Zenfolio vs Instapage: guide for 2024

Final verdict

Zenfolio and Instapage both offer specialized platforms, but they cater to different needs and audiences.

Zenfolio (Overall Grade: 6.4/10)

is tailored for professional photographers and visual artists, providing a comprehensive suite of tools for showcasing, sharing, and selling their work online. It offers customizable templates, integrated ecommerce capabilities, and marketing tools specifically designed for the photography business. When comparing Zenfolio vs Instapage, Zenfolio is ideal for users seeking a platform focused on visual presentation and ecommerce for photography.
Instapage (Overall Grade: 6.6/10),

on the other hand, excels in creating and optimizing landing pages for marketing campaigns. It offers advanced features like AI content generation, targeted messaging, and detailed analytics, making it perfect for businesses looking to improve advertising conversion rates. Considering Zenfolio vs Instapage, Instapage is the preferred choice for users who prioritize landing page optimization and marketing performance.

	Overall grade: 6.4	Overall grade: 6.6
Design functionalities & templates	6.8	8.0
Ease of use	6.3	8.5
Ecommerce	6.3	4.2
Website Editors	7.6	7.5
Product testing options	8.4	6.1
Price	8.2	7.0
Hosting quality	5.7	6.0
Website speed optimization	5.2	6.2
Plugins and integrations	6.5	6.8
Marketing features	6.1	7.7
Customer support	6.7	7.6
Security	8.0	8.4
AI capabilities	2.4	6.0
User Management	2.8	7.3

Best for ecommerce

6.3

4.2

Verdict

: Zenfolio is better suited for photographers and visual artists looking to sell their work online, while Instapage excels in landing page optimization but lacks comprehensive ecommerce features.

Zenfolio

: Zenfolio is tailored for professional photographers and visual artists, offering integrated ecommerce capabilities for selling prints, digital downloads, and other products. It provides customizable website templates, multiple currency support, discount coupons, and order management. When comparing Zenfolio vs Instapage, Zenfolio stands out with its specific tools for managing and growing a photography business online.
Instapage

: Instapage is primarily a landing page platform designed to improve advertising conversion through personalization and optimization. While it supports integration with ecommerce platforms like Shopify, it lacks the comprehensive ecommerce features found in Zenfolio. Instapage is more suitable for businesses focused on creating high-performing landing pages rather than managing an online store.

Best for informational & business websites

6.9

7.9

Verdict

: Instapage is the superior choice for creating high-conversion landing pages and informational websites, while Zenfolio is more tailored for photographers and visual artists.

Zenfolio

: Zenfolio is designed specifically for photographers and visual artists, offering elegant, mobile-friendly templates and integrated e-commerce capabilities. It provides tools for marketing, client proofing, and secure photo storage, making it a versatile platform for managing a photography business. However, its design flexibility and customization options are limited compared to Instapage, making it less suitable for general informational websites. Zenfolio scores 6.9 in this category.
Instapage

: Instapage excels in creating and optimizing landing pages with a focus on improving advertising conversion. It offers a range of tools for personalization, optimization, and testing, making it ideal for businesses looking to increase sales and leads. With an intuitive drag-and-drop interface and extensive design features, Instapage is user-friendly and highly customizable. It scores 7.9 for informational business websites, making it the preferred choice in this comparison. When comparing Zenfolio vs Instapage, Instapage stands out for its versatility and ease of use.

Detailed comparison

6.8

8.0

🏆

Winner: Instapage.

If you’re looking for a platform that offers more creative control, a wide array of design features, and a focus on improving advertising conversion, Instapage is the preferred choice.

Zenfolio offers a variety of customizable templates and features specifically tailored for photographers, with a focus on showcasing and selling their work. While it provides several customization options, including blocks for different layouts and styles, it may not offer as much versatility outside of photography-specific needs.

Zenfolio Themes

Compared to Zenfolio, Instapage provides an extensive collection of 100+ design templates for website building, business-specific templates. These templates are tailored to support small teams and businesses in executing their marketing campaigns efficiently, including features for marketing automation, CRM, and analytics integrations.

