Final verdict
Carrd and Volusion offer distinct advantages for different user needs, with Volusion slightly leading in the overall score.
-
Carrd (Overall Grade: 6.1/10)
excels in simplicity and ease of use, making it an excellent choice for individuals and small businesses looking to create single-page websites quickly. Its user-friendly interface, affordable pricing, and variety of templates cater well to users seeking straightforward web presence solutions without the complexities of ecommerce functionalities. -
Volusion (Overall Grade: 6.6/10)
, on the other hand, is tailored for businesses looking to establish or expand their online stores. With its comprehensive ecommerce features, customizable templates, and robust marketing tools, Volusion is better suited for users requiring a more complex, sales-driven website solution.
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
Design functionalities & templates |
7.5 |
6.1 |
|
Ease of use |
9.0 |
6.9 |
|
Ecommerce |
3.5 |
7.1 |
|
Website Editors |
7.0 |
7.1 |
|
Product testing options |
6.0 |
7.6 |
|
Price |
8.9 |
7.6 |
|
Hosting quality |
5.0 |
7.0 |
|
Website speed optimization |
8.2 |
7.1 |
|
Plugins and integrations |
5.8 |
6.8 |
|
Marketing features |
5.8 |
6.9 |
|
Customer support |
6.2 |
7.0 |
|
Security |
7.6 |
8.7 |
|
AI capabilities |
0.0 |
0.0 |
|
User Management |
4.3 |
7.7 |
| Overall |
6.1 |
6.6 |
Best for ecommerce
3.5
7.1
Verdict
: For users seeking a straightforward platform for simple projects, Carrd might be sufficient. However, for a full-fledged ecommerce experience, Volusion is the superior choice.
-
Carrd
: Best suited for creating single-page websites, Carrd offers basic ecommerce functionalities through third-party integrations. It’s an affordable option for individuals or small businesses needing a simple online presence rather than a comprehensive online store. -
Volusion
: With a focus on ecommerce, Volusion provides a robust set of features including advanced product management, secure payment processing, and effective marketing tools. It’s designed to support businesses through every stage of growth, making it the better option for serious ecommerce ventures.
Best for informational & business websites
7.9
7.2
Verdict
: Carrd edges out Volusion for informational and business websites, thanks to its simplicity, ease of use, and focus on single-page layouts.
-
Carrd
: Excelling in creating responsive, single-page websites, Carrd is ideal for individuals and small businesses looking to establish a straightforward online presence. Its focus on simplicity and ease of use makes it a great choice for informational sites, portfolios, and landing pages. -
Volusion
: While Volusion offers robust e-commerce solutions and features that can support business websites, its platform is more complex and geared towards online stores. For purely informational or simple business websites, it might offer more than necessary, making Carrd a more fitting option.
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
6.1
Winner: Carrd.
Carrd offers a wider variety of templates and designs, more customization flexibility, and more creative design possibilities than Volusion.
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.
On the other hand, Volusion, as a website builder, offers a variety of design templates tailored to meet the diverse needs of online stores and businesses. The platform provides users with over 30 professionally designed, responsive templates. These templates are crafted to cater to a wide range of industries, ensuring that businesses of all types can find a design that aligns with their brand identity and goals.
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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.
9.0
6.9
🏆 Winner: Carrd
. Scoring a solid 9.0, Carrd stands out for its simplicity and ease of use, making it ideal for beginners and those seeking to create single-page websites quickly. Volusion, with a score of 6.9, offers a robust platform but with a steeper learning curve, especially for those new to ecommerce. If ease of use is a priority, Carrd is the clear winner in this category.
Learning Resources
🏆 Winner: Tie
. Both Carrd and Volusion offer high-quality tutorials and documentation to help users get started and make the most out of their features. However, both platforms lack large, active user communities, which can be a valuable resource for learning and troubleshooting.
