Final verdict
Showit and Carbonmade both cater to creative professionals, but they serve different needs and preferences.
-
Showit (Overall Grade: 6.4/10)
is ideal for users who prioritize design flexibility and customization. Its drag-and-drop interface, dual canvas design, and seamless integration with WordPress make it a powerful tool for photographers, designers, and bloggers. Showit excels in providing a comprehensive range of templates and learning resources, making it a versatile choice for those looking to create a unique online presence. -
Carbonmade (Overall Grade: 4.4/10)
is perfect for creatives who want a simple and fast way to create and manage online portfolios. It offers fully customizable layouts and a user-friendly interface, making it accessible to users without coding skills. However, Carbonmade lacks ecommerce capabilities and advanced customization options, which may limit its appeal for users seeking more robust features.
|
|
|
---|---|---|
Design functionalities & templates |
8.5 |
7.3 |
Ease of use |
8.6 |
8.3 |
Ecommerce |
4.8 |
0 |
Website editors |
8.0 |
7.6 |
Product testing options |
8.3 |
7.2 |
Price |
7.9 |
7.9 |
Hosting quality |
7.3 |
6.1 |
Website speed optimization |
5.4 |
5.0 |
Plugins/extensions and integrations |
5.8 |
0 |
Marketing features |
7.2 |
1.0 |
Customer support |
6.4 |
5.8 |
Website security |
8.3 |
5.8 |
User management |
6.7 |
2.8 |
Overall |
6.4 |
4.4 |
Best for ecommerce
Verdict
: Showit offers basic ecommerce functionalities through integrations, making it a better choice for users who need minimal ecommerce features. Carbonmade, however, does not support ecommerce at all, making it unsuitable for users who need to sell products online.
-
Showit
: Showit provides basic ecommerce capabilities through integrations with platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce. This makes it a viable option for creative professionals who need some ecommerce features but prioritize design flexibility. However, when comparing Showit vs Carbonmade, Showit’s ecommerce functionalities are still quite limited. -
Carbonmade
: Carbonmade focuses solely on portfolio creation and does not support ecommerce. This makes it an excellent choice for creatives who want to showcase their work online without the need for selling products. However, it falls short in the ecommerce department, making it less versatile compared to Showit.
Best for informational & business websites
Verdict
: Showit is the superior choice for informational and business websites, offering extensive customization and design flexibility, while Carbonmade is more limited in its capabilities.
-
Showit
: Showit excels with a score of 8.7, making it ideal for creative professionals who need a highly customizable and visually appealing website. Its drag-and-drop interface and dual canvas design for mobile and desktop views provide a high degree of control over the website’s appearance. Showit’s integration with WordPress for blogging further enhances its functionality, making it a robust choice for informational and business websites. -
Carbonmade
: With a score of 5.9, Carbonmade is designed for creatives who want to showcase their work online with minimal effort. While it offers customizable layouts and an easy-to-use interface, it lacks the design flexibility and advanced features that Showit provides. Carbonmade is best suited for users who prioritize simplicity and ease of use over extensive customization. When comparing Showit vs Carbonmade, Showit stands out for its comprehensive design capabilities and integration options.
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: Showit.
Showit offers a more comprehensive and flexible design experience, making it a better choice for users who prioritize creative control and customization.
Showit provides a wide variety of templates and designs, catering to diverse aesthetic preferences and business needs. Users can choose from an extensive collection that ranges from minimalist and sleek to bold and artistic, ensuring there’s something for every brand identity. The platform is known for its flexibility and user-friendly interface, allowing for easy customization of templates. With a constantly updating library, Showit ensures that users have access to the latest trends in web design, making it a popular choice for creatives and entrepreneurs looking to establish a unique online presence.
Carbonmade, on the other hand, does not use traditional templates. Instead, it creates a personalized portfolio website based on the inputs of the users. This approach simplifies the website creation process but may not offer the same level of design flexibility and variety as Showit.
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!
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: Showit
. With an ease of use score of 8.6, Showit edges out Carbonmade, which scores 8.3. Showit’s drag-and-drop interface and dual canvas design for mobile and desktop views make it particularly user-friendly for creative professionals. Carbonmade also offers a straightforward drag-and-drop interface but focuses more on portfolio creation, which might limit its flexibility compared to Showit.
Learning Resources
🏆 Winner: Showit
. Showit provides a comprehensive range of learning resources, including a dedicated training course, help documents, and a private Facebook group for community support. Carbonmade offers video tutorials and a help center, but Showit’s resources are more extensive and cater to different learning styles.
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.