Instapage Themes

Get a head start on website creation with AI

Create a custom website tailored to your business needs 10X faster with 10Web AI Website Builder!

Generate Your Website

No credit card required

6.3

8.5

🏆 Winner: Instapage

. With a score of 8.5, Instapage offers an intuitive drag-and-drop interface that simplifies the creation of landing pages, making it accessible to users with various levels of technical expertise. Zenfolio, scoring 6.3, offers a specialized platform for photographers, but it has limitations in design flexibility and might not fully cater to those seeking extensive customization.

Learning Resources

🏆 Winner: Instapage

. Instapage offers a comprehensive set of learning resources, including blogs, webinars, videos, podcasts, ebooks, dictionaries, guides, and customer stories. Zenfolio, on the other hand, offers a set of tutorials and articles in their help center, but users have expressed a desire for more comprehensive learning resources.

Learn Zenfolio

Learn Instapage

6.3

4.2

Zenfolio and Instapage offer different ecommerce capabilities, with Zenfolio providing a more comprehensive ecommerce platform. Zenfolio is designed specifically for photographers and visual artists, offering integrated ecommerce capabilities for selling prints, digital downloads, and other products directly through their website. Instapage, on the other hand, is primarily a landing page platform that supports integration with ecommerce platforms such as Shopify.


Ecommerce themes and templates	7.0	0.0
Product page customization	7.2	0.0
Payment processing and commissions	6.5	5.0
POS capabilities	3.0	0.0
Payment gateways	6.8	6.0
Product numbers	5.0	0.0
Additional ecommerce features	6.5	4.0

Zenfolio ecommerce features:

Multiple Currency Support
Discount Coupons
Order management
Gift Certificates
Tax management

Instapage ecommerce features:

Shopify integration
Payment gateways such as Stripe and Paypal

Ecommerce themes & templates

Zenfolio provides customizable website templates with integrated e-commerce features for photographers, designed to showcase and sell their work across various genres. These templates include essential online selling tools such as secure payment options, product management, and marketing integrations. Instapage, however, does not have ecommerce specific templates.

Product page customization

In terms of product page customization, Zenfolio allows users to detail their product pages with descriptions, images, and options such as size or color. This allows for each product page to be adjusted to clearly display its unique attributes. Placing products in specific galleries or categories helps organize the site and improve navigation. The platform also supports customization in pricing and shipping settings, allowing sellers to cater to various needs effectively. Instapage does not have product page customization capabilities.

Payment processing

When it comes to payment processing, Zenfolio supports Stripe and PayPal for payment processing, integrating them seamlessly into its platform designed for photographers to sell their work online. The platform charges a commerce fee of 7% per order (excluding tax and shipping) and a payment processing fee for transactions through Stripe or PayPal. Instapage supports payment gateway integration, notably through external systems and third-party services like Commence Payments for Stripe, facilitating various payment options such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, and card payments. The platform itself does not directly charge commissions for transactions, but payment gateways may have their own fees.

7.6

7.5

🏆

Winner: Zenfolio

. Zenfolio, with a score of 7.6, offers an intuitive, no-coding-required website builder tailored for photographers, featuring drag-and-drop customization, a wide array of templates, and a powerful Custom Layout block for personalized designs. Its integrated eCommerce capabilities enable selling both digital and physical photography products, supported by comprehensive security features for protecting photographers’ work. Additionally, Zenfolio provides tools for SEO, marketing, photo and video hosting, client booking, and management, backed by award-winning customer support.

Zenfolio editor

Instapage, scoring 7.5, is a comprehensive website builder focused on creating and optimizing landing pages for various marketing campaigns. It offers a drag-and-drop editor, AI content generation, detailed analytics, and extensive customization through custom code editing, alongside security and compliance features. The platform supports collaboration, integrates with numerous marketing tools, and is designed to streamline the process of building, testing, and optimizing landing pages to increase conversions.