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
7.1
When it comes to ecommerce, Volusion clearly outperforms Carrd. Volusion is designed as an all-in-one ecommerce solution, offering a comprehensive set of features for online stores, including product management, secure payment processing, marketing and SEO tools, and analytics. Carrd, on the other hand, is primarily designed for building one-page websites and does not inherently offer robust ecommerce features. Users looking to incorporate ecommerce functionalities would need to integrate third-party services or use external links to platforms like Etsy or Shopify.
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
Ecommerce themes and templates |
4.5 |
6.5 |
|
Product page customization |
3.0 |
7.0 |
|
Payment processing and commissions |
5.0 |
7.5 |
|
POS capabilities |
0.0 |
7.0 |
|
Payment gateways |
5.5 |
7.5 |
|
Product numbers |
2.0 |
6.0 |
|
Additional ecommerce features |
3.5 |
7.0 |
Carrd ecommerce features:
- Paypal and Stripe Integration
- External Widgets integrations
- Basic Product Listing options
Volusion ecommerce features:
- Ecommerce Product listings
- Payment Gateways
- Multiple Currencies support
- Shipping options
- SEO tools
- Social Media Integration
Ecommerce themes & templates
Carrd provides a selection of 14 ecommerce templates aimed at users looking to quickly launch online stores. These templates are crafted with a focus on simplicity and conversion optimization. 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. On the other hand, Volusion offers a selection of ecommerce-specific templates designed to cater to various store aesthetics and needs. They provide 14 free themes and 38 paid themes, each costing $180. These templates are mobile responsive, ensuring that your online store is accessible and user-friendly across all devices.
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. Volusion, in contrast, offers a range of ecommerce product page customization options to enhance the shopping experience. Users can modify product descriptions, images, and videos to showcase their items effectively. The platform allows for the customization of options and variants, such as size and color, to provide a more detailed and user-friendly product selection process.
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. For payment gateways, it specifically supports Stripe and Paypal. Volusion, on the other hand, offers a comprehensive eCommerce platform that supports various payment gateways, including PayPal, Stripe, and its own solution, Volusion Payments, tailored for U.S.-based merchants. The platform is distinctive for its low transaction fees, which vary based on the subscription plan. Additionally, Volusion provides POS capabilities, enabling seamless sales both online and in physical locations.
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
7.1
Winner: Volusion
. Volusion, with a score of 7.1, offers a website builder editor designed for ease of use, catering to both beginners and experienced users. It offers a drag-and-drop interface, allowing users to easily add, remove, or modify elements on their website without needing to code. Users can customize their site’s layout, adjust colors, fonts, and images, and even integrate various functionalities like social media links, shopping carts, and payment gateways. Additionally, Volusion provides a range of templates and themes to kickstart the design process, making it straightforward to create a professional-looking online store or website.
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. Additionally, Carrd includes basic SEO tools and integration capabilities with external services, making it a versatile choice for personal projects, portfolios, and small business landing pages.
Mobile editor/app
5.5
4.5
🏆
Winner: Carrd
. Both Carrd and Volusion do not offer a dedicated mobile editor app, but they do allow editing on a mobile browser. However, Carrd has a higher mobile editor score of 5.5 compared to Volusion’s 4.5.
Carrd’s platform is designed for simplicity and efficiency, making it possible to create and edit single-page websites even on a mobile browser. This makes it a convenient option for users who need to make quick changes on the go.
On the other hand, Volusion’s mobile browser editing experience might not be optimal due to the smaller screen size, and navigating through the admin dashboard could be difficult. This could potentially hinder the user experience, especially for those who need to manage complex e-commerce sites.
In summary, while both platforms offer mobile browser editing, Carrd provides a better user experience according to the given scores.
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
:
Volusion wins
. Volusion scores 7.6 in product testing options, while Carrd scores 6.0. Both Carrd and Volusion do not offer a free version, but they provide a trial version for users to test their platforms. Volusion offers a longer trial period of 14 days compared to Carrd’s 7 days. Both platforms allow users to test premium features during the trial period. However, neither Carrd nor Volusion offers a money-back guarantee.
