GoDaddy Redirects vs RedirHub (2026): Domain Forwarding, HTTPS & Best Fit
GoDaddy forwarding suits simple registrar-level redirects; RedirHub fits when redirects become an operational asset across many domains, migration mappings and platforms.
We build RedirHub. We point out where GoDaddy is the better buy, and how to check against your own setup.
The short answer
Choose RedirHub if
- Redirects need to be managed as infrastructure across multiple domains, website-migration mappings or teams
- You want root-plus-www coverage handled consistently
- You need CSV-based bulk operations and a redirect workspace independent of one registrar
Choose GoDaddy if
- You already manage the source domains in GoDaddy
- You only need straightforward root-domain or subdomain forwarding with 301/302 redirects
- You want automatic HTTPS and optional API automation
Which product fits your job#
Forward one or a few GoDaddy domains to another site
Forwarding is part of the GoDaddy domain workflow, supports 301/302 redirects and automatic HTTPS, and does not require a separate redirect subscription.
Forward a GoDaddy subdomain such as shop.example.com
GoDaddy documents forwarding for both root domains and subdomains, including API management.
Keep both the root domain and www working with one managed redirect setup
A RedirHub root domain automatically covers its www variant; GoDaddy documents www as a related DNS step that points www to the root.
Manage hundreds or thousands of changed URL mappings during a migration
RedirHub treats separately managed migration mappings as managed links and supports CSV import/export; GoDaddy's audited forwarding documentation is centered on FQDN forwarding.
Automate registrar-level forwarding for domains you own in GoDaddy
GoDaddy exposes a v2 forwarding API for reading, creating/replacing and deleting forwarding rules on owned root domains and subdomains.
Operate redirects as infrastructure shared across SEO, IT or multiple platforms
RedirHub gives the redirect estate its own workspace, capacity model and bulk-management workflow instead of keeping it inside one registrar.
The real choice is registrar convenience versus dedicated redirect operations#
GoDaddy forwarding is not a weak or outdated redirect mechanism. Its current domain-forwarding documentation[1] covers permanent 301 redirects, temporary 302 redirects and forwarding with masking. GoDaddy also applies HTTPS forwarding automatically when you create or edit forwarding.
That makes it a good answer to a very common buyer job: “I already own this domain at GoDaddy and I just need visitors sent somewhere else.”
RedirHub solves a broader operational problem. It is built around domain redirects, website migrations, branded links and trackable QR codes, with a dedicated pricing model for connected domains and managed links. The strongest reason to move beyond registrar forwarding is therefore not that GoDaddy “cannot redirect.” It can. The question is whether redirects should remain a property of individual GoDaddy domains or become infrastructure managed independently of the registrar.
Our call
Keep simple forwarding in GoDaddy when the redirect is just another setting on a GoDaddy domain.
Use RedirHub when the redirect estate has become its own operational system.
Pricing: forwarding is bundled with the domain, RedirHub is a separate service#
GoDaddy does not present domain forwarding as a standalone redirect subscription in the reviewed official documentation. Forwarding is part of the domain-management workflow, while the price you pay for the domain itself varies by TLD, term and promotion on GoDaddy's domain registration surface[2].
RedirHub Core is $49/month and includes 25 domains and 2,500 managed links on the current RedirHub pricing page[3]. Domain capacity and managed-link capacity are separate, and a basic whole-domain redirect uses domain capacity without consuming managed-link capacity.
These are not equivalent pricing units.
If you already pay for two GoDaddy domains and each one simply forwards to your main site, using GoDaddy forwarding is usually the economically obvious choice because you do not need another redirect subscription.
If you are managing a migration with hundreds of separately configured old-to-new URL mappings, the workload is no longer “two domain forwards.” In RedirHub, those mappings are managed links and can be operated separately from the domain allowance.
Our call
GoDaddy wins on cost and simplicity for small registrar-owned forwarding jobs.
RedirHub makes more sense when you are paying for a redirect operating layer rather than a forwarding checkbox.
GoDaddy forwarding now includes HTTPS#
Older comparisons of registrar forwarding often assume that the source domain only works over HTTP. That is not accurate for current GoDaddy forwarding.
GoDaddy's current forwarding instructions[1] state that HTTPS forwarding is applied automatically when forwarding is configured, and its forwarding-type documentation[4] explicitly includes forwarding over HTTPS.
RedirHub also has automatic HTTPS on all current plans according to the RedirHub pricing page[3].
For a single domain, HTTPS by itself is therefore not a reason to choose RedirHub over GoDaddy.
The more relevant operational difference is where the redirect is owned. GoDaddy forwarding sits inside the registrar's domain/DNS workflow. RedirHub treats redirect serving as its own layer across the domains and mappings you manage.
Root domains, www and subdomains#
GoDaddy supports forwarding for a root domain and for subdomains. Its developer documentation models a forwarding rule around an FQDN such as example.com or shop.example.com.
For the www variant, GoDaddy's help documentation says to make sure the www DNS record points to @ if you also want the www version to follow the root-domain forwarding setup.
RedirHub's published product rules are different: a root domain automatically covers its www variant in the basic whole-domain case.
That difference matters more as the portfolio grows. It is less about whether both products can send traffic to the right place and more about how many separate domain/DNS objects the team has to think about.
Our call
For one domain, the difference is minor.
For a larger retired-domain or brand portfolio, RedirHub's root-plus-www treatment is easier to reason about operationally.
301, 302 and masked forwarding#
GoDaddy documents three forwarding modes:
- Permanent 301 the normal choice for a long-term move.
- Temporary 302 appropriate when the move is temporary.
