ZipWP Review 2024: Create Websites Instantly with AI

So, you want to create a simple portfolio or landing page. Maybe you're a freelancer, small business owner, or someone who simply wants to establish an online presence.

But you don’t know anything about WordPress development. And hiring a professional developer to build even a basic website can get expensive fast, especially if you're a small business operating on a shoestring budget.

Your best solution might be an AI website builder. One such popular option is ZipWP.

We've tested ZipWP and want to share our first-hand experience. In this guide, we’ll cover its key features, pros and cons, and pricing details. But we'll also tackle some of the best ZipWP alternatives in case you need something slightly different for your specific needs. 

Read on for the full scoop!

What is ZipWP?

ZipWP is an AI-powered website builder that makes creating a WordPress site incredibly easy. All you need to do is describe what you want, and ZipWP handles the rest. Business owners, website designers, photographers, or any professionals who need a website from the get-go will find this tool incredibly beneficial.

ZipWP is versatile enough to handle any type of website you want to build, such as:

• E-commerce websites
• Portfolio 
• Blog 
• Landing page
• Educational websites
• Business websites
• Membership sites
• Health and wellness sites
• Travel and tourism

And so much more…

ZipWP works nicely with the most popular plugins in WordPress. You shouldn’t have problems using it with Yoast SEO, RankMath, Google Analytics, Wordfence, Sucuri, ConvertPlus, and many others.

How to Build a Website with ZipWP

Creating a website with ZipWP is very easy and rewarding. If you’re not familiar with WordPress, don’t worry! Below, we've outlined all the steps to guide you through the process:

1) Sign Up and Log In

Creating your account in ZipWP is quick and easy. Just click this link to begin. 

Once registered, log in to your account using your email or Google account. If it’s your first time, you’ll be asked to choose a plan. For our purposes, we’re going to select the free plan.

2) Choose Website Type

From your dashboard, click on the ‘Create New’ button. 

Now, you’ve got two options here:

• Blank Website: This is like a sandbox where you can play around with different themes, plugins, and features without messing up your real site. You'll get some dummy pages and sample posts to help you test things out.
• Complete Website: Choose this option for a fully developed website tailored to your business and branding. With AI assistance, you'll get beautifully written descriptions, royalty-free images that pop, social media integration, and any other bells and whistles you need.

For this guide, let’s choose ‘Complete Website.’

Next, give your website a name and specify its purpose. Is it for a business, a portfolio, or something else? ZipWP will also ask you to select a language - English is the default.

Note: There are other ways to create a new website in ZipWP. First, you can type ‘try.new’ right into the search bar to instantly launch a blank website for all your testing needs. The other method is to go to the WordPress plugin download page for whatever plugin you want pre-installed. Then, click on the URL and swap ‘wordpress’ with ‘zipwp.’ This will open a new ZipWP site with that plugin ready to go from the start.

3) Add Website Description

Next, describe your website in a few sentences. If you’re not sure how to word it, simply click on the ‘Improve Using AI’ link at the bottom of the text field. 

4) Add Your Contact Details (Optional)

Add your contact details if you'd like. This step is optional, but including your email, phone number, address, and social media links can be helpful for visitors.

5) Select Relevant Images

Images can help build your site’s branding, visual appeal, and user experience. 

ZipWP automatically provides you with relevant images based on your website description. You can choose from their suggestions or upload your own images.

If you’re not ready to add images, just click on the ‘Skip this step’ link to move to the next part.

6) Choose a Structure for Your Website

In this step, you will be given a list of available website structures that best suit your website. For example, if you’re building a service provider website, you'll find several pre-made designs that fit this niche. These suggestions are based on the keywords you entered earlier, shown at the top of the page. You can adjust these keywords if necessary.

To preview the website structure, simply hover over an image you want. 

Once you've selected a design, you'll move to the preview page. Here, you can view your website on different screen sizes, try out different color schemes and fonts, and upload additional files to see how they integrate.

When you're happy with your choices, click ‘Continue’ to move to the next step.

