Format vs Semplice (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Format grades higher than Semplice: 2.4 against 2.0 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 the free plan and ease of use. Semplice grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on features 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
Semplice
WordPress portfolio builder for designers, paid once
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 Semplice if
- Fits if you are a designer on WordPress who wants to pay once
- Makes sense if one domain is enough
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a free plan or trial, as neither is listed
- Skip it if you need a multilingual site, as it is not compatible with WPML or Polylang
- Watch out: the vendor says it offers no refunds and no direct support, only a helpdesk and critical updates
- Tight if you run more than one domain: Single and Studio cover one, and Business is $699 for ten
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAFormatFair | 2.0GPASempliceFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | A$119 once for 1 domain, under a year of the category's middle subscription (about $154). Studio is $168 and Business is $699 for 10 domains. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan, but a 14-day free trial with no card needed. Students can ask for a free year. | FNo free plan and no trial are listed, and the vendor offers no refunds. |
| 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. | CA portfolio builder with grids, galleries and a code module, but Blocks, grids and Mailchimp need Studio, and it does not work with WPML or Polylang. |
| 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. | DNo rating on record, and it needs your own WordPress 6.7+, PHP 7.4+ and hosting. |
| 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. | BWordPress only, with Mailchimp, Instagram and Dribbble listed. |
| Best for | photographers' portfolios with client galleries | portfolio sites for designers, on WordPress |
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 Semplice. How we grade
Where they differ
- Semplice can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Format also covers file sharing.
At a glance
| Format | Semplice | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | $10 per month, billed annually ($14 billed monthly) | $119 once, for 1 domain |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial, no credit card required | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Ideaform Inc. | Semplicelabs GmbH |
| Price read from | format.com | semplice.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.
Semplice
- It needs your own WordPress install and hosting (WordPress 6.7+, PHP 7.4+).
- The vendor says it offers no refunds and no direct support, only a helpdesk and critical updates.
- It is not compatible with multilanguage plugins such as WPML or Polylang.
- Single and Studio licenses cover one domain; Business covers ten.
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.
Semplice
- Grid-based visual editor
- Pages are built by drag and drop on a grid with no templates and no code.
- Custom animations
- Hover effects, scroll animations and elements that move on load or click are built visually.
- Custom type
- Self-hosted or web fonts, including variable typefaces, feed a global type system.
- Advanced portfolio grid
- A homepage grid with page transitions and hover effects; the advanced grids are in the Studio and Business editions.
- Modules and private projects
- Galleries, a code module, Instagram and Dribbble modules, and password-locked pages or projects.
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.
Semplice
Single$119
one-time, 1 domain
Content editor, responsive controls, custom font sets, fullscreen cover, gallery slider, code module and private projects. Shown with $148 crossed out.
Studio$168
one-time, 1 domain
Adds Blocks, Instagram, gallery grid, before/after and Mailchimp modules, and advanced grids. Shown with $229 crossed out.
Business$699
one-time, 10 domains
All Studio features with 10 licenses for commercial client work, at $69 per license. Shown with $799 crossed out.
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.
Semplice
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Format or Semplice?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Format starts at $10 per month, billed annually ($14 billed monthly), and Semplice starts at $119 once, for 1 domain.
Which has a free plan, Format or Semplice?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Format nor Semplice has a free plan. Format has a free trial.
Which platforms do Format and Semplice 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.