Export GoDaddy vs Wix to HTML

GoDaddy vs Wix comes up a lot. They're both popular, both accessible, both charge monthly fees forever. Let's see which one actually deserves your money.

Pricing first. GoDaddy's Website Builder runs $10-25/month. Wix charges $17-159/month. Looks like GoDaddy wins, right? Not so fast.

GoDaddy's $10 plan shows their branding on your site. Their $15 plan matches what Wix's $17 plan offers. By the time you compare equivalent features, the gap shrinks. Both end up costing $150-300 per year for a decent site.

Design flexibility goes to Wix. It's not close. Wix lets you drag elements anywhere on the page. GoDaddy locks you into section-based layouts. If you want a unique design, Wix makes it possible. GoDaddy makes it frustrating.

Template selection: Wix has 800+, GoDaddy around 100. More isn't always better, but variety helps. Wix templates also tend to be more polished and contemporary. GoDaddy's feel more generic.

Ease of use depends on what you want. GoDaddy is simpler because there's less to figure out. Their AI can spin up a basic site in minutes. Wix has a steeper curve because you can do more. Both are managable for beginners.

Features differ significantly. Wix has a massive app market, hundreds of add-ons for forms, booking, chat, whatever. GoDaddy's built-in features are decent but the extension ecosystem is tiny. If you need something specific, check Wix first.

E-commerce is roughly equal for basic needs. Both handle products, payments, shipping. Wix edges ahead for larger stores. GoDaddy is fine for selling a handful of items.

Performance: Wix sites often load slower due to heavy JavaScript. GoDaddy sites are lighter but still not fast. Neither will win speed awards. Both can pass Core Web Vitals with the right template choices.

Here's the thing neither wants you thinking about: both platforms lock you in.

No export button on either. Your site lives on their servers or it doesn't live at all. Stop paying GoDaddy, site gone. Stop paying Wix, site gone. Years of work, inaccessible.

But there's a workaround. Third-party tools can render your published site and save it as static HTML files. Works with both GoDaddy and Wix. Once you have those files, host them anywhere, Netlify, GitHub Pages, basic shared hosting. Monthly fees drop to zero or near-zero.

My take: if you must choose between these two, Wix offers more flexibility. But consider whether you need a website builder at all. Export your site to static files and you're done paying forever.