- Adam Ravona
- 3 days ago
- 10 min read
Ready to showcase your best work? Start building your portfolio →
Understanding how much a portfolio website costs depends on your approach, as options range from budget-friendly DIY builders to pricey fully bespoke solutions.
You might want to know how to build a website that looks high-end without spending thousands of dollars. Luckily, with professionally designed portfolio website templates, the process is more accessible than ever and suitable for a wide range of budgets.
The overall cost depends entirely on the tools you choose. A DIY portfolio maker like Wix allows you to build a stunning portfolio for a low monthly fee, while freelance developers can charge thousands of dollars per project. This guide breaks down exactly what you should expect to pay in 2025.
With Wix’s portfolio builder, you can create a professional, eye-catching portfolio in just a few clicks. Customizable templates and intuitive tools make it easy to showcase your work with confidence, leaving a lasting impression on every visitor.
TL;DR: how much does a portfolio website cost?
Short on time? Here’s what you will find in this article:
DIY website builders: free plans with paid plans starting at $17
Freelance designers and developers: $500–$5,000+ upfront
Key extras: domain names and a business email add small annual fees
Expense type | Estimated cost | Best for |
DIY builder, free plan | Free | Testing, drafts and personal projects |
DIY builder, paid plan | Starting at $17 per month | Most professionals |
Freelance developer | $500–$5,000+ | Complex custom needs |
Editor’s note: All pricing in this article are taken from Wix and reflect annual plans as of December 2, 2025.
"An outstanding portfolio is all about storytelling. It’s not just a showcase of work but a narrative that weaves together a professional’s skills, creativity and personality. Features like dynamic presets, AI setup and beautiful templates let creators bring their stories to life, ensuring that every portfolio not only stands out for its aesthetic appeal but also tells a compelling story about the creator behind it." - Hani Safe, product lead at Wix
How much does a portfolio website cost? Here’s the breakdown
Creating a portfolio website involves several cost considerations, depending on your goals, platform choice and additional features. Below is a detailed breakdown of the typical expenses involved in building a professional portfolio site.
With a range of pricing options, from free plans to premium Wix plans, Wix provides the flexibility to fit any budget. Here's a detailed breakdown of the costs involved in building your portfolio with Wix and other key considerations.
01. Platform costs
The platform you choose is one of the most significant factors in determining your website’s cost. Many website builders offer a range of plans to suit different needs and budgets.
Free plans: These are great for beginners or those testing the waters. However, free plans often include platform branding (e.g., a non-custom URL) and limited features.
Cost: $0 per month.
Paid plans: Upgrading to a paid plan unlocks essential features like custom domains, ad-free experiences and advanced design tools. These plans are ideal for professionals who want a polished, branded site.
Cost: $17–$159 per month, depending on the platform and plan.
02. Labor costs
The cost of building your site depends on whether you create it yourself or hire a professional.
DIY: Many platforms offer drag-and-drop tools and pre-designed templates, making it easy to build a site without technical skills. While this approach saves money, it requires time and effort to customize the design and content.
Cost: $0–$159 per month (platform fees).
Hiring a professional: If you want a custom design or don’t have the time to build your site, hiring a freelancer or agency is a great option. Professionals can tailor your site to your specific needs, but this comes at a higher cost.
Cost: $500–$5,000+ (one-time).
03. Domain name
A custom domain gives your portfolio website a professional look and feel, adding credibility and reassurance.
First year: Many website builders, like Wix, include a free domain for the first year with their paid plans. This is a great way to save on initial costs.
Cost: Free for the first year.
Renewal: After the first year, you’ll need to renew your domain annually. Renewal fees vary depending on the domain registrar and the type of domain (e.g., .com, .net, .design).
Cost: starting at $13 per year.
04. Storage for visual creatives
If your portfolio includes high-resolution images, videos, or animations, you’ll need sufficient storage to host these files.
Basic storage: Most platforms include a set amount of storage in their plans, which is often enough for text-based portfolios or small image galleries.
Additional storage: For photographers, animators, or visual artists, upgrading to a higher storage plan ensures your site can handle large files without compromising performance.
Cost: $5–$9 per month, depending on your storage needs.
05. Business email addresses
A professional business email address (example: yourname@yourdomain.com) adds credibility to your portfolio and makes it easier for clients to contact you.
