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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I'm not quite sure I understand why the cost difference is an issue for you. Buy what you want, run your business and be happy. A large part of my Broncolor equipment is 10-25 years old. A lot was purchased used including accessories and has no issue at all. You too can probably purchase used and long lasting (as in decades) Broncolor for cheaper than new Godox that has no longevity data to back it up. It's a choice and many pros buy used and combine with new. It's just planning, you have options. Any Bron made after the mid 80's is reliable and can be mixed with almost anything produced since. Planning, that's what makes a good purchase not necessarily the cost.
My point is that the argument of better more consistent light with European brands does not really hold water. You can argue it have a long lifespan but most photographers will want HSS, TTL, remote control, Bluetooth app and batteries. You don’t get that with old gear. And as most of us struggle, price matters. It matters a lot.
Personally don't want HSS and ttl. May be I am old fashion, but I feel more control with manual output set up. It's kind of like driving a standard transmission where you don't have to look at your rpm but you shift by sound of the engine. HSS sucks too much power. Not that you always want to shoot with more power but when you need it and can't have it, it is a limitation. If you take the time to learn manual and what to do, you can get very quick and get extremely consistent at it. When I did weddings on the side I would use ttl from time to time but still found manual more consistent. You have a point regarding ttl for some photography but if you start doing product shoot, studio or shoot at night, beside speedlights, with any pack you would want manual adjustments. Not everyone does wedding, senior pictures or event photography. Beside, you assume that Euro brands don't have apps, but Broncolor does have one allowing multiple controls. They do listen to make changes and improve or fix issue, and I know that because I asked them to fix a function and they did within three months with next firmware. No you can't control older devices with the app, but again most people don't need to control everything remotely and why would you need a remote when shooting ttl?
Broncolor makes great gear. It’s what are being used on corporate level and among big names. You are fortunate to have good gear. Most likely the best gear money can get you.
Not fortunate, I started with nothing and borrowed money, but I did select equipment that would allow me to take a huge variety of work.
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Not sure if anyone addressed the real issue with the article. It doesn't matter if Godox matches or exceeds Profoto or Broncolor. If Godox overtakes the market and becomes the larges provider, it will potentially end either one or both of the legacy manufacturers. Godox did not spend years and millions of dollars on R+D like the innovators and the reverse engineering contributed to the rise of the brand. I do blame the manufacturers themselves for sending the work to China to save money and keep margins high. Nothing wrong with making money the right way but they killed themselves when they gave the recipe to companies that would rip them off and create knockoffs. Now the knockoffs are winning.
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That's true, but I would support the businesses more in keeping the original manufactures protected from knockoff companies. The aforementioned results are significantly worse when you hand over the secrets as a business model.
Well the Japanese managed to copy European cameras and pretty much take over the marked long time before we started to produce in low cost countries.
Of cause it would be great if we all was using Leica, Rollei and Hasselblad. For those who could afford it.
Still producing in Chine din not help western economies. Only greedy corporations. They already are targeting the Chinese market, to sell to them. As we can afford less they more.
I thought it’s going to be meaningful one to one comparison from technical point of view but instead got usual moaning about brand names. Godox will give them run for their money that’s for sure.