A fantastic story or submit advantages from nice photographs — like charts, infographics, customized artwork, and extra. I’ve needed to search for designers and photographers to work for so as to add these parts to my writing. A fantastic portfolio is important to assist me make the suitable decisions of who to work with.
Whether or not you are a UX designer, freelance author, or photographer, a formidable on-line portfolio is essential for impressing potential shoppers and touchdown future jobs.
When you’ve created your digital portfolio, you’ll want someplace to host or showcase it — that’s the place a portfolio web site is available in.
Right here, we have created an inventory of the perfect portfolio web sites for designers, freelancers, and photographers to make sure you can showcase your greatest work in any business.
Desk of Contents
What’s a web-based portfolio?
A web-based portfolio is a digital assortment of details about your previous work, experiences, {qualifications}, expertise, or accolades you’ve got earned and wish to share on the web. They provide legitimacy to your work and supply business professionals with a greater understanding of what you are able to do.
Examples of your work you could possibly show in a web-based portfolio embody:
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Images.
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Writing samples.
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Case research.
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Spreadsheets.
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Lesson plans.
What you embody in your on-line portfolio varies relying in your discipline and experience. I requested Kaitlin Milliken, a senior program supervisor who runs HubSpot’s Freelance Community, what she appears for in a portfolio.
“A powerful portfolio showcases your greatest work — whether or not that be essentially the most intricate of your inventive creations or the perfect of your writing work,” Milliken says. “When you’ve labored with giant corporations and well-known manufacturers, that additionally makes a distinction. I do know you’re used to working with corporations of our measurement.”
Milliken additionally notes that your portfolio must be intuitive, that includes clear navigation and smooth internet design.
“Your portfolio must be simple for me to discover. I’m evaluating your work, so infinite scrolling or poor UX pull me away from what you possibly can accomplish,” Milliken says.
So, your portfolio internet hosting system issues. To higher allow you to select a portfolio builder in your wants, let’s dive into a few of our favourite portfolio web sites that may allow you to.
Finest Free Portfolio Web sites
- HubSpot Content material Hub
- Journo Portfolio
- Muck Rack
- WordPress
- Siter.io
- Dorik
- Clippings.me
- Behance
- Adobe Portfolio
- Fabrik
- Crevado
- Pixpa
- Dunked
- Flickr
- Portfoliobox
- Krop
- YouPic
- Format
1. HubSpot Content Hub
HubSpot’s free website builder permits you to simply craft a portfolio with pre-built themes and drag-and-drop performance. Included in HubSpot’s Free Content material Hub software program are web site pages to publish your content material and reporting and analytics options.
What I like: HubSpot’s web site builder is unbelievably intuitive. Coding information isn’t a requirement as you possibly can merely drag and drop recordsdata into place in your web page and leverage free themed templates in your portfolio. Plus, you should use the free forms feature to let guests to your portfolio contact you for work or extra data.
Professionals
Cons
2. Journo Portfolio
Journo Portfolio presents creatives — together with freelance writers — the platform to create smooth and fashionable digital portfolios.
Writers can select from the location’s eight distinct themes and simply showcase their bylines by merely pasting a URL to the platform. Journo Portfolio incorporates the article’s title, publication, date, content material, and picture.
Different options embody integration with Google Analytics, customizable layouts, SEO, contact types, and password safety.
It’s also possible to weblog straight from the platform, which might be useful if you wish to showcase freelance work and your present weblog in a single place.
What I like: I like that Journo Portfolio’s platform is intuitive. You don’t want an excessive amount of tech expertise to make use of it. The platform additionally has knowledgeable look that may assist potential shoppers take a author severely.
Professionals
Cons
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The free plan limits you to 10 articles max
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For limitless articles, you will have to pay $5-$10 per 30 days
Finest Portfolio Web sites for Freelance Writers
3. Muck Rack
Muck Rack is a free media database connecting journalists with PR professionals.
