The 24 Best Website Builders for Artists 2019

If you’re working in a creative industry, the internet will likely be the first place you show off your art. With an ever-increasing audience of potential customers and collaborators waiting to be impressed, it’s imperative that you showcase your work online in the most visually appealing way.

That’s where online art portfolio builders come in: they’re websites for artists to display their work. And, depending on which one you choose, it might also be the place that you post blogs, sell art, or build your social media following like these artists.

Here’s our list of the best website builders for artists.

23. Behance

Going beyond a simple online portfolio builder, Behance is known as the online meeting place for creatives. Whether you’re a photographer, painter, graphic designer, or anything in between, you’ll find a vast community of potential clients and collaborators.

The social network aspect of the site is packed with job opportunities and is a great way to find inspiration and advice. The actual portfolio platform is designed to be simple so it might not have some of the customization options you want, but the benefit of not having to code anything will far outweigh the negative for many artists.

behance is arguably the easiest to use option on the market and is completely free, making it a must-have for any artist. The only real downside is that you can only upload images optimized for web, so it can take some time to convert your content if you have a big back-catalog.

22. Squarespace

Squarespace is undoubtedly one of the big hitters when it comes to website builders for artists, and with very good reason. Their award-winning templates are beautiful and are some of the best out there for making your creations stand out.

It’s a great step up from Behance in terms of building a professional-looking portfolio but is still brilliantly easy to use. The drag-and-drop format of the layouts couldn’t be easier to use and there are a huge plethora of colors, fonts, and configurations available.

Squarespace will help you build your brand too, with tools designed to grow your social media following and keep track of your audience. And, fast-loading, mobile-optimized themes will make it easier for you to rank on Google.

The only real downside is that you can’t manually edit your portfolio on mobile devices, which is surprising considering that competitors like Weebly offer this feature. Squarespace is also slightly more expensive than some of the options on this list, but it’s worth every penny for their superb customer experience.

21. Adobe Portfolio

If you want a little more control over the appearance of your portfolio, Adobe strikes a nice balance between easy to use and professionally presented. You get your own domain name, you’ll have access to Typekit’s incredible library of fonts, and your custom-site will be fully responsive on any device, which Google loves (as will your customers).

And, if you’re already a fan of Adobe, good news: you can purchase it as part of the Creative Cloud package and have access to a whole range of their industry-leading creative apps. This is especially useful to photographers who use Photoshop and Lightroom, graphic designers who love InDesign, and videographers who’re loyal to Premiere Pro.

As with all things Adobe, the Creative Cloud package doesn’t come cheap and is pricier than many other options on the market. But, we think it’s worth the investment.

20. Wix

Wix is one of the market leaders for artists who want to create a unique site for their art.

Wix Code is a great feature for artists that want to make their site as on-brand as possible. This new addition provides complete creative control and with enough know-how, you can get your portfolio to do whatever you want.

If you’d rather not worry about coding, there are plenty of features designed especially to make your life easier. Built-in SEO tools make it easier to get your work seen by more people without having to worry about coding, and templates can be adjusted by simply dragging and dropping.

Being able to adjust a theme is useful because it isn’t easy to change your template once you’ve chosen it. You’ll basically be starting from scratch, which can be annoying.

The most popular freelancer package is $10 per month and gives you an ad-free template that you can really get stuck into customizing. This price also includes a free domain, or you can connect your existing one if you’re just looking for a new web builder to replace your current provider with.

19. Weebly

Weebly was born when three college students were frustrated by the lack of decent web builders for them to showcase their work on. Since then it’s grown into a comprehensive portfolio-building solution for artists.

If you’re just getting to grips with marketing and optimization you’ll love the inbuilt SEO functionality which makes it easier to get your portfolio ranked. Newbies will also love the drag and drop functionality which makes it easy to put together a cohesive portfolio that customers will love.

They also have the option to build a professional eCommerce store, making it a strong choice for anyone wanting to sell their art online.

The ‘Starter’ package is a good option for freelancers as the cheaper options display Weebly ads which might distract customers from your creations. For $5 a month you’ll get unlimited storage and an SSL certificate.

18. Viewbook

Viewbook has been around since 2009 and they’re one of the industry leaders for photographers looking for a way to share their work with the world.

