Choosing the best system to build your portfolio online is not always easy so we selected the 3 best online portfolio systems for designers to help you get started.
Do I need an online portfolio? Yes, you do. It’s an extension of your business card, it makes it easier for clients to find you. They will also get an idea of the work you deliver, that alone can make a big difference.
So you prepared all your cases, made beautiful imagery and wrote fantastic case texts but now what? Below are what we think are the 3 best online portfolio systems for creatives. Depending on what you expect from such a system these are all good choices.
Cargocollective
Cargocollective was one of the first portfolio systems out there and it’s still great. It’s flexible, modern, easy to use, they have great templates. Some of the features are:
- Responsive, Customizable Templates, Retina Ready
- Unlimited Bandwidth
- Unlimited Pages
- Professional Support
- Cloud-based Image Storage up to 6GB
- E-commerce Integration
- Domain Registration & Management
- SSL Encryption
- Unique Image Effects
- Premium Font Libraries
- Private projects (password protected)
Price: $99/year or $13/month.
Note: You can start building your website and pay when you are ready to go live.
Semplice
Based on WordPress it’s a great tool to get your website up and running. It’s built by designers and for designers which makes it easy to understand and to customise. The only downside is that you need hosting and a WordPress installation to make it work. Some of the features are:
- Responsive
- Custom Font sets
- Retina ready
- SVG Support
- Visual content editor
- Dribble module
- Gallery module
- Integrated Video tutorials
- Private projects (password protected)
Price: $119
Note: Pay once use forever, you still need hosting, a domain name and a WordPress installation.
Adobe Portfolio
Every one of you probably knows Behance, the biggest creative work showcase platform in the world. The same platform also has a portfolio website system that is free for all Creative Cloud members. Needless to say, it works great with your Creative Cloud apps. Some of the features are:
- Behance integration
- Responsive
- Retina ready
- Adobe fonts integrated
- Easily access and import your photos from Lightroom
- Photo Grids
- Private projects (password protected)
Price: $9.99/month (starting price).
Note: You can start building your website and pay when you are ready to go live.
Here are some tips for starting freelance creatives that also might be of help to you.