Draft for Lara’s review. Not public, not on Google.
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Claude chat, Claude Design or Claude Code, which one should build your website?
Claude can make a website three different ways. Here's what each one is good for, what it costs, and the one I'd pick for a site you actually own.
By Lara Nelson · November 2, 2026 · 3 min read
"Build it with Claude" can mean three different things, and most of the confusion online comes from mixing them up. Here's the plain difference, and which one fits the website you have in mind.
The short answer
- Claude chat (the regular chat at claude.ai) is for a quick page you can share with a link.
- Claude Design is for laying out how a site should look before anything is built.
- Claude Code is for building a real website as files you own, then putting it on your own domain.
If you want a site you own, with your own domain, you want Claude Code.
Claude chat: a quick page in a conversation
In a regular Claude chat, you can ask for a page and Claude will show it to you right there. You can publish it and share the link, and anyone with the link can view it. That works on the free plan too.
It's perfect for a one-off: a sign-up page for an event, a menu, a simple announcement. The limit is that it lives inside Claude. You can't put your own domain on it, and it isn't a site you can grow.
Claude Design: the look, before the build
Claude Design launched in April 2026 for paid plans. Think of it as a design table: you describe a layout and it lays it out visually, then exports it. Many people now design here first, then hand the result to Claude Code to build.
It's a great way to find your look without touching a file.
Claude Code: a real site you own
Claude Code builds your website as actual files on your computer: every page, image and style. You can see each change, keep it in a free GitHub account, and put it online with Vercel on your own domain. It comes with the Claude Pro plan ($20 a month).
This is what I used to build laranelson.co, and it's what The Story Scroll teaches step by step. New to it? Start with how to build a website with Claude, then put it online.
Side by side
Questions people ask
Can I publish a Claude artifact as a website?
You can publish it and share the link, and anyone with the link can see it. It stays on Claude's address, though, so you can't use your own domain with it.
Do I need Claude Code to build a website?
Not for a simple shareable page. For a real site you own, can grow and can put on your own domain, yes.
Is Claude Code hard for beginners?
It looks technical at first because it runs in a window where you type, but you talk to it in plain English. If you ask it to explain each step before it acts, it's very manageable.
How much does it cost to build a website with Claude?
The Claude Pro plan is $20 a month. Hosting a personal site on Vercel's free plan costs nothing, and a domain is usually about $12 to $25 a year.
Keep reading
Websites with AIHow to build a website with Claude when you've never codedYou don't need to know code. You need a plan, a clear brief and about a weekend. Here's how a non-coder builds a real website with Claude, start to finish.
Websites with AIHow to put your Claude website online for free, then on your own domainClaude builds the files. Vercel puts them online. Here's the whole path in plain words, from "Claude says it can't make my site public" to your own domain.
Story websitesWhat a story website is, and why it beats a PDF résuméA résumé lists what you did. A story website shows who you are and why it matters. Here's what one is, what goes on it, and how to make your own.