The Grid Review
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- Date Established
- 2014
- Location
- San Francisco
Pros
- Mobile responsive
- Includes iOS/Android apps
Cons
- Non-intuitive, poorly-designed editor
- Buggy
- Limited customer support
- No free trial
- No integrations
Overview
“Wouldn’t it be better if websites just made themselves?” — The Grid’s promo video
Ever since they announced their lofty ambitions in 2014, the team behind The Grid has been causing a stir in the website builder industry. Founded by Dan Tocchini and based in San Francisco, The Grid has, from its inception, staked its existence on forsaking the drag-and-drop DIY website builder model, instead using artificial intelligence to create websites for you.
Jerry Yang, one of The Grid’s top early investors, described the service like so:
“The Grid’s cloud-based artificial intelligence will reinvent web design by eliminating the mundane, time-consuming parts of web development and creating elegant websites in a fraction of the time for a fraction of the cost.”
Initially slated for release in early 2015, The Grid didn’t officially see the light of day until mid-2016. This caused a fair amount of consternation among the company’s “founding members,” who paid $96 in 2014 with the expectation that they would have access to the product within the year (the word “vaporware” was tossed around). Amidst criticism from the web design community that The Grid fell short of what its marketing blitz promised, The Grid is now available to the public, though it’s still officially in beta.
Let’s see how close The Grid comes to fulfilling its utopian vision of a world where benevolent robots create our websites for us, leaving us with more free time to pursue other interests, such as working until we die.
Table of Contents
Pricing
The Grid offers three subscription levels: Starter, Pro, and Biz. The only differences between the plans are the prices and the number of sites you can commission the AI to create.
Starter
- $96/year
- 1 site
Pro
- $144/year
- 10 sites
Biz
- $384/year
- 100 sites
All plans feature 2 calls-to-action per site and custom domain support. Hosting, storage, and bandwidth are included.
Payments must be made via credit card.
Web-hosted or Licensed
The Grid is web-hosted.
Hardware/Software Requirements
The desktop version of The Grid is compatible with Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, with Microsoft Edge support promised in the near future. The Grid is also available in app form for Apple and Android devices.
Business Types Supported
Most website builders let you choose from an assortment of different templates, categorized by business type. However, as we’ve established, The Grid isn’t a website builder in the traditional sense and thus does not make use of templates. Ultimately, The Grid’s creations are best-suited as photography portfolios and visual blogs.
Ease of Use
The Grid has made a lot of waves and generated a lot of hype (and skepticism) with its long-touted AI-based automatic website creation. In particular, The Gird has touted its advanced algorithm for choosing just the right color palette for you, based on the image you send it (you can also choose a color palette for yourself). The Grid describes this aspect of its creator as such:
Color is the most mystical & relative of the creative mediums. A “simple“ 5 color palette can be applied to your site in more than 200,000 unique ways. In less time than it takes you to read this sentence, our algorithms analyzes your media, sifting through millions of unique color combinations searching for the perfect application of your palette.
The Grid’s team of automats will sort through millions of shades of fuchsia to select the one that, according to science, best represents your brand. With my red-green colorblindness, I can’t say I’m the best judge of color fidelity, but the process seemed to work as intended.
It’s only when you’re past the initial palette selection stage that things get confusing. Once you’re through to the heart of the creator, you’ll land at what appears to be a preview of your site. It’s not – it’s just the dashboard. A dashboard that appears to have been designed to be as counterintuitive and glitchy as possible.
For example, I assumed the plus button on the right of the editor would be an easy way to deposit content onto my site. However, when I used the options lurking under the button to upload an image, most of the time, the image seemed to disappear into the ether. Sometimes it would eventually appear under “Unpublished” as an unpublished post. Often, though, nothing would happen.
No matter what I wanted to do, I needed to consult the Help section in order to figure out how to do it. Here we come to the contradiction inherent in the currently existing version of The Grid. Its entire reason for existing is to automatically create websites for its users (and thereby be the easiest possible way to build an online presence). Unfortunately, the non-tech-savvy user (the kind The Grid is trying to attract, presumably) is going to have a hell of a time just trying to populate their site with content. Something intended to be seamless and intuitive shouldn’t send its users scrambling for the FAQ whenever they want to do something!
On their home page, The Grid admits their platform is glitchy, and that “Couple years from now, and our buggy little baby will… You’ll just have to find out.” Even if we take them at their word, it’s hard to ask people to plop down $100 or more for a product that promises, in hazy, imprecise language, to be better in a few years.
But, I digress. Once you figure how just how to feed content to the AI that creates your website, you’ll find that content can only be added in blocks, or “posts” as The Grid refers to them. These posts are spaces where you can insert text, images, and links. The Grid’s AI then decides how to display your posts for maximum effect. While (as I’ll explain) it’s hard to do much more with your posts than display images and text, the websites created with what you input do tend to be fairly attractive. You could put together a decent photography blog with what The Grid gives you.
