Carbonmade vs Cargo (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Carbonmade grades higher than Cargo: 2.0 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Carbonmade grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Carbonmade
Drag-and-drop portfolio sites for creatives
Cargo
Site builder for designers and artists, one price for every site
Which one is for you
Pick Carbonmade if
- Fits if you are a photographer or illustrator who wants a simple showcase site
- Works for people who want to try the builder before paying
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you have a big body of work, since Beginner holds 8 projects and Professional 50
- Skip it if you sell online, as the pricing page lists no store
- Watch out: portfolio statistics, custom pages and private portfolios are not on Beginner
- Not for you if you want it free, because going live needs a paid plan
- Watch out: Beginner has SD video only, and 4K starts on Professional at $149 a year
Pick Cargo if
- Fits if you make several portfolio sites and want one price
- Works for studios where several people edit at once
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free plan or trial, as neither is listed
- Watch out: each extra custom domain costs $2 a month yearly, or $3 monthly
- Tight if you need store details, since limits and sales fees are not stated
- Not for you if you are a student without a school domain contact: access needs a professor or administrator
How we grade them
| 2.0GPACarbonmadeFair | 1.6GPACargoWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CBeginner is $99 a year, about $8.25 a month, which is inside the middle band of website builders. Unlimited is $249. | C$14 a month billed yearly, between the middle ($12.80) and the dearer quarter ($20.83), for one plan that covers many sites. |
| Free plan and trial | CThe trial has no time limit and needs no card, but a paid plan is needed to go live. | FNo free plan and no trial; students have to ask for access through a professor or administrator. |
| Features | CBlocks, galleries, video and statistics. Beginner caps 8 projects, and statistics, custom pages and private portfolios are not on it. No store. | CTemplates, real-time editing by several people and a store, but the page states no limits on pages, storage or sales fees. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You build each layout yourself, though no code is needed. | CNo rating on record, and you build the site yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | CA web builder only, with no integrations listed. | CWeb only, with no integrations or API on record anywhere in the listing. |
| Best for | a block-built portfolio for creatives | portfolio sites for designers and artists |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Carbonmade and Cargo. How we grade
Price against what you get
Carbonmade starts at $8.25 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Cargo starts at $14 a month and scores 2.0.
They score the same, and Carbonmade starts $5.75 a month lower. Of the other website and landing page builders on the chart, 21 score higher than Carbonmade for less, and 33 score higher than Cargo for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Carbonmade also covers no-code and web analytics.
- Cargo also covers online store.
At a glance
| Carbonmade | Cargo | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | $99 per year ($9.99 billed monthly) | $14 per month, billed yearly ($19 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | Free trial with no time limit and no card; pay only to go live | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Carbonmade | Cargo |
| Price read from | carbonmade.com | cargo.site |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Carbonmade
- A paid plan is needed to go live; the free trial is for building and testing.
- Beginner caps a portfolio at 8 projects and Professional at 50; only Unlimited removes the cap.
- Portfolio statistics, custom pages and private portfolios are not on Beginner.
- It builds portfolio sites; it has no online store on the pricing page.
Cargo
- There is only one paid plan and the information page lists no free plan or free trial.
- One custom domain connection is included; each extra one costs $2 a month billed yearly, or $3 billed monthly.
- The pricing page does not state limits on pages, storage or products, or any fee on store sales.
- Student access needs a professor or administrator at an official school domain to request it.
Key features
Carbonmade
- Block-based layouts
- Build pages by mixing premade blocks and layouts with drag and drop instead of fixed templates.
- Galleries and sliders
- Show work in full-screen grids, galleries and slideshows, with a before-and-after block for process shots.
- Video and media uploads
- Unlimited image and video uploads on every plan; 4K video and audio start on Professional.
- Hosting and domains
- Hosting is included, with a free carbonmade.com, portfolio.site or gfx.work address, or a connected custom domain.
- Visitor statistics
- Portfolio statistics show visits and which projects are popular; the pricing page lists them on Professional and above.
- Private portfolios
- Professional and Unlimited can make a portfolio private, and the features page lists password protection.
Cargo
- Many sites under one account
- Publish a portfolio, client presentations, idea boards, a profile site and a shop, each with its own purpose, all on a single account and price.
- Real-time multi-user editing
- Several people can edit a site at the same time, which suits studios and design teams sharing one portfolio.
- Template library
- Start a site from an ongoing library of templates and edit and publish from there.
- Built-in commerce
- A commerce platform lets a site manage, sell and take payment for physical or digital goods.
- Free use for students
- Students, teachers and school administrators get free use after a professor or administrator at an official school domain requests membership.
Plans
Carbonmade
Beginner$99
per year ($9.99 billed monthly)
8 projects total, basic blocks, 3 navigation options, SD video and limited support.
Professional$149
per year ($14.99 billed monthly)
50 projects, premium blocks, custom pages, private portfolio, statistics, 4K video and priority support.
Unlimited$249
per year ($24.99 billed monthly)
Everything in Professional, with unlimited projects and unlimited pages.
Cargo
Cargo$14
per month, billed yearly ($19 billed monthly)
The single plan: one or many public sites, real-time multi-user editing and a template library, with no tiers. One custom domain connection included.
Ways to pay less
Carbonmade
- Annual discount
Save about 20% with yearly billing
The pricing page marks yearly billing as saving about 20%, for example $99 a year on Beginner against $9.99 a month.
Cargo
- Education
Free use for students and teachers
Cargo offers free use to students, teachers and related administrators. A professor or administrator with an official school email must request membership.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Carbonmade or Cargo?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Carbonmade is cheaper to start with: $8.25 a month when paid by the year, against $14 a month for Cargo. Carbonmade starts at $99 per year ($9.99 billed monthly), and Cargo starts at $14 per month, billed yearly ($19 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Carbonmade or Cargo?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Carbonmade nor Cargo has a free plan. Carbonmade has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.