AI website builders promise a working site from a short description. Some deliver a usable first draft in minutes. Others hand you a template with generated text. The real differences sit elsewhere: whether there is a free plan, what you pay after the first term, whether you can take your code with you, and whether the platform can run a store.
This guide compares 13 builders, from mainstream names such as Wix, Squarespace and Hostinger to code-export tools such as Dorik and CodeDesign, and design-first tools such as Relume and Codia. Several of them changed a lot during 2026: Relume now hosts sites, Mixo and Codia moved to higher prices, SITE123 now lists just two plans, and the AI feature names that older guides credit to Wix, Squarespace and Hostinger are not on their current pricing pages.
The short version: Wix is the safest all-round pick and has a real free plan, Squarespace suits design-led sites and has no free plan, Hostinger has the lowest long-term headline price if you accept a four-year term, and Shopify is the one to choose when selling is the point. Dorik and CodeDesign list code export. For a first test before you pay, the free plans of Wix, SITE123, Mixo, Pineapple Builder and Relume are worth trying.
📋 Quick comparison: 13 AI website builders at a glance
| Builder | Best for | Free plan or trial | Entry price (billing term) | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wix | Creative freedom, all-round sites | Free plan, no card | $17/mo (yearly) | Light has no payments; Core and up sell online |
| Squarespace | Design-led sites, marketing | 14-day trial, no free plan | $12/mo (yearly) | Basic charges a 2% store fee |
| Hostinger | Lowest long-term price | 14-day trial, 30-day refund | $2.99/mo (48 months) | Renews at $10.99/mo |
| Shopify | Online stores | 3-day trial, then $1/mo for 3 months | $19/mo (yearly) | 2% third-party payment provider fee on Basic |
| IONOS | Small businesses wanting support | 30-day money-back | $6/mo (first 1-year term) | Then $14/mo; personal consultant included |
| Network Solutions | Beginners wanting guidance | None listed | $4.99/mo (1-year term) | Website plan renews at $15.99/mo |
| SITE123 | Simple personal and small sites | Free plan | $5.80/mo (Premium) | 14-day money-back on paid plans |
| Mixo | Quick landing pages and MVPs | Free forever | $20/mo (Business) | 30-day money-back |
| Pineapple Builder | Solopreneurs and bloggers | Free plan | $12/mo (yearly) | Blogging only from $24/mo |
| Dorik | Agencies and code export | 7-day trial | $20.75/mo (yearly) or $249 lifetime | White-label and code export listed |
| CodeDesign | Speed with code export | Free to start | $15/mo (yearly) | HTML and React export listed |
| Relume | Designers and agencies | Free plan | $12/site/mo hosting; Pro $14/mo (yearly) | Exports to Figma, Webflow and React |
| Codia | Developers turning designs into code | Free (5 credits a month) | $29/mo (yearly) | A design-to-code tool, not a site builder |
Build the same small site on a free plan and on a trial, then compare the editor and the renewal price
☑️ Start with Wix (free plan) ☑️ See Hostinger plans
🏆 The mainstream builders
These four are the names most people compare first. They differ more on pricing structure than on AI features, so read the billing notes.
1. Wix (the all-round pick with a real free plan)
Wix lets you create a site free of charge and pay only when you want your own domain, no Wix branding or more storage. Its plans page describes an AI website builder that creates a site from a single prompt, after which you move to a drag-and-drop editor to change anything, with more than 2,000 templates and built-in hosting.
Paid plans, shown for yearly billing paid in full: Light $17 a month (2 GB storage, light marketing tools, no payments), Core $29 (50 GB, accept payments, basic ecommerce), Business $39 (100 GB, standard ecommerce, 10 collaborators) and Business Elite $159 (unlimited storage, advanced ecommerce). Most plans include a free domain for one year, but the voucher works only with a new domain bought from Wix. Wix lists a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Older guides credit Wix with named AI products such as Wix Astro and an AI Business Launcher. Neither appears on the current plans page, so I do not repeat them. The page also does not list code export, so plan on rebuilding rather than moving the site if you leave.