Many writers and journalists use the location to seek out networking and pitching alternatives. You may even embody matters you do not wish to cowl, filtering out unfit pitches.
Moreover, Muck Rack creates and maintains your portfolio for true ease of use by mechanically compiling articles and social media profiles. As soon as it is completed, you’ve got the choice to customise your bio or select to highlight sure items.
Muck Rack additionally presents a information alert system, which allows you to observe tales or tweets about an organization, model, or particular story angle. With their information alert system, you possibly can see when different journalists share data or publish tales associated to your work, which is able to allow you to keep on prime of tendencies.
What I like: Muck Rack has a singular pitch instrument and in depth database that makes it simple for shops to seek out freelance writers and vice versa.
I additionally like that Muck Rack organizes your articles in a single place and allows you to know who shares your work with their community.
Professionals
Cons
4. WordPress
WordPress, a major content management system (CMS), permits you to create a free weblog with a separate portfolio web page.
Whereas not explicitly geared in direction of freelance writers, WordPress presents over 100 free themes to craft a singular weblog and showcase your work. WordPress is an effective possibility if you need full artistic management over your portfolio.
It’s also possible to use WordPress to showcase your writing and different expertise. Suppose you desire a web page for writing or images, as an example. In that case, WordPress presents quite a lot of themes and is versatile sufficient to allow you to reveal numerous items of artistic work.
What I like: WordPress is flexible and extremely customizable. I discover it simple to make use of and love how Search engine optimization-friendly it’s. That manner, your portfolio web site can seem on the outcomes web page when your viewers searches for particular phrases.
Professionals
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Excellent for bloggers
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Can create a portfolio web page separate from the weblog
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100+ free themes accessible
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Comes with SSL certificates and JetPack options for bettering web site efficiency
Cons
5. Dorik AI
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Dorik is essentially the most user-friendly no-code web site builder powered by AI. This free portfolio builder permits you to create your portfolio in any language with only a single immediate. It is a perfect platform for entrepreneurs, businesses, enterprise homeowners, artistic people, freelancers, and other people of any occupation.
Dorik presents 100+ professionally designed, fashionable, and device-responsive templates. You may select any one in every of them without cost and customise it utilizing the drag-and-drop editor. You may even construct an internet site from scratch. You are able to do all these items with out writing a single line of code.
Dorik stands out with a set of wealthy options, together with an AI Textual content Generator, an AI Picture Generator, an easy-to-use CMS, built-in Search engine optimization settings, fundamental e-commerce options, and plenty of extra. In addition to this, it’s also possible to combine gross sales, advertising, and analytics instruments to boost the performance of your portfolio web site.
The builder allows you to add movies, social media icons, hyperlinks, types, fee buttons, and so forth., that are crucial for a portfolio web site. It’s also possible to add the membership function to your web site and management entry to your unique content material.
What I like: I liked Dorik’s AI options and its ease of use. I can generate Search engine optimization-optimized internet copies and pixel-perfect photographs for my portfolio. The builder is extremely customizable and versatile.
Professionals
- Quick and straightforward web site technology
- Limitless storage and bandwidth
- Free SSL certificates
- Free templates
- 24/7 stay buyer help
Cons
- Lacks superior e-commerce options
6. Siter.io
Siter.io is an revolutionary no-code portfolio builder that permits customers to design and publish web sites with out writing a single line of code.
Its intuitive interface makes designing instantly within the browser, freehand, and utilizing instruments you already know. Whether or not beginning your design from scratch or utilizing one in every of their templates, Siter.io empowers you to create beautiful portfolios tailor-made to your distinctive imaginative and prescient.
Siter.io works in tandem with Figma and has a well-liked plugin that may remodel your designs into ready-to-launch web sites in just some minutes. The platform is extremely versatile, permitting you to design any type of portfolio you need with none design limits.
Moreover, Siter.io presents safe internet hosting and SSL certification, guaranteeing your web site is all the time protected.
What I like: I like how one can collaborate with different creatives to convey your portfolio web site to life. This collaboration function removes confusion and ensures you launch your web site on time.
