Cargo vs Pixpa (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Pixpa grades higher than Cargo: 2.2 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Pixpa grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Cargo
Site builder for designers and artists, one price for every site
Pixpa
Portfolio sites, client galleries and a store in one plan
Which one is for you
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
Pick Pixpa if
- Fits if you are a photographer who wants a site and client galleries together
- Works for a small portfolio on a low yearly price
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if your site is large: Basic stops at 10 pages and 200 images
- Skip it if you sell much: store products go from 3 on Basic to unlimited on Advanced
- Watch out: the domain is free for the first year through Ionos, with Ionos renewal pricing after
- Pricey if you want a designer to build it: that is a one-time $199 add-on
How we grade them
| 1.6GPACargoWeak | 2.2GPAPixpaFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$14 a month billed yearly, between the middle ($12.80) and the dearer quarter ($20.83), for one plan that covers many sites. | BBasic is $5.40 a month billed yearly, inside the cheaper quarter ($7.42), though it caps at 10 pages and 200 images. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial; students have to ask for access through a professor or administrator. | CA 15-day trial needs no card, and there is no free plan. |
| Features | CTemplates, real-time editing by several people and a store, but the page states no limits on pages, storage or sales fees. | CPortfolio, galleries, blog and store, but Basic has 3 store products and the store limit rises by plan. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record, and you build the site yourself. | CNo rating on record, and you build pages and galleries yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, with no integrations or API on record anywhere in the listing. | CWeb only, with WHCC (print lab) and Ionos (domains) listed as links. |
| Best for | portfolio sites for designers and artists | portfolio sites and client galleries in one plan |
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: Cargo and Pixpa. How we grade
Price against what you get
Cargo starts at $14 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Pixpa starts at $5.40 a month and scores 2.0.
They score the same, and Pixpa starts $8.60 a month lower. Of the other website and landing page builders on the chart, 17 score higher than Cargo for less, and 5 score higher than Pixpa 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
- Pixpa also covers file sharing, digital downloads and popups.
At a glance
| Cargo | Pixpa | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | $14 per month, billed yearly ($19 billed monthly) | $5.40 per month, billed yearly ($9 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 15-day free trial, no credit card; 30-day money-back guarantee |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Cargo | Pixpa |
| Price read from | cargo.site | pixpa.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Pixpa
- Basic stops at 10 pages, 200 images and 3 store products.
- The store product limit rises by plan, from 3 on Basic to unlimited on Advanced.
- A domain is free for the first year through Ionos, with Ionos renewal pricing after that.
- A designer-built site setup is a separate add-on at a one-time $199 fee.
Key features
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.
Pixpa
- Portfolio website builder
- A visual editor with more than 200 premium templates, mobile-optimized sites, a free SSL certificate and hosting on every plan.
- Client galleries
- Unlimited private albums on every plan for proofing, favorites, comments and secure file delivery, plus standalone gallery links of up to 250 images.
- Store with zero commission
- Sell products, services and digital files with checkout on your own domain. Selling photos as prints or downloads is not capped by the product limit.
- Print lab fulfillment
- Print orders can be fulfilled automatically through WHCC or a custom lab, or fulfilled by you.
- Blog and marketing tools
- Built-in blogging, forms, marketing popups, an announcement bar and SEO tools are included, without adding plugins.
Plans
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.
Pixpa
Basic$5.40
per month, billed yearly ($9 billed monthly)
10 pages, 200 images, 1 blog, up to 3 store products and 3 GB of client-gallery storage.
Creator$9
per month, billed yearly ($15 billed monthly)
Unlimited pages and images, up to 10 store products and 5 GB of storage for original files.
Professional$12
per month, billed yearly ($20 billed monthly)
Marked most popular. Up to 100 store products and 25 GB of storage; adds advanced forms and coupon rules.
Advanced$15
per month, billed yearly ($25 billed monthly)
Unlimited store products and 100 GB of storage for original files.
Ways to pay less
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.
Pixpa
- Annual discount
40% off on yearly billing
The pricing page shows yearly plans at 40% off the monthly rates, and 2-yearly plans at 55% off (Basic at $4.05 a month).
- Education
Up to 55% off for students and educators
Pixpa's menu says Edu discounts give up to 55% off all plans to students and educators.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Cargo or Pixpa?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Pixpa is cheaper to start with: $5.40 a month, against $14 a month for Cargo. Cargo starts at $14 per month, billed yearly ($19 billed monthly), and Pixpa starts at $5.40 per month, billed yearly ($9 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Cargo or Pixpa?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Cargo nor Pixpa has a free plan. Pixpa 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.