✅ Pros
- A genuinely free plan to test the editor
- Prompt-to-site AI plus a full drag-and-drop editor
- Four paid tiers that scale up to advanced ecommerce
- 14-day money-back guarantee
❌ Cons
- The cheapest tier cannot take payments
- No code export listed on the plans page
- Prices vary by location and are shown for yearly prepayment
Build on the free plan, then pick a tier only when you need your own domain
☑️ Try Wix free
2. Squarespace (design-led sites, with a trial instead of a free plan)
Squarespace has no free plan. Every site starts with a 14-day trial that needs no card, then you choose a plan. Its pricing page lists built-in AI tools on every plan, together with templates, hosting and a free custom domain for the first year on annual plans.
Annual prices per month: Basic $12 (2 contributors, a 2% fee on online store sales and 7% on digital content and memberships), Core $17 (unlimited contributors, advanced analytics, CSS and JavaScript customization, a 0% store fee and 5% on content) and Advanced $25 (0% on both, advanced commerce tools). If you plan to sell, those transaction fees matter more than the $5 gap between plans.
The page does not name specific AI features, and I did not re-check the Blueprint AI and AI Section Backgrounds names used in the earlier edition, so I leave them out. As with Wix, the plans page lists no code export.
✅ Pros
- Polished templates and a consistent design system
- Every plan includes hosting and AI tools
- A 14-day trial with no card
- Store fee falls to 0% from Core
❌ Cons
- No free plan
- Basic charges a 2% store fee and 7% on memberships and digital content
- No code export listed
Check the template for your niche before you choose a plan
☑️ Try Squarespace
3. Hostinger (the lowest headline price, but read the term)
Hostinger's website builder is sold as a plan that bundles hosting, a domain for the first year and email. You describe your idea, the AI builds a first version, and you edit it in a drag-and-drop editor. Its pages mention a one-time gift of AI credits for building websites and apps (5 on Premium, 15 on the higher plans) and an assistant called Hostinger Agent that sets up domains and fixes common issues.
The headline prices are tied to a 48-month term, paid upfront. Premium is $2.99 a month ($143.52 for 48 months, against a regular $11.99) and renews at $10.99 a month. Unlimited is $3.99 a month ($191.52) and renews at $16.99. Cloud Startup is $7.99 a month ($383.52) and renews at $25.99. Premium covers up to 3 websites, while Unlimited adds unlimited websites, priority support and ecommerce. The page advertises 0% transaction fees from Hostinger and 100+ payment methods, though your payment provider still charges its own fees.
The AI Heatmap and Kodee assistant named in the earlier edition do not appear on the current pages. Email marketing is through Hostinger Reach. Hostinger lists a 30-day money-back guarantee and a 14-day free trial of the builder.
✅ Pros
- The lowest monthly price in this list on a 48-month term
- Hosting, domain and email bundled in
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- 0% platform transaction fees on the page
❌ Cons
- The low price needs a 48-month prepayment
- Renewal jumps to $10.99 to $25.99 a month
- Ecommerce only on the higher plans
Check what you pay for one year as well as four before you buy
☑️ See Hostinger plans
4. Shopify (the one to pick when selling is the point)
Shopify is an ecommerce platform first. Its pricing page says you can build a store from a short prompt or a template, and it includes Sidekick, a built-in AI assistant for commerce, plus hosting, a custom domain and a free SSL certificate on every plan.
Yearly billing: Basic $19 a month, Grow $54, Advanced $299 and Plus from $2,300 (monthly billing: $27, $72 and $399). The page shows third-party payment provider fees of 2%, 1%, 0.6% and 0.2% from Basic to Plus, and POS Pro is a $89 a month add-on per location. The trial is 3 days free, then $1 a month for the first 3 months.
That makes Shopify the most expensive way to start in this list, but it is the only one built around checkout, inventory, shipping rates and selling across channels. It is not the right pick for a simple brochure site.
✅ Pros
- Built around checkout, inventory and multichannel selling
- Sidekick AI assistant and prompt-based store builder
- Hosting, domain and SSL included
- Short trial, then $1 a month for 3 months
❌ Cons
- Much pricier than a simple builder
- Transaction fees apply if you use a third-party payment provider
- A 3-day trial is short for judging a store
Use the 3-day trial to set up one product page and the checkout
☑️ Try Shopify
💼 Builders for small businesses
These five aim at owners who want a site online quickly and some help along the way. Their entry prices are low, and several rise after the first term, so the renewal line matters.
