Shopify
Squareup
In the online world, producers and artists face a deluge of online venues that all claim they can promote their work to the greatest extent. Still, for many artists, especially those who shine in visual arts, picking the correct website builder is like picking the ideal canvas—it’s not only about the tool but also how it enhances their work.
Understanding this, we explore the realm of artist-specific website builders in 2024, evaluating them according to important factors, including ease of use, personalization choices, e-commerce features, and affordability. Particularly for creative professionals who may be more in tune with the subtleties of their work than the complexities of website design, these factors are critical for making a well-informed choice.
When creating our list, we took into account a variety of situations that can affect the needs of each reader, such as the self-employed artist who wants to sell their work, the gallery owner who wants to make their physical space more accessible online, and the freelance illustrator who wants to showcase their work in an engaging way. Strong e-commerce solutions for direct sales and visually striking layouts that mimic a real gallery are two examples of the many types of needs brought about by these use cases. When an artist is looking for a website builder, it’s not just about functionality; it’s about discovering a platform that speaks to their artistic spirit and allows them to realize their digital dreams.
Providing insights and suggestions that are in line with the varied requirements and ambitions of artists in the digital age, our guide aims to make this journey easier. Our exploration includes a range of possibilities, from the ability to effortlessly connect sales mechanisms for the business creative to the convenience of dragging and dropping images for those less tech-savvy. We also aim to accommodate detail-oriented artists by allowing them to modify every pixel of their site.
Come with us as we explore these online blank slates in search of a website builder that will be more than simply a tool for artists; we want to be a partner in the creative process.
How do I create my own website as an artist?
Making a personal website allows you, the artist, to showcase your work in a way that is authentic to you and your brand. How you go about it, however, involves more than great art.
First things first, you need to figure out what you want your website to do. Do you want to gather an online portfolio, sell your artwork, or just show the world more of your creations? When planning the layout and content of your website, it is essential to keep your intended audience in mind. This could be galleries, fellow artists, or prospective customers.
Then, you need to look for a website builder that works specifically for artists. If you intend to sell your artwork online, you should investigate platforms that offer e-commerce capabilities, large storage capacities for high-resolution photographs, and intuitive user interfaces for designing. Popular options include Squarespace, GoDaddy and Shopify because of their user-friendly tools and configurable templates.
When deciding on a domain name, keep in mind that it should be both unique and representative of your work or business. If your studio’s name is available, or even your own name, it’s ideal to use that to brand yourself.
When finally creating your website, pick a theme that goes with your artistic style. For art websites, a simple, uncluttered layout is usually the way to go so that the artwork can take center stage. If you want people to be able to easily find your portfolio, artist biography, contact information, and online store, your website needs to be well-organized.
Be sure to provide high-quality pictures of your artwork. Prove your worth by showcasing your finest work and maybe even organizing it into sets or topics. Visitors can also be captivated by the narrative or descriptions that accompany your pieces.
Search engine optimization (SEO) is enhancing your website’s exposure on search engines by using relevant keywords in the text. Included in this are your bio, descriptions of your artwork, and, if applicable, blog entries about art in general.
Don’t forget to spread the word: put your website in your signature, share it on social media, and post it in art forums. To keep your site fresh and interesting, add new works, blog articles, or information about future events on a regular basis.
Do not forget that your website serves as a platform for showcasing your artwork. It needs to convey your unique sense of style while facilitating the comprehension and admiration of your work by site visitors.
Selection Criteria for Top Website Builders for Artists 2024—Buying Guide
We make sure that the top website builders for artists match the unique requirements of creative individuals by carefully outlining our selection criteria.
Artist Website User Friendliness
As artists are not required to hold deep technical knowledge about technology and how to build their own site or create online stores, we begin by evaluating the website builder’s user-friendliness, which measures how simple and easy it is to use. A few examples of this are how simple it is to initially create artist sites, alter their appearance, and add new material.
Artist Website Customization Options
In addition, the customization options offered by the website builders are vital since they dictate how much freedom artists hold to create websites that reflect their individuality and brand. This requires a wide variety of layout options, color palettes, fonts, and templates. Most popular website builders offer a large variety of templates to choose from.
Artist Website e-Commerce Capabilities
For artists planning to sell art online, e-commerce capabilities are another crucial requirement. Payment processing, inventory management, and shipping service integration are some of the things we looked at.
Artist Website Cost Effectiveness
Cost-effectiveness is also taken into account, which includes not just the initial investment in the website builder but also the value gained from it in terms of features, scalability, and pricing plans for the future.
