An NFT marketplace could be a deal-breaker or a deal-maker, so you have to choose it very wisely. Whether buying or selling NFTs, the right market will help you promote your art or find what you’re looking for.
But NFTs are pretty diversified, and so are their dedicated markets. For that reason, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best NFT marketplaces that will help you sell your creations, or collect NFT masterpieces.
10 Top NFT Marketplaces To Try In 2022 (April Update)
- OpenSea – Most Popular & Biggest NFT Marketplace To Buy NFTs
- Nifty Gateway – NFT Marketplace With Popular Art Pieces
- Rarible – Best Marketplace For Beginners In NFT
- Binance NFT – Most Preferred Among Crypto Games & NFT Games
- SuperRare – Find The Rarest NFT Collectibles
- Async Art – Buy Unique Interactive NFTs
- MakersPlace – Popular Creator-Oriented NFT Marketplace
- KnownOrigin – Most Known For Super Rare NFT & Digital Art
- Foundation – Most Diversified Marketplace To Buy NFTs
- Zora – Marketplace To Trade, Hodl & Buy Digital Art
- Mintable – New Marketplace To Mint NFT
#1. OpenSea – Most Popular & Biggest NFT Marketplace To Buy NFTs
OpenSea is undoubtedly the most popular place to trade your NFT, and for a good reason. The marketplace supports every type of NFT you can imagine. From music, collectibles, sports NFTs, up to trading cards, and even domain names, OpenSea is your passage to unlimited NFT trading. You buy NFT arts and collections like CerealClub, CrytpoPunks etc via OpenSea.
Features
Flexible payments
Whether you’re buying or selling NFTs, OpenSea offers the ultimate flexibility in terms of payments, so you can quickly cash out. It supports dozens of wallets, such as MetaMask, Coinbase Wallet, TrustWallet, Authereum, Bitski, OperaTouch, Torus, etc.
Apart from the variety of supported wallets, OpenSea works with over 150 payment tokens. Its core currencies are Ethereum, USDC, and DAI. However, non-crypto currencies aren’t supported, but the marketplace features a useful guide that will help you convert fiat to crypto.
Gas-free marketplace
As the largest NFT marketplace, OpenSea is also the first to provide cross-blockchain support with a gas-free marketplace on the Polygon blockchain. The gas-free market means you won’t have to pay blockchain fees if you’re a buyer, while creators can now fully earn their way into crypto.
Pros
- A lot of popular NFTs and collections
- A wide variety of NTF types
- Straightforward mining
- Incredible resources for getting started with NFTs
Cons
- OpenSea doesn’t offer fiat support
Why do we recommend it?
OpenSea is our absolute first choice when it comes to trading NFTs. It is the first and largest NFT marketplace and also one of the most liquid NFT markets. OpenSea is the most trusted marketplace, so you can rest assured that your valuables will be kept utterly safe.
#2. Nifty Gateway – NFT Marketplace With Popular Art Pieces
Nifty Gateway is the best high-end NFT market. It features a lot of eye-catching NFTs, and some of them sell for quite admirable prices. If you’ve heard about The Merge by Pak, also known as the most expensive NFT to this date, Nifty Gateway is the marketplace on which it was sold.
Features
Popular drops
Nifty Gateway features some of the most popular verified and curated drops. The most popular NFT projects featured on Nifty Gateway include the hit avatar collections such as Bored Ape Yacht Club, Pudgy Penguins, Creature World, and so much more.
Gemini safety
If you’re already up to speed with crypto trading, you’ve definitely heard about Gemini as one of the safest crypto exchanges. In that case, you’ll be happy to know that Nifty Gateway is part of the Gemini family, so you can count on the world’s leading security technology to keep your NTFs safe.
Gemini keeps most of the assets in an offline, cold storage system to protect. A fraction of the valuables is kept in an online, hot wallet, which features top-notch security and is insured against theft, security breaches, hacker attacks, etc.
Pros
- The marketplace hosts live auctions, sales, etc.
- A simple way to list and buy NTFs
- Low transaction costs
- Accepts credit and debit cards, Gemini Balance, and prepaid EHT
- Professional Collector Advisory and Collector Support teams
Cons
- The marketplace verifies its artists, so newbies might struggle to get in
Why do we recommend it?
Whether you’re an established artist or a refined collector, Nifty Gateway is your NFT marketplace of choice. The brand is very meticulous about the art it features, so each piece is verified and hand-picked before it hits the market. It is utterly safe and even accepts card payments, so it’s an excellent choice for collectors without any experience with cryptocurrencies.
