12 Best Websites For Freelancer Portfolios

If you’re a new freelancer, believe us when we say we understand how hard the struggle is to find paying work. You may have the skills that matter, but without sufficient visibility, all those skills will count for naught. 

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This is why it is important for you to have an impressive portfolio, and then, to have your portfolio at the right place when it matters. Now, there are hundreds of websites that host freelancer profiles, just like there is a multitude of business verticals you could specialize in.

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We’re taking a look at 12 of the best websites to host freelancer portfolios for four of the most sought-after among those verticals, namely, software development, graphic design, content writing, and accountancy.

Why are freelancer portfolios important?

Simply put, a portfolio is a showcase of your best work for prospective clients to look at and judge your skills. While your resume talks about what you can do, your portfolio proves you can walk the talk.

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Here are some of the reasons why a portfolio is so important to launching your career as a freelance professional. 

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• As a freelancer, you are akin to a business owner. Your business will earn only if people know about it. Simply put, you will need to market yourself. Your portfolio is your handiest marketing tool.

• People or businesses who hire freelancers are looking for a specific skill set for their projects. Your resume may have details of all the work you have done in the past, but it is your portfolio that, since it contains samples of your best and most recent work, will convince your prospective employers that you can actually deliver on those claims.

• Your portfolio will also showcase your unique style of voice to your clients, something that makes you stand apart from the crowd, and is often the most decisive factor, especially if you are a creative freelancer. 

12 best websites for freelancer portfolios

Just creating an impressive portfolio is hardly enough. You need the right people to see it, and that means hosting it on the correct platform, depending on your area of expertise. 

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We’ll divide this section into four groups. Websites for:

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• Software developers
• Graphic designers
• Content writers
• Accountants 

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With that out of the way, here are the 12 best portfolio websites for freelancers. 

Best websites for freelance software developer portfolios

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Tech talent can be hard to find, and depending on where your prospective clients are based, could cost an arm and a leg to hire locally. Fortunately, hiring freelance talent allows for customers to hire the best developers from around the world. 

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If you want to be a part of that talent pool, these are the top three websites that you ought to have your portfolio featured on. 

1. Toptal

Toptal was started in 2015 as a website for people to source freelance software developers but has now started hosting designer portfolios as well. Since the website is very particular about the quality of talent they offer clients, they have a rigorous screening process that you will need to clear before your portfolio is accepted.

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The screening process includes tests on communication skills, language skills, reasoning, live tests, technical interviews, and a live test project with a three-week time limit. As a result, only around 3% of all applicants get to showcase their portfolios on Toptal. 

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However, if you do manage to get through these hurdles, be assured that you will be sought out by clients who can afford to pay top dollar for your services. 

2. Upstack

Upstack also has an eight-point hiring system to ensure that they offer their clients the best software developers from around the world, so once again, this is not one of those platforms that allows you to simply upload your portfolio.

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That being said, the customers who have hired freelance talent from Upstack include the likes of Lego and Microsoft, so you know you definitely want your profile featured on this site. 

3. Youteam

Youteam is another website that offers its clients top freelancer software development talent, but there is a difference between them and other websites that host freelancer portfolios. 

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Along with offering individual freelancers on hire, Youteam also builds teams of developers and offers them to clients on hire with or without the added services of a project manager. 

Best websites for freelance graphic designers

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If you’re a freelance graphic designer, you may find that you hardly have any downtime, considering the insane demand for people with that skill set. 

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However, these are the top three websites that you’d want to post your portfolio on to start getting paid projects.

4. Designhill

Designhill is more than just a website that hosts freelance graphic designer portfolios. It allows customers to host design contests and pick the best picks for their projects. It also allows you to create your own merchandise and sell it on their e-store. 

5. Behance

Behance is the go-to portfolio website for a lot of creative freelancers, ranging from illustrators and app developers to freelance graphic designers. Considering the sheer number of visitors Behance has every day, a great portfolio can go a long way in helping you build a community around your skills and get freelance projects that pay well. 

6. Dribble

Dribble differs from other websites that host freelance graphic designer portfolios. They make choosing projects easier for you by having design boards. 

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For example, if you specialize in designing logos, you can look at the logo design board instead of sifting through hundreds of other unrelated opportunities.

