Key takeaways:
- Beginner-friendly, featureful, and budget-friendly are great indicators of a good website builder.
- Choosing a website builder is equally important as choosing the right gear for your photoshoot sessions.
- Network Solutions is an affordable and easy-to-use website builder.
Your photography business needs a website that’s as beautiful as your shots. However, with so many website builders in the market, it’s hard to pick the right one. Fortunately, we’ve already done the legwork for you.
Let’s go over our five picks of the best website builders. By the end, you’ll be able to learn more about these site builders and learn new platforms that will help with your decision-making process.
Overview of compared options
Website builder | Key features | Best for |
Network Solutions | – Drag-and-drop functionality – AI-powered tools – Affordable pricing – Customizable templates – Appointment scheduling | Beginner, intermediate, and advanced users |
Wix | -Flexibility -Built-in AI tools – Advanced design features – Scheduling tool – Photography templates | Intermediate and advanced users |
Squarespace | – Blueprint AI – Photography website templates – Gallery blocks – eCommerce functionality – Easy to use | Beginner, intermediate, and advanced users |
Zenfolio | – Photography-specific templates – Supports video format – Client galleries and proofing – Built-in booking system – Built-in search engine optimization (SEO) tool | Beginner, intermediate, and advanced users |
Pixpa | – Client galleries – Visual-focused templates – Integrated eCommerce | Beginner, intermediate, and advanced users |
Network Solutions
Network Solutions is known for its straightforward approach to website building. It’s a smart option for solo or small studios that want a fast and budget-friendly way to launch their online presence.
Unlike more design-heavy platforms, Network Solutions focuses on getting your website up and running with minimal hassle.
Key features
- Drag-and-drop functionality. No coding experience? No worries. Just drag, drop, and adjust your layout until it fits your vision.
- AI-powered tools. If you need a quick launch, our AI-powered tools will help you create a website and a logo. It can also write content like blogs and product descriptions so you can focus on your photography.
- Affordable pricing. It’s a budget-friendly website builder perfect for portfolio websites and new photography businesses.
- Customizable templates. Templates that are easy to personalize, ensuring that everything fits perfectly with your vision.
- Appointment scheduling. This tool makes booking sessions easier for your clients. Also, saving you time on back-and-forth emails or calls.
Pricing and plans
Network Solutions is one of the most affordable website builders on this list, offering great value with necessary features such as:
- One-month free SSL certificate to protect your website
- One-year free domain name
- Free professional email for three months
- One-hour expert design support
It’s also important to note that Network Solutions doesn’t offer a free trial. Here are Network Solutions’ plans and pricing:
Target audience
Network Solutions’ website builder is best for beginners who want to set up a website quickly. Because it functions without coding experience, anyone, especially photographers who are always on the go, can launch a photography website faster.
What impresses us | What to watch out for |
– Straightforward features – Perfect for startups – Budget-friendly – Built-in appointment scheduling – Uses AI | – No free plan available – Pricing increases after the first term |
Wix
One of the most versatile website builders on the market, Wix is a creative powerhouse with full design freedom. Its flexibility lets you customize nearly every element, ideal for creative individuals like photographers who want their site to be as unique as their work.
Key features
- Flexibility. Whether you’re new to website building or a seasoned designer, you have options. Use the classic drag-and-drop editor for a quick setup or Wix Studio for more advanced design control.
- Built-in AI tools. Wix’s AI tools generate layouts and content that helps speed up the creation process.
- Advanced design features. The platform offers advanced design features like animation effects to enhance engagement and visual quality.
- Scheduling tool. Wix’s scheduling tool lets you accept bookings online and manage your staff easily.
- Photography templates. Large range of ready-to-use photography templates for a quick website setup.
Pricing and plans
While Wix’s pricing isn’t the cheapest compared to other website builders, it reflects the level of creative freedom and features you get.
Although Wix doesn’t share much information about this, it does offer a free version and a 14-day money-back guarantee so you can test out its products.
Target users
Wix is a great match for photographers who value design flexibility and want full control of every detail on their photography website. It’s ideal for creatives, freelancers, and studios that want to create a visually striking portfolio and integrate features like bookings, eCommerce, and blogging.
What impresses us | What to watch out for |
– Highly customizable – Flexible and caters to individuals with different skill levels – Free version available – Built-in appointment scheduling tool | – Slight learning curve with the editor – Prices are high |
Squarespace
Squarespace is a website builder that emphasizes strong visual structure and built-in tools. It allows you to manage your online portfolio, client bookings, and eCommerce services without relying on third-party apps.
For photographers, Squarespace is a smart choice for its range of photography templates. The platform also offers a balanced approach between design options and ease of use.
Key features
- Blueprint AI. It helps you build a personalized site based on your answers to a few setup questions. It’s ideal for photographers who want to launch quickly without starting from scratch.
- Photography website templates. These layouts prioritize large visuals, clean spacing, and simple navigation.
- Gallery blocks. You can easily create a photo gallery using its drag-and-drop blocks. Choose from slideshows, grids, and carousels to display images the way you like.
- eCommerce functionality. This lets you sell prints, manage inventory, and accept payments all in one.
