An impressive online portfolio is crucial for impressing potential clients and securing future jobs, regardless of whether you work as a UX designer, freelance writer, or photographer.
Crafting an effective digital portfolio may seem overwhelming, especially if you are unsure which website to utilize. Therefore, we have compiled a list of the finest portfolio websites that cater to designers, freelancers, and photographers. This ensures that you can exhibit your top-notch work in any field.
What is an online portfolio?
An online portfolio serves as a compilation of digital information regarding your previous work, experiences, qualifications, skills, or accolades that you wish to share on the internet. It establishes the credibility of your work and offers industry experts a clearer comprehension of your capabilities.
Examples that one could display in an online portfolio include, when thinking step by step.
- Photographs
- Writing samples
- Case studies
- Spreadsheets
- Lesson plans
To assist you in selecting a suitable portfolio builder, we will explore some of our preferred portfolio websites that cater to different fields and areas of expertise. This will help you create your own online portfolio according to your specific requirements.
Best Free Portfolio Websites
1. Journo Portfolio
It is possible to create a modern and sleek digital portfolio on Journo Portfolio by following these steps: First, choose one of the nine available themes. Then, simply paste the URL of an article and click add. Journo Portfolio will handle the rest, including adding the title, publication, date, content, and image. To track visitors, you can integrate with Google Analytics or use Journo’s built-in analytics tools. Moreover, your portfolio will automatically be optimized for mobile devices.
If you want to have your freelance work and your current blog in one place, you can also blog directly from the platform. Journo allows you to create multiple pages, including a Contact Me or About Me page, as well as your freelance portfolio.
Pros
- Live preview editor
- Built-in analytics plus Google Analytics integration
- Pre-built themes
- Subscribe and contact forms
- Mobile-friendly
Cons
- Free plan limits you to 10 articles max
- For unlimited articles, you’ll need to pay $5-$10 per month
2. Muck Rack
Muck Rack is a media database that enables journalists and PR professionals to connect with each other free of charge. By using the platform, you can easily network and receive PR pitches, and even have the option to filter out unsuitable pitches by specifying topics you prefer not to cover.
Muck Rack simplifies the process of creating and updating your portfolio by compiling articles and social media profiles for you. When it’s complete, you can choose to customize your bio or highlight specific pieces.
With the news alerts system provided by Muck Rack, you can keep track of stories or tweets related to a company, brand, or specific story angle. This system allows you to be informed when other journalists share information or publish stories relevant to your work, aiding you in staying updated on trends.
Pros
- Ideal for journalists
- Auto-updates profile
- News alerts system for tracking stories and trends
- Allows you to build media lists easily
Cons
- Some formatting issues when uploading content from Excel
- Doesn’t integrate with other reporting and monitoring tools
3. WordPress
If you want complete creative control over your portfolio, WordPress, a significant content management platform, allows you to create a free blog with a distinct portfolio page. Although not specifically designed for freelance writers, WordPress provides more than 100 free themes to help you create a unique blog and display your work, making it a suitable choice.
If you want to display your writing and other skills, you can consider using WordPress. If you are interested in having a page for writing or photography, WordPress provides a range of themes and allows you to showcase different creative works due to its flexibility.
Pros
- Ideal for bloggers
- Can create portfolio page separate from blog
- 100+ free themes available
- Comes with SSL certificate and JetPack features for improving website performance
Cons
- Free plan shows ads
- Limited storage at 3 GB
4. Clippings.me
Clippings.me is a website that offers a straightforward method for sharing your top articles, collateral, and other marketing materials.
By using Clippings.me, you have the ability to upload your PDFs, links, and related multimedia to create an attractive portfolio. You can select specific categories to organize your work and make it easy for others to browse. Additionally, you can include social links on your page, making it easier for professionals to connect with you.
You have the opportunity to network and potentially gain prospective clients or collaborators by browsing through other freelancers’ pages, in addition to uploading and maintaining your own portfolio.
Pros
- Designed intuitively for writers — by writers
- Ideal for beginner or experienced writers looking to expand their careers
- Offers a journalism directory
Cons
- Can only feature up to 10 articles under the free plan
5. Behance
Behance, one of the most popular online portfolio websites, is utilized by millions of UX/UI designers, artists, and photographers. It offers a user-friendly experience, enabling users to categorize their work by project, display ongoing projects, and solicit feedback from followers. Furthermore, the platform provides the option to connect your portfolio with your social media profiles.
Behance is a great choice to promote yourself due to its extensive digital community, especially because recruiters and interviewers browse the site to discover talented individuals. Nonetheless, Behance’s feature of displaying the number of views and likes on your work can be both advantageous and risky compared to a simpler website portfolio.
