Carrd costs $0 to $49 per year in 2026 across four plans: Free, Pro Lite ($9/yr), Pro Standard ($19/yr), and Pro Plus ($49/yr). Most users land on Pro Standard at $19 per year because it is the cheapest plan that includes a custom domain, forms, and analytics. All paid plans are annual-only, billed upfront. Carrd charges no transaction fees.
Carrd Free: $0 forever
Carrd's free plan is permanent and supports up to 3 sites on a .carrd.co subdomain. It includes all of Carrd's core page-building features, which is what makes Carrd genuinely different from free plans on Wix or Squarespace. The tradeoff is a small "Made with Carrd" badge in the footer and no custom domain, forms, or analytics.
Included
- Up to 3 sites
- .carrd.co subdomain (e.g. yourname.carrd.co)
- Full page builder and design tools
- Mobile-responsive templates
Not included
- Custom domain
- Forms (no contact form, no email capture)
- Widgets or third-party embeds
- Analytics (no Google Analytics integration)
- Badge removal
Honest take: the free plan fits a personal profile page with links out. For a coach or consultant who wants a contact form or their own domain, the free plan stops working the moment a potential client tries to reach them through the site.
Carrd Pro Lite: $9 per year
Pro Lite is the cheapest paid tier at $9 per year, which works out to about $0.75 per month when spread across 12 months. It removes the Carrd badge and adds higher-quality image uploads, but still does not include a custom domain, forms, or analytics. Pro Lite exists mainly as a branding-removal upgrade.
Included
- Up to 3 sites
- Badge removal
- Higher-resolution image support
- Unlimited elements per page
Not included
- Custom domain (Pro Standard required)
- Forms (Pro Standard required)
- Widgets / third-party embeds (Pro Standard required)
- Google Analytics (Pro Standard required)
Honest take: Pro Lite is rarely the right plan for a professional. The $10 jump to Pro Standard adds the features most users actually came to Carrd for, so Pro Lite ends up as a stopover more than a destination.
Carrd Pro Standard: $19 per year
Pro Standard is the plan most Carrd users end up on. At $19 per year (about $1.58 per month), it supports 10 sites, adds a custom domain with free SSL via Let's Encrypt, enables forms via Mailchimp/Kit/ActiveCampaign, widgets for Stripe/Gumroad/Typeform, and Google Analytics integration.
Included
- 10 sites
- Custom domain with free SSL
- Forms (Mailchimp, Kit, ActiveCampaign, EmailOctopus)
- Widgets (Stripe, PayPal, Gumroad, Typeform)
- Google Analytics, Plausible, Matomo support
- Meta tags and local fonts
Not included
- Advanced forms (Pro Plus required)
- Password protection (Pro Plus required)
- Downloadable site files (Pro Plus required)
- Variables and advanced redirects (Pro Plus required)
- Built-in AI copy (not on any Carrd plan)
Honest take: Pro Standard is the actually useful Carrd plan. At $19 per year it is one of the cheapest ways to get a live site on a custom domain. The gap is that a coach still needs to write all their own copy and pick their own images.
Carrd Pro Plus: $49 per year
Pro Plus is Carrd's top tier at $49 per year (about $4.08 per month). It supports 25 sites and adds advanced forms, password protection, variables, downloadable site files, custom redirects, and canonical URLs. Pro Plus fits freelance web designers managing client sites more than solopreneurs building one site.
Included
- 25 sites
- Advanced forms
- Password protection
- Downloadable site files
- Variables and site files
- Redirects and canonical URLs
Not included
- AI copy generation (not on any Carrd plan)
- Built-in analytics dashboard (integration only)
- Niche-specific templates for coaches, therapists, trades
- Team collaboration features
Honest take: Pro Plus fits the person building sites for a few clients or running a small portfolio of landing pages. At $2/site/year it is impossibly cheap for that use case. For a solo coach with one site, Pro Plus is more than needed.
Why Carrd Has No Monthly Billing
Carrd is annual-only at every tier. There is no monthly option, no quarterly option, nothing. Everything is billed 12 months upfront. This keeps the annual price low and reduces churn on Carrd's side, but it means every user commits to a year at signup.
| Plan | Annual Price | Per Month | Sites | Custom Domain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 3 (.carrd.co subdomain) | No |
| Pro Lite | $9/yr | ~$0.75/mo | 3 | No |
| Pro Standard | $19/yr | ~$1.58/mo | 10 | Yes |
| Pro Plus | $49/yr | ~$4.08/mo | 25 | Yes |
When annual-only is fine: when the user knows exactly what they want, is certain they will keep the site live for at least 12 months, and only needs a static page without active iteration. Paying $19 once a year is basically free compared to the $15-$23 per month most competitors charge.
When annual-only stings: when a solopreneur is testing the positioning of their business, experimenting with different copy, or not sure if they will stick with the tool. There is no refund mechanism for changing their mind. For users who want the option to cancel and walk away, NiftySite offers a free forever tier plus Pro at $15/month monthly (cancel anytime).
