Final verdict
Carrd and Carbonmade both offer unique solutions for different types of users, but they cater to distinct needs and preferences.
-
Carrd (Overall Grade: 6.1/10)
is a versatile platform ideal for creating fully responsive, single-page websites quickly and efficiently. It excels in ease of use, design functionalities, and basic ecommerce capabilities through third-party integrations. Carrd’s straightforward interface and affordable pricing plans make it an attractive option for individuals and small businesses looking to establish an online presence without extensive web development skills. When comparing Carrd vs Carbonmade, Carrd stands out for its simplicity and customization options. -
Carbonmade (Overall Grade: 4.4/10)
is tailored specifically for creatives who want to showcase their work online. It offers fully customizable layouts and a range of features designed to create professional portfolios without the need for coding skills. Carbonmade’s focus on portfolio creation makes it an excellent choice for photographers, illustrators, and designers. However, it lacks ecommerce features and has a more complex interface compared to Carrd. In the Carrd vs Carbonmade comparison, Carbonmade is best suited for users who prioritize showcasing their creative work over other functionalities.
|
|
|
---|---|---|
Design functionalities & templates |
7.5 |
7.3 |
Ease of use |
9.0 |
8.3 |
Ecommerce |
3.5 |
0 |
Website Editors |
7.0 |
7.6 |
Product testing options |
6.0 |
7.2 |
Price |
8.9 |
7.9 |
Hosting quality |
5.0 |
6.1 |
Website speed optimization |
8.2 |
5.0 |
Plugins and integrations |
5.8 |
0 |
Marketing features |
5.8 |
1.0 |
Customer support |
6.2 |
5.8 |
Security |
7.6 |
5.8 |
AI capabilities |
0.0 |
0 |
User Management |
4.3 |
2.8 |
Best for ecommerce
Verdict
: Carrd offers basic ecommerce functionalities through third-party integrations, making it a viable option for simple online stores. Carbonmade, however, does not provide any ecommerce features, focusing solely on portfolio creation for creatives.
-
Carrd
: Carrd is a simple yet powerful platform for building single-page websites. It offers basic ecommerce functionalities through integrations with platforms like Stripe and Paypal, making it suitable for small, simple online stores. When comparing Carrd vs Carbonmade, Carrd stands out for its ability to handle basic ecommerce needs, despite its limited features. -
Carbonmade
: Carbonmade is designed specifically for creatives to showcase their work online. It does not offer any ecommerce features, making it unsuitable for online selling. Its focus is on providing customizable layouts for portfolios, which limits its use for ecommerce purposes.
Best for informational & business websites
Verdict
: Carrd is the superior choice for informational business websites, offering a user-friendly interface and a variety of templates that make it easy to create attractive and functional single-page sites. Carbonmade, while excellent for creative portfolios, lacks the versatility and ease of use that Carrd provides for informational purposes.
-
Carrd
: Carrd excels in creating fully responsive, single-page websites with a straightforward drag-and-drop interface. It offers a variety of templates and customization options, making it suitable for personal profiles, landing pages, and small business websites. With a score of 7.9, Carrd is ideal for users looking to establish an online presence quickly and efficiently without extensive web development skills. -
Carbonmade
: Carbonmade is tailored for creatives who want to showcase their work online. It provides customizable layouts and features designed for portfolios, making it less versatile for general informational business websites. With a score of 5.9, Carbonmade is better suited for photographers, illustrators, and other creatives who need a specialized platform to display their work. When comparing Carrd vs Carbonmade, Carrd’s simplicity and broader applicability make it the better choice for informational business websites.
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.
🏆
Winner: Carrd.
If you’re looking for a platform with a variety of templates and customization options, Carrd is the preferred choice.
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. The platform continuously updates its library with new designs, keeping up with the latest trends in web design. With its user-friendly interface, Carrd makes it easy for users to customize templates, allowing for a high degree of personalization and creativity in creating unique websites.
Compared to Carrd, Carbonmade does not have templates, the platform creates a personalized portfolio website based on the inputs of the users. Carbonmade offers a specialized platform for creatives to build personalized, professional portfolios with a wide range of features tailored to showcase their work effectively. The website builder supports responsive designs optimized for all devices, allows unlimited uploads of images and videos, including 4K content, and provides various premade blocks and layouts for customization without the need for external templates or platforms. Additionally, Carbonmade includes advanced features like gallery slideshows, gradient backgrounds, SEO optimization, and analytics to help users present their work in a dynamic and engaging way.
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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.
🏆 Winner: Carrd
. Scoring an impressive 9.0, Carrd excels in ease of use with its straightforward drag-and-drop interface and intuitive design, making it ideal for beginners and those looking to create single-page websites quickly. Carbonmade, with a score of 8.3, also offers a user-friendly experience but is slightly more complex due to its rich features tailored for creatives.
Learning Resources
🏆 Winner: Carrd
. Both platforms provide comprehensive learning resources, but Carrd’s simplicity and high-quality tutorials make it easier for users to get started and make the most out of its features.
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.
