A hands-on HubSpot AI website builder review for 2025

Picking a website builder feels like a massive commitment, doesn't it? You're not just choosing a tool; you're choosing the foundation for your entire online presence. Lately, AI website builders have been popping up everywhere, promising to make the whole process a walk in the park. And when a big name like HubSpot throws its hat in the ring, people pay attention.

But does its AI website builder actually deliver on that promise? Or is it just another shiny object in an already crowded marketing tech landscape?

This isn't your typical HubSpot AI website builder review. We're going to cut through the marketing fluff and get real about what it’s like to use this thing. We’ll look at the good, the bad, and the just plain frustrating parts of its features, usability, and pricing. By the end, you’ll know if it’s the right move for you or if you’re just signing up to get stuck in a system you can't easily leave.

What is the HubSpot AI website builder?

So, what are we talking about here? The HubSpot AI website builder is a tool tucked inside their Content Hub. It’s aimed at folks who want a business website up and running in minutes, especially if the thought of code makes them break out in a cold sweat. The process sounds simple enough: you feed it a few text prompts about your business, pick a general style, and tell it what you want the site to do (like get more leads).

A screenshot of the HubSpot Content Hub landing page, which is relevant to this HubSpot AI website builder review.

From there, the AI gets to work and generates a full, single-page draft. We’re talking custom-written copy, stock images it thinks are a good fit, and a layout that matches your goals.

But here’s the key thing to understand: this isn't just a website builder. It’s a piece of the massive HubSpot puzzle. Any site you create is automatically wired into HubSpot’s CRM. That means you can immediately start collecting leads from forms and live chat, and all that precious customer data flows right into one central place. The big sell is the combination of speed and integration, designed to tear down the technical and financial walls that usually come with building a website from scratch.

A screenshot of the HubSpot CRM review page, which is relevant to this HubSpot AI website builder review.

Breaking down the features

HubSpot’s platform is loaded with features, but more isn't always better. Some are genuinely useful, while others feel like they come with some serious strings attached. Let’s take a closer look at what you’re actually getting.

AI-powered content and design

The main attraction is the AI's ability to spin up a website from just a few sentences. It’s pretty slick. It doesn’t just grab a generic template; it tries to write headlines, paragraphs, and calls-to-action based on what you told it about your business. It even pulls in stock photos it thinks match your industry.

This is awesome for getting a first draft done in the time it takes to drink a cup of coffee. But let's be honest, the copy it spits out can sound a bit... robotic. Many people find they have to do a lot of heavy editing to make the text sound like it came from a real human who actually understands their brand. Sure, the platform has little AI assistants to help you rewrite or expand on things, but plan on spending some quality time making the content your own.

It really shines a light on a common issue with generative AI right now: it’s great for a starting point, but it doesn't know your business's history, your inside jokes, or your unique way of talking to customers. An AI that can learn from your company's actual data, like past support tickets or internal documents, is always going to produce something that feels more authentic right from the get-go.

The drag-and-drop editor

After the AI does its thing, you can jump into HubSpot’s visual editor to start tinkering. It’s a standard drag-and-drop system where you can move sections around, tweak colors and fonts, and change out the images. If you don’t like the AI’s first attempt, you can always start over with one of their 170+ pre-made themes.

But this is where some of the shine starts to wear off. A lot of users feel the editor is surprisingly rigid compared to platforms like WordPress or Webflow. The layout often feels "boxy," and you can't just nudge an element a few pixels to the left. If you want a straightforward, clean design, you’ll probably be fine. But if you’re a creative type with a very specific vision, you might feel like you're building with Lego Duplos when what you really want are the tiny, precise pieces.

Hooked into the HubSpot CRM

This is, without a doubt, HubSpot's killer feature. Because your website is built on top of its CRM, everything just works together. Adding a contact form or a live chat widget is simple, and every single lead you capture is automatically organized in your database. From there, you can track every interaction, group your contacts, and start sending marketing emails.

For any business that lives and breathes inbound marketing, this integration is incredibly powerful. But here's the catch, and it's a big one: you're essentially moving into HubSpot's world. Once your website, your contacts, and your marketing are all running on their platform, leaving becomes a massive headache. Migrating all of that to another system is a complex, time-consuming, and often expensive project.

