Carter, who lived longer than any president in history, died on Sunday afternoon at his home in Plains, Georgia.
Biden described him as “a man of principle, faith and humility,” while Trump said all Americans owe Carter a “debt of gratitude”.
Carter rose from a peanut farmer to become president in 1977, before being forced out of the White House after just one four-year term when Ronald Reagan stormed to victory in the next election.
President-elect Trump posted on Truth Social: “The challenges Jimmy faced as president came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans.
“For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude.”
Trump previously mocked Carter’s single term on the campaign trail ahead of his victory in this year’s presidential election, and previously described him in 2019 as: “He’s a nice man. He was a terrible president.”
This came after Carter called Trump an “illegitimate president”, claiming he was helped into the White House by Russian interference in the 2016 election, something Moscow and Trump deny.
Obituary: From peanut farmer to one-term president and Nobel winner
King Charles III said “his dedication and humility served as an inspiration to many, and I remember with great fondness his visit to the United Kingdom in 1977”.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Carter was “motivated by his strong faith and values” and that he “redefined the post-presidency with a remarkable commitment to social justice and human rights at home and abroad”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Carter “was a leader who served during a time when Ukraine was not yet independent, yet his heart stood firmly with us in our ongoing fight for freedom”.
French President Emmanuel Macron said he had been a “steadfast advocate for the rights of the most vulnerable and has tirelessly fought for peace”.
Before becoming president in 1977, Democrat Carter was governor of Georgia, a lieutenant in the US navy and a farmer.
Carter’s presidency will be remembered for his struggles in dealing with acute economic problems and several foreign policy challenges, including the Iran hostage crisis, which ended with the deaths of eight Americans.
There was, however, a notable foreign policy triumph in the Middle East when he helped broker an accord between Egypt and Israel, signed at Camp David in the US in 1978.
But that seemed a distant memory two years later, when voters overwhelmingly chose Republican Ronald Reagan, who had portrayed the president as a weak leader unable to deal with inflation and interest rates at near record highs.
Carter lost the 1980 election by a landslide, winning only six US states plus Washington DC.
After leaving the White House, he became the first and only president to return full-time to the house he lived in before politics – a humble, two-bedroom ranch-style home.
He chose not to pursue the lucrative after-dinner speeches and publishing deals awaiting most former presidents, telling the Washington Post in 2018, that he never really wanted to be rich.
Instead, he spent his remaining years trying to address global problems of inequality and disease.
He founded the Carter Center in 1982 to pursue his vision of world diplomacy, and received the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts with the foundation to promote human rights around the world.
He also teamed up with Nelson Mandela to found The Elders, a group of global leaders who committed themselves to work on peace and human rights.