Carrd and Carbonmade are both website builders, but they cater to different needs when it comes to ecommerce. Carrd offers basic ecommerce functionalities through third-party integrations, making it a viable option for simple online stores. Carbonmade, on the other hand, does not provide any ecommerce features, focusing instead on portfolio creation for creatives.
|
|
|
---|---|---|
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
Carbonmade ecommerce features:
Carbonmade does not have any ecommerce features.
Ecommerce themes & templates
Carrd provides a selection of 14 ecommerce 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.
Carbonmade does not offer any ecommerce 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. The customization possibilities for product pages depend on the capabilities of those external platforms.
Carbonmade does not have ecommerce capabilities, thus it’s not possible to have product pages.
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.
Carbonmade does not have payment processing capabilities.
In summary, Carrd offers basic ecommerce functionalities suitable for small, simple online stores through third-party integrations, while Carbonmade lacks any ecommerce features, making it unsuitable for online selling.
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.
🏆
Winner: Carbonmade
. Carbonmade, with a score of 7.6, offers a range of features designed for creatives to build personalized, professional online portfolios without requiring coding knowledge. Its editor provides responsive design across devices, 4K video support, unlimited image and video uploads, and premade blocks for customization. The platform also includes unique features such as private portfolios, a before/after block, gallery slideshows, and a talent pool to connect with other creatives and potential clients.
Carrd’s 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. While it may not offer the same level of design flexibility as Carbonmade, Carrd’s editor is optimized for creating attractive and functional single-page websites quickly and efficiently.
Mobile editor/app
🏆
Winner: Carrd
. When it comes to mobile editing capabilities, Carrd has a slight edge over Carbonmade. Although neither platform offers a dedicated mobile editor app, Carrd allows users to make edits through a mobile browser. This feature provides some level of flexibility for users who need to make quick adjustments on the go.
Carbonmade, in contrast, does not support mobile editing, which can be a significant limitation for users who require the ability to update their portfolios from mobile devices.
In summary, while both platforms have limited mobile editing capabilities, Carrd’s option to edit via a mobile browser makes it the more versatile choice for users needing mobile access.
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.
Overall Result
:
Carbonmade leads
. Carbonmade scores 7.2, offering a more comprehensive trial experience compared to Carrd’s score of 6.0. Carbonmade provides a trial version that allows users to test all features, making it easier to evaluate the platform’s full capabilities. Carrd, while offering a 7-day free trial, does not provide a money-back guarantee, which may be a drawback for some users.
|
|
|
---|---|---|
Free Plan |
No | No |
Trial Duration |
7 days | Yes |
Testing Premium Features |
Premium features during trial | All features within trial period |
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.
Carrd offers extremely affordable plans with a focus on simplicity, while Carbonmade provides more feature-rich options at a higher price point.
|
|
|
---|---|---|
$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. |
BEGINNER ($9/month): 8 Projects, Unlimited images/videos, Basic Blocks, Limited Support, 3 Navigations, SD Video, Audio Uploads Value for Price: 5.0 |
$10-$20 |
No offering at this amount. |
PRO ($12/month): 50 Projects, More Portfolio Grids, Premium Blocks, Unbranded, Portfolio statistics, Custom Pages, Private Portfolio, Unlimited images/videos, 5 Navigations, HD Video & Audio, Priority Support Value for Price: 7.0 |
$20+ |
No offering at this amount. |
UNLIMITED ($22/month): UNLIMITED projects/pages, Everything else, All features in PRO, Extra Karma 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.
🏆
Winner: Carbonmade
Carbonmade edges out Carrd with its managed hosting and unlimited storage, making it a better choice for creatives needing robust hosting for their portfolios. Carrd, while simple and affordable, lacks transparency in uptime and data center information, and offers shared hosting with unspecified limitations.
|
|
|
---|---|---|
Do they offer hosting? |
Yes |
Yes |
Data Centers: |
Not disclosed |
Not disclosed |
Type of hosting: |
Shared Hosting |
Managed Hosting |
Uptime: |
Not disclosed |
Not disclosed |
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.
🏆 Winner: Carrd
Carrd outperforms Carbonmade in terms of website speed optimization, thanks to its focus on mobile responsiveness, caching, and the use of Cloudflare CDN.
|
|
|
---|---|---|
Focus |
Mobile Responsive design, Caching, Cloudflare CDN |
No specific focus mentioned |
Performance Tools |
Not specified |
Not specified |
Key Strategies |
Mobile Responsive design, Caching, Cloudflare CDN |
Not specified |
Load Times |
Minimal due to simple site designs |
Varies depending on optimization |
Page Speed Scores Range |
Expected to be high |
Varies depending on optimization |
Core Web Vitals Improvement |
Not disclosed |
Not disclosed |
Carrd is designed to create simple, single-page websites that are fully responsive and optimized for speed. By leveraging mobile responsive design, caching, and Cloudflare CDN, Carrd ensures that websites load quickly and efficiently. This makes it an excellent choice for users who prioritize speed and performance.
