The short answer is no, but if you think we’re only saying that as we develop WP sites, here are the reasons.
- What are we really comparing?
- AI-generated sites sound easy, but…
- Why WordPress still wins.
- The danger of AI cookie-cutter sites.
- So, when would you use AI?
- If your site matters, it should be built by humans.
What are we really comparing?
People like to frame this as a battle between ‘old’ WordPress and ‘new’ AI. But that’s not the real choice here. You’re not choosing between platforms – you’re choosing between methods:
- A site built by a developer who understands what your business needs,
- Or a site generated by AI that knows what a dog groomer *might* look like based on 10,000 other dog groomers.
Big difference. One gives you control. The other gives you a template that you’ll eventually outgrow, break, or bin.
AI-generated sites sound easy, but…
AI platforms like Wix ADI or Framer AI love to promise “instant websites” based on a few prompts. Sounds great. Plug in your business name, pick a few colours and boom – homepage done.
Except here’s the catch: the content’s generic, the structure’s based on someone else’s assumptions, and you still end up needing to edit half of it yourself.
You’ll quickly find yourself hitting brick walls. Can’t tweak that section. Can’t remove that feature. Can’t fix the layout on mobile. These platforms don’t make sites easy – they make you dependent.
And when something breaks, you won’t be fixing it yourself. It’s locked inside a system that was never really built for flexibility – it was built to look good in a sales demo.
Why WordPress still wins.
WordPress isn’t some creaky relic. When done properly, it’s lean, fast and future-proof. The key word here is “properly.”
A WordPress site built on a custom theme is:
- Lightweight (because it only includes what you need)
- Easy to manage (because it’s built for you, not a developer)
- SEO-friendly out of the box (because it’s not full of page-builder bloat)
- Ready to scale (because it’s built with actual code, not AI guesswork)
I don’t use off-the-shelf themes, page builders or drag-and-drop plugins. Every site I build starts with a bare-bones foundation and gets shaped around what you need – not what a marketplace template offers.
That’s the difference: AI sites are made for everyone. WordPress sites (done right) are made for you.
The danger of AI cookie-cutter sites.
Let’s be blunt. Most AI-generated websites look fine at first glance. But they all start to feel the same because they are the same.
These tools reuse blocks, layouts and design patterns. So, your lovely new site? It looks just like a thousand others – and that matters more than you think.
If you want to build a brand, get found in search, and actually convert visitors, you need more than a decent-looking layout. You need content that leads, structure that guides, and performance that doesn’t tank on mobile.
AI can’t do that. It can’t understand your users. It can’t build logic into your navigation. And it sure as hell can’t debug broken code when something goes sideways.
So, when would you use AI?
There’s a time and a place. If you’re a sole trader with zero budget and you need a one-pager up this afternoon, sure – use an AI site builder. It’s better than nothing.
AI can also be useful in certain aspects of a project, such as drafting content, generating ideas, and possibly assisting with layouts during the planning stage.
But using it to build your entire website? That’s like asking ChatGPT to design your product packaging and write your marketing strategy, too. You can, but should you?
If your site matters, it should be built by humans.
Websites aren’t supposed to be disposable. Yet so many AI sites end up exactly that – trashed six months later because the business outgrew them.
If you want to grow, compete, or just look like you know what you’re doing, you need a site that’s planned, designed and built with intent. That’s never going to come from a bot.
If your website is important, build it properly. WordPress is still the best option – if you work with someone who knows what they’re doing.
