Best Website Builder for Artists: 5 Ideas with Examples

Wondering what is the best website builder for artists?

As an artist, you’ve probably spent countless hours perfecting your craft. So, naturally, your online presence might take a backseat. Yet, since you’ve landed on this page, you know that having a strong artist website is essential for sharing your work, selling your pieces or services, and building a sustainable creative business.

As a brand + website designer for creatives, I always recommend Showit as the top choice for artists. I’m a Showit Design Partner, and I genuinely believe that it offers the best advantages to creatives like painters, visual artists, photographers, and other professionals! 

That said, several other platforms offer unique features worth exploring. Let’s dive into the pros and cons of different website builders so you can launch your own website in no time!

Why Website Design Matters for Artists

As an artist, your website is an extension of your vision and a powerful tool to connect with your community, clients, and fellow creators. It’s also a central piece in building your personal brand as a creative.

The numbers tell a clear story:

• 94% of first impressions of a website are based on its design
• A great UX design can boost conversion rates by up to 400%
• 89% of consumers shop with a competitor after a poor user experience

The way you present yourself and your art online directly impacts your success. 

Before someone decides they want to work with you, they want to experience your brand, your style, and your professional identity, which is why having a professional website is so important! 

Why It’s Important to Find the Right Website Builder for Your Artist Website

A website builder is a tool that lets you create a website without writing code. You can typically just drag and drop elements like photos and content to build different pages and visual layouts. 

There are many website builders out there, but not all of them were created equal. For artists specifically, several factors play a role in choosing the right platform:

• Creative Control: As an artist, you have a unique visual style. Your website should reflect this through customizable layouts, typography, and color schemes. Some platforms offer more design flexibility than others, which can make or break your site’s ability to capture your artistic voice.
• Portfolio Presentation: Each piece needs to load quickly, display in high resolution, and adapt across different screen sizes. Some website builders handle image-heavy sites better than others, which is particularly important for artists.
• Sales Integration: If you’re selling originals, prints, or commissioned work, your website needs to handle these transactions smoothly. Different platforms offer different levels of e-commerce functionality.

These considerations are important for artists specifically, but you should also think about aspects like how easy it is to use a particular website builder and, of course, the cost. 

Learn more about creative website design (and get inspired by real-life examples of website design for artists!).

Best Website Builder for Artists: My Top 5 Picks

1. Showit

Best for: Visual artists, photographers, illustrators, and designers who prioritize creative freedom and unique layouts in their website design

Cost: Starting at $19/month (billed annually)

As a brand + web designer for creatives, I’ve worked with many website-building platforms, and I can confidently say that Showit is the best one for artists. Here are 10 Showit website examples you’ll love!

If you’ve ever felt constrained by other platforms’ rigid templates, Showit feels like working on a blank canvas. The platform’s design interface mirrors Adobe’s creative suite – if you’re familiar with Photoshop or Illustrator, you’ll feel right at home making updates to your site.

What sets Showit apart is its unmatched creative freedom. Every element on your page can be customized and positioned exactly where you want it, and you’re not forced into generic preset layouts. You could design things upside down if you wanted to!

If you want to sell art online, you can either use Shopify Starter ($5/month) to embed buy buttons throughout your site or opt for WooCommerce if you need a more robust store setup. WooCommerce integration requires the Showit + Advanced Blog subscription ($34/month annually) but comes with more detailed product customization options and inventory management tools.

Pros:

• The most popular website builder for artists (it was originally founded for artists like photographers!) 
• Unlimited creative freedom with true drag-and-drop functionality
• Intuitive interface similar to Adobe Creative Cloud tools
• Mobile-responsive design with separate mobile editing
• WordPress blogging integration with built-in SEO tools
• No coding knowledge required
• Easy to update (AKA, you won’t have to hire a developer every time you want to tweak something!)

Cons:

• More expensive than basic website builders
• No built-in e-commerce (requires third-party integration, but keep in mind that e-commerce generally costs more no matter which platform you use)
• Can be overwhelming with many design options and customizable templates
• Potentially, a higher learning curve than Squarespace or Wix. This is why when you work with me, I create easy-to-follow Showit tutorials! 

2. Squarespace

Best for: Artists who want a polished, professional website with minimal setup time

Cost: Starting at $16 per month (billed annually)

Squarespace has earned its reputation as a reliable, sophisticated website builder that delivers consistently beautiful results. It doesn’t have the unlimited creative freedom of Showit, but it’s still a great web builder with functional built-in features.

You get all the tools you need: a professional portfolio, integrated e-commerce, client galleries, and marketing tools. The platform’s clean, grid-based design system makes your artwork look stunning across all screens, and images load quickly.

