I tested AI website builders for 3 months: my top 7 choices
Our team of experts and researchers rigorously test and evaluate website builders through transparent, in-depth testing procedures and methods using both in-house and industry-approved tools.
Drawing on cybersecurity insights, we provide unbiased, empirical rankings and analysis to help users make informed digital platform choices.
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AI website builders promise a lot: launch your site in minutes – no coding, no design struggles, no pulling your hair out because that one button refuses to line up. But let’s be honest, not all of them live up to that promise. Some are brilliant time-savers – others left me wondering how AI-powered they really are.
To find out which tools truly deliver, I spent 3 full months testing the most talked-about AI website builders out there. I clicked, dragged, typed, deleted, redesigned, and even broke a few templates (on purpose, of course) – all to see how they handle real-world needs.
In this guide, you’ll get a clear comparison of my best 7 AI web builder picks and honest recommendations on which builder fits which purpose best. Whether you’re starting a small business, setting up an online store, building a portfolio, or just want a personal site that doesn’t look like it was made in 2004, there’s an option here for you.
Let’s dive in and find the one that actually makes your website dreams a reality.
Best AI website builders for 2025
- Wix – best AI web builder overall
- Hostinger Website Builder – top AI web builder for personal blogs
- IONOS website builder – great AI web builder for budget-conscious users
- Squarespace – a visually stunning AI web builder for portfolios
- Shopify – recommended AI web builder for online stores
- Bluehost – easy-to-use AI builder for business websites
- SITE123 – a reliable AI web builder for simple sites
Our in-house research team and expert writers work hand in hand to regularly test website builders and provide accurate and fact-checked information. Discover the ins and outs of how we test and evaluate website builders.
What is an AI website builder?
AI web builder uses AI to help you build a website without coding, endless dragging, or hours spent tweaking design settings. You answer a few questions – like what your site is about, what style you want, maybe even what colors you like – and the AI does the hard work. In minutes, you get a complete, ready-to-publish website.
With traditional builders like WordPress or Wix (classic mode), you get a blank canvas or template, and it’s up to you to fill it. You manually choose the layout, fonts, colors, and page structure. It sounds fun at first, but quickly turns into decision overload. You can spend hours tweaking tiny things and still feel like your site isn’t there yet. I’ve done this myself – trust me, it gets exhausting.
AI builders skip that pain. They ask what you need, generate the whole structure for you, and even fill it with sample text and images based on your answers. You can then fine-tune it, but the hardest part – the starting point – is handled. It feels less like building and more like customizing something that’s already 80% done.
In short: traditional builders give you the tools; AI builders give you the result (and you tweak it from there).
Is it perfect? I’d say – not always. Some AI-generated designs can feel a bit generic, and if you want total creative control, you might bump into limits. But if you value speed, simplicity, and not Googling “how to fix header alignment in WordPress,” AI builders feel like a breath of fresh air.
My top 7 best AI web builders: comparison and detailed review
So, which AI website builders are actually worth your time – and which ones fit your needs best? Here’s a quick comparison to help you choose the right tool, whether you’re building a portfolio, an online store, or a business site.
 |  |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Provider | Wix ADI | Hostinger web builder | IONOS web builder | Squarespace | Shopify | Bluehost web builder | SITE123 |
| Rating | |||||||
| Exclusive deal | Get Wix with 50% OFF | Get Hostinger Website Builder, 78% OFF + free months | Get up to 91% OFF IONOS website builder | Get up to 36% OFF Squarespace | Try Shopify free for 3 days + 3 months for $1 | Get up to 83% OFF Bluehost website builder! | SITE123 from $12.80/month |
| Free plan | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Pricing | From $10.50/month | From $2.69/month | From $1.00/month | From $16.00/month | From $29.00/month | From $1.99/month | From $12.80/month |
| AI feature | Wix AI for site generation, AI text, image, and video generators, AI-powered SEO suggestions | AI page generator, Kodee AI assistant, AI heatmap tool, AI text and image generators, AI blog post generator, AI SEO assistant | AI SEO text generator, AI image generator, AI color palette tool, AI section generator, basic AI content suggestions | Blueprint AI site generator, AI website copy generator, AI section backgrounds, AI-powered SEO tools, brand identity AI tool, AI domain name generator | AI content generator for product descriptions and FAQs, AI insights for sales/inventory, AI store setup tool, AI-powered SEO and marketing tools | AI website builder, AI design suggestions, automated content generation, AI SEO recommendations, AI-powered drag-and-drop editor | AI content generator for pages, menus, FAQs, blogs, AI product description generator, quick AI-powered setup wizard |
| Full review | Wix web builder review | Hostinger web builder review | IONOS web builder review | Squarespace web builder review | Shopify web builder review | Bluehost web builder review | SITE123 web builder review |
Below, I’ll walk you through my hands-on experience with each of these AI website builders – what they do well, where they fall short, and who they’re best suited for. If you’re also curious about Cybernews' top recommended website builders, check out this guide to the best website builders.
