Comparison

Format vs Washboat

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Format

Build and manage a professional online portfolio with beautiful themes and integrated business tools. Showcase your work, promote and sell it, and update your site on the go. This platform supports creatives at every stage of their business.

Highlights
  • Build stunning online portfolios
  • Manage gallery and collection pages
  • Create and edit blog posts
  • Promote and sell your work
  • Update website on the go
  • Password protect galleries
Features
Read full description

Meet Format, the portfolio platform that empowers creatives to succeed. A website builder and so much more, with beautiful themes that showcase your work alongside integrated business tools. Whether you’re just getting started or you’re a full-time professional, Format has the tools and support you need at every stage of your business. Build a stunning online portfolio in minutes, promote, and sell your work all in one spot. **Voted most trusted by creative professionals across the globe, Format is the top choice to build your website.** Overview Change your website on the go with the Format app. Update in real time and see how it looks with your overall site — in one streamlined workflow. You can quickly upload a photo, rearrange it, and view the changes on your live portfolio. Or easily manage your website navigation using our Site Menu tab. When you’re done, a simple tap brings you right back to the app to continue editing. App Features Create and Manage Gallery Pages • Create, edit, and rearrange your galleries however you like • Upload photos, link videos, and add text easily and intuitively • Access and seamlessly share your portfolio content with others • Password protect your website and galleries from unwanted visitors • Edit image and video captions using our formatting tools, or with your own custom HTML code • Manage your portfolio website’s menu from the Site Menu tab • Upload photos from other apps using Format’s Share Extension Create and Manage Collection Pages • Create a visual menu to display your portfolio in a way that reflects your brand • Link to similar galleries and pages in your website • Efficient way to categorize work all in one place for simple navigation Create a Blog • Create and edit blog posts directly from your phone with an intuitive CMS • Add videos and images from your camera roll, existing Format galleries, or Dropbox • Rearrange images in an image set and choose the display style without leaving the app • Grow your audience by providing behind-the-scenes access to your work Support • Fast and friendly support in every time zone • 24/7 help for all users What Our Users are Saying About Us • “Format has helped me contextualize my work in a way that no other platform has before. The ability to add multiple text elements throughout a gallery, the fully customizable design templates, and the intuitive drag-and-drop feature have all enabled me to display my work as an immersive visual narrative.” • “With Format and their very helpful, responsive team, I have been able to build myself and maintain an impressive website which I am at ease with and happy and proud to share with future employers and business contacts. The platform is so straightforward and intuitive, and if you ever need help, the team is always on hand to help.” • “I set up and customized a website theme in about 30 minutes, now that I know the ins and outs! Format rocks, and I love your customer service.” Whether you’re a photographer, illustrator, designer, videographer, model, artist, or influencer, Format makes it easy to captivate your audience with a head-turning online portfolio website. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/useformat Got questions? Visit http://help.format.com/

About

Washboat

This app helps artists organize their creative practice and present their work to collectors. Artists can build a timeline of their work, discover opportunities, and manage their public profile. Collectors can explore curated artists and artworks, read editorial content, and request introductions.

Highlights
  • Artist practice timeline
  • Artwork and exhibition organization
  • Opportunity discovery (grants, residencies)
  • Curated artist and artwork exploration
  • Editorial content (Daily Edition)
  • Introduction requests for collectors
Read full description

