The rise of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT marketplaces) has transformed how artists create, sell, and monetize digital art. NFTs provide a way to prove ownership and authenticity of digital creations on the blockchain, unlocking new revenue streams and direct engagement with collectors.
For artists, choosing the right NFT marketplace is critical. Different platforms cater to different audiences, offer varying minting costs, support diverse types of digital assets, and provide distinct tools for creators. In this article, we explore the best NFT marketplaces for artists in 2024, helping you find the perfect platform to showcase your art and grow your brand.
Why NFT Marketplaces Matter for Artists
NFT marketplaces have reshaped the art world, empowering artists to monetize their creations directly, reach global audiences, and maintain control over both initial sales and future royalties. Unlike the traditional model, where galleries claimed hefty commissions and resales yielded no income for artists, NFT platforms often allow creators to earn 80% or more on initial transactions and automate royalty payments for secondary sales through smart contracts. This guarantees equitable, recurring compensation and secures artists’ financial interests over time.
Blockchain authentication verifies the origin and uniqueness of each artwork, protecting creators from forgery and assuring buyers of genuine value. Artists can easily mint tokens, set prices, and showcase their work to a diverse collector base, transcending geographical or institutional limits. NFT marketplaces also foster vibrant communities, enabling feedback, collaboration, and cultural exchange. These platforms are not exclusive to digital art; music, collectibles, and in-game assets can all be tokenized and traded.
Despite environmental, technical, and regulatory challenges, NFT marketplaces continue to evolve—expanding creative freedom while democratizing access, recognition, and rewards for artists worldwide.
Traditional art markets often require intermediaries, galleries, or agents, which can reduce the share of profits that artists receive. NFT marketplaces:
- Enable direct connection between artists and buyers worldwide.
- Provide digital provenance and proof of ownership through blockchain.
- Allow artists to earn royalties automatically on secondary sales.
- Support multiple types of digital media, from images to music and 3D art.
- Offer community-building tools to engage with fans and collectors.
Choosing the right marketplace impacts your visibility, sales potential, and long-term success as an NFT artist.
Key Factors to Consider When Choosing an NFT Marketplace
When choosing an NFT marketplace, artists should consider several key factors to maximize their success and protect their work. First, blockchain compatibility is crucial, as different marketplaces operate on various blockchains with different transaction fees and environmental impacts. Selecting a platform with artist-friendly fees ensures more earnings. Second, fees such as listing, transaction, and royalty percentages must be evaluated for fairness and transparency. Third, the marketplace’s target audience should align with an artist’s style to enhance exposure among relevant collectors.
Fourth, strong security measures are essential to safeguard digital artworks and user data. Fifth, the user interface and platform functionality should offer easy minting, listing, and management of NFTs to streamline the artist experience. Lastly, a supportive community and responsive customer service promote networking, growth, and troubleshooting in an artist’s NFT journey. Considering these factors helps artists choose marketplaces that best fit their goals, artistic style, and technical preferences, ensuring a rewarding digital art experience. Some of key factors are:-
- Supported Blockchain: Ethereum dominates but alternatives like Solana, Tezos, and Flow offer lower fees.
- Minting Costs: Gas fees can be high on Ethereum; some platforms offer “lazy minting” to defer fees.
- User Base: Larger marketplaces may offer more exposure but higher competition.
- Artist Tools: Customizable profiles, promotional features, and easy upload processes.
- Royalties and Fees: Understand commission rates and royalty structures.
- Community and Curation: Some marketplaces are open, others curate or vet artists.
Top NFT Marketplaces for Artists in 2024
1. OpenSea
Overview – The largest and most popular, supporting a vast range of digital assets including art, collectibles, and more, known for its community features and ease of minting.
- Blockchain: Ethereum, Polygon, Klaytn.
- Minting: Supports “lazy minting,” allowing artists to mint without upfront gas fees.
- Best for: Artists seeking maximum exposure and a versatile platform.
