Review of ZipWP
ZipWP Review: Fast Mockups & WordPress Power
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As someone who’s been building websites for nearly three decades, I’ve tested plenty of website builders. I confess, I have a habit of chasing “shiny objects” and anything that can make my work life easier. Most other website builders fall short when it comes to flexibility, customization, and long-term usability. That’s why I’ve always returned to WordPress. It gives me the freedom to design exactly what our clients need and extend sites with powerful plugins.
But ZipWP caught my attention and held it. It’s an AI website builder built specifically for WordPress users. While we still build the majority of our websites using Kadence, ZipWP is becoming a valuable part of our planning and prototyping process.
What is ZipWP?
ZipWP is a WordPress-based AI website builder that creates full websites in under a minute simply by describing your business. It uses the Astra theme and the Spectra page builder, generating not just layout and structure but also images and AI-written copy tailored to your niche. Unlike proprietary builders, ZipWP gives you a real WordPress site with full plugin compatibility and the freedom to move it to any hosting provider.
What Makes It Different?
Other AI website builders often lock you into their system or make it hard to customize. ZipWP doesn’t. You get a real WordPress install, which means you can:
- Install any plugin
- Customize every page with Spectra or the block editor
- Export the site and host it anywhere you choose
- Use it for client work, demo builds, or internal projects
That flexibility makes it worth considering, not as a complete design platform (yet), but as a fast mockup and ideation tool.
How We Use ZipWP in Our Workflow
While we build most of our production websites using Kadence, we’ve found ZipWP helpful in three main ways:
1. Rapid Mockups
Creating homepage concepts used to take hours. Now, we can generate multiple homepage drafts for different industries in minutes. It’s a great way to jumpstart client conversations or pitch new ideas.
2. Testing Plugins and Updates
We often use ZipWP’s demo environments to test plugins or design ideas before applying them to client sites. It’s faster than setting up a fresh WordPress install from scratch.
3. Selling Templates
ZipWP recently launched Blueprints, which let us build and save reusable templates. We’ve started experimenting with building niche-specific site templates. ZipWP’s upcoming features will likely make this easier and more scalable.
4. Creating Landing Pages
In addition to full websites, ZipWP is also useful for spinning up quick, targeted landing pages for ad campaigns or lead magnets. It’s a fast way to test different layouts without the overhead and time commitment of a full website build.
What’s New in ZipWP (May 2025 Update)
Since we first started using ZipWP, the platform has continued to improve. The latest updates have made it even more powerful for agencies and developers.
Here are a few new features that have improved our workflow at Roe Digital:
Elementor Support (Beta)
You can now choose Elementor as your page builder when launching a site. This adds flexibility for teams already using Elementor across client projects. Here’s a screenshot of our recent test of generating mockups using the Elementor feature inside of ZipWP.
Custom Subdomains & Domains
Set branded subdomains like clientname.yourdomain.com for a fully white-labeled experience. This has been a big win for organizing client mockups and internal templates.
Shareable Wireframes & Sitemaps
Perfect for client approvals. ZipWP now lets you generate a link to your wireframe and sitemap. This feature is helpful when pitching new designs or collecting client feedback before building the whole site.
Edit Content Before Generation
We can tweak key content (like headings, CTAs, and descriptions) with wireframe editing before generating the full website. This saves time and reduces back-and-forth edits.
SSH/SFTP Access for Blueprints
If you’re creating reusable templates or testing plugin functionality, you can now enable SSH/SFTP access for your demo sites. This is ideal for advanced customization or troubleshooting.
New Chrome Extension: LinkedIn to Website
With ZipWP’s Chrome Extension, you can turn a LinkedIn profile into a full WordPress site in seconds. This is great for professionals or agencies onboarding new clients quickly.
AI-Driven Custom Sites
ZipWP recently released its Custom Sites feature, powered by AI, which lets you build from wireframes and sitemaps. This is still rolling out, but it could be a game-changer for professional designers who want to move faster without giving up creative control.
ZipWP Pricing
As of now:
- Free Plan: 3 site drafts per month, each expiring after 24 hours
- Pro Plan: $199/year
- Business Plan: $399/year (with premium features and white-label options)
I upgraded to the Business Plan because we use it regularly to generate mockups and internal tools. It’s paid for itself in time saved.
ZipWP vs Other Builders
| Feature | ZipWP | Proprietary AI Builders |
|---|---|---|
| Built on WordPress | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Customization with Plugins | ✅ Full support | ❌ Limited or none |
| Hosting Flexibility | ✅ Any host | ❌ Locked in |
| Good for Agencies | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Often not |
While we still use Kadence Theme & Blocks and Kadence AI for most of our live client sites, ZipWP plays a vital role in speeding up the early phases, especially brainstorming, wireframing, and pitching ideas. It’s not a complete replacement for custom WordPress design, but it’s one of the best AI tools we’ve tested for working with WordPress, not against it.
If you’re a designer, agency, or even a DIY business owner, ZipWP is worth checking out. Just don’t expect it to replace thoughtful design. It’s a starting point, not the finish line.
Demo of ZipWP Building a Website for a Dog Breeder
Using ZipWP to build an RV Park Website
Here’s a demonstration of using AI to build a WordPress website for an RV Park. I used ChatGPT with DALL-E to generate the logo then I used ZipWP to create the website.
