Carrd Review (2023): Is this the most affordable way to build a website fast?

Do you need an affordable, one-page website? Do you want to be able to quickly and easily create a site without having to learn coding? If so, then Carrd may be the website builder for you.

In this review, we'll take a look at Carrd and see what it has to offer. We'll cover the basics of how it works, its features, pricing, alternatives and more. By the end, you should have a good idea of whether Carrd is the right platform for you and your website needs.

What is Carrd?

Carrd is a website builder that enables users to create simple, one-page websites. It is an ideal platform for those who want to create a quick and easy website without having to learn coding. Carrd is also a great option for those who need a simple, effective way to showcase their work or share information online.

Carrd was launched in 2016 by AJ, who wanted to create a simple website builder that anyone could use. Today, Carrd has over 800,000 users and is one of the most popular website builders on the market.

Interested in trying Carrd? Sign up today.

How does Carrd work?

Carrd is easy to use and does not require any coding knowledge. To create a website with Carrd, you simply sign up for an account and choose a template. Once you've selected a template, you can then begin adding content to your site, such as text, images, videos, and more. Carrd also offers a variety of customization options, so you can tailor your site to match your specific needs and branding.

Carrd features

Carrd offers a variety of features that can be used to create simple, one-page websites. These features include:

Drag and drop editor

Carrd's drag and drop editor makes it easy to add content to your site. Like most other website builders, Carrd allows you to add common elements to your site text, lists, images, buttons, videos, tables, containers and more.

If you decide to pay for a Pro account you can add more advanced elements such as slideshows, forms and widgets. You can add contact or sign up forms which integrate with CRM and email marketing tools such as ActiveCampaign, Beehiiv, Buttondown, Convertkit, EmailOctopus, GetResponse, Klaviyo, Mailchimp , Mailerlite, Revue, SendFox, Sendinblue and Sendy. A pro plan also allows you to embed pre-made widgets from third party providers such as Stripe, Gumroad, Facebook, PayPal and Typeform.

Carrd templates

Carrd offers a variety of templates that can be used to create your website. Some templates are available via the free plan, while others require you to upgrade to the Pro plan to use.

Carrd templates are categorised as follows:

• Profile templates which are best for personal sites which let you tell people a little about yourself, what you do and how they can contact you.
• Landing templates which are best for business sites where you are looking to showcase a product or service to potential customers.
• Form templates which are best if you are looking to collect emails or other customer information.
• Portfolio templates which are best for people such as designers or photographers who are looking to show case some of their work visually.
• Sectioned templates which simulate multiple pages using section breaks.

Responsive design

All Carrd templates are responsive, meaning they will adjust to fit any screen size. This is important as it ensures that your site will look great on all devices, from desktop computers to tablets and smartphones.

You can toggle between desktop view and mobile via while designing your site in the Carrd editor. We found this feature relatively basic compared to other website builders like Webflow which offer a far more advanced responsive design editor.

Custom domain

If you upgrade to a Pro account, you can use your own custom domain name for your Carrd site. This is a great way to make your site look more professional and polished.

Google Analytics

With Carrd, you can easily add Google Analytics to your site in order to track your website's traffic and performance.

SEO

Carrd offers basic SEO features that can help you optimize your site for search engines. With Carrd, you can control your website's title, meta tags, and more. All site also include an automatically generated sitemap.xml file that you can submit to search engines.

Password protection

With Carrd, you can password protect your site in order to control who has access to it. This is a great way to keep your site private if it contains sensitive information.

Interested in trying Carrd? Sign up today.

Carrd pros and cons

Carrd pros

Carrd has a lot to offer, especially for those looking to create a simple one-page website. Here are some of the things we like about Carrd:

• Easy-to-use drag and drop editor which is great for people new to building a website.
• Wide range of templates to suite many different types of websites.
• Integrations with a number of third party services such as Google Analytics, Stripe, PayPal, Mailchimp, Typeform and more.
• Basic SEO features to help  you get started with optimizing your site for search engines.
• Custom domain support for those looking to use their own domain name.

Interested in trying Carrd? Sign up today.

Carrd cons

While Carrd is a great platform, it's not perfect and some more advanced users might find some features limiting. Here are some of the things we don't like about Carrd:

• Limited design flexibility - Carrd templates are not as customizable as those offered by other website builders such as Webflow.
• No e-commerce features -  If you're looking to create an online store, Carrd is not the right platform for you as it doesn't offer any e-commerce features.
• No blogging features -  If you're looking to create a blog, Carrd is not the right platform for you as it doesn't offer any blogging.

Carrd pricing

Carrd's pricing is simple and straightforward which makes it great for those on a budget.

Free plan

The free plan costs $0 and gives you access to the editor, most elements to build your site and also some templates. You can publish your site under the carrd.co subdomain.

Pro Lite

The Pro Lite plan starts at $9 USD per year for 3 sites with premium URLs, no Carrd branding, high quality images, no element limits and access to both pro and custom templates.

Pro Standard

The Pro Standard plan starts at $19 USD per year for 10 sites with custom domain URLs, all the features in the Pro Lite plan as well as forms, widgets, Google Analytics and meta tags.

Pro Plus

The Pro Plus plan starts at $49 USD per year for 25 sites with custom domain URLs, all the features in the Pro Standard plan as well as redirects, password protection, variables, site files, download sites and advanced settings.

You can trial all pro plans free for 7 days with no payment or credit card required.

Interested in trying Carrd? Sign up today.

Carrd alternatives and competitors

If you're looking for alternatives to Carrd, there are a few other options worth considering.

Carrd vs Webflow

Webflow is a well-known website builder that offers a more advanced solution for those looking for more design flexibility. Webflow also offers e-commerce and CMS features, making it a better option for those looking to create an online store. However, Webflow is more expensive than Carrd starting at $18 per month for a Basic paid plan and can be harder to use for those new to building websites.

Carrd vs Wix

Like Webflow, Wix is another well-known website builder that offers a more advanced solution for building your website than Carrd. Wix also offers e-commerce features and starts at $16 per month for a Combo plan.

Carrd vs WordPress

If you're looking for a more powerful solution, WordPress might be a better option for you. WordPress is a content management system that gives you more control over the design and functionality of your website. However, WordPress can be more difficult to use than Carrd and also requires you to find your own web hosting.

Carrd vs Squarespace

Squarespace is one of the most popular website builders and offers a lot more features than Carrd. Squarespace offers e-commerce, blogging, membership and more features which makes it a better option for those looking for more than just a simple website. However, Squarespace is more expensive than Carrd starting at $23 per month for a Personal plan.

Carrd vs Linktree

Linktree is a link in bio tool that helps you streamline your social media presence. Linktree is a great option for those looking to create a simple, one-page website. However, Linktree doesn't offer as many features as Carrd and is limited to link in bio pages.

Card vs Beacons

Beacons is another great link in bio tool that offers similar features to Linktree. Beacons is an easy-to-use platform that offers a limited free plan, however it doesn't offer as many features as Carrd.

Carrd vs Milkshake

Like Linktree and Beacons, Milkshake is a link in bio tool that helps you streamline your social media presence. Milkshake is a great option for those looking to create a simple, one-page website. However, Milkshake doesn't offer as many features as Carrd and is limited to link in bio pages.

Our verdict

Carrd is a great platform for those looking to create a simple one-page website. It's easy to use drag and drop editor and wide range of templates make it a great choice for those new to building websites. While it lacks some features that more advanced users might find limiting, such as e-commerce and blogging features, it's still a great platform for those on a budget.

Interested in trying Carrd? Sign up today.