Pubner vs Duda: two agency platforms, one gives you the code

Duda is a no-code website platform built for agencies — white label, client management, team roles, all inside Duda's hosted runtime; Pubner is an agency CMS on Laravel with its own agency layer — Hub, RBAC, isolated tenants — plus real code ownership. The overlap is unusual: both products are actually designed for agencies managing many client sites. The split is what happens when you (or a client) want out — Duda exports a static ZIP that stops being editable; Pubner exports your Twig themes and all your content as portable JSON, no lock-in.

What is Duda?

Duda is an AI-ready website platform for web professionals. Agencies get client management, team collaboration, white label (from $149/month for 4 sites), and an AI stack: text generation, SEO suggestions, an AI widget builder, template population, even MCP connections. Pricing is per-site: Agency at $52/month includes 4 sites, extra sites $17–19/month each, volume deals at $8–15/site. Export exists but with caveats: Agency plans and above only, static ZIP of the published site, minified JS/CSS you're not allowed to unminify — outside Duda it needs developer rework and loses builder editability.

What is Pubner?

Pubner is an AI-driven agency CMS environment on Laravel. One platform: API, admin panel, and the client site in Twig, with a Hub for dozens of isolated tenant sites, custom domains so clients see their own URL, and RBAC. The AI copilot works over each site's data — drafts content, manages robots.txt and SEO files, builds pages in a conversation with live preview. $20/month, flat. Full Export hands you your Twig themes and all your content as portable JSON — clean code and data, no Pubner lock-in.

Duda vs Pubner: side by side

Duda Pubner
Built for agencies ✅ client management, team roles ✅ Hub, isolated tenants, RBAC
White label ✅ from $149/mo (4 sites) ❌ (RBAC + isolated tenants instead)
Editing model no-code visual editor CMS admin + Twig + AI conversational builder
AI ✅ text, SEO, widget builder, template fill ✅ copilot over site data + page builder with preview
Backend / API you own ❌ hosted runtime, widgets only ✅ Laravel + built-in API, content exportable as JSON
Export ⚠️ static ZIP, minified, loses editability ✅ Twig themes + portable JSON, no lock-in
Pricing model per-site ($17–19/site beyond bundle) flat $20/month
Audience no-code pros, marketing agencies Laravel developers, dev studios

When Duda is the better choice

Duda wins if nobody on the team writes code — and if client-facing white label matters more than owning the code underneath. Its visual editor, template library, hosting, and client onboarding are polished for marketing agencies that sell sites without a developer on staff. If your production process is "designer + templates, zero backend needs," Duda is the mature choice and Pubner's Laravel foundation is overhead you won't use.

When "agency without code" needs the code after all

The moment a client asks for custom logic, an integration, or simply their site — Duda's model shows its edges: the runtime is Duda's, the export is a frozen snapshot with minified code you may not even unminify. Pubner keeps the agency conveniences — isolated client sites, role-based access, AI doing the content chores — but underneath is a normal Laravel application. Custom logic is code, not a widget workaround. And Full Export means the site your client paid for is an asset, not a subscription hostage.

Frequently asked questions

Can I export my website from Duda?

Only on Agency plans and above, and only as a static ZIP of the published site — JS/CSS come minified (unminifying isn't allowed), and the export loses builder editability. It's a snapshot, not a working project.

Is there a Duda alternative with real code export?

Pubner — a comparable agency layer (client management, multi-site, RBAC — though not white label), and Full Export hands you the Twig themes and content as portable JSON, not a locked snapshot.

How do the prices compare?

Duda scales per site: Agency $52/month for 4 sites, then $17–19/site; White Label from $149/month. Pubner is a flat $20/month (no white label).

Does Pubner require knowing Laravel?

For custom work, yes — that's the point: it's your code. For daily operation, no: clients use the admin panel, and the AI mode builds pages from a conversation with live preview.

Can my clients edit their own sites?

Yes — each client gets an isolated admin under your brand, and RBAC controls what your team and the client can touch.