The two brands are often the center of many photography arguments online. Some claim that their Godox flashes outshine Profoto, while others are happy to die on the “Profoto is better” hill. The two were not direct competitors, as Godox never took the rental house and powerful 2,400-watt pack and head market. However, the release of their latest pack and head system was singled out as the best thing they have ever done for professional photographers. It is fair to say that Godox is trying to break into the professional market. But are they up for the game and should they try? Let’s find out.
What Has Godox Been so Far?
Godox has had a stage when they produced knockoff flashes that didn’t work most of the time. You’d buy five, and one was broken. Then, they pulled their socks up and made decent equipment that was impressive. I’ve been an avid Godox user myself since some time ago.
Let’s dive into what they offer photographers as of now:
Speedlights
Godox has a very impressive range of speedlights. To be quite frank, I can’t tell one from the other except if it’s the round-head V1. There were speculations that a round-head speedlight was a knockoff of Profoto A1, even some threats of legal action from Profoto came knocking on the Godox door. Having used the V1 for professional jobs, I was quite impressed with what it can do for the price. The quality could be better, as could the ease of use.
Small Battery Flashes
Godox has three small battery flashes on the market right now: the AD100, AD200, AD300. The three differ dramatically in size and capabilities. While the AD100 is pocket-sized and features a head of the same diameter as the V1, the AD300 is closer to the Profoto B10 in size and light output 
Large Battery Flashes
The two most popular models that many photographers own are the AD400 and the AD600. They are battery-powered strobes that can deliver enough light for studio and on-location applications.
An honorary mention goes to the AD1200. It is a very powerful pack and head system that, on paper, is similar to the Broncolor Move, which also provides 1,200 W of power for a similar head. 
The Big Problem With Godox
Godox has a pretty impressive range of lights on offer. Some consider it too wide of a range to choose from. But that is not the problem. The problem, three of them in fact, is in the modifiers they make, in the inconsistent branding as well as lack of good customer support.
Godox modifiers are very low quality. The hard reflectors don’t output nearly as much light as a Broncolor or a Profoto would. When talking about softboxes, Godox tends to skimp on the material quality, which decreases the longevity of the modifier. When it comes to customer support and serviceability, Godox needs to really up the level of their customer service. There is no easy way of saying this, but shipping from Europe (or the US) to Asia takes a lot of time. Pros don’t have that time to spare. Finally, talking about branding, Godox exists under two more brand names: Flashpoint and PixaPro. This may confuse some people and is not effective in providing a reliable brand for photographers to trust with the big jobs.
Big-Brand Flashes
So that I am not accused of being sponsored by a brand, I will use two competing big brands: Profoto and Broncolor
Speedlights:
Profoto has the A range, which came before the Godox V1 range. The flashes are consistently updated with new features. Bronoclor doesn’t make any speedlights.
Battery-Powered Strobes
Profoto has the B10 and the B10 Plus. They are 250 W and 500 W, respectively. They also make the B1X, which is a different kind of a 500W strobe geared towards professionals. Broncolor makes the Siros 400 W and 800 W models. Their Move 1200L pack is a 1,200 W pack with an incredible flash duration that knocks the Godox out of the water. 
Studio Strobes
The flagship models: Broncolor Scoro 3200 S and the Profoto Pro-10 packs are workhorses that build on decades of experience and feedback from the target audience: professional photographers.
Modifiers
Both brands shine here, with unique modifiers that are being developed from scratch. Be it the parabolic softbox, a Fresnel for flash, or perhaps a hazylight, those manufacturers spend years on research and development. The research and development that big brands do drives the industry. forward.
What Do Profoto and Broncolor Have That Godox Doesn't?
I am not saying that Godox is a bad brand. They make impressive equipment given the price point. I am genuinely impressed at what they can deliver for the price they ask. I wonder if big brands are overpricing their equipment.
But why are big brands charging so much when Godox can do it for less? If Godox can, why aren’t photographers switching to it? 
