Final verdict
WordPress and Carbonmade cater to different user needs, each excelling in their respective domains.
-
WordPress (Overall Grade: 7.1/10)
is a versatile open-source CMS that offers extensive customization options through themes and plugins. It is ideal for users who need a flexible platform for various types of websites, including blogs, business sites, and online stores. When comparing WordPress vs Carbonmade, WordPress stands out for its robust ecommerce capabilities, extensive plugin ecosystem, and comprehensive learning resources. -
Carbonmade (Overall Grade: 4.4/10)
is a website builder designed specifically for creatives who want to showcase their work online without coding skills. It offers fully customizable layouts and pre-designed templates, making it perfect for photographers, illustrators, and other creative professionals. In the WordPress vs Carbonmade comparison, Carbonmade excels in ease of use and simplicity, providing an accessible platform for creating professional online portfolios.
|
|
|
---|---|---|
Design functionalities & templates |
9.0 |
7.3 |
Ease of use |
7.2 |
8.3 |
Ecommerce |
8.4 |
0 |
Website Editors |
8.5 |
7.6 |
Product testing options |
8.1 |
7.2 |
Price |
5.9 |
7.9 |
Hosting quality |
0 |
6.1 |
Website speed optimization |
6.5 |
5.0 |
Plugins and integrations |
8.8 |
0 |
Marketing features |
8.0 |
1.0 |
Customer support |
5.0 |
5.8 |
Security |
6.7 |
5.8 |
AI capabilities |
6.1 |
0 |
User Management |
8.8 |
2.8 |
Best for ecommerce
Verdict
: Carbonmade is excellent for showcasing creative portfolios, but WordPress is the clear winner for ecommerce due to its extensive features and flexibility.
-
WordPress
: With its powerful WooCommerce integration, WordPress is a versatile platform for ecommerce. It supports multiple payment gateways, offers extensive customization options, and has a wide range of themes and plugins. When comparing WordPress vs Carbonmade, WordPress stands out for its robust ecommerce capabilities. -
Carbonmade
: Designed specifically for creatives, Carbonmade excels in portfolio creation but lacks any ecommerce functionalities. It is ideal for photographers, illustrators, and other creatives who need a simple, user-friendly platform to showcase their work. However, it is not suitable for building online stores.
Best for informational & business websites
Verdict
: WordPress is the superior choice for informational and business websites due to its extensive customization options, vast plugin ecosystem, and robust security features. Carbonmade, while excellent for creatives, lacks the broader functionalities needed for business sites.
-
WordPress
: With a score of 9.2, WordPress excels in providing a highly customizable platform suitable for a wide range of website types. Its extensive library of themes and plugins allows for significant flexibility, making it ideal for business websites that require advanced functionalities and robust security measures. The open-source nature of WordPress also means that users can tailor their sites to meet specific needs, making it a versatile and powerful tool for informational websites. -
Carbonmade
: Scoring 5.9, Carbonmade is designed specifically for creatives who want to showcase their work online without the need for coding skills. It offers fully customizable layouts and a user-friendly interface, making it easy to create and manage online portfolios. However, its focus on simplicity and lack of broader functionalities make it less suitable for business websites that require more advanced features and integrations. When comparing WordPress vs Carbonmade, Carbonmade is best for creatives, but WordPress is the clear winner for business and informational sites.
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: WordPress.
If you’re looking for a platform with extensive customization options and a wide variety of templates, WordPress is the preferred choice.
WordPress offers an extensive variety of templates and designs, catering to a wide range of website types beyond just blogs or ecommerce. Its open-source nature allows for high customization and creative freedom, appealing to diverse user needs. While WordPress itself doesn’t sell premium templates, numerous third-party theme shops offer sophisticated and specialized design choices, expanding the possibilities for users.
Compared to WordPress, Carbonmade does not have traditional templates. Instead, the platform creates a personalized portfolio website based on the inputs of the users. Carbonmade offers a high degree of customization flexibility tailored for creatives, enabling personalized, profession-specific layouts, responsive designs across devices, and support for unlimited uploads, including 4K videos. It provides a plethora of premade blocks and layouts for easy, drag-and-drop website design, along with specific features for various creative professions.
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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: Carbonmade
. Scoring an 8.3, Carbonmade excels in ease of use, particularly for creatives who want to showcase their work without needing coding skills. Its drag-and-drop interface and pre-designed layouts make it accessible and straightforward. WordPress, with a score of 7.2, offers extensive customization but comes with a steeper learning curve, making it less intuitive for beginners.