Showit and Carbonmade are both tailored for creative professionals, but their ecommerce capabilities differ significantly. Showit offers basic ecommerce functionalities through integrations with platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce, making it a viable option for users who need some ecommerce features but prioritize design flexibility. Carbonmade, on the other hand, does not support ecommerce, focusing solely on portfolio creation.
|
|
|
---|---|---|
Ecommerce themes and templates |
2.0 |
0.0 |
Product page customization |
2.5 |
0.0 |
Payment processing and commissions |
4.0 |
0.0 |
POS capabilities |
1.0 |
0.0 |
Payment gateways |
4.5 |
0.0 |
Product numbers |
3.0 |
0.0 |
Additional ecommerce features |
3.5 |
0.0 |
Showit ecommerce features:
- Shopify and WooCommerce integration
Carbonmade ecommerce features:
- There are no ecommerce features provided by Carbonmade
Ecommerce themes & templates
Showit does not have any ecommerce-specific templates, focusing instead on design flexibility and creative freedom. Carbonmade also lacks ecommerce templates, as it does not support ecommerce functionalities.
Product page customization
Showit has very basic ecommerce capabilities, primarily through its integration with WooCommerce and Shopify. Carbonmade does not have ecommerce capabilities, thus it’s not possible to have product pages.
Payment processing
Showit supports ecommerce by allowing integration with third-party platforms like Shopify Lite, ThriveCart, WooCommerce, and Podia, rather than offering direct payment processing or POS capabilities. Users can add ecommerce functionalities to their Showit sites using embed codes for “Buy Buttons” or similar features from these platforms. Additionally, the platform supports integration of PayPal pay button, allowing users to pay directly through their PayPal account. Carbonmade does not have payment processing capabilities.
In summary, Showit offers some basic ecommerce functionalities through third-party integrations, making it a better choice for users who need minimal ecommerce features. Carbonmade, however, does not support ecommerce at all, making it unsuitable for users who need to sell products online.
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: Showit
. Showit, with a score of 8.0, is designed for creating custom, responsive websites with a focus on ease of use, especially for photographers and creative professionals. It allows users to design their website visually with a drag-and-drop interface, eliminating the need for coding knowledge. Users can create highly customized pages by adjusting layouts, fonts, and colors, and can also incorporate multimedia elements like videos and images directly into their designs. Additionally, Showit offers deep integration with WordPress for blogging, enabling users to manage and publish blog posts within the same platform, providing a seamless experience from website design to content management.
Carbonmade’s editor, scoring 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.
Mobile editor/app
🏆
Winner: None
. Both Showit and Carbonmade do not offer dedicated mobile editor apps, which means users cannot edit their websites directly from a mobile device.
Showit is designed for creative professionals and offers a high degree of customization with its dual canvas interface, allowing for independent design of mobile and desktop views. However, the lack of a mobile editor app means that all design changes must be made on a desktop, which can be a limitation for users who need to make quick adjustments on the go.
Carbonmade, on the other hand, focuses on providing an easy and fast way to create and manage online portfolios for creatives. While it offers a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface and a variety of customizable blocks, the absence of a mobile editor app similarly restricts users to desktop editing.
In summary, neither platform provides mobile editing capabilities, which could be a significant drawback for users who require flexibility and on-the-go website management.
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
:
Showit wins
. Showit scores 8.3, offering a comprehensive 14-day free trial with access to all premium features and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Carbonmade scores 7.2, providing a trial period with access to all features but lacks a money-back guarantee.
|
|
|
---|---|---|
Free Plan |
No | No |
Trial Duration |
14 days | Yes |
Testing Premium Features |
All features during free trial | All features within the trial period |
Money-back Guarantee |
30-day money-back guarantee | 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.
Showit offers a variety of plans tailored for different blogging needs, including a custom plan for high-traffic blogs, while Carbonmade provides more affordable options focused on portfolio creation.
