Final verdict
Carrd and Adobe Portfolio cater to different user needs, with Carrd focusing on simplicity and affordability, and Adobe Portfolio targeting creative professionals.
-
Carrd (Overall Grade: 6.1/10)
excels in providing a user-friendly platform for building single-page websites. It stands out for its ease of use, affordability, and speed optimization. Carrd is best suited for individuals and small businesses looking for a straightforward solution to create simple, yet effective online presences. Its limitations in ecommerce and advanced features are compensated by its strengths in design flexibility and user management. -
Adobe Portfolio (Overall Grade: 5.5/10)
, tailored for creative professionals, integrates seamlessly with Adobe Creative Cloud, offering specialized templates and features for showcasing creative work. While it may lag slightly behind Carrd in terms of ease of use and affordability, it offers superior website editors, hosting quality, and security measures. Adobe Portfolio is the go-to choice for photographers, designers, and artists who need a professional platform to display their portfolios.
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
Design functionalities & templates |
7.5 |
7.4 |
|
Ease of use |
9.0 |
8.7 |
|
Ecommerce |
3.5 |
0.0 |
|
Website Editors |
7.0 |
7.4 |
|
Product testing options |
6.0 |
7.6 |
|
Price |
8.9 |
7.7 |
|
Hosting quality |
5.0 |
7.0 |
|
Website speed optimization |
8.2 |
6.2 |
|
Plugins and integrations |
5.8 |
6.7 |
|
Marketing features |
5.8 |
3.7 |
|
Customer support |
6.2 |
7.3 |
|
Security |
7.6 |
8.1 |
|
AI capabilities |
0.0 |
0.0 |
|
User Management |
4.3 |
3.0 |
| Overall |
6.1 |
5.5 |
Best for ecommerce
3.5
0.0
Verdict
: For users looking to incorporate basic ecommerce functionalities into their websites, Carrd offers limited but viable options through third-party integrations, making it the better choice for ecommerce compared to Adobe Portfolio, which lacks any ecommerce capabilities.
-
Carrd
: While primarily a platform for building single-page websites, Carrd extends its utility to ecommerce through integrations with payment gateways like PayPal and Stripe. It’s suitable for small-scale online sales or digital product transactions, offering basic product listing options and payment processing capabilities. However, its ecommerce features are not as developed or integrated as those found in dedicated ecommerce platforms. -
Adobe Portfolio
: Designed for showcasing creative work, Adobe Portfolio does not support ecommerce functionalities. It lacks the features necessary for selling products or processing payments, making it unsuitable for users looking to build an online store or conduct sales through their portfolio website.
Best for informational & business websites
7.9
7.4
Verdict
: Carrd edges out Adobe Portfolio for informational and business websites, thanks to its higher score and versatility in design and functionality.
-
Carrd
: With a score of 7.9, Carrd shines for creating responsive, single-page websites. It’s praised for its simplicity, ease of use, and affordability, making it ideal for personal profiles, landing pages, and small business sites. Carrd’s wide variety of templates and customization options cater to a broad audience, ensuring functionality and attractiveness in its designs. -
Adobe Portfolio
: Scoring 7.4, Adobe Portfolio is tailored for creative professionals looking to showcase their work. While it offers beautiful, responsive templates and seamless integration with Adobe Creative Cloud, it’s slightly less versatile than Carrd for general informational and business purposes. However, it remains a strong contender for those in creative fields.
Detailed comparison
Design functionalities & templates
Design FunctionalitiesRepresents how well each platform allows for creative design and customization of websites.Score Components:
- Template Variety (30%): Range and quality of design templates.
- Customization (30%): Flexibility and options for design alterations.
- User Interface (20%): Ease and intuitiveness of the design process.
- Responsiveness (10%): Adaptability to different devices and screen sizes.
- Innovation (10%): Unique design features and tools.
7.5
7.4
🏆
Winner: Carrd.
