Updated on 9 Nov 2026
You've decided you need a website. Maybe it's for a new business, a side hustle, or your personal portfolio. Now comes the next question – how are you actually going to build it?
For years, the answer for most small businesses was a drag and drop website builder. Pick a template, swap in your own words and pictures, and publish. That's still a great option for lots of people. But there's now another one on the table – AI builders that let you describe what you want in plain English and build it for you (aka vibe coding).
So which should you choose? Honestly, it depends on what you're building, how much time you've got, and how hands-on you want to be. Neither option is better across the board – they're just good at different things. In this post, we'll look at how long each takes, what they might cost, how much control you get, and the kinds of projects and businesses that suit each one.
What do we mean by no-code and low-code?
You'll see these terms used in slightly different ways, so here's how we're using them in this post.
No-code means building with an AI website builder – often called vibe coding. You describe what you want (for example, “a website for my dog grooming business with a page for prices and a way for customers to book”) and the AI builds it. If you want something changed, you just ask. You never have to touch a line of code, hence ‘no-code’.
Low-code means a traditional drag and drop website builder. You start with a template and build your pages by placing blocks – text, images, buttons, contact forms – exactly where you want them. Most of it is visual, but many drag and drop builders also let you drop in small bits of code when you need something extra, like an embedded map or a booking widget. That's where the "low" comes in.
A simple way to think about it – with a drag and drop builder, you're assembling the website yourself from ready-made parts. With an AI builder, you're describing the finished thing and letting the AI do the assembling.
That said, the lines are starting to blur. Some AI builders now let you start from a template and click straight into your site to make changes, whether that’s editing text or swapping an image for a stock photo or one of your own. So you don’t have to describe every small change. Our AI App & Site Builder works exactly in this way.
How long does it take to build a website?
With a drag and drop builder, a simple site can be up and running in an afternoon, especially if you've got your text and photos ready to go. The template does a lot of the heavy lifting on design, so most of your time goes on swapping in your own content and tweaking things until they look right. And that tweaking is where the hours can disappear. Resizing images, lining up columns, checking how everything looks on mobile – it all adds up depending on how much customisation you want to do.
An AI builder can get you to the first version in minutes. Describe your business and what you want the site to do, and you'll have pages, layout, and placeholder content almost straight away. From there, you refine it by asking for changes or, with some builders, by clicking into the page and editing it directly – "make the homepage feel warmer", "add a page for our menu", "move the contact form higher up".
There's a catch, though. A fast first draft isn't the same as a finished site. You'll still spend time refining, and if your builder only works through prompts, getting the hang of describing exactly what you want takes a bit of practice. Whichever builder you choose, you'll also need to gather your own content – your photos, prices, opening hours, and the things that make your business yours.
Where the AI builder really saves time is with anything that needs to function smoothly, not just look nice. Adding a booking form, a quote calculator, or a members' area to a drag and drop site usually means hunting for a plugin or app, if it's possible at all. With an AI builder, you describe the feature and it gets built into your site. Just bear in mind that anything which stores information, like bookings or orders, needs a database behind it to keep track of everything.
How much does each kind of builder cost?
Both types of builder usually work on a monthly subscription, but what you're paying for is a little different.
Drag and drop builders tend to have a flat monthly price, with packages split by features – how many pages you get, whether you can sell online, how much storage you have. It's simple and predictable. The cost to watch out for is add-ons. If you need extra functionality, like bookings or memberships, that can mean paying for third-party plugins or apps on top of your plan.
AI builders also charge monthly, but your plan includes a set number of AI credits. Every time the AI builds or changes something, it uses some of those credits. Small edits use fewer, bigger builds use more, and your allowance resets every month. We've covered this in more detail in our blog on what AI credits are and how they're used.
Whichever you choose, check what's included in the price. A domain name, hosting, an SSL certificate, and email can all add to the cost if they're not bundled in.
And both options are a fraction of the cost of a fully bespoke build. That said, if your project is large or complex, working with a developer or agency is still the right call – more on that below.
How much control do you want?
This one comes down to how you like to work.
A drag and drop builder gives you hands-on control. You can see exactly where everything sits, and if you want a button 10 pixels to the left, you move it 10 pixels to the left. What you see is what you get. If you've already got a clear picture of how your site should look, and you enjoy tinkering, this is the best option for you.
With an AI builder, you steer the changes with a conversation, rather than your mouse. That makes big changes really quick – "change the colour scheme to match our logo" sorts out every page at once.
Tiny, precise tweaks can take a couple of attempts if you’re describing them, which is why some AI builders, including ours, also let you make them yourself. Click on any text to edit it, or click on an image to swap it for a stock photo or upload your own. You get the speed of AI for big changes and hands-on control for the small ones.
It's also worth thinking about who'll look after the site once it's live. Drag and drop editors are easy for anyone on your team to pick up for small updates, like changing a price or swapping a photo. AI builders are just as approachable – if you can write a message, you can make a change – but whoever’s editing will get better results once they’ve got used to writing clear prompts. And with builders that let you edit directly, small updates like changing a price don’t need a prompt at all.
Which is right for your project?
Here's how the two compare at a glance.
A drag and drop builder could be a good fit if…
- You need a straightforward site that tells people who you are, what you do, and how to get in touch.
- You've got a clear design in mind and want to place every element yourself.
- You'll mostly make small, regular updates, like new photos, prices, or blog posts.
- You want a simple, predictable monthly cost.
An AI builder could be a good fit if…
- You want your site to do a job, not just share information – like taking bookings, working out a quote, or running a simple tool.
- You want to test an idea quickly, like a landing page for a new product or a one-off event.
- You know what you want but don't have the design skills, or the time, to put it together yourself.
- Your project is likely to grow and change as your business does.
And when might you need something else?
Some projects outgrow both. If you're running a large online business with thousands of customers, need your site to connect with lots of other business systems, or handle sensitive data with strict requirements, it's worth talking to a developer or agency. Many people start with a builder, prove their idea works, and bring in a developer when they're ready to scale.
Build your way with Fasthosts
Whichever route suits your project, we’ve got a builder for it.
If you like the hands-on approach, our Website Builder lets you create your site with easy-to-customise templates and pre-built sections. It comes with AI Writer to help you create content in seconds, built-in tools to help you get found on search engines, and a free domain name when you buy for a year or more.
If you’d rather describe it and let AI do the building, our AI App & Site Builder turns your prompts into working websites and apps. You can also start from a template, click on any text to edit it, and swap images from a stock gallery or upload your own, so you get the speed of AI and the control of a drag-and-drop builder in one place. Hosting is included, you won’t need to touch any code and you get a free domain for the first year.
Each plan comes with a different amount of credits depending on how big your projects are:
- Lite – 150 AI credits/month
- Plus – 300 AI credits/month
- Max – 2,000 AI credits/month
So, which should you choose?
There's no wrong answer – just the right one for your project. If you need a simple, good-looking site and you want to shape every detail yourself, a drag and drop builder will serve you well. If you want your site to carry out more complex tasks, or you want to get from idea to live as quickly as possible, an AI builder is well worth a try.
And if you're still not sure, start with what your customers need from your website. The answer to that usually points you in the right direction.
As always, our support team is on-hand 24/7 to help. Give us a call on 0333 0142 700 or message us via live chat.