Gesso

Overview

Gesso brings an online portfolio and studio-management workflows together for visual artists, from people assembling a first portfolio to established artists managing sales and opportunities. It is most compelling for artists who want their website and working records connected; those who need client proofing should look elsewhere.

Key features

A custom domain, portfolio analytics and selling tools make Gesso more than a place to display images: artists can present work under their own domain, monitor portfolio performance and support sales. Its strongest operational feature is linked recordkeeping. Marking a work sold updates the artist site, sales records, inventory and collector CRM, reducing the need to reconcile those records separately.

Studio and Pro users can connect Stripe for checkout, and Gesso says it takes no cut of sales. Those plans also support print production and shipping through Prodigi, Gelato or Printful. Gesso says it syncs sales from Square and Shopify and connects to Mailchimp and MailerLite, which may suit artists already using those services.

Opportunity tracking covers shows, grants, residencies and open calls, with calendar syncing and reminders. CSV export covers artworks, sales, expenses and contacts; portfolio documents and certificates can be exported as PDFs. Migration help spans artwork, sales history, contacts, email lists, website content and custom domains, a useful bridge for artists moving an existing practice into the service.

There is no client proofing, so Gesso is a weaker fit for artists who need clients to review or approve work inside their portfolio platform. Gesso says payment card details are collected by Stripe and are not transmitted to or stored by Gesso. It describes its data protections as reasonable administrative, technical and organizational safeguards, and says it aims to acknowledge security reports within three business days, with safe harbor for good-faith research conducted under its policy and applicable law.

Pricing

Gesso has a free plan, a 7-day trial and three paid plans. The plan figures need careful checking: Portfolio is shown at $120 a year, with one upfront payment of $120/yr; Studio is shown at $20 a year, with one upfront payment of $240/yr; and Pro is shown at $32.50 a year, with one upfront payment of $390/yr. The Studio and Pro annual labels do not match their stated upfront totals, so confirm the amount due before choosing either plan.

• Free: free, with 10 artworks and three images per artwork. This is a practical starting point for a small portfolio, but the image cap may constrain documentation of each piece.
• Portfolio: $120 a year, billed as one upfront payment of $120/yr, with 10 images per artwork. It raises the image allowance but does not include the Studio and Pro sales checkout or print-fulfillment connections.
• Studio: $20 a year, billed as one upfront payment of $240/yr, with 10 images per artwork. It adds Stripe checkout and print fulfillment connections, making it the relevant tier for artists selling directly and arranging print orders, subject to confirming the upfront price.
• Pro: $32.50 a year, billed as one upfront payment of $390/yr, with 10 images per artwork. It also includes the stated Studio and Pro sales and print connections; the supplied plan details do not distinguish further Pro features.

Platforms

Gesso is available on the web, making it a browser-based option rather than a listed native mobile or desktop app.

Who it's for

Gesso suits visual artists who want a portfolio alongside connected sales, inventory, collector and opportunity records. Its free tier can help a first-time portfolio take shape, while the higher plans are more relevant to artists who want checkout and print fulfillment. Artists who need client proofing, or whose work requires more than 10 images per piece, should consider another fit.

Pros and cons

• Pro: A sale updates the artist site, sales records, inventory and collector CRM together, keeping a key studio workflow connected.
• Pro: CSV and PDF exports, plus broad migration help, make it easier to move existing practice records and portfolio material into or out of Gesso.
• Pro: Studio and Pro connect checkout and print fulfillment services, with Gesso stating that it takes no cut of sales.
• Con: Client proofing is not included, excluding a common review workflow from the platform.
• Con: The free plan caps portfolios at 10 artworks and three images per artwork; paid plans raise the per-work allowance to 10 but the stated terms still require price confirmation.

Alternatives

For a broader set of portfolio-site options, browse Portfolio Website Builders. Framer is a freemium alternative with a free plan and a 7-day trial. Portfoliobox offers a free web plan with 30 images and five pages, and no trial. Wfolio is another freemium web option with a free plan and trial. Journo Portfolio offers annual-billed Plus and Pro plans at $7 a month and $10 a month, respectively. Pixieset Website has a free plan with 15 pages and 100 photos, and supports Android, iOS and web. UOVA has a free web plan with 250 AI credits per month and up to 35 images per month. Weblly offers a free web plan with 50 AI credits per month and one workspace. Portfolio Studio is a freemium web alternative with a free plan and trial.

Verdict

Choose Gesso if you are a visual artist who wants a portfolio tied to studio records, opportunity tracking and, on Studio or Pro, selling and print fulfillment. Its connected sale workflow is the clearest reason to pick it over a portfolio-only service. Look elsewhere if client proofing is essential, and verify the upfront annual amount before paying for a plan.