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At a cost of $60 per year, you get Dribble Pro, which gives you more options to create better-looking portfolios and increases the visibility of your portfolio as well. 

Best websites for freelance content writers

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Among the many marketing tools used by brands nowadays, content is king, and this makes freelance content writers highly coveted. If you’re a freelance content writer looking for work, these three are the websites you want your writing portfolio to be on.

7. Clippings.me

Your portfolio on Clippings.me will have profile pictures, a small bit about yourself, links to your social media handles, and samples of your published works with additional details. 

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The site itself is easy to navigate, meaning job seekers and potential employers don’t need to work very hard to find each other. The website even enables users to quickly add stories to their portfolios.

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The paid version of Clippings.me costs a minimum of $4.99, and comes with a listing on their journalist directory, making your portfolio easier to notice, and gives you custom domain support. An additional $3 a month will give you analytical tools as well.

8. Contently

Contently is primarily a service that gives content writers paid gigs by connecting them to clients indirectly, but it’s also a great platform for you to put your portfolio on.

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Setting up your portfolio on Contently is really easy. All you have to do is enter the websites you’ve been published on, and it’ll automatically pull your work up. You can then choose which pieces you want featured. 

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Samples are organized in a layout similar to Pinterest, and you can rearrange it depending on which pieces you want more focus on by simply dragging and dropping them. 

9. Medium

Medium is unique in that it organizes the work of all the writers it features by category, and it has a huge number of people both contributing to its content bank as well as visiting the site looking for the right freelance content resources. 

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This makes it possibly the website that will garner your portfolio the most attention.

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You get to add tags to your work depending on the audience you want to target, and can add images to it as well. An added advantage is that all your SEO needs are handled by the website, meaning you’re guaranteed your work will reach people, and you will be noticed. 

Best websites for freelance accounting portfolios

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When it comes to taxes and accounting, everyone wants to stay on the straight and narrow. No one wants the IRS to come knocking. However, not every business can afford to hire a full-time accountant, opening up the doors of opportunity for freelance accountants. 

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Here are the top three websites where people tend to look for freelance accountants. 

10. Fiverr

Fiverr features on our list because its advanced search features make it easy for potential customers to find your profile on the website. For example, if you specialize in taxes, looking for a tax specialist will throw up your profile a lot faster than just searching for an accountant.

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Customers can also leverage their detailed FAQ section about how to hire freelancers like yourself. However, Fiverr doesn’t always quote top dollar for their freelancers, so you’ll need to keep that in mind while putting your portfolio up on the website. 

11. Upwork

Like Fiverr, Upwork hosts all types of freelancer profiles, not just accountants. However, Upwork is known to pay freelancers better, and accountants can look at landing long-term projects on the platform. 

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Businesses or individuals looking for freelance accountants can narrow down their search using parameters ranging from the rates charged and success ratios to clients you have worked for and their reviews. 

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If your portfolio impresses a prospective client, they can even message you directly to apply for a posting they may have uploaded. 

12. PARO

PARO specializes in finding their customers freelancers who specialize in financial services, including accounting. It goes a step further, giving them access to financial specialists based on industry verticals. 

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For example, if most of your work experience has been working with small bars and restaurants, your profile will be pulled up when a client from the F&B sector needs an accountant. 

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However, putting up your portfolio on PARO isn’t easy, considering their vetting process is so thorough, only 2% of all applicants make the cut. If you do qualify, you can be sure you’re going to get paid top dollar for your services. 

Keep track of your taxes and your income with Prio’s invoice generator

As we mentioned earlier, working as a freelancer is pretty much the same as running your own business. This means you’ve got to be responsible for making sure your clients pay you on time, and for paying your taxes on time as well. 

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Prio’s invoice generator can help you do both with ease. Not only can you generate unique invoices for your clients, but you can also automate invoice generation for your regular customers. This will help you track what you’ve already been paid and what payments are still outstanding.

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Knowing your earnings also allows you to accurately calculate the taxes you owe, including income tax and other state or county taxes. 

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The best part is that Prio’s invoice generator and other freelancer tools are absolutely free! Sign up on our website, and join the Prio family today!

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