What a free subdomain is, and who owns it
A free subdomain is a name you choose that sits in front of the builder's domain: yourname.carrd.co, yourname.framer.website and so on. The builder owns the domain, runs the DNS and issues the certificate. You get a working public address in seconds without buying anything.
The trade-off is control. Carrd's Terms of Use list the domain extensions it lets sites use (carrd.co, carrd.com, crd.co, drr.ac, ju.mp and uwu.ai) and state that creating a site does not grant any ownership rights in the URL or domain name. Carrd also reserves the right to reclaim URLs held for hoarding or found in violation of its terms, and it may suspend or delete a site at its discretion. [1]
That does not make free subdomains risky for ordinary use. It means the address belongs to the builder's account rules, not to you, so anything you print, pitch or link from other sites should eventually point at a domain you control.
How each builder forms its free address
The four builders handle the free address differently. The table sticks to what each vendor's own pages say; blank spots are things the pages we read did not state.
| Builder | Free address | What the vendor says about it | Cheapest route to your own domain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carrd | Your chosen name on carrd.co (other extensions such as crd.co need Pro) | No ownership of the URL; Carrd can reclaim URLs held for hoarding or resale. [1] | Pro Standard, $19 a year: custom domains with SSL via Let's Encrypt. Pro Lite, $9 a year, adds unbranded URLs like .crd.co but no custom domain. [3][4] |
| Framer | Your chosen name on framer.website, framer.photos, framer.media or framer.wiki | Framer sets up DNS automatically and the address goes live within seconds. Free sites show a Made in Framer banner. [5][6] | Basic, $10 a month, lists a free custom domain; the complimentary domain offer applies to yearly billing. [7] |
| Webflow | A free Webflow subdomain such as mysite.webflow.io, available on the free Starter plan [15] | Webflow's launch checklist treats it as a staging address for preview and review, and tells you to stop search engines indexing it before launch. [8] | Basic, $15 a month billed yearly, is the first site plan listing a custom domain; connect it under Site settings, Publishing, Production, and set it as the default. [8][15] |
| systeme.io | The systeme.io-hosted address your pages publish to before you connect a domain | Pages are hidden from search engines by default; you untick Hide from search engines to make them indexable. [9] | The free plan includes 1 custom domain, per systeme.io's pricing FAQ. [10] |
Indexing, branding and forms on a free address
Indexing is the setting most people get wrong, in both directions. On systeme.io the default is hidden: a new page will not show in search until you untick Hide from search engines, and if you re-enable indexing later you have to request indexing in Google Search Console yourself. [9] On Webflow the opposite risk applies once you go live: the webflow.io staging copy can sit alongside your real domain, so Webflow's checklist tells you to switch off staging indexing under Site settings, SEO, Indexing. [8] Framer generates a sitemap.xml and robots.txt automatically. [11]
Branding follows the plan, not the address. Carrd lists branding removal on every Pro plan, including the $9-a-year Pro Lite tier. [3][4] Framer's free plan publishes with a Made in Framer banner. [6]
Forms are plan-gated on Carrd regardless of address: contact and signup forms start at Pro Standard, and Pro Lite does not include them. [3] If your free page exists mainly to collect sign-ups, price that in before you decide a free subdomain is enough.
