A comprehensive list of NFT marketplaces, compared

Popular NFT Marketplaces

With the launch of Beeple’s EVERYDAYS: THE FIRST 5000 DAYS, people who have never explored NFT art are attempting to enter the space as collectors, but how?

If you’re taking the first step into the crypto and digital art space, you’ll need to know a few basics. First of all, most non-fungible tokens (NFTs — pronounced “nifties”) are minted on the Ethereum network. Therefore, transactions are mostly done with ETH. However, some maketplaces have gotten around the cumbersome nature of ETH wallets and double/triple gas fees by allowing purchases in multiple cryptocurrenceis (OpenSea) and even credit cards (for example, MakersPlace).

Below we’ll take a look at some of the art specific NFT marketplaces. Because we’re all about the art, we’re leaving out collectible and meme heavy sites.
EDIT: We did a follow up story with alternative NFT Marketplaces that weren’t included in this initial post if you’re looking for alt-coin platforms.

1. SuperRare.co SuperRare is super popular. They specialize in single edition, verified art from vetted creators. Some of the highest worth transactions go through this network and they do so in ETH. To bid on, or purchase, a piece, you’ll need to link up a wallet (or sign up to Formatic if you’re a newbie. This is the easiest startup wallet with the fewest barriers to entry). Because relatively few artists are accepted and prices are high, it’s pretty difficult to get a bid accepted for a NFT.
   Quality of art: 10/10
   Bidding/Purchasing: 7/10 (high competition means low bid acceptance)
   Ease of use: 9/10
2. MakersPlace This platform got a ton of attention by minting Mike Winkelmann’s (Beeple) full collection for Christie’s. Aside from that, it’s also our favorite platform for beginner collectors. Unlike SuperRare, you have a higher chance of getting your bid accepted through MakersPlace and can purchase art with credit cards or ETH. For people who are interested in owning NFTs, but find the entire blockchain concept a bit confusing, this is the best place to start. Artists still need to be accepted and verified, but there seems to be more diversity than SuperRare which has a tendency to choose artists with a certain aesthetic.
   Quality of art: 9/10
   Bidding/Purchasing 9.5/10 (some artists are slow to respond to bids)
   Ease of use: 10/10
3. OpenSea This is the most democratized digital art market in the world. Anyone can mint anything for free and then change for the minting/processing/transfer once it’s purchased. Because of that, you can find anything and everything. This platform also aggregates pieces from all of the other marketplaces listed in this article so it’s a good one-stop shop. I find the search a bit difficult to navigate, and true gems minted directly through OpenSea are hard to come by. However, if you know what you’re looking for, this platform lets you use a handful of cryptocurrencies including DAI, WHALE, RARI, etc. It’s also a good place to find newer artists who are talented but not yet discovered.
   Quality of art: 6/10
   Bidding/Purchasing 7/10
   Ease of use: 8/10 (requires + gas ETH transactions before using different cryptos)
4. Rarible Rarible is excellent for creators. Minting a NFT doesn’t require a lengthy approval process or require you to fit the aesthetic of the site’s support staff. Because of that, buyers also see a fair amount of variety in quality and content. Art is mixed in with collectibles and most items on this site seem to be listed with multiple editions rather than the single editions of SuperRare. Rarible is community owned and has it’s own coin (RARI), although transactions are primarily done through ETH.
   Quality of art: 7/10
   Bidding/Purchasing 9.5/10
   Ease of use: 9/10
5. Nifty Gateway Nifty Gateway is the OG of NFT marketplaces. And, fun fact, it’s owned by the Winklevoss twins of Facebook fame. There are still plenty of worthwhile drops through Nifty Gateway, but overall it feels a bit dated for people who are focused on strict art collections. Using the search feature, you’ll have to wade through thousands of collectibles and general GIFs to find talented artists. While you’ll see some bigger sales, there tend to be a lot of mid-and-low tier transactions. If you want to use Nifty Gateway, it might be worth keeping an eye on drops and top sellers if you want to retain investment value.
   Quality of art: 7.5/10 (varies greatly, harder to locate the quality stuff)
   Bidding/Purchaing: 9/10
   Ease of use: 9/10
6. KnownOrigin This platform is rarely mentioned along with the bigger marketplaces, but it’s an excellent option for people interested in real art rather than meme art. It’s exclusively for art, so you don’t have to filter out the other stuff. On the flip side, there seem to be a lot of mediocre creators mixed in with the talented.
   Quality of art: 7/10
   Bidding/Purchasing: unknown
   Ease of use: 9/10
7. ASYNC ASYNC is a totally different type of marketplace. You can buy art. You can mint art. It’s exclusively for art. Each NFT also has an evolving, communal creation aspect to it. The description from their homepage is below, but we’ll stay away from rating this site since it’s a bit different than the rest.