Professionals
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Excellent for artistic designers, UI/UX designers, and entrepreneurs
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Permits a limiteless variety of pages, supplying you with the liberty to create as a lot content material as you need
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Provides safe internet hosting and SSL certification, guaranteeing your web site is all the time protected
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Responsive buyer help is all the time accessible that can assist you with any questions or points you encounter
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Quick-loading pages be sure that your web site is all the time acting at its greatest
Cons
7. Clippings.me
Clippings.me is a web site with a simplified method to sharing your greatest articles, collateral, or different advertising supplies.
You may add your PDFs, hyperlinks, and associated multimedia to Clippings.me to create a sharp-looking portfolio organized into particular classes. You may even use social hyperlinks in your web page in order that different professionals can attain you extra simply.
Along with importing and sustaining your portfolio, you possibly can flick thru different freelancers’ pages to community and doubtlessly achieve potential shoppers or collaborators.
What I like: Clippings.me doesn’t attempt to do an excessive amount of. The positioning has a easy purpose — to showcase a author’s work. I discovered that this web site accomplishes its purpose nicely. Setting the whole portfolio up takes lower than an hour.
Professionals
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Designed intuitively for writers — by writers
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Excellent for newbie or skilled writers trying to broaden their careers
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Provides a journalism listing
Cons
Finest Free Portfolio Web sites for Designers
8. Behance
With tens of millions of UX/UI designers, artists, and photographers on the location, Behance is likely one of the most generally used on-line portfolio web sites.
It is also easy to make use of — you possibly can set up your work based mostly on the challenge, record initiatives beneath development, and ask followers for suggestions. Moreover, the location means that you can hyperlink your portfolio to your social media accounts.
Behance’s large digital neighborhood makes it a wonderful choice to get your title on the market, notably since recruiters and interviewers peruse the location to seek out expertise.
Nevertheless, Behance shows the quantity of people that have seen and favored your work, which may be extra advantageous — however riskier — than a extra easy web site portfolio.
What I like: Behance is likely one of the largest locations for anybody searching for a designer. As such, well-positioned designers have a wonderful shot at getting observed. I’ve even browsed this platform to satisfy my graphic design wants! I’ve all the time been impressed by the expertise I encounter.
Professionals
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Excellent for creatives who haven’t got time to create their standalone portfolio web site
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Can get suggestions from followers
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Consists of social proof by way of views and likes on the portfolio web site
Cons
9. Adobe Portfolio
If you have already got a Artistic Cloud membership, then Adobe Portfolio is a superb choice to create a single-page web site or a full gallery of your work. With Adobe Portfolio, you possibly can arrange a smooth and customised portfolio in minutes, and every of the platform’s themes is mechanically optimized for any gadget.
Moreover, Adobe Portfolio can combine with Behance and Adobe Lightroom to import your initiatives for better visibility.
What I like: Adobe Portfolio works nicely with different Adobe instruments and software program. As many designers are aware of the instrument, they’ll shortly create distinctive portfolios. I like how this providing means that you can create a portfolio on a platform customers would already be aware of.
Professionals
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Choice to create a multi- or single-page web site
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Provides 18 responsive themes
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Integrations with Behance and Adobe Lightroom
Cons
10. Fabrik
Designers use Fabrik to prepare their initiatives with out writing a line of code. Even so, you continue to get artistic management over your portfolio by selecting the kinds, fonts, and colours greatest suited in your fashion.
Fabrik’s themes are intuitive and adaptable to particular person challenge content material wants. This flexibility permits you to experiment with a number of layouts designed to enhance the media codecs wanted, whether or not it’s graphic design, vogue, or extra.
With easy configurations, the Fabrik portfolio is a straightforward selection for constructing and sustaining your portfolio throughout all gadgets.
What I like: I like Fabrik’s user-friendly interface and customizable parts, making it much less of a chore to design a portfolio. The platform additionally offers spectacular help to its prospects.