HubSpot sites are solid for marketing funnels but you kinda get locked into their ecosystem.

Reddit

Instead of pulling you into a walled garden, modern AI tools should plug into the systems you already know and love. For instance, a smart AI should be able to connect to your existing helpdesk, whether it's Zendesk or Freshdesk, and make it better without forcing you to change your entire workflow.

Is it actually easy to use?

HubSpot’s marketing paints a picture of a blissfully simple website-building experience. But if you browse user forums and reviews, you’ll find that the reality is a bit more complicated.

The simple start for beginners

For a small business owner who just needs a professional-looking site online yesterday, HubSpot does deliver. The initial AI setup is genuinely fast, and the platform gives you a helpful checklist to walk you through the basics like customizing your theme and connecting your domain. If your needs are simple, the tools are more than up to the task.

The unexpected learning curve

Despite the promise of simplicity, you don't have to dig far to find people pulling their hair out over the editor. Seemingly simple tasks, like changing the text in the footer or making a small layout adjustment, can send you on a wild goose chase through confusing menus. Some frustrated users in the HubSpot Community forums have gone so far as to call it the "worst website builder ever," pointing to a surprisingly steep learning curve.

The problem is that because HubSpot is an all-in-one platform, it's bursting at the seams with features, menus, and settings. Finding the one toggle you need can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. This complexity only gets worse as you try to do more advanced things, turning a five-minute task into a half-hour ordeal. It's the classic trade-off of monolithic software; the alternative is a tool that does one thing exceptionally well and is so simple you can get it up and running in minutes, not months.

Pricing for HubSpot's AI website builder

HubSpot's pricing can be a maze. It’s broken down into different "Hubs," and the website builder lives in the Content Hub. Here’s a simplified breakdown:

A screenshot of the HubSpot Content Hub pricing page, which is relevant to this HubSpot AI website builder review.

The first thing that probably jumps out at you is the price gap between the Starter and Professional plans. It's not a step; it's a leap. Critical features that growing businesses rely on, like A/B testing or personalizing content for different visitors, are locked behind that $450/month paywall.

This makes HubSpot a very expensive option for anyone who outgrows the basics. It’s a common complaint you’ll see in discussions about the platform. This type of pricing can feel like you're being penalized for your own success, which is why many businesses prefer predictable, flat-rate pricing that scales with them, not against them.

This HubSpot website builder review explains how the tool is a great choice if you want a no-fuss way to create a website that's deeply connected to your marketing and sales tools.

The bottom line: Is it for you?

So, after all that, what's the verdict? It really boils down to what you're trying to achieve.

You should probably go with the HubSpot AI website builder if:

• You're already all-in on HubSpot's CRM or are planning to be. The integration is the main reason to choose this builder.

• You need a clean, professional website online fast, and you're not too worried about having a super unique, custom design.

• Your number one goal is generating leads, and you value having everything in one system more than you value creative freedom.

You might want to look elsewhere if:

• You want total creative control to build a website that looks exactly how you envision it.

• The idea of being locked into one provider makes you nervous, and you want the ability to move your site somewhere else later.

• Your budget can't handle a sudden jump to nearly $500 a month just to unlock standard marketing features.

A strong platform with big trade-offs

The HubSpot AI website builder is a genuinely capable tool, but it's no silver bullet. It’s fantastic at what it does best: creating functional, lead-generating websites that are perfectly woven into a top-tier CRM. If your business is already committed to the HubSpot way of life, it's an obvious and powerful choice.

However, you can't ignore the downsides. The creative limitations, the very real risk of vendor lock-in, and the intimidating price wall for advanced features are serious points to consider. It asks you to make a choice between the convenience of an all-in-one platform and the flexibility you get from using specialized, best-in-class tools.

But getting your site live is just the beginning. What happens when people actually start contacting you through those forms and chat widgets? If your website is doing its job, you'll quickly need a smart way to handle all those customer questions.

Instead of trapping yourself in yet another complex system, what if you could add powerful AI to the tools you already use? That's where eesel AI comes in. You can launch an AI support agent in minutes, not months. It connects directly with your existing helpdesk and knowledge bases, letting you automate support, draft better replies, and uncover insights from your customer conversations, all without having to switch platforms.

A screenshot of the eesel AI homepage, which is relevant to this HubSpot AI website builder review.