Washboat is a place for artists to organise and present their practice—and for collectors to discover the people, work, and stories behind contemporary art. Artists can upload their work, build a timeline of their practice, and discover relevant exhibition venues, grants, residencies, and open calls. Collectors can explore curated artists and artworks, read the Daily Edition, save artists they want to follow, and request a thoughtful introduction when a work sparks their interest. The name comes from Le Bateau-Lavoir—French for “the Washboat”—a ramshackle building in Montmartre, Paris, where artists including Picasso, Braque, and Modigliani worked in the early 1900s. It was cold, cramped, and unglamorous. But it was a place to make work, be around others, and figure things out—before anyone knew their names. FOR ARTISTS Your timeline is a private archive of your practice. Add artworks, exhibitions, residencies, research notes, studio moments, sketches, or half-formed ideas. Over time, your timeline becomes a living chronological record of your work, written in your own voice. You control what stays private and what appears on your public profile. Some entries are milestones. Others are simply things worth keeping. A visible timeline helps collectors and curators understand more than a finished artwork. It shows how your ideas, materials, and voice have developed over time—and gives curators better context when considering or writing about your work. Washboat uses the artworks and profile information you choose to provide—including your disciplines, location, career stage, and artist statement—to compare your practice with a curated database of galleries, residencies, grants, and open calls. Matches are ranked by their relevance to your practice. Each match can include a tailored outreach email, written to reflect your work and ready for you to review and send. For artists, free profiles include a sample of matching results. Washboat Pro unlocks unlimited refreshes, more opportunities, and full outreach drafts. FOR COLLECTORS Discover contemporary artists through an art-led, editorial experience designed for looking closely rather than endlessly scrolling. Explore public artist profiles, artworks, projects, and timelines. Read the Daily Edition for a deeper introduction to selected artists and their practices. Save artists you want to return to and build a personal collection of discoveries over time. When an artist or artwork resonates with you, you can send a structured introduction request connected to the work that caught your attention. Washboat does not provide open chat or direct messaging. It creates a considered introduction and allows the artist to decide whether to continue the conversation by email. If you are both an artist and a collector, you can create both profile types and switch between the complete Artist and Collector experiences without signing out. Artist profiles, timelines, projects, artwork organization, and Collector discovery are available without a Pro subscription. Washboat Pro is optional and requires a separate in-app purchase. Pro includes gallery and opportunity matching, saved opportunities, on-demand match refreshes, and email-draft tools. Monthly and yearly auto-renewing subscription plans are available. Privacy Policy: https://washboat.art/privacy Terms of Use (Apple Standard EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Format4 screens
Washboat4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Washboat at 100% against Format's 48%. Washboat also leads on rating (5.0 vs 1.0) and ads (none vs shown). Format's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Washboat holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 48% of Format's written reviews are positive against 100% of Washboat's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Format ships an update every 2 months, Washboat weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Format versus Washboat: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFormatWashboat
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews47.6% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings11
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsWeekly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size36 MB54 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperIdeaform Inc.Omnny Inc

Customer experience

Format

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews82 reviews
Positive47.6%
Neutral11.0%
Negative41.5%

Washboat

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Format

Reported bugs

15 issues
  • App crashes
  • App freezes
  • App quits
  • Errors during large uploads
  • Crashes when adding external links
Show 10 more
  • Cannot delete submenus
  • App glitches
  • App force closing
  • General errors
  • App doesn't refresh changes
  • Wrong password issues
  • Website deactivated
  • Blog option never works
  • App doesn't work on M1 iPad Pro
  • Sliver of UI on launch

Requested features

19 requests
  • iPad version
  • iPad OS support
  • Android version
  • Client gallery viewing
  • Client selection viewing
Show 14 more
  • Workflow service on app
  • iPad optimized app
  • Full site features in app
  • Editing pages
  • Editing text
  • Adding captions
  • Editing text pages
  • Upload to blog section
  • Access proofing pages
  • Manage blogs
  • Move or copy images between galleries
  • Edit website menu
  • Edit gallery order
  • Dark mode

Washboat

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Format

No in-app purchases

None

Washboat

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Format free?
Format is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Washboat free?
Washboat is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Format or Washboat?
Washboat is rated higher. Format averages 1.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Washboat averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Format or Washboat have ads?
Format shows ads; Washboat does not.
Which is updated more often, Format or Washboat?
Format ships an update every 2 months, and Washboat weekly. Most recently, Format was updated on October 13, 2026 and Washboat on October 4, 2026.

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