Compare Format and kitstarter on pricing, features, platforms, and ratings — both Website Builders tools, Subscription vs freemium pricing to decide which…
At a Glance
Format
kitstarter
Primary category
Website Builders
Website Builders
Rating
Not documented
Not documented
Pricing model
Subscription
freemium
Starting price
$14/month (or $10/month billed annually)
$0
Free plan
Not documented
Yes
Free trial
Yes
Not documented
Platforms
Web, iOS
Web
Team collaboration
Not documented
Not documented
AI features
Not documented
Not documented
Public API
Not documented
Not documented
Pricing Compared
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
Format
Basic — $14/month ($10/month billed annually) monthly or annual
Pro — $24/month ($12/month billed annually) monthly or annual
Pro Plus — $36/month ($15/month billed annually) monthly or annual
kitstarter
No individual plan breakdown documented yet.
Pros & Cons
Format
Pros
Commission-free store means photographers keep 100 percent of print and product sale revenue on paid plans
Deep photography-specific workflow integration via Adobe Lightroom sync
Client proofing galleries are built into every plan rather than sold as an add-on
More than a decade of operating history and a large template library aimed specifically at visual portfolios
Annual billing offers a substantial discount versus month-to-month pricing
Cons
Higher standard monthly pricing than some general-purpose website builders if not committing to an annual plan
Feature set is narrowly focused on photography and visual portfolios, less suited to non-visual small businesses
Lower-tier Basic plan has meaningful limits on page count, images, and client galleries
Now owned by Zenfolio, which could eventually affect long-term product direction or brand independence
kitstarter
Pros
Large library of 700+ layouts on paid plans, spanning many section/page types
Works across multiple builders (Elementor, Bricks, Breakdance, Etch) plus a dedicated Figma kit
BEM-based class structure makes global style overrides easier than typical builder markup
Free tier available with 30+ starter layouts and no time limit shown
One-time lifetime deal ($399) avoids ongoing subscription cost for heavy users
Commercial license included on every plan, including free
Cons
Only useful to users of the specific supported builders (Elementor, Bricks, Breakdance, Etch, Figma) — not builder-agnostic
Free plan is capped at 30+ starter layouts versus 700+ on paid tiers
No public information on company background, founding year, or team size
Only three pricing tiers listed publicly, with no visible agency/team seat plan
Use Cases
Format
Building a professional photography portfolio — Photographers use Format's templates and Lightroom integration to publish a polished, image-heavy portfolio site quickly.
Client proofing and print sales — Photographers share proofing galleries with clients for selection, then sell prints and digital downloads through Format's commission-free store.
Showcasing visual creative work beyond photography — Designers and illustrators use Format's portfolio themes to present visual work with a similarly image-focused layout.