With many platforms competing to be considered among the best website builders, the best small business website builders, the best free blogging site, or the best ecommerce website builders, a very small number are designed specifically to be the best website builders for photographers.
However, among the many affordable website builders widely available, there are some aimed at photography and portfolio sites. While photo sharing sites have common features shared with builders, professionals need to utilize website builders that can display high-quality images in the way they're intended to be seen.
Our guide to the best website builders for photographers aims to showcase the best solutions for this niche as we have the best website builder for musicians. We discuss five website builders, comparing each and looking for ease of use, excellent tools and features, and reasonable pricing. A few chosen also offer the opportunity for ecommerce so that you can sell images via your site too.
We examine each builder's pros and cons, to help you find the best website builders for photographers to showcase and sell your skills online.
The top 3 website builders for photographers right now
Why you can trust Tom's Guide? Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate.
The best website builders for photographers of 2023 in full
While Format doesn’t provide the same range of features as more robust website builders, it streamlines virtually every aspect of building a website. Its ease of use and decent set of features for basic website building make it a great option for any photographer looking for a simple way to develop a website.
Users can choose from more than 60 themes, with premium themes available for an additional charge. Every theme is thoroughly customizable, so you can always make changes if you don’t like particular aspects of a given template. Format is free for up to 14 days, giving users more than enough time to test the platform.
Furthermore, each theme is set up to display perfectly on all devices, including computers, tablets, and phones. You can easily check what your site will look like on different devices using the Preview function.
Format also makes it easy to upload and display images on your site. After uploading, simply drag and drop each image to the desired location. Assuming you don’t want to make any changes to your template, it won’t take you more than a few minutes to put your new site online.
It’s also worth mentioning that Format provides some extra features and options that aren’t available with certain competitors. For example, users can import an existing domain, create an online store and blog, and edit CSS directly. There are numerous video tutorials to help you understand the platform’s functionality.
The Portfolio plans start at $4 a month with the Basic package, rising to $8 a month for the Pro package and $13 for the Pro Plus plan.
Read our full Format review.
Although Squarespace isn’t specifically designed for creatives, it still comes with sufficient features for photographers. Arguably the most well-known website builder, it provides numerous professional templates including options for both full-screen and grid formats.
Squarespace automatically crops and resizes images for you, so you won’t have to do any extra work to make your site look good on all devices. Furthermore, while certain colors, fonts, and other options are applied by default, you can quickly customize these to an extent based on your preferences.
Unlike Carbonmade, Squarespace gives users the ability to set up password protection on certain pages in their gallery. You can also set up a contact form in just a few clicks to give visitors an easy way to get in touch with you if they’re interested in your work.
While most users will focus on the platform’s web interface, Squarespace works surprisingly well on mobile devices through its iOS and Android apps. All things considered, Squarespace provides everything most photographers need to showcase their work on a professional site.
Read our Squarespace review and view our Squarespace promo codes.
Like Format, Carbonmade is designed for speed and ease of use rather than a deep set of features. That said, it’s built specifically for photographers and other creatives, so many of its tools are perfect for artists.
In contrast to Format, Carbonmade only includes a small selection of templates, although you do have some control over the specifics of each design. It also has a highly intuitive interface that facilitates quick website creation and editing. There are three tiers of pricing, starting with the Beginner package at $9 a month, with the Pro and Expert tiers respectively costing $12 and $22 a month.
While help resources are available if you run into any issues, Carbonmade generally makes it easy to find what you’re looking for on your own. It provides decent room for customization without making the interface overly complicated or confusing.
Carbonmade Messages, one of the platform’s more unique features, enables site creators to communicate directly with visitors who are interested in their photography. Other tools include the option to connect a custom domain name or upload images directly from your Dropbox account.
Although Carbonmade is missing a few features, such as password-protected pages and online sales, it’s still worth considering for photographers who simply want to display their work. Especially given its affordable rates, Carbonmade is an accessible option for many photographers.
Dunked is missing the depth of some of its competitors, particularly with respect to its selection of templates and features. On the other hand, it makes up for these issues with incredible ease of use, enabling users to put their websites online in as little as a few minutes.
Like many of the best website builders, Dunked uses a drag-and-drop approach to website building. Subscribers can also split images by category or simply onto different pages for full control of site layout. The platform’s simple interface streamlines these processes into just a handful of clicks.