Another thing: Remember how The Grid promises two “calls-to-action” per site? Turns out, a “call-to-action” is just a big link button. Promoting link buttons as if they are some sort of next-generation design wizardry, and not something that has been a part of website building for decades, is in keeping with The Grid’s predilection for hype. To think that we are allowed not one, but TWO of them!
Features
As I said, when adding content to your website, you’ll need to do it in the context of constructing a post. Text and images are added easily enough, though if you’re hoping to be able to easily add features along the lines of what those old stodgy website builders give you, prepare yourself for disappointment. The only native features you can add to your posts are maps, code blocks, HTML blocks, and those magical “call-to-action” buttons.
If you want to actually add anything more advanced to your site, like eCommerce, you’ll have to do it by using your existing PayPal (or Etsy, or Shopify, etc) account and using embed codes to display products from your store. Similarly, if you want to add a contact form, you’ll have to go through this process to add a contact form via your Wufoo account.
This brings us again to the central contradiction of The Grid. I shouldn’t have to mess with third-party accounts and embed codes to put a contact form up on my website. The vast majority of website builders — those lumbering dinosaurs just waiting to be disrupted by automated web design — allow you to set up such things in-house with a minimum of fuss. It’s hard to fathom the fact that The Grid ostensibly exists to make website creation quicker, easier, and more painless, but in reality directs you to set up a bunch of accounts with third-party sites just to add basic features. We can chalk it up to The Grid’s youth and immaturity, but as it stands, you’ll have to put in a lot of extra work to create anything beyond a simple portfolio site or photo blog. And “extra work” was exactly what The Grid was supposed to make unnecessary.
Web Design and Editing
- Templates: If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know there are no templates involved in The Grid’s automated website creation. What The Grid ultimately ends up producing ranges from mediocre to decent. Thankfully, you can make the system produce new designs for you until it gives you one you like.
- Mobile Editor: One advantage The Grid has over many website builders is the fact that there’s a Grid app available for both iPhone and Android devices. It’s a nice little tool, and if it were working properly, would be a quick and simple way to add posts to your website. Unfortunately, it seems to be just as glitchy as its desktop counterpart. Still, it must be said: The Grid’s websites are ideal for mobile consumption. I liked the look of my website better on my iPhone than on my computer.
Integrations and AddOns
Though The Grid lets you connect with outside services like PayPal and Wufoo via embed codes and the like, native integrations are scant. You can add a map from Mapbox, and through the dashboard, you can connect to your Google Analytics account.
Customer Support
At this stage in its development, The Grid’s customer service is rather bare-bones. There’s a knowledge base and an email contact form. No live chat, no phone support, and no user forums. However, a Grid representative did answer my email query within half a day, and was helpful.
Negative Reviews and Complaints
The major website builder review sites haven’t had much to say yet about The Grid, but of those who have been following The Grid’s development, many have been less than kind. Web designers roundly mocked some of the first sites published by The Grid. One designer’s reaction was “Well. We’re keeping our jobs” while another opined “From these samples i can see grid.io carving out a niche for online ransom notes.” Zing!
One “founding member” devoted a 68 minute video to explaining why The Grid sucks (his words), describing the interface as “one of the most primitive, rustic, crappy interfaces I’ve ever seen for any type of online software since GeoCities.”
Positive Reviews and Testimonials
Some of the more recent impressions of The Grid’s websites have been more positive. One user on Quora who had been critical of The Grid’s development revised his appraisal after The Grid’s official release:
“I have yet to develop my own website on this platform, but I have to say that I have been pleasently [sic] surprised by the quality of some of the websites I have seen. They’re not exactly cutting edge but they are aesthetically quite pleasant. I hope they continue to develop the platform because it’s looking pretty good.”
Final Verdict
As the developers readily admit, The Grid is a work in progress. You can attribute many of its issues to this simple fact. Nonetheless, The Grid is asking for your money in exchange for its services, and at the moment, those services don’t live up to the lofty vision set forth by the company. The Grid promised a whole new paradigm of AI-fueled website creation, but what it delivers now is essentially a less user-friendly, more flimsily-featured version of Impress.ly – an automatic website creator with a less braggadocious marketing department.
I’ve kept my eye on The Grid, and I’m sad to say that no progress has been made towards getting the service to work properly. It remains a buggy, laggy, glitchy mess that provides a poor user experience even on the odd occasion when it does work. The Grid’s unique approach to website creation is one that still holds a good deal of potential, but, alas, it’s just not there yet. A product that purports to make website building easy, creative, and fun instead delivers a product that fails on all three counts. You’ll have a far better experience building a website with a traditional website builder than you will with The Grid.
