ePortfolios showcase the owner’s skills. Ideally, they include descriptions of practical skills related to various tasks in different digital formats, such as text, images, videos, diagrams, and graphs, tailored to each area of expertise and skill. ePortfolios should be utilized in various ways to make learning and skill visibility processes more effective.

This article presents the services that stood out in the LeaD team’s comparison of ePortfolio tools: Wix, Canva, WordPress, Blogger, Google Sites, Adobe Portfolio, and Venngage.

More details on working with portfolios and guiding their use are provided in the guide ‘Making Skills Visible Electronically with ePortfolios,’ available at the link: ePortfolios for Making Skills Visible Electronically

The basis for the comparison was the service’s cost-free usage and the principle that the student creates their own account. The account usage is not linked to HAMK credentials, making it easily accessible to the student after their studies without additional steps. However, this also means that account management is the user’s responsibility, and HAMK does not provide centralized support for the use or management of these various services.

NOTE! Always remember to read the service’s terms of use in advance. Additionally, it’s a good idea to keep a copy of important materials in another service.

The comparison focused particularly on the visual appeal, ease of use, and the features listed below for the portfolios produced by the service.

Features of all the services presented in this article

• The service allows for the easy creation of visual portfolios.
• In building the portfolio, you can use ready-made templates, but they can also be extensively customized if desired.
• You can create multiple pages in the portfolio to present different topics.
• You can add images and videos to the portfolio, attach files, and embed media on the pages.
• You can add text to the portfolio.

Below the presentation, there is a link to template designs you can explore. However, keep in mind that only a limited number of examples are available for viewing, which you can either customize yourself or create entirely your own.

Wix

• The service allows you to easily create portfolios in various styles.
• The simplified, step-by-step site creation process is ideal for those who are not at all familiar with similar tools. However, there are also options for more complex building and technical adjustments.
• The visual result does not require much technical expertise.
• Explore various portfolios created with Wix: https://www.wix.com/explore/websites
• Personalized guidance view using artificial intelligence.

WordPress

• It is easy to create a portfolio and WordPress as a platform allows for endless customization and building.
• Explore various portfolio templates that can be created with WordPress: https://wordpress.com/themes/portfolio

Venngage

• Utilizing, customizing, and swapping visual elements is easy.
• Arranging elements in the portfolio can take some time.
• https://venngage.com/templates. There are limited options, but creating your own content is simple.

Google Sites

• Google Sites is user-friendly and allows for the creation of accessible content (e.g., alternative text can be added to images).
• The service offers various styles and structures for creating a portfolio.
• Google Sites allows for the creation of an ePortfolio without prior technical expertise.
• The service allows embedding different types of content into the ePortfolio (e.g., videos from YouTube).
• The portfolio is also accessible on mobile devices.
• The service allows you to easily create portfolios in various styles.
• Explore creating an ePortfolio using Google Sites.

Adobe Portfolio (Creative Cloud)

• The free version requires a Creative Cloud license.
• Ready-made visual portfolio layouts that can also be edited.
• Add your own projects easily.
• Ability to add social media channels.
• Get familiar with Adobe Portfolio.

Blogger

• The possibility to use different templates or create your own, flexible user interface options and hundreds of background images.
• Owned by Google.
• Free.
• Own domain option.
• Possibility to use Google Analytics.
• Get familiar with Blogger.

Differences between the free versions of different services, situation in spring 2024