The best photography website hosting providers deliver fast speeds and generous storage for photographers looking to showcase their work online. The top recommended photography website host is Hostinger. Its affordable plans provide generous resources, a free domain, a website builder and LiteSpeed servers for fast-loading photo galleries.
Photography website hosting refers to web hosting designed to support high-quality image portfolios. Such hosts prioritize fast loading speeds, generous storage space, and seamless integration with Content Management Platforms (CMS) like WordPress to help photographers present and sell their work effectively. WordPress is ideal for photography sites due to its vast library of themes, plugins, and tools for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and eCommerce.
The best way to sell photos online is to build your own online store and host it on one of the best photography site hosts listed below. However, 5 alternative channels to make money from your photos include online marketplaces, print-on-demand services, stock photography licensing, photography workshops or courses, and direct sales and commissions.
Top Photography Sites Hosting Services
1. Hostinger
https://www.hostinger.com/
Hostinger is easily one of the most popular hosting providers in the industry, offering reliable, fast, and affordable hosting with enough storage for photography portfolios and galleries. Hostinger’s Premium shared hosting plan provides 100GB of storage space, making it suitable for launching an extensive portfolio.
One of the unique features of Hostinger is its WordPress optimization. It uses LiteSpeed servers, specifically optimized for WordPress, allowing image galleries to load more rapidly. This gives site visitors a better experience, especially when viewing high-resolution images.
What’s more, Hostinger’s proprietary control panel, hPanel, simplifies the installation of WordPress and the management of other aspects of your website’s back-end environment, so it’s easy for anyone, even beginners, to create a photography website.
Another helpful feature is the ability to set up a professional, domain-specific email address for your photography service. This can enhance your professionalism and build trust with your clients. And depending on the hosting plan chosen, Hostinger also provides weekly or daily backups, ensuring the safety of your data. Dive deep into our thorough Hostinger review to learn more.
What are the pros and cons of Hostinger?
Pros
- Affordable pricing plans
- Fast loading times
- User-friendly interface
- Reliable uptime
- Good customer support
Cons
- Limited advanced features
- Less flexibility in customization options
2. TMDHosting
https://www.tmdhosting.com/
TMDHosting provides a user-friendly experience combined with efficient managed services. Their Business Shared Hosting plan is perfect for photography websites and offers a generous 100GB SSD storage. Those wanting unlimited storage for their image-rich portfolios simply need to upgrade to their Enterprise plan which costs $8.99/mo. All TMDHosting plans utilize fast cloud infrastructure through their CloudLinux servers. Users get an excellent choice of 6 data servers worldwide.
TMDHosting excels with its WordPress hosting capabilities and offers fully managed services including automatic updates and maintenance. The included Cloudflare CDN makes website content load faster worldwide and this is essential for providing a swift browsing experience on image-heavy photography sites.
Another significant advantage is TMDHosting’s 24/7 customer support. They offer a 15-minute response time guarantee. Managing your hosting account yourself is also easily done through the user-friendly cPanel control panel. Read our in-depth TMDHosting review to learn more.
What are the pros and cons of TMDHosting?
Pros
- Generous SSD storage for expansive portfolios
- Advanced WordPress features and automatic updates
- Free domain and Cloudflare CDN integration
- Round-the-clock customer support
Cons
- Backups not included in the cheapest plan
3. Kinsta
https://kinsta.com/
Kinsta is a premium managed WordPress hosting provider that offers exceptional performance and extensive features. It caters to a wide range of website owners, but notable benefits make it an appealing choice for photographers.
One of the critical advantages of Kinsta is its emphasis on speed and performance. Built on the mighty Google Cloud Platform, Kinsta’s hosting infrastructure ensures fast website loading times. This is particularly crucial for photographers who need to showcase their high-resolution images quickly and provide a smooth browsing experience for visitors.
Kinsta also specializes in managed WordPress hosting, which means they take care of the technical aspects of website maintenance and optimization. By choosing Kinsta, photographers can focus on their craft and leave the backend tasks to the professionals, ensuring that their websites are secure and optimized at all times. Find out what makes Kinsta stand out in our thorough review.
What are the pros and cons of Kinsta?
Pros
- Excellent performance and speed
- Scalable hosting plans
- Advanced security measures
- Developer-friendly features
- Dedicated customer support
Cons
- Limited entry-level plans
- Fewer hosting options compared to other providers
4. Wix
https://www.wix.com/
With its intuitive interface and an extensive selection of customizable templates, Wix provides a seamless website building experience for photographers.
Gone are the days of complex coding or design skills—Wix’s drag-and-drop website builder empowers photographers to effortlessly customize their websites. Whether it’s rearranging elements, changing colors, or adding content, photographers can create a unique and visually stunning online portfolio with ease.
Beyond the intuitive website builder, Wix also provides a suite of photography-focused tools and features. From creating and managing image galleries to allowing visitors to engage with and appreciate their work, photographers can showcase their talent in an immersive and interactive manner.
Moreover, Wix recognizes the importance of monetizing photography. With its e-commerce functionality, photographers can easily set up online stores, manage inventory, and securely process payments from the platform. With Wix, photographers have the perfect avenue to showcase their artistry and turn their passion into a profitable online business. Learn more in our full review of Wix.
What are the pros and cons of Wix?
Pros
- Beautiful photography-oriented templates
- Easy drag-and-drop website builder
- Mobile-friendly websites
- Extensive app market for added functionality
- Reliable hosting and uptime
Cons
- Limited flexibility in design customization
- E-commerce functionality limitations on lower plans
5. DreamHost
https://www.dreamhost.com/
DreamHost is a reputable web hosting provider that offers a range of hosting solutions, including shared hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated servers. While DreamHost caters to various types of websites, it also provides features and benefits for photography websites.