Mobile editor/app

8.5

🏆

Winner: Zenfolio

. Zenfolio offers a comprehensive mobile editor app that allows users to manage their websites and galleries directly from their mobile devices. The app includes features for receiving notifications, managing galleries, handling sales-related tasks, and showcasing photos through a client presentation mode. Users can also upload and edit photos, access tools for reports, CRM, bookings, and blog management, although some features may still require desktop use for full functionality.

Instapage, on the other hand, does not have a dedicated mobile editor app, which limits its usability for on-the-go website management. This makes Zenfolio the superior choice for users who need robust mobile editing capabilities.

8.4

6.1

Overall Result

:

Zenfolio wins

. Zenfolio scores 8.4, while Instapage scores 6.1. Both Zenfolio and Instapage offer a 14-day free trial, allowing users to test premium features. However, Zenfolio has a more user-friendly trial policy, as it doesn’t require users to fill in their payment information. Additionally, Zenfolio offers a longer money-back guarantee period of 30 days compared to Instapage’s 24 hours.


Free Plan	No	No
Trial Duration	14 days	14 days (requires payment information)
Testing Premium Features	During the free trial	During the free trial
Money Back Guarantee	30 days	24 hours

8.2

7.0

Zenfolio offers more affordable plans, while Instapage provides more advanced features with its premium, enterprise-level solution.

	Offerings	Offerings
$0-$10	Portfolio ($9.00/month): Basic entry-level with 15 GB photo storage, HD video, single-page website. Value for Price: 6.0	No offering at this amount.
$20-$30	PortfolioPlus ($23.00/month): Balanced features with 150 GB photo storage, HD video, single-page website. Value for Price: 7.5	No offering at this amount.
$30-$40	ProSuite ($40.00/month): Extensive features for photo and video, multi-page websites, blog, templates, and more. Value for Price: 9.0	No offering at this amount.
$200+	No offering at this amount.	BUILD ($299/month): Optimize conversions with experimentation and lead generation. Includes #1 Landing page builder, No Conversion Limits, Server-Side A/B Testing, AI Content, Unlimited Triggered Popups, Thor Render Engine, Dynamic Text Replacement, SSL Encryption, GDPR Compliance, Google SSO, Zapier, HubSpot, Salesforce, Marketo Integration, Multi-Step Forms, Invisible reCAPTCHA, and more. Value for Price: 7.5

In some cases companies have different prices based on various components like a
location. As a result in rare cases the prices displayed here can differ from the ones you see on their
websites.

5.7

6.0

Winner: Instapage

. Both Zenfolio and Instapage offer cloud hosting, but Instapage stands out with a 99.9% uptime guarantee. Zenfolio, on the other hand, does not disclose any information about its uptime statistics or the locations of its data centers. This lack of transparency gives Instapage the edge in this category.


Do they offer hosting?	Yes	Yes
Type of hosting:	Cloud Hosting	Cloud Hosting
Uptime:	Not disclosed	99.9%
Uptime Guarantee:	No	Yes, 99.9%
Data Centers:	Not disclosed	Not disclosed

5.2

6.2

🏆 Winner: Instapage

Both Zenfolio and Instapage prioritize website performance and page speed, but Instapage has a slight edge due to its additional focus on image optimization and caching.


Focus	Mobile responsive design	Responsive design, Image optimization, Caching
Performance Tools	Not specified	Not specified
Key Strategies	Mobile responsive design	Responsive design, Image optimization, Caching
Load Times	Varies depending on optimization and website complexity	Varies depending on optimization
Page Speed Scores Range	Not specified	Not specified
Core Web Vitals Improvement	Not specified	Not specified

Instapage, a comprehensive landing page platform, focuses on improving advertising conversion through personalization, optimization, and testing. It prioritizes responsive design, image optimization, and caching as key strategies for speed optimization. However, specific load times and PageSpeed scores vary depending on optimization, and no information is provided on their Core Web Vitals improvements.

Zenfolio, a website builder designed specifically for professional photographers and visual artists, also prioritizes website performance and page speed. Its key strategy for speed optimization is mobile responsive design. However, load times and PageSpeed scores vary depending on optimization and website complexity, and no information is provided on their Core Web Vitals improvements.

