What is the Best Portfolio Builder for Photographers?
If you’re a photographer wondering what the best way to show off your work is, we’ve come up with this list of the ten best websites for hosting your portfolio. We’ve discussed some of the pros and cons, as well as broken down the pricing, so you’ll be able to make an informed decision whether you’re after a great feature set, a great price, or a compromise in the middle.
The best portfolio builder will give you ample opportunity to display your photos, and maybe even sell them. You also might be looking for a website that is easy for anyone to edit, or one that can be highly customized!
So what is the best portfolio builder?
Squarespace
Squarespace is an all-around good website builder that is focused on aesthetics and is image-focused. This makes it great for photographers who want an easy way to host their images but also the flexibility to create something somewhat custom. Their plans offer unlimited storage with affordable plans, making them a great choice for users who will be uploading a lot of media. They also have some eCommerce features built-in for those who want to sell their photography online.
Their plans range from a personal plan at $12/month all the way up to an advanced commerce plan at $40/month.
Wix
Wix is a basic web builder that is beginner-friendly. It’s incredibly popular thanks to this fact, especially with over 500 templates and a straightforward drag-and-drop editor. This platform does end up being a bit more expensive, and no plan comes with unlimited storage. Even the most expensive personal plan caps out at 35GB, which a prolific photographer might reach eventually. Ecommerce is only available in their more expensive business plans, so be willing to pay for what you need with Wix.
Plans range from a personal plan at $14/month up to a VIP plan at $39/month. Their business plans which include eCommerce start at $23/month and go up to $49/month.
Weebly
Weebly’s paid plans include unlimited uploads, which means it’s great for photographers looking to upload a lot of content. It has a lot of awesome connections and tools to fully customize the site. It has a simple drag-and-drop editor so newcomers shouldn’t feel uncomfortable working in it. Ecommerce is available at all plans, including the free one.
It is also one of the cheapest photography portfolio options, with options ranging from completely free up to $26/month. Unlimit3ed storage starts at their $12/month plan.
WordPress.com
WordPress.com is the best option for those who want to host a Photography blog in addition to a portfolio. Moreso than any of the other platforms, it’s a blogging site. It isn’t the best option if you’re purely looking for something to display your visuals and nothing else. Since it’s been on the internet for so long and has so much customization potential, it’s the best option for people who want a platform with a lot of power and documentation behind it. The builder is a little clunky but there is a massive supply of photography-centric themes, both free and premium.
Pricing for WordPress.com starts at $4/month and goes up to $45/month for an eCommerce plan if you need those features.
Photoshelter
Photoshelter is one of the few options on this list that is dedicated specifically to photographers. That being said, it’s fairly limited in its customization. It has a variety of features custom-made for photographers, including image protection and client proofing. Their eCommerce system takes a certain percentage of sales based on the plan you have.
Their plans range between $10/month for a basic plan, and up to $45/month for a pro plan that features unlimited file storage. This makes it a little pricey compared to other options, but it might be worthwhile to photographers who are serious about having a photography-centric website.
SmugMug
SmugMug is another website builder aimed at photographers, and it has a lot of great features. You’ll have access to unlimited uploads, add watermarks, and an on-demand printing service for when customers order your prints (depending on the plan you buy). One unique feature is a mobile app that gives a lot of control over your website content. It’s a great option for photographers looking to have a website fully focused on sharing and selling their art.
When it comes to pricing, SmugMug is reasonably priced compared to other services, Their basic plan is $7/month, and they have four plans going all the way up to a pro plan at $42 per month.
Related: Flickr Acquired by Photo Hosting Service SmugMug
Format
Format is an easy-to-use website builder that works well for creating a photography portfolio. It is another website aimed specifically at photographers, with some watermarking and eCommerce features. With its blogging tools, you’ll be able to meld blogs seamlessly with your photo galleries. It doesn’t have as many features as some of the other photographer-centric options on this list, but it’s a great contender that is easy to work with.
Their basic plan is $7/month and their unlimited plan is $25/month, which offers unlimited images. The pricing is competitive with other platforms given its feature-set.
Zenfolio
Zenfolio claims that it was voted the number one website builder by photographers, and it holds up well to that claim. It features plenty of features designed to help photographers who are building a website. With plenty of templates, unlimited photo storage, and options to showcase your photos, it is a great option for many. You can easily sell your work on Zenfolio with built-in eCommerce features. Their templates are made for showing off photography, but if you want to do anything more advanced with your website, Zenfolio may be limiting.
Their plans range from $5/month to $15/month, which makes it one of the most affordable options as well.
Adobe Portfolio
Adobe Portfolio is a fantastic option, but really only if you already use the Adobe Creative Cloud and pay for the subscription. It is included with a Creative Cloud subscription. The website builder is simple and intuitive and is perfect for showing off your photography with great templates. The biggest downside compared to some of the other options on this list is that you can’t host your store through the Portfolio service. You will have to host your store elsewhere and link to it from your Adobe Portfolio site. We can definitely recommend this as an option for current Creative Cloud subscribers, but it probably wouldn’t be a good choice if you’re not planning on using Adobe apps.
Adobe Creative Cloud costs $54/month and gives access to all applications in the Adobe Suite including Lightroom, Photoshop, Premiere Pro, After Effects, and many more. You can also opt for the Photography plan which costs $10/month and includes just Lightroom and Photoshop.
Pixpa
Pixpa deserves a spot on this list for being an artist and Photography based website builder. It makes everything very simple and easy to work with for anyone who is not code-savvy with a drag-and-drop editor. They offer a number of essential features including an eCommerce store, a blogging platform, galleries with client proofs, and lots of themes to choose from. It seems like a solid budget-friendly option for photographers looking to make a simple yet very functional portfolio website!
Their plans start at a $7/month personal plan and scale up to $16/month for a business plan. All plans except for the lowest has unlimited uploads.
What are some other portfolio software options you know of? If we missed any, leave a comment below to share.
