Durable Review: Fast Setup, But Are the Limits Worth It? [2024]

Durable at a Glance

Should You Use Durable?

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The Durable AI website builder promises to create your website in under 30 seconds, and it’s not lying – once you click the Generate button, you’ll get a decent-looking, SEO-friendly site in less than a minute. If you want to get online with truly minimal fuss, Durable could be just the builder you need.

This website builder also comes with AI marketing and content creation tools to boost your online presence. Durable’s low prices and built-in client features make it a viable option for freelancers and small agencies on a tight budget. You can use it in English, German, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, and Italian.

However, compared to other similar builders, Durable falls short when it comes to customization and integrations. If you want a high level of creative control or apps to help you scale, you should look elsewhere. Read on to find out if Durable’s AI tools are enough for your needs or if you’d be better off with a more complex website builder.

Industry-Based AI Templates, but Limited Variety and Customization

Durable’s AI-created templates are clean, modern, and mobile-responsive, ensuring your website looks good on all devices. If you don’t like your default design, you can simply click the Regenerate button under the Customize tab and have AI redesign your site to suit your taste as many times as you like.

But while this seems like plenty of choice, all AI-created templates follow a similar structure, offering little variety. The designs look professional, but chances are you won’t get something wildly different, regardless of the industry you choose or how many times you click the Regenerate button (and I clicked a lot!)

Design and Customization

Durable lets you automatically restyle every template section by clicking on a button – the AI changes colors, fonts, text and image positions, and individual images. If you don’t want the element of surprise, you can make edits manually, but you’ll get fairly limited options, especially when it comes to colors and fonts.

Durable lets you add your logo and social media links in the header and footer and make your menu sticky for easier navigation. You can also move sections around and add animations to individual elements to spice things up. Durable lets you embed custom code if you have technical skills and want to make more complex design changes.

Overall, you won’t get a lot of creative freedom, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you’re a beginner and want to spend as little time as possible tweaking your site.

A Great Set of Built-in Tools for Clients, but Few Integrations

Durable has a small but efficient set of features primarily for client management. You get built-in CRM and invoicing tools to track customer interactions and payments. Many similar website builders offer this only through third-party apps or for an additional fee.

That said, third-party apps are exactly what Durable is missing, making extending your site’s functionality difficult. Still, Durable might suffice if you want a simple way to manage content and clients.

AI Blog Builder

Durable AI blog tools give suggestions on topics related to your business and can generate ready-made, customizable posts for you. You can have AI regenerate your posts as many times as you like. Alternatively, you can start from scratch and do everything by yourself.

I found the AI-generated content somewhat generic, but it could be a good starting point if you’re not skilled with copy. However, structure-wise, your customization options are pretty limited. For instance, you won’t be able to add your author bio, a standard feature in most other blog builders.

Built-in CRM and Invoicing Tools

With Durable’s CRM tool, you can easily track interactions and automate communication with customers. For instance, you can connect your email address and automatically reach out to customers to book services. Depending on your plan, you can also instantly respond to new leads from your website’s contact form to boost engagement.

Another nifty feature is the ability to create and send invoices quickly (on the Business plan and up). You can customize tax rates, accept multiple payment options, and track the status of your payments, all from a single dashboard.

AI Branding Tools

Durable AI tools lend you a hand in creating your brand image. AI can generate your logo in various formats, such as for social profiles and printed merch. You can then apply the branding to your website, emails, and invoices for a consistent, recognizable look.

As you’ve probably guessed by now, you get unlimited AI redos, but you can also customize the designs yourself by changing colors, fonts, and graphics. Though the color and font options are limited, you get a solid choice of icons via the Noun Project.

Basic E-commerce and Integrations

Durable offers essential integrations, such as Google Search Console for insight into your site’s traffic data and Calendly for scheduling online appointments. You can also add social media feeds and chat app widgets to stay in touch with your visitors. As useful as these tools are, Durable still has a relatively limited set of third-party apps, especially compared to website builders like Wix.