There’s no limit to how many images you can upload, so once you have your site it’ll keep serving you well no matter how much your portfolio grows.

Templates are designed to be clean and unfussy to let your work shine through, and there’s an ever-expanding range to choose from. Page loading is fast and responsive and even when you’re editing your site you get visual customizations in real-time.

There’s also an online store built into Viewbook, so you can sell your images without having to deal with an additional platform.

The free trial is a nice touch but after that, you’ll pay above average to use this platform.

17. SmugMug

SmugMug is a great place to share your images and videos in elegant, easy to personalize themes using their design tools or with CSS. Images can be showcased at full resolution and each template is fully responsive so it’ll look great on any device.

You can add your own branding to your portfolio so that it looks as professional as possible, and you can protect your images with watermarks and print marks. It’s also possible to embed photos on blogs and forums to market your images and expand your brand.

We love that the various packages offer a solution to photographers at every stage of their career. The basic option doesn’t offer much customization but is a great place to start if you’re building your first portfolio. If you want to sell your photos it’ll cost $179.88 annually to have access to that feature, and you can add client tools and workflows for $359.88. In addition, there’s also a free trial if you’re still not sold on SmugMug.

You won’t get the range of templates and customization tools that you do with some of SmugMug’s competitors, and you might miss the drag-and-drop customization found with the likes of Wix.

16. Fabrik

Fabrik started life in London and is our top pick for creating achingly stylish portfolios. There are thousands of layouts on offer and each one has been curated by someone working in the medium it’s intended for. So, if you’re a filmmaker, you can choose a template designed by a filmmaker, for example. It sounds simple but this tailor-made approach is actually a game changer for artists in different niches.

All templates are fully responsive and can be connected to your social media accounts. You can upload your original high-res images and designs too, so you’re always showing off your best work.

Fabrik Heroes is part of Fabrik’s main site and showcases the best talent using their platform. Being a part of this could give great exposure and it’s great to see a platform supporting the artists that are supporting them.

Fabrik is newer than the big hitters on our list, so you might be nervous about choosing them over a more established website builder. But, there’s a free 14-day trial so you can try before you buy. Their paid packages start at $10 and include SSL security, 2 GB media storage, and up to 10 portfolios.

15. FolioLink

FolioLink is a web builder designed especially for artists, and it shows in their wide selection of elegant themes.

You can batch upload your images to save time creating portfolios. You can also crop and resize images with the built-in editor, and drag-and-drop them to curate your perfect layout. And, if you get bored with your template, you can switch it out whenever you want without losing all your hard work.

Their technical support is very impressive and their team is always on hand to help you out, which you might need if you decide to migrate your portfolio into your website, for example.

We recommend trying FolioLink with their free trial to make sure it’s worth the fairly high price tag. We think it is, but it’s definitely more of an investment than some other options on our list.

14. Portfoliobox

Portfoliobox is set up especially for creatives and is a great web builder for showcasing your work. You can add blogs and profiles to shed more light on you and your work, and there’s the option to sell your creations.

You get complete flexibility with Portfoliobox and there are no restrictions on the type or amount of pages you can add to your website. There’s no coding required either, which is great news for anyone with big creative ideas and minimal technical know-how.

The free option is surprisingly comprehensive and allows you to add 50 images and ten pages to your site. But for just $6.90 you increase that to 1,000 images and unlimited pages and add 24/7 technical support.

Their choice of templates is lacking when compared to other solutions, and it can be argued that they’re not as slick and professional. But, for the price, Portfoliobox is still worth considering.

13. Format

Format is one of the most popular options for creative portfolios. The choice between custom HTML and CSS editing and easy-to-use built-in tools makes it a suitable platform for every skill level, and whichever method you choose you’ll be rewarded with a beautifully-designed website that syncs perfectly with Adobe Lightroom.

There’s a good range of packages on offer but the ‘Unlimited’ option is pricy at $25 per month. It comes with unlimited images, store products, blog posts, and proofing images though, so if you’re a professional artist you can probably justify the higher price tag.

Whichever package you pick, there’s a 14-day free trial and you’ll have access to the live chat option on their website which gets you a response to your question in around ten minutes.

It’s difficult to find a flaw in this platform, but the dashboard could be more aesthetically pleasing and simpler to understand.

