Can AI Really Build Websites Fast? Testing Different Tools

Is artificial intelligence ready to take over web design? This is a question many designers and business owners are asking. Years ago, there were promises of AI building websites, but they didn't quite deliver. Now, with AI tools like Midjourney and ChatGPT, the landscape is changing. We tested several AI tools to see how they handle generating a simple small business website. Here's what we found.

Early AI Promises vs. Today

Remember companies that said AI would build your website automatically? Most of those didn't work out as expected. They felt like they were selling an idea that wasn't ready. But AI has come a long way. Today's tools are much more capable with text, images, and even code. So, is truly AI-generated web design possible now?

Testing AI Website Builders

We tried a few different tools using the same simple request: create a website for a pest control business. This kind of site needs clear information, contact details, and basic service descriptions.

Pineapple Website Builder

Pineapple is marketed as an easy tool for busy business owners. We gave it the prompt. It quickly generated text, likely using a language AI. It pulled in some images. However, the overall result looked more like a pre-designed template filled with AI-generated words and random pictures (like social media icons that weren't needed). It didn't feel like the AI was actually designing the layout.

Durable AI

Durable AI also promised a website in seconds. This tool didn't ask for a detailed prompt but took basic business info. The outcome was similar to Pineapple. It generated text about pest control and found some images. Like the previous tool, it seemed to drop this content into a standard template. You could click to regenerate sections, but the core design structure remained the same. It felt more like a smart template tool than a true AI designer.

Framer

Framer is known as a design and prototyping tool. They added an AI feature. Using the same pest control prompt here yielded a better result. The designs felt less like a standard template and more varied when we asked it to regenerate. Importantly, it was the first tool to correctly use the phone number in the prompt and include a call-to-action button. While not perfect, it showed more potential for generating different visual layouts.

Midjourney

Midjourney is known for creating amazing images, not websites. However, we wanted to see if it could generate website *visuals*. We adjusted the prompt to ask for a website design image. The results were visually striking. It created different design concepts, though some images were a bit too aggressive for a typical small business! Midjourney isn't creating functional code; it's just a picture. You would need to take this image and manually build the website based on it. Despite this, the artistic quality and potential for unique visual ideas were clear.

Creating unique visuals with Midjourney is powerful, but managing prompts and generating many options can take time. Tools like the Midjourney Automation Suite by TitanXT can help streamline this process, letting you create and manage your image generation projects much more efficiently. This is especially helpful if you plan to use Midjourney for design inspiration frequently.

ChatGPT

ChatGPT is primarily a language model, but it can write code. We asked it to write the HTML and CSS code for a pest control website, using the same prompt details. While the initial code was basic, asking it to make it more appropriate for a small business helped. We copied the code into a text editor and viewed it. The result was a simple, functional website – responsive and with the emergency number prominent. It wasn't beautiful, but it was usable code ready to upload. This felt like a different kind of generation – creating the underlying structure instead of just visuals.

Finding the right visual style for your projects can be a process. The Midjourney Automation Suite by TitanXT helps you keep track of your experiments and variations, making it easier to refine your design inspirations before you even start coding.

What We Learned

After testing these tools and others, a pattern emerged. Many current "AI website builders" are really just using AI to write text and then plugging that text into pre-made website templates. They aren't creating original, unique designs from scratch.

Midjourney and ChatGPT felt different. Midjourney generated compelling *visual* ideas, even if just as images. ChatGPT generated actual, though basic, *code*. Neither tool delivered a complete, ready-to-publish, uniquely *designed* website with all the content and functionality needed for a business right away.

Looking Ahead

Based on these tests, AI has a strong role in web design already – generating text content, providing design image inspiration, or writing basic code structures. However, the idea of AI automatically designing a completely unique, polished, and functional website from zero seems like it still needs more development.

We're not quite at the point where AI replaces the designer's role in overall vision, layout planning, and fine-tuning details. But the tools are getting better, and they can certainly speed up parts of the process, like writing copy or creating initial visual concepts. As AI evolves, tools that help designers manage these AI outputs and integrate them into their workflow will become increasingly valuable.

Ready to explore how AI can help your creative process? Managing your Midjourney creations is key to staying organized. Learn more about how the Midjourney Automation Suite by TitanXT can assist you.

Summary

AI for web design is here, but its role varies. Some tools like Pineapple and Durable primarily fill templates with AI content. Framer shows promise in layout variation. Midjourney excels at generating visual concepts (images). ChatGPT can generate functional core code. While AI can greatly assist with content and visual ideas, generating a complete, custom website design automatically isn't fully realized yet. It's an exciting time, and these tools are quickly improving!