Cargo alternatives
Cargo is loved for its freeform pages, but it isn’t the only builder for artists and designers. Below are the closest alternatives, each with real sites from A1 built on it. Compare the results, then pick the tool.
Updated
Compare at a glance
| Builder | Sites on A1 | Canvas | Code needed | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cargo | 6 | Freeform | None | Artists and photographers |
| Readymag | 15 | Freeform | None | Editorial and image-led sites |
| Control | 10 | Freeform | None | Studios and portfolios |
| Framer | 290 | Structured | None | Portfolios and startups with motion |
| Webflow | 295 | Structured | Optional | Big sites with a lot of content |
| Wordpress | 55 | Structured | Some | Blogs and self-hosted sites |
1. Readymag
The closest match. Readymag gives you the same freeform canvas — overlap, rotate and place things anywhere. It suits editorial and image-led sites, and its type controls go deep.
2. Control
A free canvas too, with components, a CMS and breakpoints you set yourself. Made by a small studio in Vienna. Control sites look composed rather than stacked.
3. Framer
Pick Framer if you want animation and a CMS without code. It works like Figma, so most designers feel at home in an afternoon. Layouts are more structured than Cargo’s.
4. Webflow
The most control over structure and code. Webflow exposes real CSS — flexbox, grid, classes. It takes longer to learn than Cargo, and it scales to big sites.
5. Wordpress
Open source, with a theme or plugin for almost anything. You can host it yourself and own every file. It needs more upkeep than a hosted builder.
Sites made with Cargo
For comparison, here are sites made with Cargo on A1.
Cargo alternatives FAQs
Framer, Webflow and Readymag all have free plans that publish to their own subdomain. You pay once you want a custom domain. WordPress is free software, but you pay for hosting.
For a freeform, image-led portfolio, Readymag or Control. For a portfolio with case studies and motion, Framer. Browse portfolio websites on A1 and check which tool each one uses.
Yes. Websites made with Cargo lists every Cargo site on A1, so you can compare them side by side with the alternatives.