7) Choose Additional Features

Next, depending on the type of website you’re creating, you can add extra features to make your site even better. Let’s say you’re setting up an online store, you might want to include a ‘Free Live Chat’ feature.

Then, click the ‘Start Building’ button to continue.

8) Start Building Your Website

In this final step, a pop-up will show a summary of your website details. Review everything carefully, then click ‘Start Building the Website.’ You’ll see a progress indicator that shows how close you are to finishing your website.

Once it’s done, a pop-up will confirm that your website is ready, along with your login details. You can copy these for future use or click ‘View Website’ to see your new site.

Since you’re using the free plan, your website is temporary. You'll need to confirm your understanding by entering ‘ok’ on the redirected page.

That’s it! Your website is now complete!

If you want to make adjustments later, just go back to your dashboard and find your site under ‘Staging Sites.’

Click the WordPress icon next to your site’s name to open the WordPress admin dashboard, where you'll be logged in automatically. From there, you can customize your website just like you would with any WordPress site.

ZipWP Review - Key Features

Here are some of the features we love most about ZipWP:

Built-in Website Templates

First off, we love ZipWP’s visually captivating designs! Their templates are functional across devices, too. Whether it's a personal blog, business site, or e-commerce store, ZipWP's designs help make your website stand out from the rest.

Plus, its AI can suggest templates based on your needs (which we find really cool). It analyzes your preferences and recommends designs that are the best fit - both functional and visually striking for your specific use case. With ZipWP's AI taking care of the design aspect, you can focus on creating great content while knowing your site will look amazing. 

Create Persuasive Copy Easily

We've all been there - staring at a blank page, racking our brains for content ideas that will truly engage readers. Creating great content is no easy feat. It takes a spark of inspiration and a serious time investment to turn those ideas into compelling content. And let's not forget having to optimize for SEO and keep tabs on what others in your space are putting out there. 

Thankfully, ZipWP's automated content creation handles that for you. And it doesn’t even compromise the quality - you’re still getting high-impact, on-brand text that enhances your online presence. It creates a copy that resonates with visitors and effectively communicates your key messages.

ZipWP's AI understands the nuances of your business and target audience. With this feature, you can have a website that really wows visitors and drives results, without the usual headache of forcing out fresh content. 

Automatic Image Selection and Insertion

Searching for the right images that match your content and design can be such a time drain. But with ZipWP's automatic image selection and insertion, that hassle is taken care of for you.

This feature selects and inserts images that perfectly complement your website's text and style. It ensures everything looks cohesive and visually appealing across your entire online presence. Overall, ZipWP makes it easy to achieve a professional, polished look, and we couldn’t be happier.

AI Assistance for Customization

ZipWP offers intuitive drag-and-drop tools that make website customization so easy. You don’t need any coding skills to adjust and personalize your site. The AI assistant will walk you through optimizing every aspect - from adjusting design elements to refining content. 

Team Collaboration Features

ZipWP has some really handy team collaboration tools that we can take advantage of. With this feature, you can invite up to 10 people to work on the website together, whether it's coworkers, clients, or others involved. 

Our favorite feature - you get to assign different roles, so everyone has the right level of control and access based on what they need to do. This makes it super useful for group projects because you can easily loop in whoever needs to contribute while keeping things organized. Simply set the permissions and the team can jump in, building out and updating the site.

Easy Website Migration

Your hosting setup can evolve right along with your business needs and preferences. Feeling constrained today? No problem, just migrate to something with more power. Need to scale up massively? You can switch hosts built for that. 

ZipWP works with popular plugins like All-in-One WP Migration and MigrateGuru to make transferring your site super easy. And this migration capability means your website can keep up as your requirements change over time.

Mobile-Responsive Designs

With ZipWP, all designs are optimized to look sharp no matter what size screen you're viewing them on. Slick desktop layout? Check. Clean and readable on a phone or tablet? You got it. 

This mobile responsiveness is key for keeping visitors engaged and making your site accessible to everyone. It means the experience will be smooth and visually appealing no matter what device is being used.