What Do Pros Need and Own?
Let’s dive into what professional photographers, specifically fashion photographers, own. When it comes to lighting, a client often comes with a specific request. For example, a Florida midday sun look. Yet, modifiers can make this cost money, and none of us own the whole modifier lineup that a company has. To be frank, whenever a big job comes my way, I am renting 60% of what I am working with. The same goes for the packs. I don’t own the big Profoto packs and heads. They are rented out should I need that light.
Speaking of quality and reliability, the local rental house has had the same packs for over a decade now, and they are good as new, albeit showing signs of use. This goes to say that Profoto and Broncolor are established brands that have been in the market for decades. 
Is Godox Even Competing?
With Godox releasing the new 2,400 W pack designed for two independent heads, some would ask the question: who is it for, and is there even a point in Godox trying to break into the professional photographer market? However, I think that Godox is not competing with Profoto and Broncolor. They want to expand the ecosystem to offer more to the ones already invested in it. This stops some photographers from switching to bigger brands when they need that extra power. As of now, Godox would have to change its brand image completely to become a competitor in the rental house and pro photographer market. I don’t think Godox should do that, as they make some of the best lights for the price, which is a great choice for some photographers.
Closing Thoughts
Godox versus “any big flash brand” is a never-ending battle. But I don’t think it’s fair to compare two products aimed at different customers. To give a sports analogy: a pro cyclist needs a pro bike, a commuter doesn’t. The same goes with flash: it is irrelevant to compare a flash designed to be a great bang for the buck and a flash designed to not fail for 20 years. I conclude that Godox and “any big flash brand” are not competitors; they occupy different market segments and therefore can’t be compared in the same category.
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Here's the problem with Godox going high-end: nobody will want to be the guinea pig.
On the other hand, no one will ever get in trouble for choosing Profoto or Broncolor.
Great article. One thing i will say is most non pro's will not realise that having a flash duration longer than your shutter speed can be a real problem. As you turn up the power of the pack the flash duration gets longer. If you are using a leaf shutter and have a sync of up to 1/1600sec it is easy to have the flash going beyond the shutting opening time. So as you turn up the pack it makes no difference to the image. So if you are daylight balancing your flash and want to control your Background light exposure while keeping shallow depth of field and not resorting to ND filters you need good flash systems.
Yeah but godox flashes are fast, the only brand beating it is bronco
You Sure, they dont look that great to me
I have the Godox V1 and the Profoto A1X and I find myself using the Godox more often. It's no more difficult than the Profoto, so not sure what the "ease of use" comment is about. I do have the Profoto B1 as well and use that a lot when I need more power. Don't have any of the other Godox lights, other than the V1 and I'm happy with that. And I'm not a pro photographer, but I do make money for various events that I shoot and not one time has anyone (other than other photo enthusiasts I meet at events) ever asked me what gear I use. So I say, just get what you like and/or can afford and that works for you.
I started using the Wescott strobe like the Godox V1. A little more money, but easy to use and works good. I had to call Tech support 2 times and got to speak to a real person. That is gold for me. I have had Godox in the past. My experience was not good. The Wescott strobe is made in China but nice quality.
I remember when no one ever thought pocket-wizard could be dethroned. The answer is yes, if they make a comparable product at a better price point.
This.
My first foray into OCF led me to buy a Flashpoint Zoom TTL R2, an Adorama rebrand of a Godox flash. The price was good, seemed to have decent power and for some reason had a longer warranty than its Godox equivalent. How does that work? I then bought a Tx/Rx combo and ultimately the Godox Ving V860 with Li-Ion. They've worked pretty reliably for the most part. The worst that's ever gone wrong with them is that when the head is too close to the transmitter they can misfire. Reposition, retake the shot. Other than that small niggle they've been great.
I recently bought a Godox strip modifier. I can't compare its output or its durability against Profoto and Broncolor but it's a lot thicker and heavier than my Westcott Apollo modifiers. I guess it's gotta be to insert those damn PITA rods!
