Best Website Builders for Artists Comparison

Overview

The best website builders for artists help creative professionals showcase work, sell art, and control their online brand without deep coding. This comparison reviews six real platforms - Squarespace, Wix, Shopify, WordPress (self-hosted with Elementor), Format, and Big Cartel - and evaluates them on templates and visual polish, ecommerce tools, ease of use, customization, cost, SEO, and scalability.

Key decision criteria: visual design and templates, portfolio and gallery support, built-in ecommerce and transaction fees, customization (themes and code access), learning curve, and long-term cost including domain, hosting, and plugins. Quick summary: Squarespace is a strong all-rounder for visual portfolios and modest shops; Wix is flexible and beginner-friendly with many apps; Shopify excels for inventory-driven sales and scaling; WordPress+Elementor is best for control and complex sites; Format is a portfolio-focused, artist-first builder; Big Cartel is the simplest, lowest-cost option for indie sellers.

This guide includes side-by-side comparison tables, pricing breakdowns, and a decision checklist so entrepreneurs and individual artists can pick the right platform for their goals.

Best Website Builders for Artists

• Squarespace
• Wix
• Shopify
• WordPress (self-hosted) + Elementor
• Format
• Big Cartel

Squarespace

Overview and Positioning

Squarespace positions itself as a design-forward all-in-one website builder aimed at creatives and small businesses. Its curated templates, built-in galleries, and integrated ecommerce make it a frequent choice for artists who want an elegant portfolio with the option to sell prints, originals, or digital downloads.

Key Features and Strengths

• High-quality, mobile-responsive templates optimized for visual portfolios.
• Built-in image galleries, cover pages, and collection pages for curated installations.
• Simple inventory, order management, and digital downloads in commerce plans.
• Hosting, SSL, and domain management bundled; no separate hosting required.
• Basic SEO controls, blogging, email campaigns (paid add-on), and analytics.
• Reasonable performance and uptime without extra configuration.

Limitations and Tradeoffs

• Less flexible than WordPress for custom features or complex integrations.
• Commerce features have transaction fees on lower plans (if using Squarespace Payments may reduce fees depending on region).
• Template system is opinionated; large structural changes may require developer help.
• Fewer third-party apps compared with Wix or Shopify.

Pricing and Value

• Personal: about $16/month (billed monthly) or $12/month (billed annually) - no ecommerce.
• Business: about $23/month (monthly) or $18/month (annual) - includes basic commerce but 3% transaction fee.
• Commerce Basic: about $27/month (monthly) or $26/month (annual) - no Squarespace transaction fee.
• Commerce Advanced: about $49/month (monthly) or $40/month (annual) - advanced commerce features.

Pricing noted here reflects common mid-2024 tiers and varies by billing cadence. Squarespace is good value for artists who want strong visuals and integrated hosting with minimal setup.

Best For

• Solo artists, photographers, illustrators who prioritize aesthetic templates.
• Creatives who want a polished portfolio and occasional to moderate online sales without separate plugins or hosting.

Wix

Overview and Positioning

Wix is a flexible, drag-and-drop site builder with a vast template library and an app marketplace. It is aimed at users who value visual customization and a wide range of integrations. Wix supports portfolios and ecommerce, and its editor allows pixel-level control without coding.

Key Features and Strengths

• True drag-and-drop editor with deep visual customization.
• Hundreds of templates and dedicated portfolio/gallery apps.
• Wix Stores for ecommerce, digital products, and bookings integrations.
• App Market adds features (email, social feeds, print-on-demand, membership).
• Built-in SEO Wiz and marketing tools; Wix provides staging via saved site copies.
• Free plan available with Wix branding for experimentation.

Limitations and Tradeoffs

• Too many choices and complex editor can overwhelm beginners who prefer structured templates.
• Switching templates later often requires rebuilding pages.
• Some apps are paid add-ons and can increase costs.
• Performance can be variable on very media-heavy sites; optimization may be needed.