Two stars.
Jason Vissers
Jason Vissers is a writer and cereal chef from San Diego. He graduated with a Political Science degree from San Diego State University in 2001. He's been writing about website builders, crowdfunding sites, online lenders, and credit cards for Merchant Maverick since 2015. Additionally, Jason can't eat raisins.
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Read Next
Organization Name: Pantry Press Inc.
I’m just so ashamed that I bought into this back in ’14. For our little studio, 99 USD was a lot of money back then. To be honest the outright cringe-worthy results we got when the Grid.io finally emerged were so poor we went back to WordPress. If it ain’t broke, etc. etc.Oh yeah, and the keychain never, like ever, came.What a horrendous ripoff from V1 to V3.
Organization Name: Earth Beat Yoga
I was one of the first 50,000 founding members who paid $99 to get a website from the Grid. Of course, it never ended up happening and when I wanted to contact someone to ask what was going on, there was no phone number or email in sight. So I eventually gave up, and even forgot about it. I am still without a website from them, and wouldn’t even know how to get my money back.
Organization Name: Monsters Made with Love
I loved using the Grid, I got in early as well. Now there is no contact! My pictures aren’t even on my site and I can’t get in contact with anyone. Suggestions?! Please contact me at Monsters.made.w.love@icloud.com. Thank you!
Organization Name: Robert Myers, Psychotherapist
I got in early on this AI phenom with The GRID and was able to make it work for me, being techno literate enough to manage it. The best part was the cost factor upon being a founding and then life time member. I built four sites and called it good. After extensive searching I found this review and noted recent posts. Thanks folks for posting your comments. As noted by other recent posts The GRID seems to have gone dark in just the past two weeks. Specifically pic files are not loading, otherwise the rest seems to still be working. Of course there is no getting into the AI engine to manage anything. This suggests a major server failure on their end. UGH. And there is no response from their “support” team. However, the worst thing is their non-communication. That is about as non-professional as it gets. They seem to be pretending that they can just beam themselves to some black hole and never be discovered. The stuff of lawsuits. Oh, well. If anyone has any information I would appreciate a share. Feel free to contact me at robert@robertmyerslcpc.com. Cheers
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Organization Name: MBCG
The system worked fine for me until recently, not it’s stopped updating and as of today I cannot even access the WebApp to make changes. So long and thanks, but it looks like the party’s over, and the host left a while ago, and isn’t communicating with customers who are left to clean up the mess.
Good enough until recently and then …my website images disappeared! It looks like I’ve been abandoned along with my site. I no longer have access. I am so disappointed and furious – no response to repeated requests for help! Version 3 never materialised and I’ve been a patient founder and lifetime member. Empty words…
Organization Name: bpf ent ltd
i ‘invested’ when i had not enough to grocery shop= the endless promises were never kept– what i am looking for is the names of the staff to this company– please email — bpfenterprise@gmail.com i want their names– period. i will take it from there. fu!# people out of their money????? wrong approach ‘grid’ .. wrong business plan.
Organization Name: Bodhi Leaf Designs
The promises made by The Grid are not fulfilled – ever. The design is so limited, you feel treated like a 3-year-old who can’t do anything. A site is either just boringly stacked or has infinite silly arranged navigation links. The look and feel of a site is that of the early 2000’s. Images can’t be wrapped with text, you can’t adjust heights of anything, clearing cache makes you wonder if you’re back in 1997, the font selection is painful, the pricing absolutely not justified. The “customer support” takes two weeks to get back to you, and only if you get pissy because there’s no reply. Then they promise that the next-coming-soon update and version will fix it and then it doesn’t.And forget about logging in! You go to the login page to enter your email address, but then you get a stupid login link sent to your email. Doesn’t make sense at all. It’s 2018!I wish I had never signed up for it and I feel lurked with false promises into a lifetime membership. The only good thing is that at least they offer “something”, otherwise I would have said they are a total scam.
Organization Name: Indy Pen Dance, LLC
Man did I ever WANT this to be real. I SO wanted this to be real. Turns out after becoming both a member and a lifetime founding member—all I have to show for all that faith is a big old fish hook in the side of face…fool me TWICE shame on me.
Ripped me off twice. Lifetime membership.
I’ve emailed them a couple times to address a design issue and a double billing issue, but have yet to receive a reply after weeks. Does anyone have any other way to contact them except by their support email on their site?
Tanya,
I’m sorry to hear this! Regrettably, we do not have any direct contact info at the Grid, but hopefully other readers will see your post and come to your aid! Good luck to you!
Organization Name: Photography by Jon Adaskin
Did you ever get the double billing issue sorted out?
