If you consider yourself an artist and are looking for ways to maybe make a few dollars on the side or even make a living, I wanted to showcase some of the best ways to sell your original art online and make some pretty good money.
Almost all of the platforms I’m about to mention already have buyers. It’s just up to you to create something that they want to purchase.
So, in today’s post, I’m going to cover the many ways you can make money with your art, regardless of what you want to sell. I will also talk about a few pointers you can use to your advantage to stand out above the rest.
Whether it’s designing a t-shirt logo or even some sort of painting, you’re going to find there are many ways you can capitalize on your art skills and make some cash.
As long as it’s unique and related to art, you may find one of these platforms to work to your advantage.
How to Sell Art Online and Make Money
Before I get into the list as to which platforms you can use to sell your artwork, I first want to let you know that there are many places that you can sell your artwork online. Because of this, you’re going to find that there’s a lot of competition. Even if you have the best talent, it doesn’t mean you’re going to make money.
For now, I recommend you at least do the following to ensure that you find the right platform for your work. Again, there are a lot of options, as you can see, so it’s very important that you pick out the right one so that the right eyeballs are seeing your work.
Selling Art Online Tips to Keep in Mind While Browsing This List
As you go through the list, jot down the ones that are of interest to you, especially if you feel it works with your artistic style. As you’re about to see, they all work differently, so you may want to go through the list once again and pick out a few that you feel your work would do well on.
Next, make sure you read the terms and conditions to know exactly what you’re going to be charged as well as what you can and can’t do. Some platforms, for instance, require that your work is 100% original, whereas other platforms are more laid back. Some may charge more commission that what it’s really worth. Regardless, it doesn’t hurt to read these terms to ensure you don’t risk being banned/penalized in the future. You will also want to make sure the fee is worth it as well.
After you narrow it down to a few websites, it’s then up to you to create your profile, upload your work and start marketing your work. As with most platforms online, don’t expect customers to start buying right away as you will need to build your brand, market in the right way, etc. Even though the buyers are there, you need to learn how to have them find you. I haven’t sold much artwork online, but I did find these many books on Amazon that can teach you much better than I could.
Most of the platforms work in the same way, where you will be asked to upload a picture of your artwork, set a price and write a description. As for the tools offered for you, this can greatly vary depending on which company you decide to work with. Again, just make sure you closely read the terms and conditions to know what you’re getting with your seller’s dashboard. Research is fundamental here!
Like the many ways to make money online, it’s going to take time before you even sell your first art piece, and if you find that one platform isn’t working for you, it’s always possible to try another and/or tweak your marketing strategies. There are plenty to choose from!
There are buyers out there. It’s just up to you to find them.
Let’s dive in and explore the many websites you can consider if you want to start selling your art online.
Best Sites for Selling Art Online
NOTE: All of these platforms are pretty self-explanatory. Upload your work, create a description, set a price and market yourself. Using many of these platforms can give you an advantage as they already have thousands, if not millions of targeted buyers.
Handmade by Amazon
Yes, Amazon has a section on its website dedicated to sellers like you who want to sell anything that’s “homemade.” And, the great thing is that anyone can apply as long as you’re offering something unique that you made. You will need to be approved by Amazon, however, in order to get started.
Just like Etsy and many of the other websites I’m about to talk about, Handmade by Amazon only allows certain sellers, so you will have to apply before you can start selling. Not everyone will be approved, and in some cases, there may be a long waiting period.
There are no hidden fees, just a flat 15% taken from your sale.
- Fees: 15% commission
- Website: Homemade by Amazon
abstract art
Abstract art, as the name implies, is geared toward that “abstract artist.”
If you consider yourself to be one, then this is a platform you may want to check out.
It’s free to register, and in doing so, the company will give you a free profile and portfolio page.
- Fees: 20% commission
- Website: abstractart,gallery
Aftcra
Aftcra reminds me a lot of the Etsy platform, but the key difference here is that they only allow American handmade crafts. So, if you’re selling anything outside of America, then you probably will want to skip this option.
