6 Best Website Builders for UX Designer Portfolios in 2023

While lots of builders claim to have what you need for a great UX portfolio, too many come up short. They may offer run-of-the-mill designs, limited customization options, and even lack basic SEO and marketing tools you need to attract visitors to your website.

The wrong builder can leave you with a portfolio that doesn’t present your work at its best. This can mean fewer leads and job offers, which will negatively impact your earnings and long-term growth potential.

You don’t want to find out when you’re already deep into the design process that the builder you chose doesn’t measure up. That’s why I’ve tested dozens of popular builders to find the best ones for creating a UX portfolio that gets results.

These builders offer well-designed templates and project galleries, sufficient storage for high-quality images and content, and great SEO tools to help you get found online. Keep reading to find the one that’s right for you.

What We Look For in the Best Website Builders for UX Designer Portfolios

Whether you’re looking to build your first UX portfolio or replace an existing one, the builder you choose should offer certain essential features. These are the features I focused on when compiling my list:

• Good-looking portfolio templates. Nearly every builder on my list offers 12 or more templates for UX portfolios. This gives you a choice of various layouts, so you can make a website that’s as unique as you are.
• Engaging project galleries. These website builders make it easy to feature your work in attractive galleries that potential clients and recruiters can navigate with ease. Visitors can jump from your project photos to your detailed case studies with a simple click.
• Plenty of storage and bandwidth. I only included builders that offer plans with enough storage for content-heavy UX portfolio websites. Most also give you plenty of bandwidth, so you don’t have to worry about frustrating your visitors with slow loading pages or other performance issues.
• Analytics and SEO. A great portfolio won’t get you leads and offers if clients and recruiters can’t find you. These builders give you useful data on your site’s visitors and effective SEO tools to improve its ranking on search engines.

1. Wix: Flexible Portfolio Design For Beginners and Pros Alike

Wix gives you lots of options for designing your site, making it an excellent choice for creating a portfolio that reflects who you are. This starts with choosing a template. Wix offers 40+ templates for portfolios, and they all come with different layouts and styling.

You also get the creative freedom to change and rearrange your template’s design elements however you please. What’s more, Wix’s intuitive interface and drag-and-drop editing functions make personalizing quick and easy, leaving you more time to refine your content.

Wix also gives you an impressive range of built-in features, even on its free plan. For instance, you can automate a live chat greeting, gather leads with custom forms, and access pre-built templates for social posts. You can also turn to the Wix App Market to add even more features and functionality to your site.

Wix lets you build a UX portfolio for free. However, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan to remove branded ads, get a custom domain, and add premium features, like the ability to accept payments through your website.

Features

• Interactive photo galleries. The free Wix Pro Gallery app gives you a choice of 12 responsive gallery layouts you can enhance with dynamic elements and interactive prototypes and videos. This allows visitors to experience your design projects firsthand.
• Custom SEO plan. The AI-powered Wix SEO Wiz will design a personalized step-by-step plan to help you improve your site’s search engine ranking.
• Mobile-friendly tools. The Wix mobile editor creates a mobile version of your site that includes all your desktop content. You can then fine-tune how it looks and add mobile-only features, like a sticky quick-action navigation bar to make it easier for potential clients to contact you.
• Improved site accessibility. Wix gives you tools to help make your site more accessible. Its Accessibility Wizard scans your site and flags any issues it finds, such as missing alt text descriptions that highlight photo and video links to visually impaired users.

Read our expert Wix review for more details.

2. Squarespace: Best Looking Templates for UX Portfolios

Squarespace gives you the templates and tools to build an eye-catching UX portfolio that will encourage visitors to delve more deeply into your projects. It offers 24 stunning portfolio templates to choose from, which are all mobile responsive. You can customize your template’s layout, content, fonts, and colors, but you don’t get quite as much creative freedom as with Wix.

Squarespace lets you upload all your images at once and display them in striking photo galleries and project pages that showcase your work and achievements at their best. And you never have to worry about storage or bandwidth – they’re unlimited on every plan (but you can only upload up to 30 minutes of video).

While Squarespace doesn’t have a free plan, its image-forward designs and robust features make it an excellent choice for UX portfolios. Fortunately, you get a 14-day free trial. This lets you pick and customize a template, upload images and content, and see if Squarespace works for you before you commit.

