13 alternative platforms to showcase your creative work online
For over a decade, Instagram has been the go-to platform to showcase a variety of creative work. But though we know it can feel like the default option nowadays, it’s far from the only way of getting yourself and your work out there. Here, we’ve highlighted some great alternative platforms on which to display your creative work and get discovered by a potential employer or fellow emerging creatives. Whether you’re a designer, illustrator, writer, photographer or multidisciplinary creative, these sites could be the gateway to a bigger or more relevant audience.
1. Behance
Good for: All creatives
Cost: Free
On Behance, discover the work of forward-thinking graphic designers, AR/VR artists, typographers, photojournalists, UX/UI designers and even street artists. Any work uploaded on the site has a chance to be featured on its ‘Best of Behance’ page, giving the work a large audience. The platform also has livestreams of tutorials from creatives on a range of topics such as illustration techniques to apply to your practice.
2. The Dots
Good for: All creatives
Cost: Free
On The Dots, creatives of all disciplines get the opportunity to connect and share their work. An account on the site lets you post your work, whether it’s visual or more text-based, as well as pose questions to the wider community, which also consists of creatives of all levels – from emerging talent to CEOs. And with many big name companies using the site to hire talent, hosting your portfolio on it could lead to your big break.
3. Dribbble
Good for: All creatives
Cost: Free
On Dribbble, you can explore design portfolios from agencies and designers all across the globe and showcase yours alongside them. All disciplines and types of work are well represented here, from brand strategy decks to animation and even case studies. If you need some inspiration from in-house or freelance fellow creatives, this is a great place to have a thorough dig!
4. DeviantArt
Good for: Illustrators and photographers
Cost: Free
One of the largest online art communities, DeviantArt has cultivated a huge group of illustrators and with it, groups to share your work. From fantasy genre-drawing to comics and street photography, There’s also the option of creating and exploring community subscriptions, where you can offer exclusive access to your work for a chosen monthly fee.
5. Explore
Good for: All creatives
Cost: Free 14-day trial; £4 monthly after
A portfolio-hosting platform that seeks to go back to the basic elements of social media, Explore focuses on building community. It premises itself on having no algorithm, with all posts on feeds sorted by latest posted. Follower numbers are also not made public and likes aren’t shown. Plus, there are no limits on dimensions of work you can upload on to your feed.
6. ArtStation
Good for: Illustrators, animators, motion designers and 3D artists
Cost: Free
ArtStation is home to a host of illustrators, animators and 3D artists showcasing their portfolio for industries such as gaming, film and illustration, just to name a few. The platform has partnered up with Unreal Engine to showcase the intricacies of motion design work in all its glory. It also serves as a learning platform, where you can get to grips with all kinds of software – from Blender to Substance Designer.
7. VSCO
Good for: Photographers
Cost: Free, with paid image filters available
The photography editing app might be well-known for their Instagram filters that catapulted them to fame a decade ago, but they also boast a community of active photographers that keep feeds lively. On top of that, VSCO offers a comprehensive in-app editing suite, a GIF maker and an array of 35mm film emulations for Adobe Lightroom.
8. Cargo
Good for: Coders, UX/UI and website designers
Cost: From £11 monthly for full site-building support
Cargo is a customisable site-building platform for everything from portfolios to an online shop, from editorial work to photography. Budding tech creatives can also make use of their comprehensive coding facilities to build and host things like site design. Any website hosted on Cargo will also be considered for feature on the platform’s Favourite Sites Index.
9. 500px
Good for: Photographers
Cost: Free, with Pro tiers from £3.25 monthly
With 500px, you can show that you’re available for hire on your profile and get discovered by potential employers by showcasing your articles, videos and more. You can also sell your creative work to a global marketplace. The free tier allows you to upload seven photos a month and a monthly subscription will give you access to more tools, including visitor analytics to see how well your work is performing.
10. Vimeo
Good for: Filmmakers and videographers
Cost: Free for basic account, paid plans from £9-£57
The platform of choice for many websites’ in-built video players, Vimeo offers a sleek and professional interface for filmmakers, videographers and any creative using moving image to showcase their work. If you want features such as more than 500MB of storage – useful if you want to upload a high-res short film or showreel, for instance – then consider a paid subscription.
11. YouTube
Good for: Filmmakers and videographers
Cost: Free
The ubiquitous video platform hosts a larger user base than Vimeo, so it can be useful for filmmakers trying to cast a wider net for their audience. It’s also completely free to use for content creators and their short-form video section YouTube Shorts also allows you to make vertical-format clips under 60 seconds long.
12. GitHub
Good for: Coders
Cost: Free
GitHub has helped bring to life many apps, websites and simple, often open-source codes that have played a part in shaping the way we work today. Features include automated workflows, collaborative coding and even a ‘co-pilot’ feature where you benefit from the assistance of AI to undertake the more simple coding tasks.
13. Substack
Good for: Writers
Cost: Free
Substack is a great way to monetise your written work – all via the medium of email. You can opt for different subscription tiers, offering each group different levels of access to your writing. Plus, the user interface is easy to get the hang of and the site is home to writing and criticism from writers all around the world on any subject you can think of – from rare sneakers to artisanal bread baking.
Written by Lyla Maeve