Similarly, Durable’s e-commerce capabilities are rather underwhelming. You can’t add an online store to your site, but you can create individual product pages and add a Stripe button to accept payments. This could be enough if you only have a handful of products to sell. However, for serious e-commerce endeavors, you’ll need more advanced tools than what Durable currently offers.

If you’re looking for a solution that combines advanced online store tools with AI features, our list of the best AI website builders in 2024 can help.

Incredibly Quick and Easy Website Building

Durable’s AI tools handle most of the work, allowing you to get online quickly, even as a beginner. The editor is straightforward, making adjusting your site’s content easy. If you’re unsure about any steps, the guided tour of the interface will help you get started.

Durable’s point-and-click editor lets you add and customize individual sections, such as banners, galleries, and testimonials. Though you won’t get a wide range of sections and design options, you can still set up a good-looking website hassle-free.

Widget and Image Options

What I particularly like about Durable’s editor is the option of adding external widgets powered by Common Ninja. These include real estate listings, a restaurant menu, and an audio player. You can also choose from 10 million images provided by Unsplash and Shutterstock to elevate your site’s design.

Google Business Profile Website Generator

If you have a Google Business Profile, you can get online even faster using Durable’s Google Business Profile Website Builder. All you need to do is type your Google Business Profile into the generator, and Durable will create a website based on your Google profile information.

Once the AI generates your website, you’ll get access to the same interface, so customizing your site stays the same.

AI Marketing Tools

Durable has several tools to help you increase your online presence and target the right audience. On the Business plan and up, you get access to the social post generator and Google ad generator to help you promote your business.

Durable AI can create Instagram, Facebook, and X posts and write Google ads in your chosen voice, such as persuasive, inspirational, and even Don Draper (I miss Mad Men). AI can also generate images for your posts and ads.

Fast and Friendly Customer Support

Durable has a help center with plenty of how-to articles to help you navigate the platform. If you need a quick answer to a simple question, such as information on a particular feature, you can ask Durable’s AI chatbot and save time on browsing through the knowledge base.

For anything more complex, there’s email and live chat support (available Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.–4:30 p.m. PST). Also, you can schedule a 20-minute screen-share onboarding session with a Durable expert to help you get started.

I reached out to Durable’s customer support about adding author bios to blog posts and received an instant reply. The support agent was friendly and helpful, recommending a manual workaround. They also submitted my suggestion as a feature request, so fingers crossed!

When you first email Durable customer support, you’ll get a reply from the AI assistant. If you’re unhappy with your answer, you can click on the Get More Help button at the bottom of the email, and your request will be passed to the support team.

I sent a couple of emails asking about Durable’s third-party apps and content generation limits, and both times, I got a reply within 30 minutes. Again, the support agent was friendly and willing to provide information beyond my question (emphasizing the lack of limits on both plans).

Based on my experience, Durable’s customer support is quick and helpful. If you have urgent issues, live chat is your best option.

Affordable Plans for Freelancers and Small Businesses

Durable has a straightforward and affordable pricing structure. There’s a free plan and three paid plans: Starter, Business, and Mogul. The free plan serves more as an unlimited free trial since you can publish your website only with a paid subscription. Still, it’s a good way to test the platform – you get access to design, automation, and essential CRM tools.

The cheapest paid plan (Starter) includes a free custom domain and automated SEO. It lets you add unlimited pages and blog posts to your site, making it a good option for content-rich websites. However, you’ll have to upgrade if you want more advanced client and marketing tools.

Durable’s Business plan offers the best value for freelancers and small agencies. You get everything from the Starter plan, plus invoicing and more advanced CRM tools. You can send unlimited invoices, automatically request client reviews to increase authority, and get access to social posts and ad generators.

The highest-tiered Mogul plan lets you create 5 websites and add unlimited contributors, but I wouldn’t recommend it for running multiple sites. It offers the same features as the Business plan but at a much higher price.

If you run multiple businesses, an AI website builder like Hostinger1 has some of the cheapest pricing on the market while letting you build up to 100 websites on one account. It also includes a full suite of e-commerce tools, which Durable lacks.

Overall, Durable has affordable prices, considering what you get in return. It’s a solid option for individuals and small businesses, but it’s important to be aware of the platform’s limitations in the long run.