- Masked forwarding loads the target in an inline frame while keeping the source domain visible in the address bar.
GoDaddy's own developer documentation[5] warns that masked forwarding is not appropriate for most use cases and can harm SEO.
RedirHub publicly lists 301, 302, 307 and 308 redirect support on its current pricing page.
That does not mean every GoDaddy buyer needs the extra status codes. For straightforward permanent or temporary domain forwarding, 301 and 302 cover the common jobs. The difference becomes relevant when the redirect policy needs more explicit HTTP behavior or a broader redirect-management model.
Website migrations: whole-domain moves versus mapping work#
GoDaddy's forwarding model is strongly aligned with FQDN-level jobs: send a domain or subdomain to a destination URL. Its API and help documentation are framed around that same unit.
That is useful for migrations where the entire old hostname can go to one new location, or where the registrar-level redirect is the only rule you need.
A larger website migration often has a different shape. Hundreds of old paths may need different destinations because URLs, categories or content structure changed.
RedirHub supports path forwarding and query-parameter forwarding on all plans, and its bulk link import/export workflow can load whole-domain links and path links from CSV. A separately configured migration mapping uses managed-link capacity.
The distinction is important because a “500-page migration” does not automatically require 500 rules. If all paths stay the same, a whole-domain redirect with path forwarding may cover the move. If hundreds of paths changed independently, then you actually have hundreds of mappings to manage.
Our call
Use GoDaddy for a registrar-level domain move when the redirect rule is simple.
Use RedirHub when the migration itself creates a redirect inventory that needs to be imported, reviewed and maintained.
Automation: GoDaddy has an API too#
A fair comparison should not imply that GoDaddy forwarding is manual-only.
GoDaddy's current v2 forwarding API[5] can read a forwarding rule, create or replace it with an idempotent PUT, and delete it. It supports root domains and subdomains owned by the authenticated GoDaddy account.
That can be a strong fit for a developer or domain operator whose entire workflow already lives inside GoDaddy.
The difference is scope. The GoDaddy API is part of GoDaddy's domain-management system. RedirHub's API and bulk workflows belong to a dedicated redirect workspace that also manages website-migration mappings and other managed links.
Our call
If your automation target is “configure forwarding on GoDaddy domains,” use GoDaddy's API.
If redirects need their own cross-domain operating model, use a redirect platform.
DNS and operational ownership#
GoDaddy's forwarding instructions state that when forwarding is configured, GoDaddy will automatically update the domain to GoDaddy nameservers if the domain is not already using them. Adding forwarding also updates and locks the root @ A record while forwarding is active.
That is convenient when GoDaddy should own the forwarding path. It is also an architectural choice.
For some teams, keeping registrar, DNS and forwarding together is exactly what they want. For others, especially during acquisitions, migrations or multi-provider domain portfolios, redirect ownership may need to be separated from whichever registrar happens to hold a given domain.
RedirHub is useful in that second model because the redirect estate is managed as its own system rather than as a registrar-specific setting.
When GoDaddy is the better choice#
Choose GoDaddy forwarding when:
- the domain is already registered and managed in GoDaddy;
- you only need a root domain or subdomain sent to another URL;
- 301 or 302 forwarding covers the job;
- automatic HTTPS is sufficient;
- the registrar account is the natural place for ownership;
- you want to automate those GoDaddy forwarding rules through GoDaddy's API.
Adding another SaaS layer in that situation can create unnecessary cost and operational complexity.
When RedirHub is the better choice#
Choose RedirHub when the redirect estate has moved beyond basic registrar forwarding:
- you manage multiple retired, acquired or campaign domains as one operational portfolio;
- both root and www coverage need to be predictable across many domains;
- a migration has many separately configured old-to-new URL mappings;
- bulk CSV import/export is part of the migration workflow;
- redirects need to be managed independently of the registrar account;
- SEO, IT or web operations need a dedicated place to maintain long-lived redirect infrastructure.
In those cases, the value is not “RedirHub can do a 301 and GoDaddy cannot.” Both can. The value is that redirect operations become a first-class system rather than a side effect of domain registration.
Manage redirects as infrastructure with RedirHub
Handle multiple domains, website-migration mappings and CSV-based bulk operations in a redirect workspace independent of one registrar.
Start free trialFrequently asked questions
GoDaddy does not publish a separate redirect-subscription price in the reviewed forwarding documentation. Forwarding is part of the domain-management workflow, while domain registration prices vary by TLD and term.
Yes. GoDaddy's current help documentation says HTTPS forwarding is applied automatically when you create or edit forwarding.
Yes. GoDaddy documents permanent 301 and temporary 302 forwarding, plus masked forwarding.
Yes. GoDaddy's v2 forwarding API can read, create/replace and delete forwarding rules for owned root domains and subdomains.
Yes, especially when the migration only needs whole-domain or FQDN-level forwarding. If many old paths need different new destinations, use a workflow designed to manage those mappings explicitly.
For a basic whole-domain redirect, a RedirHub root domain automatically covers its www variant.
If those domains are already at GoDaddy and each only needs a simple forward, GoDaddy is usually the simpler choice. If they are part of a larger multi-domain redirect estate that needs centralized bulk management, RedirHub becomes more useful.
TC is the Operations Manager at RedirHub, leading the company’s operational strategy and execution to ensure reliable, scalable redirect infrastructure. He oversees internal processes, cross-team coordination, and platform readiness while supporting customers through complex redirect implementations. With a strong understanding of large-scale domain operations and real-world edge cases, TC plays a key role in aligning product and customer success to deliver stable, high-performance redirection solutions.