Website builders are crucial for artists and photographers because they allow them to create a professional online presence to showcase their work. Plus, using these platforms can do without extensive web development skills or programming knowledge.
As more people spend their time online, a well-designed website can significantly impact the success of a creative’s career. It’s arguably the number one option for raising awareness, building credibility, and increasing the client base.
While WordPress and Squarespace are top-of-the-mind, there are a few other platforms worth considering. Below, we narrow down the best website builders for your creative output.
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Best Website Builder For Artists And Photographers Comparison Chart
Squarespace
The best overall website builder for artists and photographers.
Squarespace is a highly recommended website builder for artists. If you’re looking to create a visually-appealing online presence, it’s the platform of choice. Among the current crop of website builders, Squarespace easily has the most beautiful templates. A look at the selection shows an emphasis on clean designs, refined typography, and a streamlined UI. Moreover, all templates are mobile-responsive.
One of the most valuable features of Squarespace is its user-friendly drag-and-drop interface. This makes it simple to customize templates and create a unique look for your website.
Additionally, Squarespace’s flexible grid system allows for beautiful and seamless displays of images, videos, and text, making it ideal for photographers, artists, and other creatives.
Another great aspect of Squarespace is its robust e-commerce capabilities. It’s easy to set up an online store and sell products — digital or physical — directly from your website. And since it’s SEO-friendly, you’ll be ready to sell your works in no time.
Trial Period: 14 days | Options: Paid plans only
WordPress
The best website builder for customization.
WordPress.org is a powerful website builder for artists and photographers who prefer deeper customization options and access to third-party integrations. The platform offers a range of templates and themes that can be adapted to fit a creative’s brand. Using WordPress is free, although you have to spend on hosting, storage, and security.
One of the key benefits of WordPress.org is its open-source nature. This means users get unlimited customization options. The platform also gives artists the ability to add custom plugins and themes. If you’re familiar with coding, you get even more creative and functional control.
WordPress offers a vast library of plugins and add-ons. Some of these plugins provide a wealth of options for media and image displays. Meanwhile, other add-ons build e-commerce capabilities and further optimize your website.
For creatives in digital marketing, WordPress provides robust analytics and SEO tools, allowing users to track the success of their website and make informed decisions about their online marketing strategy.
Trial Period: n/a | Options: Free to use but other costs shouldered by the user
Wix
The best website builder for artists.
For artists who don’t want to write a single line of code, Wix is our recommendation. The website builder has the most dynamic drag-and-drop interface on this list. And unlike Squarespace, you can own an operational website without subscribing to a plan.
Wix has over 800 templates to choose from. While they don’t match the sophistication offered by Squarespace’s choice or the customization offered by WordPress, you can find art-focused templates to adapt. These templates typically include pages you can readily customize. You can also add elements to your site like social media links and contact forms.
To showcase your work, Wix also offers social media linking and contact forms. Image galleries and carousels are also available, and uploading images through these elements is a breeze.
If adopting a template is still too much work, Wix has you covered. The Wix ADI feature uses AI to automatically design a site based on your preferences. Simply answer the questions, and let the AI generate a website for you.
Trial Period: 14 days | Options: Free version and paid plans
Format
The best website builder for photographers.
Designed for photography websites, Format offers features specific to the industry. At the same time, the platform boasts the ease of use available in other website builders. This makes it a solid choice for showcasing your work in a professional and visually-appealing manner.
Like most website builders, users can choose from a library of templates. These themes are customizable through a drag-and-drop interface. Photographers can also upload and organize photos, create custom pages, and add different site elements. In addition, built-in SEO tools help improve a site’s online visibility.
For photographers, Format offers a password-protected client-proofing gallery. To protect your work from copyright theft, the platform allows disabling right clicks, too. Image watermarking is also available on Format.
If you use Lightroom or Capture One, the website builder allows users to directly upload images from these programs directly to your site. There’s also support for importing files from DropBox.
Trial Period: 14 days | Options: Paid plans only
Bandzoogle
The best website builder for music bands.
For musical artists, a solid online presence in the streaming era is essential. Fortunately, there is Bandzoogle, a dedicated website builder for music industry professionals.
Like other platforms, Bandzoogle has a wide selection of templates. What makes Bandzoogle different is that it organizes its themes according to the music genre. The platform also enjoys integrations with popular apps and networks for musicians, including YouTube, Soundcloud, Spotify, and iTunes.
Industry-specific tools are also available. Musicians, for instance, will like the e-commerce features of the platform, which allow easy selling of merchandise, music, and tickets. Meanwhile, the built-in SEO tools are designed to improve the discoverability of certain content, like an artist’s event calendar or music store.
Of course, you get standard features with this website builder. There’s a drag-and-drop editor to add elements, including music tracks, in a cinch. Users can also customize the layout and style of various page elements. For additional personalization, Bandzoogle offers a CSS editor, too.
Trial Period: 30 days | Options: Paid plans only
Fabrik
The best website builder for portfolios.
Designed by creators, Fabrik touts itself as an intelligent way of building your online portfolio. It begins by asking what your creative discipline is. Fabrik includes options for photographers, 3D artists, illustrators, and even agencies and studios.
Once you’ve selected a discipline, you simply upload images of your work. Fabrik’s intelligent system then develops a theme based on these images. Wix has something similar called Wix AD, but Fabrik goes deeper by adapting to the actual content of your site.
With this image-based approach, you don’t have to think about a theme that would fit your brand. It also suggests features specific to your creative discipline. Fabrik’s website builder is also optimized for any device, including tablets and smartphones.
Plus, you can still tweak whatever Fabrik’s intelligent system suggests. From colors to fonts, the platform offers artists creative control over the final design. You can also switch between themes, choose from several image layouts, and categorize your work.
Trial Period: 14 days | Options: Paid plans only
Verdict
Our list of the best website builders makes it possible for artists and photographers to establish a professional-looking website with ease.
For artists and photographers, a website is crucial for establishing their brand and engaging with current and potential clients. Our list of the best website builders makes this goal possible, often without the need to write a single line of code. But while all six have their pros and cons, two are standouts in terms of feature, design, and ease of use.
Squarespace is our overall pick. The platform is unmatched when it comes to the sophistication of templates. Moreover, the website builder has a robust set of e-commerce capabilities. If you’re on a budget, Wix is the best free website builder. While this non-paid option lacks more advanced features, you get enough tools to adapt any of its free templates.
FAQs
Squarespace’s Personal Plan starts at $23/mo. However, if you opt to pay annually, the plan comes down to $16/mo.
No. Wix’s trial subscription does not require credit card information.
Format offers three plans: Basic, Pro, and Pro Plus. All three include features like SSL security, SEO tools, copyright protection, and mobile-optimized sites.
Bandzoogle allows bands and solo artists to sell merch, tickets, and subscriptions. It also supports crowdfunding campaigns.