5. IONOS (support and a personal consultant)
IONOS builds the site from a few questions about your business: it generates the text and images, then you edit with simple design tools. Every plan includes a free custom domain, a professional email address and a 30-day money-back guarantee, and IONOS says each customer gets a personal consultant.
On a one-year term the page lists Starter at $6 a month, then $14 (list price $18), with an AI logo generator and competitor tracking. Plus is shown at $1 a month for the first term, then $20 (list $24), and adds AI text, image and website tools, AI SEO, online booking, an online store and 50 GB of storage. Pro is $17 a month (list $32) with unlimited storage and subpages and advanced SEO. The $1 price is a promotion, so treat Plus as a $20 plan after the first term.
Customization is more limited than Wix or Squarespace, which is the usual trade-off for a guided builder.
✅ Pros
- Low first-term prices and a free domain
- Personal consultant and support included
- Store, booking and SEO tools on Plus
❌ Cons
- Prices jump after the first term (Starter $14, Plus $20)
- The $1 Plus price is a promotion
- Less design freedom than the leaders
Compare Plus with the plan you actually need after year one
☑️ See IONOS plans
6. Network Solutions (guided setup for first-timers)
Network Solutions asks a few questions about your business and generates a draft site, which you then edit. It also sells a done-for-you design service by phone quote.
Its page lists three packages on a 1-year term: Website at $4.99 a month (69% off), Website + Marketing at $7.99 (62% off) and E-commerce at $13.99 a month (52% off). Each package includes a free domain with domain privacy for the first year, 3 months of professional email and 1 month of an SSL certificate, and the higher plans add appointment scheduling, email and social marketing, a logo builder and expert design support.
The renewal rates sit in each package's price note on the page (read on October 15, 2026): $15.99, $20.99 and $28.99 a month, about 2.1 to 3.2 times the first-year price. The earlier edition claimed renewal jumps eight times after year one, which the page's own figures do not show. Read the offer details before you buy.
✅ Pros
- A low first-year price
- Appointment scheduling, email marketing and logo tools on higher plans
- A done-for-you option if you run out of time
❌ Cons
- Renews at about 2.1 to 3.2 times the first-year price
- No free plan or trial listed on the page
- A limited free domain and email period
Check the renewal price before you enter payment details
☑️ See Network Solutions plans
7. SITE123 (simple and cheap)
SITE123 has been trimmed to two plans. Free gives you a subdomain with 250 MB of storage and bandwidth. Premium is $5.80 a month and adds a free domain for the first year, 3 GB of storage and bandwidth, removal of the SITE123 floating tag, your own domain connection and store features. All premium plans carry a 14-day money-back guarantee.
It guides beginners step by step through templates and settings. It does not claim an AI generator on its pricing page, so treat it as a simple builder rather than an AI-first one. Customization is more limited than Wix.
✅ Pros
- A genuine free plan
- One clear paid plan at $5.80 a month
- 14-day money-back guarantee
❌ Cons
- The free plan is capped at 250 MB
- Less customizable than the bigger builders
- No AI features named on the pricing page
Try the free plan and see whether the editor feels right
☑️ Try SITE123
8. Mixo (landing pages and quick MVPs)
Mixo generates a site from a description of your business and focuses on small businesses and side projects. Its plans page lists a Free plan (a Mixo web address, the Mixo badge, a live website and a contact form), a Business Site plan at $20 a month with a free custom domain for the first year, no Mixo branding and a multi-page site, and a Premium Site plan at $40 a month with deeper analytics and team access. Annual billing saves 20%, and the paid plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee.
That is a large step up from the $9 starting price in the earlier edition of this guide. Mixo says hosting and SSL are included on every plan.
✅ Pros
- A free plan that stays live
- Custom domain included in the first year on Business
- 30-day money-back guarantee
❌ Cons
- Price is double what it was in the earlier edition
- The free plan keeps the Mixo badge and address
- Fewer advanced features than the bigger builders
9. Pineapple Builder (AI team and blogging for solopreneurs)
Pineapple Builder has repositioned itself as an AI website team. The Free plan gives 100 AI credits a month and one published page on a Pineapple subdomain. Basic is $12 a month on yearly billing ($19 monthly): 500 AI credits, unlimited pages, a custom domain, hosting and SSL, and tools such as forms, bookings, a chatbot and a simple CRM. Grow is $24 a month yearly ($35 monthly): 1,500 credits, blogging with AI posts, translations, third-party integrations and 50 AI team tasks a month.