Carrd Hidden Fees and Add-On Costs
Carrd's platform pricing is honest: no overage fees, no transaction fees, no upsell prompts. The hidden costs come from the tools Carrd does not include. Four costs to budget for:
1. Custom domain registration ($10-$15/year)
Carrd Pro Standard supports a custom domain, but does not sell or register one. Budget $10 to $15 per year from Namecheap, Porkbun, or Google Domains. That is effectively a 50-75% uplift on the Pro Standard plan price.
2. Email marketing tool ($0-$30/month)
Carrd connects forms to Mailchimp, Kit (formerly ConvertKit), ActiveCampaign, and EmailOctopus, but does not include email sending. A solo coach can start on a free Mailchimp or Kit plan, but once the list grows, expect $15 to $30 per month for email marketing.
3. Payment processor fees (2.9% + $0.30 per sale)
Selling anything through a Carrd site requires a Stripe or Gumroad widget. Carrd itself takes no cut, but Stripe charges 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction and Gumroad charges 10% on its free plan. A $100 product sold through Stripe costs $3.20 in fees.
4. Copywriting help ($0 or your time)
Carrd does not include AI copy or pre-written templates with copy. Every word on the page needs to come from the user (or a freelance copywriter, typically $150-$500 for a single page). For solopreneurs who know what to say, this is fine. For coaches who freeze when staring at a blank page, this is the real Carrd tax.
Roughly $29 to $50 depending on email marketing needs: $19 Pro Standard + $12 domain + $0-$19 email marketing (free tier to cheap starter plans). Still genuinely cheap. For coaches who want AI copy, analytics, and monthly billing, the equivalent NiftySite Pro setup runs $180 per year all-in.
Is Carrd Worth It in 2026?
Carrd is worth it when the user is comfortable with a blank canvas and wants the cheapest possible path to a live site. It is not the right tool when the user wants help with copy, analytics built in, or monthly billing flexibility.
Yes, Carrd is worth it if...
- Price is the single most important factor
- Comfortable writing all copy from scratch
- Only need a simple one-page profile or link hub
- Know what design and layout are wanted
- Happy paying 12 months upfront
No, Carrd is not the right fit if...
- AI help with headline and bio would be welcome
- Selling professional services and need credibility signals
- Want analytics without adding a third-party account
- Prefer monthly billing and the ability to cancel anytime
- Need coach-specific or trade-specific templates
Carrd Alternatives by Use Case
Carrd is already one of the cheapest builders on the market, so "cheaper alternatives" really means "better fit for a given use case." Three alternatives worth weighing against Carrd:
NiftySite
Best for coaches wanting AI helpIf a coach wants a professional site in 10 minutes with AI-generated copy, coach-specific templates, monthly billing, and a free forever tier, NiftySite fits. $15 per month is more than Carrd, but includes AI copy, built-in analytics, and monthly flexibility. See the NiftySite vs Carrd comparison and the honest Carrd review for full breakdowns.
Linktree (for social-first creators)
For creators who only need to share a list of links from their Instagram bio, Linktree's free plan is genuinely simpler than Carrd. Paid plans start at $8 per month with monthly billing. Linktree is not a real website, so it is a poor fit for a coaching or consulting business, but excellent for content creators.
GitHub Pages + a static template (for developers)
Developers comfortable editing HTML or using a static site generator can host a personal site for free on GitHub Pages or Cloudflare Pages, with full control and zero annual fees. This only makes sense for users who actively enjoy editing code.
How Carrd Pricing Compares to Major Alternatives
Carrd wins on raw annual cost and loses on feature depth, AI assistance, and billing flexibility. Below is an apples-to-apples view of what each tool actually costs.
| Tool | Cheapest Paid | Most Common Plan | Free Plan | Transaction Fees | Billing Flexibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrd | $9/yr (Pro Lite) | $19/yr (Pro Standard) | Yes (3 sites, branding, no custom domain) | None (no native payments; uses Stripe/Gumroad) | Annual only |
| NiftySite | Free (forever) | $15/mo (Pro) | Yes (forever, full page) | None (no payments processed) | Monthly only, cancel anytime |
| Wix | $17/mo (Light, annual) | $29/mo (Core, annual) | Yes (with Wix ads, wixsite.com) | None on Wix plans | Monthly or annual |
| Linktree | $5/mo (Starter) | $9/mo (Pro) | Yes (linktr.ee/username) | None (redirects only) | Monthly or annual |
| Squarespace | $7/mo (Basic, annual) | $8/mo (Core, annual) | No (14-day trial) | Stripe/PayPal processor fees only | Monthly or annual |
All pricing verified April 2026 against each tool's official pricing page. Carrd has no monthly billing option at any tier.
Carrd Pricing FAQ
How much does Carrd cost per year?
▼
Is Carrd free?
▼
What is Carrd Pro Lite?
▼
How much is Carrd Pro Standard?
▼
How much is Carrd Pro Plus?
▼
Does Carrd charge transaction fees?
▼
Is Carrd billed monthly?
▼
Can I cancel Carrd and get a refund?
▼
Does Carrd have hidden fees?
▼
Is Carrd worth it compared to free alternatives?
▼
Want a real coaching site without the blank-canvas problem?
Carrd is cheap but hands you an empty page. NiftySite is free to start, $15/month for Pro, and AI writes your headline, bio, and CTA from 3 questions. Cancel anytime.
Build your coaching site →Free forever. Pro at $15/month, monthly billing.