To say I am not a coder is an understatement. I have hired two web developers to build and update my own business website and a third to design it. I imagine that talented developers consider coding to be a joy, whereas I am a word person through and through.
In this assignment, the Hubspot Blog tasked me with coming up with the best AI tools for web development and then testing them. As a result, I am presenting you with a list of 12 AI web development programs I attempted to test with the help of more than 50 practitioners, SEO specialists, software engineers, academics who study AI and CEOs of commercially available web programs from around the world. I reached these experts through HARO, Help a Reporter Out, a site that connects journalists with sources.
Some of the tools I selected are ideal for beginners who want to build their sites from scratch without the need to code, some specialize in such aspects as copywriting, and others may require more advanced tech skills.
Table of Contents
- What is an AI Website Development Tool?
- What to Look For in AI Tools for Web Development
- Best AI Tools for Website Development
What is an AI Website Development Tool?
An AI website development tool uses artificial intelligence to streamline the nitty-gritty of creating a new website and taking the tedium out of tasks that you may have done manually, such as coding, conceiving the look of your site and generally improving your experience by saving you time.
There are also AI website development tools that debug and test, optimize for SEO (search engine optimization), ensure that the quality of images is consistent throughout and those that enhance your user experience (UX).
HubSpot's Free Website Builder
Create and customize your own business website with an easy drag-and-drop website builder.
- Build a website without any coding skills.
- Pre-built themes and templates.
- Built-in marketing tools and features.
- And more!
What to Look For in AI Tools for Web Development
An AI tool needs to be easy to start using — just as easy as accessing your browser, for instance — and it must be intuitive.
Like any new digital tool, it also must explain clearly how to use it, tell you what it can accomplish, and offer help 24/7, ideally with the chance to speak with a human, rather than to rely on chats or emails, which potentially can send you going round and round in maddening circles.
Best AI Tools for Website Development
1. HubSpot’s AI Website Generator
As a writer for the HubSpot blog, I might be biased toward HubSpots tools, but with the free AI website generator, you can create a custom site in a flash. You answer a series of prompts about your business, enter your needs and preferences, the AI generator will seamlessly create a custom site.
Next, it’s your turn to get to work. Taking the AI-generated site, you can customize and tweak what you’ve got using a suite of no-code tools. Perfect.
This is also a great time to point out: the one caveat about all AI programs is that using them is not a one-and-done situation. You must monitor the results at every step and correct them when necessary. You want to ensure your site sounds like a human has written the copy, and that the program has not made false assumptions (called hallucinations), which may have been decided by an AI tool based on its interpretation of answers you provided.
What I like: Using HubSpot’s tool was easy and intuitive to work with, and it’s especially friendly for people who might not be too tech savvy. The bonus, of course, is that the website will hook up to the HubSpot CRM, so the integration is pretty seamless.
2. Wix ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence)
Much like the HubSpot tool, it was easy to get going with Wix ADI. I simply logged onto the site, and then answered a series of questions — such as whether I am creating the site for me and my business or for someone else, which type of business I’m in, and whether I want to use the site to display my projects or to sell merchandise.
Next it suggested a domain name, and then asked me if I had one. When I opted for yes, the prompt was immediately to upgrade from the no-fee version to a fee one. That stopped me, because I already have a website. Plenty of the experts I spoke with, though, put this program at the top of their lists.
For instance, Shahzad Cheema from Tkxel cited Wix ADI for its user-friendliness and suitability for beginners. Cheema saw its drawbacks as limiting flexibility compared to manual coding and its dependence on the Wix platform for hosting and maintenance.
Uku Tomikas, CEO of Messente Communications, agrees saying that, “Wix ADI allows users to create stunning websites quickly. It uses machine learning to design layouts based on user input, making it accessible for non-designers.”
What I like: Wix ADI is that it was a breeze to get started with and easy to use.
3. ChatGPT
I don’t use ChatGPT because I’m a writer and don’t need a program to generate copy for me. However, when I went to the site recently to check it out for this article, I noticed that it wanted more personal information than I was willing to give out. So I signed off.
However, judging by the widespread popularity of ChatGPT (it had 180 million users globally as of June 2024), revealing personal information likely isn’t a barrier to the general public and most web creators.