Carrd offers a wider variety of templates and designs, more customization flexibility, and more creative design possibilities than Adobe Portfolio.
Carrd is a versatile platform that offers a wide variety of templates and designs, catering to different needs and preferences. Users can choose from a broad selection of themes, ranging from simple and minimalist to complex and dynamic layouts, ensuring there’s something for everyone.
On the other hand, Adobe Portfolio offers a selection of customizable templates designed for creatives across various fields, such as photography, graphic design, and web design. These templates are responsive and tailored to showcase creative work effectively across all devices.
Get a head start on website creation with AI
Create a custom website tailored to your business needs 10X faster with 10Web AI Website Builder!
No credit card required
Ease of use
Ease of useReflects the platform’s overall user-friendliness.Score
Components:
- Learning curve (40%): Quickness and ease of getting started.
- Interface design (30%): Simplicity and intuitiveness of layout.
- User guidance (20%): Quality of tutorials and support.
- Flexibility (10%): Adaptability to various user skills.
9.0
8.7
🏆 Winner: Carrd
. Scoring a solid 9.0, Carrd stands out for its user-friendly interface, making it exceptionally easy for beginners to create and manage their websites. Adobe Portfolio, with a score of 8.7, offers a robust platform but with a steeper learning curve, especially for those new to creative portfolio management. If ease of use is a priority, Carrd is the clear winner in this category.
Learning Resources
🏆 Winner: Adobe Portfolio
. While both platforms offer solid learning resources, Adobe Portfolio goes a step further with its wide array of detailed tutorials and active community forums, making it easier for users to learn and adapt.
For ecommerce
EcommerceMeasures the platform’s effectiveness in supporting online business activities.Score Components:
- Ecommerce themes and templates (20%): Variety and design of templates.
- Product management (25%): Ease of managing and organizing products.
- Payment options (25%): Variety and convenience of payment methods.
- Ecommerce features (20%): Features for managing an ecommerce store.
- Integration (10%): Compatibility with external e-commerce tools and services.
3.5
0.0
Carrd and Adobe Portfolio are both primarily designed for creating portfolio websites, but they differ significantly in their ecommerce capabilities. Carrd offers some basic ecommerce features through third-party integrations, while Adobe Portfolio does not have any ecommerce capabilities.
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
Ecommerce themes and templates |
4.5 |
0.0 |
|
Product page customization |
3.0 |
0.0 |
|
Payment processing and commissions |
5.0 |
0.0 |
|
POS capabilities |
0.0 |
0.0 |
|
Payment gateways |
5.5 |
0.0 |
|
Product numbers |
2.0 |
0.0 |
|
Additional ecommerce features |
3.5 |
0.0 |
Carrd ecommerce features:
- Paypal and Stripe Integration
- External Widgets integrations
- Basic Product Listing options
Adobe Portfolio does not have any ecommerce features.
Ecommerce themes & templates
Carrd provides a selection of 14 e-commerce templates aimed at users looking to quickly launch online stores for products ranging from e-books to physical goods. These templates are crafted with a focus on simplicity and conversion optimization, featuring designs that vary from dark themes to minimalist aesthetics. They are priced starting at $19 or $25, depending on the template, and require a Pro Standard account or higher due to the use of advanced elements and widgets.
Adobe Portfolio does not have any ecommerce specific templates.
Product page customization
Carrd offers a streamlined approach to ecommerce product page customization, primarily through integrations with third-party platforms such as Stripe, Lemon Squeezy, and Gumroad. Users can create product pages within Carrd by adding product details like name, description, image, and price, and then integrate a checkout button using Carrd’s Widget element for platforms like Stripe. Users can integrate third-party services for ecommerce functionalities, but the customization possibilities for product pages would then depend on the capabilities of those external platforms.
Adobe Portfolio does not have product page customization features.