1. Wix AI – best website builder overall
| Rating: | |
| Free plan: | ✅ Yes |
| Pricing: | $10.50/month |
| Money-back guarantee: | ✅ 14 days |
| Best deal: | Get Hostinger Website Builder, 78% OFF + free months |
Wix AI is an ADI-powered website builder designed for simplicity and speed. It helps users build websites by asking a few guiding questions and generating tailored templates based on the answers. Personally, I rank Wix as my #1 AI web builder due to its user-friendly approach and time-saving design features.
💡 Why I picked Wix as the best AI website builder overall?
I chose Wix AI as my top AI website builder because its AI tools are really easy to use and helpful for beginners. Instead of offering random templates, Wix ADI asks smart questions to understand your needs. And if you’re stuck, it even helps you shape your prompts. After your website is generated, you can keep refining it with AI assistance – from creating texts, images, and videos to building entire sections or even redesigning the theme.
⭐ My experience with Wix ADI – 4.9/5
2. Hostinger – best AI web builder for personal blogs
| Rating: | |
| Free plan: | ❌ No |
| Pricing: | $2.69/month |
| Money-back guarantee: | ✅ 30 days |
| Best deal: | Get Hostinger Website Builder, 78% OFF + free months |
If I had to pick just one AI website builder for a personal blog, Hostinger would be my top choice. It’s simple, affordable, and surprisingly smart for the price. It includes handy AI tools like image and text generators, as well as an AI heatmap, which is a really nice addition for bloggers.
💡 Why I picked Hostinger as the best AI website builder for personal blogs
Hostinger stood out to me because it just made the whole process feel easy. I loved how the AI Page Generator gave me ready-made pages in seconds that actually made sense for the blog ideas I had in mind. Plus, the Kodee AI Assistant was helpful – popping in with useful tips exactly when I needed them, not when I didn’t. Additionally, when I had my website ready, the AI Heatmap was handy for checking how to lay out the content better.
⭐ My experience with Hostinger Website Builder – 4.7/5
3. IONOS – top budget-friendly AI web builder
| Rating: | |
| Free plan: | ❌ No |
| Pricing: | $1.00/month |
| Money-back guarantee: | ✅ 30 days |
| Best deal: | Get up to 91% OFF IONOS website builder |
IONOS is a reliable website builder designed mostly for those who want to keep things simple. It comes with a handful of helpful AI tools – like the AI SEO Text Generator – that make setting up basic SEO and content much faster. I’d personally place IONOS as my #3 pick for AI website builders, mainly because it does the job well for simple needs but feels limited compared to more advanced platforms like Wix or Hostinger.
💡 Why I picked IONOS as the best AI website builder for budget-conscious users
In my experience, IONOS stands out for those who simply want an affordable, easy way to get a site online without diving into too much customization. For just $1.00/month you get SEO text generator, image generator, and other basic AI tools. What I appreciated was how the AI SEO Text Generator saved me a lot of time – it suggested relevant keywords and descriptions right away, sparing me the usual hours spent researching SEO phrases manually.
⭐ My experience with IONOS website builder – 4.5/5
4. Squarespace – great AI web builder for visually stunning portfolios
| Rating: | |
| Free plan: | ✅ Yes |
| Pricing: | $16.00/month |
| Money-back guarantee: | ✅ 14 days |
| Best deal: | Get up to 36% OFF Squarespace |
Squarespace is a go-to website builder famous for its sleek, professionally designed templates and easy drag-and-drop interface. Recently, it added AI-powered features that generate personalized layouts, images, and copy. This makes website creation way simpler, especially for users without much design experience. Personally, I’d place Squarespace as my top pick for portfolios and creative projects.
