REVIEW: Hocoos AI Website Builder

screenshot of homepage of Hocoos AI Website Builder

AI website builders are a growing trend, promising quick and easy website creation for beginners and busy professionals alike. Hoco0s is one such platform, earning praise from users for its ease of use, AI-driven tools, and features like e-commerce and booking functionality. Curious to see how it performs, I tested out the free plan to create a simple website mimicking my own. While Hocoos offers an accessible starting point for some users, I found its limitations significant—particularly for anyone seeking a more personalized or professional result.

How Hocoos Works

The process of creating a website with Hocoos is straightforward and guided, which is a huge plus for beginners.

1. Eight Questions to Get Started: Hocoos begins by asking you a series of questions about your business or personal needs. These include your industry, the services you offer, and preferred design elements like colors and fonts.

2. Color Palette and Design Options: You’re given a limited set of color palettes to choose from, followed by three design options for your site’s overall layout. These designs serve as a starting point, which you can later customize.

3. Drag-and-Drop Editor: Once your site is generated, you can refine it using the platform’s drag-and-drop editor. This allows you to rearrange elements, tweak text, and upload images.

4. Premium AI Features: On higher-tier plans, you can access additional AI tools like generating marketing copy and advanced e-commerce integrations.

My Experience with Hocoos

While the setup process was easy, the limitations of the free plan quickly became apparent. I wanted to see how closely I could replicate my current website. However, I found it difficult to customize the site enough to meet my needs. (I was not looking to move my website from Squarespace! Just checking out the ease of use and deliverability of Hocoos.)

For instance:

Limited Input Options: When asked to select the services I offer, I couldn’t type in custom options. Instead, I had to choose from a pre-set list, none of which matched what I actually do.

Color Palette Restrictions: The color palettes were limited, and I couldn’t adjust them beyond the initial selection. By contrast, platforms like Squarespace allow you to customize colors with RGB or HEX codes or even upload an image to create a palette.

Free Plan Constraints: On the free plan, I couldn’t access features like AI-generated copy, and there were restrictions on the number of images I could upload.

The resulting site didn’t align with my brand. The layout felt clunky, and the design options seemed outdated. For users looking for a polished, modern aesthetic, these limitations can be really frustrating.

What Others Say About Hocoos

Hocoos has received some good reviews from several tech blogs. They appreciate the ease of creating a site, the simplicity of the user interface, and the platform’s ability to integrate marketing and e-commerce tools. These features make Hocoos a nice starting point for anyone looking to build a functional website without a steep learning curve.

However, many reviewers also point out that customization is limited and difficult to perform. For beginners, this might not be a dealbreaker, but for more experienced users—or those with very specific needs—this can be a hurdle.

Alternatives to Hocoos

Given my experiences as a website designer, here are my recommendations:

Squarespace: Known for its beautiful templates and deep customization options, Squarespace is my go-to platform. It offers flexible color palettes, excellent design tools, and a modern, professional look that requires minimal effort to achieve. While not free, its templates and functionality make it a worthwhile investment.

Wix: Wix offers free and paid plan with more flexibility than Hocoos. While I prefer Squarespace for its polished templates, Wix is a decent option for beginners looking for a budget-friendly solution.

Final Thoughts

Hocoos may appeal to users who want a quick and simple solution, but I found it too limited for my needs, or the needs of my clients. The free plan doesn’t offer enough functionality to create a professional-looking site, and the design options lack the flexibility required for branding and customization.

If you’re completely new to website building, Hocoos might be worth a try to get your feet wet. But for anyone looking to create a site that truly reflects their style and professionalism, I recommend exploring platforms like Squarespace or Wix instead.

Kelly Smith

Kelly Smith is on a mission to help ensure technology makes life better for everyone. With an insatiable curiosity and a multidisciplinary background, she brings a unique perspective to navigating the ethical quandaries surrounding artificial intelligence and data-driven innovation.

https://kellysmith.me
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