The company has no listing fees, but unlike a lof these websites, they do have a very strict policy in regards to what you sell.
To sell, it’s free to set up your shop, but the company will charge a 7% transaction fee. All products are live for six months.
- Fees: 7% transaction fee
- Website: aftcra
ArtBoost
ArtBoost works in a different way as they allow you to personally talk with your buyers before a sale is made.
The platform does take 15% of the sale price and is more of an online gallery where you can show off your work.
- Fees: 15% commission
- Website: ArtBoost
Artfinder
If you want to sell on Artfinder, they do ask that you apply before you’re considered. During this time, they will ask you to talk about yourself, talk about your inspiration and provide high-quality images of your work. Consider it almost like a job interview.
It’s 100% free to sign up, but as you guessed it, there are commission fees on sales made through the platform.
If interested, they do ask that you wait at least six weeks before getting approved due to the high demand.
- Fees: 33% commission
- Website: Artfinder
ArtFire
ArtFire allows you to open your online shop in only minutes, allowing you to make, market and sell any handmade goods.
All of the items listed are automatically shared with search engines with high customization.
The company has a variety of online store options available, each with its own features. Scroll to the bottom of the official website to see the inclusions included in each store option.
- Fees: 4.5%-12.75% final fee, $0.23 listing fee on some accounts
- Website: ArtFire
Artplode
The unique thing about Artplode is that it allows you to keep 100% of what you make, but they do ask you to pay a one-time $60 listing fee. This fee will cover your listing until you remove it from the website.
As an artist using this platform, you can control every aspect of your listing, from the description to the photos and price.
Artplode was designed in a way to allow buyers to filter artwork so that they can find exactly what they are looking for, simply meaning they can find what they want within seconds.
- Fees: $60 flat fee to list
- Website: Artplode
ArtQuid
ArtQuid gives you direct contact with your buyers, wherein you can negotiate, receive offers and use the company’s secured escrow service.
The company also offers user-friendly tools to manage your online gallery as well as a free plan package to get started.
Since 2008, the company has served more than 12 million visitors.
- Fees: $0-$30/year + 10% commission
- Website: ArtQuid
Artist.com
Artist.com works as an online art gallery and even offers print on demand services.
If you want to sell with this platform, you can either register as an artist or as a gallery, wherein you can upload images and descriptions of the art you’re looking to sell.
The company does take a hefty commission fee at 25%, but artists can set their “profit” for any products being sold.
- Fees: 25% commission
- Website: Artist.com
ArtPal
ArtPal has more than 100,000 artists selling everything from paintings to jewelry. They have quite a few categories, so I at least recommend you check them out to see what others are selling.
And, in comparison to most of these platforms, ArtPal charges no membership fees nor do they charge a commission if you’re selling your art direct. However, if you use their “Print-on-Demand” service, then you set your own profits and this is added to your base printing cost.
You can find more about the fees on the company’s FAQ page.
- Fees: $0 to “set your own profits” if using Print-on-Demand service
- Website: ArtPal
Art Please
Art Please is an online network that allows artists and collectors to connect with one another. Picture it as a social media platform in a way.
Artists can upload their artwork, and the unique thing is that collectors can actually make requests as well.
Listings are 100% free and only takes a few moments to get started.
- Fees: up to 10%
- Website: Art Please
bigcartel
Since 2005, bigcartel has allowed more than a million creators to sell everything from clothing to jewelry and weird stuff in between.
Much like many of these platforms I list here, they have a few store options, but the cool thing is that they don’t charge a listing fee nor do they take a chunk of your sale.
Simply list your items and pay the monthly fee to stay active.
- Fees: $9-$29 a month
- Website: bigcartel
Displate
Displate is unique in that they only sell magnet-mounted metal prints. It’s steel and requires no power tools to hang it.
Regardless, if you have artwork, you might as well check it out as you can upload your images and potentially make some cash.
Top artists are said to make $5,032 a month with over 65% of Displate artists seeing sales.
- Fees: varies on size ($2-$50+ commission)
- Website: Displate
Etsy
I’m sure you have heard of this massive platform before, but honestly, it’s probably one of your better options to sell your artwork for a few reasons.