#3. Rarible – Best Marketplace For Beginners In NFT
As the name suggests, Rarible is the best marketplace for rare NFTs, but it also features a lot of popular sports collections. Though the market is full of unique single art pieces, it is most popular because of its sports, gaming, and media brand collections.
Features
Multichain marketplace
Rarible supports multiple blockchains, so it allows you to buy, mint, and sell NFTs on various blockchains. That way, you can reach different audiences and work with flexible fees and a carbon footprint. At the moment, Rarible supports Ethereum Flow and Tezos, but they’re constantly working on integrating additional blockchains.
Community governed NFT protocol
Rarible’s NFT protocol is open source, cross-chain community governed. It simplifies the go-to-market for projects and ideas, allowing artists to market their NFTs safely and effortlessly. The protocol is designed to customize the NFT experience for different levels of complexity and allow you to build neat NTFs.
Pros
- Simple interface
- Easy to comprehend
- Follows the OpenSea approach
- Beginner-friendly marketplace, so you won’t need any extensive prior knowledge with NFTs or crypto
- Rarible is currently working on Polygon support
Cons
- Some users have complained about the availability of customer support service
Why do we recommend it?
Rarible is an incredible NFT marketplace that is yet to unleash its full potential. Though it doesn’t feature an abundance of blockchains for you to choose from, the Rarible Protocol seems very promising. So if you want to be a part of something new and exciting, you should definitely join the Rarible community and make an impact.
#4. Binance NFT – Most Preferred Among Crypto Games & NFT Games
Binance NFT is the newest addition to the Binance crypto exchange platform. The exchange features everything from market trades, derivatives, crypto exchange, and earning, with the NFT marketplace as an exciting new option. The marketplace features a variety of different NFTs, but IGOs are undoubtedly the most popular ones.
Features
Initial game offering
Gaming NFTs or IGOS are assets from top-tier gaming projects that are exclusive to the platform. They are available via auction, fixed prices, or exciting mystery boxes. These gaming NFTs consist of in-game assets, including game items, weapons, skins, and even early-access passes. The most popular NFTs games and metaverses on Binance NFT are Syn City, DeVerse, Dark Frontiers, Dracoo Master, etc.
Convenient payments
Binance NFT is a beginner-friendly marketplace that allows you to choose from the vast pool of supported currencies. It accepts most fiat currencies and a variety of cryptos. Therefore, you can conveniently set your currency on the marketplace and start trading whether you have USD, EUR, GBP, MNT, ETH, BUSD, or a list of other currencies at your disposal.
Pros
- Accepts both crypto and fiat currencies
- Very popular for gaming NFTs
- Popular creators sell their gaming arts on the platform
- Low transaction fees at only 1%
Cons
- The platform is more oriented towards buyers and collectors rather than artists
Why do we recommend it?
Binance is an excellent way for you to get introduced to the world of NFTs if you have no prior experience with purchasing these digital arts. The marketplace is pretty straightforward to use, so you can quickly find and buy your favorite piece in little to no time. The brand also offers a convenient exchange, so you’ll get full support for both purchasing crypto and NFTs.
#5. SuperRare – Find The Rarest NFT Collectibles
SuperRare is the ultimate NFT marketplace for all artistic souls. It is one of the few markets that incorporate an art gallery-like interface that will make you feel as if you’re indeed wandering through the display rooms of a renowned gallery. The art pieces are also top-notch, so you should definitely check out the SuperRare marketplace.
Features
SuperRare Editorial
If you’re not really up to speed with the latest events on the NFT market and don’t know what pieces you should be chasing, SuperRare has got you covered. The marketplace features a neat editorial that will update you with the hottest picks and the most valuable NFT at the moment. SuperRare’s editorial never misses the chance to feature promising new artists, so you will always have the opportunity to spot a new NFT star and invest ahead of time.
Exhibitions
True art appreciators will be happy to hear that SuperRare hosts various events and exhibitions. So if you’re looking for a proper way to enjoy art, you should definitely check out some of their events. Upcoming shows feature promising artists such as Nate Mohler, Karisman, Mari.k, and other exciting names you will yet hear about.
Pros
- Artists receive continuous royalties for secondary sales
- On-chain transactions
- Supports the entire freedom of the artists, including nudity
Cons
- Buyers have to pay a 3% commission
- Only accepts Ethereum payments
Why do we recommend it?
