Quick Answer

Carrd is a free platform for building simple, fully responsive one-page sites. Created by indie hacker AJ (@ajlkn), it focuses strictly on one-page experiences for personal profiles, landing pages, portfolios, and digital product sales. Key features include responsive-by-default design, widget & embed support (Stripe, PayPal, Typeforms), and an intuitive drag-and-drop interface. Pricing is incredibly affordable: Free (3 sites), Pro Lite ($9/year), Pro Standard ($19/year), and Pro Plus ($49/year). Verdict: For 90% of solo founders, creators, and freelancers, Carrd is the best starting point. It removes the friction of building a website so you can focus on shipping your project, and simple one-pagers often have higher conversion rates due to fewer distractions.

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Carrd Review: The Best One-Page Site Builder for 2025

In a world where attention spans are shrinking, the one-page website has become the gold standard for personal portfolios, landing pages, and quick product launches. You don't always need a complex CMS like WordPress or a heavy builder like Wix just to capture an email or sell a PDF.

Enter Carrd.

If you've spent any time on "Marketing Twitter" or Product Hunt, you've likely seen a Carrd URL. It promises to be simple, free, and fully responsive. But is it robust enough to run a legitimate business on? In this review, we'll break down exactly what Carrd offers, its pricing structure, and whether it's the right tool for your stack.

What is Carrd?

Carrd is a free platform for building simple, fully responsive one-page sites for pretty much anything. Unlike traditional website builders that try to do everything (blogs, multi-page e-commerce, forums), Carrd focuses strictly on one-page experiences.

It is widely used for:

• Personal Profiles: "Link in bio" replacements that look far more professional than Linktree.
• Landing Pages: High-converting pages to capture emails for a newsletter.
• Portfolios: Simple showcases for designers and writers.
• Digital Product Sales: Integrating seamlessly with Stripe or Gumroad to sell goods.

The Founder

Carrd is the brainchild of a developer known simply as AJ (@ajlkn). A legend in the indie-hacker community, AJ originally built popular HTML5 templates before launching Carrd in 2016.

The platform is a masterclass in "bootstrapped" software. It is run by a tiny team (mostly just AJ), which allows them to keep costs incredibly low compared to venture-backed competitors. This "indie" DNA is a big reason why the community trusts the tool-it feels personal, efficient, and devoid of corporate bloat.

Key Features

• Responsive by Default: You don't need to tweak mobile views manually. Carrd sites automatically stack and resize perfectly for phones, tablets, and desktops.
• Widget & Embed Support: Even on the cheaper plans, you can embed custom code, Stripe checkout buttons, PayPal forms, and Typeforms. This makes it surprisingly powerful for e-commerce.
• Drag-and-Drop Interface: The editor is intuitive but constrained enough that you can't "break" the design. You can swap elements, change colors, and adjust padding without writing a line of code.

Pricing

Carrd's pricing is arguably its strongest selling point. While competitors charge $15–$30 per month, Carrd charges per year.

• Free: 3 sites, basic features, "Made with Carrd" branding.
• Pro Lite ($9/year): Custom domains, no branding on some elements, 3 sites.
• Pro Standard ($19/year): The sweet spot. Includes custom forms, Google Analytics, and widget embeds (vital for tracking and payments).
• Pro Plus ($49/year): Advanced features like password protection, download functionality, and 25 sites.

Competitors & Alternatives

• Linktree: easier for simple bio links, but lacks design flexibility and custom domains on the free plan.
• Wix: Far more powerful for multi-page sites, but significantly more expensive and complex to learn.
• Webflow: The professional's choice for design, but it has a steep learning curve and a higher price tag.

The Verdict

For 90% of solo founders, creators, and freelancers, Carrd is the best starting point. It removes the friction of "building a website" so you can focus on shipping your project. The conversion rates on simple, focused one-pagers are often higher because there are fewer distractions for the visitor.

In fact, the median landing page conversion rate across industries is just 6.6% (Source: Unbounce). Carrd helps you beat that by forcing you to keep your offer simple and your call-to-action clear.

From Launching to Scaling (Safely)

So, you've built your Carrd site. You're using the Pro Standard plan to embed Stripe payment buttons or a signup form. You are finally driving traffic and seeing sales.

This is the exciting part. But it's also the dangerous part.

Because Carrd makes it so easy to spin up a checkout page, it is also a popular target for bad actors testing stolen credit cards. If you are using Stripe directly on your Carrd site, you are liable for chargebacks and fraud. A single wave of "card testing" attacks can get your Stripe account banned, instantly killing the business you just launched.

1Capture: The Essential Add-On for Carrd & Stripe Users

If you are processing payments on your Carrd site, you need 1Capture.

1Capture is a Stripe-partnered revenue recovery and fraud prevention tool. It acts as a shield between your Carrd checkout and the chaos of the internet.

Why Carrd Users Need 1Capture:

• Stop "Serial Disputers": 1Capture identifies customers who have a history of friendly fraud and blocks them before they can buy from you.
• Smart Charge Technology: It uses intelligent pre-authorization to verify funds, ensuring you don't get hit with failed payment fees or bad debt.
• Set It and Forget It: Just like Carrd, 1Capture is built for efficiency. You can set it up in 5 minutes and let it run in the background.
• Boost Revenue: By recovering failed payments and stopping fraud, users see an average of 3.7x revenue growth.

Your Carrd site is your storefront. Don't leave the front door unlocked. Secure your revenue stream with 1Capture's Smart Charge technology today. Learn more at the 1Capture Blog.