For artists who sell their work online, Squarespace has native e-commerce features. You can start selling prints, originals, or merchandise without any third-party integrations using this site builder.

Pros:

• Clean, easy-to-use grid layouts
• Built-in e-commerce features (but you have to pay more to use them)
• Excellent image handling and gallery options
• All-inclusive platform (hosting, domain, SSL included)

Cons:

• Limited design customization compared to Showit
• Grid-based systems can feel restrictive for unique layouts
• No true drag-and-drop functionality
• Templates can start looking similar across different sites
• A higher learning curve for advanced design customizations

Already on Squarespace and want to switch to Showit? Learn how to switch from Squarespace to Showit in 7 easy steps.

3. WordPress

Best for: Tech-savvy artists who need maximum flexibility and want full control over their website’s backend

Cost: Starting at $4/month (billed annually)

WordPress is the OG website builder that still powers a large share of all websites online, and there are good reasons why people keep choosing WordPress for their web development. It’s a complete content management system that can be customized to create virtually any type of website. 

For artists, this means unlimited possibilities – but it also comes with a steeper learning curve.

There are thousands of themes and plugins available on WordPress, so you can build anything from a simple portfolio to a complex online marketplace. But unlike drag-and-drop builders, WordPress requires (much) more technical knowledge or the budget to hire professional developers.

You’ll need to manage updates, security, and compatibility between various plugins – tasks that are handled automatically on platforms like Showit or Squarespace.

Pros:

• Thousands of themes and plugins are available
• Highly scalable as your business grows
• Strong SEO capabilities
• Large community for support and resources
• Can handle complex e-commerce setups

Cons:

• Steeper learning curve than other website builders
• Requires regular maintenance and plugin updates
• Plugins can start to conflict with each other so you have to shift through them to figure out which one is causing the problem
• Can become expensive with premium themes and plugins
• Often overwhelming
• Some WordPress designs look “dated”
• You’ll likely find yourself way in over your head and need a developer – even when you just want to make a couple of small changes to your site content

4. Wix

Best for: Artists who want to get a website up quickly and need a simple solution with basic features

Cost: Starting at $17/month (billed annually)

Wix is an accessible, beginner-friendly website builder that lets anyone create a website without technical knowledge. You can choose from multiple art-focused templates and customize them with your work.

Wix’s AI tools can even generate a basic website layout based on your preferences, but most artists will want more control over their site’s appearance.

Wix offers more design flexibility than Squarespace, but it doesn’t quite match Showit’s (or even WordPress’s) creative freedom. The platform also has some basic e-commerce features for selling art prints and originals, so it can be a good option if you need a simple website.

Pros:

• User-friendly drag-and-drop interface
• Basic e-commerce capabilities
• Relatively affordable and easy to use

Cons:

• Limited advanced capabilities
• Not creative and can look dated
• SEO capabilities are not as robust as competitors
• Not always responsive on mobile
• Templates can look generic without significant customization

5. Format

Best for: Photographers, digital artists, and visual creators who want to share their portfolios

Cost: Starting at $8/month (billed annually)

Format is a specialized website builder for artists, and it focuses heavily on portfolio presentation and professional features. Originally built for photographers, it has evolved into a platform for visual artists who need a clean, gallery-focused website with professional client interaction tools.

The platform includes features like client proofing galleries, password protection, and download delivery systems – tools that are particularly valuable if you work with clients directly. It’s not a traditional custom site builder, but it can work well if you mainly care about showcasing your portfolio/art galleries.

Pros:

• Professional client proofing system
• Clean, portfolio-focused templates
• Excellent image protection features
• Affordable pricing

Cons:

• Limited customization options
• Basic capabilities and integrations
• Not a good option if you want a more traditional, multi-page website

Other Website Builders for Artists That Didn’t Make the List

There are other website builders that you can use, but I personally don’t recommend them for artists (or creative small businesses in general!). Here’s why:

• Shopify: Shopify is a great option for e-commerce, but artists often struggle with its rigid structure and limited creative customization options. Traditional retail businesses need the platform’s inventory management and shipping features, but they’re typically overkill for most artists who need a more portfolio-focused site with occasional sales features.
• GoDaddy: GoDaddy is affordable, but the website builder offers extremely limited design flexibility. Their templates feel outdated and generic, making it nearly impossible to create a unique artist website that stands out.
• BigBlackBag: This platform markets specifically to artists, but it feels a little…stuck in the past. The templates look dated and the interface is clunky, so you might find yourself fighting against the platform’s limitations vs. feeling like it helps you grow. 
• Hostinger: This is another affordable platform, but the design options are basic and it’s not creative and visually appealing enough for artists.