12. Carbonmade

Carbonmade is probably the most fun platform for website building and it’s a joy to use. It’s also a proven aphrodisiac according to the owners, so watch out! Ease-of-use is central to this platform and there’s no coding required for putting together attractive portfolios for your art.

The inbuilt talent pool lets potential clients seek you out for their project, which is a nice added bonus to this platform.

Playfully named themes ranging from ‘Okay’ to ‘Laser Whale’ will cover most levels from creatives just starting out to professionals with big portfolios. The middle package (named Whoo!) will be the best option for most users though as it offers everything the top package does apart from unlimited projects. Pricing is reasonable and even the most basic package offers a lot for home much they’re charging.

Carbonmade is cheap and easy to use but the platform is a little limited and the selection of themes isn’t the best out there. But if you’re just starting out or you like to keep things simple it might be the perfect option for you.

11. Moonfruit

UK-based Moonfruit touts themself as the quickest, easiest way to build a beautiful website, and while we can’t confirm that claim they’re definitely an option worth considering. They offer a comprehensive service of hosting, domains, email, SEO and more so you’ll only ever have to deal with one platform.

Template blocks can be mixed and matched to create a unique website that suits you and your art. There’s no need to code anything, but if you get stuck their support team are super helpful. Your website will be fully responsive on every platform, and the on-board blogging and eCommerce tools are excellent for building your business.

Templates are extremely limited which might be frustrating for some creatives. This platform isn’t specifically designed for artists though, so if you want something specialist you might want to look elsewhere.

10. Dribbble

Dribbble is different from most of the options on this list, in that it’s a community first and foremost. It’s a great place for artists across all mediums to share their work and gain inspiration from others in their field.

The way the platform works is that you share ‘shots’ of your current projects. According to Dribbble, tens of millions of people visit their site looking for design inspiration and feedback, and huge design-led brands such as Apple and Google are said to have used the platform so there’s the opportunity for some great exposure here. 

Dribbble is a superb platform for sharing your work, but because of the format of only sharing screenshots of your work, it’s probably not going to suffice as your only portfolio. Still, the basic account is free so it’s worth joining if you’re looking to sell work or get hired.

9. Fine Art Studio Online (FASO)

This platform is a great choice for people creating classic art to share and sell their work. You can also add blogs and share information on workshops so fans can easily follow your work.

The selection of templates isn’t the largest out there, but the ones on offer are clean and professional looking and are all fully responsive. Making changes to your site is simple and you can switch your layout whenever you want to.

A 30-day free trial gives you enough time to really get under the skin of the site to see if it’s for you, but after that things get pricy. The most basic option is $8 and is limiting in terms of how much content you can upload to your site, and the comprehensive option with unlimited collections is $35 per month.

8. Art Store Fronts

Art Store Fronts is designed to help you market and sell your creations. This platform is one of the newer kids on the block but their offering stands up against some of the bigger eCommerce sites on our list.

Their main selling point is that they make it simple to set up and run your own online art gallery. Their service is integrated with printing and framing services, so it takes all the hard work out of selling your art, and they offer ongoing marketing training and support to help you get your work out there. Technical support is faultless and their customer service via instant messaging means that you get a response to your query quickly.

Art Store Fronts take a commission on your sales which might annoy some artists considering that you’ve already paid to use their service. There’s also limited customization options and it can be time-consuming to set up for SEO.

7. Shopify

Shopify is arguably the biggest eCommerce platform on the web, but it’s often a tool that gets overlooked by artists.

This website builder can be easily mastered by novices and there are lots of high-quality forums and tutorials available if you need help. If you have more coding know-how, though, there’s also the option to get into the code to adjust the templates to suit your vision. The templates themselves are modern and stylish and give artists the option of including blogs, features collections, and large dimension photos.

The shipping process and fees are a source of contention with users, and Shopify’s management of the process could be better considering how much experience and expertise they have in the field. It’s also expensive for even the most basic plan, which might put off artists who don’t sell work regularly.

6. IMCreator

You might not have heard of IMCreator but they power more than 11 million websites so they’re definitely a portfolio-building option to consider.

It takes no time at all to create a beautiful website to showcase your images on. They’ve kept things lean so you can create a professional-looking portfolio without having to commit days to learning how to navigate their interface.

