Duda
Build and manage one client-ready responsive site from reusable sections
The core loop is buildable, but a dependable replacement becomes a real weekend or multi-day project. For Duda, build and manage one client-ready responsive site from reusable sections. The hard boundary is agency workflow, white-labeling, hosting, client permissions, and support, plus editor polish, hosting, templates, and ecosystem.
Build verification: not recorded. How we judge buildability
What you give up
- agency workflow, white-labeling, hosting, client permissions, and support
- large template marketplace
- managed hosting and CDN
- advanced CMS
- commerce and agency workflows
Why people still pay
People still pay for Duda because the page renderer is reproducible, but customers pay to avoid becoming their own hosting and browser-compatibility team. The recurring cost buys responsive rendering, forms, domains, certificates, deploys, backups, template maintenance, and browser regressions, not just the visible interface.
Your build guide
The stack, security requirements, and agent rules for a focused replacement.
Before you start
- Node, a selected output folder, licensed content/assets and a user-owned deployment target. DNS, email delivery and any server-side forms require separate configuration.
- Implementation components: Eleventy, Markdown content and typed JSON section manifests for a static website. A local Node editor/build command with Sharp image processing; generated files publish to a user-owned host.
- Scope boundary: agency workflow, white-labeling, hosting, client permissions, and support; large template marketplace
Use these project rules and optional skill references alongside the prompt. Review each skill before adding it to your agent; the AGENTS.md export includes the same guidance.
Optional external skill: frontend-design — Create intentional web layouts, typography, component styling and responsive frontend interfaces. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Optional external skill: seo-audit — Investigate crawlability, indexing, page metadata, internal linking and on-page content issues. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Optional external skill: web-design-guidelines — Review web interfaces for accessibility, keyboard focus, forms, navigation and interaction quality. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Project rule — data model: client sites, page sections, allowed content fields, theme tokens, assets and publish revisions
Project rule — preserve this invariant: Layout locks need server authorization if the editor is shared; static previews must not include hidden client drafts or credentials.
Project rule — acceptance evidence: A client text edit leaves locked layout tokens unchanged; rebuilding from the handoff archive reproduces navigation and form labels.
Implementation plan
Phase 1
Scope and fixtures. Implement this bounded workflow: Assemble one client website from constrained sections, lock layout choices and allow approved text/image edits. Review breakpoints and produce a complete static handoff with form configuration documented. Record prerequisites, select representative user-owned fixtures and document the unsupported features: agency workflow, white-labeling, hosting, client permissions, and support; large template marketplace
Phase 2
Durable model. Model client sites, page sections, allowed content fields, theme tokens, assets and publish revisions Add migrations or a versioned document format, explicit validation, stable IDs and a visible import-error report. Preserve this rule: Layout locks need server authorization if the editor is shared; static previews must not include hidden client drafts or credentials.
Phase 3
Complete the first useful path. Implement the workflow's input, review and output interface, with clear controls and explicit empty/error states. Build into a new output directory from a saved content revision. Preview at narrow and wide widths and deploy the complete artifact atomically; retain the previous release.
Phase 4
Permissions and integration failure. Escape content, sanitize Markdown, constrain asset paths and never embed API secrets in the static output. Private content requires a real authenticated server rather than a hidden URL. Request integration credentials and permissions only for the enabled feature; show a disconnected state instead of mock results.
Phase 5
Portable handoff. Export source Markdown/JSON and original assets alongside the generated site. A clean build from that archive must not depend on an editor database. Include setup, operating limits, fixture walkthrough and shutdown/restart instructions in the README.
Phase 6
Acceptance scenarios. A client text edit leaves locked layout tokens unchanged; rebuilding from the handoff archive reproduces navigation and form labels. Repeat the workflow after restart and with a denied permission or unavailable dependency; show recoverable failure rather than a success placeholder.
