Best AI Website Builders: The Future for Small Businesses?

More and more website builders are incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into their platforms, to make creating a website quicker and easier than ever. With so many website builders hopping on the trend, I decided to put some of these AI website builders to the test, to see how useful they are.

Based on my experience and testing, I think Wix is currently the best website builder out there for AI. It offers a wide range of AI tools, from initial website creation to text and image generation, which, coupled with Wix’s excellent designs and intuitive drag-and-drop editor, make it a suitable option for a wide range of users.

Of course, Wix isn’t the only website builder capitalizing on AI, with competitors like Hostinger and 10Web putting AI at the center of their brand.

Overview: Best AI Website Builders

Here’s a quick side by side comparison of each AI website builder tool:

1. Wix: Best Overall AI Website Builder

Time to create*: 4 minutes 16 seconds

*the average time it takes to answer the AI bot’s questions and for the AI to generate a website

Wix’s AI tools:

• AI site generator
• AI image creator and editor
• AI text creator and editor
• AI Meta tag creator
• AI coding assistant

Creating a website with Wix AI

Although Wix gives you the option of creating a website from one of its 800 pre-built templates, it’s much faster to use its AI chatbot to generate one in a matter of minutes.

I was asked a few questions about the type of website I wanted, and was given useful prompts and suggestions for tools I might want my website to have, which impressed me.

After I’d answered all the questions, I was then taken to a dashboard, where I was given the option to complete my web design using AI. Wix generated a design based on the information I had given during setup, and I was able to relaunch the process as many times as I wanted until I was satisfied with the results.

While this took the hassle of sifting through template designs out of creating a website, I did feel that the template design proposals Wix’s AI chatbot created were a little random. Some of the designs didn’t fit the theme I was looking for. One included random pictures of plants and planes, not at all matching my theme of an Italian homestyle restaurant.

That said, all the designs Wix’s AI builder came up with were extremely attractive and polished, if a bit off-theme at times. I particularly like that the AI builder could generate a multi-page website, and not just create a homepage.

Other Wix AI tools

AI website generation is just one of the AI tools at your disposal with Wix. It also has an AI image, copy, and logo creator, allowing you to fast-track your content creation.

I tested out Wix’s AI copywriting tool, and although I do think it can be a good source of inspiration, I’d highly suggest editing the final product. Like most AI generated copy, it can feel a little bland or clichéd at times. That said, it’s highly useful for basic text like product or video descriptions that don’t require much creativity.

Wix has also incorporated AI into its SEO tools, and you’re now able to generate meta tags (meta titles and descriptions) based on website content. AI is also filtering into website development, with Wix adding an AI coding assistant to help guide amateur web developers.

2. Hostinger: Most Affordable AI Website Builder

Time to create: 2 minutes 12 seconds

Hostinger’s AI tools

• AI site generator
• AI image creator
• AI text creator
• AI logo maker
• AI website heatmap

Creating a website with Hostinger AI

I found Hostinger’s website builder to be quite beginner-friendly thanks to the handy on-screen instructions that guide you throughout the creation process.

Like GoDaddy, Hostinger is a very speedy way to create a website. All I needed to do was type a few sentences about the kind of website I needed, and within a minute or two I had three freshly made sites to choose from.

I was overall impressed by the website it came up with. I found them very clean, although not quite as eye-catching as Wix’s AI designs. Hostinger’s backend, however, was much easier to navigate than Wix’s, thanks to its simple menu navigation bar.

The royalty-free placeholder images the AI generated did feel generic on the whole but at least they broadly matched the theme of the site, which was an auto services shop. You’ll have to check each one carefully, though, as I did spot a photo of a smartphone being repaired on my “Contact” page, clearly not in the theme of auto repairs and services.

I also ran into this issue with Wix, and on the whole, I think if you’re a business it’s a good idea to upload your own original imagery to feature on your website, if you can.

Other Hostinger AI tools

Like Wix, Hostinger has other AI tools besides website generation, although they’re only available on the most expensive plan, the $3.99-$13.99 Business Website Builder plan. These include AI text and image creators.

You can generate AI text in two ways, making Hostinger better than GoDaddy as the latter doesn’t have an AI text maker. I struggled with the AI Writer Tool in the left hand menu because there were only a few options to choose between, and none of them matched what I needed. I had more success with the “AI Assist” function, which appears in a pop-up menu bar over a text box when you click on it.

Where Hostinger really outshines Wix is with its AI copy translator, allowing you to translate text between two different languages. This is great if you’re creating a bilingual website, although I do suggest you have a native speaker check the translated copy for clarity.