SuperRare is a user-friendly marketplace that will help you buy or sell NFTs without much effort. The marketplace doesn’t offer many popular NFT collections such as Bored Ape Yacht Club or CryptoPunks, but it features many promising artists and amazing NFTs.
#6. Async Art – Buy Unique Interactive NFTs
Async Art is one of the most exciting and innovative NFT marketplaces currently available. The platform features dynamic and interactive NFTs that change over time. On Async Art, you can sell and collect art, music, and even blueprints.
Features
NFT displaying
All NFT collectors are going to get pretty excited when they hear about Async Art’s unique ways of displaying NFTs.
If you believe that your computer is the ultimate place for exhibiting your NFTs, Async Art has recently dropped a ‘New Tab’ app that will display your NFTs. All you have to do is install the extension available for Chrome, Brave, and Vivaldi and start feasting your eyes on your NFT collection every time you open a new tab. It also supports dynamic NFTs that change their appearance over time.
However, if you’d rather have your programmable art handed in your living room or gallery, Async Art is also supported on Meural. Meural sells dedicated frames for programmable artwork that render your NFTs in a lifelike and textured appearance thanks to the image-optimized technology that automatically adjusts the brightness to the environment.
But if you don’t want to purchase a new frame, you can use the frame you already own, as Async Art is also available through an Apple TV app that will give access to your full art gallery directly from your TV.
Pros
- Innovative approach towards programmable arts
- Excellent terms for both artists and collectors
- One of the few NFT marketplaces that offer blueprints
Cons
- Not very beginner-friendly
Why do we recommend it?
If you’re looking to emerge yourself in the dynamic and interactive world of NFTs, Async Art is our best recommendation. The platform features the best NFTs of the kind, so if dynamic NFTs sound exciting, you should definitely check it out.
#7. MakersPlace – Popular Creator-Oriented NFT Marketplace
MakersPlace is the NFT marketplace that strives to give creators the best possible experience. The platform features premium tools that help artists protect their digital assets and sell them without any bumps on the road. The diversified platform works with artists, photographs, writers, and other unique content creators with innovative products to promote.
Features
Distribution
MakersPlace insists on providing the ultimate support for its creators. The vast network of collectors on MakersPlace is topped up with the audience of other established marketplaces that the platform partners with. That way, you can promote your work better and reach a wider audience.
Authentic and verified NFTs
Every art piece that’s sold on MakersPlace undergoes a multi-step verification process that ensures its authenticity. Projects need 3 or more proofs of identity to guarantee that you’ll only be offered authentic artworks and collections. The team of MakersPlace examines the smart contract and the people behind the project, so there’s absolutely no room for error.
Pros
- NFTs from established artists
- Curated digital art
- A variety of different art styles
- Artworks minted on the platform can be purchased with both EHT and fiat currencies
Cons
- Only Ethereum payments for secondary sales
Why do we recommend it?
MakersPlace is a creator-friendly platform that allows artists to sell their artwork without going through a significantly challenging and tiring process. As a result, many established artists pick MakersPlace to promote their art, so the platform is full of incredible NFTs.
#8. KnownOrigin – Most Known For Super Rare NFT & Digital Art
KnownOrigin is another popular NFT platform that features high-quality art. It is our best suggestion for anyone looking for top-tier digital art, but collections of exotic avatars and creatures aren’t available on the platform.
KnownOrigin is one of the NFT pioneers. It offers rare collectibles through drops, so the number of copies released is always carefully monitored and controlled.
Features
Minting
Minting on KnownOrigin is incredibly simple. The platform offers a comprehensive set of configuration options you can use to customize your work. Its updated minting portal will allow you to mint your work, build collaborations, and create composable NFTs. The supported NFT types include images, videos, 3D files, 360 images, videos, and interactive NFTs.
All you have to do is upload your artwork, add some details, set a price, and get minting. After your artwork has been minder, you can share your mint and wait for any offers.
Card payments
KnownOrigin offers you the possibility of purchasing digital art using your Ethereum balance or directly with your credit or debit card. The marketplace partners with Wert.io to handle all card to crypto transactions. That way, you can purchase your favorite NFTs and arts directly with your card while Wert.io does all the work in the background.
Pros
- Curated NFT editions and limited NFT drops
- Simple-to-use platform
- A place for many established artists
Cons
- Higher fees and carbon footprint
Why do we recommend it?