Learning Resources
🏆 Winner: WordPress
. WordPress provides a vast array of learning resources, including detailed documentation, community forums, and online tutorials, making it easier for users to learn and adapt. Carbonmade also offers comprehensive video tutorials and a help center, but the breadth and depth of WordPress’s resources give it the edge.
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.
WordPress is a versatile platform that, when paired with plugins like WooCommerce, becomes a powerful tool for ecommerce. It offers extensive customization options, multiple payment gateways, and a wide range of themes and templates. Carbonmade, on the other hand, is tailored for creatives to showcase their portfolios and does not support ecommerce functionalities.
|
|
|
---|---|---|
Ecommerce themes and templates |
9.2 |
0.0 |
Product page customization |
9.0 |
0.0 |
Payment processing and commissions |
7.5 |
0.0 |
POS capabilities |
6.5 |
0.0 |
Payment gateways |
8.5 |
0.0 |
Product numbers |
7.0 |
0.0 |
Additional ecommerce features |
8.0 |
0.0 |
WordPress ecommerce features:
- WooCommerce Integration
- Multiple Payment Gateway Support
- Abandoned Cart Recovery
- Ecommerce Analytics
- SEO Optimization Tools
- Extensive Plugin Ecosystem
Carbonmade ecommerce features:
- There are no ecommerce features provided by Carbonmade
Ecommerce themes & templates
WordPress offers hundreds to potentially thousands of ecommerce and WooCommerce specific themes and templates, both free and premium. The number of available themes is constantly changing due to new themes and updates. Carbonmade does not provide any templates for ecommerce.
Product page customization
WordPress, through WooCommerce, offers extensive customization for ecommerce product pages. Users can leverage plugins, page builders, and custom coding to create detailed product pages with quality images, descriptions, and effective add-to-cart buttons. Advanced features like product tabs, upsells, and related products are also customizable. Tools like Elementor and the Ultimate Product Catalog plugin further enhance functionality. However, heavy plugin use may affect site performance. Carbonmade does not support product pages as it lacks ecommerce capabilities.
Payment processing
WordPress does not handle payments directly but offers various plugin options for payment processing. Popular gateways include PayPal, Stripe, Authorize.Net, and Square. These plugins integrate seamlessly with WooCommerce, providing a user-friendly setup. Users can choose gateways based on transaction volume, currencies, fees, and security. Options for recurring payments, offline payments, and fraud prevention are also available. Carbonmade does not have payment processing capabilities.
In summary, WordPress, with its extensive ecommerce features and flexibility, is a superior choice for building and managing online stores. Carbonmade, while excellent for creating online portfolios, does not support ecommerce functionalities.
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: WordPress
. WordPress, with a score of 8.5, offers a powerful Site Editor that provides a user-friendly interface with block-based editing, extensive styles customization, template management, and versatile saving options. It is accessible for users of varying skill levels and supports a wide range of blocks and widgets, both free and premium, enhancing the site’s design and functionality. WordPress also allows for extensive HTML and CSS customization, comprehensive template editing, and API access, making it a versatile choice for various website needs.
Carbonmade’s editor, scoring 7.6, is designed specifically for creatives to build personalized, professional online portfolios without requiring coding knowledge. It features a drag-and-drop interface, responsive design, 4K video support, and unlimited uploads. While it offers a unique “blocks” system for customization and a variety of features tailored for showcasing creative work, it has limitations in template selection and broader website functionalities like eCommerce. Carbonmade’s focus on portfolio websites makes it an excellent choice for artists, writers, and other creative professionals.
Mobile editor/app
🏆
Winner: WordPress
. WordPress offers a mobile editor app that allows users to manage their websites on the go. With this app, you can create and edit posts, manage comments, schedule content, and analyze website traffic from your phone or tablet. While it provides convenience and basic functionality, it does have some limitations compared to the web-based editor, such as fewer advanced options, restricted code access, and limited design customization.
Carbonmade, on the other hand, does not have a dedicated mobile editor app, which limits its usability for users who need to make updates or manage their portfolios from mobile devices.
In summary, WordPress stands out in this category due to its mobile editor app, offering essential website management features on the go, whereas Carbonmade lacks a mobile editor option.
