Portfolio website vs LinkedIn: do you need both?
Use LinkedIn to be found. Use a portfolio website to show the work in depth. For students and creators, the two work best together: a professional profile that points to projects on your own domain.
Your work, in depth
Give your work room to speak.
Choose a personal portfolio website when projects, images, demos, or case studies are the strongest proof of what you can do.
Compare how each worksYour professional network
Help the right people find you.
Use LinkedIn for a familiar professional profile, recruiter discovery, connections, and conversations. A portfolio gives those readers a place to go deeper.
The strongest pairing: a profile plus proof of your work.
Portfolio website vs LinkedIn, side by side
They serve different jobs. Here is where each earns its place.
| What matters | Portfolio website | LinkedIn profile |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Show the evidence behind your experience | Help people find you and connect |
| Project presentation | Your layout, case studies, galleries, and live demos | Featured work and project links within a profile layout |
| Your identity | Your own domain and visual direction | Your name within LinkedIn’s platform |
| Discovery | Search engines, applications, and links you share | Recruiter searches, connections, and your network |
| Control | You choose the content, structure, and hosting | Your profile follows the platform’s format and rules |
| Best next step | Send readers to the projects that prove your fit | Link your portfolio so readers can explore further |
The Northframe approach
Custom design.
Clear scope. Yours to keep.
Your portfolio should be built around your projects. Northframe handles the design and build, so you can focus on the work you want to share.
- A layout designed around your content, with responsive design and deployment included.
- The finished code, domain, and hosting accounts under your control.
- Launch is $49 (student pricing, regularly $99). Presence is $199 (Founding Client Pricing, regularly $349).
- Logins, databases, and payments are scoped separately. Domain registration and paid services are extra.
Check the platform details
LinkedIn can showcase work too. Its Featured section documentation explains how samples fit into a profile. A dedicated portfolio adds control over the full presentation.
Learn about domain, hosting, and website ownershipWhat LinkedIn is good at
- Being found by recruiters who search inside LinkedIn.
- A familiar format that people already know how to read.
- Connections, messages, and recommendations in one place.
What a portfolio website is good at
- Showing work properly: images, case studies, demos, and writing, laid out the way you want.
- One link that is yours, on your own domain, that does not change when a platform does.
- Room for detailed project stories, with your role, decisions, and results presented in your own layout.
- Being found on search engines under your own name.
How to use both
Keep LinkedIn as the summary and the website as the evidence. Link the website from your LinkedIn profile, link LinkedIn from the website, and keep job titles and dates consistent between them.
If you only have time for one right now, choose based on your field. Where the work itself is the proof (design, photography, engineering projects, writing), the website usually earns its keep sooner. The student portfolio website checklist covers what to put on it, and portfolio websites for creators explains how Northframe builds one.
Common questions
Do I need a portfolio website if I have LinkedIn?
A portfolio is useful when projects, case studies, images, or live demos help prove your skills. LinkedIn gives readers a familiar summary; your website lets them explore the evidence in your own layout.
Can LinkedIn be used as a portfolio?
LinkedIn can showcase samples and project links in its Featured section. A personal portfolio website adds your own domain, design, and space for detailed case studies. Use both when you need networking and a deeper presentation of your work.
How much does a custom portfolio website cost?
Launch is $49 (student pricing, regularly $99) for a one-page portfolio. Presence is $199 (Founding Client Pricing, regularly $349) for up to three pages. Domain registration and paid services are separate. Use the website cost calculator to match your pages and features to a package.
Portfolio websites for creators
Custom portfolio websites for designers, photographers, and freelancers: galleries, a contact form, and SEO setup, designed around your work.