Table of Contents

Format: An Overview

Format is a portfolio-first website builder aimed at photographers, filmmakers, illustrators, designers, and other creative professionals who need a clean way to present their work and manage clients. The platform bundles gallery themes, a visual design editor, client proofing, and commerce features so creators can run portfolio sites and sell digital or physical goods from one place. Visit Format’s homepage for the primary product overview and examples of member portfolios.

Format focuses on tools that support creative businesses rather than general-purpose site building. Compared with Squarespace, Format emphasizes client galleries and proofing workflows over the deep blogging and commerce feature set found in Squarespace. Compared with Wix, Format offers fewer general widgets but gives more refined portfolio layouts and hosted video playback tailored to visual work. Compared with Adobe Portfolio, Format provides more built-in client management and e-commerce options while keeping theme-based design simple to change without losing content.

All of this makes Format a practical choice for photographers, videographers, and designers who need portfolio presentation, client delivery, and lightweight commerce in a single product. It does well at curated themes, hosted media, and managing client proofing, and is aimed at solo creatives and small studios who want presentation and workflow features without a steep learning curve.

How Format Works

Format uses a theme-and-editor model, where you pick a template then customize layouts and content with a visual editor. You add pages and galleries, upload images or video, and use flexible layout blocks to arrange elements by dragging, scaling, and overlapping them. The editor supports ready-made themes for quick setup plus advanced settings and code embeds for deeper customization.

Client workflows are integrated into the same site, so you can create branded client galleries, enable private screening, transfer files, and collect signatures or contracts inside the platform. E-commerce is handled via the site store where creators list products, services, or digital downloads and process payments through standard payment processors. For multilingual sites you can add translation support via the Weglot integration with Format to present content in multiple languages without subdomains.

What does Format do?

Format is focused on three core areas: portfolio presentation, client management and proofing, and commerce for creatives. The platform provides theme-driven templates, a drag-and-drop design editor called Flex Block, hosted video playback, and branded client galleries so one account can serve as a portfolio and a delivery workspace. The platform also includes SEO controls and integrations that help creators be found and sell work online.

Let’s talk Format’s Features

Themes and Design Editor

Format bundles over 90 curated themes with thousands of design variables so you can quickly launch a professional-looking portfolio, then tweak colors, spacing, and layout with advanced settings. Themes are interchangeable, letting you change the aesthetic without rebuilding content, and the design editor supports both simple template use and deep customization for experienced designers.

Flex Block

Flex Block is a visual layout tool that lets you drag, scale, overlay, and snap elements like images, text, dividers, and buttons to create unique page compositions. It supports a snap grid for precise placement and is useful for creating editorial-style gallery pages or bespoke portfolio spreads without coding.

Custom Pages and Code Embeds

Custom pages allow site sections to diverge from the main theme with unique gallery layouts, different color schemes, and custom code embeds. The platform supports HTML and CSS in an advanced code editor so pro users can extend templates and integrate third-party widgets while keeping primary navigation and site structure intact.

Hosted Video

Format includes hosted video playback for portfolio pages, so creatives can upload and present video content directly on their site without relying on third-party hosting. The player supports up to lengthy screenings and keeps media centralized within your portfolio for client presentations and showreels.

Designer Fonts and Brand Control

The platform provides a curated font library and support for uploading fonts from Adobe or Google so you can maintain consistent typography for branding. Advanced typography controls let you set font pairings, sizes, and weights across headings, body text, and navigation elements.

Client Management and Proofing

Client galleries let you create private, branded spaces to share proofs, collect feedback, and deliver final images or videos. Built-in proofing tools streamline approval workflows, and features like secure file transfers and contracts reduce reliance on email chains and third-party file services.

E-Commerce and Digital Sales

Format’s store supports selling physical products, services, and digital downloads with no platform commission on sales. You can self-fulfill orders worldwide, list items in the storefront, and integrate common payment processors so transactions are handled on the site.

SEO and Discoverability

Format includes controls to edit page titles, meta descriptions, and image alt text to optimize search engine results. The platform structures blog posts and store items in ways that help search engines index portfolio content for discoverability.

With these capabilities, the biggest benefit of Format is how it consolidates presentation, client delivery, and basic commerce into a single portfolio-focused product, reducing the number of separate tools creatives need to manage their business.

Format Pricing

Format uses a subscription-based pricing model tailored for individuals and creative businesses, with multi-tier plans and optional add-ons that scale from single-creator portfolios to larger professional sites. Specific plan rates can change, and the company runs promotional offers periodically, so the best source for current tiers and billing options is Format’s site.

For up-to-date plan details and any seasonal discounts, view current pricing options on Format’s site. The site lists plan tiers, feature differences between individual and team-oriented plans, and any trial promotions you can apply when signing up.

What is Format Used For?

Format is commonly used to build portfolio websites that prioritize visual layout and client-facing workflows, such as photographer proofing sites, filmmaker showreels, illustrator portfolios, and design lookbooks. Its tools make it straightforward to present work in curated galleries, protect drafts behind private galleries, and deliver final assets to clients.

