What you are paying for behind the editor
This guide is research from vendor plan pages, help docs and terms read on 30 October 2026. Neither service was load-tested for this guide.
When you publish on a builder, the vendor stores your pages and files, serves them to visitors and handles the security certificate. You never log into a server. That is the main difference from cheap shared hosting, where you rent space and then install, update and secure the site yourself.
Framer documents this in detail. Its hosting guide says content is served through a worldwide CDN, caching assets close to visitors, with content delivered via AWS CloudFront. Traffic is routed to the nearest available location using static IP addresses on all plans, and Framer's domain guide says those are anycast addresses. Framer server-renders its most visited pages at publish time; less visited pages render on the first request, and all results are cached globally. Updates and deletions invalidate the cache immediately. [6][9]
Carrd documents much less. Its terms say the service lets you create a site hosted at a subdomain using a Carrd domain extension, and they disclaim any promise that the service will be uninterrupted. The Pro page says custom domain sites get full SSL via Let's Encrypt. [3][1]
Carrd and Framer hosting, side by side
Every cell comes from the vendor's own pages. Where a vendor says nothing, the table says so. Do not read a blank as unlimited.
| Hosting item | Carrd | Framer |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery network | Not described in the pages we read | Worldwide CDN via AWS CloudFront; the pricing page lists 20 locations on Basic and 300+ on Pro [5][6] |
| SSL certificate | Automatic on .carrd.co URLs; issued automatically for custom domains once DNS is in place and propagated, which can take up to an hour [4] | Generated and renewed automatically; TLS 1.3 with TLS 1.2 fallback [6][7] |
| Bandwidth allowance | No number published on the Pro page or in the terms [1][3] | Free 1 GB, Basic 50 GB, Pro 100 GB then $40 per 100 GB up to 2 TB [5] |
| Uptime statement | Terms disclaim uninterrupted service [3] | Hosting page lists 99.99% uptime; status page at framerstatus.com [7][6] |
| Hosting your own files (PDFs, verification files) | Not described; Site Files on Pro Plus only customizes supporting files such as robots.txt and ads.txt [2] | Static files (PDFs, verification files) on Pro and Enterprise; Pro allows 50 per project, 500 with the Advanced Hosting add-on [8] |
| Custom domain | Pro Standard ($19/yr) and up [1][2] | Basic ($10/mo) and up include a free custom domain [5] |
| Cheapest paid entry | Pro Lite $9/yr, no custom domain [1] | Basic $10/mo [5] |
Bandwidth: the one number worth estimating
Bandwidth is the data your site sends to visitors. Framer's pricing page sets a monthly allowance per plan. It says you can go over for one month and Framer will email you, while other limits such as pages or CMS items prompt an upgrade. Extra bandwidth on Pro costs $40 per 100 GB, up to 2 TB. [5]
A rough estimate: multiply the average data per visit by monthly visits. Suppose an average visit loads 2 MB of pages and images (this is our assumption; check your own page weight in your browser's developer tools). 10,000 visits a month is about 20 GB, well inside Basic's 50 GB. 30,000 visits is about 60 GB, which is over Basic and inside Pro's 100 GB. Caching and repeat visitors usually lower real usage, so treat this as a ceiling.
Carrd does not publish a bandwidth figure. Its terms only forbid conduct that would overburden the service. For a typical one-page Carrd site that is rarely the deciding factor, but if you expect a traffic spike, ask Carrd before relying on an unpublished limit. [3]
What you still own, and what is a separate bill
The practical consequence: if you cancel, the hosting stops but the domain stays yours. That is why it pays to register the domain somewhere you control rather than letting it be tied to one site.
| Item | Who holds it | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Domain name | You, at a registrar (Framer can supply a free domain on yearly plans via Hover) | Renewal is your job; keep registrar logins safe. Carrd needs Pro Standard to connect one [1][9] |
| Email inbox | Your email provider | Neither plan page we read includes mailboxes. Keep your mail records when you point the domain |
| Your content | You | Carrd's terms say you retain all right, title and interest in your user content [3] |
| Servers, CDN, certificates | The builder | You cannot move them; leaving means rebuilding or exporting where the plan allows |
| Visitor data and analytics history | The builder | Framer keeps analytics history 30 days on Basic, 90 on Pro [5] |
Builder hosting or cheap shared hosting?
Pick builder hosting if you want no server work at all: certificates renew themselves, the CDN is set up, and publishing is one button. The trade-off is a fixed feature set and allowances you cannot raise beyond the vendor's caps (Framer Pro tops out at 2 TB bandwidth without Enterprise). [5]
Pick shared hosting only if you need software the builder cannot run, such as a specific CMS plugin, server-side code or full file access, and you are willing to apply updates and manage backups yourself.
Skip paying for Framer Pro just for bandwidth until your own estimate says you need it. Skip Carrd if you need a published hosting guarantee: its terms do not offer one. [3]
Checklist before you pay for a plan
Recheck the pricing pages before buying; allowances and prices change.
- Estimate monthly bandwidth: average MB per visit times visits; compare with the plan allowance.
- Check the custom domain tier: Carrd Pro Standard or above; Framer Basic or above.
- Confirm where your email lives and that connecting the domain will not touch mail records.
- Note what happens at the limit: Framer emails you after a one-month bandwidth overage; other caps require an upgrade.
- Decide whether you need hosted files such as PDFs or verification files: Framer needs Pro; Carrd's Pro Plus Site Files feature only customizes files such as robots.txt and ads.txt.
- Register the domain in an account you control.
Questions before you decide
Does a website builder plan include email?
None of the Carrd or Framer plan pages we read include email inboxes. Email is a separate service from your registrar or an email provider, and its DNS records must stay in place when you connect the domain to the builder.
What happens if a Framer site goes over its bandwidth?
Framer's pricing page says you can exceed the bandwidth limit for one month and Framer will email you. On Pro, extra bandwidth costs $40 per 100 GB, up to a 2 TB maximum.
Does Carrd have a bandwidth limit?
Carrd's Pro page and terms of use do not publish a bandwidth number. The terms prohibit conduct that would overburden the service. If you expect heavy traffic, ask Carrd directly rather than assuming it is unlimited.
Is SSL included or extra?
Included. Carrd enables SSL automatically on .carrd.co URLs and issues certificates for custom domains once DNS is in place. Framer says certificates are generated and renewed automatically on all plans.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- Carrd Pro plans and prices Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Carrd docs: Pro plans Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Carrd terms of use Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Carrd docs: setting up SSL Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Framer pricing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Framer help: guide to Framer's hosting infrastructure Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Framer hosting Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Framer help: static files Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Framer help: how to connect a custom domain Accessed 30 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.