Website builders

Should you build your own Carbonmade?

Visual portfolio websites for designers, illustrators, and photographers

With trade-offs · the basics, with limitations
Price $9.99/moEstimated savings $99/yrEstimated time weekend to multi-dayCategory Website buildersCatalog votes 0

The visible portfolio builder loop is buildable, but a credible replacement needs more than the first screen. Carbonmade earns its keep through editor, CMS, hosting, polish, so expect a weekend or multi-day build and a narrower personal scope.

ENOriginal research content in English. Original prompt preserved in English.

The complete prompt
Build a deliberately narrow personal substitute for Carbonmade, not a full clone.
Use exactly this stack: Next.js 15 + TypeScript + SQLite.
Primary job: Build a focused portfolio builder generator that edits structured page sections, previews responsive layouts, and publishes static files.
Start from an empty folder and create the complete working project.
Make the default mode single-user and private.
Store user data locally unless the core job requires the declared self-hosted database.
Do not add analytics, telemetry, ads, or third-party accounts.
Put every secret and external credential in .env and provide .env.example.
Use realistic sample data that is clearly labelled and easy to delete.
Implement the smallest polished interface that completes the core loop end to end.
Include clear empty, loading, validation, success, and failure states.
Add import and export so the user is not trapped in the app.
Use accessible keyboard navigation, labels, focus states, and sensible contrast.
Validate untrusted input and never log secrets or private file contents.
Deliberately exclude these paid-product advantages: general-purpose visual editing; large template and component libraries; CMS collaboration and client handoff.
Do not fake integrations, network effects, proprietary data, model quality, compliance, or security claims.
Where an external API is optional, keep the app useful without it and explain the degraded mode.
Write focused unit tests for the data model and the most important workflow.
Add one end-to-end smoke test that proves the core loop works.
Create a README with setup, permissions, architecture, data location, backup, and limitations.
Add scripts for install, development, test, build, and a production-style local run.
Run the tests and build before finishing, then fix errors rather than merely describing them.

The prompt opens pre-filled in your agent. Review it before running. · this prompt is generated from the build plan · improve it via PR

Original prompt preserved in English.

What would building your own look like?

Build a focused portfolio builder generator that edits structured page sections, previews responsive layouts, and publishes static files.

What you will need

Why paying can still make sense

Carbonmade: A single site is easy to code. People pay for safe ongoing edits, templates, publishing, domains, collaboration, and no-maintenance hosting.

What you lose

xgeneral-purpose visual editing

xlarge template and component libraries

xCMS collaboration and client handoff

xmanaged hosting, forms, and analytics

xhigh-fidelity color, format, and export handling

Share on X ↗"I just replaced Carbonmade ($9.99/mo) with one prompt"
Free alternatives

Prefer something ready-made?

WebstudioOpen-source visual design with real CSS control; self-hosting replaces Carbonmade's calm with operations.8.8kAug 2026Open source↗PubliiA desktop portfolio publisher that produces a fast static site; hosting is your problem, server maintenance is not.7.3kJul 2026Open source↗PlasmicA hosted visual portfolio with full layout freedom and a custom domain free; the Plasmic badge stays.6.9kAug 2026Open source↗

View all 4 alternatives to Carbonmade →· Licença, instalação e limitações em cada alternativa.

Plans and pricing

How much does Carbonmade cost?

In your currency · US DollarChecked on 10/20/2026
Monthly billing
$9.99/mo
Per year
$120/yr
Annual billing
$99/yr17% cheaper than paying monthly
Buy on the official site

You complete the purchase on Carbonmade’s site. Vibe Radar does not handle payments.

PlanMonthlyAnnual (per month)What is included
beginner$9.99$8.258 projects; unlimited image/video uploads; 3 navigation options; SD video
professional$14.99$12.4250 projects; unlimited image/video uploads; 5 navigation options; 4K video/audio; custom pages and private portfolio
unlimited$24.99$20.75Unlimited projects and pages; includes all Professional features

Free tierno free tier; unlimited-duration private trial, but payment is required to publish the portfolio live

Billing termsmonthly + annual (advertised as about 20% off); exact annual prices were not exposed in the accessible page text

Additional costsA custom domain itself is not included; Carbonmade hosts the site and lets you connect a domain you already own.

verified 2026-10-20 · source ↗

Build or buy

Is it cheaper to build or buy Carbonmade?

Adjust the numbers: hours to build, your hourly rate, running costs and the subscription price.

Subscribe
Build it yourself
Horizon
Subscribe$198
Build it yourself$2,520

Over 24 months, subscribing is cheaper.

Starting hours estimated from the analysis (weekend to multi-day). Does not price what you give up (support, integrations, security).

Frequently asked questions
Can I rebuild Carbonmade?

Kinda. The core of Carbonmade is buildable in a weekend with the prompt on this page, but there are real gaps: general-purpose visual editing, large template and component libraries. Read the honest list above before committing.

How much does Carbonmade cost?

Carbonmade costs about $9.99/mo (Beginner, checked 10/20/2026), which is $99 per year.

What do I lose by replacing Carbonmade?

Honestly: general-purpose visual editing; large template and component libraries; CMS collaboration and client handoff; managed hosting, forms, and analytics; high-fidelity color, format, and export handling. If any of those are load-bearing for you, keep paying.

Is there an open-source alternative to Carbonmade?

Yes: Webstudio (Open-source visual design with real CSS control; self-hosting replaces Carbonmade's calm with operations.) Publii (A desktop portfolio publisher that produces a fast static site; hosting is your problem, server maintenance is not.) Plasmic (A hosted visual portfolio with full layout freedom and a custom domain free; the Plasmic badge stays.) All 4 curated free alternatives are at https://viberadar.si/carbonmade/alternatives. The prompt is for when you want it exactly your way.

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