website security” and backup add-ons — compare their coverage with your existing security and backup arrangements.

Compare the full renewal cost and included services with other plans that meet your needs.

How to keep your money

• Uncheck everything you didn’t come for. Check the final cart for optional services before paying.
• Check certificate options. Check whether your hosting setup includes HTTPS or supports an appropriate free certificate option.
• Watch the renewal date. Know what each item renews at, and set a reminder before it does.
• Consider moving. A common money-saving play: register cheaply for year one, then transfer the domain to an at-cost registrar like Cloudflare before renewal.

The bigger picture

We can compare your domain, hosting and certificate costs, then plan a move if another setup suits you better. Our migration guide explains the website, DNS and email checks.