Get a head start on website creation with AI

Create a custom website tailored to your business needs 10X faster with 10Web AI Website Builder!

Generate Your Website

No credit card required

6.5

6.8

🏆 Winner: Instapage.

With a score of 6.8, Instapage edges out Zenfolio (6.5) in the plugins and integrations category. Instapage supports over 40 integrations with third-party platforms, including major CRM, email marketing, analytics, and advertising tools. This enables users to connect their landing pages seamlessly with essential digital marketing tools and services, enhancing the overall marketing funnel. Zenfolio, on the other hand, offers a focused set of plugins and integrations specifically designed for photographers, including WordPress plugins for embedding photos, a Lightroom Classic plugin for direct photo uploads and management, and the ability to embed forms via services like Jotform. These features enhance the functionality of Zenfolio websites by facilitating content integration from external sources, streamlining photo management workflows, and allowing for customized user interactions through forms.

Instapage Applications

Instapage integrations

6.1

7.7

🏆

Overall Winner: Instapage

. Instapage stands out for its advanced landing page optimization tools, including AI content generation, targeted messaging, and data-backed insights for optimization. Zenfolio, while offering a range of marketing tools, is more limited in its SEO capabilities and lacks advanced analytics.


SEO Tools	Yes, but limited	Yes
Email Marketing	Yes	Yes
Blogging	Yes, on higher plans	No
Social Media Integration	Yes	Yes
Analytics and Reporting	Basic built-in analytics tools, Google Analytics integration	Conversion analytics, real-time reports, A/B testing
Ads and Promotions	Custom discount coupons, automated marketing	AdMap for ad-to-page personalization, ad platform integration

6.7

7.6

🏆 Winner: Instapage

. Comparing Zenfolio vs Instapage, Instapage takes the lead in this category with its more comprehensive support options. Instapage offers live chat support available 24 hours a day from Monday to Friday, along with email and toll-free phone support during regular business hours. This ensures users have multiple channels to seek help and maintain a written record of their service requests.

Zenfolio, on the other hand, provides email support 365 days a year, LiveChat from Monday to Thursday, and phone support for Advanced plan subscribers during specific hours. While Zenfolio’s Support Center is rich with self-help resources, its limited live chat and phone support hours may not be as convenient for users needing immediate assistance.

Instapage’s dedicated Success Managers and Launch Specialists for enterprise users further enhance its support offerings, providing personalized onboarding, training, and strategic insights to maximize ROI, making it a more robust option for businesses seeking comprehensive customer support.

8.0

8.4

🏆

Winner: Instapage

. Instapage’s security measures are comprehensive, with SOC 2 Type I and Type II compliance, risk management policies, and a strong focus on privacy, aligning with GDPR and CCPA regulations. Their Information Security Program is based on ISO 27001/2 and NIST 800-53 frameworks, covering multiple aspects of security from asset management to incident response. Physical, access, and network security protocols are rigorously enforced, alongside SSL/HTTPS support for all landing pages to ensure secure client data handling and privacy.

Zenfolio also emphasizes security with SSL encryption for all its websites, ensuring safe data transmission. For custom domains, it provides SSL certificates, necessitating appropriate DNS settings for activation. The platform also protects users’ work with watermarking, offers password-protected galleries to control access, and provides cloud backup for additional data protection. These measures highlight Zenfolio’s commitment to data protection, website security, and privacy, catering specifically to photographers and visual artists needing a secure display platform. However, compared to Instapage, Zenfolio’s security measures are less comprehensive.

2.4

6.0


AI Builder
AI Ecommerce	PhotoRefine.ai for efficient photo management
AI Content Generation		AI Content Generator for tailored landing page content
Additional AI Features		AI Experiments for dynamic traffic allocation to landing pages

🏆 Winner: Instapage

. Instapage, with a score of 6.0, offers more diverse AI capabilities, including content generation and traffic allocation for landing pages. These features can help users create more effective landing pages and get insights faster.

