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As one of the most popular website builders around the world, Wix has managed to maintain a high profile and consolidate its relatively dominant position in the market for quite a while now. The fact that they regularly update their website builder keeps (potential) users interested and forces many competitors into the role of pursuer.
But, Wix does not have a monopoly position: there are several other website builder platforms that offer users a fantastic set of tools to build a solid online presence. The website builder field is highly competitive, and the beauty of this lies especially in the fact that users benefit from all kinds of new developments, on an ongoing basis. Website builders that want to stay at the top, will need to renew and extend their offer all the time to stay ahead of or on par with the competition.
In this comparison, we’re taking a close look at both Wix and GoCentral. GoCentral is GoDaddy’s website builder platform and, since GoDaddy is one of the top web hosting companies, it’s website builder qualifies as one of Wix’s major challengers. In the following head-to-head comparison, we compare Eix and GoCentral’s features, pricing, support, and more, to help you decide which website builder is the best for your needs.
Templates
Wix
With a template base consisting of over 500 professionally designed and easily customizable templates, Wix is hard to beat in this area. Not only does Wix offer an abundant number, it also offers the much-welcomed categorization to make the large variety of templates manageable. The 15 main categories and 50 sub-categories within those make it easy to navigate and find a suitable option for your business. This is how Wix has categorized its templates:
| Business | Online Store | Photography | Video | Music |
| Design | Restaurants & Food | Accommodation | Events | Portfolio & CV |
| Blog | Health & Wellness | Fashion & Beauty | Community & Education | Creative Arts |
Wix also offers blank canvas templates for users who prefer to build their site 100% from scratch.
GoCentral
It is actually pretty hard to determine how many templates in total GoCentral offers. You never see the total template base, because you have to choose an area of interest, branch if you will, first. Obviously, this is done to limit the options. As you start typing your interest you’re offered a list of options that match the name you are typing. The list of interests to choose from is impressively long, and GoCentral advertises its template variety by stating users can “choose from thousands of beautiful industry-specific designs”.
Changing the template is possible and very easy: you just need to return to the homepage of the editor, which lists the option of selecting the desired template. However, you can only select the templates available for the area of interest you originally decided on. If you want to change to a different category, you will need to start from scratch.
GoCentral doesn’t offer an overview of all areas of interest they offer, but the following options give a little hint at the categorization they use:
| Restaurants | Retail | Wellness | Landscaping | Real Estate |
| Art & Design | Home Services | Personal Services | Blog & Photography |
GoCentral does not offer a blank canvas option.
Wix or GoCentral?
Although Wix has proven many times that its templates are of excellent quality and offer a level of variety that none of the competitors are really able to match, it seems GoCentral is really giving Wix a run for their money when it comes to the quality and the sheer number of available templates, although it doesn’t offer a blank canvas option. Both Wix and GoDaddy provide users the opportunity to enrich a site with custom code. Both website builders, but especially their respective user bases, win when it comes to templates. Undecided, as such.
Editor
Wix
The Wix editor has been lengthily described in our comprehensive Wix review, including all its features and functionalities. To sum it up: Wix’s editor, although packed with features, is very easy to work with. It’s intuitive, which makes it fun as well. It responds well to commands, which makes editing, reordering and deleting elements a fast and easy process.
The Wix website builder offers an extensive list of elements users can add to their site, with the additional option to customize up to the smallest detail. Elements you don’t like, you can easily remove. The separate mobile editor is a welcome feature because it enables users to hide parts of the content in order to show only the specific content they want their mobile site to display while keeping the design, layout and content structure of the desktop version of their website.
GoCentral
GoDaddy’s website builder platform contains a rich variety of features, but it is not an actual drag & drop editor. GoCentral doesn’t call its editor a drag & drop system, so it’s not a matter of not meeting expectations, however, many users tend to think of website builder editors as drag & drop mechanisms. Even without drag & drop functionality, GoCentral’s editor is a joy to work with. Users have countless options to change virtually anything on a page, from images and video to content blocks, titles, CTA buttons, et cetera. Instead of dragging and dropping, you just delete items you don’t need, or select the available editing options for the items you want to customize.
Changing the position of an element means deleting in the place you don’t want it, and then adding it again in the desired spot. Deleting elements happens in the right bar: once you select a certain element in the editor view, a ‘delete section’ button appears at the bottom of the right bar. Textual changes in headlines and content blocks can also be made in the right bar, and the same goes for changing fonts and colors.
