If you want a portfolio website for a job hunt in the UAE or the UK, the cheapest real option is Carrd: about AED 70 a year (US$19) for a one-page site on your own domain. Squarespace Basic costs about AED 529 a year (US$144) and is the best fit for photographers and other visual work. Wix Light costs about AED 783 a year (US$213) and suits people who want to drag every element around themselves. All three give you an empty page, and you write every word yourself. If you want a site that already comes written for your job and costs nothing to start, Kitefolio's Basic plan is free. Below are the real yearly totals, what each one leaves out, and which to pick for your job.
All competitor prices here are from the companies' own pricing pages, checked on 28 October 2026, in US dollars, converted at 3.6725 AED to the dollar. Prices change, promotions come and go, and the UAE and UK versions of these pages may show local prices with tax added (VAT is 5% in the UAE and 20% in the UK on most services). Check the final figure at checkout.
What you really pay in a year
Monthly prices hide the real cost. Most builders quote a monthly figure that only applies if you pay for the whole year upfront. Here is each plan as a yearly total, which is what leaves your account.
Carrd (carrd.com/pro)
- Free: up to three simple sites on a carrd.co address, with Carrd branding.
- Pro Lite: US$9 a year (about AED 33). More sites and features, but no custom domain.
- Pro Standard: US$19 a year (about AED 70). Your own domain, such as yourname.com. The domain itself is bought separately.
- Pro Plus: US$49 a year (about AED 180). Extra features on top of Standard.
Squarespace (squarespace.com/pricing)
- No free plan; a 14-day free trial with no card needed.
- Basic: US$12 a month paid yearly, so US$144 a year (about AED 529). Paid monthly it is US$19, or US$228 a year (about AED 837).
- Core: US$17 a month paid yearly, so US$204 a year (about AED 749).
- Yearly plans include a free domain for the first year; it renews at the normal rate after that.
Wix (wix.com/plans)
- Free: a Wix address with Wix branding; no custom domain.
- Light: US$17.77 a month paid yearly, so about US$213 a year (about AED 783).
- Core: US$29.77 a month paid yearly, so about US$357 a year (about AED 1,312).
- Paid plans include a free domain for one year. Wix says its prices vary by location.
Kitefolio (kitefolio.com/pricing)
- Basic: free for good. One live website with a blog, at a free Kitefolio address, with a small "Made with Kitefolio" link.
- Pro: AED 60 a month (about US$16), or AED 550 a year (about US$150) with a free domain up to AED 50 for the first year.
- Pro includes changes made for you (sent by WhatsApp or email, done within 2 working days), Google Search Console set up, 3 researched blog posts a week for your site and a one-hour call each month.
Over one year, the cheapest way to get a site on your own name is Carrd Standard plus a domain. The most expensive of the plans here is Wix Core. Squarespace Basic and Kitefolio's yearly Pro sit close together, but they sell different things: Squarespace sells a tool, and Kitefolio Pro sells a site that someone keeps working on with you.
The honest limits of each
Price is only half the choice. Each builder is good at something and weak at something else.
Carrd is one page. Carrd builds simple one-page sites, and it does that very well. For a short "here is who I am, here is my CV, here is how to reach me" page, it is hard to beat on price. It is not built for a portfolio with separate case studies, a blog, or ten projects that each need their own page.
Squarespace has no free plan. You pay from the end of the trial. In return you get some of the most polished visual templates on the market, which is why many photographers, architects and designers choose it. If your work is mainly images, it is a strong pick.
Wix gives you the most freedom, and the most work. You can move almost anything anywhere. That is great if you enjoy design. It is slow if you don't, because a blank canvas makes you decide every margin, font and colour yourself. The free plan shows Wix branding and can't use your own domain, so most people who are serious about a job hunt end up paying.
All three start empty. None of them knows what a nurse, an accountant or an operations manager should put on a page. You write the profile, choose the sections and work out what an employer in Dubai or Manchester wants to see.
Kitefolio has fewer design controls. You choose from designs drawn for your job and edit by clicking the text in a live preview. You can't drag elements anywhere you like the way you can on Wix. If you want a completely free-form canvas, Wix or Squarespace will suit you better.