Professionals
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Excellent for artistic designers of assorted specialties
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Permits a limiteless variety of weblog posts
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Responsive buyer help
Cons
11. Crevado
One of the easy free portfolio web sites, Crevado permits you to use a easy drag-and-drop instrument to add your initiatives and rearrange them on the display screen for true ease of use.
The positioning can be mechanically optimized for any gadget, so your portfolio may be seen on a smartphone, pill, or desktop.
Crevado additionally has safe internet hosting and SSL certification, so your portfolio web site stays safe. You may customise your design to fit your preferences with out writing any code. Better of all, you possibly can promote your work on-line due to the platform’s integrations with PayPal and Fotomoto.
The one draw back is that free customers cannot take away the hyperlink to Crevado of their web site footer. You will must improve to a professional account to take action.
What I like: Apart from offering safe internet hosting, Crevado permits designers to password-protect their delicate initiatives from undesirable consideration. I like this further layer of safety and suggest Crevedo for those who’re involved about privateness. As well as, Crevedo is simple to take care of and replace.
Professionals
Cons
12. Pixpa
Pixpa is an all-in-one, DIY website-building platform designed to empower artistic professionals, freelance writers, and enterprise homeowners by serving to them construct feature-rich, skilled web sites with out touching a single line of code.
Pixpa presents a spread of contemporary, mobile-friendly, and responsive templates that may be totally personalized utilizing the easy-to-use visible editor and drag-and-drop web page builder.
Wealthy options, together with running a blog instruments, built-in Search engine optimization and advertising instruments, social media integrations, a number of gallery choices, and ecommerce performance, make Pixpa the right portfolio-building platform for artistic professionals.
The total-fledged running a blog platform powered by an intuitive and versatile What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) editor means that you can create, edit, schedule, and publish weblog posts multi function place.
What I like: I like Pixpa’s wealthy advertising instruments that help you develop your on-line presence. Which means extra individuals can see your work. It’s also possible to use Pixpa to arrange a web-based retailer to promote your services.
Professionals
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Newbie-friendly, no-code website-building platform
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In depth Search engine optimization instruments help you add customized tags and metadata
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SSL safety on all web sites
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24×7 buyer help by e-mail and stay chat
Cons
13. Dunked
Dunked is a platform constructed with designers and creatives in thoughts. With over 100,000 customers, this on-line portfolio builder permits you to share your skills on a trendy and simplistic web site.
Dunked’s gallery of professionally designed templates is crafted to enhance your creativity and focus in your work. Select the perfect one in your aesthetic and change between themes once they swimsuit you.
You may add photographs or multimedia from websites like YouTube, Vimeo, Flickr, and SoundCloud, then drag and drop till the web site appears precisely the way you need.
What I like: I like Dunked due to its clear design and ease of use. Though easy, the design portfolios nonetheless look skilled on no matter gadget they seem.
Professionals
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Excellent for designers and different artistic professionals
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All templates are totally responsive and retina-display prepared
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Easy click-and-drag web site modifying instrument to customise your portfolio
Cons
Finest Free Portfolio Web sites for Photographers
14. Flickr
Undoubtedly one of the well-known portfolio websites with billions of photographs and tens of millions of members, Flickr is a superb web site to share your work, join with different photographers, and discover inspiration for future initiatives
Photographers who use Flickr as a portfolio ought to guarantee their photographs are set to “Public view” and are organized into folders or classes.
Some photographers suggest making a extra polished portfolio web site after which linking to that web site from Flickr for extra visibility.
What I like: Flickr is a basic that I’ve used many instances to seek out nice photographs for my initiatives. Flickr ranges the enjoying discipline and permits novice photographers to be found, offered they share beautiful images.
Professionals
Cons
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Restricted to GIF, PNG, and JPEG photograph codecs
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Restricted to 1,000 photographs on the free plan
15. Portfoliobox
Portfoliobox is an internet site builder particularly designed for photographers, and it is a good possibility for crafting a professional-looking responsive gallery of your greatest work.
