You want to create a portfolio website to showcase your web development work, and you’re looking for web development portfolio examples for inspiration and guidance.
Chances are, you’re also wondering what platform is best for your portfolio.
But before we dive into examples of what portfolio websites look like in the wild on a variety of website builders and hosting platforms, there is one thing to keep in mind when you’re evaluating your portfolio: it’s not just about how it looks. The functionality matters too.
And given we’re dealing with web development portfolios, chances are, you want your portfolio to be an example of what you can do. With this in mind, we’ve pulled a variety of examples from a variety of platforms, but you’ll notice a trend towards portfolios built on self-hosted platforms (like self-hosted WordPress or WordPress alternatives) that give developers more freedom and flexibility to showcase their style (beyond a Github profile).
Disclosure – I receive customer referral fees from companies mentioned on this website. All data & opinions are based on my professional judgement as a paying customer or consultant to a paying customer.
Best Web Development Portfolio Examples
We’ve pulled these examples based on functionality, design, and usability. Again, when you’re looking to build a web development portfolio, remember that you’re not just thinking about making the site look good. You want to think about how your site can showcase your work and even serve as an example of your abilities.
Andrew Borstein
Software: GitHub
Hosting: Fastly
We loved this web development portfolio example from Andrew as an all around “what makes a good portfolio” case, because it hits all of the marks of what should be included in a portfolio.
From his clear headline, to the easy to use navigation, to the color palette and design, Andrew’s portfolio is clean, straightforward, and priorities the key information clients need (who he is, what he does, and how to find his work / contact him).
Even the Projects page is organized and incredibly easy to browse. Notice how he includes a small bit of copy underneath each project, giving visitors a snippet of what the actual project is (which is a great way to get people interested enough to click through to view the work).
Adham Dannaway
Software: Self-Hosted WordPress
Hosting: MediaTemple
What stood out to us about Adham’s site is how it combines a bit of design flair in a really simple way.
The header visually showcases his design and development skills, and the rest of the site is clean, simple, and easy to navigate. Check out the simple black menu at the top with the contrasting white text. Again, it’s straightforward and easy to find exactly what you’re looking for if you’re a prospective client.
Matthew Williams
Software: GitHub
Hosting: GitHub Hosting
This web development portfolio example is another great example of showcasing your abilities in your portfolio without having to create something super complicated. The animated header gives the website an extra level of customization, but doesn’t take away from the overall goal of the portfolio, which is to introduce you to the developer and get you to his work.
We also enjoyed the breakdown of the projects, which is organized by web application
This is a great way to show potential clients which platforms you specialize in, as well as showcase the projects you’ve done for those platforms.
Joan Mira
Software: Gatsby JS
Hosting: Fastly Hosted
What stood out to us about this web development portfolio is how Joan displays her skills. Instead of listing out the skills / platforms she’s proficient in, Joan uses animated blocks to drop onto the homepage (another neat way to showcase your skills on your portfolio!).
We also liked how Joan organized her projects. The clean, card layout is easy to browse, and the categories allow users to filter easily through different project types.
Sagar Shirbhate
Software: Github / Bootstrap
Hosting: Github
This web development portfolio example is a bit different form the others in that it’s made from a pre-designed template. This is a great option if you’re looking for a quick way to get your information up, and don’t have time to develop something custom.
Remember, your portfolio doesn’t have to be complicated. The main intention is to showcase your work and give potential clients a way to contact you. This portfolio example does just that.
Oxdragon
Software: Devport
Hosting: Devport
Again, here’s another example of a template-based web development portfolio for those who are looking for an easy way to display their work without having to build something completely custom.
Devport is a web developer portfolio builder that allows developers to pul in their work from other areas online and edit pre-made templates to showcase their projects.
As with any web platform, there’s a trade off between convenience and control. A portfolio like this definitely provides a lot of convenience, but you’ll lost control in terms of some design and functionality limitations. It’s not “good” or “bad” — again, this website hits all of the ingredients you “need” to have in an portfolio (good copy, a simple call to action, a clean way to display your work). It’s just a matter of how much customization you want to be able to have on your portfolio.
Timmy O’Mahony
Software: Custom
Hosting: Linode
On the opposite of the spectrum we have this web design portfolio example, which shows you how you can create something totally unique and custom to shwocase your work and abilities.
We particularly enjoyed the animated header that edits the copy the longer you stay on the page. Not only does it show you what Timmy can do… but it also shows off his personality.
We also liked how his work was organized. Check out how the projects are broken down by categories and tags:
All in all, the portfolio is clean, simple, but has just enough customization to make it unique and stand out!
Next Steps
Now that you have some inspiration in terms of the design, colors, and functionality you may want in your web development portfolio, where do you go from here?
Well, it really depends on where you are in your portfolio building journey!
If you’re ready to decide on a website hosting, check out my guide to choosing a website host here.
Or, if you’re looking to go DIY with a specific template to match your design and functionality needs, check out my Build a Personal Website: Templates, Design, and Setup Guide.