Maybe one day I'll graduate to pro gear but this is working for me now.
funny the current Godox pro line gets always compared to a Profoto from the pre OCF time, when Profoto was selling professional tank build packs like the pro 7 and pro8a and the pro2b and pro3br. the d1/2 and b1/2x line with the recessed tubes are nothing like these old packs, they are the same crappy electronics Elinchrom and Godox is selling you in my experience Profoto is even worse. just take a look at the Profoto user groups on FB or somewhere else how happy the people are with their customer service....
here in Europe, there are more retailers selling you Godox directly then Profoto resellers in the whole Europe ... and they have to handle the service. even spare parts are easier and cheaper to get for Godox. maybe this is all different in the Americas. .... and just for the professional aspect the US is not the world, you can be sure that there are 100 times more people using Godox professional than Profoto, there is something called Asia with a couple more people than in the US.
Overall, the 7A is still my favorite Profoto pack.
Discontinued.
Yeah but fstoppers is sponsor éd by profoto so they have to deal with the BS, the only calid point is modifiées, godox make crappy mods, but the flashes are very repliables
You may want to do some homework here instead of just detailing the inferiority of Godox versus the more expensive brands. In the United States, Flashpoint/Adorama is the distributor for Godox. Your customer service and parts needs are met by their staff in NYC. In the states, I would avoid Godox branded photography lights if you can help it as their distribution network is designed this way to service its customers in larger markets. Modifiers are bad?! LMAO, they use Bowens mount. Some of the best modifiers in the world come in or can be used on Bowens mount. Just because their own brand of modifiers aren’t always great quality doesn’t mean you can’t use a Wescott soft box or even a Broncolor or Profoto with proper speed ring.
The only reason I go to bat for Flashpoint/Godox is because of all the brands I’ve used (big and small) they meet a very comfortable balance of price to performance. This allows me to own all of my own gear and always be prepared to work for clients at any time. They’ve also been workhorses for me and traveled all across the United States - something other brands I used in the past could not. Some of those died from moisture in heavy fog…seriously! But these lights -absolutely not perfect- do their job with consist color temperatures, output, excellent R2 remote system and fast recycling times. That’s all I personally care about.
Great pointless clickbait article with a bunch of affiliate links. Thank you for posting!
BTW you forgot a B&H link to the 2400W Godox - a potentially lost revenue ;)
That 2400ws pack at $5000.00 does not appear to come with the two heads. Definitely looks like it is targeting a different Godox clientele. For a small studio too far for rentals, it may not be a bad deal. That type of power is a great add up for someone who wants to take any job opportunity. They are talking about H2400 heads and the 1200ws has it's own H1200. I am wondering if the H2400 will plug on the 1200pack. It's always good to have a compatible back up handy. Edit: H2400 head will be $800.00 each
My opinion is that there is simply no comparison between the equipment made by Broncolor, Profoto, and Hensel as all their flashes are handcrafted with top quality materials and components and those made by godox leave much to be desired in terms of accessories.
Accessories such as?
Godox uses a Bowen’s mount system. So to knock them for their choice of modifiers seems pointless. Even if you don’t like the ones they make, the Bowen’s mount system has been around for decades and has an endless variety of quality modifiers from many different brands. And if you really wanna use elinchrom modifiers, a simple adapter will do the trick.
I’ve been using godox lights now for three years now and have yet to run into issues. And on two separate, specific occasions I had the flashes fall on some hard concrete and rocks fearing for sure that I totaled them only to discover that they work good as new. Longevity and build quality has definitely been an unexpected, positive surprise. They offer all of the same features as profoto or broncolor lights at a fraction of the cost. I see no reason to overpay for what is already getting the job done.
"Godox uses a Bowen’s mount system. So to knock them for their choice of modifiers seems pointless." Repeat this please! If Broncolor offered a Bowens mount, they'd be (more) GOLD!
Overheating...this is the problem of Godox
Which Godox models have you had overheating problems with?
