For a first website, the hardest part is often not choosing a template or learning where the settings are. It is knowing what to build in the first place. That is where an AI website builder and a platform such as Squarespace take noticeably different approaches.
An AI website builder can start with a description of your business and generate a working structure. Squarespace combines its Blueprint AI with a visual editing system that gives beginners more control over the design process. Both approaches avoid coding, but the workflow feels different.
Here is what beginners should compare before choosing a platform for their first website.
The clearest distinction is the starting point.
With an AI-first website builder such as Volnyn's AI Website Builder, you can describe what your business does and let AI generate the initial website structure, content, and design. Volnyn says its builder can create a complete website from a description, after which you can adjust text, images, colors, and sections using its visual editor.
Squarespace takes a more guided design approach. Its Blueprint AI asks for information about your business and uses those choices to generate a personalized starting point. You can then continue editing the site through Squarespace's visual Fluid Engine editor.
For a beginner, the important question is simple: Would you rather react to a generated website or build the structure yourself from a guided starting point?
| Factor | AI-first workflow | Squarespace workflow |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | Describe the website and generate a draft | Use Blueprint AI or begin with a template |
| Initial structure | AI can generate pages and sections | Blueprint AI recommends pages, layouts, and styling |
| Editing | Visual editing after generation | Visual editing with Fluid Engine |
| Design control | Refine the generated starting point | Extensive visual customization |
| Best starting experience | Useful when you are unsure what to build | Useful when design direction matters from the beginning |
The comparison is not really about whether one platform has AI and the other does not. Both now use AI-assisted website creation. The more useful distinction is how much of the initial decision-making you want the platform to handle for you.
An AI website builder can be particularly useful when you know what your business does but are unsure how to turn that information into a website.
For example, imagine you run a local photography business. You may know that you need a homepage, portfolio, services, about page, and contact page. You may not know how those sections should be arranged or what the initial copy should say.
An AI-first workflow can turn that business description into a concrete starting point. Instead of staring at a blank editor, you have pages and content to review.
Volnyn's current website builder supports business sites, portfolios, landing pages, blogs, and online stores. It also offers 550+ templates across multiple categories, so beginners can combine AI generation with a more traditional starting point when needed.
That approach can be useful for someone whose priority is getting a functional first version online and improving it afterward.
Squarespace is designed around visual presentation as well as ease of use. Its current platform combines Blueprint AI with professionally designed templates and the Fluid Engine editor.
This can appeal to beginners who already have a reasonably clear idea of how they want their site to look. A photographer, designer, restaurant, portfolio owner, or creative business may want to spend more time choosing layouts, typography, imagery, and visual details rather than letting AI make most of the initial decisions.
Squarespace also includes hosting, SEO tools, analytics, ecommerce capabilities, scheduling, and marketing tools within its broader platform. That gives beginners room to build beyond a simple informational website as their requirements change.
The trade-off is that having more design and business controls also means there are more decisions to make. For some beginners, that flexibility is useful. For others, it can make the initial build feel more involved.
If you want to explain your business and receive a substantial first draft, an AI-first workflow may feel more direct. If you prefer choosing the visual direction yourself, Squarespace's guided design process may suit you better.
Both approaches allow customization, but beginners should test the editing experience rather than judging only by feature lists. Try changing a headline, image, section, color, and navigation item. The platform that makes those tasks feel understandable is likely to be easier for you to manage.
Write down the essential requirements before choosing a builder. A five-page service website has different needs from an online store, portfolio, booking website, or content-heavy publication.
Cost structures differ, so check the current plans directly before committing. Volnyn currently offers a free website-building option, while Squarespace offers a free trial before requiring a paid subscription to publish beyond the trial period. Features such as custom domains and advanced capabilities can depend on the plan.
AI-generated websites and templates are starting points, not finished business websites.
Before publishing, replace generic copy with accurate information about your business. Check phone numbers, email addresses, prices, services, images, links, calls to action, and mobile layouts. Make sure visitors can understand what you offer within a few seconds.
This is especially important with AI-generated content. The faster a platform creates the first version, the more important it becomes to review that version carefully.
A useful test is to build the same simple website concept in both workflows. Give each platform the same business description and required pages, then compare how much work remains before you would confidently show the site to a customer.
There is no single workflow that fits every beginner.
An AI-first builder is worth considering if your biggest obstacle is turning an idea into a complete website structure. It can reduce the number of decisions you need to make before seeing a working draft.
Squarespace is worth considering if you want a guided starting process but also expect to spend significant time shaping the visual design yourself. Its combination of Blueprint AI, templates, and visual editing gives beginners a structured path with substantial control.
The practical choice comes down to your starting point: do you need help deciding what the website should become, or do you already know what you want and mainly need a polished system for building it?
Comparing an AI website builder with Squarespace is less about finding a universally better platform and more about finding a workflow that matches how you think.
If you want to move from a business description to a usable first draft quickly, Volnyn's AI website builder provides that starting point, with visual editing available afterward. If you prefer a design-led process with AI guidance and extensive visual control, Squarespace provides another route.
Whichever approach you choose, start with the website's purpose, keep the first version focused, and review every important detail before publishing. A simple site that clearly serves its visitors is a better starting point than an elaborate site you cannot confidently maintain.
