Format vs Readymag (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Format grades higher than Readymag: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Format grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Format
Portfolio website builder for photographers and other creatives
Readymag
Design tool for building editorial and portfolio websites
Which one is for you
Pick Format if
- Fits if you deliver proofs and files to clients from your own site
- Works for photographers who edit in Lightroom Classic and sell prints or downloads
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay on Basic, at 10 pages, 70 images and 3 client galleries with no store or video
- Skip it if you work from an Android phone, as the app is iPhone only
- Pricey if you want email on your own domain: Google Workspace is $100 a year extra, and the domain $30 a year after year one
- Watch out: the $12 and $15 Pro prices need a checkout code, end October 31, 2026 and cover the first year only
- Not for you if you want a free plan; there's only a 14-day trial
Pick Readymag if
- Fits if you are a designer who wants layout freedom for a portfolio
- Works for a single free site to try the tool
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free: 1 site, 10 pages and Readymag branding
- Watch out: paid plans cap views at 10,000, 25,000 or 75,000 a month
- Pricey if you want code export, since it is only on Advanced at $58.50 a month
- Skip it if you want many custom-domain sites cheaply: they are capped at 1, 3 or 10 by plan
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAFormatFair | 2.2GPAReadymagFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BBasic is $10 a month billed yearly ($14 monthly), right at this category's cheaper quarter. It's capped at 10 pages and 70 images with no store, so many will move to Pro at $17. Pro's $12 offer needs a code, ends October 31, 2026 and covers the first year only. | C$14 a month billed yearly for Personal, between the middle ($12.80) and the dearer quarter ($20.83), capped at 10,000 views a month. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan, but a 14-day free trial with no card needed. Students can ask for a free year. | CA free plan with 1 website and 10 pages on a Readymag domain, with Readymag branding, forms and custom code as preview only. |
| Features | CIt does the portfolio job fully: 90+ themes, Flex Block layouts, proofing galleries, file transfers, hosted video and a commission-free store. That's a smaller job than a general builder does, and Basic leaves out the store, video and image storage. | CDesign-led building with widgets, but views are capped on every paid plan and code export is Advanced only. |
| Ease of use | CThere's an iPhone app but no store rating on record. Themes set the layout, but you're still building a site, page by page and gallery by gallery. | CNo rating on record, and you design each page from scratch. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb and iPhone, with a Lightroom Classic plugin, Stripe, PayPal, Weglot, Google Workspace and Google Analytics. There's no Android app and no desktop app of its own. | BWeb only, with Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Unsplash and Noun Project. |
| Best for | photographers' portfolios with client galleries | editorial and portfolio sites designed by hand |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Format and Readymag. How we grade
Price against what you get
Format starts at $10 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Readymag starts at $14 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Format starts $4 a month lower. Of the other website and landing page builders on the chart, 2 score higher than Format for less, and 4 score higher than Readymag for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Format also covers no-code and file sharing.
- Readymag also covers forms.
At a glance
| Format | Readymag | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $10 per month, billed annually ($14 billed monthly) | $14 per month, billed yearly ($19 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | 1 website with up to 10 pages on a Readymag domain and access to all widgets, with Readymag branding. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial, no credit card required | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Ideaform Inc. | Readymag |
| Price read from | format.com | readymag.com |
| Checked | Nov 9, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Format
- The $12 and $15 a month shown for Pro and Pro Plus need a checkout code, end October 31, 2026 and cover the first year only.
- Basic has no store, hosted video, image storage or custom fonts, and stops at 10 pages and 70 images.
- A domain costs $30 a year after a free first year on annual Pro and Pro Plus; Google Workspace email is $100 a year extra.
- There is no free plan, and the mobile app is for iPhone only.
Readymag
- Free sites keep Readymag branding and stop at 10 pages on a Readymag address.
- Each paid plan caps monthly views, from 10,000 on Personal to 75,000 on Advanced.
- Code export is limited to the Advanced plan.
- Custom-domain sites are capped per plan: 1, 3 or 10, and extra domains, collaborators and views cost more.