For instance, they have unlimited storage and bandwidth, allowing photographers to upload and display their extensive portfolios without worrying about storage limitations or traffic restrictions. This is particularly advantageous for those who work with large image files (perhaps not RAW, but high-res other formats).
It’s also great to know that DreamHost has a strong reputation for excellent customer support as well. Their support team is available round-the-clock and can be reached through various channels, including live chat, email, and phone. Explore our detailed review of DreamHost and gain valuable insights.
What are the pros and cons of DreamHost?
Pros
- Fast and reliable hosting services
- User-friendly interface and control panel
- Unlimited storage and bandwidth
- Emphasis on security with free SSL certificates
- Responsive customer support
Cons
- Pricing can be higher compared to other hosting providers
- Customization options may be more limited in some aspects
6. Squarespace
https://www.squarespace.com/
Like Wix, Squarespace is a highly regarded website hosting provider that has gained popularity among photographers for its sleek design templates and user-friendly interface. It offers a comprehensive platform that allows photographers to create visually stunning websites.
With its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, Squarespace makes it easy for photographers to customize their websites. The platform provides a wide range of design options, allowing photographers to personalize the layout, fonts, colors, and other elements to align with their unique style and brand.
One of the critical features that photographers appreciate about Squarespace is its gallery and portfolio management tools. For instance, it provides image resizing and protection features, ensuring photographers’ work is displayed beautifully while maintaining control over its usage.
Squarespace also caters to photographers who want to sell their work online, allowing users to easily set up online stores and sell prints or other products directly from their websites. Get more information through our Squarespace review.
What are the pros and cons of Squarespace?
Pros
- Stunning and modern design templates
- User-friendly interface
- Mobile-responsive websites
- Built-in e-commerce functionality
- Reliable hosting and performance
Cons
- Limited design flexibility
- Higher pricing compared to some competitors
7. WP Engine
https://wpengine.com/
WP Engine takes high-performance and speed optimization seriously. Their robust infrastructure, advanced caching mechanisms, and content delivery network (CDN) integration work together to optimize website performance and ensure quick image loading, allowing photographers to showcase their work seamlessly.
The platform also understands the importance of security, and implements strong security measures to protect photographers’ websites and valuable digital assets. From automatic updates and patches to real-time threat detection and prevention, WP Engine safeguards against potential security vulnerabilities, ensuring peace of mind for photographers and their clients.
What’s more, they’ve also got developer tools and features such as staging environments, version control, Git integration, and SSH access, so photographers working with developers can enjoy a seamless workflow and efficient collaboration, resulting in a highly customized and optimized website.
Last but not least, WP Engine offers knowledgeable and responsive support to assist photographers every step of the way. Their experienced support team is available 24/7 to address any technical inquiries or concerns promptly, ensuring photographers receive the assistance they need to maintain a reliable and successful online presence. Learn all about WP Engine through our comprehensive review.
What are the pros and cons of WP Engine?
Pros
- Managed WordPress hosting expertise
- High-performance and speed optimization
- Strong security measures
- Developer-friendly tools and features
- Knowledgeable and responsive support
Cons
- Higher pricing compared to some competitors
- Some restrictions on plugin usage and customization
Why choose WordPress for photography website hosting?
With a wide selection of photography-focused themes, photographers can create stunning portfolios on WordPress with features like full-screen slideshows and masonry-style galleries. WordPress also offers a vast range of plugins, enabling photographers to enhance their websites with SEO optimization, social media integration, watermarking, and e-commerce capabilities for selling prints or digital downloads.
Another thing that sets WordPress apart is its flexibility and scalability. As photographers’ businesses grow, their WordPress sites can easily evolve to meet their changing needs. Starting with a simple portfolio, photographers can gradually add features like blogs, online stores, or client booking systems. With its versatility and adaptability, WordPress provides photographers with the tools to build and expand their online presence.
Learn how to build a WordPress online store for your photography portfolio.
What is the best way to sell photos online?
There are several ways to sell photos online, though we think the best is building your online store with some of the hosting providers listed above. However, you can also consider other avenues, such as:
- Online marketplaces Join established online marketplaces like Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, Getty Images, or Alamy. These platforms have a broad customer base and handle your licensing and sales process. However, the competition can be high, and commission rates vary as well.
- Print-on-Demand services Use print-on-demand platforms like Fine Art America, Printful, or Redbubble to sell your photos as prints, canvases, or other merchandise. These platforms handle the printing, packaging, and shipping while you earn a commission on each sale.
- Stock photography You can also license your photos as stock images, where customers can purchase the rights to use your photos for various purposes. Submit your photos to stock agencies such as Shutterstock, iStock, or Dreamstime. But, remember that stock photography may require many high-quality images to generate significant income.
- Photography workshops or courses Offer photography workshops, courses, or ebooks on platforms like Udemy or Teachable, where you can share your knowledge and expertise with aspiring photographers and enthusiasts.
- Direct sales and commissions Establish partnerships with local businesses, galleries, or individuals interested in purchasing your photos. This can include selling limited edition prints or providing commissioned photography services for specific projects.
Discover more places to sell your photos online here.
Host your photography website with fewer technical obstacles
Selecting the best photography website hosting provider is essential for photographers looking to create a professional and visually captivating online presence. The key consideration, of course, is a provider that helps you create and run your photography website with the least amount of technical work.
Regardless of the chosen hosting provider, investing in a reliable and robust hosting service is crucial for photographers to present their work in the best possible light, reach a wider audience, and give visitors a seamless user experience.
Most importantly, the right web host will enable photographers to concentrate their efforts on what they do best: capturing stunning images, and confidently showcasing their talent to the world.