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
:
WordPress wins
. WordPress scores 8.1, outperforming Carbonmade’s score of 7.2. WordPress, being an open-source CMS, offers a free version with extensive customization options through themes and plugins, making it highly versatile for various types of websites. Carbonmade, while providing a trial version that allows testing all features, does not offer a free version and lacks a money-back guarantee.
|
|
|
---|---|---|
Free Plan |
Yes (open source software) |
No |
Trial Duration |
No | Yes |
Testing Premium Features |
No |
All the features within the 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.
Carbonmade offers straightforward pricing plans with a discount for annual subscriptions, while WordPress requires separate purchases for hosting and domain services, making its cost variable.
|
|
|
---|---|---|
Free |
Free Plan ($0/month): WordPress is open source software that is free. WordPress does not provide hosting services; so, it is necessary to purchase a domain, web hosting, and website builder subscriptions separately. While WordPress lacks built-in ecommerce, plugins like WooCommerce offer a solution. WordPress offers an extensive variety of templates and designs. WordPress lacks a built-in AI-assisted builder, but its open-source nature allows for an ecosystem of plugins and themes incorporating AI for website building. |
No offering at this amount. |
$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+ |
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
. While WordPress relies on third-party hosting providers, Carbonmade offers managed hosting with unlimited storage, making it a more straightforward choice for users who prefer an all-in-one solution. However, Carbonmade’s lack of disclosed uptime statistics and data center locations may be a concern for some users. WordPress’s flexibility in hosting options can be advantageous for those who need specific hosting features.
|
|
|
---|---|---|
Do they offer hosting? |
No, WordPress itself does not directly provide hosting services. |
Yes, with unlimited storage |
Data Centers: |
Data centers depend on hosting providers |
Carbonmade does not disclose the locations of its data centers |
Type of hosting: |
WordPress itself isn’t a hosting platform, there are various options when choosing the type of hosting for websites built with WordPress, such as: Shared Hosting, VPS Hosting, Dedicated Server Hosting, Managed WordPress Hosting, Cloud Hosting |
Managed Hosting |
Uptime: |
Uptime & uptime guarantee depends on hosting provider. |
Carbonmade does not disclose uptime statistics, neither the platform has uptime guarantee |
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: WordPress
Both WordPress and Carbonmade offer unique approaches to website building, but WordPress provides more comprehensive resources and tools for speed optimization, giving it an edge over Carbonmade.
|
|
|
---|---|---|
Focus |
Extensive customization, plugin support |
Simplicity, ease of use for creatives |
Performance Tools |
Core Web Vitals, WP Rocket, Hummingbird |
Not specified |
Key Strategies |
Numerous learning resources, plugins |
Not specified |
Load Times |
Varies widely, dependent on optimization |
Varies depending on optimization |
Page Speed Scores Range |
Scores vary; influenced by apps, images |
Varies depending on optimization |
Core Web Vitals Improvement |
Provides valuable resources |
Not specified |
WordPress is a highly customizable open-source content management system (CMS) that offers extensive resources for website speed optimization. Users can leverage a variety of plugins and tools such as WP Rocket and Hummingbird to enhance performance. WordPress also provides guidance on optimizing Core Web Vitals (CWV) by analyzing CWV, choosing reliable hosting, optimizing images, minimizing plugins, using lazy loading, and employing a CDN. The platform’s flexibility allows users to achieve varying load times and PageSpeed scores, heavily influenced by the chosen themes, plugins, and optimization efforts.
Carbonmade, on the other hand, is a website builder tailored for creatives looking to showcase their work online. While it emphasizes simplicity and ease of use, Carbonmade does not provide detailed information on its speed optimization strategies or tools. The platform’s load times and PageSpeed scores can vary depending on the level of optimization applied by the user, but there are no specific resources or guidelines provided for improving these metrics. As a result, Carbonmade falls short in comparison to WordPress in terms of website speed optimization capabilities.
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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: WordPress.
WordPress scores 8.8, offering an unparalleled range of over 60,000 free plugins and numerous premium options. This extensive library allows users to enhance their websites with advanced ecommerce tools, SEO optimization, social media integration, and much more. Carbonmade, with a score of 0, does not support any plugins or integrations, focusing instead on simplicity and ease of use for creating online portfolios.
WordPress’s flexibility and extensive plugin ecosystem make it the superior choice for users seeking to extend their website’s functionality.