Features

• Built-in image editor. Squarespace has some of the best image editing tools of any builder. For example, you can adjust aspect ratio, brightness, saturation, and more. You can even change an image’s focal point and add a lightbox effect.
• Third-party integrations. Squarespace gives you access to premium integrations and extensions that fit seamlessly into your site’s design. For example, you can link social media, add tools to improve SEO, and embed video/audio from third-party sites like YouTube.
• Easy password protection. You can password protect sensitive project pages or sections of your case studies to control who can access them.
• Useful website analytics. Squarespace gives you an overview of all activity on your site. You get stats on which keywords drive people to your website, the number of visitors you attract over time, and which of your content engages them most.

See our in-depth Squarespace review to learn more.

3. Zyro: Great AI Tools for Designing and Optimizing Portfolios

If you go with Zyro for your portfolio, you can choose from any one of its 22 pre-built portfolio templates. If none of these seem quite right, you can enter “UX portfolio” in the search bar to see additional options generated by its AI template builder.

Whichever template you choose, you’ll get a project gallery you can customize in various ways. For example, you can opt for a grid or masonry layout, specify the number of images per row, and control the amount of whitespace between images. You can even create gallery slideshows that auto-scroll with custom transition timings.

Unfortunately, Zyro doesn’t have a free plan. It also offers far fewer integrations than Wix or Squarespace. However, if you plan to upload lots of content, Zyro’s entry-level plan is one of the cheapest you can find that offers unlimited bandwidth and storage. And unlike other builders, Zyro lets you import content from an existing website on another platform, helping you get a new portfolio online faster.

Features

• Image optimization. Zyro gives you tools for editing each image you upload. These include some advanced functions like changing image backgrounds and removing distracting elements.
• AI insights to maximize conversions. Zyro Heatmap predicts how visitors will navigate your portfolio and what content will engage them most. This can help you place links to your contact details and other CTAs where clients and recruiters are most likely to see them.
• AI-powered content writer. Zyro’s AI Writer will suggest keyword-rich content for your site based on information you provide about your industry and needs. For example, it can suggest text for your About page, the services you offer, or your work history. Just be prepared to tweak any text it generates.
• Versatile media library. You can upload any file type – including PDF and PPT files – and link these to images in your project gallery. You can then allow visitors to download these with a single click.

Get more insight by reading our Zyro review.

4. IONOS: Simple & Affordable Builder For Creating a Site Quickly

IONOS MyWebsite Now could be a good option for your portfolio if you’re on a tight budget. While it only offers a few templates for portfolios, its simple and straightforward editor will let you get your portfolio online fast without breaking the bank.

IONOS doesn’t offer the same level of customization as Wix or Squarespace, but your portfolio doesn’t have to look generic. You can make sitewide changes to colors and fonts and personalize your pages further with content blocks, such as text sections that share your design process. You also get the option to add image sliders and background video to make your portfolio more engaging.

You can create a UX portfolio with IONOS’s 30-day free trial. You’ll have to provide your credit card details, but you won’t be billed for 30 days. If you decide IONOS isn’t right for your portfolio, make sure you cancel during the trial period to avoid being charged.

Features

• Site analytics tool. IONOS gives you information on which elements of your portfolio attract and engage visitors most.
• Dedicated support consultant. IONOS lets you sign up for a free personal consultant who will be your point of contact for any support questions. You can email, call, or chat with your consultant during standard business hours.
• Business email. On any IONOS plan, you get a business email address aligned with your own custom domain, which tells clients you’re a professional.
• Logo generator. You can create a logo for free and use it on your website, marketing materials, business card, and more.

Learn more about IONOS in our in-depth review.

5. WordPress.com: Most Flexible Builder for Highly Personalized Portfolios

WordPress.com offers a large variety of free and paid themes for portfolios. For even more options, you can find thousands of themes on third-party marketplaces, but you’ll need to upgrade to a Business plan to install them.

You can change virtually every element of your theme and add text, photos, and other content “blocks” wherever you like. Just be prepared to spend some time getting used to WordPress.com’s interface, which feels less intuitive than many other builders, such as Wix. You’ll also have to install thirty-party plugins to get certain features other top builders have built in, like video design tools.

WordPress.com has a free plan you can use forever. However, you’ll need to upgrade to a Business plan or higher to unlock the best of what WordPress.com has to offer, including third-party plugins and themes.