Beyond display, Format is used to sell prints, offer booking and service pages, and manage client interactions from inquiry through delivery. Small studios and solo creatives who need an integrated portfolio plus client and commerce tools will find Format’s feature set aligned with those needs.

Pros and Cons of Format

Pros

  • Portfolio-focused templates: The theme collection and layout controls are designed for visual storytelling, making it fast to create clean, image-forward portfolio sites. These templates reduce setup time while offering advanced settings for deeper customization.
  • Built-in client workflows: Client galleries, proofing, and secure file transfers are integrated, so photographers and creatives can manage delivery and approvals without separate tools. This reduces friction in client communication and file exchange.
  • Hosted media and private screening: Video hosting and private screening capability keep media centralized on the site, avoiding third-party hosting limitations and simplifying presentation for clients and press.
  • No commission e-commerce: The store supports digital and physical sales without platform commission, simplifying monetization and order fulfillment for independent creators.
  • Design flexibility for all skill levels: The editor supports quick template uploads for beginners and deep CSS/HTML embeds for advanced users, making the product adaptable as skills grow.

Cons

  • Limited general-purpose site widgets: The platform prioritizes portfolio and client tools over general web app widgets, which can make it less flexible for content-heavy or multi-functional websites. Integrations and plugin options are narrower compared to full CMS platforms.
  • No broad public developer API: There is limited exposure for custom developer integrations, so teams wanting programmatic control of content or deep automation may face constraints and need workarounds.
  • Theme-driven design can feel restrictive: While themes are changeable without losing content, very specific or unconventional site behaviors sometimes require custom code embeds, increasing complexity for non-technical users.

Does Format Offer a Free Trial?

Format offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. The trial provides access to core portfolio and client features so you can build pages, test Flex Block layouts, and try the store before committing to a subscription.

Format API and Integrations

Format does not position a public developer API for general use, instead prioritizing built-in integrations and features that suit creative workflows. For multilingual sites you can add the Weglot integration with Format to create translated versions of your portfolio quickly with no subdomains required.

Common connections include payment processors for the store, social and embed support for external media, and font integration with Adobe and Google services for brand typography. For details on specific connectors and walk-throughs, see Format’s features and integrations.

10 Format alternatives

Paid alternatives to Format

  • Squarespace — A general-purpose website builder with polished templates, strong commerce features, and built-in blogging and analytics, suited to creatives who also want broader site functionality.
  • Wix — A flexible drag-and-drop site builder with an extensive app marketplace and many customization options, useful for visually complex or marketing-driven sites.
  • Adobe Portfolio — Part of Adobe Creative Cloud, offers tight integration with Lightroom and Behance for photographers and designers who already use Adobe tools.
  • SmugMug — Photo-focused hosting and e-commerce aimed at professional photographers who need print sales, client galleries, and deliverables management.
  • Webflow — A visual design and hosting platform that gives designers near-complete control over HTML/CSS with CMS features, good for bespoke portfolio sites made by designers.
  • Cargo — A design-first portfolio platform with unique templates and editorial layouts geared to artists and designers.
  • Shopify — While commerce-first, Shopify can be configured to present portfolios and sell creative products at scale, with a vast ecosystem of apps.

Open source alternatives to Format

  • WordPress — A widely used open-source CMS with thousands of portfolio themes and plugins for galleries, e-commerce, and client management when self-hosted.
  • Jekyll — A static site generator that pairs well with Git-based workflows and can be used for highly customized portfolio sites, often hosted on platforms like GitHub Pages.
  • Hugo — Another static site generator that builds very fast portfolio sites and is suitable for developers comfortable with templates and markdown-based content.

Frequently asked questions about Format

What is Format used for?

Format is used to build portfolio websites and manage client delivery for creatives. It combines galleries, client proofing, hosted video, and e-commerce to help professionals showcase work and run business workflows from one site.

Does Format offer a free trial?

Yes, Format offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. The trial allows testing of themes, Flex Block layouts, and client gallery features before choosing a subscription.

Can Format handle selling digital downloads and prints?

Yes, Format supports selling products, services, and digital downloads with no platform commission. The store integrates standard payment processors and supports self-fulfillment workflows.

Does Format integrate with translation tools?

Yes, Format integrates with Weglot to create multilingual sites quickly. This integration lets you translate site content without complex subdomain setups and handles language switching for visitors.

Does Format offer an API for developers?

Format does not provide a broadly available public developer API. Instead, it focuses on built-in integrations and code embeds for customization, with advanced users able to add custom HTML, CSS, and widgets to pages.

Final verdict: Format

Format excels at presenting visual work with clean, curated themes and a design editor that balances ease of use with advanced control. Its integrated client galleries, proofing, and hosted media features make it particularly well suited to photographers, filmmakers, and illustrators who need to combine portfolio presentation with client delivery. The platform reduces the number of separate tools creatives must use by centralizing galleries, proofing, and commerce.

Compared with Squarespace, Format is more narrowly focused on portfolio and client workflows while Squarespace provides broader site features and deeper commerce options. For creatives whose priority is client proofing and a polished portfolio with hosted video, Format is a strong fit; for those needing extensive blogging or commerce at scale, Squarespace or Shopify may offer more feature depth depending on budget and technical needs.