Payment processing
Carrd allows for payment-enabled forms for Pro Plus users or higher, integrating with Stripe Checkout for payment processing. This setup enables creating forms for various transactions like order forms or paid email lists. The process requires setting up the payment through Stripe, either via a preconfigured price or a custom price, and entering Stripe API keys. There’s no direct mention of Carrd charging commissions or offering POS capabilities within this documentation. For payment gateways, it specifically supports Stripe and Paypal.
Adobe Portfolio does not have any payment processing capabilities.
Website Editors
Website EditorsEvaluates the platforms’ website building and editing capabilities.Score Components:
- Customization tools (40%): Range and power of editing features.
- Editor usability (30%): User experience within the editor.
- Design flexibility (20%): Freedom in layout and design changes.
- Update and maintenance ease (10%): Simplicity of updating and maintaining the site.
7.0
7.4
🏆
Winner: Adobe Portfolio
. Adobe Portfolio, with a score of 7.4, offers a user-friendly website builder editor designed for creatives to showcase their work. With it, users can easily create and customize their own professional-looking websites without needing to code. The editor allows for the integration of high-quality images and videos, offers a variety of responsive templates tailored to different creative fields, and provides seamless Adobe Creative Cloud integration, enabling users to directly import their work.
Carrd’s website builder editor, scoring 7.0, is designed for simplicity and efficiency, catering primarily to users looking to create single-page websites. It offers a user-friendly interface that allows for easy drag-and-drop functionality, enabling users to add, customize, and position elements such as text, images, buttons, and forms with minimal effort. The editor also provides a range of pre-designed templates and responsive design options, ensuring that websites look professional and work seamlessly across various devices.
Mobile editor/app
5.5
0
🏆
Winner: Carrd
. Neither Carrd nor Adobe Portfolio offer a dedicated mobile editor app. However, Carrd allows users to edit their websites on a mobile browser, providing some level of convenience for on-the-go adjustments. On the other hand, Adobe Portfolio does not offer any mobile editing capabilities, which can be a significant drawback for users who prefer to manage their websites from their mobile devices.
Carrd, therefore, takes the lead in this category due to its mobile browser editing capability.
Product testing options
Product Testing OptionsAssesses the options for trying out platform features before commitment.Score Components:
- Trial quality (40%): Extent and usefulness of the trial or free version.
- Feature accessibility (30%): How many features are available to test.
- Trial duration (20%): Length of the trial period.
- Ease of transition (10%): Smoothness of moving from trial to paid plans.
6.0
7.6
Overall Result
:
Adobe Portfolio Wins
. Adobe Portfolio scores 7.6, higher than Carrd’s 6.0, in product testing options. Adobe Portfolio offers a trial version that allows users to explore all features and even create a portfolio website. However, users cannot publish their website without subscribing to a plan. Additionally, users can test the features further during the 14-day refundable period. On the other hand, Carrd offers a 7-day free trial where premium features can be tested, but it does not offer a money-back guarantee.
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
Free Plan |
No | No |
|
Trial Duration |
7 days |
Yes |
|
Testing Premium Features |
During free trial period |
During trial and 14-day refundable period |
|
Money Back Guarantee |
No |
14-day money back guarantee |
Price
PriceLooks at the cost-effectiveness and value for money of each platform.Score Components:
- Plan value (40%): What each pricing tier offers.
- Transparency and clarity (30%): Clearness of pricing structures.
- Flexibility of plans (20%): Range of options to suit different budgets.
- Hidden costs (10%): Additional expenses not included in the plan.
8.9
7.7
Carrd offers more affordable pricing plans compared to Adobe Portfolio, which offers more comprehensive features as part of the Creative Cloud subscription.