Pros of OpenSea
- Largest NFT marketplace, supporting a vast variety of digital assets across art, collectibles, music, domains, trading cards, and more.
- Easy artist onboarding and minting; anyone can create an account and start selling NFTs quickly.
- Supports multiple blockchains (Ethereum, Polygon, Solana, Klatyn), allowing for lower-cost, gas-free transactions on some networks.
- Competitive 2.5% service fee per transaction, lower than many competitors.
- Lazy minting lets creators list NFTs without upfront gas fees—the NFT is minted only upon purchase.
- Huge, active community fosters discovery, networking, and broad exposure for creators and buyers.
Cons of OpenSea
- Maximum artist royalty is capped at 10%, lower than platforms like Rarible which may allow up to 50%.
- Limited customer support; lacks live assistance and relies primarily on support tickets.
- Searching for specific items can be difficult due to the massive volume of listings.
- Gas fees may fluctuate and become costly when using Ethereum network, though alternatives exist.
- Centralized infrastructure means the marketplace can influence listing policies and content enforcement.
- Security risks persist with wallet integrations, and NFT storage relies on user management.
2. Rarible
Overview – Community-driven marketplace focused on giving creators control over pricing and distribution, supporting diverse digital assets like art and music.
- Blockchain: Ethereum, Flow, Tezos.
- Minting: Supports lazy minting to reduce gas costs.
- Best for: Artists interested in community engagement and governance participation.
Pros of Rarible
- User-friendly interface, ideal for beginners in NFTs.
- Supports multiple blockchains like Ethereum, Tezos, and Flow for broad compatibility.
- No upfront minting fees; gas fees can be passed to buyers.
- Artists can set high royalties—up to 50% on resales.
- Credit card payments enabled for purchasing fixed-price NFTs.
- Community-driven governance via RARI token.
- Easy minting and listing process with diverse NFT categories.
Cons of Rarible
- Charges 1% transaction fee for both buyer and seller.
- Requires crypto wallet connection for full functionality.
- Faces intense competition from larger platforms like OpenSea and Blur.
- No dedicated mobile app; browser-only access limits flexibility.
- High gas fees possible during Ethereum network congestion.
- Limited customer support and no IPFS storage or API access.
3. Foundation
Overview – Foundation is an invite-only, curated NFT platform that focuses on high-quality digital art.
- Blockchain: Ethereum.
- Minting: Artists pay gas fees upfront; the platform is known for premium art.
- Best for: Established artists seeking exclusivity and a curated collector base.
Pros of Foundation
- Curated, exclusive platform for high-quality digital art, allowing only selected or invited artists to mint and sell NFTs.
- Transparent, decentralized live auctions feature enables fair and competitive bidding.
- Built-in smart contracts ensure artists receive 10% royalties on all secondary sales, fostering passive income and long-term value.
- Clean, minimalist interface puts artwork at the center and enhances the artist and collector experience.
- Secure, Ethereum-based marketplace with clear provenance and tracking for every NFT.
- Strong artist-first philosophy, supporting creative autonomy and artist control over their work.
Cons of Foundation
- Exclusive invite-only onboarding restricts access for new or unknown artists.
- No gas-free minting; artists pay often high Ethereum network fees when minting and listing art.
- 10% royalty cap on resales is lower than some competitors that allow higher royalties.
- All NFTs are sold via auction—no fixed-price listing option, which can deter some buyers.
- Marketplace activity and sales volume may be lower than larger open platforms, limiting exposure for artists.
- Only supports Ethereum (ETH) for transactions, offering less flexibility compared to multi-chain marketplaces.
4. Mintable
Overview – Mintable is an Ethereum-based NFT marketplace known for its gasless minting, allowing creators to list NFTs without upfront fees. It offers an easy-to-use interface, supports diverse digital assets, and enables artists to earn royalties on resale, making it accessible for beginners and creators alike in 2024.