💡 Why I picked Squarespace as the best AI website builder for portfolios
For me, Squarespace nails the balance between smart automation and beautiful design. It’s important when you want a portfolio that looks polished without hours of tweaking. Its Blueprint AI asks just a few smart questions about your style and business, then whips up a tailored website in minutes. What really stands out is the ongoing Design Intelligence tool, offering one-click suggestions to refine your site’s look effortlessly.
⭐ My experience with Squarespace website builder – 4.5/5
5. Shopify – reliable AI web builder for your online store
| Rating: | |
| Free plan: | ❌ No |
| Pricing: | $29.00/month |
| Money-back guarantee: | ❌ No |
| Best deal: | Try Shopify free for 3 days + 3 months for $1 |
Shopify is my top pick for the best AI website builder for eCommerce stores – no surprise here. This platform stands out due to its deep eCommerce focus and a growing suite of AI features that make store creation and management faster and smarter.
💡 Why I Picked Shopify as the Best AI Website Builder for eCommerce?
From my experience in testing website builders, Shopify feels the most tailored to running an actual eCommerce business. What stood out to me was its combination of AI-driven tools like Shopify Magic, which practically writes your product descriptions and FAQ content for you, and Smart Sidekick, which gives sales and inventory insights you’d normally need a whole data team for.
⭐ My Experience With Shopify Website Builder – 4.4/5
6. Bluehost – easy-to-use web builder for small business
| Rating: | |
| Free plan: | ❌ No |
| Pricing: | $1.99/month |
| Money-back guarantee: | ✅ 30 days |
| Best deal: | Get up to 83% OFF Bluehost website builder! |
Bluehost is my top pick for the best easy-to-use AI website builder for small businesses. This platform distinguishes itself with a streamlined, beginner-friendly approach and a growing suite of AI-powered features that make website creation and management faster and smarter.
💡 Why I picked bluehost as the best AI website builder for small businesses
From my experience testing website builders, Bluehost stands out for its simplicity and smart automation. The Bluehost WonderSuite, their AI-powered toolkit, asks a few straightforward questions about your business and style, then generates a tailored website in minutes. What impressed me most is how the platform’s AI tools – like WonderAssist – offer personalized design suggestions, automated content generation, and smart SEO recommendations to help your site look professional and perform well.
⭐ My experience with Bluehost website builder – 4.4/5
7. SITE123 – AI website builder for simple sites
| Rating: | |
| Free plan: | ✅ Yes |
| Pricing: | $1.99/month |
| Money-back guarantee: | ✅ 14 days |
| Best deal: | Get up to 83% OFF Bluehost website builder! |
SITE123 is my top pick for the AI website builder for simple sites. If you want to create a clean, functional website without diving into complex tools or settings, SITE123 is a fantastic choice. Its intuitive interface, beginner-friendly approach, and streamlined AI features make it ideal for anyone who values speed and simplicity over deep customization.
💡 Why I Picked SITE123 as the Best AI Website Builder for Simple Sites
SITE123 stands out for its simple setup and easy-to-use editing tools. The platform’s recently improved Text AI feature now covers even more page types – including restaurant menus, FAQs, blog posts, schedules, and testimonials. This means you can generate solid, relevant content for almost any section of your site with just a few prompts, saving hours you’d otherwise spend writing and revising.
⭐ My Experience With SITE123 Website Builder – 4.2/5
Web builders testing methodology
At Cybernews, we follow a clear and transparent testing process to review website builders. For AI web builders, I started with %numberofreviews_webbuilders%% providers that promoted AI features. From that list, I handpicked 7 that met the key criteria – effective AI tools, beginner-friendly design, essential security features, and reliable performance. Over the course of 3 months, I tested each builder in depth to see how well they helped users create functional, great-looking websites. For performance and speed tests, our research team helped me monitor each created site's behavior using Grafana and GTmetrix.
- AI tools (40%). I evaluated each builder’s specific AI tools: AI design suggestions, AI-generated text, logo creators, and image generators. Testing the effectiveness of these tools was crucial, as not every builder offers fully developed AI functionality.
- Ease of use and setup speed (20%). To determine how quickly and easily beginners could get started, I measured the intuitiveness of the interface, setup process, and navigation. Builders with simpler workflows and helpful onboarding got higher scores.
- Templates and design flexibility (15%). I examined each builder’s template library, looking at the quality, variety, and customization options. Flexibility was also evaluated, particularly on how well designs adapted to different screen sizes.