On the other hand, Carbonmade does not provide specific information on its speed optimization strategies. While it offers customizable layouts and templates for creatives, the lack of disclosed optimization features means that load times and page speed scores can vary significantly depending on the user’s efforts to optimize their site.
Overall, Carrd’s proactive approach to speed optimization gives it a clear advantage over Carbonmade in this category.
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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.
🏆 Winner: Carrd.
Carrd scores 5.8, offering a range of plugins and extensions that enhance its functionality. These include both free and paid options, providing users with tools to create more dynamic and interactive websites. Carbonmade, on the other hand, does not support any plugins or integrations, resulting in a score of 0. This makes Carrd the clear winner in this category, especially for users looking to extend their website’s capabilities beyond the basic features.
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.
🏆
Overall Winner: Carrd
. Carrd offers a broader range of marketing features, especially through third-party integrations, making it more versatile for users looking to enhance their online presence. Carbonmade, while excellent for showcasing creative portfolios, lacks many essential marketing tools.
|
|
|
---|---|---|
SEO Tools |
✓ |
✗ |
Email Marketing |
Yes, through third-party integrations |
✗ |
Blogging |
Yes, through third-party integrations |
✗ |
Social Media Integration |
Basic integration tools |
Basic integration tools |
Analytics and Reporting |
Google Analytics integration |
Custom analytics and insights |
Ads and Promotions |
Yes, 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.
🏆 Winner: Carrd
. In the Carrd vs Carbonmade comparison, Carrd edges out Carbonmade with a slightly higher customer support score. Carrd offers 24/7 email support, typically responding within 24 hours, which provides users with a reliable way to get assistance at any time. This round-the-clock availability is a significant advantage for users who may need help outside of regular business hours.
Carbonmade, on the other hand, relies on a ticket-based system for customer support. While their response times are generally quick, often within a few hours, the lack of live support options means users might experience delays in getting immediate help. This can be a drawback for those needing urgent assistance. Despite this, Carbonmade’s support is still considered efficient and helpful for resolving issues.
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.
🏆
Winner: Carrd
. Carrd takes a more comprehensive approach to security, automatically enabling SSL for all sites and extending this protection to custom domains. This ensures data encryption and safeguards against unauthorized access. Carrd’s commitment to data security is evident through its measures to protect personal information and compliance with industry standards.
Carbonmade, while excellent for creating portfolios, does not emphasize security measures in its offerings. The platform focuses on ease of use and simplicity, which may leave some security aspects less robust compared to Carrd. This makes Carrd a more secure option for users who prioritize data protection and website security.
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.
|
|
|
---|---|---|
AI Builder |
No |
No |
AI Ecommerce Features |
No |
No |
AI Content Generation |
No |
No |
Additional AI Features |
No |
No |
🏆 Winner: None
. Both Carrd and Carbonmade do not offer any AI capabilities. Carrd focuses on providing a simple and efficient platform for creating single-page websites, while Carbonmade is tailored for creatives looking to showcase their portfolios. Neither platform includes AI-driven tools or features, making them equal in this aspect.
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.
🏆 Winner: Carrd
. When it comes to managing users and collaboration, Carrd and Carbonmade offer different levels of functionality.
-
Carrd
: Primarily designed for individual use or small teams, Carrd allows each account to manage its own sites. The platform has introduced a Team feature to enable multiple users to collaborate, although traditionally, Carrd sites are managed by a single account holder with full control. The specifics of access levels and permissions for collaborators are less detailed but generally include editing capabilities. -
Carbonmade
: The platform allows only one user to manage and edit a website, making it less suitable for collaborative projects.
Carrd User Management:
Carrd is suitable for individual use or small teams. Each account manages its own sites, and the Team feature allows for some level of collaboration, primarily focused on editing capabilities.
Carbonmade User Management:
Carbonmade is designed for single-user management, which means only one user can manage and edit a website at a time. This limitation makes it less ideal for collaborative efforts.
Additional Features
|
|
|
---|---|---|
SSL Certificate |
✓ |
X |
Custom Domain |
✓ |
✓ |
Free Custom Domain Included |
✓ |
X |
International Domains |
✓ |
✓ |
Mobile Responsive |
✓ |
✓ |
Page Speed |
X |
✓ |
Website Builder Mobile App |
X |
X |
Convert a Website To An App |
X |
X |
Website Analytics |
X |
✓ |
Multilingual Sites |
✓ |
✓ |
Multiple Users |
X |
X |
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.
Users appreciate Carbonmade for its ease of use, modern design templates, and no-code platform, which simplifies creating professional portfolios. However, some express a desire for a freemium plan and note limitations in customization and mobile site loading times. The platform is highly recommended for creatives, particularly illustrators and graphic designers, for its variety of design options and efficient customer service. Despite concerns over pricing, the overall sentiment is positive, with users finding value in Carbonmade’s ability to showcase their work effectively and streamline portfolio management.
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 creatives looking to showcase their work?
Can I sell products on either Carrd or Carbonmade?
What are the main differences in customization between Carrd and Carbonmade?
Which platform is more user-friendly for beginners?
How do Carrd and Carbonmade compare in terms of pricing?