Behance vs your own portfolio site: which do you need?
Behance or your own portfolio site? What each does best for a designer, what to add first, and which projects belong where. Platform facts checked 18 Oct 2026.
By Talha Riaz, UI/UX, brand and packaging designer
Updated , 3 min read
| Feature | Behance | Your own portfolio site |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A creative network and marketplace owned by Adobe | A site you build and control |
| How people find you | Clients browse creators and their profiles | From links you share, search and your other profiles |
| What it shows about you | Your projects | Your projects plus your dedication and thoughtfulness |
| Control over the look | Follows the platform's layout | Full: you decide how it works |
| Good for projects that | Don't need much highlighting | You want to feature |
| Effort | Upload and publish | Build, host and maintain |
From my own work
Keeps projects on both Behance and my own portfolio
In the early days, Behance was enough. Now you definitely need your own site, because it's easy to access and quick to create, especially with AI. I keep the same projects on both. If a project doesn't need to be highlighted much, I leave it on Behance only.
Behance is a creative network owned by Adobe where designers showcase their work, and your own portfolio site is a site you build and control. They do different jobs, so the useful question isn’t which one wins but what each one is for.
What Behance does well
Behance describes itself as the world’s largest creative network, with over 50 million members. It’s a marketplace where people go to look at designers and their work. Clients can find creators through their profiles, and creatives can also list services, send proposals and find freelance jobs on it.
That makes it a good place to be discovered, and a good home for projects that don’t need a lot of highlighting.
What your own site does better
A site of your own shows how dedicated and thoughtful you are. There are many ways to work on a portfolio, and the way you do it shows the client your creativity. When a client sees that you took the time to build one, they’re more likely to be impressed.
In the early days, Behance alone was enough. That’s changed. A portfolio site is now easy to access and quick to create, especially with AI, so you definitely need one. If you want to build one, see how to build a portfolio in Framer, and for what it costs, the cheapest way to host a portfolio site.
Which should you add first?
If you only have one, add your single best project to it, not all of them. The same goes for both: show the projects that best represent your skills, and leave the rest out. I write more about that in what to put in a UI/UX case study.
Which projects go where?
I keep the same projects on both. When I think a project doesn’t need to be highlighted much, I leave it on Behance only and feature the stronger ones on my own site.
The short answer
Have both. Use Behance to be found, and your own site to show how you think and how much care you put into the work.
Pros and cons, side by side
Behance, best for being found by people browsing designers and their work
What's good
- A marketplace where people go to look at designers and their work
- Clients can find creators through their profiles
- Also lists freelance services, jobs and the option to send proposals
- Good home for projects that don't need a lot of attention
What's not
- It's a platform, so it doesn't show the thoughtfulness of a site you built yourself
Your own portfolio site, best for showing how dedicated and thoughtful you are
What's good
- Shows the client how dedicated and thoughtful you are
- Many ways to show your creativity, so it can stand out more
- Easy to access and quicker to build than it used to be, especially with AI
What's not
- You have to build it and keep it up
- Costs a little for a domain and, depending on the builder, a plan
Questions people ask
Do I need both Behance and a portfolio site?
In my experience, yes. In the early days Behance alone was enough, but now you definitely need your own site as well. Behance is where people browse designers, and your own site shows how dedicated and thoughtful you are.
What should I add first if I only have one?
Your single best project, not all of them. A few strong projects represent you better than a long list.
Should I put the same projects on both?
I do. If a project doesn't need much highlighting, I keep it on Behance only and feature the rest on my own site.
What is Behance?
Behance describes itself as the world's largest creative network, with over 50 million members. It's owned by Adobe, and creatives use it to showcase projects, get discovered, list services and find freelance jobs.
Written by Talha Riaz
UI/UX, brand and packaging designer
Designer with 8+ years across UI/UX, brand identity and packaging, and 76 projects for clients in the US, UK and Middle East. I built my own portfolio in Framer and have helped build and update client sites in Webflow.
More about me