Key features
Format
- Themes and Flex Block layouts
- Pick from more than 90 themes and switch without losing content, build custom layouts on a snap grid with Flex Block, and edit CSS and HTML on Pro and Pro Plus.
- Client galleries and file transfers
- Workflow, included free with every plan, adds proofing galleries with passwords, file transfers of 2 to 10 GB, contacts and moodboards; contracts and CRM Light need Pro.
- Commission-free store
- Sell physical products, digital downloads up to 100 MB and services through PayPal or Stripe with no Format commission: 15 products on Pro and 1,000 on Pro Plus.
- Hosted video
- Upload video straight to the site so visitors see no third-party ads: 15 minutes on Pro and 120 minutes on Pro Plus.
- Lightroom plugin and iPhone app
- Publish galleries from Lightroom Classic with the Format Publisher plugin, or upload and rearrange photos from the iPhone app.
- SEO and translation
- Edit page titles, meta descriptions and image alt text, and connect Weglot to translate the site into other languages.
Readymag
- Layouts for desktop, tablet and mobile
- Each project can have separate desktop, tablet and mobile layouts, with global styles, colors and saved presets shared across it.
- Widgets and animations
- All widgets are open on the Free plan, with animations, free Adobe and type.today fonts, Unsplash photos and Noun Project icons in the editor.
- Forms and custom code
- Forms, Lottie animations, shots and custom code are preview only on Free and become usable when a paid plan is active.
- Custom domains and hosting
- Readymag hosts the sites. Paid plans connect custom domains, and a promo code gives a free .xyz domain for the first year.
- Collaboration and versions
- Paid plans add collaborators, from 1 on Personal to 10 on Advanced, and version history snapshots of each project.
Plans
Format
Basic$10
per month, billed annually ($14 billed monthly)
$120 a year. 10 pages, 70 images, 3 client galleries and 2 GB file transfers; no store, hosted video, image storage or custom fonts.
Pro$17
per month, billed annually ($24 billed monthly)
$204 a year. Unlimited pages, 1,500 images, 100 GB storage, 15 video minutes and 15 store products. Shown at $112.20 for a first year with a code until Dec 2, 2026.
Pro Plus$26
per month, billed annually ($36 billed monthly)
$312 a year. Unlimited images, 1 TB storage, 120 video minutes, 1,000 products and priority support. Shown at $171.60 for a first year with a code until Dec 2, 2026.
Readymag
Free$0
1 website with up to 10 pages on a Readymag domain. Forms, custom code and some other features are preview only.
Personal$14
per month, billed yearly ($19 billed monthly)
No branding, 1 published site on a custom domain, 10,000 views a month, unlimited pages and 1 collaborator.
Freelancer$29
per month, billed yearly ($38 billed monthly)
3 custom-domain sites, 5 published sites, 25,000 views a month across them, 2 collaborators and site transfer.
Advanced$58.50
per month, billed yearly ($65 billed monthly)
Unlimited published sites, 10 custom-domain sites, 75,000 views a month, code export, iframe embeds and 10 collaborators.
ExtraCustom
For studios and companies: custom domains, views and collaborators, SSO, an uptime SLA and a personal manager.
Ways to pay less
Format
- Annual discount
Save about 29% with yearly billing
Pro costs $204 a year against $24 a month billed monthly; Basic is $120 a year against $14 a month and Pro Plus $312 against $36.
- Education
A free year for students
Format's Student Program gives students a free year on the platform, requested through its education page; it also offers free access to partner schools.
Readymag
- Education
50% off any plan for students
Students get 50% off any plan, and teachers 50% off for individual use or a classroom plan for $432.
- Nonprofit
50% off for registered nonprofits
Registered nonprofit organizations get 50% off any plan, renewed annually.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Format or Readymag?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Format is cheaper to start with: $10 a month, against $14 a month for Readymag. Format starts at $10 per month, billed annually ($14 billed monthly), and Readymag starts at $14 per month, billed yearly ($19 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Format or Readymag?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Readymag has a free plan. Format does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Format and Readymag run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Format lists an iOS app. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.