- systeme.io: pages start hidden from search; untick the box when you want traffic. [9]
- Webflow: switch staging indexing off before launch so the webflow.io copy does not compete with your domain; the free Starter plan carries a Made in Webflow badge. [8][15]
- Carrd: forms need Pro Standard; branding removal needs any Pro plan. [3]
- Framer: free sites carry a banner; free bandwidth is 1 GB on the pricing page. [7]
What changes when you add your own domain later
Connecting a domain is mostly DNS work. Carrd asks for an A record on the bare domain and a CNAME for www, and says initialisation can take up to an hour. [2] Framer uses two A records plus a www CNAME to sites.framer.app and warns DNS can take up to 48 hours. [5] systeme.io uses two CNAME records and says propagation can take 24 to 48 hours; a domain can only be used for one website there. [12]
The bigger question is the links you already shared. None of the Carrd, Framer or systeme.io help pages we read say whether the old free address automatically forwards to the new domain. [2][5][12] Carrd's redirect feature handles 301 redirects for paths on a site such as /about, but it requires Pro Plus or higher, and the docs do not describe forwarding the old carrd.co address to a new domain. [13] Framer documents permanent redirects for sub-paths within your current domain but likewise does not address the framer.website name. [14] Webflow's checklist tells you to confirm that other connected domains redirect to your chosen default domain. [8]
Practical reading: treat any link you have already printed as something to test, not something to assume. After connecting a domain, open the old free address in a private window and see what happens.
Worked example: a waitlist page that grows up
Say you launch a waitlist on a free Carrd address, share it in a newsletter and on social profiles, and three months later buy a domain. On Carrd, you need Pro Standard at $19 a year for the domain and for the signup form itself. [3] Moving to Pro Plus at $49 a year adds the redirect feature, but that is for paths on your site, not a promise about the old carrd.co name. [3][13]
The cheaper fix is usually editorial: update the bio links and pinned posts you control on the same day you switch, and keep the free page live until you have checked what visitors see. The cost of staying on the free address for those three months was zero; the cost of moving is mostly an afternoon of link hunting. The earlier you buy the domain, the shorter that list.
| Stage | Free subdomain | Own domain |
|---|---|---|
| Testing an idea for a week | Fine; nobody has the link yet | Optional |
| Sharing on social bios and a newsletter | Works, but every share is a link you may need to update | Better; links survive a builder change |
| Printed cards, packaging, ads | Avoid; printed links cannot be edited | Use it |
| Running email from the domain | Not possible on the builder's domain | Required |
Decision checklist: stay on the subdomain or move now
Stay on the free address if every item in the first group is true. Move to your own domain if any item in the second group is true.
- Stay: the page is a test you might delete within weeks.
- Stay: you have not printed or paid to promote the link.
- Stay: you do not need forms that the free plan excludes (Carrd forms start at Pro Standard). [3]
- Stay: a builder banner on the page is acceptable to your audience. [3][6]
- Move: you plan to print the address or spend on ads pointing to it.
- Move: you want the address to outlive this builder; free URLs carry no ownership rights on Carrd. [1]
- Move: you need a branded email address on the same domain.
- Before moving: list every place the free link appears, connect the domain, then open the old link in a private window to see whether it forwards.
Questions before you decide
Do I own my carrd.co address?
No. Carrd's Terms of Use say creating a site does not grant ownership rights in the URL or domain name, and Carrd can reclaim URLs held for hoarding or used in violation of its terms.
Will my systeme.io pages show up in Google on the free address?
Not by default. systeme.io says pages are hidden from search engines by default; you untick Hide from search engines to allow indexing, and may need to request indexing in Google Search Console after re-enabling it.
What does Framer's free address look like?
Framer lets you choose a name on framer.website, framer.photos, framer.media or framer.wiki. DNS is configured automatically, and free sites are published with a Made in Framer banner.
Should I stop Google indexing my webflow.io address?
Webflow's launch checklist says to prevent search engines indexing the staging subdomain under Site settings, SEO, Indexing, and to confirm other connected domains redirect to your default domain.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- Carrd Terms of Use Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Carrd docs: using a custom domain Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Carrd Pro plans and prices Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Carrd docs: Pro plans Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Framer Help: how to connect a custom domain Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Framer Help: comparing Framer plans Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Framer pricing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Webflow build and launch checklist Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io Help: the SEO section Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io pricing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Framer Help: SEO features and tools Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io Help: connecting your domain Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Carrd docs: setting up redirects Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Framer Help: redirects Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Webflow pricing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.