While Dunked doesn’t provide as many templates as other website builders, each template works well on all devices and screen sizes. Additionally, experienced users can make fine-grained adjustments by editing the CSS. Speed and accessibility are two of the platform’s greatest advantages.
Dunked is undoubtedly too simple for some use cases, but most photographers will find that it has all the tools they need to get started. It offers a ten-day free trial, so you can set up your site before deciding whether to stick with the service or switch to another website builder.
There are two paid options, Agency and Professional, priced respectively at $19 a month and $8 a month, offering different services and features for businesses and individuals.
Zenfolio, on its homepage, states that it's been voted the top website builder for photographers by professionals, and on looking into what it has to offer, there's not much to suggest this is wrong.
A very strong toolset included with plans aims to help photography businesses flourish, with features aimed at users and clients, which other builders might not do. It is however quite complex for beginners to get to grips with.
In terms of templates, Zenfolio offers a wide variety of stylish designs that can be modified to suit your own brand, while photo gallery uploads are quick and easy, and include password protection options.
An in-built payment system means selling photo prints is incredibly simple, while the multiple plans available offer top features such as unlimited storage for RAW files, image protection, and security.
| Website builder | Starting price | Templates | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Format | $4 a month | 60+ | Up to 1TB |
| Squarespace | $16 a month | 110+ | Unlimited |
| Carbonmade | $9 a month | None | Unlimited |
| Dunked | $8 a month | 17+ | Unlimited |
| Zenfolio | $5.25 a month | 9+ | From 15GB |
How to choose the best photography website builder for you
When it comes to choosing the best website builder for photographers, there are several factors that you should consider to ensure that you pick the right platform for your needs.
Look for a website builder that offers features that are specifically designed for photographers. This might include tools for showcasing your portfolio, selling prints and digital downloads, and integrating with social media platforms.
As a photographer, you don't want to spend hours learning how to use a complicated website builder. Look for a platform that is intuitive and user-friendly, with drag-and-drop functionality and easy customization options.
Your website should be a reflection of your unique style and aesthetic. Make sure the website builder you choose offers a wide range of design options, including templates, color schemes, and fonts, so you can create a website that truly represents you.
Website builders can range from free to quite expensive, so it's important to consider your budget when making a choice. Look for a platform that offers transparent pricing, with no hidden fees or charges.
If you run into any issues with your website, you'll want to be able to get help quickly and easily. Look for a website builder that offers robust customer support, with multiple channels of communication (like email, live chat, and phone support) and a comprehensive knowledge base.
Ultimately, the best website builder for photographers will depend on your specific needs and preferences. By considering these factors and doing your research, you'll be able to find a platform that allows you to showcase your work in the best possible way.
How we review the best website builders for photographers
To find the best website builders for photographers, we employ a range of evaluation methods that take into account the unique needs and preferences of photographers who want to create a website. Our approach is designed to provide a comprehensive assessment that can help photographers make informed decisions about which website builder is right for them.
Since not all photographers are tech-savvy, we evaluate how user-friendly each website builder is in terms of navigation, customization, and content creation.
A website is a visual representation of a photographer's work, so it's important to have a website that showcases their portfolio in an appealing way. We test the design and customization features of each website builder to see if they offer customizable templates, image galleries, and sliders.
Photographers need to be able to upload, organize, and display their photos in high quality. Therefore, we evaluate how well each website builder manages image optimization, uploading, and organization.
Many photographers sell their prints and other products online, so we evaluate how well each website builder supports e-commerce functionality such as shopping carts, payment processing, and shipping options.
To gain more visibility and clients, photographers need their website to rank well on search engines. Thus, we evaluate how well each website builder supports SEO best practices and provides analytics tools to help photographers understand their website's performance.
By taking into account these factors and testing each website builder, we can provide photographers with a comprehensive evaluation of each platform's strengths and weaknesses.
For more information, read our testing methodology page.
Next steps with website builders
If you're looking to find out more about simpler website building tools, make sure to read our guide to the best easy website builders available. If you're on a budget, read our comparison between free website builders vs paid to see what might be best for your site.
For something more complex, try WordPress via the best website builders for WordPress; you'll also need the best WordPress hosting from the best web hosting services.
