AI has made web development more accessible than ever. You don’t need to be a professional developer to build a decent website — but “easier” doesn’t mean “easy”. There are still choices to make, tools to understand, and moments where you’ll get stuck.
This article explains what you need to get started. Honestly and completely.
1. An AI assistant
This is the core of the setup. The two most popular options:
Claude Code (Anthropic) My personal choice. Claude Code understands your entire project, reads files, writes and edits code, and runs terminal commands. It’s not autocomplete — it builds alongside you. Pro subscription: €21 per month (~$23).
Codex / ChatGPT (OpenAI) Also a strong option. ChatGPT with the right setup can generate and debug code. Less integrated into your workflow than Claude Code, but a logical step for people already using ChatGPT. Plus subscription: $20 per month.
Cursor A code editor (based on VS Code) with AI built in. Good if you’re already familiar with code editors. Works with multiple AI models. Free tier available, Pro: $20 per month.
My advice: start with Claude Code if you’re building from scratch. It thinks the most about architecture and structure.
2. A framework — or no framework
You need a way to build your site. The options:
No framework (plain HTML/CSS) For a simple static page or one-pager, this is sometimes the best choice. No installation, no configuration. Start with an empty file and an AI that helps you build.
Astro My recommendation for most websites. Astro generates static HTML — extremely fast, good SEO, minimal maintenance. Free, open source. Works well with Claude Code.
WordPress A familiar option, but more technically complex than it looks. Hosting, updates, plugins, security vulnerabilities — more moving parts than a simple AI build. Less ideal as a starting point for AI-assisted development.
3. Hosting — where does your site live?
Your website needs somewhere to run. The best free options for static sites:
Cloudflare Pages
My preference. Generous free tier, global CDN, fast load times. Connect your GitHub repo and every git push deploys automatically.
Netlify Slightly friendlier for beginners. Free tier is a bit more limited. Good for a first project.
Vercel Popular for Next.js projects. Free tier, good developer experience.
Cost: free for most small projects.
4. A domain name
Your website needs an address. You buy a domain from a registrar:
- Cloudflare Registrar — at-cost pricing with no markup, great if you’re already on Cloudflare
- Namecheap — internationally popular, good prices
- Google Domains / Squarespace Domains — straightforward interface
A .com domain costs roughly €10–15 per year.
5. A Git repository (GitHub)
This sounds more technical than it is. GitHub is a place where you store and track your code. Cloudflare Pages and Netlify connect to it directly — so your site deploys automatically whenever you save a change.
GitHub is free. You need an account and basic understanding of how git commit and git push work. Claude Code helps you with this.
What it costs in total
| What | Cost |
|---|---|
| Claude Code Pro | €21/month |
| Hosting (Cloudflare Pages) | Free |
| Domain (.com) | ~€12/year |
| Framework (Astro) | Free |
| Total per month | ~€22 |
Where people get stuck
Honestly: the tools are there. The problem is usually somewhere else.
The initial setup. Node.js, npm, a terminal — if you’re not familiar with these, the first setup takes disproportionately long. Claude can help, but you need to understand what’s being asked of you.
Understanding error messages. AI makes mistakes. When something breaks, you need to know what to tell the AI so it can fix it. Blindly copying works for a while — but not always.
Keeping structure. After a few weeks of building, a project can get messy if you don’t have a basic sense of how files should be organised.
These aren’t insurmountable problems — but it helps to have someone look over your shoulder.
A review session — for when you’re stuck
Want to build it yourself but hit a wall? Or want to get started but not sure how to take the first step?
I offer a one-hour review session: we look at your project together, I show you how I approach things, and you ask whatever questions you have. No hidden agenda — just one hour of focused help.
Price: €350
Interested? Send me a message and we’ll schedule something.
Not sure whether to build it yourself or have someone else do it? Explore my AI website development service or tell me about your project — I’m happy to help you figure it out.