Platform bundles: Some website builders offer email hosting as part of their premium plans, while others require you to purchase it separately.
Cost: $5–$15 per month per email.
Third-party providers: You can also use services like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 to set up your business email.
Cost: $5–$15 per month per email.
06. Add-ons and integrations
Depending on your goals, you may need additional features to enhance your site’s functionality.
SEO tools: Implementing good portfolio SEO improves your site’s visibility on search engines, making it easier for potential clients to find you.
Ecommerce tools: Useful if you plan to sell products, services, or digital downloads directly from your site.
Analytics: Advanced website analytics tools provide insights into your site’s performance, helping you optimize for better results.
Cost: $5–$50 per month, depending on the features you choose.
07. Maintenance and updates
Keeping your site up-to-date is essential for maintaining a professional appearance and ensuring everything runs smoothly.
DIY maintenance: Most platforms make it easy to update your site yourself, whether it’s adding new projects, updating your bio or tweaking the design.
Cost: Free
Professional maintenance: If you hire a professional to manage your site, you’ll need to budget for ongoing maintenance and updates. This is especially useful for complex or custom-built sites.
Cost: $50–$200 per hour (as needed).
In the next section, we’ll explore how Wix can simplify this process with its flexible pricing plans and user-friendly tools.
Benefits and costs of building a portfolio website with Wix
Wix simplifies your portfolio website setup so you can focus on your work. The platform provides an intuitive drag and drop website builder to customize your layout. You don't need to write code or hire expensive developers to launch a professional looking site.
Wix offers customizable templates for a website, like an art portfolio, that feels like you. These designs provide a strong foundation while allowing for full personalization. If you are learning how to make an art portfolio for example, Wix tools make it easy to adjust colors and fonts to match your personal brand identity.
Having an online portfolio is more important than most think. According to a research conducted by Nominet, 89% of hiring managers feel that candidate portfolios demonstrate many of the vital skills needed for their roles, making them a stronger asset than a resume.
Wix offers free web hosting for your online portfolio as part of your subscription. The popular Light plan removes ads and is priced at $17 per month (billed annually). Reliable web hosting ensures your site stays secure and online even during traffic spikes.
Compare Wix Plans
Finding the right plan depends on your specific needs and storage requirements.
Free Plan: The best way to start if you have zero budget. You get access to the full website builder, 500MB of storage and 1GB of bandwidth. You free site will display Wix ads and use a non-custom web address.
Light Plan ($17/mo): Removes platform ads and allows you to connect a custom domain, making it the standard choice for a professional portfolio. It includes 2GB of storage, which is sufficient for most document-based or light image portfolios.
Core Plan ($29/mo): The practical upgrade for visual-heavy portfolios. It boosts your storage capacity to 50GB, making it essential for a photographer portfolio, animation portfolio and design portfolios that need to host high-resolution work without hitting the strict limits of the Light plan.
Business Plan ($39/mo): Designed for growth, this tier offers 100GB of storage and advanced analytics tools. It is ideal for established creatives who need to track visitor behavior and manage larger inventories of digital products.
Business Elite Plan ($159/mo): The ultimate self-service plan. Business Elite provides unlimited storage and priority customer support. This plan is designed for power users who need massive media libraries and the ability to skip the support line for immediate assistance.
Examples of portfolios built with Wix
Seeing real-world examples can spark inspiration for your own portfolio website. These professionals used Wix to build authentically unique portfolios.
01. Matt B. Atkins
Matt B. Atkins uses a clean, resume-style layout that effectively highlights his professional experience, skills and achievements. The site is designed to function as both a personal brand showcase and a professional marketing tool.
Visualizing skills: Matt uses a simple yet effective skills chart to showcase his expertise in areas like social media marketing, email marketing and graphic design. This approach quickly communicates his strengths without the need for complex graphics or plugins.
Clear value proposition: The homepage introduces Matt as a "Digital Marketing Manager" with over a decade of experience. His copy emphasizes his passion for data-driven results and his ability to lead projects ranging from rebranding to social media campaigns, making it clear how he can add value to potential clients or employers.
Direct contact: The site includes a straightforward contact section with his email, phone number and social media links, making it easy for visitors to connect with him. The "Download Resume" button further reduces friction for potential employers or collaborators.
Like what you see? Create your own portfolio website using this same template.