|
|
|
---|---|---|
$0-$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-$25 |
Showit ($24/month): Ideal for sites without a blog. Includes 20GB storage and secure certificate. Regular design backups stored for 7 days. Value for Price: 6.0 |
UNLIMITED ($22/month): UNLIMITED projects/pages, Everything else, All features in PRO, Extra Karma. Value for Price: 8.5 |
$25-$30 |
Showit + Basic Starter Blog ($29/month): For new blogs. Includes everything in the Showit plan, plus blog-specific features. 20GB storage, up to 10k monthly visitors, daily backups stored for 30 days, pre-installed plugins (no additional plugins are permitted), 1 WordPress user. Value for Price: 7.0 |
No offering at this amount. |
$30-$40 |
Showit + Advanced Blog ($39/month): For migrating or high-traffic blogs with custom plugin needs. Includes everything in the Basic Starter Blog plan, plus up to 25k monthly visits, unlimited number of plugins, unlimited number of WordPress users, Free advanced blog migration from WordPress or Squarespace and FTP access. Value for Price: 8.0 |
No offering at this amount. |
$60-$70 |
Showit + Advanced Blog 50k ($69/month): Includes everything in the Showit + Advanced Blog plan, with possibility to install custom WordPress plugins, 30 GB storage, up to 50k visitors monthly, and possibility to migrate Squarespace and WordPress blog posts. Value for Price: 8.5 |
No offering at this amount. |
$100+ |
Showit + Advanced Blog 100k ($129/month): Includes everything in the Showit + Advanced Blog plan, with possibility to install custom WordPress plugins, 50 GB storage, up to 100k visitors monthly, and possibility to migrate Squarespace and WordPress blog posts. Value for Price: 9.0 |
No offering at this amount. |
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: Showit
Showit offers managed WordPress hosting with daily backups and a 99.9% uptime guarantee, making it a reliable choice for creative professionals. Carbonmade, while providing unlimited storage, does not disclose uptime statistics or offer an uptime guarantee, which may be a concern for users needing consistent performance.
|
|
|
---|---|---|
Do they offer hosting? |
Yes, managed WordPress hosting with daily backups and 20GB storage |
Yes, with unlimited storage |
Data Centers: |
Showit does not disclose any information about its data centers. |
Carbonmade does not disclose the locations of its data centers |
Type of hosting: |
Managed WordPress hosting |
Managed Hosting |
Uptime: |
99.9% |
Carbonmade does not disclose uptime statistics |
Uptime Guarantee: |
Yes, 99% |
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: Showit
Both Showit and Carbonmade cater to creative professionals, but Showit has a slight edge in website speed optimization due to its use of optimization plugins and caching.
|
|
|
---|---|---|
Focus |
Custom, mobile-responsive websites |
Customizable online portfolios |
Performance Tools |
Optimization plugins, Caching |
Not specified |
Key Strategies |
Optimization plugins, Caching |
Not specified |
Load Times |
Varies depending on optimization |
Varies depending on optimization |
Page Speed Scores Range |
Varies depending on optimization |
Varies depending on optimization |
Core Web Vitals Improvement |
Not disclosed |
Not disclosed |
Showit is a drag-and-drop website builder designed primarily for creative professionals such as photographers, designers, and bloggers. It offers users the ability to create custom, mobile-responsive websites without needing to write code. Showit’s unique feature is its dual canvas interface, which allows for the independent design of mobile and desktop views, providing a high degree of customization and control over the website’s appearance on different devices. The platform integrates seamlessly with WordPress for blogging, making it a popular choice for users who want the design flexibility of Showit for their site’s look and feel, with the powerful blogging capabilities of WordPress. Showit employs optimization plugins and caching to enhance website speed, although specific load times and PageSpeed scores vary depending on the level of optimization and website complexity.
Carbonmade is a website builder designed specifically for creatives who want to showcase their work online without the need for coding skills. It offers fully customizable layouts that are perfect for a wide range of professionals such as photographers, illustrators, motion designers, graphic designers, and copywriters. Carbonmade provides an easy and fast way to create and manage online portfolios, featuring pre-designed templates along with various features and tools. It emphasizes simplicity in the portfolio creation process, making it accessible to users regardless of their technical background. However, Carbonmade does not provide specific information on its speed optimization features, and load times and PageSpeed scores vary depending on the level of optimization.
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!
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: Showit.
Showit scores 5.8, offering a range of plugins and third-party integrations that enhance its functionality, particularly for users on higher subscription tiers. These plugins can extend capabilities in areas such as SEO, ecommerce, social media integration, and email marketing. Carbonmade, with a score of 0, does not support any plugins or integrations, focusing solely on simplicity and ease of use for creating online portfolios.
Showit users can benefit from integrations like Powr.io, which offers various widgets to improve business management and customer experience. This makes Showit a more versatile option for those needing additional functionalities beyond basic website creation.