KnownOrigin is our best recommendation for art connoisseurs. The platform carefully curates and selects only the best artworks, so its trading volume is quite lower compared to many of the other marketplaces we’ve reviewed. So whether you’re an established artist or have an appreciation for delicate art, KnownOrigin is the first marketplace you should consider.
#9. Foundation – Most Diversified Marketplace To Buy NFTs
Foundation is another popular marketplace with a fantastic offer of NFTs. Foundation is the home to the Nyan Cat, Aphex Twin’s audiovisual collectible that’s one of the first things that come to mind when you think about NFTs.
This marketplace is run by a premium club of artists and curated by its community. As one of the newer NFT marketplaces, Foundation’s curators have already collected a lot of cryptos.
Features
Diversified marketplace
Foundation features an abundance of various NFTs. The marketplace offers image, video, and 3D NFTs. To help you out on your search, the platform features a neat search feature that will allow you to browse through NFTs, collections, and artist profiles. You can choose between primary and secondary market NFTs and base your search on your price range and the assets’ availability.
NFT news
If you’re looking for an NFT marketplace that will help you keep up with the latest trends on the market, Foundation is what you need. The platform features an up-to-date NFT blog that will keep you posted with the latest events, big names and trends in the NFT industry. So if you want to handle your NFT and get updates in a single place, Foundation is our best recommendation.
Pros
- A straightforward platform for both creators and collectors
- Run by NFT artists
- An excellent approach for browsing and filtering NFTs
Cons
- High fees for artists
Why do we recommend it?
Foundation is a straightforward NFT market that will allow you to buy and sell NFTs even if you have no prior experience. The simple interface will help both creators and collectors quickly get accommodated with the platform, and if you ever experience an issue, you can reach out for help in the complete step-by-step guides.
#10. Zora – Marketplace To Trade, Hodl & Buy Digital Art
Similar to Foundation, Zora became an invite-only platform that strived to make the marketplace as open and reliable as possible. The market supports artists and creators of all kinds, meaning that on Zora, you can buy or sell anything from art, animation, and music, up to text, media, and web assets. It is based on the Ethereum blockchain and acts as a bridge between the digital and the real world.
Features
All collectibles in a single place
Zora has successfully evolved from a narrow digital market into an inclusive marketplace for all your collectibles. The platform is offering both digital and physical copies from its collectibles, including an mp3 and a hard copy of RAC’s Boy album. That’s why Zora is now becoming a popular marketplace for physical items. It is the favorite place for super-fans to find their favorite limited edition trainers from Nike designers and other exciting items.
Community-driven platform
Zora is an excellent platform that strives to provide the best for its users, whether they’re creators or collectors. So apart from the spot-on services it offers, Zora also collaborates with a couple of other platforms that might be able to provide you with something extra. Therefore, Zora partners with Party Bid, Otis House, Mirror, FWB, Auctions, Artiva, etc., to provide you with additional features and convenience.
Pros
- A chance to run your auction house
- Physical and digital collectibles
- Open source protocol with code and documentation available on Github
Cons
- Their user interface is a bit challenging to navigate across
Why do we recommend it?
Zora perfectly combines the excitement of unique physical and digital collectibles and art. So if you’re looking to handle your collectible addiction, you should definitely check out Zora’s marketplace.
#11. Mintable – New Marketplace To Mint NFT
Mintable is the last on our list of the best NFT marketplaces. It is an open marketplace that carefully follows the lead of its elders, such as OpenSea. The open market offers anything from photography and music to utilities and sports. You can use both crypto and fiat to purchase or sell the unique assets featured on Mintable.
Features
Custom stores
If we’ve had to compare Mintable to other platforms, we’d say it incorporates the best of OpenSea and Etsy. This NFT marketplace allows you to create a unique store where you can sell all your artwork, similar to what you’d do on Etsy.
The platform is very beginner-friendly and will guide you through the basics of NFTs, the process of creating a store, as well as promotion strategies to help you sell more of your items.
Gasless and traditional minting
Mintable offers you the option to choose between gasless and traditional minting. The gasless minting with Immutable X allows you to mind NFTs without paying any fees. Still, if you’re loyal to the conventional way of minting, you can stick to it until you get introduced to the modern alternative.
Pros
- Accepts Ethereum and US dollars
- An excellent offer of NFTs, including collections like the Bored Ape Yacht Club and the Mutant Ape Yacht Club
- Cheaper alternative
Cons
- Slightly challenging for buyers as there is no feature for filtering popular artworks
Why do we recommend it?