Pricing and Value

• Free plan with Wix subdomain and ads.
• Combo: about $16/month (annual) - personal site, no ads, limited bandwidth.
• Unlimited/Pro: $27-$32/month (annual) - more storage and apps.
• Business Basic: about $27/month (annual) - ecommerce enabled.
• Business Unlimited/VIP: $32-$59/month (annual) - higher limits and priority support.

Wix provides flexible pricing and is good value if you leverage apps selectively. Expect to add costs for premium apps or increased storage for large image libraries.

Best For

• Artists who want maximum visual control without code.
• Creatives requiring many custom page layouts, multimedia embeds, or specialized apps.

Shopify

Overview and Positioning

Shopify is an ecommerce-first platform designed for merchants who plan to sell products at scale. While not portfolio-focused out of the box, Shopify supports rich product galleries, digital goods via apps, and strong inventory and order management. It is the top choice when sales, shipping, and omnichannel commerce are primary goals.

Key Features and Strengths

• Robust ecommerce engine: inventory, variants, shipping, taxes, POS integration.
• Large app ecosystem for print-on-demand, digital downloads, and marketplaces.
• Scales from hobby sellers to multi-thousand SKU stores; supports wholesale.
• Payment processing via Shopify Payments and many third-party gateways.
• Built-in analytics, abandonment recovery, gift cards, and customer segmentation.

Limitations and Tradeoffs

• Less elegant portfolio templates compared with Squarespace or Format; design requires theme selection and customization.
• Monthly fees plus app and transaction fees can add up for low-margin art sales.
• Not as straightforward for content-heavy portfolio sites unless paired with a strong theme and apps.

Pricing and Value

• Shopify Lite: about $9/month (sell via social or existing site; no storefront).
• Basic Shopify: about $29/month.
• Shopify: about $79/month.
• Advanced Shopify: about $299/month.

Transaction fees may apply if you do not use Shopify Payments. Apps for digital downloads, print-on-demand, or subscriptions often have recurring fees. Shopify is worth the cost if sales growth, inventory management, and multi-channel selling are central.

Best For

• Artists and makers planning a full-fledged online shop or physical/digital hybrid business.
• Sellers with inventory, multiple SKUs, or plans to scale and integrate POS or marketplaces.

Wordpress (Self-Hosted) + Elementor

Overview and Positioning

WordPress (self-hosted) combined with a visual builder like Elementor gives maximum flexibility and control. This approach separates hosting and the CMS, allowing artists to tailor performance, design, SEO, and functionality. It requires more setup and maintenance but is best for those who want custom features or long-term scalability.

Key Features and Strengths

• Full control: themes, plugins, custom code, and advanced SEO.
• Elementor (free + Pro) delivers drag-and-drop design with theme builder, dynamic content, and templating.
• Strong gallery plugins (Modula, Envira), ecommerce via WooCommerce, and membership/subscriptions via plugins.
• Hosting choices from inexpensive shared ($3-10/month) to managed WP ($20-30+/month).
• No platform lock-in; export content and migrate hosts.

Limitations and Tradeoffs

• Higher technical overhead: updates, backups, security, and plugin conflicts.
• Performance optimization may require caching, CDN, and image compression.
• Costs add up with premium themes, plugins, WooCommerce extensions, and managed hosting.

Pricing and Value

• Hosting: shared $3-10/month (Bluehost, Namecheap) to managed WP $20-30+/month (SiteGround, WP Engine).
• Domain: $10-20/year.
• Elementor Pro: starts at $59/year for a single site.
• WooCommerce core is free, but payment gateway fees and extensions vary ($0-100+/year each).
• Typical starting cost for a professional self-hosted artist site: $8-30/month plus occasional plugin fees.

WordPress+Elementor is cost-effective at scale and ideal when flexibility and ownership matter. Upfront time investment and occasional maintenance are the tradeoffs.