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
$0-$1 |
Pro Lite ($0.75/month): Basic features suitable for simple, personal websites. Up to 3 1-page websites. Value for price: 6.0 |
No offering at this amount. |
|
$1-$3 |
Pro Standard ($1.58/month): Offers more features and flexibility, ideal for professional profiles and small projects. Up to 10 1-page websites. Value for price: 7.5 |
No offering at this amount. |
|
$3-$5 |
Pro Plus ($4.08/month): Enhanced features for more complex sites, including additional customization options. Up to 25 1-page websites. Value for price: 8.5 |
No offering at this amount. |
|
$5-$10 |
No offering at this amount. |
Creative Cloud – Photography ($9.99/month): Up to 5 Portfolio sites with fonts from Adobe Fonts, and with access to Photoshop and Lightroom and 20GB storage. Value for price: 7.0 |
|
$50+ |
No offering at this amount. |
Creative Cloud – All Apps ($59.99/month): Up to 5 Portfolio sites with the entire collection of Adobe creative apps, including Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign, with 20 GB storage. Value for Price: 8.5 |
location. As a result in rare cases the prices displayed here can differ from the ones you see on their
websites.
Hosting quality
Hosting
qualityExamines the reliability and performance of the hosting solutions.Score Components:
- Uptime (40%): Consistency and reliability of website availability.
- Speed (30%): Loading times and performance.
- Bandwidth and storage (20%): Sufficiency of resources provided.
- Data centers (10%): Quality and distribution of hosting infrastructure.
5.0
7.0
🏆
Winner: Adobe Portfolio
Adobe Portfolio offers cloud hosting with a built-in domain and 20GB of cloud storage, and has three data centers globally. Carrd, on the other hand, offers shared hosting with no specific information on bandwidth or storage limitations and does not disclose any information about its data centers. Adobe Portfolio’s hosting services are more robust, earning it a higher rating.
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
Do they offer hosting? |
Yes, shared hosting integrated with its website-building platform |
Yes, including a built-in myportfolio.com domain and 20GB of cloud storage |
|
Data Centers: |
Carrd doesn’t publicly disclose any information about its data centers |
3 globally: US, Ireland and Japan |
|
Type of hosting: |
Shared Hosting |
Cloud Hosting |
|
Uptime: |
Carrd.co does not provide any statistics on uptime |
Adobe Portfolio does not publish its uptime statistics |
|
Uptime Guarantee: |
No |
No |
Website Speed Optimization
Website Speed OptimizationEvaluates optimization of website loading timesScore Components:
- PageSpeed Score (30%): Google’s score indicating performance optimization.
- Loading Time (30%): The average time until a website is fully interactive.
- Mobile Optimization (15%): Optimization effectiveness for mobile devices.
- Resource Optimization (15%): Optimizing images, scripts, and other heavy resources.
- CDN Usage (10%): Use of CDN to enhance speed across geolocations.
8.2
6.2
🏆 Winner: Carrd
Both Carrd and Adobe Portfolio prioritize website performance and page speed, but Carrd’s strategies for speed optimization and expected high page speed scores give it an edge over Adobe Portfolio.
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
Focus |
Mobile Responsive design, Caching, Cloudflare CDN |
Image optimization, SEO and Meta Tag Configurations |
|
Performance Tools |
Not specified |
Not specified |
|
Key Strategies |
Mobile Responsive design, Caching, Cloudflare CDN |
Image optimization, SEO and Meta Tag Configurations |
|
Load Times |
Expected to be minimal due to simplicity of websites |
Varies depending on design choices and content volume |
|
Page Speed Scores Range |
Expected to be high due to simplicity of websites |
Varies depending on design choices and content volume |
|
Core Web Vitals Improvement |
Not disclosed |
Not disclosed |
Carrd, a platform for building fully responsive, single-page websites, prioritizes mobile responsive design, caching, and Cloudflare CDN for speed optimization. Given the simplicity of websites built with Carrd, load times are expected to be minimal, and page speed scores are expected to be high. However, Carrd does not disclose any information related to Core Web Vitals improvements.
On the other hand, Adobe Portfolio, a website builder designed for creative professionals, focuses on image optimization and SEO and Meta Tag configurations for speed optimization. Load times and PageSpeed scores vary depending on specific design choices and content volume. Like Carrd, Adobe Portfolio does not disclose any information about its Core Web Vitals improvements.