Mintable is a pretty straightforward platform that is easy to use but will require some prior knowledge and understanding of NFTs, cryptocurrencies, wallets, and blockchains. This marketplace offers a variety of high-quality NFTs and includes some popular art pieces that many collectors are looking to get their hands on.
FAQs Regarding Buying & Selling NFTs
Q1. What are gas fees?
Each transaction on the Ethereum blockchain is charged with a gas fee. The gas is used to compensate miners for the computing energy and resources they spend while validating transactions to be included in the blockchain. They reflect the computational power needed to record a transaction on the Ethereum blockchain.
Gas fees vary based on the complexity of a transaction and the current traffic on the network. Therefore, a transaction that requires higher power will be charged a higher fee. Transactions that are completed during peak hours with a lot of traffic are also a reason for heftier fees.
Q2. What is lazy minting?
Lazy minting or “just in time” minting refers to the practice of minting the NFT at the moment of purchase. Marketplaces like OpenSea have adopted this practice to help their creators avoid up-front costs.
With lazy minting, you don’t have to mint the NFT until someone decides to buy it. That way, you can avoid paying gas fees for NFTs that won’t be sold.
The basic principles of lazy minting allow artists to create a cryptographic signature of their date instead of creating an NFT directly. The signed data is the collector’s voucher or ticket they can use to redeem the NFT. It contains all information that will go into the actual NFT, while the signature proves that the artist authorized the creation of the NFT described in the voucher.
Q3. Can I delete an NFT?
Once minted on the blockchain, an NFT cannot be deleted. However, you can restrict the NFT from its ability to be on a marketplace by sending it to an unreachable address.
An NFT can only be deleted if it has not been minted yet. With lazy minting and platforms such as OpenSea, NFTs are minted after being bought. So as long as it hasn’t been minted yet, you can quickly delete a single NFT or an entire collection.
Q4. How do NFTs get their value?
Though they’ve left a lot of people puzzled, NFTs work pretty much the same as other art pieces. Their value is based on the credibility of the artist, the artworks’ nature, its story, and the marketing behind them.
Though all of the above aspects are pretty important, marketing is the one factor that can make or break a deal. That’s why many artists decide to collaborate on projects and join their efforts and marketing strategies to help them promote multiple NFTs at once.
Q5. Do I need a crypto wallet for NFTs?
Yes. Whether you’re buying or selling, you will undoubtedly need a crypto wallet to trade NFTs.
If you’re a collector, you will need a crypto wallet to store the cryptocurrency you’ll use to pay for the NFT. After that, you’ll also need a wallet to keep your NFT collection safe. Creators also need crypto wallets as the safest way to cash out their profit from selling the NFTs.
When considering wallets, make sure you check what your NFT marketplace supports.
However, emerging NFT marketplaces, including Nifty Gateway, are starting to accept fiat currency so that you can make a payment with credit and debit cards. However, you’ll still need a wallet to store the NFT you’ve purchased.
Q6. How can I make money on NFTs?
NFTs or non-fungible tokens are starting to become increasingly popular. Therefore, they’re some of the most profitable blockchain-based experiments. Similar to traditional art, NFTs can get more valuable with time. But since they’re based on the value of Ethereum, NFTs offer another way for you to profit from them.
Whether the value of Ethereum or the specific NFT increases, you will end up making a profit from purchasing your NFT.
Q7. How can the blockchain benefit creators?
The blockchain is basically a publicly accessible online decentralized database and it isn’t owned by any central authority. Once an art piece is uploaded to the database, it cannot be modified or censored by third-party governors.
Apart from that, the blockchain provides creators with excellent control over their pieces. After adding an item to the blockchain, you get to define the number of editions and control their distribution.
The blockchain is also great for keeping up an ownership history of your creations. Since every transfer and transaction is recorded on the blockchain, you can access the entire history through an automated and accurate algorithm. The ownership history can often raise the value of an item.
Q8. What are NFTs used for?
NFTs are used in the same way as conventional artwork. They are basically the digital alternative to traditional art. Collectors buy these programmable masterpieces because they cherish their value or because they’re looking to make a profit when their price rises. So, all in all, NFTs are used pretty much the same as physical art pieces that are either displayed at museums and exhibitions or sold for a higher price. The only difference is that the exhibits and museums for NFTs are digital and take place in the metaverse.
