6 Free Portfolio Websites to Showcase Your Work (2024)

A standard resume may not be the best way to showcase your dynamic work. This is especially true if the work is of a creative nature. This is where you need a portfolio website. Make your great work stand out with a portfolio website

Portfolio websites combine text and multimedia elements (e.g. videos, illustrations, photos) to help you establish your personal brand identity through visual and narrative storytelling. A portfolio website can help you stand out in a variety of ways, from job applications and highlighting your accomplishments to showing potential clients the type of work you can perform.

The good news? You don’t have to be a web design expert to create an online portfolio with our wide selection of no-code portfolio templates. You can also customize the format to fit your unique portfolio needs. Take a look at six of the best free portfolio websites you can keep using in 2024 and beyond.

What is a portfolio website?

A portfolio website is an online hub where individuals or businesses display samples of their work. A digital portfolio website often includes images, videos, a description of the work, and information about the creator of the work (this could be you). These websites can be customized and built to your liking using a variety of platforms, including Shopify, WordPress, and Adobe Portfolio.

For example, photographers can explore creative themes, apply free themes to their online portfolio, and publish image galleries. Directors and cinematographers can post videos, and audio professionals like composers and producers can use portfolio websites to share demo reels or behind-the-scenes footage of their work.

The Importance of a Portfolio Website for Professionals

Building a portfolio website gives you the opportunity to showcase your work and make money online by demonstrating the viability of your ideas. This allows prospects to see samples of your work firsthand to understand what your idea looks like in detail.

Online portfolios simplify the process of sharing your work. There is no need for face-to-face meetings or sending samples, just share a link to easily access your portfolio. Setup is easy as no coding skills are required. Additionally, a portfolio website serves as an archive where you can systematically organize and store your work.

Did you know that you can integrate an ecommerce store into your portfolio website? Shopify makes it easy to add ecommerce functionality to any website.

3 Types of Free Portfolio Websites

As you explore the world of free portfolio websites, keep an eye out for three key categories: online portfolio builders, hosted portfolio solutions, and social media platforms.

1. Online portfolio builder

An online portfolio builder is a web tool specifically designed for displaying an individual’s creative work. Portfolio Builder allows you to embed a portfolio on your website and use a custom domain name based on the available names.

2. Hosting Portfolio Solutions

With a hosted portfolio solution, your portfolio will appear on other website platforms such as Tumblr and Google Photos. Although they may not offer custom domain names for your portfolio designs, these platforms typically offer secure hosting and powerful search tools.

3. Social media platforms

Some content creators use social media platforms, especially Instagram and Tiktok, as their main portfolio platforms. Not only are social media sites free, but they are also easy to index in search engines. Strategic use of hashtags and trending topics can help promote your work. Shopify lets you integrate your customizable store with Facebook and Instagram. On Tiktok, you can post new work to drive fans to your online store or create TikTok ads.

6 Popular Free Portfolio Websites

1. Journal Portfolio
2. WordPress
3. Carbonmade
4. Adobe Portfolio
5. Behance
6. Dribbble

There are so many online portfolio options out there that it can be overwhelming. Here are some of the best free portfolio websites to showcase your work.

1. Journal Portfolio

Journal Portfoliois a design portfolio tool that combines convenience and tools, offering interactive exhibitions and its own blog function. Easily upload new content by dragging and dropping or automatically import new posts. These features will appeal to professionals in a variety of fields, including photography, visual arts, journalism, and copywriting.

You can upload 10 images to your portfolio for free. The paid plan is Starting at $5 per monthWe also offer student and multi-site discounts.

2. WordPress

WordPressis a platform that hosts some of the most trafficked websites in the world. One of its strengths is search engine optimization (SEO). Most WordPress subscriptions offer marketing and analytics tools. WordPress is so flexible that it fits almost any type of portfolio.

WordPress Create a site for free However, there may be limitations. The paid plan is $3 to $36 per monthVaries, with corporate accounts being the exception. WordPress’ vast features can seem a bit overwhelming.

3. Carbonmade

Carbonmadefocuses on creating portfolios in visual fields such as animation, UX design, photography, typography, and fashion design. Carbonmade lets you build a portfolio website as part of its free trial. To post your work Upgrade to a paid planIt costs between $9 and $22 per month.

4. Adobe Portfolio

Adobe is a well-known company in the audio and video hosting space, helping creators showcase their work. Adobe Portfolio You can see this clearly by looking at the tool. also Photoshop, Premiere Pro, LightroomIntegrates with Adobe’s software suite, such as: Adobe Portfolio is available for free to Adobe Creative Cloud subscribers. The photo-only plan is $19.99 per month, and the full Creative Cloud plan is $19.99 per month. subscribeThe fee is $59.99 per month.

5. Behance

Behanceis another Adobe product, but it is a social media platform rather than a website builder. This platform is a cross between Instagram and Linkedin. Like Instagram, it showcases creators’ work (drawings, photography, UX design, etc.), and like LinkedIn, connects them with potential collaborators and employers. Behance offers a free trial before a monthly fee is charged. You can publish your portfolio completely free of charge. It is one of the few platforms. To use full functionality Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptionYou need this.

6. Dribbble

Dribbbleis a marketplace for designers to post their work and can be considered a competitor to Behance. You can host your entire portfolio on Dribbble, or use it as a networking tool within your industry. Powerful site indexing and Accurate search toolhelps potential employers find you by keyword. You can build a portfolio on Dribbble for free, but almost all of its features are Dribbble Pro A paid plan is required. The price is usually Starting at $8It is one of the cheapest paid portfolio tools.

Choose a free portfolio website that suits your needs

1. Determine your needs and budget
2. Research and compare different options
3. Consider user experience and design

There are endless options to choose from when choosing a portfolio website. Use this three-step approach to choose the platform that’s right for you.

1. Determine your needs and budget

Depending on the range of products or services you offer, you may not need a fancy portfolio. A single page website may meet your needs. If you need to showcase a lot across multiple categories, you may need to consider using a paid platform.

2. Research and compare different options

Once you’ve assessed your needs and budget, it’s time to look at what’s available on the market. For example, some options may be better suited to certain types of tasks, such as writing or UI design, while others may be more effective at generating sales. For example, if you want to keep your target audience up to date with recent photo shoots, a platform like Instagram might be a better fit.

3. Consider user experience and design

If multiple platforms offer similar features at similar prices, Your choice may depend on user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) features. Everyone’s workflow is different, so the type of UX you’re comfortable with may differ. You may also want a template-based portfolio builder rather than a customizable option. Find the platform that best suits your workflow. Many paid portfolio sites allow you to start a free trial, and free platforms allow you to create a free site before deciding whether to upgrade to a paid version.