Portfoliobox presents an ecommerce hyperlink that means that you can promote your prints or different art work instantly from the location (with out paying any fee). With the free plan, you possibly can create a weblog additional to draw guests and potential prospects to your web site.
Better of all, Portfoliobox would not make you utilize a normal theme — as a substitute, you possibly can combine any fashion for any web page to domesticate a singular, one-of-a-kind web site. With over a million customers, it is a good possibility for skilled and novice photographers.
What I like: Portfoliobox permits photographers to design their portfolios in a fashion that brings out the perfect of their images. I like the concentrate on constructing shopper relationships. You may obtain suggestions, ship initiatives, and observe your shopper’s favorites in a single place.
Professionals
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Excellent for photographers at any ability stage
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Can promote prints on this web site commission-free
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You should use completely different kinds for each web page
Cons
16. Krop
Krop is a artistic business portfolio internet hosting web site utilized by gifted candidates in any respect expertise ranges and the globe’s most revered artistic manufacturers.
With Krop’s software program, creatives can spend much less time modifying and formatting and extra on their initiatives. Curating portfolio albums is finished shortly, and the software program presents highly effective customizations for private brandings like logos, shade palettes, and extra.
This web site additionally serves as a job board, serving to professionals community with each other throughout the globe. Customers can strategically place themselves in entrance of revered artistic manufacturers and discover work in any respect expertise ranges, too.
What I like: You may add as many photographs as you prefer to your portfolio with out worrying about storage. I hate having to make robust decisions about what to function. With Krop, you received’t have to agonize over which of your favourite initiatives to chop and which to maintain.
Professionals
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Excellent for artistic professionals similar to photographers, illustrators, or animators
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Password safety for particular person albums to share with shoppers privately
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Limitless storage for multimedia
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No HTML or CSS information is critical
Cons
17. YouPic
YouPic’s customers embody well-known photographers like Joel Meyerowitz and Julia Fullerton-Batten. This web site allows you to craft a free, beautiful portfolio to showcase your work. It additionally permits you to purchase prints from different photographers or promote your personal to earn further earnings.
Moreover, the location presents interactive programs to enhance your images expertise and a Pinterest-style “Discover” web page that permits you to try well-known images, new art work, and tales to encourage your gallery.
And most fascinating to notice, YouPic permits customers to copyright their photographs on the blockchain, — making it the primary decentralized images platform. Which means YouPic is likely one of the few platforms that will not take any rights or possession of your work.
What I like: Whereas photographers can use YouPic to host their portfolio, the wealthy array of works displayed on the platform serves as inspiration. I like searching the completely different photographs on YouPic, even when I’m not within the throes of a artistic task.
Professionals
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Can promote prints on this web site commission-free
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Can copyright photographs on blockchain
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Does not take any rights or possession of your work
Cons
18. Format
Format is a portfolio web site for photographers trying to create and curate their digital gallery or retailer. Constructed with instruments that can assist you construct knowledgeable web site, it presents options for supporting a images enterprise, plus cloud storage to guard your work.
Format has a set of templates made to suit any aesthetic. It’s designed to serve specific skilled conditions greatest, similar to for marriage ceremony images or to showcase your art work.
It may additionally change how viewers navigate your work, from gallery codecs to extra interactive scrolling or slideshow choices.
What I like: I like the vary of choices on Format. The positioning has 90+ templates particularly designed to assist photographers present their work. It’s also possible to collaborate with shoppers from the platform and develop your on-line presence, too.
Professionals
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Excellent for skilled photographers
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Can help high-quality photographs
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Can combine on-line shops with no charges for gross sales
Cons
Creating Your On-line Portfolio
A web-based portfolio offers proof of your work and expertise, which might set you other than different candidates or professionals in your discipline. Utilizing any of the instruments above, you possibly can create a free portfolio very quickly. What are you ready for?
Editor’s word: This submit was initially printed in April 2019 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.