What Are the Pros and Cons of ZipWP?

ZipWP offers impressive features, but like any tool, it has its strengths and areas that might not suit every user perfectly. Based on our experience, we've compiled a list of pros and cons to give you a clearer picture of what to expect.

ZipWP Pros

No-Code Website Builder

ZipWP is perfect for anyone without technical knowledge, from small business owners to hobbyists. You just provide a few details, like the website type and description, and the AI creates a fully functional website in under a minute.

Beginner-Friendly Experience

ZipWP is user-friendly. Anyone can use it to build a professional site, regardless of the skill level. It offers an intuitive interface that guides you through each step. If you’re a beginner, it’s a much better option than traditional tools because ZipWP simplifies everything so well.

Customization and Flexibility

We loved how ZipWP integrates smoothly with WordPress. You can get access to a wide range of plugins and themes. You can tweak your website exactly how you want. You can create a unique and highly functional website, whether it’s a simple blog or an e-commerce store.

High-Quality, AI-Powered Content

The quality of ZipWP's AI-generated content is quite impressive. The writing is compelling and absolutely hits the mark for a professional, polished presentation. 

For us, this is a must-have if you want to create an amazing first impression and engage visitors from the moment they land on your site. ZipWP's AI is doing the heavy lifting. You can feel confident your online presence conveys brand credibility and effectively communicates your key messages right out of the gate.

Option to Avail of a Free Plan

Cost shouldn't be a barrier to getting your business online, and ZipWP gets that. They offer a free plan packed with features. It’s perfect if you're just starting out or watching your budget closely.

But let's say you need more advanced capabilities down the road. No problem, ZipWP has premium plans that are really affordable considering the value you get. The pricing is reasonable, too, especially for smaller businesses.

ZipWP Cons

Only Works for WordPress Websites

ZipWP is built exclusively for WordPress websites. If you need or prefer to use another content management system like Joomla, Drupal, or Squarespace, ZipWP unfortunately won't be an option. So, if your project demands features that WordPress doesn't offer, you'll have to look elsewhere.

Only Works with Astra and Spectra Themes

Right now, ZipWP works with just the Astra and Spectra themes because they're all made by the same parent company. 

Expanding ZipWP's compatibility with other WordPress themes would need some major changes under the hood, which the ZipWP team isn't prepared to handle at the moment.

However, the advantage we see here is that it keeps the tech stack lean without any added bloat. Other theme options definitely have their own merits, but this focused approach ensures your website is lightweight and efficient.

Free Plan’s 24-Hour Time Limit

One potential downside to be aware of is the 24-hour expiration period on websites created with ZipWP's free plan. Essentially, any site you build using the free option will automatically get deleted after just one day.

For some users, this tight timeline could feel pretty restrictive. If you need extra time to really experiment with the platform, customize your site, or carefully evaluate whether upgrading to a paid plan makes sense, that 24-hour window might not allow enough breathing room.

That said, the free plan is intentionally just a test-drive option. If all you need is a quick spin to test out some plugins without building a full site, this 24-hour limit should be sufficient. But for more extensive projects, you'll definitely want to upgrade.

Limited Customization

If your project requires implementing unique functionalities that go beyond what WordPress plugins and themes can handle out-of-the-box, you may start to feel constrained by ZipWP. The same applies if you need to heavily modify the codebase itself.

ZipWP is great for most websites, but developers aiming for highly custom projects might hit roadblocks. If you need a platform with open customization options, ZipWP might not be for you.

How Much Does ZipWP Cost?

ZipWP offers several pricing options to suit different needs:

• Free: Ideal for experimentation or trying out the platform. Includes 1,000 AI credits and 2 AI site generations.
• Pay Per Use: A one-time payment of $79, suitable for building simple websites without additional tools. Includes up to 10,000 AI credits and 5 AI site generations.
• Pro: Priced at $199 per year, this plan provides access to professional tools and premium designs, along with 20,000 AI credits and up to 5 AI site generations per day.
• Business: Costs $399 per year and is best for agencies. Includes 100,000 AI credits, 10 AI site generations, and features like white label domain, team collaboration, AI Wireframe Builder, and AI Website Mindmap Builder.

