Head-to-Head Comparison · Alternative to Carbonmade · 🧱 website builders
Carbonmade vs Plasmic
A hosted visual portfolio with full layout freedom and a custom domain free; the Plasmic badge stays. Here is how Plasmic ($0/mo open source) stacks up against Carbonmade (paid subscription) across cost, hosting, data privacy, and real-world trade-offs.
Plasmic
$0.00/mo · MIT AND AGPL-3.0
Carbonmade vs Plasmic Specification Matrix
facts verified 2026-08-10
| Dimension | Carbonmade (Paid) | Plasmic (Replacement) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | Paid tier | $0 / mo |
| Source & License | Proprietary SaaS | open source MIT AND AGPL-3.0 |
| Where It Runs | Vendor Cloud | Local or hosted (your machine or their cloud) |
| Platforms | Web / Cloud | webself-hostedthey host it |
| GitHub Stars | — | ★ 6.9k (active aug 2026) |
Deep Dive: Switching from Carbonmade to Plasmic
Trade-offs, installation & data architecture
What you trade away
Plasmic lacks Carbonmade's ready-made portfolio onboarding, project-presentation defaults and creative discovery network.
How to deploy Plasmic
Hosted signup; optional npm-installed Plasmic CLI for React code generation and deployment in your own repository
What it takes to run
Free hosted output keeps Plasmic branding; codegen/self-deployment requires a Node/React project and deployment workflow
Where your data lives
Hosted projects and CMS records in Plasmic Cloud; codegen writes React components plus plasmic.json and plasmic.lock into the user's repository
Why fork Plasmic instead of vibe-coding a Carbonmade clone?
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.
Carbonmade vs Plasmic FAQ
Is Plasmic a good free alternative to Carbonmade?+
Yes. Plasmic is a verified open-source (MIT AND AGPL-3.0) replacement for Carbonmade. A hosted visual portfolio with full layout freedom and a custom domain free; the Plasmic badge stays.
What is the catch when switching from Carbonmade to Plasmic?+
Plasmic lacks Carbonmade's ready-made portfolio onboarding, project-presentation defaults and creative discovery network.
How do I install or self-host Plasmic instead of Carbonmade?+
Install: Hosted signup; optional npm-installed Plasmic CLI for React code generation and deployment in your own repository. Setup: Free hosted output keeps Plasmic branding; codegen/self-deployment requires a Node/React project and deployment workflow
