Carrd alternatives: 5 open-source picks
Carrd costs $1.58/mo — $18.96 a year. These 5 alternatives replace it for $0, led by Webstudio, Plasmic and Silex. All 5 are open source. License, stars and last commit checked by hand on 2026-08-29. No trials, no crippled tiers.
Far more CSS control than Carrd and far more self-hosting responsibility.
licenseAGPL-3.0+
runsyour machine or their cloud
installHosted signup or desktop app; alternatively export the project or deploy the self-hosted builder/site
enginesWebstudio Inception AI and MCP integrations; the hosted model provider is not named in official documentation
dataProjects and assets live in Webstudio Cloud when hosted there; export/self-host routes produce source or static assets under the user's deployment
the catch vs CarrdWebstudio is overpowered for a one-page site and makes a free custom domain a hosting/deployment task.
setupThe free cloud plan publishes only to a Webstudio subdomain; a free custom domain requires export or self-hosting
facts verified 2026-08-10
A custom-domain visual site on the free plan; comically overpowered for a one-page profile and branded accordingly.
licenseMIT AND AGPL-3.0
runsyour machine or their cloud
installHosted signup; optional npm-installed Plasmic CLI for React code generation and deployment in your own repository
enginesPlasmic AI (beta); the official site does not name its underlying model provider
dataHosted projects and CMS records in Plasmic Cloud; codegen writes React components plus plasmic.json and plasmic.lock into the user's repository
the catch vs CarrdFor a one-page profile, Plasmic is far more complex than Carrd and its free hosted result keeps a platform badge.
setupFree hosted output keeps Plasmic branding; codegen/self-deployment requires a Node/React project and deployment workflow
facts verified 2026-08-10
A visual one-page builder that exports plain HTML and costs nothing; publishing begins with a GitLab login.
licenseAGPL-3.0+
runsyour machine or their cloud
installUse the hosted editor with a GitLab login, install the desktop alpha, or run the official Docker setup
enginesOptional desktop MCP workflow can connect to Ollama, OpenCode, Goose or Claude Code
dataProject JSON and assets in GitLab, FTP or local storage; publishing produces ordinary static HTML, CSS and JavaScript
the catch vs CarrdSilex creates more publishing and layout work than Carrd's extremely simple one-page workflow.
setupThe stable hosted route starts with a GitLab account; the desktop build is still labelled alpha
facts verified 2026-08-10
Publishing platform with memberships and paid newsletters built in. The self-hosted answer to Substack taking 10% of your revenue.
licenseMIT
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
Powers 40% of the web — themes, plugins, and full ownership of your site.
licenseGPL-2.0
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
What each one is, in full: Ghost · WordPress
last updated 2026-08-29 · no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
the usual suspects · recommended everywhere, rejected here
GrapesJSA library for creating builders, not the one-page builder a normal person came to install.
how to choose a Carrd alternative
Easiest to get running
WordPress — a one-click install, no server to maintain.
Most proven
Ghost, with 49,000 GitHub stars — the largest community of the 5, which usually means more answers when something breaks.
Needs real ops to self-host
Webstudio is capable but expects someone to run a server, updates and backups. Budget for that before choosing it.
what you give up by leaving Carrd
- the visual editor
- hosted forms
- their template gallery
- not having to think about hosting
None of the picks above covers all of it. The full verdict says which gaps matter.
Carrd alternatives at a glance
| tool | license | running it | platforms | stars | active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Webstudio | AGPL-3.0+ | self-host, real ops | web, self-hosted | 8,800 | 2026-08 |
| Plasmic | MIT AND AGPL-3.0 | they host it | web, self-hosted | 6,900 | 2026-08 |
| Silex | AGPL-3.0+ | they host it | web, self-hosted | 2,919 | 2026-08 |
| Ghost | MIT | docker to self-host | self-hosted, web | 49,000 | 2026-08 |
| WordPress | GPL-2.0 | one-click install | self-hosted, web | 20,000 | 2026-08 |
why people still pay for Carrd
They pay because the product costs almost nothing and removes all hosting/domain friction. If none of that applies to you, any pick above saves $18.96 a year.
questions about switching from Carrd
Is there an open-source alternative to Carrd?
Yes: Webstudio, Plasmic, Silex and 2 more. Every tool on this page is open source: no trials, no crippled tiers.
Can open source really replace Carrd?
Our verdict is YES. Ghost (49k stars), WordPress (20k stars), Webstudio (9k stars) are mature open-source replacements for Carrd — self-host with docker and stop paying $1.58/mo. The full verdict, and what you give up by switching, is at caniopensourceit.online/carrd.
What is the easiest open-source Carrd alternative to set up?
WordPress — a one-click install, no server to maintain.
What is the most popular open-source Carrd alternative?
By GitHub stars, Ghost (49,000). WordPress is next with 20,000.