- Blockchain: Ethereum, Immutable X.
- Minting: Offers free minting options via Immutable X’s Layer 2 solution.
- Best for: New artists looking for a low-cost entry point.
Pros of Mintable
- Gasless minting option lets creators mint NFTs for free, lowering entry barriers and reducing upfront costs for artists.
- User-friendly interface simplifies the NFT creation process—no coding knowledge required.
- Supports a variety of digital assets including art, music, video, and collectibles.
- Allows creators to set royalties for secondary sales, ensuring recurring revenue.
- Integration with Ethereum and Immutable X for scalable, gasless transactions.
- Offers both fixed-price and auction sales to cater to different selling strategies.
- No vendor approval process, making it accessible for beginners.
Cons of Mintable
- Buyers must pay Ethereum gas fees when purchasing, especially if not using Immutable X.
- Platform charges relatively high fees (2.5%–10%) compared to competitors.
- Primarily supports MetaMask, limiting wallet flexibility for users.
- Lower market liquidity and user activity compared to OpenSea or Rarible, resulting in reduced exposure.
- Some users report slow interface performance and incomplete support pages.
- Lacks rigorous verification for listings, increasing risk of fraudulent or copyright-infringing NFTs.
5. KnownOrigin
Overview – KnownOrigin is a curated NFT marketplace focused on high-quality digital art. It empowers artists by ensuring authenticity, providing royalty mechanisms for secondary sales, and fostering a community for unique digital art and collectibles on the Ethereum blockchain. It was acquired by eBay in 2022 to expand its NFT offerings.
- Blockchain: Ethereum.
- Minting: Artists must apply and be approved; gas fees apply.
- Best for: Artists who want to be part of a niche, high-quality community.
Pros of KnownOrigin
- KnownOrigin specializes in high-quality digital art and screens artists with a vetting process, ensuring only credible, authentic works are featured.
- Built-in royalty mechanisms give creators 12.5% on all secondary sales, plus support for splitting royalties with collaborators through various customizable models.
- Offers fixed-price sales, reserve auctions, stepped sales, and early access sales, giving artists flexibility and control over how their work is sold.
- Minting-on-demand for editions reduces gas fees and enables better release scheduling.
- Features like artist profiles, portfolio showcases, and promotional tools help artists grow their careers and reach dedicated collectors.
- Uses the ERC-721 standard, Ethereum blockchain, and decentralized metadata storage via IPFS for provenance and long-term access to digital art.
- Enables purchases via credit cards, increasing accessibility for collectors.
Cons of KnownOrigin
- Requires artists to apply and be vetted, which restricts entry for newcomers or those without an established portfolio.
- Only supports digital artworks—no music, games, or collectibles—limiting diversity compared to broader platforms like OpenSea or Rarible.
- Charges a 15% fee on primary sales and 2.5% on secondary sales, which may be higher than some open marketplaces.
- 12.5% royalty rate on secondary sales, though competitive, is lower than platforms allowing 50%+.
- High gas fees during network congestion may impact artist profits, and the platform only supports ETH payments for most transactions.
- Smaller collector and buyer base than open platforms might mean less exposure and fewer sales for artists.
6. SuperRare
Overview – SuperRare is an exclusive NFT marketplace focusing on high-quality, unique digital art on the Ethereum blockchain. Artists undergo a stringent vetting process to ensure authenticity. It offers a luxury experience with curated works, a social community, and strong artist royalties, serving serious collectors and creators in 2024.
- Blockchain: Ethereum.
- Minting: Gas fees apply; artists must be invited.
- Best for: Artists who create exclusive, high-value digital art.
Pros of SuperRare
- Only carefully vetted artists and curated works are listed, ensuring top-tier digital art and strong authenticity.
- Creators receive 85% from primary sales and 10% royalties from all secondary sales, supporting ongoing earnings.
- The SuperRare DAO lets $RARE token holders participate in platform decisions, fostering transparency and community involvement.