For one, Etsy is one of the largest websites on the internet, ranking in the top 150 of all websites in the world. There are a ton of buyers here.
And, secondly, it’s a fantastic platform to sell just about anything creative. Whether it’s sculptures, glass art or drawings, if it’s unique, you should highly consider it.
I haven’t played around much with Etsy in the, but I have read many success stories. To learn how to sell like the 1%, I highly recommend a few of these very low-cost eBooks on Amazon.
- Fees: $0.20 to publish, 5% fee once sells
- Website: Etsy
Facebook can be an amazing way to sell your unique artwork, especially if you’re part of your local groups. That way, if someone were to buy an item, they could pick up free of charge or you could even consider delivering, depending on what you sell.
If you’re not part of a local group, consider joining one as all cities have a group, trust me. Even if your city has a few hundred people, I’m sure someone created one you can join.
Now, not all groups allow selling items, so do make sure you at least read the rules before selling to avoid getting banned. Most don’t have a problem, however, as long as you’re civil and don’t spam the forums.
Aside from selling in local groups, Facebook also offers its Marketplace, wherein you can list your artwork for free.
- Fees: Free
- Website: Facebook
FineArtAmerica
FineArtAmerica is said to be the internet’s largest art marketplace and print-on-demand technology company, helping tens of thousands of artists sell everything from art to apparel.
With just a few clicks, you can upload your images to the company’s platform and set your price. Once sold, FineArtAmerica does the rest, fulfilling the order on your behalf, from taking care of printing to framing and even shipping.
In addition to providing an online marketplace, the company also provides marketing tools, from your very own website to selling prints on Facebook.
- Fees: $0-$30/year + you set your profit margins
- Website: FineArtAmerica
GalleryToday
GalleryToday helps connects artists with customers internationally, guaranteeing that all pieces will arrive in pristine condition.
Originating in 2002, the company does ask that all work is 100% original and abide by other terms, all of which you can find here.
In comparison to most companies I list here, GalleryToday does charge one of the highest commission rates at 40%.
- Fees: 40% commission rate
- Website: GalleryToday
Global-Art-Exchange
The Global Art Exchange is said to be an easy, secure and free way to list your art.
Artists receive 80% of all sales and are welcome to showcase your talent, whether it’s one picture or an entire collection.
- Fees: 20% commission rate
- Website: Global-Art-Exchange
Handmade Artists
As the name implies, the Handmade Artists is an online resource that connects a small group of artists and crafters from a variety of backgrounds to sell to the public.
Started as a forum back in the day, this eCommerce platform was created as a way for these forum members to sell their goods.
Absolutely no commission is taken — only a small $5 a month fee to remain active.
- Fees: $5 a month
- Website: Handmade Artists
Jose Art Gallery
The Jose Art Gallery caters to both artists as well as galleries, offering a little bit of something for both sides.
To start selling, fill out an application and submit your artwork to the gallery in order to be considered. It can take up to seven days before hearing back.
- Fees: 35% commission (promotions happen on occasion, lowering the price)
- Website: Jose Art Gallery
This could only work if you have a larger social media following, but as with all of my guides, I wanted to include all of the options as Instagram can be a great way to make cash selling your artwork.
Consider creating an Instagram account, or if you already have one, list some of your work, letting your followers know if it’s for sale.
If any of your followers like what they see, you can work out the details in private, where you can receive your money via PayPal, etc.
To learn more about how to sell on this massive social media platform, this post over at ArtworkArchive.com did a great job showing us all how to make money on Instagram.
- Fees: Free
- Website: Instagram
Saatchi Art
Saatchi Art is a very popular website that allows artists to sell original artwork and even prints. To date, they boast more than 65,000 artists from around the globe.
The website does charge a hefty 35% commission, but it’s free to create an account and the company even handles the shipping.
Even though the commission may seem high, the company does note that they reinvest to give you as much exposure as possible.
