# Format Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is Format the right Website Builder solution for you? Explore 207 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/157153/Format/reviews --- Format 4.7 (207) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated March 13th, 2026 # Reviews of Format Ease of use 4.7 Customer Service 4.8 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews IM Ian M freelance photographer and videographerPhotography, Self-employedUsed the software for: I used a free trial. “My favourite thing has been just playing around with the layout and getting things the way i want them to look for my site.“ April 30, 2022 HF Heather F Freelance Designer and ArtistGraphic Design, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “The caps on the number of images or projects I could include felt very limiting, but the next tier of subscription felt above my budget and was filled with other perks and features that I didn't need and didn't want to be paying for.“ November 16, 2022 IM Ian M freelance photographer and videographerPhotography, Self-employedUsed the software for: I used a free trial. “its all new to me making a website and the staff/ team have been so helpful.“ April 30, 2022 HF Heather F Freelance Designer and ArtistGraphic Design, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “For the price I was paying, I felt that I wasn't getting the most out of my investment.“ November 16, 2022 DB Darren B PhotographerArts and Crafts, Self-employedUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “Stunning templates.“ May 26, 2022 FP Frank P photographerPhotography, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Perhaps they folded when they got an anonymous compliant? Or maybe they just don't like art, free expression, ideas and open dialog?“ September 5, 2020 JO Joseph O OwnerConstruction, Self-employedUsed the software for: I used a free trial. “For the most part it is a great software but could still use a little tweaking“ July 7, 2021 AW Alex W PhotographerPhotography, Self-employedUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “One thing I dislike about Format is that you cannot pay for a 6 month plan.“ May 17, 2020 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 207 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Lydia B. Freelance Photographer/ Studio Owner Photography Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best website service out there!" October 22, 2019 5.0 I’m able to use this service for all my online display needs. As a photographer, it’s critical to be able to display my professional portfolio as well as individual client galleries, a contact and services page and list of qualifications. This service allows me to EASILY customize and provide all of these. Pros There’s nothing I don’t like about about this software. I can’t wait to be completely switched over from my current website provider. My favorite thing about this service is the ability to easily manipulate my website from the app. Cons Honestly I can’t think of a single thing I don’t like about Format. Other than maybe the fact that everything in life can’t be this easy and friendly. Switched from [Squarespace](https://www.capterra.com/p/143461/Squarespace/) More affordable, better customer service, much more user friendly Review Source HF Heather F. Freelance Designer and Artist Graphic Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "There are better options now" November 16, 2022 4.0 At the time I started my website, Format's pricing was competitive with the market. It seemed to offer enough features and service quality to be worth the price. Now that a few years have passed, it seems there are more cost effective options. Pros It seemed to be really designed with creative professionals in mind. I liked that I didn't have to skim through tons of templates and features for blogs and other non-portfolio based website structures. It also has a great design sensibility. I felt I could easily create a clean looking portfolio that emphasized my artwork, as opposed to distracting the user with a flashy design. Cons For the price I was paying, I felt that I wasn't getting the most out of my investment. The caps on the number of images or projects I could include felt very limiting, but the next tier of subscription felt above my budget and was filled with other perks and features that I didn't need and didn't want to be paying for. Switched from [Squarespace](https://www.capterra.com/p/143461/Squarespace/) Squarespace increased their prices at the time. Review Source FP Frank P. photographer Photography Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Cancel Culture Thrives at Format ~ They Censored Hundreds of Hours of My Work" September 5, 2020 3.0 Format decided that some of my edgier content violated their terms and services so they cancelled my service leaving me without a website. This could have put me out of business or lost me important opportunities ~ we'll never know ~ and they wouldn't even tell me what exactly I did that violated their paragraph #428 Section 3, paragraph 16, line 87. Decent software but a bug fail on this aspect. Perhaps they folded when they got an anonymous compliant? Or maybe they just don't like art, free expression, ideas and open dialog? All I know is they are against my free speech even though I was very careful to be legal, polite and correct. Pros I like the software quite a bit although like anything there is a learning curve and you have to have some design and web experience to get the most out of it. I know that I could never afford the one-off coding that went into their system. When people complain about boring templates they don't realize that the Format app allows you to drastically change the look and feel of each template, enough so that you can be unique and make it your own. I think the customization of their templates is their most powerful attribute. Cons While the mobile versions look good on most phones, not so much with tablets. And while you can use the mobile app to possible correct a typo (maybe) you really can't design a full website from your phone. Reason for choosing Format Having used the Square Space and Word Press on other projects, I think Format is better geared towards photographers and visual artists. Review Source JL Jay L. Art Teacher and Photographic Artist Photography Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "The ABSOLUTE BEST WEBSITE BUILDER for artists, photographers, and creatives!" November 17, 2019 5.0 CUSTOMER SERVICE is top notch, and many of them are artists themselves. I love those folks, they’re all very friendly and helpful. Pros GORGEOUS, BEAUTIFUL, and CREATIVE themes made for artists. The themes feel like you walked into a web site gallery! No unnecessary clutter that distracts the viewer from the artwork. The software is kept up to date and its easy to use. Cons No problems , I like it once I learned how to navigate it. Reason for choosing Format The customer service was much better at Format. Switched from [Weebly](https://www.capterra.com/p/246168/Weebly/) Format is built for artists and is a much better portfolio platform. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Lifestyle and Advertising Photographer (specialising in Kids) Photography Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great Marketting Tool but in need of updates for photographers" October 10, 2018 5.0 Really incredible, their customer service is second to none, everyone in the team is very knowledgeable about their software and willing to walk you through anything you need to know Pros This is a great visual software that showcases my work really well Cons The best photography display option for me does not go fully across the screen- it would be great to have a bit more flexibility with the software to enable this and other updates so that the display matches the current trends. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Productrice et Réalisatrice Broadcast Media Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Beautiful website for creatives" December 31, 2018 5.0 Pros Easy to use, simple, designs up to date and responsive Cons Even though the company is based in Canada (Toronto), there is no option to be charged in $CAD. Review Source Greg G. Social Media Marketing Manager Photography Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Basic photo sharing site with tons of issues" May 7, 2019 3.0 Pros I used Format to set up a photo portfolio site for someone who is very technology-phobic. He uses Lightroom to edit photos and wanted something easy that integrated with LR and allowed him to upload photos directly to the app. Format does this - and has nice enough galleries. Cons Don't use Format if you want to do much customization. There are limits on everything, and it seems that the people who created it don't truly understand the needs of photographers who want something a little beyond the box. While you can change font sizes and such, you are stuck with their minimal design options and if you like something from one design/theme, you can't have it in another. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Social Media and Community Manager Retail Used the software for: 2+ years ### "My time with Format has been amazing. The customer service has gone above and beyond!" December 3, 2017 5.0 Pros I love that this website is catered to creatives and allows for maximum options for refining the website to your needs. Cons Better options for the online store within their price plans. I would like to see a partnership with external online shops (e.g. SmugMug) Review Source Sam D. Assistant Professor of Photography Higher Education Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Fantastic ease of use " June 6, 2018 5.0 A great website at a fantastic cost. Pros The best thing about this software is the price, I went from livebooks to format and will never go back. Cons There is very very little I don't like about the software. It is very easy to use. If I had a complaint it would be for more variety and more options but this is minor. Review Source NG Nic G. Musician Food Production Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Great for opening an online store!" January 24, 2019 4.0 Pros The main factor that brought us to Format was the ability to easily setup and maintain an online store to sell our products. All the payments go thru Paypal, so there is no worries of unsecured transactions happening! Format also makes it really easy to set up discount codes for customers to use. The price per year is also really hard to beat for the features that are included. Cons I've been using Format for about 4 months and haven't ran into any issues so far! Review Source SO Sibiry O. general director Internet Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Format review " November 22, 2022 5.0 Pros Format is a very good website creation software. Supported by web hosts like hostinger Cons No problem encountered in the use of this software I highly recommend Review Source MB Melanie B. Fashion Model Arts and Crafts Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best place to get a website!" September 18, 2017 5.0 It helps me promote my brand and show my work in the best way possible. Pros I love the different premise layouts for the websites. The layouts are clean, modern, and they have a variety to choose from. If I ever have a problem, the customer service is always top notch. They go above and beyond to help with every single question I've had. They really care about the customers. You can do prettt much whatever you like with your website. It's very straightforward with how to set everything up. Cons There's not much, if anything, that I have a problem with. I'd like to have a video as the opening/home page, but you might be able to do that now (I'm not sure). Review Source CB Carlos B. Architecture Photographer Photography Used the software for: 2+ years ### "I've been with format for years now and their customer service has been great and very supportive. " September 18, 2017 4.0 A clean and elegant web site that impress my customers. Pros Their customer service is great and I am very pleased. Also, I like the fact that I can customized most of the template. The templates are specialized for photographers and that is something I appreciate a lot. Cons Latest changes and new home page (where you login), I do not like the videos they put there. Template should become even more minimalistic. They way Pages are displayed could be improved, maybe on a different arrange of list. It would also be great to have a built-in app that help creating high quality GIF animations or flash videos. Review Source EP Elli P. Owner/Photographer Photography Used the software for: 2+ years ### "I am continually impressed with their platform for the last few years!" September 22, 2017 5.0 A beautiful professional website Pros The ease of use and functionality - beautiful templates! I was able to quickly figure out how to select a template, alter the template, etc. even without any type of quide. I've used Squarespace and Format is so much more intuitive to me. Also I love the simplicity of most of the templates and amount you can alter them. The Proofing site is a HUGE plus as well. Cons Was missing a type of template that I really wanted that most photographers use (via Squarespace). They had all the pieces separately across other templates but