Carrd vs SmugMug (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Carrd: it is third in our ranking of website and landing page builders, and it grades higher too, 2.6 against 2.4.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Carrd grades higher on value for money. SmugMug grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
SmugMug
Photo storage, portfolio sites and print sales for photographers
Which one is for you
Pick Carrd if
- Fits if you need a link-in-bio page, a profile or a one-page portfolio
- Works for side projects that each need one page on their own domain, with an email signup form
Look elsewhere if
- Too light for a business that needs several pages, a blog or a shop
- Watch out: Pro Lite at $9 a year only removes branding; your own domain and forms need Pro Standard at $19
- Tight if you need password protection, redirects or site downloads, which wait for Pro Plus at $49 a year
- Pricey if you run many sites, since each tier's price rises with the count, up to $999 a year for 1,000
- Not for you if you want a phone app for quick edits, as there isn't one
Pick SmugMug if
- Fits if you are a photographer who wants storage, a site and print sales in one place
- Works for people who edit in Lightroom
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you sell prints: that needs Portfolio at $23.50 a month
- Watch out: RAW storage is $10 a month up to 1 TB, then $6 for each extra TB
- Tight if you want coupons, packages or several pricelists, which need Pro at $37 a month
- Skip it if you want a free plan, as there is none
- Watch out: the monthly-billing price loads separately and was not readable
How we grade them
| 2.6GPACarrdGood | 2.4GPASmugMugFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | APro Standard is $19 a year for up to 10 sites with your own domain, forms and embeds, about $1.58 a month for one site. That's way under 60% of this category's cheapest quarter ($5.40). Pro Lite at $9 a year only removes the branding. | CDirect is $20 a month billed yearly, just under the dearer quarter ($20.83) of website builders. |
| Free plan and trial | CUp to 3 free sites on Carrd addresses with the core builder and a Made with Carrd credit, plus a 7-day Pro trial with no card needed. But there's no custom domain or forms without paying. | CA 14-day trial of every feature needs no card, and there is no free plan. |
| Features | CIt does one-page sites fully: templates that fit every screen, signup and payment forms feeding about 20 email services, embeds and analytics. But it's a smaller job, with no multi-page site, blog or online store. | CUnlimited photo storage and portfolio sites, but print and download sales and templates start at $23.50, and RAW storage is an add-on. |
| Ease of use | CNo app store rating on record. One page from a template keeps things simple, but you're still building that page yourself, element by element. | CNo rating on record, and you set up galleries, a site and pricelists yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with forms feeding about 20 email services such as Mailchimp, Kit and Klaviyo, plus Stripe, PayPal, Gumroad and Google Analytics. No phone or desktop app. | AWeb, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, with Lightroom, Luminar, Flickr and Dropbox. |
| Best for | one-page sites for a few dollars a year | photo storage and print sales for photographers |
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: Carrd and SmugMug. How we grade
Price against what you get
Carrd starts at $0.75 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. SmugMug starts at $20 a month and scores 2.7.
SmugMug scores higher, and starts $19.25 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other website and landing page builders on the chart, none scores higher than Carrd for less, and 3 score higher than SmugMug 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
- Carrd also covers forms.
- SmugMug also covers file sharing, online store and digital downloads.
At a glance
| Carrd | SmugMug | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $9 per year for up to 3 sites (Pro Lite) | $20 per month, billed annually (Direct) |
| Free plan | Up to 3 one-page sites per account on Carrd-branded addresses, with Carrd's core builder features, shown with "Made with Carrd" branding. | None |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial of Pro features, no payment or card required | 14-day free trial of every feature, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Carrd Inc. | SmugMug, Inc. |
| Price read from | carrd.com | smugmug.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Carrd
- Carrd builds one-page sites only; there is no multi-page site, blog or online store.
- Custom domains, forms and embeds need Pro Standard; Pro Lite only removes branding and unlocks .crd.co addresses.
- Password protection, redirects and downloading a site's files need Pro Plus.
- The price of each Pro tier rises with the number of sites, from 3 or 10 sites up to 1,000.
SmugMug
- RAW file storage is an add-on: $10 a month for up to 1 TB, then $6 a month for each extra TB.
- Selling prints and downloads, and website templates, need the Portfolio plan or higher.
- Multiple pricelists, coupons and packages need the Pro plan at $37 a month.
- The page shows yearly prices only; the monthly-billing price loads separately and was not readable.
Key features
Carrd
- One-page sites from templates
- Start from dozens of templates or a blank page; every site adjusts to phones, tablets and desktops on its own. Pro plans add premium templates.
- Signup and payment forms
- Pro Standard forms send signups to about 20 email services, including Mailchimp, Kit, beehiiv and Klaviyo, and can take payments.
- Custom domains
- Pro Standard and Pro Plus publish to any domain you own with free SSL through Let's Encrypt. Pro Lite uses unbranded .crd.co addresses.
- Widgets and embeds
- Embed custom code and widgets from Stripe, PayPal, Gumroad, Typeform and other services, from Pro Standard up.
- Analytics and tracking
- Connect Google Analytics, Plausible, Matomo and other tracking tools to a published site on Pro Standard and Pro Plus.
SmugMug
- Unlimited JPEG storage
- Every plan stores full-resolution JPEG photos with no compression and no storage cap. RAW file storage is a paid add-on.
- Client galleries and delivery
- Private, password-protected galleries let clients pick favorites, and photos can be delivered as digital downloads or by QR code.
- Print and download sales
- Portfolio and Pro plans sell prints and downloads with automatic tax collection and full-service print lab fulfillment.
- Portfolio website templates
- Drag-and-drop website templates build a portfolio or storefront, and a custom domain can be used.
- Upload and sync tools
- Plugins for Adobe Lightroom and Luminar, automatic uploading on macOS and Windows, and imports from Flickr and Dropbox.
Plans
Carrd
Free$0
Up to 3 sites on Carrd-branded addresses with the core builder and a Made with Carrd credit.
Pro Lite$9
per year for up to 3 sites
No branding, unbranded .crd.co addresses, premium templates, video uploads and larger images. $14 for 10 sites, $29 for 25.
Pro Standard$19
per year for up to 10 sites
Adds custom domains with SSL, forms, widgets and embeds, analytics and meta tags. $39 for 25 sites, $119 for 100, up to $599 for 1,000.
Pro Plus$49
per year for up to 25 sites
Adds advanced forms, password protection, redirects, site downloads and site files. $89 for 50 sites, up to $999 for 1,000.
SmugMug
Direct$20
per month, billed annually
Unlimited photo storage, privacy controls, digital delivery, Lightroom integration and 24/7 live support.
Portfolio$23.50
per month, billed annually
Adds print and digital download sales, website templates, watermarks and theft protection, and full-service order fulfillment.
Pro$37
per month, billed annually
Adds multiple custom pricelists, marketing coupons and packages, client favoriting and download limits.
EnterpriseCustom
Tailor-made plan for studios, teams and institutions with serious volume. Arranged through sales.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Carrd or SmugMug?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Carrd is cheaper to start with: $0.75 a month when paid by the year, against $20 a month for SmugMug. Carrd starts at $9 per year for up to 3 sites (Pro Lite), and SmugMug starts at $20 per month, billed annually (Direct).
Which has a free plan, Carrd or SmugMug?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Carrd has a free plan. SmugMug does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Carrd and SmugMug run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only SmugMug lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.