Take a peek at these Showit website examples for live wedding painters!

Why Showit Is the Best Website Builder for Artists

After working with many different creatives, Showit is the platform I recommend to all my artist clients (and the only website builder I design in as a Showit Design Partner!). It gives you full creative freedom, ease of use when it comes to making updates, and just the right amount of e-commerce capabilities to sell online.

Unlike other platforms that force you into rigid templates, Showit gives you true control over the aesthetics while maintaining professional polish. Its Adobe-like interface feels natural for artists, and the ability to create completely custom layouts means your website can be as unique as your art! 

On a platform like WordPress, you’d typically have to hire a web developer (in addition to a designer) to reach that level of creativity.

Plus, it integrates with WordPress for blogging, which makes it easier to have your website show up in search engines like Google. 

The basic business website builder plan is a little more expensive than other platforms on this list, but it’s still pretty affordable – starting as low as $19 per month (when billed annually) if you don’t need a blog.

Artist Website Examples

Painted by Sloan

Sloan is a live wedding painter based in Colorado who captures life’s finest moments at weddings across the US. She brings love stories to life through her beautiful painting style, and she wanted her custom brand + Showit website to exude a high-end aesthetic, showcase her extensive acrylic and watercolor painting portfolio, and support her SEO goals.

So, that’s exactly what I did! 🥰

Rachel Vaught Art

Rachel Vaught is a live wedding and event painter based in Columbus, Ohio. She creates heirloom-quality keepsakes that capture the essence of her clients’ wedding celebrations, pets, or loved ones. I designed her brand and website to be bold, moody, textured, and eclectic, expressing exactly who she is as an artist!

Rachel also has an online store selling prints and originals, so I made sure that her Showit website had the right e-commerce capabilities to support this.

Devin Tormey Art

Devin Tormey is a live wedding painter based in Massachusetts, and she works with couples who want to capture their most important moments in a unique way. Devin’s brand was growing in a more high-end direction, so I built a website with an earthy and sophisticated aesthetic to connect her better with her new client base.

Fuerst Paints

Fuerst Paints is led by Steph, a live wedding painter based out of Detroit, Michigan. She wanted to launch a new website to attract more potential clients and stand firmer in an aesthetic that reflected who she is as an artist – something that feels uniquely hers. I created an earthy and artisanal brand for Steph, and the final result exceeded her expectations!

FAQs

Do artists need websites?

Yes! Pretty much all creatives need websites to market their services or art, build their personal brand, and connect with their target audience. Social media platforms like Instagram are valuable tools, but they don’t replace the professional credibility and control that comes with your own website. A dedicated website lets you showcase your work, share your story, and build your SEO + email list – which are all crucial elements for long-term, sustainable success that you can’t achieve through social media alone.

Can I sell my art on Shopify?

Yes, but Shopify is typically an overkill for artists and creatives. This platform is primarily built for retail businesses, so it’s typically a better idea to integrate Shopify’s lighter version (Shopify Starter) with a more design-focused platform like Showit. This way, you’ll be able to combine your services by selling live event painting or commission-based art alongside products like prints. 

Can I add Shopify or WooCommerce to Showit?

Yes! One of the reasons why Showit is the best website builder for artists is that it can integrate with both Shopify and WooCommerce so you can sell prints and products for extra income. Whether you choose Shopify Starter or WooCommerce depends on factors such as the size of your store and how robust you need it to be, but both options are possible. 

Get in touch with me if you want to create a Showit website with e-commerce capabilities! 

What is the easiest website builder for artists?

It depends on your personality and goals, but also keep in mind that “easiest” doesn’t always mean “best.” Showit has a learning curve, but it’s typically easier for artists to use because its drag-and-drop interface feels similar to Adobe’s creative suite which many creatives are familiar with.

Is Wix a good website builder for artists?

Wix can work fine for some artists, but I’d recommend using Showit over Wix. Wix has its creative limitations that often become frustrating as your business grows, and its SEO features are lacking compared to Showit.

What pages should an artist website have?

Generally speaking, your artist website should have a home page, an about page, a portfolio/gallery, services pages (as many as make sense for your business), and, if you have one, a shop page. You should also have a contact page or another way for your audience to get in touch with you. Also, consider adding a blog to build your authority and improve SEO.

Grow Your Business with Custom Showit Design

If you’re ready to launch your own site, you can try one of Showit’s beautiful templates or hire a professional web designer.

If you’re just starting, a template might be all you need, but you’ll naturally get stronger results from a custom design that reflects your artistic style and takes care of all of the technical details.Learn more about my design services or browse my portfolio!