The best overall artist-friendly, highly customizable, e-commerce-ready, and cost-effective website builder finds a happy medium between these four points. For artists at various points in their careers and with varied degrees of technical comfort, we’ve included a wide choice of website builders in our reviews.
Our selections cover a wide range of platforms to accommodate a broad artistic community, from beginner-friendly options with drag-and-drop interfaces to more advanced systems that provide extensive customization.
Top Product Recommendations for the Best Website Builder for Artists 2024
- Best Overall Website Builder for Artists: Shopify
- Best Website Builder for Self-Employed Artists: Squarespace
- Best Website Builder for Galleries: Square Up
- Best Website for Media Illustration: Hostinger
- Best Automated Website Builder for Artists: GoDaddy
- Best Website Builder for Artists on a Budget: Pixpa
1. Best Overall Website Builder for Artists—Shopify
Selection Criteria
- User Friendliness – 10/10
- Customization Options – 10/10
- e-Commerce Capabilities – Yes
- Cost Effectiveness – 9/10
About Shopify
When looking for a platform to create their own website, Shopify is clearly the way to go for artists. Whether you’re an experienced painter, a budding digital artist, or a craftsman with a flair for the unusual, this platform strikes the perfect mix of user-friendliness and e-commerce features.
The ease of use is what distinguishes Shopify from its competitors. Even individuals without a strong background in technology will find the platform’s user interface to be straightforward and easy to navigate, making website development a snap. A wide selection of aesthetically pleasing templates is at your fingertips, so you can find the perfect one to reflect your own style and business identity. This opens the door to the possibility of making an aesthetically pleasing website that serves as an exhibition space for your artwork.
Shopify, however, primarily excels in the realm of e-commerce. Thanks to its powerful features, selling art online is a breeze. You may simply open an online shop with detailed product descriptions, high-resolution photos, and prices. With the platform’s support for many payment methods, your buyers can check out fast and with no hassle. Also, you can easily and precisely manage your art business with Shopify’s helpful features like inventory monitoring, shipping integration, and sales statistics, especially if you produce art in bulk.
Shopify further provides a range of plans to accommodate different budgets and needs. The value it offers, particularly to artists trying to sell their work, is notable, but it is not be the cheapest choice available. You can make the most of your website with the help of the platform’s plethora of tools and the outstanding customer service it provides, but the free version will only last for three days.
Pros:
- High-quality artist website with no transaction fees
- Specializes in sales, offers powerful features on this front, and ships worldwide
- Intuitively add your art products to popular marketplaces and social media sites
- Customer service is especially helpful
- Can cancel your membership plan at any time
Cons:
- The free plan lasts for three days only
- No drag-and-drop editor
2. Best Website Builder for Self-Employed Artists—Squarespace
Selection Criteria
- User Friendliness – 9/10
- Customization Options – 10/10
- e-Commerce Capabilities – Yes
- Cost Effectiveness – 9/10
About Squarespace
When looking for a website builder that combines aesthetics and functionality, Squarespace is a great pick for independent artists. Squarespace gives artists a platform to showcase their work online, securely, with its elegant and modern design templates.
The design-centric approach is one of this provider’s main assets. Artists can display their work in a polished and aesthetically appealing manner with the help of the platform’s many beautiful portfolio themes, based on the type of art they want to display and even sell. Thanks to Squarespace’s customizable design options, your website can showcase your artistic talents, whether you’re a painter, photographer, or digital artist.
In terms of user experience, Squarespace holds a user-friendly design that eliminates the need for artists to possess in-depth technical expertise, allowing them to effortlessly build and administer their website. Modifying the layout, adding images, and updating the text is a breeze with the drag-and-drop feature. All you have to do is click the ‘Edit’ button on the top left of your page, and all the changes are at your fingertips.
However, in all honesty, there is a little learning curve associated with Squarespace’s overall interface; it isn’t the most intuitive. While you can easily pick a template and drag and drop your text and images, everything else is a trial-and-error type of learning. Fortunately, helpful advice pop-ups appear whenever you hover your cursor, so getting up to speed isn’t too bad.
With Squarespace’s built-in e-commerce features, independent artists can easily sell their products online. The platform’s availability for many payment methods and ease of use make it ideal for artists to set up online stores. Independent artists can also rely on Squarespace’s inventory management, shipping, and sales analytics features to keep their business running smoothly.
Squarespace may be more costly than other website builders, but the value it provides to independent artists through high-quality design and user-friendliness more than justifies the cost. There is no free domain option; however, the two-week free trial and ease of canceling your purchase make up for it.