The pricing page does not mention the 14-day money-back guarantee quoted in the earlier edition, so I did not repeat it. Blogging, translations and integrations are only on Grow.
✅ Pros
- A free plan to test
- Unlimited pages and a custom domain from $12 a month yearly
- Forms, bookings and a CRM built in
❌ Cons
- Blogging only from the $24 plan
- Credits cap AI use each month
- No refund terms on the pricing page
Use the free plan to see whether the AI credits cover your first site
☑️ Try Pineapple Builder
🛠️ Builders for code, design and agencies
These four are for people who want more control than a template editor gives. Two list code export, one is a design tool, and one is a design-to-code tool that is not a site builder at all.
10. Dorik (white-label, CMS and lifetime plans)
Dorik combines an AI site generator with a drag-and-drop builder, a built-in CMS for blogs and collections, SEO controls and white-label dashboards for agencies. Its plans list code export, unlimited storage and bandwidth, and an unlimited number of sites under a Dorik subdomain.
The 1-year plans are Personal at $20.75 a month ($249 billed annually, 1 custom domain, 25 pages), Business at $41.50 a month ($498 annually, 3 domains, unlimited pages, 10 collaborators) and Agency at $79 a month ($948 annually, unlimited domains). The lifetime tab lists Personal at $249 one-time for 1 website and Business at $599 for 3 websites, with extra sites at $199 and $149. The yearly and lifetime Personal tabs show the same $249 headline, so read the tab you are on before you pay.
Dorik offers a 7-day free trial. I did not find a free plan on the pricing page, so the free plan for 5 websites described in the earlier edition may have been withdrawn.
✅ Pros
- Code export listed on every plan
- White-label dashboard and client billing for agencies
- A lifetime option instead of a subscription
❌ Cons
- No free plan on the pricing page
- The yearly and lifetime Personal prices look identical
- More to learn than a simple builder
Compare the lifetime and yearly options for the number of sites you run
☑️ Try Dorik
11. CodeDesign (speed plus HTML and React export)
CodeDesign generates a site from a description of your business and lets you edit it visually or export it as HTML and React code. Its hero says it is free to start and that annual billing takes 20% off and includes a free domain.
On annual billing the plans are Individual at $15 a month (1 published site, 20 website generations a month, 10 GB, a free domain for a year, export of 1 site and 5 collaborators), Growth at $29 (11 sites, 100 AI credits a month, a blog, an SEO audit) and Scale at $99 (up to 100 sites and unlimited generation). The page also advertises limited lifetime deals at $97, $169 and $389 for 1, 3 and 10 websites, with copy that still mentions July pricing, so confirm the deal is live before counting on it.
The pricing page does not describe the free plan's limits, and the 2000+ AI templates in the earlier edition are not stated there, so I leave both out.
✅ Pros
- HTML and React export on the entry plan
- Plans scale from 1 to 100 sites
- Free to start, with a free domain on annual billing
❌ Cons
- The free plan limits are not described on the pricing page
- Lifetime deal copy looks stale
- Advanced customization is limited compared with a full CMS
Generate a site free, then check the export before you pay
☑️ Try CodeDesign
12. Relume (sitemaps, wireframes and now hosting)
Relume turns a brief into a sitemap and wireframes, assembled from a library of more than 1,000 designer-built components rather than raw generated code. You can then export to Figma, Webflow or React, or publish directly on Relume.
That last part is new. The earlier edition said Relume does not offer hosting; it now does. The Free plan publishes on a relumesite.ai subdomain with a Relume badge and a 1,500 page-view limit. Launch hosting is $12 per site per month ($144 billed yearly) with a custom domain, SSL, no Relume branding, unlimited forms and 6,000 page views. Pro is $14 a month ($168 billed yearly) and raises AI usage 5x or 20x. The $38 a month price in the earlier edition is gone.
The pricing page's button says Start a 7-day free trial, while its FAQ says there is no 7-day trial for Pro, so check which applies when you sign up.