- Easy to use. Squarespace’s site builder is structured for simplicity. Its pre-designed layouts, drag-and-drop functionality, and centralized tools make it easy to maintain your site.
Pricing and plans
What’s good about Squarespace is that it offers a 14-day free trial. This way, you can test its performance and features and see if it fits your needs.
Since Squarespace also focuses on providing eCommerce functionality, most of its plans let you sell products online, except for its Personal plan, which is the cheapest.
Target users
If visual appeal and simplicity matter most, Squarespace is your best option. This platform is best for photographers who want stylish, low-maintenance sites that look professional.
It’s ideal for portfolio websites, service-based professionals offering bookings, and anyone selling photo-related products like prints.
What impresses us | What to watch out for |
– Has a 14-day free trial – Easy-to-use – Modern, relevant, and has photo-friendly templates – Built-in eCommerce functionality | – Limited design flexibility – No permanent free plan |
Zenfolio
Unlike general-purpose builders, Zenfolio is specifically designed to create websites for those in the photography industry. It combines website creation with tools that support your journey, from portfolio presentation to selling services.
Key features
- Photography-specific templates. The majority of Zenfolio’s website templates focus on showcasing visual work. They have a clean, image-first layout that highlights your portfolio without distractions.
- Video format support. It’s great for uploading and showcasing behind-the-scenes reels that show how you work with your clients. It’s also great for uploading short films that can enhance your portfolio.
- Client galleries and proofing. This tool saves time during the reviewing process. Share private galleries with clients for easy viewing, selection, and downloading.
- Built-in booking system. Let your clients book sessions and make payments directly through your site.
- Built-in search engine optimization (SEO) tool. Zenfolio offers this marketing tool to help you improve your visibility online.
Pricing and plans
Zenfolio offers three paid plans, Portfolio, PortfolioPlus, and ProSuite. The more advanced plans unlock features like unlimited storage and eCommerce tools. It’s also important to highlight that Zenfolio doesn’t offer a free trial, so you need to think through if this platform is what you need at the moment.
Target users
Zenfolio is a great option for all beginners, intermediate, and advanced users, regardless of your experience level in website building. It’s the ideal website builder for eCommerce and portfolio websites.
What impresses us | What to watch out for |
– Built-in marketing tools – Photography-centric templates – Video format support | – Templates are limited – No free plan |
Pixpa
Pixpa is an all-in-one website builder that lets you share and sell your work to clients. It combines visual-first design with important features like eCommerce functionality and marketing tools.
Like most website builders on our list, Pixpa focuses on simplicity. It lets you build your site fast, even with no coding skills.
Key features
- Client galleries. Deliver images to clients using private galleries where they can mark their favorites, leave comments, and download files.
- Visual-focused templates. Pixpa offers clean and photography-friendly templates, making it easy to present your work professionally.
- Integrated eCommerce. You can sell prints and offer photography services directly from your online store.
Pricing and plans
Pixpa is another affordable website builder in the list. It offers a 15-day free trial and does not require a credit card. It also guarantees a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can test out the platform without risking anything.
Target customers
Pixpa is a website builder that fits all types of users. Whether you are a beginner, intermediate, or advanced at website building, you’re guaranteed to feel comfortable with their product.
Pixpa is helpful for creatives who want to keep things streamlined without sacrificing design flexibility.
What impresses us | What to watch out for |
– Budget-friendly – Client galleries – Built-in store | – Limited design flexibility – Templates are quite similar |
How to choose the best photography website builder
Choosing the right website builder for your own photography website is important since your website builder has a significant impact on your online presence and success.
So, to ensure you make the right choice, here are the key features to look for:
- Ease of use. A beginner-friendly site builder will help you save time, especially if you’re not a web design expert.
- Image quality preservation. Your photos are the heart of your business. So, it’s important to choose a website builder that lets you upload images without compromising their quality.
- eCommerce features. If you focus on selling products online, choose a website builder that offers eCommerce functionality.
- SEO tools. This will help you optimize your site’s content. Eventually, attracting possible clients and improving your search engine rankings.
- Budget-friendly. Consider your budget. Look for a website builder that offers transparent, flexible, and affordable pricing plans that align with your needs and budget.
How we chose these website builders
To create this list, we focused on website builders that support the unique needs of photographers like you. Our evaluation included:
- Ease of use
- Affordability and value
- Creative control and flexibility
- Photography-specific features
- Target users
Throughout the process, we asked key questions like, is this builder easy for beginners? Does the pricing match the features? Can you easily tweak details like fonts, colors, and layouts?
We’ve reviewed each platform’s official website and available tools. We also considered user feedback to ensure our recommendations are both practical and relevant.
And to ensure a well-rounded list, we included both popular platforms with a strong reputation and underrated options that offer great value or features beneficial for photographers.
Choose your website builder today!
Choosing the right photography website builder is like finding the perfect lens for your camera. Whether you’re showcasing your photography portfolio or building your brand as a professional photographer, the tools you use to create your website matter.
Network Solutions is a great place to start building your photography website. We’ll help you launch it without any technical hassles. Get started today and build your photography website with Network Solutions.