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: WordPress
. WordPress excels with its extensive plugin ecosystem that enhances SEO, email marketing, blogging, and analytics capabilities. Carbonmade, while excellent for portfolio creation, lacks comprehensive marketing tools.
|
|
|
---|---|---|
SEO Tools |
✓ |
✗ |
Email Marketing |
✓ (via plugins) |
✗ |
Blogging |
✓ |
✗ |
Social Media Integration |
Plugins for direct linking, automatic posting, and social feeds display |
Basic social network links |
Analytics and Reporting |
In-depth analysis via plugins like Google Analytics for WordPress |
Basic analytics within control panel |
Ads and Promotions |
Support for Google Ads and ad management through various plugins |
✗ |
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: Carbonmade
. In the comparison of WordPress vs Carbonmade, Carbonmade takes the lead in customer support. Carbonmade offers a ticket-based support system where users can submit inquiries via email and typically receive responses within a few hours. Although it lacks live support, the quick response times and the simplicity of the support process make it a reliable option for users.
WordPress, on the other hand, does not have direct customer support due to its open-source nature. Users must rely on community forums, the WordPress codex, and support from hosting providers or plugin and theme developers. While these resources can be helpful, the lack of a dedicated support team can make it challenging for users to get timely assistance.
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: WordPress
. WordPress offers a range of plugins and resources to enhance website security, including site backups, malware scanning, and user activity tracking. This flexibility allows users to tailor their security measures to their specific needs, making it a more secure option overall.
Carbonmade, while prioritizing the security of user data through comprehensive safeguards, does not emphasize website security features. Its primary focus is on simplifying the creation of portfolio websites, which may not require the same level of security as more complex sites. Therefore, WordPress is the better choice for users who need robust security features for their 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.
|
|
|
---|---|---|
AI Builder |
WordPress supports AI through various plugins |
Carbonmade does not have an AI builder |
AI Ecommerce Features |
AI plugins for marketing, personalization, and SEO |
Carbonmade does not have AI ecommerce features |
AI Content Generation |
AI plugins for content writing and management |
Carbonmade does not have AI content generation features |
Additional AI Features |
Wide range of AI-powered plugins and tools |
Carbonmade does not have any AI features |
🏆 Winner: WordPress
. WordPress, with a score of 6.1, leverages its open-source nature to integrate a variety of AI plugins that enhance website building, content generation, and ecommerce functionalities. These plugins provide users with advanced tools for marketing, SEO, and content management, making WordPress a versatile platform for those seeking AI capabilities.
Carbonmade, with a score of 0, does not offer any AI features. It focuses on simplicity and ease of use for creatives looking to showcase their work, but lacks the advanced AI functionalities that WordPress can provide through its extensive plugin ecosystem.
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: WordPress
. Managing user access and roles is a critical aspect of website administration, and WordPress excels in this area compared to Carbonmade.
- WordPress offers a robust user management system with multiple roles ranging from Super Admin to Subscriber. It allows for extensive customization of user permissions through plugins and additional controls.
- Carbonmade, on the other hand, is designed for simplicity and allows only one user to manage and edit a website, making it less suitable for collaborative projects.
WordPress User Roles and Access Levels:
Role | Description | Access Highlights |
---|---|---|
Super Admin | Manages the entire network in WordPress Multisite. | Network admin, manage sites, users, plugins, themes. |
Administrator | Full access within a single site. | Manage plugins, themes, users, all posts/pages. |
Editor | Manages and publishes content, including others’ posts. | Edit/publish all posts, manage comments, categories. |
Author | Publishes and manages their own posts. | Write, edit, publish own posts, upload files. |
Contributor | Writes and edits their own posts but cannot publish. | Write, edit own posts (no file uploads or publishing). |
Carbonmade User Management:
The platform allows only one user to manage and edit a website.
Additional Features
|
|
|
---|---|---|
SSL Certificate |
N/A |
X |
Custom Domain |
N/A |
✓ |
Free Custom Domain Included |
N/A |
X |
International Domains |
N/A |
✓ |
Mobile Responsive |
N/A |
✓ |
Page Speed |
N/A |
✓ |
Website Builder Mobile App |
N/A |
X |
Convert a Website To An App |
N/A |
X |
Website Analytics |
N/A |
✓ |
Multilingual Sites |
N/A |
✓ |
|
N/A |
X |
User Feedback
WordPress receives praise for its user-friendliness, cost-effectiveness, extensive themes and plugins, customization options, and supportive community. However, users mention technical challenges, security concerns, a learning curve, and a lack of direct support. Overall, it remains a widely used and versatile platform, especially beneficial for startups and small businesses.
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 use WordPress for ecommerce?
What are the main differences in ease of use between WordPress and Carbonmade?
How do WordPress and Carbonmade compare in terms of pricing?
Which platform offers better customer support?