How much does it cost to build a website with AI? 19 real builds, measured
Building a small business website with an AI builder costs very little in AI: on Ginta, 19 real websites built this month used between 9.3 and 23.9 credits each (14.7 in the middle), and each was live in 53 to 134 seconds. What you really pay for is keeping it online on your own domain, plus the changes you make later. Below: every one of those 19 builds with its time and credits, what makes a build cost more, what changes cost, and how other AI builders charge, from their own pricing pages.
All builds ran on the live Ginta between 28 and 29 October 2026, on new Free accounts with the Best AI, from one message each. Ginta is our product.
The 19 builds
Each is a made-up business, built for a post or a page on this site; follow the link to see it live.
| Business | Website | Parts it set up | Seconds | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaper, Bristol | oakline-gardens | Quote requests | 53 | 9.3 |
| Christmas pre-orders, Manchester | little-oven | Shop | 55 | 9.6 |
| Hairdresser with a deposit, Brighton | nadia-lane-hair | Bookings | 69 | 10.8 |
| Makeup artist, Glasgow | isla-rae-makeup | Bookings, quote requests | 64 | 10.8 |
| Pizza truck, Nottingham | little-ember | Menu, quote requests | 58 | 11.1 |
| Supper club, Bristol | curry-leaf-table | Events, Menu | 67 | 12.3 |
| Caterer, Cork | harbour-and-hearth-catering | Quote requests | 63 | 12.4 |
| Massage therapist, Austin | live-oak-massage | Bookings | 68 | 13.6 |
| Driving instructor, Leicester | clear-road-driving | Bookings | 84 | 14.2 |
| Mobile massage, Leeds | hollin-mobile-massage | Bookings | 84 | 14.7 |
| Coffee roaster, Halifax | tidewater-coffee | Shop | 73 | 14.9 |
| Piano teacher, Cardiff | pontcanna-piano | Bookings | 69 | 15.1 |
| Potter, Bristol | fern-ceramics | Shop | 85 | 16.8 |
| Candle maker, Fremantle | salt-and-wick | Shop | 96 | 17.5 |
| Window cleaner, Exeter | brightpane-window-cleaning | Quote requests | 87 | 18.1 |
| Lash tech, Toronto | lash-lab-by-mia | Bookings | 104 | 18.2 |
| Dog walker, Dublin | ranelagh-paws | Bookings | 97 | 18.3 |
| Meal prep, Charlotte | fuel-box-kitchen | Shop | 84 | 20.9 |
| Cleaning company, London, English + Polish | czysto-cleaning | (forms) | 134 | 23.9 |
In the middle: 14.7 credits and 73 seconds. Range: 9.3 to 23.9 credits, 53 to 134 seconds. None of the 19 asked a question first (each message had the facts the site needed). A Ginta credit is one cent of real AI cost; the credits you buy are priced in the plans and packs below.
What makes a build cost more
- A second language. The English–Polish site was the most expensive (23.9), because every page is written twice: how to make a bilingual website.
- Repair rounds. After building, Ginta opens the site like a visitor and fixes what doesn't work; 9 of the 19 needed one round, costing 0.6 to 4.7 credits.
- More to set up. A shop with options and delivery, or bookings with a deposit, takes more than a one-page site with a contact form.
- Photos. Your own photos and Ginta's free stock photos add no credits of their own.
- The AI you choose. All 19 used Best. Ginta estimates about 22 credits for a new one-page website with Best before it starts, and about 2 with Fast.
- A failed build costs nothing: if a new website doesn't get built because of Ginta, the credits come back.
What changes cost
After the first build you'll change things: a price, a photo, a new section. On Ginta:
- By hand, free: click a text or photo on the page and change it, edit prices, hours, menus, products and bookings in the Parts tab, or edit the code. None of it uses credits.
- By asking: a typical change is about 0.3 credits with the Fast AI, and about 6 with Best. In our Stripe example, adding a refunds section with the Fast AI took 20 seconds and 0.2 credits.
What it costs per month
The AI build is the small part. The ongoing cost is the plan that keeps the website online:
- Free: 20 websites at a
name.ginta.pageaddress with a small badge; 25 credits when you confirm your email, then 5 a day (up to 20 a month). Enough to build a first website and make small changes. - Hosting, €5 a month: your own domain, no badge, built and changed by your own Claude or ChatGPT through Ginta's MCP server, which uses no Ginta credits.
- Light, €19 a month: your own domain and 150 credits a month for Ginta's AI; half of what's unused rolls over for a month.
- More credits: 100 credits for €10, 275 for €25 or 600 for €50, never expiring.
Plus the things every website has: a domain name if you want one (from a registrar, or found and bought inside Ginta for €29 a year on a paid plan), and card fees if you take payments (Stripe's, Ginta adds none). The full picture, including designers and your own time: how much a small business website costs in 2026.
How other AI builders charge (checked 29 October 2026)
Every builder counts "credits" differently, so the numbers below can't be compared one to one; what you can compare is what's free and what a month costs.
| Builder | Free | First paid plan | AI allowance |
|---|---|---|---|
| GoDaddy (Airo) | Build and preview, 50 AI credits a month | Starter €8.49 a month billed yearly, €16.99 monthly (prices shown to us in euros) | 150 AI credits a month on Starter; they don't roll over |
| Hostinger | No free plan | Premium $2.49 a month for 48 months, then $10.99 | AI credits with each plan |
| Webflow | Starter site (webflow.io, 2 pages) | Basic $15 a month billed yearly | 200 AI credits on the free Starter Workspace |
| Ginta | 20 websites, 25 credits + 5 a day | Hosting €5 or Light €19 a month | 150 credits a month on Light |
Sources: GoDaddy, Hostinger, Webflow. Each is compared in full, with when it's the better choice: Ginta vs GoDaddy, vs Hostinger, vs Webflow, and all comparisons.
Questions
Can I build a website with AI for free?
Yes. On Ginta's free plan, the 25 credits you get when you confirm your email cover a typical first website
(14.7 in the middle of our 19; the two-language one used 23.9), and the site stays online at a name.ginta.page
address. GoDaddy's free plan lets you build and
preview; its plan cards list publishing from Starter.
How long does it take to build a website with AI?
Our 19 builds were live in 53 to 134 seconds, 73 in the middle. Writing the message took longer: have your services, prices, hours and contact details ready.
Is it cheaper to use ChatGPT or Claude to build my website?
If you already pay for one, it can be: on Ginta's Hosting plan your own assistant builds and changes the website through Ginta's MCP server, with no Ginta credits used. See build a website with Claude or with ChatGPT.
Do AI credits run out in the middle of a build?
Ginta checks your balance against its estimate before it starts. If a new website fails because of Ginta, the credits it used come back.
Written with AI help for Ginta, which Povilas runs; he also teaches a website-building course. The screenshots are from the real Ginta on the date above, and prices come from our pricing page.