Features

• Custom portfolio gallery. On any page, you can add a widget that displays and organizes your best work in a customized gallery. You can then add a custom excerpt to any project image to inspire your visitors to learn more.
• Helpful analytics. The Jetpack plugin (included with all plans) gives you useful data on your site’s traffic. For example, it tells you how many visitors you attract, the number of pages they view, and the search terms that bring them to your site. Just note you’ll need to upgrade to a Business plan to unlock Jackpack’s full features.
• Thousands of plugins. You can install any of WordPress.com’s 50,000+ plugins to expand your site’s functionality and add enhanced design features. For instance, you can get tools that help with SEO and email marketing and others that give you advanced image galleries.
• Third–party builders. If you subscribe to a Business plan, you can install a third-party builder plugin like Elementor. This offers additional customization options and drag-and-drop editing, giving you even more flexibility when designing your site.

See our WordPress review for a full analysis.

6. Webnode: Great for Multi-Language UX Portfolios

I was impressed by Webnode’s multilingual tools, which let you build a multi-language portfolio to connect with diverse and international clients. Its templates are also well-designed, but I was less impressed by the limited customization options. You get far less freedom to personalize your template than with most builders, including other budget-friendly options like Zyro.

You’re also quite limited when it comes to customizing your photo galleries. You can select a 2, 3, or 4 column grid or opt for a slideshow instead. You can also add parallax scrolling to make your portfolio more engaging, but that’s about it.

While Webnode has a free plan, it only comes with a skimpy 100MB of storage. You’ll also need to upgrade to a standard plan (or higher) to unlock some of Webnode’s best features, like its powerful multilingual tools. I recommend contacting customer support to request a free trial so you can fully explore this builder’s features before you commit.

Features

• Multi-language option. You can allow visitors to view your portfolio in their preferred language, but only if you upgrade to a Standard plan or higher. You’ll also have to translate your content first. After this, visitors can select a language from a drop down menu.
• Backup and Recovery. Webnode automatically backs up your site, ensuring your website’s content can be easily restored in the event of a security breach.
• SEO. Webnode lets you customize SEO settings for each of your site’s pages to improve its ranking on search engines. For example, you can shorten your default page URLs and customize your site’s meta description to attract clients and recruiters searching for talent.
• Professional email domain. On most paid plans (Mini plan and higher), you get a business email on your site’s domain to establish your professional credentials.

Read our expert Webnode review for more details.

Choose the Best UX Portfolio Builder For Your Needs

All these builders will let you create a UX design portfolio that presents your projects, design approach, and professional skills in a persuasive visual format.

I’d recommend Wix if creative freedom and ease of use are your priorities. Its custom approach to SEO is also a real plus when it comes to marketing your skills and talents online.

On the other hand, choose Squarespace for a visually striking portfolio that’s easy for potential clients to navigate on any device.

If you’re on a budget, Zyro is a great affordable option. It doesn’t skimp on features, and you even get a suite of AI tools to help with your website’s layout, content, and branding.

To help you decide, here’s a quick summary of the different builders I tested. For a more detailed comparison, you can read our review of the best website builders for 2023.

FAQ

Do I need a UX portfolio website?

While it’s a good idea to post your work on popular online social platforms for creatives, this won’t give you all the benefits of a professional website. For one, it’s harder to stand out when you’re one of thousands of UX designers vying to attract clients and recruiters on a crowded platform. A well-designed website also signals your expertise and allows you to present curated examples of your best work in an accessible format.

If building a website seems challenging, our step-by-step guide can walk you through the process.

What is the best website builder for UX portfolios in 2023?

It’s really a tossup between Wix and Squarespace. Both offer plenty of well-designed portfolio templates and ample features and functionality for showcasing your projects.

That said, Wix has the edge when it comes to flexibility and ease of use, whereas Squarespace wins on template design.

If you’re struggling to decide which builder to go with, you can check out our review of the best website builders for 2023.

Can I build a UX portfolio website for free?

You can create a free website with Wix, WordPress.com, or Webnode, but Wix’s free plan is the most generous. It lets you choose any template and add apps for advanced features, whereas WordPress.com limits your choice of themes and requires a paid plan for plugins. As for Webnode, it’s free plan only offers 100MB of storage, making it unsuitable for image-heavy portfolios.

Which builder offers the best overall value?

Wix has a broad variety of plans, so you’re bound to find one that offers good value for your needs. If you’re just starting out, the Unlimited Plan gives you everything you need to build a professional website, plus you get unlimited bandwidth and a free one-year custom domain. More established UX designers and agencies may want the added features that come with a Business plan, like the ability to process payments.

If you’re not sure which plan offers the best value for your needs, our expert analysis of Wix plans and pricing can help.