Get a head start on website creation with AI
Create a custom website tailored to your business needs 10X faster with 10Web AI Website Builder!
No credit card required
Plugins and integrations
Plugins and integrationsMeasures the range and effectiveness of additional plugins and integrations.Score Components:
- Variety of options (40%): Range of available add-ons.
- Integration smoothness (30%): Ease of integrating plugins into the site.
- Quality of plugins (20%): Functionality and reliability of the options.
- Custom integration capabilities (10%): Support for custom or third-party integrations.
5.8
6.7
🏆 Winner: Adobe Portfolio.
Adobe Portfolio scores 6.7, slightly ahead of Carrd’s 5.8. Adobe Portfolio’s integrations with its own suite of creative tools like Behance, Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Stock, and Adobe Fonts provide a seamless experience for creatives. Carrd, on the other hand, offers a range of plugins and extensions, both free and paid, to enhance user interactions and content presentation. However, Adobe Portfolio’s integrations are more comprehensive and are included at no extra cost to Creative Cloud subscribers, giving it the edge in this category.
Marketing Features
Design FunctionalitiesRepresents how well each platform allows for creative design and customization of websites.Score Components:
- Template Variety (30%): Range and quality of design templates.
- Customization (30%): Flexibility and options for design alterations.
- User Interface (20%): Ease and intuitiveness of the design process.
- Responsiveness (10%): Adaptability to different devices and screen sizes.
- Innovation (10%): Unique design features and tools.
5.8
3.7
🏆
Overall Winner: Carrd
. Carrd offers a more comprehensive set of marketing features, including SEO tools, email marketing through third-party integrations, blogging, social media integration, analytics and reporting, and ads and promotions. Adobe Portfolio, while offering basic SEO tools and social media integration, lacks in email marketing, blogging, and ads and promotions.
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
SEO Tools |
|
|
|
Email Marketing |
(through third-party integrations) |
|
|
Blogging |
|
|
|
Social Media Integration |
|
(limited) |
|
Analytics and Reporting |
(through Google Analytics integration) |
(through Google Analytics integration) |
|
Ads and Promotions |
(through third-party integrations) |
|
Customer Support
Customer supportEvaluates the quality and availability of support options.Score Components:
- Response time (40%): Speed of support responses.
- Support quality (30%): Effectiveness and helpfulness of the support.
- Availability (20%): Range of support channels (phone, chat, email).
- Resource richness (10%): Quality of self-help and educational materials.
6.2
7.3
🏆 Winner: Adobe Portfolio
. Adobe Portfolio takes the lead in this category with a customer support score of 7.3, compared to Carrd’s score of 6.2. Adobe Portfolio offers a range of customer support options, including a comprehensive knowledge base, FAQs for self-service help, live chat, and phone support. Although the emphasis is more on self-service help, Adobe Portfolio also offers advanced 24/7 tech support for their enterprise plans.
On the other hand, Carrd provides 24/7 support via email, typically replying within 24 hours. However, Carrd does not provide enterprise support as they don’t have an enterprise plan. Despite its simplicity and ease of use, Carrd’s customer support services are not as comprehensive as Adobe Portfolio’s.
Security
SecurityLooks at the platforms’ security measures and data protection.Score Components:
- Data protection (40%): Safeguards for user and customer data.
- SSL and encryption (30%): Implementation of secure connections.
- Compliance (20%): Adherence to industry security standards.
- Regular updates (10%): Frequency of security updates and patches.
7.6
8.1
🏆
Winner: Adobe Portfolio
. Adobe Portfolio’s security score is higher than Carrd’s, indicating a more robust security infrastructure. Adobe Portfolio implements comprehensive data protection measures aligned with major regulatory frameworks like the GDPR and U.S. state privacy laws. It also adheres to international data privacy frameworks, ensuring global data protection standards. Adobe’s security strategy includes proactive measures like vulnerability assessments and incident response teams, aimed at continuously improving security.
