AgentdexBlog · · Agentdex Editorial
Best Apps for Making Websites (2026): Builders, AI App Makers and Code Tools
The right app for making a website depends on what you are building. A portfolio or small business site needs a good visual builder. A product with logins, a database and payments needs an AI app builder or real code. This guide sorts the main options into three groups, lists their free plans and starting prices as published on their official pricing pages on October 24, 2026, and is honest about where each one falls short.
Key Takeaways
- For a classic website (portfolio, business, blog, small store), use a visual builder: Wix, Squarespace, Framer or Webflow.
- For a web app (logins, data, dashboards), use an AI app builder such as Lovable (Agentdex profile), Bolt (Agentdex profile), v0 (Agentdex profile) or Replit (Agentdex profile).
- For full control, use an AI code editor or agent like Cursor (Agentdex profile), GitHub Copilot (Agentdex profile) or Claude Code (Agentdex profile) and host the code yourself.
- Free plans are for testing. Most put your site on the platform's subdomain and limit features. Expect to pay for a custom domain.
- Check prices for your region. Several builders show different prices by location and for monthly versus yearly billing.
Quick comparison
| App | Type | Free option | Paid from (Oct 2026) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wix | Visual builder with AI | Free plan (wixsite.com address) | Light, $17.77/month billed yearly (USD reference) | Small business sites, bookings and stores |
| Squarespace | Visual builder | 14-day free trial, no free plan | Basic, $19/month billed yearly ($25 monthly) | Polished portfolio and brand sites |
| Framer | Design-led builder | Free plan (Framer domain) | Basic, $10/month | Designers and startup landing pages |
| Webflow | Professional visual builder | Free Starter (webflow.io domain) | Basic, $15/month billed yearly | Custom marketing sites with a CMS |
| Lovable | AI app builder | 5 build credits a day, up to 30 a month | Pro, $25/month | Non-technical founders building full-stack apps |
| Bolt | AI app builder | 1M tokens a month | Pro, $18/month billed yearly | Fast prototypes with code access |
| v0 | AI UI and app builder | 7 messages a day | $30/user/month | Frontend and UI, deployed to Vercel |
| Replit | Browser IDE, agent and hosting | Starter plan | Core, $20/month | Build, database and hosting in one place |
Visual website builders
These are the best choice when the website itself is the product: pages, images, forms, a blog, perhaps a shop.
Wix lets you create a site for free and upgrade when you are ready. You can start from a prompt with its AI website builder or from one of 2,000+ templates, then edit with drag and drop. The free plan uses a username.wixsite.com address and shows Wix branding; premium plans add a custom domain and remove the branding. Wix's USD reference prices for yearly plans start at $17.77/month (Light), with Core at $29.77 and Business at $39.77. Wix notes that prices and currency vary by location. The trade-off: Wix is easy to start with, but sites are tied to its platform.
Squarespace is known for clean templates. It has no free plan, but every site starts with a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. Basic costs $19/month billed yearly ($25 monthly), Core $29 ($39 monthly), Plus $49 ($65 monthly) and Advanced $99 ($139 monthly). Basic charges a 2% transaction fee on online store sales, so sellers should look at Core or higher. Annual plans include a free domain for the first year.
Framer suits designers who want precise control and fast landing pages. The free plan includes a Framer domain, 1 GB of bandwidth and 500 AI credits to try its agents, and is meant for non-commercial use. Basic is $10/month and Pro is $30/month, both with a free custom domain on yearly billing. Extra editors cost $20/month each.
Webflow gives the most design and CMS control of the four, with a steeper learning curve. The free Starter plan publishes to a webflow.io address with 2 static pages and 1 GB of bandwidth. Basic is $15/month billed yearly and Premium (with the full CMS) is $25/month billed yearly. Code export is available on paid Workspace plans, though CMS content does not export with it and forms stop working.
AI app builders
If your "website" needs user accounts, a database or payments, it is really a web app. AI app builders generate one from a chat and host it for you.
Lovable builds full-stack web apps from a conversation, with Lovable Cloud handling the database and hosting. Free includes 5 build credits a day (up to 30 a month); Pro starts at $25/month for 100 credits. You own the code. Read our Lovable review for the details.
Bolt builds in the browser and shows the code as it goes. Free includes 1M tokens a month; Pro is $18/month billed yearly.
v0 by Vercel is strongest for modern frontends and deploys straight to Vercel. Free allows 7 messages a day, and the team plan is $30 per user per month. See Bolt vs v0.
Replit combines a browser IDE, an AI agent, databases and hosting. Starter is free and Core is $20/month.
The trade-off with all AI builders is that usage is credit-based. Complex prompts cost more, and costs can rise as your app grows. Keep prompts focused and check your usage before upgrading. For a wider list, see our vibe coding tools guide.
Code tools for full control
Developers, or anyone willing to learn, can build a site as normal code with an AI editor or agent and host it on a platform such as Vercel, Netlify or Cloudflare Pages. Cursor, GitHub Copilot and Claude Code are the common choices. This route has the most freedom and no platform lock-in, but you handle hosting, updates and security yourself. Start with our Cursor vs VS Code comparison.
How to choose
- Define the job. Pages and content point to a visual builder. Logins and data point to an AI app builder.
- Try two free options. Build the same small page in each and see which editor feels right.
- Check the real cost. Look at transaction fees, credit limits, extra editors and what happens after the first year's free domain.
- Think about leaving. If you might move later, prefer a tool that lets you export or own the code.
- Launch small. Publish a first version, then improve it.
If you are going the AI route, the free Vibe Coder Starter Kit has prompts and checklists to get your first build right.
FAQ
What is the best app for making a website for free?
Wix, Framer and Webflow all have free plans that publish to their own subdomains, and Squarespace has a 14-day free trial. For web apps, Lovable, Bolt, v0 and Replit have free plans with daily or monthly limits.
Can I use my own domain on a free plan?
Usually not. Wix, Framer and Webflow require a paid plan to connect a custom domain. Several builders include a free domain for the first year with an annual plan.
Should I use a website builder or an AI app builder?
Use a website builder for content sites such as portfolios, business pages and blogs. Use an AI app builder when you need user accounts, a database or app logic.
Which website builder is best for selling online?
Wix and Squarespace both include ecommerce on paid plans. Check transaction fees: Squarespace Basic charges 2% on online store sales, while Core and higher charge 0%.
Can I export my website and host it elsewhere?
It depends on the tool. Webflow allows code export on paid Workspace plans, with limits on CMS content. AI app builders like Lovable let you own and export your code. Wix and Squarespace sites stay on their platforms.
Written by Agentdex Editorial. Agentdex is an independent directory reviewing AI coding tools; some links are affiliate links, marked as such (disclosure), and they never change our rankings. Prices and features are as of October 24, 2026, from official sources linked above. Always confirm on the vendor's site.