WordPress weighs 6 gigatons
I had a WordPress account for many years. It was fairly easy to set up and maintain. The host still gets recommended for first-time web site builders, so I thought I'd have a look and see how suitable it is for the project I have in mind.
First, the good points: unlike WIX, it doesn't assault your vision with a blizzard of rapidly-moving and completely unnecessary graphics. Also, when you realise it's not for you (less than a minute, I'd estimate) you can easily delete the whole thing, no argument. Also, no AI 'help' being unhelpful in a chatbox right in your face (although the site does offer AI help).
Beyond that ...
Same "moment you try to sign up you 'want' a domain name and hand over some money for this 'free' account" ruse. Same "what the hell does 'hierarchichal structure mean?' design. But hey! It's got 'Jetpack'! That will make your website run at the speed of light! Or something. What even is that? A set of 'features' you and everyone else probably don't need but marketing is more important than functionality, right? Speaking of marketing, don't you want to 'upgrade' for just $ xx.xx? Did I mention you can 'upgrade' for a mere $ xx.xx? And how about that 'upgrade'? Only $ xx.xx!
Seriously, people: this sites is not suitable for first-timers. It's pretty bad for an experienced web master, come to that. But for the uninitiated it, like WIX, is confusing, intimidating, and mildly extortionistic.
Maybe the people who designed both these sites have no idea of the shortcomings. This happens a lot in many industries because the people who did the designing understand what they did, and never look at it from the POV of someone who has never looked at it. Maybe there are no people: maybe the design of the site hosts that offer AI to design your site are themselves designed by AI, and no humans were involved in the making of them.
Has it come to that? AI metaphorically telling us we are too stupid because we don't understand their stupidity?
Or maybe the sites are simply bad and the people in charge don't care because they're making money anyway.