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
Free Plan |
No | No |
|
Trial Duration |
7 days |
14 days |
|
Testing Premium Features |
Yes, during free trial |
Yes, during free trial |
|
Money-Back Guarantee |
No | No |
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
7.6
Carrd offers more affordable pricing plans, but Volusion provides a more comprehensive range of features, including an enterprise plan with custom pricing.
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
$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-$10 |
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. |
|
$30-$40 |
No offering at this amount. |
Personal ($35/month): Suitable for small businesses, allowing up to 100 products, 1 staff account, and offers support via live chat and email. Supports stores with up to $50K in GMV/year. This plan allows to manage 1 website and there is no limitation of number of pages offered. Value for price: 6.5 |
|
$70-$80 |
No offering at this amount. |
Professional ($79/month): Targets growing businesses with up to 5,000 products, 5 staff accounts, and additional features like newsletters, abandoned cart reports, and phone orders. Supports up to $100K in GMV/year. This plan allows to manage 1 website and there is no limitation of number of pages offered. Value for price: 7.5 |
|
$200+ |
No offering at this amount. |
Business ($299/month): Designed for large stores, offering unlimited products, 15 staff accounts, priority support, and integrations with Amazon and eBay. Supports stores with up to $500K in GMV/year. This plan allows to manage 1 website and there is no limitation of number of pages offered. Value for Price: 8.0 |
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: Volusion
. Volusion offers managed cloud hosting with a 99.9% uptime guarantee, making it a more reliable choice for businesses. Carrd, on the other hand, offers shared hosting without specific information on bandwidth or storage limitations and lacks an uptime guarantee. Both platforms do not disclose information about their data centers.
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
Do they offer hosting? |
Yes | Yes |
|
Data Centers: |
Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
|
Type of hosting: |
Shared Hosting | Managed Cloud Hosting |
|
Uptime: |
Not disclosed | 99.9% |
|
Uptime Guarantee: |
No | Yes, 99.9% |
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
7.1
🏆 Winner: Carrd
Both Carrd and Volusion prioritize website performance and page speed, but Carrd’s simplicity and use of effective strategies like mobile responsive design, caching, and Cloudflare CDN give it an edge over Volusion.
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
Focus |
Mobile responsive design, Caching, Cloudflare CDN |
CDN, Image optimization, Code minification, Regular Monitoring and Updates, SEO optimization |
|
Performance Tools |
Not specified |
Not specified |
|
Key Strategies |
Mobile responsive design, Caching, Cloudflare CDN |
CDN, Image optimization, Code minification, Regular Monitoring and Updates, SEO optimization |
|
Load Times |
Minimal due to simplicity of websites |
Varies widely, depending on optimization, website complexity |
|
Page Speed Scores Range |
High due to simplicity of websites |
Varies widely, depending on optimization, website complexity |
|
Core Web Vitals Improvement |
Not disclosed |
Implementing various performance optimization techniques |
Carrd, a platform for building fully responsive, single-page websites, uses strategies like 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 Vital improvements.
Volusion, an all-in-one e-commerce solution, uses strategies like CDN, image optimization, code minification, regular monitoring and updates, and SEO optimization for speed optimization. Both load times and Page speed scores vary widely, depending on the optimization and website complexity. Volusion is implementing various performance optimization techniques for Core Web Vital improvements.
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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.
5.8
6.8
🏆 Winner: Volusion.
With a score of 6.8, Volusion offers a more extensive range of plugins and integrations compared to Carrd, which scores 5.8. Volusion’s marketplace provides 82 integrations across various categories, enhancing its ecommerce platform significantly. On the other hand, Carrd offers a range of plugins and extensions, both free and paid, to enhance user interactions and content presentation. However, Volusion’s superior number of integrations and its ability to extend functionalities such as advanced marketing, enhanced analytics, and superior customer service capabilities give it the edge over Carrd.
Marketing Features
Marketing featuresAssesses tools and options available for marketing.Score Components:
- SEO tools (40%): Effectiveness of SEO features.
