By the end of this guide you will have a small business website live on its own domain: a home page, the pages that explain what you sell, a way for customers to contact or pay you, and hosting that stays online. You build it by describing your business to an AI website builder, which generates a first draft that you then edit and publish.
To build a website with AI you do not need to code, but you do need to make a few decisions before you type your first prompt. This guide covers those decisions, a step-by-step build, and a comparison of seven builders from our Developer platforms category, with related options in Design.
Key takeaways
- Write down what the site must do (get enquiries, take bookings, sell products) before you prompt, then ask the AI for pages that serve that goal.
- The main decision is the type of builder: a WordPress-based builder, a chat-first builder, a visual design canvas, or a code-generating app builder.
- AI builders use credits or tokens for generation and edits, so a long editing session can use up an allowance. Check the plan before you start.
- Check everything the AI writes: prices, opening hours, legal text and claims about your business are your responsibility.
What you need before you start
- Your business basics. Name, what you offer, who it is for, location, contact details, opening hours and prices.
- Brand material. A logo, colours and some photos if you have them.
- A domain name. Either one you own or one you will register. Some builders require a paid plan to use a custom domain.
- A payment method for the builder. Most useful features sit on paid plans.
- Time. A first draft takes under an hour. A polished, checked site takes a day or two.
- Difficulty. Easy for chat-first builders, moderate if you want to export and edit code.
Which kind of AI tool fits this job
Pick by how you want to edit the site and where you want it hosted.
A WordPress-based builder with hosting included. 10Web generates WordPress sites, online stores and apps from a prompt, a link or a Figma file. Every build is a standard WordPress site that can be edited visually, with AI or directly, and exported. It includes managed hosting with daily backups, staging and SSL, and ecommerce is included in every plan.
A chat-first builder for people who do not want to touch design. Wegic generates a mobile-optimized site from a chat, and each further edit also runs through the chat and uses credits. Wegic Cloud adds lead and file collection, booking and inventory management. Repaint builds websites, stores, memberships, courses and appointment booking by chat, and sets up payments, branded email and customer accounts.
A visual canvas with a CMS. Framer puts a visual design canvas, content collections, hosting and SEO tools in one workspace, with AI agents that generate and edit pages. TeleportHQ has an AI builder plus a drag-and-drop editor, and exports clean HTML, React, Next.js, Vue and Angular code, which suits you if a developer may take over later.
App builders that write code from a chat. Bolt.new builds websites, web apps and mobile apps in the browser and hosts them with Bolt Cloud, including databases, authentication and custom domains. Lovable builds websites and web apps from a chat, with hosting, a backend, Git sync, and code you own. These suit sites that need custom behaviour more than a simple brochure site.
Step 1: Define the site's goal and pages
You finish this step with a clear brief that the AI can work from.
- Write the one thing a visitor should do: call, book, buy or fill in a form.
- List the pages you need. A small business site often has home, services or products, about, contact, and perhaps pricing or FAQs.
- Gather the real text: services, prices, hours, address and a short story about the business.
- Decide whether you need to take payments or bookings, since that narrows the builder choice.
Check it worked by being able to describe the site and its main action in two sentences.
Step 2: Choose a builder
Narrow the choice using your goal, budget and comfort with editing.
- For a store on WordPress with hosting included, shortlist 10Web.
- For quick chat-based creation with bookings or leads, shortlist Wegic or Repaint.
- For design control and a CMS, shortlist Framer or TeleportHQ.
- For custom features or app-like behaviour, shortlist Bolt.new or Lovable.
- Compare free plans, credit limits and domain rules in the table below.
Check it worked by picking one builder and checking that its plan supports a custom domain and your payment needs.
Step 3: Write a good first prompt
The first prompt shapes the whole draft, so include specifics.
- State what the business is, who it serves and where it operates.
- Name the pages and the main action on each.
- Describe the tone and style in a few words, and any colours you must use.
- Paste the real text and details from Step 1, so the AI does not invent them.
- If the builder accepts a link or a design file, supply your existing site or Figma file. 10Web starts from a prompt, a URL, a profile, a design or a file.
Check it worked by reading the generated draft and finding your real business details in it.
Step 4: Generate the draft and review the structure
Look at the structure before you polish details.
- Generate the site and open every page.
- Check the navigation, the order of sections and the main action on each page.
- Ask for structural changes in plain language, such as "move the contact form above the map".
- Keep an eye on credits. Wegic edits and Framer's AI agents draw from credit allowances, and Lovable credits are shared across messages.
Check it worked by clicking through the site on a phone-sized screen and a desktop screen.
Step 5: Replace placeholder content and check facts
AI drafts invent details, so this step protects your reputation.
- Replace stock text and images with your own.
- Check every price, address, phone number, opening hour and claim.
- Read the legal pages. Privacy and terms text needs a person's review, and the rules depend on where you operate.
- Add alt text to images and clear page titles for search.