Pros:
- 14-day trial for your free custom domain
- e-Commerce hosting services, focused on security, with built-in marketing tools
- Multiple ways to get help 24/7, including email, forums, chat, and phone support
- Extensive collection of templates, for use without a web designer
Cons:
- It is not purely an art website to sell paintings, but aimed towards more generalized media galleries
- Does not offer free plans
3. Best Website Builder for Galleries—Square Up
Selection Criteria
- User Friendliness – 10/10
- Customization Options – 8/10
- e-Commerce Capabilities – Yes
- Cost Effectiveness – 9/10
About Square Up
If your gallery is seeking to build a solid web presence, Square Up (or simply “Square”) is a great option to consider. Square may be most known as a payment processor, but it also has a powerful website builder that works wonderfully for commerce functionality of art galleries.
Online exhibitions, artwork listings, e-commerce plans, and transaction management are all made easy for galleries. Several payment options are supported by Square’s platform, which is convenient for both the gallery and its clients. By enabling art lovers from all around the globe to buy pieces straight from the internet, this is especially helpful for a professional website that wishes to broaden its audience beyond locals.
One other thing that stands out about Square’s website builder is its design. The number of templates may be limited compared to other platforms, but the ones that are offered are very customizable. The result is an elegant and one-of-a-kind virtual gallery that is a perfect match for the vibe and identity of your brick-and-mortar establishment. The user-friendly interface allows gallery staff to effortlessly manage exhibitions, artist profiles, and artwork listings—all without requiring much technical knowledge.
Square also offers helpful tools for sales statistics and overall inventory management. For galleries to maintain tabs on their collections and learn about patron purchasing habits, these capabilities are crucial. The platform’s integrated design makes it easy to manage the gallery’s online and offline operations simultaneously.
Pros:
- End-to-end encrypted transactions, active fraud prevention, fast dispute management
- Free plan, only pay a transaction fee per payment
- Payroll tools to track hours of employees, payments for staff, and tax fillings
- Integrated digital marketing
Cons:
- Web design is focused on the art store and selling online, and not on creative services
4. Best Website for Media Illustration—Hostinger
Selection Criteria
- User Friendliness – 10/10
- Customization Options – 9/10
- e-Commerce Capabilities – Yes
- Cost Effectiveness – 10/10
About Hostinger
When looking for a website builder that is both affordable and highly functional, Hostinger stands out as a great choice for media illustrators. Although it is most known for its web hosting service, it also provides illustrators, particularly those working in digital and video formats, with easy-to-use website creation tools.
The affordability of Hostinger is a major plus. Its prices are among the most affordable on the market, making it perfect for media illustrators who are self-employed. Hostinger website builder offers reliable performance at an affordable price. Their quick loading speeds and excellent uptime are essential for a professional online portfolio.
This service provider was created with ease of use in mind. Without getting caught down by overly complex features, illustrators can rapidly set up and manage their websites thanks to its clear layout. For artists who would rather not waste time with technical aspects of website upkeep, this intuitive design is a tremendous boon.
Though it may lack the design flexibility of more specialist website builders, Hostinger does offer a good selection of templates that can be modified to display illustrations well. Having a website that looks good and works well across different devices is vital for artists who want their work to be accessible to clients and viewers on numerous platforms. These responsive themes make that possible, while they offer unlimited pages for your art site.
Hostinger is scalable, which is an additional perk. If you’re a media illustrator looking to take your work to the next level, Hostinger can accommodate your needs by adding more advanced hosting options and features with little subscription cost.
Pros:
- Portfolio website to showcase, but can also sell prints
- Easy artist website builder, with affordable paid plans
- Can connect social media accounts, mainly Instagram-which specializes in illustration
- Google Analytics integration, even in the basic plan
- 0% transaction fees
Cons:
- Does not offer a free plan
5. Best Automated Website Builder for Artists—GoDaddy
Selection Criteria
- User Friendliness – 10/10
- Customization Options – 10/10
- e-Commerce Capabilities – Yes
- Cost Effectiveness – 9/10
About GoDaddy
Artists looking for simplicity and efficiency would love GoDaddy’s automatic website builder, in addition to its well-known domain registration, premium auction house, and hosting options. Those who want a professional and functioning web presence but don’t have the time or technical knowledge to build their own web pages will find this tool especially useful.
The ability to automate processes is what caught our eye. In order to swiftly build a customized website, the platform employs ADI, or Artificial Design Intelligence. After artists provide basic information about their work and requirements, the builder will create a website layout based on that information. By streamlining the process, artists are free to devote more time and energy to their creative work rather than worrying about the technical aspects of website looks and setup.