Zenfolio, with a score of 2.4, has limited AI capabilities, focusing on ecommerce features for photographers. While these features can be beneficial for its target audience, they are not as diverse or innovative as those offered by Instapage.

2.8

7.3

🏆 Winner: Instapage

. Zenfolio and Instapage have different approaches to user management.

Zenfolio allows only one user to edit and manage a website. This might be limiting for larger teams or projects that require collaboration.
On Instapage, users managing a website can be assigned different roles: Viewer, Editor, or Manager. A Viewer has limited access, only able to view pages. An Editor can edit pages, and a Manager has full access except for billing information and the audit log. The number of users you can invite depends on your subscription limits. However, only one user can edit a page at a time to prevent overwrite issues.

Instapage User Roles and Access Levels:

Role	Description	Access Highlights
Administrator	Oversees the entire Instapage account, managing users, settings, and billing information.	Full access to all features, including user management, settings, billing, and page creation and editing.
Editor	Works on creating and editing landing pages, responsible for the design and content.	Can create and edit pages, manage integrations, and view analytics, but cannot change account settings or manage users.
Viewer	Has view-only access to the landing pages, typically for review or analytics purposes.	Can view pages and analytics but cannot make any edits or access account settings.

Additional Features


SSL Certificate	✓	✓
Custom Domain	✓	✓
Free Custom Domain Included	✓	X
International Domains	✓	✓
Mobile Responsive	✓	✓
Page Speed	✓	✓
Website Builder Mobile App	✓	X
Convert a Website To An App	X	X
Website Analytics	✓	✓
Multilingual Sites	✓	✓
Multiple Users	X	✓

User Feedback

Zenfolio

3 reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars

Instapage

488 reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars

Users appreciate Zenfolio for its elegant and affordable site/portfolio designs, highlighting the platform’s suitability for photographers looking to showcase and sell their work online. The Starter plan is praised for its value, though some users express a desire to upgrade to the Pro plan for its enhanced client interaction features and customizable marketing tools. Criticisms include dissatisfaction with the platform’s handling of photo albums and a desire for more privacy and faster loading times. Overall, Zenfolio is valued for its ability to organize and share professional photographs and files, despite some navigational and performance issues.

Users generally appreciate Instapage for its user-friendly interface, robust customer support, and seamless integration capabilities, highlighting its effectiveness in creating high-quality, high-converting landing pages optimized for lead capture. Positive feedback emphasizes the platform’s ease of use, allowing both experienced marketers and newcomers to quickly design and deploy landing pages, along with its broad range of integrations with other marketing tools and CRM systems. However, some users encounter challenges with mobile responsiveness, custom domain settings, and occasional bugs.

The making of this blog

We followed a clear, step-by-step process to write and research this article.

Our Ranking Criteria

FAQ

Which platform is better for photographers, Zenfolio or Instapage?

Zenfolio is specifically designed for photographers and visual artists, offering tailored features like client proofing, secure photo storage, and integrated e-commerce capabilities. Instapage, while versatile, is more focused on optimizing landing pages for advertising and does not cater specifically to photographers.

Can I use Instapage for ecommerce?

Instapage can be used for ecommerce but only through integrations like Shopify. It lacks direct ecommerce features, which Zenfolio provides, making Zenfolio a better option for users looking to sell products directly through their website.

How do Zenfolio and Instapage compare in terms of ease of use?

Instapage scores higher in ease of use with its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, making it accessible for users with various levels of technical expertise. Zenfolio, while user-friendly, is more specialized and might have a steeper learning curve for those not familiar with photography-specific tools.

What are the pricing options for Zenfolio and Instapage?

Zenfolio offers more affordable plans starting at $9.00 per month, which is great for photographers just starting out. Instapage, on the other hand, starts at a higher price point but offers advanced features for professional marketers focused on conversion optimization.

Which platform offers better customization for landing pages?

Instapage provides extensive customization options for landing pages, including over 100 design templates and advanced features like AI content generation and dynamic text replacement, making it ideal for marketers looking to create highly optimized landing pages.