For user, ChatGPT is a time-saver and an essential tool. “It’s particularly useful for brainstorming, debugging, and getting explanations on various programming concepts,” says Brijesh Gohil, who makes web apps and SaaS products.
However, he notes one downside is that, “Unlike Copilot, ChatGPT isn’t integrated into my coding environment, so I have to switch back and forth between the editor and the ChatGPT interface.”
Free Guide: 25 HTML & CSS Coding Hacks
Tangible tips and coding templates from experts to help you code better and faster.
- Coding to Convention
- Being Browser-Friendly
- Minimizing Bugs
- Optimizing Performance
Download Free
All fields are required.
As for using ChatGPT for generating copy, I understand how it may be helpful for the first or second draft, but I’d caution against using what’s generated by ChatGPT for the finished copy. That’s because it can sound clunky and machine-created. One developer told me that he uses Quillbot (#10 on my list) to clean up ChatGPT’s awkward language.
Worth noting: Basic ChapGPT is free, but also offers a range of plans that charge monthly fees.
4. GitHub Copilot
This AI-powered code completion tool came about as a collaboration between GitHub and OpenAI. According to Brijesh Gohil, it provides real-time code suggestions while the developer is coding. It is popular with many experts who reached out to me as well.
I logged onto GitHub Copilot easily enough, but since I’m not a coder, I wasn’t sure what it or I was doing. Gohil explained its benefits — such as suggesting snippets and even entire functions while he types — “which saves me a ton of time, especially with boilerplate code.” Also, it sometimes it suggests ways to solve problems he hadn't considered and helps him up his coding skills.
Worth noting: On the downside, he notes the need to monitor the results and make sure the suggestions fit the overall structure of his code.
Github Copilot offers a free plan with limited options and two more with more generous offerings for $4 and $21 monthly.
5. Squarespace
This decade-old tool is still popular. I liked it because I created the bare bones of a site in less than five minutes.
Here’s what I did: Squarespace started by offering me 23 industry choices to identify my business, including fashion, gaming, marketing and travel, but I found no “journalism.” Next, it took me to a page that asked, “What Are Your Top Goals?”
Then, it guided me through the steps of what elements I wanted in my site, such as sections to explain who I am, to offer a display of my work, and how to contact me. It also asked what typeface I wanted, and what color palette. I chose the Roboto typeface and a monochrome of blues. And there it was — I was finished with the structure, and it was time to add the copy and images.
What I liked: Easy to use. The site I created looked professional, but the design didn’t stand out. If you’re a designer of any type, I wouldn’t use Squarespace because there’s no way to customize it to make your ideas or products sparkle. If you’re a beginner, though, go for it.
Pricing starts at $16 and goes up to $52, both monthly.
6. Appy Pie
Appy Pie offers what it calls “the most flexible no-code development platform” and their aim is to make website creation a possibility for “anyone.”
When I experimented with their tool, first the program asked me a range of questions, such as who the site is for and what my business is. Then, it presented me with a range of categories, including comic books, sports, climate change, medical breakthroughs, fashion, food, and others. I chose news and magazines, but found it wasn’t right for my site. When I tried to backtrack several times, I had no success. Maybe this system is too advanced even for me?
However, Digitech’s Darryl Stevens called Appy Pie “versatile” and designed for users with little to no coding experience, making it highly accessible to beginners.
Stevens also touted it for its versatility and cost-effectiveness, saying, “It offers a wide range of templates and customization options for creating websites and mobile apps, and is an affordable solution for small businesses and startups.”
Worth noting: AppyPie offers four different price points, due monthly. The basic is $16, followed by $36, then $60, then an enterprise fee that necessitates a call to the company. There’s also a free 7-day trial.
7. Canva
The aim of Canva’s AI Magic Studio is to approach the user in a friendly and direct way to help create professional-looking designs without having to have coding experience and build a website.
“Canva is indispensable for creating visually appealing web elements without any coding expertise,”Rex Liu, the CFO of GoSite.com, told me. I agree.
What I like: Canva provides tutorials every step of the way and a drag-and-drop feature that’s easy for beginners. It is accessible to everyone from beginners to those with higher skill levels, helps you choose the right options for your project, and allows you to work with your team on the site in real time.
