Carrd Templates: Built-In, Premium and Third-Party

By Umair Ali Sadaqat · Updated November 6, 2026 · Editorial policy

Carrd templates explained: what the built-in starting points cost, which Pro plan unlocks premium and custom templates, and how third-party shops work.

Short answer: Carrd has three kinds of templates. Built-in starting points appear when you create a site, premium templates are exclusive to Pro plans (Pro Lite is $9 per year, checked November 2026), and third-party templates come from independent sellers who price them individually. The template rarely decides your plan. The features inside it do: a contact form needs Pro Standard, and your own domain needs Standard or Plus.

The three kinds of Carrd templates

1. Built-in starting points

When you create a new site, Carrd asks you to pick a starting point. These are the templates most people mean when they search for "carrd templates." Carrd's documentation doesn't publish a count or categories for this picker, so treat any blog claiming an exact number with caution and check the picker in your account.

What you can rely on: a template is only a starting layout. You still swap text, images, colors and sections, and anything you add that needs a paid feature will need the plan that includes it.

2. Premium templates (Pro)

Carrd's plans documentation lists "premium starting point templates exclusive to Pro plans." It lists them on all three Pro tiers, Pro Lite included. If you like the look of a locked template, the cheapest way in is Pro Lite, though check what else the finished page needs (see the table below).

Carrd also offers a 7-day Pro trial without a card, according to its Go Pro page (checked November 2026), which is enough time to test whether a premium template suits you.

3. Custom templates (yours or someone else's)

Pro plans include custom templates, meaning you can save a site's layout and reuse it. Carrd's docs say the feature requires Pro Lite or higher. Sharing works like this:

The owner opens their dashboard and clicks the template's Manage icon.
In the sidebar, they click Sharing, then Add User.
Under Access they choose Template, enter your email and confirm.
You start a new site and open My Templates, then the Shared tab.

Carrd's docs add that your account needs access to the plan features the template uses. A shared template with a form element won't work properly for someone without a plan that includes forms.

Which Pro features templates quietly need

Plan facts below come from Carrd's plans page (checked November 2026). Prices are per year.

What the template includes	Minimum plan	Price
Premium template, custom template	Pro Lite	$9
Contact or signup form	Pro Standard	$19
Your own domain (yourname.com)	Pro Standard	$19
Custom forms, Stripe Checkout, automations	Pro Plus	$49

Site limits on the base tiers are 3 (Lite), 10 (Standard) and 25 (Plus). Pro Lite gets premium URLs rather than a custom domain, so a template-based Lite site can look polished but still lives on a Carrd address. For a full cost breakdown, see our Carrd pricing guide.

Third-party Carrd template shops

Independent designers sell Carrd templates in a few places. I found per-template purchase pages on Carrd's own store, plus sellers on Gumroad and sellers who run their own Carrd storefronts. I'm not ranking individual shops, because most of what ranks for this topic is affiliate-flavored blog content and the details vary by seller.

What to check before you pay:

Price and license. Each seller sets both. One seller page I read forbids redistributing or reselling templates as-is, so don't assume client work or resale is allowed.
Plan features used. Ask which Pro features the template relies on, since you'll need that plan to use it as designed.
How it's delivered. Carrd's purchase pages say an activated template becomes available as a starting point for new sites in your account.
Mobile behavior. Open the demo on a phone. Carrd sites are single scrolling pages, so a template that looks great on desktop can stack awkwardly on mobile.
Update history. Carrd adds elements over time. A template that hasn't been touched in years may miss newer options.

One-page use cases: which template style fits

Use case	What to look for	Likely Pro need
Link-in-bio / personal profile	Stacked buttons, avatar, social icons	None beyond free features
Freelancer portfolio	Image sections, short bio, contact link	Forms (Standard) if you want an on-page form
Product or app landing page	Hero, feature blocks, signup field	Standard for signup form
Event or wedding page	Date, location, RSVP	Standard for RSVP form
Small shop or single product	Product section, checkout button	Plus for Stripe Checkout forms
Resume / CV	Timeline sections, downloadable link	Often none

If your page is mainly a link list, compare Carrd vs Linktree first.

A quick checklist before picking a template

[ ] Write down every feature the page needs (form, custom domain, payments).
[ ] Match each to the minimum plan in the table above.
[ ] Check the demo on a phone, not only desktop.
[ ] For paid third-party templates, read the license and what's included.
[ ] Replace placeholder text and images before publishing so the page doesn't read like the demo.
[ ] Test the form or button end to end after you publish.

When a one-page template isn't enough

Carrd is built for single-page sites, so templates stop helping once you need several pages, a blog or a bigger structure. Our Carrd review covers where the format works, and the Carrd alternatives list covers tools that handle multi-page sites. If you'd rather browse more layouts before choosing a tool, see our website templates.

One option on that list: We.Inc's free plan lets you publish up to three sites from ready-made templates; the AI builder that drafts a site from a prompt starts on the Starter plan at $20 a month. You can sign up here.

Frequently asked questions

Are Carrd templates free?

Carrd offers starting-point templates when you create a site, and its docs describe premium templates as exclusive to Pro plans, which implies the rest are available without paying. Carrd's docs don't state a count or an explicit "free" label for the built-in set, so open the new-site picker in your own account to see what you can use. Third-party templates are set by each seller (checked November 2026).

Which Carrd plan do I need for premium and custom templates?

Carrd's plans page lists premium templates and custom templates on every Pro tier, including Pro Lite at $9 per year (checked November 2026). The custom templates documentation says the feature requires Pro Lite or higher. A template that uses Pro features, such as forms, also needs a plan that includes them.

How do I use a custom template someone shared with me?

The owner shares it from their dashboard by adding your email under the template's Sharing settings. When you start a new site, it appears under My Templates, then the Shared tab. Per Carrd's docs, your account needs access to any plan features the template uses (checked November 2026).

Do I need Pro for a contact form in a template?

Yes. Carrd's plan documentation lists contact and signup forms from Pro Standard ($19 per year) upward, and Pro Lite has no forms. Advanced forms, including custom forms and Stripe Checkout, sit on Pro Plus ($49 per year) (checked November 2026).

Can I use a template with my own domain?

Only on Pro Standard or Pro Plus. Carrd's plans page gives Pro Lite premium URLs (unbranded Carrd addresses) but reserves custom domain URLs for Standard and Plus (checked November 2026). The template itself doesn't change this; the domain is a plan feature.

Can I resell a Carrd template I bought?

Usually not. Licenses are set by each seller, and at least one seller page I found forbids redistributing, reselling or sub-licensing the templates as-is. Read the license on the product page before buying, and use the template for your own or your clients' sites only if it allows that.

Alternatives mentioned in this article

Carrd alternatives

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How we research, test and update this page: our editorial policy. We.Inc is our own product.