Behance.net
Pros: The Behance Network works through collaborative circles so designers can join forces. It has a great, clean design and easy-to-use social networking tools. If your work's on here, the members-only rule means you've already got some props.
Cons: User profiles are a little sparse. Although the JobList feature is great, it's only useful if you're looking for work in the US.
Best for: All creative areas
Flickr.com
Pros: Flickr's many useful tools include tagging, search engine optimisation, image editing and a massive social network. You can also use an API to embed your Flickr portfolio into your own website through flickrSLiDR.
Cons: It's always going to be hard to be noticed in a crowd like Flickr. 100MB per month size limit on free accounts could be a problem.
Best for: Photography and graphic design
Vimeo.com
Pros: Clean design, original content, and it accepts lots of different file formats for upload. Offers Simple and Advanced API and oEmbed tools.
Cons: Its Community Guidelines ban "commercials, infomercials, or demos that actively sell or promote". Free account upload limit is 500MB per week.
Best for: Motion graphics
Carbonmade.com
Pros: Simple to set up, these portfolios are clean and easy to navigate. Over 72,000 portfolios cover 45 creative categories, although the focus is on illustration.
Cons: The free service offers 35 images or five projects. 50 projects, 10 videos and 500 images costs $12 a month.
Best for: Illustration, photography
Portfolios.deviantart.com
Pros: The site's Portfolio tool gives you a free custom domain name, up to four galleries for 18 images, and a portfolio storage area.
Cons: Basic-looking portfolio layout. You get your own URL so your portfolio isn't shared, but it's a free site.
Best for: Illustration, fantasy art, 3D
Flavors.me
Pros: Creates a slick-looking site that draws together information from many different sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Vimeo and Netflix. Multiple backgrounds, colours and fonts to choose from. Great way of introducing yourself personally to potential clients.
Cons: Creative work can take a back seat to tweets and blogs.
Best for: Creatives with a serious social networking habit
FigDig.com
Pros: FigDig's 1224x792 high-def resolution really makes your work stand out. The PDF profile tool lets users download a sample of your work as a memorable leave-behind, and it's great publicity if you make it into the FigDig Hall of Fame.
Cons: Non-customisable template, lots of advertising.
Best for: Illustration, general graphic design
NOTCOT.org
Pros: NOTCOT works by showcasing one image and providing a link to your portfolio; this cut-down format works well for the visitor, providing multiple hits of inspiration, as well as a cure for creative block.
Cons: With just one image and a link to your site, that image had better be pretty good to attract attention.
Best for: All creative areas
Coroflot.com
Pros: Free online portfolio and networking site aimed at creatives from architects all the way through to print designers. Claims to be the largest and longest established site of its kind, plus unlimited uploads.
Cons: There's no way of customising your portfolio page, limited to set templates, large amount of competing work can make it easy for your folio to get lost. Job search is very US-based.
Best for: All creative areas
Squarespace.com
Pros: 60 templates with hundreds of design variants and multiple navigation options. There's a great suite of management tools, including easy to follow analytics reports, plus 24/7 support.
Cons: It's pricey - there are free alternatives, whereas the lowest pricing option for Squarespace is $8 a month.
Best for: All creative areas
PimpArtworks.com
Pros: PimpArtworks offers free profile portfolio pages and social networking. It also sells work on canvases, acrylic frames or as framed prints, charging a base price for production, and the user sets the commission.
Cons: Great idea, but limited to one style.
Best for: Street art, illustration, photography
Society6.com
Pros: Society6 portfolios are free to create, simple and effective. Offering Flickr-style templates, a growing creative community promotes each other's work. No ads to clutter things up, and they also sell Gicl©e prints.
Cons: The template leaves all portfolios looking samey.
Best for: Illustration
CargoCollective.com
Pros: Evolving out of the system behind the SpaceCollective community, Cargo offers easy-to-use, free and well designed portfolios with no advertising getting in the way. The 'follow' feature enables visitors to keep tabs on favourite work.
Cons: The Cargo site is still under development, so basics may change. You'll need to apply for an account.
Best for: All creative areas
Mojizu.com
Pros: An easy-to-use site for character designers. Users can create their own profiles, have their characters rated and even battle them against each other. Mojizu also sells character design T-shirts.
Cons: Lots of adverts. Users assign 'non-exclusive limited rights' when uploading an image, so Mojizu has the right to sell merchandise featuring their characters - with profits split between the creative and the site.
Best for: Character design
5oup.net
Pros: Free, simple, easy-to-use site offering one image per page layout, with minimal information to let your work do the talking. Unlimited image and video uploads, and no adverts, plus a Fresh List feature to highlight the best work.
Cons: Non-customisable templates.
Best for: Illustration and design, especially students and new graduates
