When comparing GoDaddy vs Gandi, the Slant community recommends Gandi for most people. In the question“What are the best domain name registrars/providers?” Gandi is ranked 3rd while GoDaddy is ranked 21st.
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Wider selection of Domain extensions (New gTLDs)
Trusted and with one of the widest selection of new domain extensions.
Pro All-inclusive package
Pro Free unlimited subdomains
Pro Two-factor authentication
Pro Free email forwarding
Pro Free web mail
Pro Best in basic features
Pro Private Whois registration is included
Private whois registration is provided without any extra charges.
Pro Programmatic API support
Via XML-RPC.
Pro Strong Anti-SOPA stance
Gandi took a stand against SOPA.
Pro Access levels and delegating is easy
Cons
Con Hostile to digital freedom for having supported SOPA
Con Bad customer service
Con Annoying notifications
Con Sneaky business practices
Several users reported that GoDaddy quickly registered domains they were searching before the user could do, so the company could sell the domain to them afterwards for a higher price.
Con Checkout process is a hassle
You have to decline or avoid too many upsells.
Con Only US servers
The customer representatives confirm that there are only US servers. You still can use it in other parts of the world, but for a better connection you should definitely consider other options.
Con Admin UI is hard to use due to the ad first design
Con Can be perceived as lacking professionalism due to the blunt "no bs" tagline
At face value, Gandi's "no bs" marketing slogan and tone may be perceived as unprofessional, especially in the eyes of corporate or otherwise sensitive clients of yours.
Con Whois protection doesn't hide the name
Con No catch all email forwarding
Gandi does not support wildcard email forwarding for undefined addresses.