✅ Pros
- Designer-built components instead of raw AI output
- Exports to Figma, Webflow and React
- A free plan, and hosting from $12 a month per site
❌ Cons
- The free plan carries the Relume badge and a 1,500 page-view cap
- Pricing page contradicts itself on the Pro trial
- Better suited to professionals than first-time site owners
Start on the free plan and export the wireframes to Figma
☑️ Try Relume
13. Codia (design to code, not a site builder)
Codia is a different kind of tool. It describes itself as a Vision AI platform for editable design reconstruction, and its products convert screenshots, PDFs and PSD files into editable designs and Figma designs into code (React, Vue, HTML and more). It does not host your site or publish it for you.
Its plans page lists a Free plan with 5 AI credits a month, Starter at $29 a month on yearly billing ($49 monthly, $348 a year) with 200 credits, and Pro at $59 a month yearly ($99 monthly, $708 a year) with 500 credits. The earlier edition listed a $17 a month start and iOS, Android and Flutter output, and I did not find either on the current pages, so treat Codia as a developer's design-to-code utility.
✅ Pros
- Free plan to test the conversion
- Figma-to-code output for React, Vue and HTML
- Credits scale to larger design files
❌ Cons
- Not a website builder and no hosting
- Higher prices than the earlier edition
- Credits can run out on large projects
Test one screen on the free plan and review the code before you subscribe
☑️ Try Codia
⚖️ AI website builder or traditional development?
A builder fits quick launches, small businesses, portfolios, landing pages and standard online stores. Traditional development fits custom functionality, unusual integrations and large-scale infrastructure. The trade is time and control: a builder gets you live in minutes or hours and you keep updating it yourself, while a custom site costs more and takes longer. If you are still deciding between a builder and hosting, see web hosting vs a website builder.
🛡️ Five checks before you pay
- Read the renewal price. Hostinger's $2.99 renews at $10.99 and IONOS's $6 Starter renews at $14. Network Solutions' website packages renew at $15.99 to $28.99 a month against $4.99 to $13.99 in the first term.
- Check the term. Hostinger's headline is a 48-month prepayment; Wix shows yearly prices paid in full and Shopify shows its yearly-billing price. A shorter term costs more per month.
- Look for code export. Dorik and CodeDesign list it on their plans, and Relume exports designs to Figma, Webflow and React. The Wix and Squarespace plans pages do not list export, so assume you rebuild if you leave.
- Count the transaction fees if you sell. Squarespace Basic charges 2% on store sales, and Shopify charges 2% on Basic when you use a third-party payment provider.
- Give the AI a detailed brief. A vague description produces a generic site. Describe the business, the audience, the pages you need and the tone you want, then edit the result.
🧭 How to choose
- A portfolio or small business site: Wix or Squarespace, with Hostinger if price over four years matters most.
- An online store: Shopify, or Squarespace, Wix Core or Hostinger Unlimited if the store is secondary.
- A guided build with support: IONOS or Network Solutions.
- A quick landing page or MVP: Mixo, Pineapple Builder or SITE123 on their free plans.
- Client sites and agencies: Dorik, with Relume for design planning.
- Code ownership: Dorik or CodeDesign, and Codia if you already have a Figma design.
My final verdict
Start free where you can, and compare the renewal price, not the first-term price. Wix is the safest place to begin because the free plan lets you judge the editor before spending anything. Hostinger wins on long-term cost only if you accept the four-year prepayment, Shopify wins when checkout is the product, and Dorik or CodeDesign are the picks when you want to keep your code.
Most of the prices in this guide are introductory or term-based, and several changed between the earlier edition and October 2026. Recheck the plan page on the day you buy, and note the billing term next to each number.
❓ Frequently asked questions
❓ Can AI website builders really replace a web designer?
❓ Which AI website builder is the cheapest?
❓ Which AI website builders have a free plan?
❓ Can I export my site's code and host it elsewhere?
❓ Which builder is best for an online store?
❓ Are AI-generated websites good for SEO?
❓ What is the biggest mistake when using an AI website builder?
If you are weighing a builder against your own hosting, read web hosting vs a website builder. If a store is the goal, how to start an online store and setting up WordPress ecommerce with WooCommerce cover the other routes, and our Hostinger review goes deeper on that provider.
Related Articles
⚖️ Web hosting vs a website builder
When a builder is enough and when you need hosting. Read the guide
🛒 How to start an online store
The steps from product idea to first sale. Read the guide
🌐 Hostinger review
Plans, renewals and what is included. Read the review
