As a designer, mentor, and former hiring manager, I’ve reviewed hundreds of portfolios.
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I also teach a UX Portfolio course at Pratt Institute, so I regularly see a wide range of styles, approaches, and platforms.
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Building a portfolio takes time, effort, and a surprising amount of emotional energy.
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I often get asked which portfolio platform is best. Here are the most common questions I hear — and my answers.
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Finding the right platform

There are now countless portfolio platforms — often called “website builders.” These are online tools that let you build and customize a website without needing to code.
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They often provide pre-designed templates and drag-and-drop features, making the process user-friendly.
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There’s no one-size-fits-all platform — each has its strengths and tradeoffs.

Doing a bit of research can go a long way in helping you decide which works best for you and your work.
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Here are some key factors to consider:
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Customization and Flexibility

→ Can I customize the layout, fonts, colors, to match my brand style?

✓ Most platforms offer some customization, but the level of control varies.
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​Webflow enables creators to build custom websites with intricate animations and responsive design.
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→ Is it flexible enough to showcase different types of work (e.g., images, videos, case studies, writing samples)?

✓ If you work with video, check what file types are supported and whether there are limits on hosting or playback quality.
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Options: Format is a dedicated portfolio platform with built-in video hosting, while Webflow and Squarespace offer robust website-building options with video embedding capabilities.

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Ease of Use

→ Is the platform intuitive to set up and update, or will I require constant technical help?

✓ Creating a portfolio is difficult enough so having to learn a new creator platform should be as easy as possible.

✓ Every platform has a learning curve. Tools like Webflow offer powerful customization but can be complex to learn. Others, like Carrd, are much easier to get up and running.
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→ How easy is it to rearrange projects, update information, or add new work?

✓ Most platforms provide this basic functionality, but usability varies.

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Template Quality and Variety

→ Are the available templates visually appealing, and appropriate for my work?

✓ This is usually where designers make a decision on which platform to go with. I suggest reviewing not just the platform’s preset templates, but also live examples of portfolios built using them.
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​Wix provides links to websites of designers using their templates:

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Cargo Collective has a dedicated section to user websites:

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Mobile Responsiveness

→ Does the platform automatically optimize for phones and tablets?
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✓ This is critical. Your portfolio should look great on any screen size. Some platforms do a better job at mobile responsiveness — or at least make it easier to fine-tune for smaller screens.

✓ I found Cargo Collective a bit challenging to make fully responsive and other's like Wix a bit easier to fine-tune it's responsiveness.
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Carrd makes it easy to toggle between mobile and desktop views:

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Performance and Speed

→ Will the platform load my portfolio quickly?

✓ This can be tested by looking at other portfolios using a specific platform. See how quickly it loads on different devices and internet connections.

✓ Heavy visuals and slow servers can ruin a visitor's first impression.

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SEO and Discoverability

→ Can I customize meta titles, descriptions, and URLs to help my portfolio show up in search engines?

✓ Most platforms now include basic SEO features as a selling point.
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​Example: Wix lets you track site traffic, get optimization suggestions, and monitor changes in performance. Weebly provides SEO analytics for your site

→ Does it integrate with analytics tools to track visitors?

✓ Most platforms have basic analytics.

✓ With Wix you can review site traffic, get improvement recommendations and even measure results on improvements. While Readymag offers basic page metrics.
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✓ I recommend designers add Google Analytics to their portfolio site to view traffic and user behavior. It’s free and works with nearly all platforms.

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Cost and Value

→ Should I choose a free platform with limited features, or is it worthwhile to purchase a premium plan?

✓ Most platforms offer a free version, which I highly recommend testing. Before committing, try building your portfolio on two or three platforms to get a feel for them.
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​Ask yourself:

Testing a few free versions gives you hands-on insight into what works best for you before investing in a plan.
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Final Thoughts

Your portfolio is more than a collection of projects — it’s your narrative. Choosing the right platform ensures your work is shown in the best light, and that your site works for you.
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Try a few, experiment, and let the platform support your story — not define it.

Portfolio platforms to try out:
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​Adobe Portfolio​
​Behance​​
​​Carbon Made​
​Cargo Collective​
​Carrd​
​Format​
​Framer​​
​​Portfoliobox​​
​​Readymag
​​Siter.io​​
​​Squarespace​​
​​UXFolio
​​Webflow​
​Weebly​
​Wix​
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Thanks for reading. See you next week!

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Anthony Faria
​the Designer's Roadmap​
​Helping designers navigate the path to success

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