The editor can be used to manage an impressive list of features, located in the right bar of the editor’s homepage. Options include SEO settings, social accounts linking, Google Analytics setup, multilingual setup using Google Translate, restoring backups, and much more. The list looks more impressive than it really is, because some options lack substance, either because they are very limited (SEO) or due to the fact that they don’t really seem to make sense in the current shape and form (multilingual option with Google Translate).
Wix or GoCentral?
When it comes to their respective editors, both Wix and GoCentral deliver. Wix’s editor, updated with new features on a regular basis has not disappointed us, thus far. Quite the opposite: every time we test it, we are surprised by the new features Wix manages to add, whether it be a new feature or element in the editor, or enhanced functionality to the site we build. GoCentral is a relatively new product and is still in its infancy phase compared to Wix. The difference is that GoDaddy still has plenty of features to add or improve to its website builder before it reaches the level of completeness Wix offers users.
GoCentral’s lack of an actual drag & drop editor, for example, doesn’t feel like a miss, but it does make working with the editor less flexible and less to the point. The number of features GoCentral managed to equip its editor with, is definitely impressive for a new product, but it needs a lot more development and additional features to come close to Wix’s editor. For now, we can say that GoCentral is often updated, with users being informed about new features through the Help Center. This is definitely a sign of good intentions that gives the impression GoDaddy is really making an effort to develop its website builder platform into a worthy alternative for other, more established website builders
We can also say that GoCentral’s current editor is definitely a solid and stable editor, that already offers a nice set of tools and features to build a website. It is, however, not enough to match or even come close to what Wix’s editor enables users to achieve on their website. The editor-battle goes to Wix.
Customer Support
Wix
When it comes to the available support means offered, Wix is very hard to beat. Its in-editor support features are excellent: very accurate and functional and a perfect starting point for the Wix support team to base their more in-depth and personalized support on. Accessible directly from within the editor, offering immediate help while you are in the middle of creating or customizing your website, are the following features:
- Editor Help Center: the editor opens up in a separate window over your site, displaying a list of support categories. You can choose to disregard the list and just start typing the subject you need help with – a list of related topics will appear.
- Keyboard Shortcuts for the Editor: a different popup window lists commonly used keyboard shortcuts, for example, ‘Paste’ ([Ctrl] + V), and shortcuts specific for the Wix editor, for example [Ctrl] + J, which switches between mobile view and desktop view. These shortcuts, once memorized, speed up the editing process significantly.
- Step-by-Step Videos: a collection of short, topical videos about specific features and how to use and customize those for your website.
- Connect a Domain: this section covers all topics related to connecting a custom domain to your Wix website and includes videos about purchasing a new domain name from Wix and about connecting your pre-purchased domain name to your Wix website.
- Getting Found Online (SEO): this popup window shows a video, along with additional information, about all website elements Wix helps you optimize to enhance your SEO settings.
In addition to the features mentioned above, Wix’s Support Center – accessible through the Wix website – is a support hub filled to the brim with articles covering all aspects of the website builder. If you still want to talk to a real person after exploring all the above options, you can reach Wix’s support team by phone from Monday to Thursday (6:00 AM – 17:00 PM, PST).
GoCentral
A head-to-head comparison can sometimes give the impression that one of the contenders is copying the other. This is not the case here: GoCentral does not try to copy Wix’s core features, but follows its own path in its efforts to bring users the most complete website builder package available – including the proper support tools. The Help Center, accessible from two locations anywhere inside the editor, is divided into different sections based on the most commonly looked for information.
- The Discover Go Central section offers a full article list that users can browse through, a set of GoCentral Website Builder and Online Store videos, a ‘Set up my site’ section that shows you how to begin (and offers click through options to the next steps in the process as well), and an explanation of how to change a website’s domain address.
<s14> - Other main sections include Compare or change plans, Start with the basics, Include photos, video, audio, Promote my site, and more.
- When available (Monday to Friday from 5:00 AM to 18:00 PM, GMT -7), you can access the chat module to talk to customer support live.
- You can access the GoCentral Community, which holds a ton of information on a wide range of topics related to GoDaddy’s website builder.
<s17> - You can contact customer support by phone 24/7, using the dedicated number for your country, or the main number of your country is not listed.
Wix or GoCentral?