- Fees: 65% on every artwork sold
- Website: Saatchi Art
Singulart
Singulart works with artists all around the globe and wants to hear from you if you’re interested in joining their company.
Now, if you do consider going this route, there’s often a high demand, meaning you may not hear back for a few months, if not longer.
If accepted, Singulart provides you with international visibility, digital tools to succeed online and even takes care of everything, from online payments to the shipping and delivery.
- Fees: varies
- Website: Singulart
Society6
Society6 does all of the dirty work for you, only requiring you to upload your artwork to make available for sale. From there, they produce it, package it and even ship it for you, essentially leaving you more time to focus on your artwork.
Using this platform, you can create everything from phone cases to even shower curtains. Of course, the usuals are available as well, including posters and prints, to name a few.
In order to start selling, they do ask that you come verified, all of which you can find out how to do via this link.
- Fees: set your own price (depends on profit margin chosen)
- Website: Society6
Storeenvy
According to the official website, Storeenvy is said to be the only eCommerce platform offering two ways to sell. One is via a free custom online store, whereas the other options are through the company’s social marketplace.
Creating a store is entirely customizable and setting up a store takes less than five minutes.
As of this review, the company offers three plans, one of which is 100% free, allowing you to list up to 1,000 products. Be sure to check out the link below to see what’s included in each plan.
- Fees: 15% commission + store plans ranging from $0-$30/mo
- Website: Storeenvy
Zibbet Marketplace
The Zibbet Marketplace allows you to create your very own customized website plus access to the very popular Zibbet Marketplace, which allows you to publish your work across all of your connected channels.
Not only that but if you make a change on this website, it’s automatically published across multiple connected platforms, such as Etsy, saving you a ton of time.
In short, this option works a pinch differently than the rest listed here. View it more of a way to manage your listings in one place, updating on popular platforms, such as Etsy and Stitch, all with one push of the button.
The company does charge a small $5~ monthly fee, but they do offer a free trial so that you can at least test them out.
- Fees: $5+ a month
- Website: Zibbet Marketplace
Your Own Website
Of course, you don’t have to sell your artwork through the many third-party websites noted above. Sure, while it’s easier to list your work and immediately have customers looking at your work, it’s often the most expensive route. As you can see, some of these companies often take 20% of your profits!
If you don’t like the idea of having a third-party company run your business and/or you want to diversify (I highly recommend you do so), then you may want to consider creating your own website.
And, no, you don’t need to have programming or web design experience as there are so many tools online that can help you such as Shopify and WordPress. All of these tools take minutes to learn and you could have your own .com up and running in minutes flat.
Now, with your own website, you’re being thrown out into the internet world, so you will need to keep in mind that you will need to market yourself in order to gain exposure.
Teaching you the ins and outs of marketing and creating a website online can take an eternity, so to save you the troubles, I would recommend checking out these very low-cost books on Amazon. Most cost less than $10 and are much better than the $100 courses you find online.
Don’t like the idea of a website?
That’s fine as you can consider creating your own video series on YouTube and making money via the ads in your video or even consider teaching others how to draw, etc on popular online courses like Udemy.
Yes, there are many other ways to make money selling your art aside from actually selling your pieces.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are quite a few platforms in which you can sell your artwork online and become quite successful. And, as long as your artwork is unique, you shouldn’t have a problem selling on these websites.
Some of these platforms could be a gold mine for you, while others you may not have such luck.
I just highly recommend you take a few of my selling art pointers near the top to at least start selling your artwork online and hopefully see success. Reading a lot of these books can help you out as well. It’s just a few dollars of an investment but can pay off huge dividends.
Again, I can’t stress this enough.
Make sure you have a gameplan and you’re using the right platforms as even selling the best item imaginable won’t guarantee you success. As with making any money online, it’s going to take time.
In the beginning, it may seem like too much, but like anything, once you learn the ropes, it can get that much easier.
Have you tried any of these websites to sell art? Have you had any luck?
As always, I would love to hear from you in the comments below so feel free to leave a comment to help others make the most out of their artwork!
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Thanks Tom, it is wonderful that people share information.
Thank you