Artist websites need to feature primarily modern and clean templates so as not to overshadow their work or overpopulate their pages. In addition, the themes of this provider are responsive, so your site will look great on any platform, be it a desktop computer, a mobile phone, or any other.
As an artist, you can also take advantage of GoDaddy’s basic e-commerce features to sell your work online. While this functionality does allow for the selling of artwork directly from the website, it may lack the comprehensiveness of e-commerce platforms such as Shopify. Nonetheless, it provides a solid foundation for artists who are just beginning to test the waters.
Integrating with GoDaddy’s other services, such as domain registration and hosting, is another perk of their website builder. Offering a one-stop shop for all of an artist’s web needs, this integrated solution streamlines the process.
Pros:
- Can intuitively build a basic website, with the help of ADI, making this the easiest website builder
- Wide range of templates to choose from
- Fastest process, with unlimited bandwidth, even in the personal plan
- Aimed towards most artists starting their online presence
Cons:
- Basic e-commerce functionality, no inventory management
- Lack of complete control over the domain process
6. Best Website Builder for Artists on a Budget—Pixpa
Website Builder for Artists Selection Criteria
- User Friendliness – 9/10
- Customization Options – 8/10
- e-Commerce Capabilities – Yes
- Cost Effectiveness – 10/10
About Pixpa
For artists on a tighter budget, Pixpa is the clear winner when it comes to website builders because of its balance of price, features, and aesthetics. Artists looking for an affordable, high-quality, feature-rich approach to establishing an internet presence will find it to be a good option to consider.
The low price tag is one of Pixpa’s main draws. Particularly appealing to students, young artists, and those just beginning to sell their work are the pricing levels, which are among the most competitive in the market. All the essentials for a great artist’s website are included in these affordable plans.
Despite being inexpensive, Pixpa spares no expense when it comes to design quality. Over 150 elegant, artist-focused, and highly customizable templates are available on the platform. Whether you’re into photography, painting, or digital art, these themes will help you showcase your work in the best light possible.
Also, Pixpa is easy to use; even people without much technological knowledge can create a website with its straightforward drag-and-drop interface.
Pixpa offers e-commerce features that enable artists to sell their work directly through their websites, in addition to basic website development. Even while these e-commerce tools aren’t as robust as those in more expensive platforms, they’re more than enough for artists who simply want to sell their work online.
Pixpa is also known for its focus on portfolios. If artists want to attract galleries, clients, or just get their names out there, they need a portfolio that looks professional and is well-organized, and this platform gives them just that at an affordable price point.
Pros:
- Best free website builder for 15-day trial, 50% off for students and teachers
- Built-in SEO tools on all plans
- No commissions on sales of digital or physical products
- Unlimited client galleries
Cons:
- Limited customization of templates
Conclusion
Designed with artists in mind in the year 2024, this article delves deeply into the realm of website builders.
Important selection criteria that directed our search included ease of use, adaptability, e-commerce potential, and affordability. This made sure that the assessment covered all the bases, meeting the specific requirements of modern artists working in the digital realm.
Shopify became the clear frontrunner in our list for artists looking for the best overall solution. It is well-known for its user-friendliness and powerful e-commerce features, making it perfect for artists who want to sell their work online.
For independent artists, Squarespace is the way to go. Squarespace offers themes that attractively match artwork thanks to its emphasis on aesthetic design and personalization. If you’re an artist looking to set up an online portfolio and store, this platform is ideal for you thanks to its user-friendly design tools and rich e-commerce features.
The one website builder that really stood out for art galleries was Square Up. Galleries can effortlessly extend their physical presence into the digital sphere with this provider’s e-commerce connectivity and customizable design elements. This allows for online displays and sales, however, a commission is kept on each transaction.
With Hostinger, media illustrators have a trustworthy ally. Hostinger also provides all the necessary tools for creating an online portfolio without the complexity and expensive price tag of other, more sophisticated platforms.
On the other hand, artists who value efficiency and user-friendliness should check out GoDaddy. Those who are short on time or technical know-how will appreciate its automatic website builder, which uses Artificial Design Intelligence to facilitate the easy and rapid development of unique websites depending on your needs and the type of art you want to showcase, ranging anywhere from fashion and photography to videography and sculptures.
Finally, a good option for artists on a tight budget was Pixpa. If you’re an emerging artist or just starting out with online showcasing or selling your work, Pixpa is a great option because it offers affordable options without sacrificing design quality or vital features, not to mention the 50% discount for students and teachers.