There are more than 70 templates, but if you have a particular layout in mind you can start with a blank canvas and develop your own unique menus and schemes. The templates are labeled by industry and they’re pre-populated, so you can simply replace the content with your own work and be published in a matter of hours.

If you’re using the free version, beware: the ads are pretty conspicuous which doesn’t look particularly professional. Another irritating downside to IMCreator is that once you’ve picked your template you’re stuck with it. That is, unless you want to re-add all your content to the new template.

5. Pixpa

Pixpa is a popular choice for photographers and designers because of the sheer beauty of the sites that they create. The templates look great and are fully customizable, and you can add blogs and commission-free eCommerce to your site for a comprehensive customer experience.

At just $5 per month for a portfolio of up to 200 images and an eCommerce site for up to three products, getting started is impressively cheap. There’s also the option to add on client galleries to share artwork for proofing and selling.

If you choose to add eCommerce to your site you might find yourself disappointed by the lack of integrated order fulfilment. But if you’re willing to sacrifice that convenience for a gorgeous site, Pixpa might be for you.

4. Worka

The standout feature of Worka is their one-price-fits-all approach, which is refreshing and means that everyone gets exactly the same benefits at a great price.

There’s no need for coding skills with this portfolio builder, so it’s as appealing to novices as it is to those with more technical knowledge. The workflow is pretty intuitive and once you’ve chosen your template and your menus you can start uploading your content. There’s a new template released each month, too, so there’s always the opportunity to upgrade your website whenever you want.

Worka is a solid option at a good price, but it falls behind some of the more established options because of a lack of features. Take advantage of the option to build a site for free, though: you might like what you see.

3. Jimdo

Much like GoDaddy, Jimdo is all about the speed and claims to be able to deliver a fully personalized website in just three minutes. They do this by taking the information you provide and a template specifically designed for your industry, then using AI to pull the whole thing together.

The finished sites look great and are fully responsive. You have the option to work on it remotely too, with the option to edit from your smartphone or tablet.

SEO is also made easier by Jimdo by pinpointing what you can do to rank higher in search engines. It’s also extremely easy to connect your Google Search Console so you can index your site and start getting clicks even quicker.

There’s a free version available if you just want to test-drive their revolutionary way of website-building, but there’ll be a subdomain in your URL. The most popular plan is pretty pricy and competitors like GoDaddy seem to be better value.

2. WordPress.com

This is the hosted WordPress solution rather than the open-source content management system that most people associate the brand with.

The user interface is streamlined to make it as easy to use as possible, which makes it one of the best option for artists that are new to building websites. Because WordPress began as a blogging platform there are, of course, some superb features for bloggers. In fact, if you plan to include blogs in your portfolio the only real competitor is Squarespace with regards to the features on offer.

There are plenty of templates ready to use and you can try different options and switch between them without losing your work. There are also lots of plug-ins to choose from to make your site smarter.

WordPress.com doesn’t have a drag-and-drop visual editor as other options on our list do, and you’re essentially guessing when you’re making changes to your site. The simplistic approach might also be annoying for more tech-savvy creatives.

The basic option is free, but it’ll have a wordpress.com subdomain which won’t look particularly professional.

1. WordPress.org

WordPress.org allows you to control every aspect of your site, so if you have a very specific vision and the ability to code (or you have a designer on hand), you should give this platform some serious consideration.

32% of the web uses WordPress, which should give you some confidence that this platform does what it says it can. This platform is SEO friendly, is fully responsive, and can be managed via mobile devices, and with more than 54,000 plugins available customization is second to none.

Artists who aren’t tech savvy might find themselves becoming overwhelmed with wordpress.org, so approach with caution unless you’re willing to take the time to learn the ropes. That being said, once your site is set up it’s incredibly easy to maintain your site, so we think it’s worth the initial investment of time to enjoy what we think is the best free website.

Conclusion

As proven by this list, there are dozens of great website builders for artists available online. Which one you choose will come down to you own personal requirements, but your budget and technical knowhow will most likely play a part in your decision, too.

If in doubt, take advantage of the free trials on offer and don’t commit to a year-long contract until you’re certain you’ve found the right platform for you and your art.

Which website builder do you use for your artist portfolio? Let us know in the comments.