- Marketing automation (30%): Availability and quality of marketing tools.
- Social Media integration (20%): Ease and depth of social media connectivity.
- Email marketing (10%): Quality and usability of email marketing tools.
5.8
6.9
🏆
Overall Winner: Volusion
. Volusion stands out for its more advanced ecommerce-focused marketing tools, especially in analytics and ad campaign management. Carrd is strong in simplicity and ease of use, ideal for personal profiles, landing pages, portfolios, and more.
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
SEO Tools |
|
|
|
Email Marketing |
✓ (through third party integrations) |
|
|
Blogging |
|
✗ |
|
Social Media Integration |
|
|
|
Analytics and Reporting |
Basic analytics through Google Analytics integration |
Comprehensive analytics and reporting capabilities |
|
Ads and Promotions |
✓ (through third party integrations) |
Limited capabilities |
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
7.0
🏆 Winner: Volusion
. With a customer support score of 7.0, Volusion outperforms Carrd, which has a score of 6.2. Volusion provides customer support to merchants on their Business Plan and Prime Plan, available via phone during business hours and 24/7 chat support through the Merchant Center dashboard for all users. Additionally, Volusion offers priority phone and live chat support on working hours from Monday to Friday as well as 24/7 mail support for customers with enterprise-level Prime plan.
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.
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
8.7
🏆
Winner: Volusion
. Volusion’s security measures are more comprehensive, with a higher security score of 8.7 compared to Carrd’s 7.6. Volusion employs data encryption techniques to protect private data, implements two-factor authentication (2FA) for additional security, and provides robust security measures for eCommerce websites, including SSL certificates, PCI DSS compliance, firewalls, regular security audits, and DDoS protection.
Carrd, on the other hand, ensures website security by automatically enabling SSL for all sites and extends this to custom domains and subdomains. It collects personal information and uses cookies for website operation, data gathering, and enhancing user experiences. However, it does not offer the same level of security measures as Volusion, especially for eCommerce websites.
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
0.0
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
Personalized Design |
|
|
|
SEO Optimization |
|
|
|
Customer Behavior Analysis |
|
|
|
Sales Predictions |
|
|
|
Inventory Management |
|
|
|
Content Generation |
|
|
🏆 Winner: None
. Both Carrd and Volusion do not have any AI capabilities. They do not offer any AI-driven features for personalized design, SEO optimization, customer behavior analysis, sales predictions, inventory management, or content generation. Therefore, if you are looking for a website builder with AI capabilities, neither Carrd nor Volusion would be a suitable choice.
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
7.7
🏆 Winner: Volusion
. Both Carrd and Volusion offer different approaches to user management.
- 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.
- Volusion offers customizable user account management with various roles and permissions tailored for efficient online store operation. These roles provide different access levels for tasks like site design, order processing, and analytics. Subscription plans determine the number of staff accounts available: 1 in the Personal Plan, 5 in the Professional Plan, 15 in the Business Plan, and unlimited in the Prime Plan. This range ensures scalability and flexibility to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes, enabling effective management and operation of eCommerce teams across different business scales.
Additional Features
|
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|
|---|---|---|
|
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
Carrd is highly praised by users for its user-friendly interface, excellent customer support, and attractive templates, which make 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.
On the other hand, Volusion users generally appreciate its affordability compared to competitors like Shopify, finding its simplified user interface suitable for non-tech users. However, there are concerns about its limited integrations and frequent technical issues, such as crashes and slow support responses. Some users feel that Volusion lacks the advanced features and customization options offered by competitors like Shopify, making it less competitive in the market. Despite these drawbacks, Volusion remains a feasible option for small to medium-sized businesses seeking a budget-friendly solution for establishing an online store.
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 simple, single-page websites?
Can I use Carrd or Volusion for ecommerce?
How do Carrd and Volusion compare in terms of ease of use?
Which platform offers better customer support?
Are there any AI capabilities in Carrd or Volusion?
Which platform is more affordable?
Can I manage multiple users with Carrd or Volusion?
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