Template name: UX designer website template
02. Taylor Engle
Taylor Engle leans into white space and typography, using a minimalist aesthetic that lets her copywriting take center stage. Her portfolio demonstrates that you don't need complex, media-heavy features to build a high-end professional presence.
Professional branding: Utilizes a custom domain and a professional logo to establish immediate credibility
Minimalist layout: Utilizes negative space and simple typography to frame her work, ensuring the reader focuses on her writing and not distracting design elements
Blog: Taylor maintains an active blog covering industry topics, which drives organic traffic and establishes her authority as a subject matter expert.
Like what you see? Create your own portfolio website using this same template.
Template name: Start from scratch website template
03. Colordrunk Designs
Colordrunk Designs has a vibrant and visually stunning portfolio that showcases their expertise in interior design. The site is designed to inspire visitors with bold, colorful aesthetics while positioning the brand as a leader in creative home design.
Visualizing creativity: Features high-quality images of their design projects, emphasizing bold colors and unique styles. The "As Seen In" section highlights their recognition in prominent publications, reinforcing their credibility and expertise.
Clear value proposition: The "Happy Hour for Your Home" tagline captures the brand's playful and creative approach to interior design. You’re invited to explore their work and sign up for monthly design tips and inspiration, making it clear how Colordrunk Designs brings joy to any space.
Direct engagement: Includes a simple email sign-up form for design tips and inspiration, encouraging ongoing engagement. Links to social media platforms like Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook make it easy for visitors to connect and explore more of their work.
Like what you see? Create your own portfolio website using this same template.
Template name: One page layout website template
How to get started with building a portfolio website
01. Choose the right website builder
Wix provides an intuitive website builder with drag and drop editing to speed up the process. This allows you to create a portfolio without writing a single line of code. For those starting out, Wix offers an AI website builder that creates a unique, business-ready site in no time, letting you focus entirely on visual design and not troubleshooting complex backend issues.
02. Pick a memorable domain name
Your domain serves as your permanent digital address. Wix simplifies domain registration by allowing you to search for and claim your name directly in the dashboard. Aim for a simple .com extension to ensure your site is easy for potential clients to remember.
03. Select and customize your template
Wix offers customizable templates for a website that feels like you. These designs provide a structural foundation while giving you total creative control over the details. You can easily adjust the fonts and color palette to align with your personal brand identity.
See more: discover over 2,000 website templates→
04. Curate and upload your work
Select your strongest projects rather than uploading everything you have ever created. Learning how to make a portfolio means knowing what to leave out. If you are looking for writing portfolio examples or how to make a music portfolio, the key is organization. Wix lets you organize your work into clean galleries with clear context for every project.
05. Preview and publish
Always check the mobile view of your site to ensure it looks sharp on smaller screens. Click through every link to verify that your navigation functions smoothly before going live. Once you are satisfied with your social media portfolio links and contact forms, you can publish with a single click.
“Your portfolio is your visual resume, it speaks before you do. It’s how clients, employers or collaborators understand what makes your work special. The stronger the story it tells, the more doors it opens.” - Chava Katz, PMM @ Wix Pages at Wix
How much does a portfolio website cost FAQ
Can I build a portfolio website for free?
Yes, you can build and publish a portfolio for free on Wix. The free plan includes hosting and access to all design tools. However, your site will display Wix ads and use a generic web address rather than a custom domain.
Do I need to pay for web hosting separately?
No, you do not need to pay extra for hosting when you use a website builder like Wix. Secure web hosting is included in your monthly or annual subscription price. This saves you the technical hassle of managing external servers.
Is it cheaper to hire a developer or use a builder?
Using a website builder is significantly cheaper than hiring a developer. A builder typically costs around $200 per year for a professional plan. Hiring a developer for a custom model portfolio for example, usually starts at $500 and can run into the thousands.
How much does a custom domain name cost?
The main additional costs are usually domain renewals and business email accounts. Most UX portfolio websites will not need extra paid add-ons to function effectively. However, complex websites like an industrial design portfolio or an animation portfolio with heavy video content may require additional storage.
How do I make a specific type of portfolio?
Wix offers tools for every niche. Whether you need to know how to create a modeling portfolio, how to make a business portfolio or how to create an AI portfolio, the process is similar. Select a relevant template, upload your specific media and customize the design to fit your industry standards.