V860II and AD200
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Yep. Happens to my v860ii. The annoying thing is it's not technically overheating, but, rather on some thermal timer. Even at 1/8th power, it'll limit your shots.
My V1 and especially the AD300 on some harsher use...
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And the many items on Amazon in the continuous race to the bottom. Don't even get me started on the "brand" names that you can't even pronounce.
I will say that I am a current Godox user. This is not because I don't like other brands. I use Godox because, for the price, they are the most innovative with their product line. Price has a large part in my decision to use the brand and the lights are good quality and somewhat reliable. They are far from perfect and I have some issues with the brand.
I think that Godox is looking to take over the larges sector of the market in the hobbyist/enthusiast/semipro market. There is one Brand that I believe they are targeting to overtake, Paul C. Buff. There are many brands that have folded in the last 10 years and Godox has risen to take their place. I am predicting that Paul C . Buff is next if they do not innovate.
They are really struggling after the founder passed. I think the kids did not appreciate what he built or the community of photographers. Yes they are really struggling and I don't think they will make it ultimately.
I know the founder passed, but I don't keep up with the company anymore. Once the Chinese companies created a superior product to compete with PCB, I switched. The wireless triggers system was the deathblow.
The Godox argument swirls around a lot in photography circles. In particular here on FStoppers. I think all of the Pro vs Godox arguments fail to recognize the sheer genius of their product plan.
First it didn't market their products to PRO photographers and for good reason. It completely sidestepped the snobbiness of the Broncolor, Profoto, Elincrhom & Hensel crowds. It focused on the most important thing for building a brand USERS. There are way more wannabe photographers in the world than there are pros. There are way more PRACTICAL Asians in the world than Europeans and Americans. The Chinese will buy a really heavy meat cleaver that can be used for generations rather than the shiniest new fangled (As seen on TV) Nonsense.
In this market their competition was Branded Speedlights, Yougnou, Meike, Vivitar, Panasonic, PocketWizard and various other flash and remote off brand trigger makers. In this market they DOMINATE their competition. It really makes no sense to buy one of these other brands given the interoperability of the Godox system. You no longer have to mix and match systems, fuss with sync cords or worry about compatibility. It's one and done. Mission accomplished. In terms of reference of USERS there are only hardcore Niche Users of other brands in this regard.
Focusing on USERS they grew their Ecosystem complete with multiple overlaps of functionality. So if you couldn't make up your mind there still may be something that you could use. They completely understood the mind of the Noobie (Broke) photographer and the Pro Amatuer (Photographic stuff Collector). Pro photographers only buy what is going to make them MONEY otherwise they Rent and pass that on to customers. Noobs and ProAms buy what everyone else is using or the most STUFF to give the appearance of being a PRO photographer AND it doesn't make SENSE for them to RENT anything. So a NOOB can buy one branded speedlight OR 3 Godox speedlights. It's not rocket science. As this Noob begins to transition to other methodologies of OCF they naturally begin to buy into the system. There's nothing else to buy. No trigger? No Problem use your speedlight as a remote! Every dollar the Noob saves it goes into buying new gear and when they do it is back into the system. They are locked in. The effect is obvious, Do a search for Godox on Craigslist and there is NO USED GEAR. I'm in the Bay Area and I just did this to prove my point. There are 5 postings in the SFBay area. 5 that means these things are in high demand. If you do a court house wedding in San Francisco you had better be using an obscure channel with ID turned on otherwise your lights will be blasting off at random times. So would I say they had cornered the market on USERS yes.
For ProAM users they are buying new Camera systems and lenses all the time. With Godox they can change from Fuji to Nikon, to Sony or whatever multiple times and NEVER have to change their lights or what they've become used to with the Godox system. They can collect the Speedlight, V1, AD100, AD200, AD300 or whatever Just because without a need to scrap the whole system and start over. At best they are out $70 for a new remote. So Godox's User Base solidification Mission Accomplished.
