What Is artbase? Everything You Need to Know
artbase is a community-driven platform where digital artists and writers share work, get genuine feedback and build a portfolio — built in Australia, free to join. Here's exactly how it works, what it costs, and how to get in.
If you’ve seen artbase mentioned and wondered what it actually is, this is the plain-English answer — what the platform does, who it’s for, what it costs, where it stands on AI, and how to join.
The short version
artbase is a community-driven platform where digital artists and writers share work, get genuine feedback, discover other creators and build a portfolio — all in one place. It’s built in Australia, open to creators everywhere, and free to join.
The one-sentence pitch we keep coming back to: a place to share work and talk about it. Discovery runs on tags and categories alongside a newest feed, a trending feed and a personalised home feed. Conversations happen on the artwork itself, and your profile accumulates into a portfolio instead of scrolling away.
What you can share
artbase started with visual art and covers essentially all of it: digital illustration, traditional painting, photography, pixel art, sculpture, 3D models and more.
As of mid-2026, it also supports written work — short stories, poetry, serialised fiction posted chapter by chapter, and fanfiction — sitting alongside visual art in the same community. If you both draw and write (a very common combination), your whole creative output finally lives in one profile. We covered the reasoning in our announcement for writers.
The features that matter
- A profile that doubles as a portfolio. Your username is your identity and your portfolio link. Everything you upload builds it — no separate portfolio site required to get started, though our portfolio guide covers how to curate it well.
- Collections to group work — keep a polished “Portfolio” set separate from studies, sketches and experiments.
- Tags and categories as the discovery engine, so people who search for what you make can actually find it.
- Follows, likes and comments with a culture that leans toward real feedback rather than drive-by metrics.
- Groups that gather people around genres and interests, and direct messages for when a conversation outgrows a comment thread — the raw material of actual artist friendships.
Where artbase stands on AI
Three commitments, stated plainly:
- AI-generated and AI-assisted work is allowed, but it must be labelled. Nobody browsing should have to guess whether they’re looking at human-made work.
- Every viewer can hide AI-generated work with a single setting. Your feed, your call.
- Member artwork is never used to train AI models. Not by default, not with an opt-out buried in settings — it simply isn’t done.
For how that compares with DeviantArt, Pixiv, Cara, ArtStation and the social platforms, see our full AI policy roundup.
How joining works right now
artbase is open to everyone. Go to artbase.au, sign up, claim your username, and you’re in. If you’d rather look under the bonnet first, we’ve written up what to know before you upload to artbase, covering who runs it, what happens to your work, and the parts that aren’t finished. No waitlist, no invite code. The invite-only early access period ended when artbase launched publicly in July 2026.
What it costs
Nothing, for the part that matters. Unlimited public posts, follows, likes, comments, tags, direct messages, dailydraw, your profile and your portfolio are all free, with no upload counter and no ads.
There is an optional paid plan, Pro, priced in your local currency: US$4.99 a month or US$49.99 a year, and in Australia A$5.83 a month billed A$69.99 a year. It adds presentation and convenience: all 16 profile themes rather than 9, all 22 profile card styles rather than 1, unlimited private collections rather than 1, two post boosts a month, scheduled posts, bulk uploads, a GIF avatar, a monthly username change and a Pro badge. It does not change how the feed ranks anything. The full breakdown is here, including the case for not buying it.
You will see a Founding Member badge on some profiles. That was for members who joined before the end of Sunday 6 September 2026, it carried Pro at no cost for good, and it closed on the date it said it would.
How artbase compares
artbase is young and growing quickly, and it does not have DeviantArt’s twenty-five years of back-catalogue. What you get in exchange is the ground floor: new work is actually seen, and new members are noticed rather than lost in volume.
If you’re weighing options, we’ve written genuinely balanced comparisons — the best places to post art online and DeviantArt alternatives — that cover the competition on their merits. Most artists end up combining a community home base with one or two social funnels, and we’d rather you pick the combination that fits your goals.
Final thoughts
That’s artbase: a community-first home for art and writing, built in Australia, free to join, transparent about AI, and a place where the work you put up gets looked at.
If that sounds like your kind of place, sign up at artbase.au — no invite code needed these days — and bring your best work.
Frequently asked questions
What is artbase?
artbase is a community-driven platform where digital artists and writers share their work, receive constructive feedback, discover other creators and build a portfolio, all in one place. It is built in Australia, open to creators everywhere, and designed around feedback and conversation between its members.
Is artbase free?
Yes. artbase is free to join and free to use: unlimited public posts, follows, likes, comments, tags, messages and your portfolio all cost nothing. There is an optional Pro plan, around five dollars a month and priced in your local currency, that adds profile themes, card styles, post boosts, scheduled posts, bulk uploads and unlimited private collections.
What is the artbase community like?
Friendly and welcoming. artbase is new and growing very fast, and the people on it leave real comments rather than drive-by reactions. Constructive feedback is part of the culture, beginners are welcomed alongside experienced artists, and groups and direct messages make it easy to find people who make similar work.
Does artbase have ads?
No. artbase shows no ads to anyone, on the free plan or on Pro. It is free to use, and the optional Pro plan adds presentation and convenience features for people who want them.
Does artbase work on mobile?
Yes. artbase works well in any modern web browser on phones, tablets and desktop computers. There is nothing to install: open artbase.au on your device and sign in.
How do I join artbase?
Go to artbase.au and sign up — artbase is open to everyone. There is no waitlist and no invite code; the invite-only early access period ended when artbase launched publicly in July 2026.
Is artbase Australian?
Yes. artbase is proudly built in Australia, and it is open to artists and writers everywhere in the world.
Does artbase allow AI-generated art?
AI-generated and AI-assisted work is allowed, but it must be clearly labelled at upload. Every viewer has a setting to hide AI-generated work entirely, and artbase never uses member artwork to train AI models.
Can writers use artbase?
Yes. artbase supports written work — short stories, poetry, serialised fiction posted in chapters, and fanfiction — with the same tags, categories and feedback culture as visual art.
What is a Founding Member on artbase?
Founding Member was the permanent role given to everyone who joined artbase before the end of Sunday 6 September 2026, including everyone who arrived during invite-only early access. It carries a profile badge and Pro at no cost for life. It closed on that date and can never be earned again.