Showit Pricing: Plans, Costs & What You Actually Get (2026)

Showit pricing trips most photographers up before they even sign up. The monthly number you see isn’t the total cost – template costs, domain registration, and email hosting are all separate. This breakdown gives you the full picture so there are no surprises after you commit.

This is a complete, no-fluff breakdown of what Showit costs in 2026, what you get for your money, and how it compares to the main alternatives.

Showit Pricing: Plans and Monthly Costs

Showit’s current pricing offers three main plans, available on monthly or annual billing (annual billing saves approximately 20%):

Note: Prices shown are approximate and may vary. Always check Showit’s official pricing page for current rates before making a decision.

Which Showit Plan Do Photographers Actually Need?

For the vast majority of photographers, the answer is Basic + Blog (~$34/month). Here’s the reasoning:

The WordPress blog is non-negotiable for any photographer who wants organic traffic from Google. Without a blog, your Showit site is a static brochure – it can rank for a handful of local searches related to your main pages, but it has no ability to compound SEO through content over time. The photographers who consistently rank for more keywords and drive more enquiries from organic search are the ones who blog every session, every venue, every client story.

The Basic plan (no blog) is appropriate only for photographers who are generating all their bookings through referrals, paid ads, or social media, and have no interest in content marketing. That’s a small minority of photography businesses in 2026.

The Advanced + Blog plan adds features like blog category pages with custom designs, sidebar layouts, and expanded blog page options. This is worth it if blogging is central to your business model – you publish frequently (weekly or more), you have significant existing blog traffic you want to expand, or you want custom-designed archive pages that match your main site aesthetics. For most photographers who blog once or twice a month, the Basic + Blog plan handles everything they need.

Hidden Costs to Know Before You Sign Up

The monthly subscription is not the end of the cost calculation. These additional costs are real and worth planning for:

Template Cost (One-Time, ~$200–$600)

Showit does not include design templates in the subscription price. Templates are purchased separately from Showit’s own template marketplace or from third-party designers like Tonic Site Shop, Northfolk, and Show Pony. Expect to pay $200–$600 for a high-quality photography template. This is a one-time cost – you own the template and can use it indefinitely on your subscription.

Many photographers see the template cost as an unexpected surprise after signing up for the monthly plan. It’s not hidden – Showit is clear that templates are sold separately – but it’s easy to miss if you only looked at the plan price. Budget for it upfront.

Custom Design (If Applicable, ~$1,500–$6,000+)

If you hire a Showit designer to build a completely custom site, expect $1,500–$6,000 or more depending on the scope, the designer’s experience level, and whether custom features are included. The monthly Showit subscription is still required – it’s the platform fee, separate from the design fee.

Domain Name (~$12–$20/Year)

Showit does not sell or include domain names. You purchase your domain through a registrar like Namecheap, Google Domains (now Squarespace Domains), or GoDaddy for typically $12–$20/year, then connect it to your Showit site in the dashboard. This is a minor cost but worth including in your total calculation.

Professional Email Hosting (~$6–$12/Month)

Showit does not include professional email hosting. If you want a yourname@yourdomain.com email address (strongly recommended for professional credibility), you’ll need Google Workspace (~$6/month per user) or Microsoft 365 (~$6/month per user). Many photographers underestimate this cost when calculating what their website setup will cost.

SEO Plugins (Free)

Yoast SEO and RankMath both have free tiers that cover everything most photographers need. Budget $0 for basic SEO plugin functionality. Premium versions ($99/year for Yoast Premium) are available but optional.

Showit vs Competitors: Pricing and Value Comparison

Showit costs more month-to-month than Squarespace and significantly more in year one when you add the template cost. But for photographers who need design quality that sets them apart from competitors and a WordPress blog that compounds SEO over years, Showit consistently delivers more value per booking than cheaper alternatives.

Is Showit Worth the Price?

The ROI question is really: will a better website help you book one additional client per year? If your average session fee is $500–$1,500, one extra booking fully covers the annual cost of Showit plus the template. If your wedding packages start at $3,000, one additional booking pays for three to four years of Showit.

The photographers who feel Showit isn’t worth it are typically ones who signed up expecting the website itself to generate bookings automatically without investing in SEO, blogging, and content strategy. The platform is a tool – its value is proportional to how well you use it. Photographers who invest in learning the platform, build a genuine content strategy around their blog, and do consistent local SEO work tend to see significant ROI from Showit compared to cheaper alternatives. For a deeper look at the platform’s strengths and weaknesses, see our honest Showit reviews breakdown from real users.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does Showit offer a free trial?

Yes. Showit offers a 14-day free trial that gives you full access to the designer and all platform features. No credit card is required to start. This is enough time to build a basic version of your site and meaningfully evaluate whether the platform’s canvas-based design system works for your workflow before committing to a paid subscription.

Q: Can I switch Showit plans after signing up?

Yes. You can upgrade or downgrade your Showit plan at any time from your account settings. If you start on the Basic plan and later want to add the WordPress blog, you can upgrade without losing any of your existing site work. Plan changes take effect at the next billing cycle.

Q: Do I need to pay for WordPress separately with Showit?

No. The WordPress blog is included and managed within Showit’s blog plans. Showit provisions and maintains the WordPress installation for you – you do not pay a separate WordPress hosting fee. Everything is bundled into your Showit subscription on the blog-enabled plans.

Q: What happens to my site if I cancel my Showit subscription?

If you cancel your Showit subscription, your site goes offline. Before cancelling, export your site files from within the Showit designer. Your WordPress blog content can be exported via WordPress’s standard export tool (Tools → Export). Plan any platform migration carefully before cancelling to avoid losing content or search ranking equity.

Q: Is annual billing worth it on Showit?

If you’re committed to the platform for at least a year, yes – annual billing saves approximately 20% compared to monthly. For the Basic + Blog plan, that’s roughly $80/year in savings. If you’re still evaluating the platform, start on monthly billing, work through your first month, and switch to annual once you’re confident Showit is the right fit for your business.

Ready to Build a Website That Gets Results?

If you’re serious about your photography business or service-based website, getting the foundations right makes every other marketing effort work better. Adil Makhdoom specialises in Showit and WordPress websites for photographers and small businesses – built to rank, built to convert. Reach out on TheAdil.me to discuss your project.