didn't put them together. Review Source KB Ksenia B. Photographer Photography Used the software for: 2+ years ### "I absolutely love Format - elegant, minimal look and easy to use" September 22, 2017 5.0 Pros The design templates, simplicity, very intuitive. The best part is customer service: everyone is extremely responsive and helpful. I love a real time chat feature to solve problems. My favourite features: proof pages, sales area and customised pages. I also get a lot of positive feedback on my website from my clients. I must say, the looks perfectly reflects my brand. Cons There are no cons at the moment - everything seems to work properly. One feature I would love to see in the future is having a quality full screen video on the home page. Review Source ES Eva S. photographer Photography Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Suitable my little photography bussiness. Very easy to manage my portfolio and client´s galleries." September 18, 2017 5.0 Really easy to use. Connection with Lightroom. Easy to use for clients - including favouriting choosen photos and being able to see that back in LR. Great customer service! Pros Nice look, great tools which makes my work much easier. The best one is the capability to load my galleries directly from my editing software to my pages and to see the client´s choise right back in the connected editing software. Really easy for my clients to use. Save my time as well as theirs. Cons Emails sent from the pages are not archived, so there is a need to insert myself in a copy. Most of the fonts are not applicable for our diacritic. Review Source MR Michael R. Photographer Used the software for: 2+ years ### "I love what Format offers. I have used other software company and this is by far a winner. " September 18, 2017 5.0 Pros Love the interface and the look of my site is fresh and clean; Lot of themes to choose from. I also love the fact that Format has "proofing", it allows me to easily share my images with clients and that make a world of difference in my workflow. Cons I wish I could save my client's email in the proofing, on the back-end. I also wish I could send Tiff files via the "proofing" app. Review Source GT Grant T. Art Director/Photographer Graphic Design Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Looks good, easy to use" September 18, 2017 5.0 I was able to get a new site up and running very quickly. That not only looked good but was responsive. Pros I particularly like the modular approach of the themes. It makes it easy to adapt each one to your own needs. This actually means you can have your site up and running quickly. And amend just as quickly. The supplied font choices are simple but nicely chosen to suit a website for a creative. Cons Personally, I'd like to be able to add a carousel easily. I imagine if I upgraded I'd be able to add some javascript to the code to do this. But it doesn't seem to be possible on the personal level. Occasionally it can be a bit tricky to get image sizes right. Getting them small enough rather than too large that is. Review Source aW alex W. photographer Photography Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Very friendly and efficient customer service! and always introducing new features which is fun. " September 13, 2017 4.0 easily contacted by potential customers Pros It's simple and pretty! Makes my portfolio look professional and high quality. Its easy to add and delete things as i please. Cons the recent overhaul of the back end was quite an adjustment. Old version seemed a bit easier to navigate right off the bat (but i've gotten used to it!) Review Source SK Stefanie K. Photographer Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Outstanding portfolio provider. Easy to use and excellent customer service." September 12, 2017 5.0 Pros They are constantly improving their services and features and furthermore provide an excellent customer service. Cons There are some occasional bugs, that restrict the usability. Once my website was suddenly down for quite some time. But they are alsways working hard to fix everything as fast as possible. Review Source CR Cameron R. Photographer Photography Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Amazing" September 19, 2017 5.0 I can showcase my work on a beautiful easy to use platform. Pros I have been using format for about 4 years now and choosing them over other website builders was the best decision. Compared to square space and other platforms, format is definitely the most straight forward and easy to use. They have a super simple which makes even the messiest website clean and minimal. The proofing link section has made my life way easier for sure. Cons I wish there were more options to choose from for layouts and fonts. I think it would be cool to have some animations to choose from, Maybe even a logo designer. Besides that there really isn't much more I would change. Review Source HS Henry S. Art Student Fine Art Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Format has helped my social presence flourish" September 13, 2017 5.0 A social presence Pros The ease of use of everything about the site! I am able to edit each aspect of my website simply and effectively Cons There could always be more themes but I am happy with everything honestly. Also an application for android on the Google play store wouldn't go a miss! Review Source CG Catharina G. Photographer Arts and Crafts Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great for online portfolios and professional websites," September 12, 2017 5.0 Professional portfolio Pros What I like most about Format is that it both works for personal blogs and professional websites including web shops. Cons The least part I like is that there aren't a lot of preset designs available. The ones that are available are great though. Review Source DB Darren B. Photographer Arts and Crafts Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Great for Photographers" May 26, 2022 4.0 Pros Easily to use and configurable. Stunning templates. Cons Nothing much. Everything works really well for what I need. Review Source SW Shira W. Photographer Photography Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Awesome!" September 12, 2017 4.0 Pros I love that it's so easy to use! I'm not great with graphic design & all that tech stuff but I was able to make a nice looking website on my own. And when I needed help someone was always available & if not they got back to me quickly Cons I can't integrate custom fonts. For some of my pages I'd like to use fonts that I've purchased for a more customized look Review Source Similar Products Featured ## Send me user reviews about this product ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.