- Auctions and fixed-price listings allow artists and collectors flexibility.
- Built-in community elements like profiles, comments, and Spaces promote artist engagement and collaboration.
- Long-running, trusted marketplace for rare digital art since 2018, building collector confidence.
- Attracts collectors and artists worldwide, boosting exposure.
Cons of SuperRare
- Stringent application process; not all applicants are accepted, excluding many creators.
- Transactions are limited to ETH, which may involve high gas fees and limited payment options.
- 15% fee on primary sales and 3% buyer market fee.
- Smaller number of listings and transactions than open platforms like OpenSea, limiting diversity and liquidity.
- Only digital art/collectibles are accepted, excluding music, metaverse assets, or gaming NFTs.
- Web-based access only, which may limit convenience for some users.
7. Hic et Nunc (HEN)
Overview – Hic et Nunc (HEN) is a decentralized, eco-friendly NFT marketplace on the Tezos blockchain. Known for low fees, it supports accessible, sustainable digital art minting and trading, fostering a vibrant community of artists and collectors.
- Blockchain: Tezos.
- Minting: Low fees and energy-efficient.
- Best for: Artists prioritizing low fees and sustainability.
Pros of SuperRare
- Uses Tezos blockchain, offering transaction costs as low as $0.02–$0.25, much cheaper than Ethereum-based platforms.
- Tezos is proof-of-stake, making HEN an environmentally sustainable, “clean NFT” solution with negligible CO₂ emissions for minting and trading.
- No pre-qualification required—any artist can mint, list, and sell NFTs, promoting artistic inclusivity and easy entry.
- Built on open-source code, with a volunteer-driven ethos and no single owner or centralized control.
- Creative assets stored securely on IPFS, ensuring provenance, transparency, and resistance to tampering.
- Supports multiple file types, including images, video, audio, and HTML.
- hDAO utility token may be used for promoting NFTs and helps steer platform decisions, pending further development.
Cons of SuperRare
- Lack of curation and approval means potential for spam, low-quality, or even copyright-infringing NFTs.
- Interface, customer support, and resources can be basic or unreliable compared to larger platforms.
- Brief shutdowns and management changes have occurred due to its decentralized nature, creating occasional uncertainty.
- Lower price points and a less “prestigious” reputation may limit visibility and resale potential for high-profile artists.
- Limits interoperability with major Ethereum-based NFT communities and tools; fewer collectors than OpenSea or Rarible.
- Access is browser-based, not as streamlined as mobile-friendly options.
Tips for Artists Selling NFTs Successfully
To sell NFTs successfully, artists should build a strong online presence, engage actively on social media, and collaborate with influencers. Creating compelling stories around artworks, leveraging NFT communities, and using targeted marketing strategies boost visibility and sales. Consistency and transparency build trust with collectors. Some of our tips are:-
- Build Your Brand: Engage with your audience on social media and NFT communities.
- Create Quality Art: Focus on originality and storytelling.
- Understand Royalties: Set fair royalty percentages for secondary sales.
- Be Transparent: Provide clear descriptions, editions, and provenance.
- Collaborate: Partner with other artists or projects to expand reach.
- Stay Updated: Follow NFT trends and platform updates.
Conclusion
The NFT ecosystem offers artists unparalleled opportunities to monetize their creativity, connect directly with collectors, and gain global recognition. The best NFT marketplace for artists depends on your goals, budget, and preferred audience.
- For broad exposure and diverse asset support, OpenSea and Rarible are top choices.
- If exclusivity and curation matter, Foundation, SuperRare, and KnownOrigin excel.
- For eco-conscious and low-cost minting, Hic et Nunc on Tezos is a strong contender.
- Beginners can benefit from Mintable’s accessible platform.
By choosing the right marketplace and leveraging its tools, you can turn your digital art into valuable NFTs and grow your creative career in 2024 and beyond.