Designers and makers need a portfolio that loads fast, looks intentional, and does not trap the work inside a social network’s crop. You might export from Webflow, slice assets from Figma, or hand-code HTML. The hosting question is the same: where do those finished files live so a creative director in another timezone can open them without you babysitting a server? This guide stays on that question.
What “portfolio hosting” must get right
- Reliable HTTPS URL you can put in an email signature
- Faithful CSS and fonts so the craft shows
- Predictable deploys when you swap case studies
- Room for images without pretending storage is infinite
- No obligatory website builder fighting your export
SiteHost is aimed at people who want the site online, not a server. Upload a zip or connect GitHub; preview is HTTPS immediately; custom domain certificates follow DNS verification; deploy history lets you roll back a bad case-study swap. There is no cPanel, no bundled email, no built-in CDN (Cloudflare optional in front).
Export realities: Webflow, Figma, hand code
Webflow export. Webflow can export HTML/CSS/JS for certain plans. That export is what you host elsewhere if you choose. Check relative paths and asset folders after export. Open index.html locally before you zip.
Figma. Figma is a design surface. It does not magically become a production site without an implementation step — code, a developer handoff, or another tool’s publish pipeline. Hosting cannot host a .fig file as a website.
Hand code. Ideal clarity: you already know where index.html lives. Keep paths relative. Portfolio grids break online most often because of absolute local paths or case mismatches on image filenames.
Skip JAMstack build essays if your export is already static files. Upload the output, not the toolchain. Related: how to host an HTML website, HTML CSS JavaScript website hosting.
Relative paths — the portfolio-specific pain
Portfolios love nested project pages: /work/muco.html, /work/northline.html. From those pages, a stylesheet link written as css/site.css looks inside /work/css/, which is usually wrong. Use ../css/site.css or root-relative paths like /css/site.css if you understand how your host serves them.
Failure mode: homepage perfect, project pages unstyled. Test at least two depths before you send the URL to an agency recruiter.
Images: export web-sized derivatives. A 6000px PNG per grid thumbnail will punish mobile reviewers and chew storage. Starter includes 2 GB for one site at $9/mo — generous for a curated portfolio, tight if you upload raw exports from every dribbble shot you ever made.
Plan choice for designers
| Need | Plan |
|---|---|
| One portfolio | Starter $9/mo (1 site, 2 GB) |
| Portfolio + 2 client microsites | Pro $30 (3 sites, 10 GB, staging) |
| Many properties | Scale $65 (10 sites, 30 GB) or Business $130 (30 sites, 100 GB, teams) |
Freelancers who park client brochure sites beside their own work often land on Pro. More in website hosting for freelancers and designers.
Trial ~1 day, then paid. No forever-free plan. Free portfolio hosts exist with tradeoffs: branding, limited custom domains, or cold starts. Your call; SiteHost is explicit about paid continuity.
Password walls and “private” case studies
Static file hosting is awkward for true private work under NDA. Options:
- Publish a public portfolio with redacted case studies
- Host private PDFs behind a separate secure sharing tool
- Use a second unlisted URL and share sparingly (security-by-obscurity — weak for serious NDAs)
Do not pretend a static host is an enterprise DAM. Honesty keeps clients safer.
Launch checklist for a portfolio
- Local pass on desktop and phone
- Check project pages’ CSS
- Compress images; confirm storage headroom
- Publish to SiteHost; HTTPS preview review by a friend outside your Wi‑Fi
- Rollback test once so you know the control
- Point
yourname.designor similar via DNS when ready - Put the domain on your résumé PDF and LinkedIn
Domain transfer is unnecessary solely to host; pointing is enough. Connect a domain to your website.
Example: product designer cutover
Amelia exports a Webflow site, finds fonts missing locally because the zip omitted a /fonts folder, fixes the export, uploads to SiteHost, and shares the preview with a mentor. Mentor flags a broken case study link. Amelia publishes a fix, rolls back once after an accidental old zip upload, then points DNS. She keeps email at Google Workspace — SiteHost does not include mail. Her portfolio is live in the useful sense before the custom domain finishes propagating.
Case study pages that do not collapse online
Portfolios die on nested paths. After export from Webflow or hand code, open not only index.html but also a deep project page. If CSS vanishes, fix ../ references before you zip for SiteHost.
Budget images: a tight portfolio with optimized shots fits Starter’s 2 GB at $9/mo. Dumping every draft does not. Pro at $30 helps when client microsites join your own portfolio. Trial ~1 day; no forever-free plan; no builder; no email hosting.
For NDA work, redact publicly and share private PDFs through secure channels. Static obscurity is not an NDA strategy.
Recruiters and slow hotel Wi‑Fi
Assume your portfolio will be opened on bad hotel Wi‑Fi between meetings. If the first project image is huge, you may never get a second chance. Compress, publish to SiteHost, test preview on cellular, then point your domain. Your craft includes delivery, not only composition.
Password theaters and agency reviews
Agencies sometimes ask for passwords on portfolios. Static hosting is a weak fit for real auth. Offer a dedicated review PDF, a time-limited preview URL shared narrowly, or redacted public case studies. Do not pretend a hidden URL equals enterprise security — and do not delay hosting forever waiting on a perfect private gate.
Questions people actually ask
Can I host a Webflow site on SiteHost?
If you have a valid HTML/CSS/JS export, yes — you are hosting files. Live Webflow hosting inside Webflow is a different product path.
Do I need staging?
Helpful when you redesign. Pro includes staging. On Starter, use preview discipline and rollback, or a careful off-hours publish.
Will animation-heavy portfolios work?
If they are front-end JS/CSS in your files, they ship with the site. Performance still depends on your asset weight. No fake “400% faster” claims here — optimize images first (fast-loading website hosting).
What about WordPress portfolio themes?
Fine if you want WordPress. That is a different kind of hosting. This guide assumes exported or hand-built files.
Is GitHub required?
No. Zip upload is enough. Connect GitHub if that is already your source of truth.