Which one fits your job
The right builder depends less on price than on what your work looks like.
- Photographer, interior designer, architect: Squarespace. Your images do the selling, and its templates are made to show them large and clean.
- Graphic or web designer who wants full control: Wix, or a site you build yourself. Your portfolio is also proof of your design skill, so the freedom is worth the time.
- Student or graduate with one CV-style page: Carrd Standard. About AED 70 a year, your own domain, done in an afternoon.
- Accountant, auditor, bookkeeper: Kitefolio's accountant portfolio. Recruiters want clear sections for qualifications (ACCA, CPA, CMA), systems you use and the work you have closed, not a gallery. A design that already has those sections saves you the hardest part.
- Nurse moving to or within the UAE: Kitefolio's nurse portfolio. A nurse's page needs licence status, specialties, units and shifts set out plainly. Our nurse designs come with sample text written for nursing, so you change the details rather than start from a blank page.
- Real estate agent in Dubai: Kitefolio's real estate agent site, where your listings, the areas you cover and your RERA broker details can sit on one page.
A five-minute checklist before you pay anyone
Run through this before you enter a card number on any builder, ours included.
- Work out the yearly total, including tax. Multiply the monthly price by 12, then check whether that price only applies if you pay yearly.
- Price the second year. A free domain for year one renews at full price in year two. Ask what the domain will cost then.
- Check what the free plan really shows. Look for branding, ads and the address. Would you be happy to put that address on your CV?
- Count the pages you need. One page is enough for a contact card. Three or more projects usually need their own pages.
- Be honest about the writing. If you won't write a profile and three case studies this week, a builder that starts empty will stay empty.
- Try it on your phone. Many recruiters open links from LinkedIn or WhatsApp on a phone. Check your site there before you send it.
- Make sure you can leave. Can you export your text, or at least copy it out easily, if you move later?
UAE and UK: what changes for you
The builders are the same in both countries, but the job hunt is not.
In the UAE, hiring often moves through WhatsApp and LinkedIn messages, and a link is easier to forward than a PDF. Many expats also switch countries or employers every few years, so a site that lives at your own name outlasts any one job. If you work in a licensed field (health, education, real estate), put your licence details where a hiring manager can see them in seconds.
In the UK, many employers still ask for a two-page CV and a cover letter, and your portfolio sits alongside them, not in place of them. Keep it plain and factual: a short profile, your strongest three pieces of work with results, and a clear way to contact you. Prices on UK pages usually include VAT, so a figure that looks higher than the US price may simply be the same price with tax added.
In both countries, your own domain looks more serious than a builder's subdomain. If you want help choosing one, read our guide to getting your own domain name for a portfolio.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest portfolio website builder with a custom domain?
Of the three compared here, Carrd Pro Standard is the cheapest: US$19 a year (about AED 70) on its pricing page in October 2026, plus the cost of the domain. It builds one-page sites only.
Is Wix or Squarespace better for a portfolio?
Squarespace is usually better for visual portfolios such as photography and architecture because its templates are image-led, and its Basic plan costs less per year than Wix Light. Wix is better if you want to move every element yourself.
Can I make a portfolio website for free?
Yes. Wix and Carrd have free plans with their branding and a builder address. Kitefolio's Basic plan is free for good: one live website with a blog, already written for your job, with a small "Made with Kitefolio" link. Squarespace has a 14-day trial but no free plan.
Do UAE employers look at portfolio websites?
Many recruiters in the UAE are happy to open a link sent on LinkedIn or WhatsApp, and a website lets them see your work, licences and contact details at once. It works alongside your CV; it doesn't replace the application form an employer asks you to fill in.
Should I pay monthly or yearly for a portfolio site?
Pay yearly if you are sure you will keep the site for a year: most builders charge much less per month on a yearly plan and include a free domain for the first year. Pay monthly if you only need the site for a short job hunt.
Start with the words, not the builder
The builder matters less than what is on the page. If you want a site that already speaks your job's language, look through the free designs in our gallery, turn your existing CV into a site with our guide on converting a CV to a portfolio website, or start free on Kitefolio and change the words to your own.
Have something useful to say about portfolios or job hunting in your field? Write a guest post for the Kitefolio blog.