To get you started, Canva offers a 30-day free trial; after that, the fee is $120 a year or $15 a month.
8. Galileo AI
Stefan van der Vlag of the Dutch chatbot builder Clepher recommends Galileo AI to beginning developers in need of a code-assistant tool. This is because it offers such features as autocomplete, error detection, and suggestions for improvement, making coding more efficient and less time-consuming.
The AI tool naturally produces web designs and layouts fast, and it’s solid for rapid prototyping, which means it creates prototypes and refines them based on user feedback.
Worth noting: The program could be costly for some users, partly because it requires highly effective data security measures. The standard Galileo AI plan charges $19 and the pro, $39, both monthly.
9. Adobe's Sensei
Many experts I spoke with put Adobe’s Sensei high up on their list of top AI tools. Since it requires a subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud for full access, which I don’t have, I couldn’t test the program and had to rely on my team of experts to discuss its many benefits.
Some professionals pair Sensei with the website creation program Adobe Dreamweaver to tap into its AI-generated features for code generation and error detection. This is good for experienced coders who have the right hardware to support it.
Adobe offers a range of pricing plans.
10. QuillBot
Quillbot’s AI-powered productivity tools include a grammar checker, a paraphrasing tool, a plagiarism checker, AI detector, and more. These are all essential tools when you’re building your website and need to get your copy in top order.
What’s especially helpful about Quillbot — according to Petar Starcevic with the consulting firm Smion — is that it helps to clean up the robotic-sounding language that ChatGPT may create. Starcevic said: “We sometimes use this tool to unscramble the sentences written in ChatGPT.”
Worth noting: I found that the paraphraser tool produced confusing results because while it rewrote the quote, it retained the quotation marks. This presented a clear example of when you need to monitor what AI does. Retaining the quotation marks is an inaccuracy because once it’s rewritten, it ceases to be a direct quote.
Quillbot offers a free subscription with limited offerings and an annual fee of $99.95 with all the bells and whistles.
11. Uizard
According to Cheema, Uizard is a “collaborative design tool with AI integration for prototyping that streamlines the design process with automated suggestions and layout generation.”
When I went through the process, like most website builders on this list, Uizard asked me a lot of questions — profession, purpose of the site, and what features I wanted to see. Then, it presented me with a lot of design options, such as color palette, illustrations, shading, and many others. If I were really building a website for my business, I’d need to go through the process several times because using it well requires familiarity with design principles and tools.
What I liked: This program was a lot of fun to work with, and I was able to jump into it using its free plan that allows you to start building a site right away. However, for the “hobbyist,” like me, it offered a free subscription, which allows the user only two projects and access to 10 templates a month. The next level up starts at $12 a month for access to all templates, followed by the business plan at $49 a month, which offers unlimited access to its resources.
12. Applitools
Testing is a crucial part of web development, and that’s where Applitools comes in.
Stevens told me, "Applitools excels in visual testing, ensuring that web applications look consistent across different devices and browsers.”
It’s also skilled at integration, such as enhancing testing, and its AI algorithms are excelling at finding visual discrepancies, which saves you time and money.
Worth noting: I tried to set up an account, but it wouldn’t recognize my email.
AI Tools for Web Development Are Worth Exploring
If there’s anything I’ve learned from exploring these AI website development programs, it’s that they are a big deal for the industry, primarily because they make a lot of the development process accessible for people with minimal or no coding experience. This is a huge win. What surprised me was just how easy some of the programs were to use. I mean, I was able to quickly create the bare bones of a website using Uizard (my favorite tool from the list).
What also surprised me was how many of the experts I interviewed cautioned me to monitor my work when using AI.
While there’s no doubt that AI is put to amazing use in these tools, it doesn’t replace the need for someone to be steering the ship, reviewing the content or code, and finessing the final product where needed.
![Here’s How I Use AI to Level Up My Website’s User Experience [+ Guide]](https://knowledge.hubspot.com/hubfs/how-to-add-ai-to-your-website-1-20241213-9474632.webp)
![6 Use Cases for Generative AI in Cybersecurity [+ Examples]](https://knowledge.hubspot.com/hubfs/generative-ai-cybersecurity-1-20241004-6839217.webp)