This round goes to Wix, mainly for the extremely accessible Help center that opens over the editor and does not require additional clicking or navigating. GoCentral’s support options meet the expectations and are not lacking in any department.
SEO
| Feature | Wix | GoDaddy/GoCentral |
| Custom Domain | ✓ | ✓ |
| Seo-Friendly URls | ✓ | ✓ |
| Manual Override for URLs | ✓ | X |
| Canonical links | ✓ | X |
| Breadcrumbs | Available with WixStores | X |
| H1 Heading Tag | ✓ | ✓ |
| Subheader Control (H2, H3) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Meta Title Tags by URL | ✓ | ✓ |
| Meta Descriptions by URL | ✓ | ✓ |
| No Index, No Follow per URL | ✓ | X |
| Image ALT Text | ✓ | ✓ |
| Integrated Blogging | ✓ | ✓ |
| Blog Categories | ✓ | X |
| Blog Tags | ✓ | X |
| Blog Post Commenting | ✓ | X |
| RSS Feeds | X | ✓ |
| Podcast Support and Embeds | ✓ | ✓ |
| Video Support and Embeds | ✓ | ✓ |
| Online Stores | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mailing Lists | ✓ | ✓ |
| Template Switching | X | ✓ |
| Custom CSS | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mobile Responsive | ✓ | ✓ |
| XML Sitemap | ✓ | ✓ |
| Robot.txt files | ✓ | ✓ |
| 301 Redirects | ✓ | ✓ |
| CDN Option | ✓ | ✓ |
| SSL Certificates | ✓ | ✓ |
Wix or GoDaddy?
The SEO options in GoCentral are not as extensive as those available to users with a Wix account. The score is 26-21 in Wix’s favor. We should note that GoDaddy is working hard on adding more SEO related options to its website builder platform, so we expect GoCentral to be on top of all SEO aspects within reasonable time. Obviously, the fact that GoCentral is part of GoDaddy may give users who have their GoCentral site hosted with GoDaddy the option to make some SEO related changes on their hosting account (for example the option to customize URLs that comes with having full FTP access), but we didn’t take these options into consideration.
Wix wins on the SEO front.
Apps & Integrations
| Integration | Wix | Details | GoDaddy | Details |
| Google Analytics | Yes | Available on premium plans with own domain | Yes | Built-in integration (Settings > Google Analytics) |
| Social Media Profile | Yes | Links to profiles, embedded social feeds on site | Yes | Links to profiles |
| Social Media Share Buttons | Yes | Share, like and follow buttons | Yes/No | Sharing Option for Facebook & Twitter only |
| Mailbox | Yes | It is possible to purchase & integrate G Suite through Wix. Also supported: Yahoo! Small Business Email, GoDaddy Email. Office 365 not directly supported (but possible). | Yes | GoDaddy Email with certain premium plans |
| CRM | Yes | HubSpot integration
3rd party CRM apps available |
Yes | Built-in CRM options including list management, signup forms, automation, email templates and campaign statistics. |
| MailChimp | No | Wix offers its own email marketing platform: ShoutOut | No | Integration with GoDaddy Email Marketing platform to manage subscribers and mailings |
| Chat | Yes | 3rd party chat apps available. Some only available on premium plan. | No | |
| Third Party Reviews | No | No Trustpilot integration, but in-editor testimonials element & 3rd Party review apps available |
Yes | Display reviews from Zillow |
| Tracking Tools | Yes | Crazy Egg, HotJar | No | |
| Music | Yes | SoundCloud, Spotify | Yes | SoundCloud |
| Video | Yes | YouTube, Vimeo | Yes | YouTube, Vimeo |
| PayPal | Yes | PayPal Buy & PayPal Donate | Yes | PayPal Buy & PayPal Donate |
Wix or GoDaddy?
GoDaddy has not equipped its GoCentral website builder with an overload of possible integrations. Again, features are added on a regular basis, but currently, GoCentral cannot match the integration options offered by Wix.
Pricing & Plans
Wix Pricing & Plans
With prices ranging from as little as $4.50 up to $24.50 a month, Wix is definitely among the more affordable website builder options. Most users opt for the ‘Unlimited’ plan, which costs $12.50 a month when purchased for one year. You’ll receive the following:
- Unlimited Bandwidth and 10GB Storage (Free Hosting)Free Domain (first year) and Domain Connection
- Customized Favicon
- $75 in Ad Vouchers
- Form Builder App & Site Booster App (valued at $48 and $60 respectively)
- Premium Support
- Google Analytics integration
The below image is an overview of Wix’s annual plans – prices shown are per month.