Organization Name: Humiston Investigations
Let me add my voice to the chorus of complaints here: This program is a complete waste of time and money. The promises made by the company were never fulfilled, and they seem indifferent to the fact they’ve fleeced those of us who helped them found their scam. And like others, I never got my key-chain, which would have been the only promise fulfilled by this company, had they ever sent it. I was also promised a refund, and never got it. Thieves.
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Another founding member here feeling completely ripped off. Oh, and you lifetime members? Read the fine print. Lifetime means 10 years in theGrid’s world. I guess they realize they won’t be around in 10 years anyway.
Organization Name: Wildfire Internet
I have watched The Grid stumble along and received their over-zealous emails. I recommend looking at carrd.co for a very, very simple to use, low-cost website builder which produces great looking sites .
Though there are glitches and improvements to be made. My website came out brilliantly. It requires some creativity on how you will use the posts. Which ones to crop and how you upload but once you understand what you want out of it, it works well. Especially for those in the arts.
Can you post a link to you ur site?
Yep, I too got the $96 Lifetime Membership offer. That’s the only thing I’ve heard from The Grid in all the years since I signed up way back when. “Hot garbage,” yep. Complete trash. Utter junk. An f-ing rip off. Can’t run a business from it. Can’t build a function site. I’m shocked the company hasn’t been sued by every single member. Biggest scam since Madoff. Dudes just made off with my money and now they’re asking for more.
I’m having similar issues as a founder. Never received any emails updating what’s going on and here recently I can’t get into my sites for anything. Nor will they will respond about why? So I’ve posted multiple questions and basically demanding they delete my information from their server as I’m not okay with my artist portfolios being on a host I can’t acess. Yes they’re still active for them to claim I’m so happy. No I’m not! I was just going to make a portfolio only showcasing my metalsmithing work and take down my other work sites. Which were more really to learn how the site builder works but now I can’t acess at all. It just cycles and does nothing but if I type in my Why can’t I access my sites as a founder from when you guys were just in beta? I never get emails about whats happening so if you’re not in beta I have no clue because I do not get emails. All I know is I’ve sent now including tonights 4 or 5 emails. I have lots of personal artwork/ design/ photography (that is my Rebecca Batdorf copyright) in my portfolio sites so not being able to access is a serious problem for me and idk why? Look my work may not be the best but it’s my work! I’ve sent images with the emails and now tonight a short video which is hard to be under 10 mb by the way. We founders were supposed to have extra access and benefits so my husband thinks you guys are ignoring my emails to make me go away as a founder so I and other founders won’t have our benefits. However, my sites are still up and meaning my information still on your server and I’m not okay with not having access to my personal work that’s on your servers. If you’re not going to respond to me or help you’ll need to promptly delete all my site information off your severs and NEVER use any of my artwork without my explicit permission. https://thegrid.ai/muse-photo/ and https://thegrid.ai/creative-reba/ portfolio sites and copyright of Rebecca Batdorf. I have told them if you intend to not help then delete everything off your severs and do not use any artwork what soever!
As a ‘lifetime’ founding member (or sucker) of the Grid platform, I have lost a lot of hair trying to make it work. The system is buggy and not as intuitive as telling an AI bot what you want to do. The system ‘hangs’ ever so often. You get the feeling you are paying for the privilege of Alpha-testing. The colors and layout selected by the AI platform can be messy and something that may appeal to other AI bots, certainly not humans. Also trying to add call to actions, logo reels, integrate video, changing the font, adding a title to an image that doesn’t distort how it gets displayed, can be a pain.The good news is that in 10 years, when the platform becomes sentient, you won’t have to squint through their sparse FAQ’s to find simple solutions. It will let you know that you need to sign up with Wix or some such platform that may not have the A in AI, but at least it has I!
I have to agree with Tom and add that I am so surprised by the amount of ‘founding members’ backers there have not been more of an uprising and negative press.
They promised and under delivered on an incomplete product. A product that was released ver a year late might I add. And when they finally launched they had to launch in batches of 100 users at a time.
What a joke and I fell for it. I guess the others that fell for this ponzi scheme are too embarrassed to admit it.
Support sucks, no response
And now I get emails for them Offering me a $96 Lifetime Membership so that can rung salt into us Founding members who got 1 year membership for the same price. So regretted not joining PageCloud at the time.
At least they have decent tools and support.
I so wanted TheGrid to work that I was blind by their marketing. Did anyone get their promised Keychain for founding members?
still waiting for my keychain
Hey yeah, I forgot about my keychain! Where is it??
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This review is fair but overly generous. The Grid, as of July 2017, continues to be hot garbage–interface isn’t just user-unfriendly, it does not work . Possibly the worst $96 I’ve ever spent, which is saying something. Avoid like the plague.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.