ZipWP Best Alternatives

Not convinced with ZipWP? Below, we've got some other top picks that might better fit your needs.

These are the best alternative AI website builders we think are definitely worth considering. And if you want to explore even more options, be sure to check out our full roundup of the best AI website builders on the market right now.

1) CodeWP

CodeWP is an AI platform built specifically for WordPress. If you’re building a website with customized solutions, this is your go-to.

Use this platform to generate customized code snippets, functions, and plugin solutions quickly and accurately. Using WooCommerce and Elementor? No problem. CodeWP works well with the most popular plugins and website builders. All you need to do is input prompts to generate the appropriate code. You can also adjust the code and provide feedback to improve the AI's performance. 

Some of CodeWP’s attractive features include AI modes for specific plugins, snippet management, streamlined workflows, and an extensive library of verified solutions. 

If you’re interested, there's a free plan to start. You can also upgrade to the paid Pro ($18/month) and Agency ($48/month) options.

2) 10Web

10Web is one of the most established website builders in the market, thanks to over a decade of specialized experience in WordPress development. We highly recommend it because it’s fast and reliable. It’s perfect for building websites like e-commerce, blog, landing page, or portfolio.

10Web’s best feature is its drag-and-drop interface and AI-powered templates. It goes beyond just design. Its AI capabilities boost your productivity with smart writing suggestions, editing tools, and automated image recommendations.

Other standouts are its robust backup system, intelligent SEO assistant, integrations with OpenAI and DALL-E, team collaboration features, 24/7 live chat, and a lively Slack community. In our experience, this user-friendly yet powerful builder is definitely worth considering for WordPress sites. Check out this thorough 10Web review if you want to know more.

10Web offers several plans for businesses, e-commerce, and agencies. Their pricing starts at $10 per month, billed annually. 

3) Elementor AI

Elementor is a popular website builder, and it just got even better with its new AI assistant. This smart feature lets you quickly generate text, custom code, and images with a prompt. We find this really useful for things like blog posts, creative brainstorming, and more.

Elementor's AI adapts content to your brand's voice, checks grammar, translates text, edits visuals, and even tracks how your site is performing. It works right within Elementor's editor for a smooth, integrated workflow.

But here’s the downside - the free version is a bit limited. We highly recommend getting the paid tiers. The plan starts at $2.99 per month. It’s not much, but for that price, you get some powerful features like generating HTML/CSS code and images directly in the editor. Just keep in mind that while it’s great for many tasks, it might not be up to handling super complex sites or advanced code snippets.

If you want the full scoop on Elementor AI, be sure to check out our separate article, Elementor AI review.

ZipWP Review - FAQs

Is ZipWP free?

No, ZipWP is not free. It requires a subscription to access its features and tools for building websites. However, there is a free plan available for experimentation. With the free plan, you can try out plugins, but note that the website will expire within 24 hours.

How many websites can I create in ZipWP?

The number of websites you can create in ZipWP depends on the subscription plan you choose. Each plan offers different limits on the number of sites you can build.

How does ZipWP work?

ZipWP uses AI to build websites quickly and easily. Users provide input, and the AI generates a complete, optimized website based on those specifications.

ZipWP Review - Our Verdict

ZipWP is great for building stunning websites if you want something quick and easy. With its AI tools, you don’t need to dive into the technical stuff to set up and customize your site. 

We loved how it handles everything from picking images to integrating plugins seamlessly. For small businesses and freelancers on a tight budget, it's definitely worth checking out. The free plan is a bit limited, but the paid options give you a lot more bang for your buck. 

If you're seeking more flexibility and deeper customization options, you might find ZipWP a bit restrictive. You might want to explore CodeWP which offers greater flexibility for creating custom codes for your specific needs.