It also has an AI heatmap, which tells you what areas of your website visitors interact with most, so you can optimize them. Once again, however, you’ll only get access to this on Hostinger’s most expensive plan.

3. Jimdo: Best for Creating Custom Designs

Time to create: 3 minutes 30 seconds

Jimdo’s AI tools

• AI site generator
• AI generated color palettes

Creating a website with Jimdo AI

German website builder Jimdo uses AI to whip up a website that you can publish online for free. That’s a bonus for small businesses and entrepreneurs who are not yet ready to invest in expensive web subscriptions.

The first thing I noticed when getting set up with Jimdo’s AI website builder is that I was asked a lot more questions than I was with other website builders, like Wix and GoDaddy. It felt less AI-like than Wix’s version, which is similar to ChatGPT. Instead, Jimdo’s AI experience was more like a multiple choice quiz.

This means it took more time to create a website with Jimdo’s AI than with other builders, but the upside is that the results were a lot more personalized, and reflective of the small online crafts store I was trying to create.

The overall results were quite attractive, and I felt they captured the brand I had in mind, even if the website I ended up with was not particularly unique-looking. The stock images Jimdo’s AI chose were very high quality, but they took up most of the page, so I’d only recommend this builder to users that are image focused.

I didn’t, however, love that the text was put over the images, and that there was an absence of blank space, since it makes the website a little less accessible to the visually impaired.

Other Jimdo AI tools

Unlike most of the other AI website builders on this list, Jimdo doesn’t actually have any additional AI tools besides its website builder. This takes off some of its edge in the fast-moving world of AI website tech.

That said, its AI builder goes a step further than others in certain areas. For example, it lets you choose color palettes when creating your website through AI, which I appreciated, since it gives you more control over the final results.

Jimdo’s AI builder suggests several color palettes based on your previous answers, which is useful for those that aren’t designers, since it can be hard to know what colors go together.

The website Jimdo’s AI generates also comes pre-filled with copy, which somewhat makes up for the lack of AI writer. It’s not the most inspired copy, which is often the case with AI, but it’s a good start point. Other web builders, like Wix, don’t come pre-populated with text, instead filling text boxes with instructions, or random latin phrases.

4. 10Web: Best for Generating Professional Text

Time to create: 5 minutes 44 seconds

10Web’s AI tools

• AI site generator
• AI image creator
• AI text creator
• AI website migration/conversion

Creating a website with 10Web AI

Creating a website with 10Web’s AI builder took a long time, but a lot of this is because it lets you make creative decisions throughout the process, which I appreciated. It feels more like a collaboration with AI, rather than a hands off project.

For example, I was allowed to customize my website’s pages and sections (choose how many pages and sections I needed, and their headers) while I was still working with the AI builder. Like with Jimdo, I was also allowed to choose from different color palettes and fonts. This means that the end result was in line with my vision, saving me time in post editing.

My main gripe with 10Web’s AI builder is that it takes a very long time to load and generate a website. There was a lot of buffering, even more so than with Wix, which is infamous for slow loading. If you’re looking for a speedy setup, I’d recommend GoDaddy or Hostinger over 10Web.

I also didn’t love that the website 10Web’s AI created was populated with AI generated images, instead of stock imagery, like all the other AI website builders I tested. I have to credit 10Web for leading the charge on AI image innovation, however, the results were uncanny, and quite unattractive if I’m being totally honest.

You can, of course, replace the AI images with your own original imagery, which I highly recommend if you’re creating a website for a business.

10Web’s other AI tools

Beyond website generation, 10Web has several other AI tools, including AI image generation, which discussed above, text generation, and AI assisted website migration.

I was quite impressed by the AI text writer, which was present from the start. During website generation, I was asked to describe the purpose of my website, and was then given the option to enhance my description with AI. Describing your business can be tricky, so having AI embellish this description can lead to better results in the final product.

You can also use 10Web’s AI writer after your website has been generated, and even choose the tone of your website’s text – a rare feature for precise customer targeting.

10Web’s most impressive feature is its AI assisted website migration. If you have an existing WordPress website, but are looking to switch to 10Web, you can recreate it easily using AI. All you need is your old website’s URL, and 10Web’s AI builder will recreate it for you.

Lastly, while 10Web doesn’t have an AI logo generator logo per se, it will generate a simple logo based on your website’s name during the website creation process. You can change it using the AI image generator function, however, the results are quite subpar. When I tested it, the AI didn’t really follow my prompt, and the results were quite ugly. So, I wouldn’t abandon the option of working with a freelance web designer just yet.