Godox has established a different Class of Photographer Owners vs Renters. As Photographers graduate from Noobs and ProAms to Pros and we know Pros only Buy what makes them MONEY the class of photographers that are OWNERS of their own equipment will be GODOX owners. With a huge base of USERS that mostly OWN their own gear, for GODOX to pump a line of gear to switch to securing Rental Houses will come at a specific tipping point in the market where NOW PRO photographers are taking TRAVEL jobs at a rate that it makes sense to RENT or Rental houses have warehouses of unused Broncolor and Profoto gear that it no longer makes sense to carry them because most (New) PRO photographers now OWN their own light systems.
The quality of light is comparable to Broncolor and Profoto systems. With Godox's wide base of users they will outpace Pro lighting houses in terms of monetary resources, which they will then pour in to R&D, first copying, then innovating. It is not necessarily about Godox vs the rest, I believe it is about Godox making the rest irrelevant in the not so distant future. There will be Godox and the Niche users of Broncolor and Profoto. Godox users were NEVER here for the name and prestige, We are here because they work and the systems and price make sense and that is what will position Godox for the Toyota to Lexus moment and the Very Wide User base is already there.
No American or European was buying the TATA Sierra, TATA Bolt or the TATA Sumo, but TATA stuck to the fundamentals and Americans and Europeans still buy Range Rovers and Jaguars. I think this is how this argument ends. With an ever expanding USER base GODOX will just buy Broncolor and/or Profoto and that will be that. Argument over. At the end of the day everybody will be using it.
I would be careful with such statement. I think Godox could become greedy as the market changes. The decline in camera sales eventually will catch up and lighting equipment sale will drop as well. Alien Bees filled the market during the digital camera sales boom and Godox filled that spot after the owner passed, but Buff was producing lights a long time before all a sudden his sales grew to what they did. Godox is doing weird things with it's two packs, the first one offering a single head connection with tubes rated to 1200ws max. Now they have a 2400ws about to come out and 2400ws heads. I will be interested to see if it is possible to use two 1200ws heads on a 2400ws. This sounds like a dangerous proposition in case someone plugs only one head unless they have a head detection that would block you from starting the thing. $5000 is not cheap and the heads at $800 each are much cheaper than Bron but way out of price for the average Godox buyer. Could be that Godox realizes that things could change and sucking/saturating the market with super low price has limits. You also have to sell a lot of packs to justify low prices and clearly Godox understands it. Additionally with their bad repair reputation, the brand has to upgrade the way it does business because even the average good spender will not trash $5k due to parts availablility.
competition is always good. Sure without competition they would raise prices.
at the moments the price for the godox heads are just a bit more expensive than a new flash tube for a pulso 1600ws head and cheaper than the 3200ws tube. ...
Who is competing with Godox but Godox?
I'm not so sure...DJI now owns a majority stake in Hasselblad. Who saw that coming? Could you have predicted, let alone believed, so many years ago that an obscure Chinese drone maker would come to own one of the most storied brands in image making?
That totally makes sense. Contrary to a general belief, many Chinese investors don't aim at buying luxurious brand to sell cheap products. I think they can keep Hasselblad alive in a similar way as it has been lately while absorbing a bunch of trademarks that could be useful for their drone and other businesses. I know a Chinese company that bought a few manufacturers here in the US and keeps production and everything the same way it was before ownership transfer. Other products they sell is not produced in China but in Vietnam. Godox is kind of old school selling for as cheap as they can but they do it with fair quality it seems. May be it works for them, but they need a serious volume of sales to make it work. At least that's my view on it.
The American Flashpoint Distributor offers excellent service for their Branded Godox equipment. I think the distributors will fill the Godox customer service gap. I've had excellent service from Adorama and I wouldn't buy my Godox supplies anywhere else. They are awesome.
