23 Free Platforms to Showcase Your Design Work

Building an online presence has become essential for designers today, whether you're a freelancer or a full-time professional. From setting up social media profiles to updating your portfolio, a little personal branding can connect you with potential clients and open doors to unexpected career opportunities.

The good news is, it's never been easier. With numerous online platforms created for creative professionals, you can easily share your work with a global audience or even a specific community. While it may take some time, it won't cost you a penny. Here are 23 top places to showcase your work for free—take a look and see which one suits you best.

1. Behance

Behance is a leading portfolio hub for all creatives to showcase their portfolios, discover others' work, and connect with potential clients and employers.

Best for: Creatives seeking a versatile and widely recognized platform to showcase diverse portfolios, connect with a global community, and access job opportunities across multiple creative industries.

2. Dribbble

Dribbble is a vibrant community for designers and visual design professionals to display snippets of their work, known as "shots."Users can gain feedback and find work opportunities.

Best for: Designers who prefer a visually-driven, bite-sized presentation of their work, seek engagement and feedback from a vibrant community.

3. ArtStation

ArtStation is tailored for artists in the games, film, media, and entertainment industries to showcase portfolios, sell digital products, and network with professionals.

Best for: Creatives in the gaming, film, and entertainment sectors who require portfolios that include various media types, sell digital products, and present their work in an industry-specific context.

4. Designspiration

Designspiration is an image and color search engine where creatives can upload their work, discover inspiration, and organize visual ideas.

Best for: Designers and creatives who seek to inspire and be inspired by others, and prefer showcasing their designs through curated collections and mood boards.

5. Coroflot

Coroflot is a design job board that allows designers to showcase their work and connect with potential employers for job opportunities.

Best for: Designers looking to showcase their work and seeking employment opportunities.

6. The Dots

The Dots is a vibrant creative community where professionals can create profiles, showcase their work, and collaborate on projects.

Best for: Networking with other creatives and finding collaborative opportunities.

7. Creativepool

Creativepool is a global creative community that allows individuals to build profiles, showcase portfolios, and connect with potential collaborators.

Best for: Building a global network and discovering collaborative projects.

8. DeviantArt

DeviantArt is pioneering platform for artists, especially digital creators, to showcase their work, engage with a global community, and receive feedback.

Best for: Digital artists seeking community engagement and feedback.‍

9. Zerply

Zerply is a global VFX and animation talent platform that connects artists with studios in film & TV, games, advertising, and mixed reality.

Best for: VFX and animation artists aiming to connect with industry studios.

10. Carbonmade

Carbonmade is a user-friendly platform for photographers, illustrators, motion designers, and graphic designers to create and display their portfolios.

Best for: Designers looking for an easy-to-use portfolio builder with customizable options.

11. DesignCrowd

DesignCrowd is a crowdsourcing platform where designers can create portfolios and gain freelance opportunities by participating in design contests.

Best for: Freelance designers seeking contest-based projects and exposure.

12. Instagram

Instagram is one of the most popular social media platform for visually showcasing your work, gaining engagement, and developing personal branding.

Best for: Building a personal brand and reaching a broad, diverse audience.

13. Pinterest

Pinterest is a visual discovery and bookmarking platform where you can showcase your designs, find inspiration, and reach audiences interested in visual content.

Best for: Designers seeking inspiration and driving traffic to their portfolios.

14. Cosmos

Cosmos is similar to Pinterest but with a more artistic focus, allowing you to showcase your work while discovering and sharing visual content.

Best for: Artistic designers seeking a visually-driven community for inspiration and sharing.

15. Flickr

Flickr is a photo-sharing platform ideal for photographers and creatives to display their work and connect with a community of enthusiasts.

Best for: Creatives looking to share high-quality images and engage with a photography community.‍

16. Patreon

Partren is a membership platform where creators can showcase their work and receive support from patrons to sustain their creative projects.

Best for: Creators who want to build a loyal fanbase.

17. LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a professional networking platform where you can add your portfolio, showcase your work, and build a network with industry professionals.

Best for: Professional networking and connecting with potential employers or clients.

18. Awwwards

Awwwards is a platform where you can submit your website for evaluation, and if selected by judges, have your work showcased to a global audience.

Best for: Web designers aiming for recognition and awards in the industry.

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19. Issuu

Issuu is a great platform to showcase editorial work and various content types, including magazines, brochures, and other publications.

Best for: Designers involved in editorial and publication design.‍

20. Layers

Layers is a design community platform where designers can share their work, connect with others, and build their portfolios.

Best for: Designers looking to engage with a community and receive constructive feedback.‍

21. Vimeo

Vimeo is a video platform ideal for motion designers, animators, and filmmakers to showcase their video work.

Best for: Video-centric designers and animators aiming for high-quality video presentation.‍

22. Cargo

Cargo is a customizable portfolio website builder for creatives to showcase their work professionally with various design templates.

Best for: Designers wanting a personalized and professional-looking portfolio website.‍

23. Cara

Cara is a social media platform for showcasing and discovering creative work, connecting artists, designers, and creative professionals with a focus on collaboration and inspiration.

Best for: Designers seeking a community-focused platform for inspiration and collaboration.

Conclusion

Spending time and effort on building your online presence is definitely worth it. These platforms provide opportunities to showcase your creativity, connect with other professionals, and gain valuable exposure.  Whether you're looking to find new clients or simply gain more exposure, taking advantage of these platforms can enhance your career.

Final tip

An important strategy for maximizing your impact is to ensure your profiles are interconnected. Linking your work on different platforms helps create a cohesive personal branding and maximizes your visibility. For instance, connect your Behance profile to your LinkedIn account and personal website, allowing potential clients or collaborators to explore your work across different spaces.