Pros
- Ideal for creatives who don’t have time to create their own standalone portfolio site
- Can get feedback from followers
- Includes social proof in terms of views and likes on portfolio site
Cons
- Limited design and feature options on free plan
- The display of views and likes can be risky if not enough people see or appreciate a project
6. Adobe Portfolio
If you have a Creative Cloud membership, Adobe Portfolio is a great choice for making a single-page website or a complete gallery of your work. With Adobe Portfolio, you can easily create a polished and personalized portfolio in just a few minutes, and all of the platform’s themes are optimized for any device automatically.
Furthermore, Adobe Portfolio provides the option to connect with Behance and Adobe Lightroom in order to import your projects and enhance their visibility.
Pros
- Option to create multi- or single-page website
- Offers 18 responsive themes
- Integrations with Behance and Adobe Lightroom
Cons
- Only free if you have Creative Cloud membership
7. Fabrik
Fabrik is a platform designed for creatives to showcase their portfolios. By providing unique website styling and technology, designers can organize their projects without the need for coding. Users can easily upload their portfolios and also enjoy the added feature of blogging.
Fabrik’s themes are designed to be intuitive and adaptable for your project content requirements. This versatility allows users to explore different layouts that enhance various media formats needed, such as graphic design, fashion, and more. The Fabrik portfolio is a simple and convenient option for creating and managing your portfolio on all devices, thanks to its uncomplicated configurations.
Pros
- Ideal for creative designers of various specialties
- Allows an unlimited number of blog posts
- Responsive customer support
Cons
- Have to integrate other functionalities like ecommerce or other third-party extensions externally
8. Wix
In second place, Wix scored 4.5 out of 5 and provides its users with complete creative freedom and abundant customization options for their portfolios.
Wix’s user-friendly editor makes it quick to create an attractive portfolio website, and their free plan is an excellent place to begin. Additionally, Wix provides impressive SEO assistance and includes features like email marketing and social media tools.
It is important to mention that Wix is at the top of our list for the best website builders overall. Additionally, it is our highest-rated ecommerce builder. Therefore, if you have plans to grow your website or sell your work along with your portfolio, you can trust Wix to handle it effectively.
Wix Templates
Wix is an excellent platform for building your portfolio website. It offers a wide selection of professionally-designed templates, with 52 specifically designed for portfolios. The variety of options available in Wix’s templates is rated a perfect 5 out of 5, while its design flexibility receives an impressive 4.4 out of 5. The platform’s drag-and-drop editor allows for a high level of creative control over the appearance of your portfolio, which can be ideal for some individuals but overwhelming for others.
9. GoDaddy
In third place on our list is GoDaddy, with a score of 4.2 out of 5. It is the ideal option for individuals who want to quickly establish their portfolio. GoDaddy offers various services, such as a website builder, hosting plans, and domain name registration.
GoDaddy’s setup speed is one of its strengths, and credit is mostly due to its ADI builder. By simply answering a few questions, artificial design intelligence will generate a personalized site for you.
If you decide to use GoDaddy, be ready for a decrease in customization choices and restricted functionalities, particularly when comparing it to Squarespace or Wix.
GoDaddy scores 4 out of 5 when it comes to design. Their ADI builder allows you to quickly get your portfolio live, but it can be challenging to customize the template to your exact needs. GoDaddy’s editor can be frustrating at times due to its block-based elements that make moving or resizing things difficult. However, if you are looking for a basic portfolio, GoDaddy is a suitable option. If you want more control, consider checking out Wix.
10. Shopify
Shopify ranks as the fourth best portfolio website builder in our top six. Our analysis this year focused on builders that offer users the capability to accept bookings and payments for their services. This is why Shopify receives a solid overall score of 4 out of 5.
Shopify relies heavily on third-party apps to enhance its basic in-house features, making it a somewhat challenging editor to comprehend. However, despite its complexity, Shopify is highly favored by customers due to its robust sales tools and scalability, earning a customer satisfaction score of 4.5 out of 5. While Squarespace is our preferred option in this category, Shopify secures the second position closely behind.
11. Hostinger
Hostinger has been included as a new addition to our list of the top portfolio website builders. In our 2023 research, it secured the sixth spot with a score of 3.7 out of 5. With its Website Builder + Web Hosting plan, Hostinger offers a convenient and fast way to establish an online presence. We suggest Hostinger as an excellent choice for freelancers looking to showcase their work.
To say it in a straightforward way, Hostinger is most suitable for basic websites. However, if you are looking to build a distinct portfolio that involves intricate design elements, this hosting service may not be the right choice. Its templates are basic and lacking an app market, making it challenging to expand online. As a result, Hostinger falls behind in terms of website features, flexibility in design, customer support, and overall satisfaction.
Hostinger’s design and template options are a significant disappointment, as it ranks last among the six builders with a score of 3.5 out of 5. While there is a selection of over 100 pre-designed templates and a user-friendly drag-and-drop editor, customizing the website to suit individual preferences proves to be challenging.
