The best website builder for an artist is the one that shows your work at the quality you made it, lets you use your own domain and sells without hidden costs. General builders such as Squarespace and Wix offer the most design freedom. Format, Pixpa and Cargo are built around portfolios, and Big Cartel and Shopify around selling.
This guide compares 10 builders on trial and plan terms, selling fees and image handling. Facts come from each builder's official pages, checked on 23 October 2026. Prices are US prices on annual billing unless stated.
Website builders for artists compared
Compare what you pay, what you can sell and how much of each sale the builder keeps.
| Builder | Best for | Trial and plans | Selling and fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Original | Artists and photographers who want a professional website built around their work | Paid plans; see pricing | Selling built in: 10% platform commission on Plus, 0% on Pro, only when a work sells |
| Squarespace | A general business website with commerce | 14-day trial; Basic $12, Core $17, Advanced $25 a month | 2% transaction fee on Basic; 0% on Core and Advanced; 7% / 5% / 0% on digital content |
| Wix | Maximum layout freedom | Free plan available; paid plans needed for selling | Selling from the Core plan; fees not stated on the plans page |
| Format | Photography and creative portfolios | 14-day trial; Basic $10, Pro $12, Pro Plus $15 a month | No store on Basic; 15 products on Pro and 1,000 on Pro Plus, commission free |
| Adobe Portfolio | Artists already using Adobe Creative Cloud | Offered with Creative Cloud plans; check Adobe's page for current terms | No built-in store |
| Pixpa | Portfolio plus store and client galleries | 15-day trial | 0% commission on sales; payment provider fees still apply |
| Cargo | Experimental, design-led portfolios | One plan: $14 a month on annual billing; free to try privately | Commerce add-on $5.50 a month; no per-transaction fees |
| Portfoliobox | Simple portfolios with a low entry point | Free plan: 30 images and 5 pages | Store on the Professional plan with 0% commission |
| Big Cartel | Selling editions and merchandise | Free limited plan; Platinum $15 a month | No Big Cartel commission listed; processing fees apply |
| Shopify | A full online store | Introductory trial; Basic $19 a month | Extra fee of 2% on Basic if you use a payment provider other than Shopify Payments |
Terms change often. Open each builder's pricing page before you commit, and keep a copy of the plan you chose.
What to compare before you choose
Five checks matter more than template choice.
- Image handling. Check how your largest files are stored and shown, especially on a phone.
- Your own domain. A custom domain keeps your address yours if you ever change platform.
- Presentation depth. Series, sequence and an artist statement need structure; a grid of thumbnails is not enough.
- Selling and fees. Add the plan, the transaction fee and payment processing to see the real cost of a sale.
- Plan limits. Look for limits on works, storage and pages before you build.
Test with your own files. A free trial or plan is the cheapest way to see whether your work holds up.
What builders do with your images
Most builders resize and convert images for speed, so test your own work.
Squarespace states that it creates up to seven versions of each uploaded image and converts uploads to WebP. Its lightbox does not support pinch-to-zoom on mobile, and zoom on product pages is not available on mobile.
Wix states that it converts uploads to the AVIF format on the live site. Its Pro Gallery can allow visitors to zoom in on an image.
Both converted formats are normal for fast websites. They matter if your work depends on fine texture, scale or detail. Upload a test image, open it on a phone and a large monitor, and compare it with your original. For how a site should present each work, read what makes a good artist website.
Which type of builder fits which artist
Match the builder to what you do most: present, sell, or run a wider business.
- A wider business website: Squarespace and Wix offer the widest range of templates and tools.
- Photography portfolios: Format, Adobe Portfolio and Pixpa are built around image galleries and client proofing.
- Design-led and minimal: Cargo and Portfoliobox suit artists who want a distinctive or very simple site.
- Selling-first: Big Cartel and Shopify are stores first, with limited portfolio depth.
- Art presented at full quality, with selling built in: Digital Original.
Where Digital Original fits
Digital Original is a professional website built around the work itself, not a general builder.
Artworks are shown in full quality with Deep Zoom, so collectors can inspect detail and texture before they buy. Each artwork has its own page with title, year, medium and description, which also helps people find it; see how to write artwork pages for search. Your own custom domain is included in every plan.
Selling is part of the same site: 10% platform commission on Plus and 0% on Pro, charged only when a work sells. Plans are on the pricing page, and examples of artist websites show how work is presented. Before you build, check your site against the artist website checklist.
Digital Original
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