Plans that have a running time of less than a year, are more expensive. This is the case across the market, which means the same dynamics go for other website builder platforms, including GoCentral. Users who choose to subscribe to a Wix plan for one or two years save approx. 20% to 30% per year compared to a monthly subscription.
All Wix plans include a 14-day money-back guarantee. Payments can be made using PayPal or any of the following credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover.
Here’s an overview of all prices:
| Connect Domain | Combo | Unlimited | eCommerce | VIP | |
| Monthly | $7 | $12 | $16 | $20 | $30 |
| One Year Plan | $4.50 | $8.50 | $12.50 | $16.50 | $24.50 |
| Two Year Plan | $4.00 | $8 | $11.50 | $15 | $23 |
GoDaddy Pricing & Plans
In case you’re interested in trying out GoCentral, you’ll be happy to know you can do so for a period of 30 days – for free. After that, you’ll have to choose one of the available plans. GoCentral offers the following plans, with the note that the Business Plus plan is the most popular option.
GoDaddy prices range from a mere $5.99 for the Personal plan to $19.99 for the most expensive plan, the eCommerce option, which they labeled “Online Store”. Prices are per month when purchased for a year.
The Business Plus plan, GoCentral’s most popular plan, has the following specs:
- Responsive mobile design
- Website hosting
- Rapid Page-Load performance
- 24/7 support
- Create a blog
- Security (SSL)
- PayPal Buy Now or Donate button
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Email Marketing
- Google My Business
- Social Media Integration, share content to Facebook
- Online Appointment features:
- Accept Credit Cards via Square and PayPal for appointment bookings
- Text and email notifications for you and your customers
- Two-way calendar syncing with Google, O365, Outlook and iCal
- Client management tools for contact info, appointment and payment history and more
The below image is an overview of GoCentral’s annual plans – prices shown are per month.
Wix or GoDaddy?
Both Wix and GoCentral are among the cheapest available options when it comes to buying a website builder subscription. Wix offers five different plans, while GoDaddy has four. Wix’s cheapest plan is the ‘Connect Domain’ plan, which comes at only $4.50 and beats the cheapest GoDaddy plan (‘Personal’), which comes at $5.99. Wix also has the cheaper ‘most popular’ plan. Basically, Wix has a slightly cheaper matching alternative for each of the four available GoCentral plans – an alternative mostly based on the price of the specific plan and only slightly on available features, because Wix’s plans offer more features to begin with. On top of the four plans that match GoCentral’s plan structure, Wix offers an extra plan, the VIP option, that GoDaddy doesn’t have in its portfolio.
Both platforms offer great value for money when it comes to their packages, but all of Wix’s plans contain more features than GoCentral’s and therefore Wix clearly beats GoDaddy in this round.
Bottom Line
With GoCentral, GoDaddy managed to create a very nice website builder tool to give its many customers the option to build their own website when they buy a hosting subscription. GoCentral offers a wide variety of templates, a functional editor and a lot of additional options, although some of those could be improved or further developed for them to really be of added value, and a great set of support tools to help users on their way. If GoDaddy continues to improve GoCentral and keeps adding new features, it could over time become a fierce competitor for Wix.
Currently, however, the gap with Wix’s platform and all of its features is still very big. That doesn’t say anything bad about GoCentral, it just proves that Wix continues to push the envelope as much as they can to keep their website builder platform as state-of-the-art as can be. While both platforms come out positive, this comparison clearly shows the difference between a website builder that has been developed, evaluated and refined for users who want modern-looking, uniquely designed yet highly functional websites and a relatively newer platform, designed to offer a ‘simpler’ option for ‘brochure-style’ websites. GoCentral is a promising product that can be of great value to GoDaddy, but without a shadow of a doubt, Wix comes out on top in this head-to-head comparison.
Why Choose Wix?
- Best value for money.
- The great number of useful elements and features available, enabling enhanced customization of your website.
- Design flexibility: a large number of available templates on one side, a blank canvas editor on the other.
- High quality customer support.
Why Choose GoDaddy?
- Simple, easy-to-use editor interface.
- Built-in CRM features.
- Cheap compared to many competitors.
- Enormous base of templates