Choosing the right portfolio website for your needs is one of the most important decisions that you can make as a creative professional. There are a few different options to choose from, and it’s important to understand what each option offers before making your decision. In this blog post, we will compare free and paid portfolio websites so that you can decide which is best for you!
Free Portfolio Websites
1.) Behance
Behance is a free portfolio website that specializes in creative professionals. They have been around for years, now owned by Adobe, and are constantly trying to improve their platform with more features, redesigned tools, and other improvements.
Working like your typical social media platform, the design-savvy can find a new creative outlet on Behance. This site allows designers to upload their projects and connect with others in the field, which creates an online network of potential collaborators.
2.) WordPress
WordPress is another free portfolio website that has been around for quite some time. If you are a blogger who has a lot to write about, this would be the perfect platform! With many options for themes and design, WordPress can be used by any professional – whether you’re an artist or copywriter.
Using WordPress requires slightly more technical knowledge, especially if you want your own personal domain name, but it’s nothing you can’t handle. In fact, WordPress has a HUGE community, so you’ll always have someone to ask if you need a helping hand.
WordPress websites also have easy ways to making themselves responsive! Take a look at our list of great mobile websites!
3.) Squarespace
If you are looking for a professionally designed website that offers simple content management, then Squarespace may be the best option for you! It has been around since 2004 and their site says it can take as little as 15 minutes to build your own customized website.
4.) DeviantArt
DeviantArt is a website that focuses more on art and illustration. In fact, they claim to be “the world’s largest art community”. With 25 million members in 2017, who are we to argue with them? They have been around for decades, which also make them one of the oldest options for those who want to make a free portfolio website for art.
5.) FolioHD
FolioHD is a site that specializes in design and illustration. They are a free portfolio website, but they also offer access to premium content for subscribers. FolioHD will take your minimalist portfolio and turn it into a full-blown website with custom pages, links to external sites (blogs etc.), and navigation links.
6.) Flickr
Flickr is a photo-sharing platform that offers its services for free. If you’re looking to show your photography skills, this would be an excellent option!
Flickr is also great for people who want the quickest and cheapest option. First, create an account to upload and store images of your work. Then make a new album with all those pictures by selecting each picture or choosing multiple files from computer folders. After you have created that first photo album, it’s as easy as clicking “share” to send out links for everyone else’s viewing pleasure.
7.) Crevado Portfolios
Crevado is a newer website that has been launched in the last few years. They focus on creative professionals and offer two pricing options: free or premium.
Crevado takes pride in keeping their clients’ work private and secure! They do this via a variety of privacy-focused features for your portfolio. For example, you can mark projects as “private” so they don’t show up on public view. You can also protect sensitive content by password protecting it from prying eyes.
Upload, edit, and share your most prized memories in a snap. You can also use their drag-and-drop interface to rearrange your work anything at any time – nice!
8.) Portfoliopen
Portfoliopen is a free portfolio website that allows you to showcase your creative projects. They offer many different ways to view and share your work, which makes it easy for other people to see what you are passionate about!
Paid Portfolio Websites
1.) Carbonmade
Carbonmade is a paid portfolio website that offers its services for $8 per month. With that said, you can take a free trial to test it out before parting with your money. They have been around since 2002, which makes them one of the longest-standing options on this list!
They are one the most professional and feature-rich platforms – Just take a look at their website for yourself!
2.) PortfolioBox
PortfolioBox is a paid portfolio website that offers its services at three price points: $2.90, $7.90, and $10.90 per month. Although they have been around since 2002, PortfolioBox is always making changes and improvements to their platform.
If you’re still not convinced, maybe you’ll love the fact that you can use password-protected sections to keep your customers up with all the latest notifications and feedback.
3.) Krop
Krop is a paid portfolio website that offers its services for $8.25 per month. They have been around since 2006, which makes them another platform with lots of history.
They claim to have built the simplest way for creatives to share their portfolios online, in one place. You can launch your portfolio and get more jobs without having to worry about developing a website!
Final Thoughts on Finding a Good Portfolio Website Builder
In conclusion, there are numerous free and paid portfolio website options. Free websites allow you to get your work out there without having to pay a monthly fee, but they may not offer the same features as paid ones. Paid sites may cost more on a month-to-month basis, but it’s worth investing in for access to extra features, like visitor tracking or the ability to share your work with one click.
Choosing the right portfolio website for your needs is one of the most important decisions that you can make as a creative website professional. There are a few different options to choose from, and it’s important to understand what each option offers before making your decision.