Domain registrars · Comparison
GoDaddy vs Squarespace Domains
2 products compared side by side: what you pay for with each one first, then the five access facts, entry prices, recorded plan limits and the bottom line of each review. The evidence note under the table says how each product was checked.
Side by side
| Metric | GoDaddy | Squarespace Domains |
|---|---|---|
| What you're paying for | Easy to adoptFree privacy and DNS on an ISO 27001-certified registrar platform, from a large provider, with self-serve auth codes and BIND zone export. | Easy to adoptA domain with privacy, DNSSEC, email aliases and forwarding switched on, managed in a simple dashboard, with no website plan required. |
| Overall score | 5.5 | 6.8Best |
| Free option | Paid only | Paid only |
| Card to start | –Not measured | –Not measured |
| Getting access | Self-serve | Self-serve |
| Starter priceCheapest paid plan | $22.99/yr | $20/yr |
| Pricing model | Usage-based | Usage-based |
| Pricing page | Public prices | Public prices |
| Billing unit | Per domain per year | Per domain per year |
| .com year 1 / renewal | $0.01 with a 3-year purchase / $22.99, each plus $0.20 ICANN fee | $10 (first-year discount) / $20 |
| 3-year .com cost (scenario) | $46.59, computed | $50, computed |
| .io and .ai | .io $0.01 year 1 (3-year purchase), renews $89.99; .ai $49.99 year 1 (2-year purchase), renews $159.99 | .io $60 year 1 (list $70); .ai $85, 2-year minimum |
| ICANN fee | $0.20 a year, added at checkout | Not mentioned; home page says fees are included |
| Restore (redemption) fee | Up to $99.99 for .com, plus the renewal | $45 for .com |
| Grace period after expiry | 12 days at the normal renewal price | 30 days (Squarespace Domains LLC); 40 days for Tucows domains |
| Refund window (new registration) | 5 days; 45 days for a 1-year auto-renewal | 5 days for gTLDs; none for .io |
| Nameservers | GoDaddy DNS or any external nameservers | Squarespace DNS or 2–13 custom nameservers |
| Email forwarding | Separate paid product; price not stated | Free, up to 100 aliases, catch-all |
| Domain/DNS API | Domains API v3; help center adds conditions for availability checks | Reseller API only, for approved resellers |
| 2FA | Passkeys and FIDO U2F security keys, authenticator app, SMS | Passkeys and hardware keys, authenticator app, SMS in five countries |
| SOC 2 / ISO 27001 | ISO 27001:2022 for the registrar and DNS platform; SOC 2 not stated | Not stated |
| Registry lock | Not offered as a product on the pages read | Not stated |
| Bottom line | From its public pages, GoDaddy offers a certified registrar platform, free privacy and DNS, and good exit tools. Its first-year offers are well below the $22.99 renewal, the ICANN fee is added on top, and the grace period at the normal price is short. | From its public pages, Squarespace Domains is the most hands-off option here, with protections on by default and a $45 restore fee. A .com renews at $20 after a $10 first year, and bulk tools, DNS export and a customer API are not offered. |
Evidence: GoDaddy: facts checked 2026-10-16 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run; Squarespace Domains: facts checked 2026-10-16 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run. Prices in USD as listed, excluding tax. "–" means not recorded.
When to pick each
In the words of each review, with the date its facts were checked.
From our GoDaddy review
Checked Oct 16, 2026- Pick GoDaddy when
- You want a domain API, zone file export and a domain list export with auth codes.
- Pick Squarespace Domains when
- You want a $45 published restore fee, a 30-day grace period and a lower .com renewal ($20).
From our Squarespace Domains review
Checked Oct 16, 2026- Pick Squarespace Domains when
- You want a lower .com renewal ($20 vs $22.99), free email forwarding and a 30-day grace period.
- Pick GoDaddy when
- You want BIND zone export, an API and ISO 27001 on the registrar platform.
Entry price
Baseline: each product's cheapest paid plan, per month. Included usage differs, so read the line under each price.
- GoDaddy.com$0.01first year3-year purchase required; additional years $22.99; taxes and the $0.20 ICANN fee extra
- Free domain privacy
- DNS with up to 500 records
- DNSSEC free for the first 5 domains
- Transfer lock on from registration
- Squarespace Domains.com$10first yearFirst-year discount (list $20); renews at $20 a year
- Free domain privacy
- DNSSEC on automatically
- Up to 100 email aliases with catch-all
- URL forwarding with SSL
Prices as listed on each pricing page, in USD per month, excluding tax. Observed: GoDaddy 2026-10-16, Squarespace Domains 2026-10-16.
Which one fits
- If you need to start today without a sales call
- Squarespace DomainsSelf-serve sign-up; the highest score of the 2 self-serve products here (6.8/10).
- Lowest starter price
- Squarespace Domains$20/yr for the .com renewal (yearly list price) plan.
- Highest overall score
- Squarespace Domains6.8/10 (Good). The review shows the score breakdown and the run behind it.
Picked by fixed rules from the table above, not by hand. How we score
Full reviews
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