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: Showit
. Showit excels with its extensive marketing features, including SEO tools, email marketing integrations, and advanced social media capabilities. Carbonmade, while user-friendly for portfolio creation, lacks many essential marketing tools.
|
|
|
---|---|---|
SEO Tools |
✓ |
✗ |
Email Marketing |
✓ (via integrations) |
✗ |
Blogging |
✓ (via WordPress) |
✗ |
Social Media Integration |
Advanced integration with widgets and tools |
Basic social network links |
Analytics and Reporting |
Google Analytics integration |
Custom analytics within control panel |
Ads and Promotions |
Google Ads conversion tracking |
✗ |
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: Showit
. Comparing Showit vs Carbonmade, Showit takes the lead in this category with a customer support score of 6.4. Showit offers email support from Monday to Friday, 7 AM to 11 PM Arizona Time, with typical response times within 1-2 hours. For more immediate assistance, Showit also provides chat support during business hours and limited support on weekends, ensuring users have access to help when they need it.
Carbonmade, on the other hand, has a customer support score of 5.8 and primarily relies on a ticket-based system for support. While Carbonmade does not offer live customer support, users generally receive responses within a few hours. However, the lack of immediate support options can be a drawback for users needing urgent assistance.
Overall, Showit’s more comprehensive support options and quicker response times make it the better choice for users seeking reliable customer support.
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: Showit
. Showit excels in security with a comprehensive approach that includes GDPR compliance, secure data storage with Amazon S3, and daily backups. The platform also provides free SSL certificates and additional protections for WordPress-integrated sites, such as firewall protection and automatic updates. These measures ensure that user data is well-protected and that websites remain secure and reliable.
Carbonmade, while prioritizing the simplicity of portfolio creation, does not emphasize security measures to the same extent. Although it implements basic safeguards for user data, it lacks the robust security features found in Showit. This makes Showit the better choice for users who prioritize security in their website builder.
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 |
Not available |
Not available |
AI Ecommerce Features |
Not available |
Not available |
AI Content Generation |
Not available |
Not available |
Additional AI Features |
Not available |
Not available |
🏆 Winner: None
. Both Showit and Carbonmade do not offer any AI capabilities. They focus on providing robust tools for creative professionals to build and manage their websites without the need for coding skills. While they excel in design flexibility and ease of use, AI is not a feature offered by either platform.
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: Showit
. When it comes to managing users, Showit offers more flexibility compared to Carbonmade.
- Showit allows only one user on lower plans, but its Showit + Advanced Blog plan supports an unlimited number of users with different access levels.
- Carbonmade, on the other hand, restricts user management to a single user, which can be limiting for collaborative projects.
Showit User Roles and Access Levels:
Role | Description | Access Highlights |
---|---|---|
Administrator | Users with full access to all administration features, including Elementor settings. | Can edit all content, Access to Elementor settings, Can install plugins and themes, Can manage users |
Editor | Users who can manage and publish content including pages and posts. | Can edit pages/posts created with Elementor, Cannot access Elementor settings, Can manage categories, tags, and links, Can moderate comments |
Author | Users who can publish and manage their own posts. | Can create posts with Elementor, Cannot edit pages, Limited access to media library, Cannot access Elementor settings |
Contributor | Users who can write and manage their own posts but cannot publish them. | Can create content with Elementor, Cannot publish or edit pages, No access to Elementor settings, Submissions require review by higher-level roles |
Additional Features
|
|
|
---|---|---|
SSL Certificate |
✓ |
X |
Custom Domain |
✓ |
✓ |
Free Custom Domain Included |
X |
X |
International Domains |
✓ |
✓ |
Mobile Responsive |
✓ |
✓ |
Page Speed |
✓ |
✓ |
Website Builder Mobile App |
X |
X |
Convert a Website To An App |
X |
X |
Website Analytics |
✓ |
✓ |
Multilingual Sites |
✓ |
✓ |
Multiple Users |
✓ |
X |
User Feedback
Showit is highly regarded for its drag-and-drop interface and dual canvas design, which allows for independent customization of mobile and desktop views. This feature is particularly appreciated by creative professionals who seek a high degree of control over their website’s appearance. The seamless integration with WordPress for blogging also adds to its appeal, making it a preferred choice for photographers, designers, and bloggers who value design flexibility and powerful blogging capabilities.
Carbonmade, on the other hand, receives positive feedback for its ease of use and modern design templates. Users appreciate the no-code platform, which simplifies the creation of professional portfolios. However, some users express a desire for a freemium plan and note limitations in customization and mobile site loading times. Despite these concerns, Carbonmade is highly recommended for creatives, especially illustrators and graphic designers, due to its variety of design options and efficient customer service. 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 creative professionals, Showit or Carbonmade?
Can I use Showit or Carbonmade for selling products online?
How do Showit and Carbonmade compare in terms of user support and learning resources?
What are the pricing options for Showit and Carbonmade?