On the other hand, Carrd ensures website security by automatically enabling SSL for all sites published on .carrd.co URLs. This SSL certification extends to custom domains and subdomains, automatically issued via Let’s Encrypt once DNS records are in place. These measures signify Carrd’s commitment to data security and encryption, safeguarding websites against unauthorized access and hacking. However, compared to Adobe Portfolio, Carrd’s security measures are less comprehensive.
AI Capabilities
AI capabilitiesMeasures the effectiveness of AI-driven features and tools.Score Components:
- Automation efficiency (40%): Impact of AI on streamlining processes.
- Personalization (30%): AI-driven customization for users or customers.
- AI-Assisted design (20%): Role of AI in website design and functionality.
- Data analysis (10%): Use of AI in interpreting user data and analytics.
0.0
0
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
AI Builder |
|
|
|
AI Ecommerce features |
|
|
|
AI Content Generation |
|
|
|
Additional AI Features |
|
|
🏆 Winner: Tie
. Neither Carrd nor Adobe Portfolio offer any AI capabilities. Both platforms focus on providing a straightforward, user-friendly interface for building websites without the assistance of AI. While this may limit some advanced functionalities, it ensures simplicity and ease of use for users.
User Management
User ManagementAssesses the platforms’ capabilities in managing user roles, permissions, and accessibility.Score Components:
- Role Customization (40%): Flexibility in creating and defining user roles and
permissions. - Ease of Management (30%): User interface and tools for managing users.
- Access Control (20%): Effectiveness of access control measures for different user
levels. - Scalability (10%): Ability to manage a growing number of users efficiently.
4.3
3.0
🏆 Winner: Carrd
. Both Carrd and Adobe Portfolio are primarily designed for individual use, but Carrd offers a slight edge with its Team feature for collaboration.
- Carrd is primarily designed for individual use or small teams, with each account managing its own sites. The platform introduced a Team feature to allow multiple users to collaborate, but traditionally, Carrd sites are managed by a single account holder with full control. The specifics of access levels and permissions for collaborators, if available, are less detailed but generally include editing capabilities.
- Adobe Portfolio allows only one user to build and edit a website.
Additional Features
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
SSL Certificate |
|
|
|
Custom Domain |
|
|
|
Free Custom Domain Included |
|
|
|
International Domains |
|
|
|
Mobile Responsive |
|
|
|
Page Speed |
|
|
|
Website Builder Mobile App |
|
|
|
Convert a Website To An App |
|
|
|
Website Analytics |
|
|
|
Multilingual Sites |
|
|
|
Multiple Users |
|
|
User Feedback
Users overwhelmingly praise Carrd for its user-friendly interface, excellent customer support, and attractive templates, making website creation effortless and enjoyable. The drag-and-drop builder, affordability, and mobile-friendly designs are highlighted as significant benefits. However, some users express limitations, such as the inability to create multi-page websites or a desire for more design options. Overall, Carrd is praised for its affordability, ease of use, and suitability for creating quick, simple webpages.
Unfortunately, there is no user feedback summary available for Adobe Portfolio, making it difficult to provide a comprehensive comparison. However, Adobe Portfolio is specifically designed for creative professionals to showcase their work, making it ideal for photographers, graphic designers, artists, and other creatives looking to build a professional online presence.
The making of this blog
We followed a clear, step-by-step process to write and research this article.
FAQ
Which platform is better for creative professionals, Carrd or Adobe Portfolio?
Can I use Carrd for ecommerce?
Is Adobe Portfolio suitable for building an online store?
Which platform offers better templates and design options?
How do Carrd and Adobe Portfolio compare in terms of ease of use?
What are the pricing options for Carrd and Adobe Portfolio?
Which platform provides better customer support?
How do the platforms compare in terms of website speed and performance?
Can I manage multiple users or collaborate with a team on either platform?
Build a website with AI in one minute
Build a website with AI in one minute
Create your dream website with 10Web AI Builder and take your business online!
