Start Bootstrap's Freelancer is a free, MIT-licensed, one-page Bootstrap portfolio theme that provides a flat-design layout with a responsive portfolio grid, modal windows for each portfolio item, and a contact form prebuilt for SB Forms.
What is Freelancer?
Freelancer is a static one-page portfolio theme built with the Bootstrap framework and maintained by Start Bootstrap, a library of open-source Bootstrap themes. It takes plain HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files as input (or Pug, SCSS, and JS source files when using the npm build environment) and produces a ready-to-deploy website with multiple content sections. The theme is available for direct download from Start Bootstrap, via npm, or from its GitHub repository.
Key Features
- Responsive portfolio grid — A mobile-friendly grid layout that arranges portfolio items in a clean multi-column display and adapts to different screen sizes.
- Modal windows for portfolio items — Each portfolio item opens a modal popup with project details, letting visitors view case studies without leaving the one-page layout.
- SB Forms contact form — The built-in contact form uses SB Forms markup; after creating a free account and pasting an access key into the
data-sb-form-api-tokenattribute, submissions are handled for you. - Pug and SCSS build system — The source includes Pug templates and SCSS stylesheets, which an npm script compiles into the static HTML and CSS files in the
distdirectory. - npm scripts for development — Scripts such as
npm run build,npm run build:pug,npm run build:scss, andnpm startautomate asset building and provide a live-reloading preview browser. - MIT license — The theme is released under the MIT license, so it can be used for personal or commercial projects without paying licensing fees.
- Flat design aesthetic — The theme's flat design is styled with Bootstrap components, giving a minimal look that suits freelance portfolios.
Who should use Freelancer?
Freelancers who need to present their services, portfolio, and contact information on a single page can use this theme as a clean starting point. Developers and designers comfortable with editing HTML, CSS, and optionally Pug and SCSS can customize the theme to match their personal brand. Creative professionals such as photographers, illustrators, and writers can adapt the portfolio grid and modal components to showcase their work in a simple, visual layout.
What can you do with Freelancer?
- Freelance designers: Display a portfolio grid with modal case studies for each project, and direct clients to the contact form.
- Job-seeking developers: Link out to GitHub, LinkedIn, and social profiles from the header, and receive recruiter messages through the SB Forms contact form.
- Small-studio agencies: Use the one-page structure to provide an overview, select project highlights, and a contact channel without building a multi-page site.
- Photographers and visual artists: Replace the placeholder portfolio items with image links and caption details to present a visual body of work.
How does Freelancer work?
For basic usage, download the template, edit the HTML and CSS files inside the dist directory, and open index.html in a browser to preview changes. For advanced usage, clone the GitHub repository, run npm install, then run npm start to open a live preview that watches for file changes and reloads automatically. To activate the contact form, sign up for SB Forms on Start Bootstrap, set your domain, copy the access key, and paste it into the form's data-sb-form-api-token attribute.
Pricing
Freelancer is free to download and use. The source code is released under the MIT license by Start Bootstrap LLC, so no purchase or subscription is required.
FAQ
Is Freelancer free?
Yes, Freelancer is completely free. It is released under the MIT license, meaning you can use it for personal or commercial projects without paying anything. The license also allows you to modify the theme as you see fit.
Does Freelancer include a working contact form?
The theme's contact form is prebuilt to use SB Forms, a form solution from Start Bootstrap. To make submissions work, you need to sign up for SB Forms, register your domain, and paste your access key into the data-sb-form-api-token attribute. Without this step, the form does not send messages.
What are the system requirements for the advanced build environment?
To use the npm build scripts that compile Pug and SCSS, you must have Node.js and npm installed on your system. With those installed, running npm install and then npm start launches a live development server and rebuilds the theme automatically on save.
Can I use Freelancer for a commercial client project?
Yes. Because the theme is under the MIT license, you can freely incorporate it into client work, including commercial websites, without paying a fee or asking for permission. Attribution is appreciated but not required by the license.
How do I customize the theme's styles?
Begin with the CSS file in the dist directory for quick edits. For more control, use the advanced setup, where the SCSS source files live in src/scss and are compiled with npm run build:scss. This lets you change Bootstrap variables and add custom styles before building the final CSS.