WORKING SLICE Assemble one client website from constrained sections, lock layout choices and allow approved text/image edits. Review breakpoints and produce a complete static handoff with form configuration documented. Build this scoped Duda-inspired workflow with a documented data model and visible failure states. Architecture - Eleventy, Markdown content and typed JSON section manifests for a static website. - A local Node editor/build command with Sharp image processing; generated files publish to a user-owned host. Prerequisites and limits Node, a selected output folder, licensed content/assets and a user-owned deployment target. DNS, email delivery and any server-side forms require separate configuration. Outside this release: agency workflow, white-labeling, hosting, client permissions, and support; large template marketplace Data model and correctness client sites, page sections, allowed content fields, theme tokens, assets and publish revisions Invariant: Layout locks need server authorization if the editor is shared; static previews must not include hidden client drafts or credentials. Build into a new output directory from a saved content revision. Preview at narrow and wide widths and deploy the complete artifact atomically; retain the previous release. Security and privacy Escape content, sanitize Markdown, constrain asset paths and never embed API secrets in the static output. Private content requires a real authenticated server rather than a hidden URL. Recovery and export Export source Markdown/JSON and original assets alongside the generated site. A clean build from that archive must not depend on an editor database. Implementation order 1. Phase 1 — Scope and fixtures. Implement this bounded workflow: Assemble one client website from constrained sections, lock layout choices and allow approved text/image edits. Review breakpoints and produce a complete static handoff with form configuration documented. Record prerequisites, select representative user-owned fixtures and document the unsupported features: agency workflow, white-labeling, hosting, client permissions, and support; large template marketplace 2. Phase 2 — Durable model. Model client sites, page sections, allowed content fields, theme tokens, assets and publish revisions Add migrations or a versioned document format, explicit validation, stable IDs and a visible import-error report. Preserve this rule: Layout locks need server authorization if the editor is shared; static previews must not include hidden client drafts or credentials. 3. Phase 3 — Complete the first useful path. Implement the workflow's input, review and output interface, with clear controls and explicit empty/error states. Build into a new output directory from a saved content revision. Preview at narrow and wide widths and deploy the complete artifact atomically; retain the previous release. 4. Phase 4 — Permissions and integration failure. Escape content, sanitize Markdown, constrain asset paths and never embed API secrets in the static output. Private content requires a real authenticated server rather than a hidden URL. Request integration credentials and permissions only for the enabled feature; show a disconnected state instead of mock results. 5. Phase 5 — Portable handoff. Export source Markdown/JSON and original assets alongside the generated site. A clean build from that archive must not depend on an editor database. Include setup, operating limits, fixture walkthrough and shutdown/restart instructions in the README. 6. Phase 6 — Acceptance scenarios. A client text edit leaves locked layout tokens unchanged; rebuilding from the handoff archive reproduces navigation and form labels. Repeat the workflow after restart and with a denied permission or unavailable dependency; show recoverable failure rather than a success placeholder. Acceptance A client text edit leaves locked layout tokens unchanged; rebuilding from the handoff archive reproduces navigation and form labels. Use real source data or clearly labeled fixtures. Explain unsupported input and provider failures; do not fabricate analytics, delivery receipts, accuracy claims or security guarantees. Optional agent guidance Optional external skill: [frontend-design](https://github.com/anthropics/skills/blob/main/skills/frontend-design/SKILL.md) — Create intentional web layouts, typography, component styling and responsive frontend interfaces. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission. Optional external skill: [seo-audit](https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills/blob/main/skills/seo-audit/SKILL.md) — Investigate crawlability, indexing, page metadata, internal linking and on-page content issues. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission. Optional external skill: [web-design-guidelines](https://github.com/vercel-labs/agent-skills/blob/main/skills/web-design-guidelines/SKILL.md) — Review web interfaces for accessibility, keyboard focus, forms, navigation and interaction quality. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission. Project rule — data model: client sites, page sections, allowed content fields, theme tokens, assets and publish revisions Project rule — preserve this invariant: Layout locks need server authorization if the editor is shared; static previews must not include hidden client drafts or credentials. Project rule — acceptance evidence: A client text edit leaves locked layout tokens unchanged; rebuilding from the handoff archive reproduces navigation and form labels.