- Check that nothing promises something your business cannot deliver.
Check it worked by having someone who knows the business read the whole site and mark errors.
Step 6: Add contact, payments or bookings
Turn visitors into customers.
- Add a contact form and confirm where submissions go. Wegic Cloud lists lead collection, and Repaint lists customer accounts and appointment booking.
- For selling, connect payments. 10Web lists Stripe, PayPal and Square, TeleportHQ's store builder uses Stripe payments, and Bolt can connect Stripe.
- Place a test order or booking yourself.
- Check any fees. Repaint lists card processing costs per payment in the US, and payments only work in supported countries.
Check it worked by completing a test form submission and a test purchase.
Step 7: Connect your domain, publish and maintain
Go live and keep the site healthy.
- Add your custom domain. Free plans on several builders do not support it, so check the plan.
- Confirm HTTPS works and the site loads on mobile.
- Set up analytics, and submit the site to search engines if the builder offers tools for this.
- Keep a backup or an export. 10Web lists daily backups and code export, TeleportHQ exports code, and Wegic and Lovable allow code download on paid plans.
- Review the site every few months, and keep an eye on cost per site and visitor limits.
Check it worked by visiting the live domain from a different device and network.
Tools for this job compared
| Tool | Good fit for | Pricing | Stated limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10Web | WordPress sites and stores with managed hosting | Paid, from $10/mo (checked 24 Oct 2026) | Plans cap monthly visitors and storage; priced per hosted website |
| Wegic | Chat-first sites with leads, bookings and inventory in Wegic Cloud | Paid, from $23.9/mo (checked 24 Oct 2026) | Every edit after generation consumes credits; free plan does not keep a site published |
| Framer | Visual design with a CMS, hosting and AI agents | Freemium, paid from $10/mo (checked 24 Oct 2026) | A custom domain needs a paid plan; AI features draw from a monthly credit pool |
| TeleportHQ | Low-code builder with code export in several frameworks | Free trial, paid from $14/mo (checked 24 Oct 2026) | Web app, store and blog features run per interactive project slot at $19.99/month; no fully built-in white-label option |
| Bolt.new | Chat-built sites and apps with hosting, database and auth | Freemium, paid from $18/mo (checked 24 Oct 2026) | Free-plan sites show Bolt branding and cannot use custom domains; no public API, CLI or SDK |
| Lovable | Websites and web apps with a backend and Git sync | Freemium | Editing and downloading code are not on the Free plan; credits are non-refundable |
| Repaint | Chat-built sites with payments, booking and email | Free trial, paid from $25/mo (checked 24 Oct 2026) | Workspace pauses and sites go offline when a trial ends or a plan is cancelled; weekly AI allowance does not roll over |
Prices and plan limits change, so confirm the current terms on each vendor's site before you commit.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Prompting vaguely. A short, generic prompt gives a generic site. Fix it by including your goal, pages, tone and real text in the first prompt.
- Publishing AI text unchecked. Drafts can invent services, prices or claims. Fix it by reading every page and checking each fact before you publish.
- Burning credits on small edits. Credit-based builders charge for each change. Fix it by batching several edits into one request and by planning structure before polishing.
- Forgetting what happens when the plan ends. Some builders take sites offline when a trial ends or a plan is cancelled. Fix it by reading the plan terms and by keeping an export.
- Ignoring legal and payment basics. Privacy text, cookie notices and payment rules vary by country. Fix it by having a qualified person review them, and by testing checkout.
How we put this together
This is an evidence-based guide built from each tool's listing in our directory, which is compiled from the vendor's own site and pricing page. It is not a review based on using the tools. We don't rank tools, and nobody paid to be included. Some outbound links may be affiliate links; see our disclosure.
Frequently asked questions
Can I build a website with AI for free?
Partly. Framer, Bolt.new and Lovable list free plans, and TeleportHQ has a 7-day free trial, but free plans limit credits, branding and custom domains. Wegic's listing says its free plan does not keep a website published, so a business site usually needs a paid plan.
How long does it take to build a website with AI?
It depends on how many pages you need and how ready your text is. Generating the first draft is the quick part; most of the time goes into replacing placeholder text, checking facts and setting up payments and your domain.
Do I need to know how to code?
No for the chat-first and visual builders such as Wegic, Repaint and Framer. Code knowledge helps with Bolt.new, Lovable and TeleportHQ if you want to export and change the code, and 10Web builds standard WordPress sites that can be edited visually.
Can an AI-built website take payments?
Yes, on builders that list payment features. 10Web lists Stripe, PayPal and Square, TeleportHQ and Bolt list Stripe, and Repaint sets up one-time purchases and subscriptions. Test checkout before you launch.
Who owns the website the AI builds?
It varies. Lovable states that you own the apps and code you create, and 10Web says its builds are standard WordPress sites that can be exported. Read each vendor's terms for ownership and export rights.
Compare more options in our Developer platforms category.