- Security features (15%). Security is essential for any site, so I verified that each builder supported SSL certificates, data privacy policies, and other security features that protect users’ information. I used GTmetrix for security checks and load time evaluations.
- Performance and speed (10%). Using Grafana, I tested loading times, uptime, and general performance under traffic to ensure that each builder could handle typical usage and keep websites running smoothly.
After testing each provider, I assigned a final ranking based on overall performance in each category. The test results highlighted the best-performing builders in specific areas, such as business-oriented, eCommerce features, and beginner accessibility, allowing us to provide a well-rounded list.
Do I need an AI website builder?
Yes, absolutely. AI has quietly but firmly become the new standard in website building. Personally, I wouldn’t trust a builder that doesn’t include some form of AI – or worse, charges extra for it as if it’s some premium perk. When a builder integrates AI, it shows they’re keeping up with current trends and user needs.
From my own experience testing these tools, AI doesn’t always get everything 100% right. It’s not some magical brain that reads your mind and builds your dream site in one click. But here’s the beauty of it: AI gives you a real starting point. Instead of spending hours scrolling through endless templates or dragging boxes around trying to make things look right, you simply tell the AI what you want – your niche, your vibe, your site goal – and it gives out a layout tailored to that.
After that, you just tweak the details to make it yours. It saves time. It saves energy. And most importantly, it takes away the overwhelming blank-page feeling that every beginner fears.
Can I build a website for free with AI?
Yes, you can build a website for free with AI – but there are limits. Many AI website builders like Wix or Squarespace offer free plans that let you create a site using AI tools for design, content, and even logos. It’s a quick way to get a site draft without coding.
But here’s the catch: free versions often include builder branding, a subdomain (like yoursite.wixsite.com), and limited features. For a personal blog or portfolio, that’s fine. But if you want a professional, ad-free site with your own domain, you’ll likely need to upgrade to a paid plan.
Still – for testing ideas or building a simple site, AI-powered free plans work well.
My verdict: which AI web builder is the best?
After testing different AI website builders, my favorite is Wix AI. Why? Because it’s super easy to use, fast, and flexible. You just answer a few questions, and Wix AI creates a website for you that looks professional right away. Plus, it gives you tools to change things if you want – so it works well for both beginners and small business owners.
On the other hand, there are more tools that are great for specific needs. For example, if you want to start a simple blog, Hostinger is perfect. It’s cheap, easy to use, and comes with AI tools like Kodee and a page generator. The AI Heatmap also helps you see what parts of your page get the most attention.
Additionally, if you want to build a website without spending much, IONOS is a good option. It’s affordable and covers the basics. But it’s not the best if you want lots of custom features.
In the end, remember the best builder depends on what you need. Do you care more about design? Blogging? Online selling? Budget? Simplicity? Think about your goals first – then pick the tool that fits them best.wbuilde
Are AI website builders better than traditional ones?
Yes, AI website builders are faster and easier, especially for beginners. On the other hand, traditional builders can offer more control and flexibility for advanced customization if you’re more tech-savvy.
Can AI really design a full website for me?
Yes, AI website builders can create a complete website layout, generate content, and suggest designs based on your input.
What’s the easiest AI website builder to use?
Wix AI and Hostinger Website Builder are among the easiest AI website builders. They offer quick setup and beginner-friendly AI tools for text and image generation.
Are AI website builders good for small businesses?
Yes, AI website builders are great for small businesses needing fast, affordable, and easy website creation without technical skills. Usually, they’re pretty scalable, offer great marketing suites, and even include eCommerce tools, which are perfect for small business.
Do AI website builders offer customization after the initial design?
Yes, most AI website builders allow you to edit, customize layouts, text, and images after the AI generates the initial design.
Are websites built with AI good for SEO?
Yes, many AI website builders include built-in SEO tools, but manual optimization may still be needed for the best results.
Can I use an AI website builder to create an online store?
Yes, several AI website builders like Shopify, Wix, or Hostinger offer eCommerce features like product pages, payment gateways, and inventory management.
Is it safe to use AI tools to build a website?
Yes, AI website builders are safe and include standard security features like SSL certificates and data protection.
What are the limitations of AI website builders?
AI website builders may limit advanced design control, unique custom features, and scalability for complex or large websites.