Best For

• Artists who need custom features, custom design, or plan to grow with specialized functionality.
• Those who want control over performance, SEO, or integrations not available on closed platforms.

Format

Overview and Positioning

Format is a niche website builder explicitly targeting photographers, artists, and portfolios. It offers clean templates, client proofing tools, and built-in selling for prints and digital downloads. The platform aims to make portfolio creation straightforward with art-specific workflows.

Key Features and Strengths

• Portfolio-first templates and project-based layouts for series and exhibitions.
• Client proofing, password-protected galleries, and iframe embedding for client review.
• Built-in store for prints and digital sales with simple order management.
• Minimal setup and focused feature set reduces distraction for creatives.
• Support geared toward photographers and visual artists.

Limitations and Tradeoffs

• Less flexible than general-purpose builders; fewer third-party integrations and apps.
• Limited blogging and advanced marketing tools compared with Squarespace or WordPress.
• Pricing per site without broad app marketplace may restrict add-ons.

Pricing and Value

• Lite/Personal tiers often start around $6-12/month billed annually (rates vary).
• Pro tiers with store and client proofing generally around $12-18/month.
• Higher volume or priority support plans may be $25+/month.

Format is good value for artists who want a focused portfolio tool with client-facing features and a simple store.

Best For

• Photographers, fine artists, and designers who want portfolio-first workflows and client proofing.
• Creatives who prefer a straightforward, curated builder without many extras.

Big Cartel

Overview and Positioning

Big Cartel is a lightweight ecommerce platform built for independent artists, makers, and bands. It focuses on simplicity: set up a shop quickly, list a small catalog, and sell with minimal friction. Big Cartel is ideal for creators who sell a few products and want low overhead.

Key Features and Strengths

• Extremely simple setup and dashboard tailored to creatives.
• Free plan for up to 5 products; paid plans expand product limits.
• Clean themes and straightforward product listing with variants.
• Low monthly cost and minimal configuration; integrates with Stripe and PayPal.
• No forced transaction fees on paid plans (gateway fees still apply).

Limitations and Tradeoffs

• Not suitable for large catalogs or complex shipping and inventory needs.
• Limited built-in marketing tools and third-party integrations.
• Basic design customization; advanced features require custom code or external tools.

Pricing and Value

• Free: up to 5 products.
• Gold/Platinum-style plans historically around $9.99/month (up to 50 products) and $19.99/month (up to 500 products); exact tiers vary.
• Additional marketplace and app integrations may add cost.

Big Cartel is highly cost-effective for indie sellers and pop-up shops. For artists with modest catalogs and direct sales, it minimizes complexity and price.

Best For

• Indie artists, printmakers, and makers selling a small number of products.
• Creators who want to start selling fast with minimal monthly cost.

How to Choose

Start by clarifying your primary goal: portfolio display, occasional sales, or a full ecommerce business.

1. Primary purpose - portfolio or storefront? If portfolio and visual polish matter most, favor Squarespace, Format, or WordPress; if ecommerce is primary, favor Shopify or Big Cartel depending on scale.
2. Scale and inventory - do you plan many SKUs or physical shipping? Choose Shopify or WordPress+WooCommerce for scale; Big Cartel or Squarespace for small catalogs.
3. Design control vs simplicity - want maximum design flexibility? Choose Wix or WordPress; prefer an opinionated but polished template set? Choose Squarespace or Format.
4. Budget and maintenance - low monthly cost and minimal maintenance: Big Cartel or Squarespace Personal; willing to manage updates and host for lower long-term cost: WordPress.
5. Growth and integrations - need marketplaces, POS, or advanced marketing? Shopify and WordPress have more mature ecosystems.

Follow this sequence: define purpose, set budget for monthly and one-time costs, list must-have features (proofing, downloads, shipping), then pick the platform that best matches the top 2-3 criteria.