$ open in your agent (prompt prefilled, you press enter), copy the prompt or copy or download AGENTS.md
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Alternatives to building your own
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Duda pricing
| plan | monthly | annual (per mo) | what you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| basic | $25/workspace | $19/workspace | 1 published site included; unlimited builder projects; 150 AI credits/month; email supportAdditional published sites cost $19/month or $171/year each. |
| team | $39/workspace | $29/workspace | 1 published site; 3 team seats; unlimited client accounts; 150 AI credits/monthAdditional published sites cost $17/month or $168/year each. |
| agency | $69/workspace | $52/workspace | 4 published sites; 6 team seats; unlimited client accounts; 150 AI credits/monthAdditional published sites cost $17/month or $168/year each. |
| white label | $199/workspace | $149/workspace | 4 published sites; 6 team seats; unlimited client accounts; full white-label platform; 150 AI credits/monthAdditional published sites cost $17/month or $168/year each. |
| custom | — | — | Custom site volume, seats, AI credits, API, SSO, support and commercial termsPrice on request. |
free tierno free tier; 14-day White Label trial with no credit card
billingmonthly + annual; annual plans billed upfront
hidden costsThe account plan only includes 1 site on Basic/Team or 4 on Agency/White Label; every extra published site is billed separately. AI Visibility starts at $19/month after its 14-day free period, and ecommerce/bookings plans are separate add-ons.
pricing sources checked 2026-08-14 · pricing source ↗
Questions about Duda
Can you build your own Duda with AI?
Partly. The core loop is buildable, but a dependable replacement becomes a real weekend or multi-day project. For Duda, build and manage one client-ready responsive site from reusable sections. The hard boundary is agency workflow, white-labeling, hosting, client permissions, and support, plus editor polish, hosting, templates, and ecosystem.
What does the Duda build prompt cover?
The prompt starts with this scope: Assemble one client website from constrained sections, lock layout choices and allow approved text/image edits. Review breakpoints and produce a complete static handoff with form configuration documented. Full-product capabilities excluded from the comparison include: agency workflow, white-labeling, hosting, client permissions, and support; large template marketplace; managed hosting and CDN. Follow the implementation plan and its prerequisites before expanding the build.
How do I use the prompt, AGENTS.md and agent skills?
Start with the Duda prerequisites and stack, then copy the prompt into your coding agent. Save the project rules as AGENTS.md in the project root. Linked skills are optional packages or source instructions for specific tasks; review their current contents and install only those matching the chosen stack. A skill does not supply API credentials or verify the finished app.
How long will this Duda project take?
The catalogue estimate is multi-day for the limited scope. Setup, integration approvals, debugging, deployment and ongoing maintenance can add time. This is an estimate, not a delivery guarantee.
What would I give up by replacing Duda?
agency workflow, white-labeling, hosting, client permissions, and support; large template marketplace; managed hosting and CDN; advanced CMS; commerce and agency workflows. People still pay for Duda because the page renderer is reproducible, but customers pay to avoid becoming their own hosting and browser-compatibility team. The recurring cost buys responsive rendering, forms, domains, certificates, deploys, backups, template maintenance, and browser regressions, not just the visible interface.
What price is this guide comparing against?
The recorded Basic plan is $25/mo (monthly), checked 2026-07-31. Check the linked pricing source before buying. Building your own also has hosting, API and maintenance costs; the recorded amount is not a guaranteed saving.
What can I use instead of building Duda?
Webstudio: Responsive visual sites with reusable components and CMS data; agency management becomes your own process. Plasmic: Reusable components, collaboration and unlimited projects free; client handoff is less agency-tailored. Silex: A free visual publisher for client sites with export; reusable-section workflows are basic. Compare all listed options at https://howtovibecodeit.dev/duda/alternatives. Check each option's license, hosting needs and feature limits.