I would agree with who is competing with Godox, Like I said I dumped all of my Nikon flashes SB-600 and SB-800 for Godox flashes. They have Lithium Batteries and no sync problems. They have a model for every major branded Speedlight on the market and it just makes more sense to buy 3 Godox speedlights than 1 Branded Speedlight. Hands down. I dumped all of my Yougnou & PocketWizard triggers, All of my Paul C. Buff Lights & Balcar Lights. Because they no longer made sense to own with the Godox system. It is just that good.
So if that is happening at the Noob ProAm level, the saturation of the market will be thorough by the time Godox needs to make its move to Broncolor and Profoto.
I'm rolling with 1 Zoom mini FujiFlash, 2 R2 TTL Nikon, 3 AD200, 1 AD200 pro, 1 AD400 Pro and a AD600 All collected over time, but I can take them all into the studio and use them ALL at the same time with ONE remote flawlessly. If Companies are thinking that is not something to contend with I think they have missed the boat and are about to get LaserDisc'd out of existence.
The modifier thing is kind of a non-issue since you can just buy Bowens speedrings for any number of third party modifiers out there-and there's no shortage of excellent ones. The rental house thing is also kind of a moot points since unlike Profoto and Broncolor stuff, your average photographer can actually own the Godox stuff since it's a fraction of the cost.
Power wise, that is and build in functions. No pro will rent a $300 light unless renting is convenient due a flight or other transportation issue.
I wonder if this article can be likened to comparing GM to Mercedes. It only became a comparison when MB started making A class vehicles that were in the same price range as the american cars. I remember I had an argument with an individual who thought the same components and technology would be in these A class vehicles as in their $100k vehicles. Anyways, the point is, these products serve 2 different segments of the market and my understanding is that there are not many $100k MB driving photographers out there. Power to them. I am an Engineer and a photographer that has bought two AD 200's, one AD300, one AD1200, two studio strobes, and numerous Godox modifiers. They serve me well, work together flawlessly, and I did not have to sell my house.
Remember Datsun. They entered the US market with the Datsun B210 in the 70's. Everyone laughed at them with arrogance meanwhile American Motors Corp. (AMC) struggled and almost went bankrupt.
They are Nissan. Who is laughing now.
Renault is, but that's a long story.
Here's the bottom line; Godox is making way more money than Broncolor and Profoto combined, don't believe me? just check how many units they sell on amazon. (And they are now after aputure with their new line of COB LED lights.
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Obviously, but it's a clear indication of consumer preferences in terms of value. I am willing to bet that Godox revenue is significantly higher the last 3 years when compared to Profoto.
I think Godox is getting more expensive and there products are getting usable just as well as European brands. And they are most likely global market leader, most people who purchase their monoblocks are photographers.
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that's not true, the strobe construction quality has improved significantly. The new line of godox LED lights are nearly comparable to aputure in built construction and even outperform them in some cases. Back to strobes, the AD200pro and above (300, 400, 600 & 1200) are amazing bang for your bucks and in some cases outperform their more expensive competition in terms of CRI, light output. Only their modifiers are a bit on the cheap side but who cares, they are so cheap and you can always buy from different brands with a Bowens mount.
So I have a Minolta colormeter and a flashmeter. I also have a Godox V860ii, a speedlight.
So have bad is this flash? Well on full power color temperature was, from flash to flash, in the range of 10 kelvin. (5050-5040 if I recal correctly, but 10 kelvin) On full power exposure vas in the range of a tenth of a stop from exposure to exposure. This is a 150 dollar speed light. So obviously neither color nor exposure is a problem.
Yes it differs from lowest to highest power setting. It might be more variations at lower power. But in practical life modifiers, distance, exposure level will be variables that impact color, and if the light is consistent at the set power it’s a good to go.
So a Godox studio flash might change up to 200 kelvin from full power to lowest power, but each shot on identical power level will be identical. A Broncolor is within a range of hundred kelvin? Considering all factors that is splitting hair and on the edge of stupidity to argue that case.
And who is suggesting x4 factor in price makes sense? I would better have four Godox strobes, break one and be left with three , or a Profoto head and break that, and be left with nothing then broken glass ...