Quick Comparison

Feature | Squarespace | Wix | WordPress + Elementor | Shopify — | —: | —: | —: | —: Pricing (typical entry plan) | $12-16/mo (no ecommerce on lowest) | $16/mo (Combo) / $27+/mo for business | Hosting $3-30+/mo + Elementor Pro $59/yr | $29/mo (Basic) Ecommerce ready? | Yes (Commerce plans) | Yes (Business plans) | Yes (WooCommerce) | Yes (core strength) Design quality | High, curated templates | Very flexible, many templates | Unlimited with themes + builder | Theme-based, commerce-first Best for | Portfolio + light-to-moderate sales | Custom layouts and mixed media | Full control and advanced custom features | Scaling sales and inventory

Pricing Breakdown Example for an Artist Selling Prints

Item | Low-cost option (monthly) | Mid-range option (monthly) | Notes | — | — | | Platform fee | $0 (Big Cartel free) or $12 (Squarespace) | $29 (Shopify Basic) or $16 (Wix Combo) | | Domain | $1 (amortized) | $1.50 | | Hosting / CDN | Included (Squarespace/Wix) or $10 (managed WP) | $20 (managed WP) | | Payment processing fee | ~2.9% + $0.30 per transaction | ~2.9% + $0.30 | | Apps / plugins | $0 - $10 | $5 - $30 | | Estimated total monthly | $14 - $25 | $45 - $70 |

This breakdown helps compare real monthly costs beyond headline pricing. Transaction fees scale with sales volume and can dominate costs for low-ticket items.

Pricing Notes and Caveats

• Platform pricing often has annual discounts; monthly billed plans cost more.
• Transaction fees: platform fees plus payment gateway fees apply. Shopify charges additional fees if not using Shopify Payments.
• Add-on apps, themes, and storage for large image libraries will increase total cost.

Decision Checklist

• Do I need a storefront with inventory management? If yes, start with Shopify or WooCommerce on WordPress.
• Is visual design and quick setup more important? If yes, choose Squarespace or Format.
• Do I want full control and lower long-term cost? If yes, choose WordPress with managed hosting and Elementor.
• Am I selling only a handful of items? If yes, Big Cartel or Squarespace Business is efficient.

FAQ

What is the best platform for a photo portfolio that also sells prints?

Squarespace and Format are top choices for photographers because both offer gallery-first templates and proofing/ordering workflows. If you need a larger ecommerce feature set or custom ordering, use WordPress with WooCommerce or Shopify with a photography theme.

How much should I budget annually for a professional artist website?

Expect to budget $150-600/year for hosted builders (Squarespace/Wix/Format) including domain and basic plan; $100-500+/year for WordPress depending on hosting (shared vs managed), plus $59+/year for premium builders or plugin licenses. Add marketing, apps, and payment processing fees separately.

Can I switch platforms later without losing SEO and content?

You can migrate content, but switching platforms often requires rebuilding layout and permalinks, and some SEO work. WordPress offers the most portability; hosted builders can export limited content. Plan redirects and keep backups during migration.

Is it better to use WordPress or an all-in-one builder for long-term growth?

If you expect custom features, complex SEO, or large catalogs, WordPress provides long-term flexibility and ownership. If you prefer convenience, integrated hosting, and lower maintenance, an all-in-one like Squarespace or Shopify is better. Consider technical comfort and willingness to manage updates.

Do artists need an online shop if they primarily exhibit in galleries?

A simple online presence and contact page are often sufficient for gallery-focused artists, but an online shop can provide supplementary income and a way for collectors to buy prints or small works directly. Choose a platform that supports both polished portfolio views and easy sales, like Squarespace or Big Cartel.

How much does image quality and site speed matter for art websites?

Very much. High-resolution images showcase work, but unoptimized files slow pages and hurt SEO. Use responsive image delivery, compress images, and consider a CDN (often included in managed hosting or builder plans) to balance quality and speed.

Further Reading

• Website Building for Artists Practical Guide
• Top Website Builders for Artists 2025 Guide
• Top Website Builders for Photographers
• Photography Website Builders for Photographers