AI Tools I Actually Use to Build Websites (And What They're Good For)

AI Tools I Actually Use to Build Websites (And What They're Good For)

There's a lot of noise about AI in web development right now. Every week there's a new tool promising to revolutionise how websites get built. Most of it is hype. But some of it is genuinely useful.

I've been testing AI development tools alongside my WordPress and Elementor workflow. I compared the two approaches in Replit vs Elementor for the past year. Here are the ones I actually use, what they're good for, and where they fall short.

Replit

What it is: A cloud-based development environment with built-in AI assistance. You can describe what you want, and the AI generates code that you then refine and deploy.

What I use it for: Building complete websites from scratch. Replit is my primary tool for new client projects that need something custom.

What's great:

• Full-stack capability — frontend, backend, database, all in one place
• AI understands context and can generate entire components
• Built-in deployment means no messing with hosting
• The code it produces is clean and performant
• Incredible speed — I can build and iterate much faster than with traditional tools

What to watch for:

• You need to know enough about code to guide the AI and catch mistakes
• Complex features sometimes need manual refinement
• It's a development tool, not a drag-and-drop builder — there's a learning curve

My verdict: Replit has become my default for most new projects. The combination of speed, quality, and flexibility is hard to beat.

Lovable

What it is: An AI-powered web app builder that generates React applications from prompts.

What I use it for: Rapid prototyping and building internal tools or simple web apps.

What's great:

• Very fast for generating initial layouts and components
• Good understanding of modern design patterns
• Connects well with databases and APIs

What to watch for:

• The generated code can be opinionated about structure
• Complex customisation sometimes requires significant rework
• Best suited for web applications rather than traditional business websites

My verdict: Useful for specific projects, particularly when I need a functional web app quickly. Not my first choice for a standard business website.

ChatGPT / Claude

What they are: Large language model chatbots that can write code, plan architecture, and solve problems.

What I use them for: Code assistance, content writing, problem-solving, and planning.

What's great:

• Excellent for brainstorming and planning site architecture
• Can write individual functions and components quickly
• Great for debugging — paste in an error and get a clear explanation
• Helpful for writing website copy and blog content

What to watch for:

• They don't know your project context unless you provide it
• Code suggestions sometimes look right but contain subtle bugs
• They can be confidently wrong — always verify the output

My verdict: Essential daily tools, but as assistants rather than builders. They make me faster at everything I do.

What I Don't Use (And Why)

Wix AI / Squarespace AI: These are template-based builders with AI features bolted on. They're fine for someone who wants a basic site with no help, but they produce generic results with limited customisation. If you care about performance, SEO, or standing out, they're not the answer.

Fully automated "AI website generators": The ones that promise a complete website from a single prompt. The results are always generic, poorly optimised, and missing the layers that make a website actually work.

The Common Thread

Every tool I use has one thing in common: it makes me better at my job, but it doesn't do my job for me.

The strategy, the design decisions, the SEO planning, the understanding of what a particular business needs — that's all still human work. AI doesn't make websites cheaper, it makes them better when used by someone who knows what they're doing.

Should You Care About What Tools Your Developer Uses?

Honestly? A bit. If your developer is still building everything manually without any AI assistance in 2026, they're probably slower and more expensive than they need to be. But the tools matter less than the person using them.

Ask your developer:

• How do they ensure your site performs well?
• What's their approach to SEO?
• How do they handle security?
• Can they show you examples of similar work?

The answers to those questions matter far more than whether they use WordPress, Replit, or anything else.

Want to See It in Action?

If you're curious about how I use these tools to build websites, I'm happy to walk you through a project. No pressure, no sales pitch — just an honest look at how modern web development works.

Cheers,

Lewis