5. GoDaddy: Fastest and Easiest AI Website Builder

Time to create: 2 minutes 20 seconds

GoDaddy’s AI tools

• AI site generator
• AI domain name finder
• AI text creator and editor
• AI logo maker
• AI social posts creator
• AI SEO assistant

Creating a website with GoDaddy AI

GoDaddy is known for its speedy website creation, and its AI tools, called GoDaddy Airo hasn’t slowed it down. I was able to generate a website with AI in just two simple steps, made even faster thanks to the clear navigation and suggested color schemes.

The overall results were clean and professional looking, if not the most inspired. Unlike with 10Web or Jimdo, the website wasn’t overload with giant images, allowing for blank space that made the website nice to look at.

Like with Jimdo and 10Web, the website also came pre-populated with copy generated by the AI builder. The placeholder text was somewhat relevant to the auto-repair business I told it I was running, although of course it wasn’t at all reflective of any actual history this invented business might have.

You can edit these sections yourself, or by using the AI writer. However, based on my experience, I don’t think GoDaddy’s AI writer is on the same level as Wix’s or 10Web’s. It doesn’t let you write a prompt, instead, you just refresh the existing text using the AI button. There’s also no option to edit text using AI to make it shorter, longer, or change the tone.

GoDaddy’s other AI tools

Like Wix, GoDaddy comes with a lot of AI tools besides the website builder, these include AI text creation, logo making, marketing content creation, and AI assisted SEO.

I did, however, quite like GoDaddy’s AI logo maker. It asked me what my business was, and gave me prompts when asking about the type of clientele I cater to and the “vibe” of my business.

GoDaddy’s AI writer isn’t just for writing copy on the website, it can also be used to create marketing material, such as social posts and emails. Here, as opposed to when using the AI to write on the website, you can actually write a brief prompt and choose a tone of voice, an improvement I hope GoDaddy rolls out to the website building editor.

The AI writer can also help with SEO by optimizing product descriptions, and meta tags to focus on keywords.

Is Shopify an AI Website Builder?

Shopify doesn’t yet have an AI tool that can build you a website from scratch, and has been a little late to the party when it comes to this, only launching its AI assistant tool, Shopify Magic, in April 2023.

Shopify Magic has several functions. It can:

• Write product descriptions
• Write email subject lines and advise on the best times to send emails
• Answer customers’ question through the live chat on your Shopify online store

This can save valuable time and rescue you from writer’s block when you’re scaling up your sales business.

Shopify has also launched Shopify Sidekick, an AI assistant that’s currently only available on early access. It’s set up like an instant chat, where you simply type in prompts or questions the way you’d speak to a colleague.

You’ll be able to ask why your sales are dropping, as well as commanding automated tasks such as a shop-wide discount.

Are AI Website Builders Worth it?

AI website builders are worth it if you’re looking to save time creating a website, or you have limited experience with website builders and need support creating one.

That’s because they take away the hassle of having to sift through different pre-made templates in your chosen website builder’s library (Wix has over 800, so it can take a while), or choose what pages and sections to include on your website and what to call them.

That being said, I would advise you against using an AI-generated site as your final product, especially if you’re using it to promote your business. That’s because AI websites tend to lack uniqueness, and you could end up with a boilerplate website that’s a copy of millions of others on the web.

It’s also highly unlikely that you’ll be 100% satisfied with the website AI generates for you, since it can’t read your mind, so you’ll need to be prepared to do some editing yourself either way.

Overall, AI can be used as a source of inspiration for a website, and is a good start point for inexperienced website creators.

Our Methodology: How Did We Test AI Website Builders?

The team at Expert Market evaluates website builders based on an in-house testing and ranking framework. We assess website builders in six main categories, including features, usability, aesthetics, customer support, price, and feedback we received from everyday users.

We then give each category score a ‘relevance weighting’, with features and functionality given the most weight, to ensure the product’s final score perfectly reflects the needs and requirements of Expert Market readers.

Here’s a more detailed look at what we considered when reviewing website builders:

• Features: The features included in the website builder, and how useful they are for businesses (SEO, marketing, online store, blog tools, AI assistant etc.)
• Aesthetics and design: The variety of templates offered by the website builders, and how easy they are to customize to create a unique website that reflects a business’s brand
• Customer support: The availability of the customer support team, how many ways there are to contact them, and the usefulness of its support center and online forum
• Price: The balance between what each website builder costs and the benefits it provides
• Customer feedback: How easy the website builder is to use for the average customer, and their satisfaction levels with it as a website builder