You’ve seen the sales in news publications — CryptoPunks, Bored Apes, Art Blocks, and metaverse land. Suddenly, your interest is piqued and you want to know, “Where do I purchase an NFT?”
This best NFT marketplace list should solve all your problems. Here, we have the top 10 NFT marketplaces and they span the spectrum: three different blockchains, numerous types of wallets, collectibles, art, and gaming.
For these 10 NFT marketplaces, we cover sales volume, transaction fees, compatible wallets, accepted cryptocurrencies, top collections, and more!
And more. Strap yourselves in. We’re about to go on a ride through the wild west of NFT trading.
Top Ethereum Marketplaces
Ethereum. It’s the blockchain and cryptocurrency that ranks as the top dog in NFT trading. The collections that trade on Ethereum are legendary: CryptoPunks, Bored Apes, Cool Cats, and Fidenzas, just to name four.
The platforms that host Ethereum NFT trading are equally notorious — for the good and the bad. Here, we’ll cover five of them, their high points, tricky spots, and how you can navigate through them to purchase and trade NFTs.
#1 – OpenSea
- Latest Monthly Sales Volume: $2.6 billion
- Fees: 2.5%
OpenSea, which cleared $2.6 billion in monthly sales for October, ranks first in top NFT marketplaces for the Ethereum blockchain. It is the largest marketplace on this list and has reigned supreme in 2021, seeing its valuation rise to over $10 billion as interest in NFTs has skyrocketed.
While OpenSea (OS) has its share of critics, it boasts strong functionality, and its popularity has followed suit. Here is a quick look at its specs:
- Wallets supported: MetaMask, Coinbase Wallet, TrustWallet (+10 others)
- Payment options/crypto supported: Ethereum, Wrapped Ethereum, USDC, and DAI
- Blockchains supported: Ethereum, Polygon, and Klatyn
- Interesting features: Different auction types, bidding
- Availability of statistics: Good
OpenSea, because of its functionality, is an unsurprising home to many of the top collections. Blue-chip NFT collections traded on OS include the Bored Ape Yacht Club, Cool Cats, Doodles, Cryptomories, and more.
Its design is simple, straightforward, and enables easy navigation. The home screen shows featured or trending collections, a search bar, and a navigational button that allows you to access different site pages, including one that ranks collections by trending trading volume.
Purchasing is simple. After finding your collection, you’ll see row after row of NFTs in that collection with corresponding cryptocurrency prices. Click on one and the site will take you to that NFT’s page where you can see the price of the NFT in fiat currency. Next, click the “Buy Now” button.
This ease gives it a leg up over more complicated marketplaces, such as the now-defunct HEN. While not without critics, it is the leader in NFT marketplaces as of this writing.
#2 – Nifty Gateway
- Latest Monthly Sales Volume: $9.0 million
- Fees: 5% + 30 cents
Nifty Gateway, owned by cryptocurrency exchange Gemini, is the near-opposite of OpenSea. While OpenSea is known for its openness to artists and excessive gas fees (due to running on the Ethereum blockchain), Nifty Gateway is both curated and gas-free.
It also has many advantages over its larger, more popular competitor. Below are its specs:
- Wallets supported: Nifty Wallet, MetaMask for deposits
- Payment options/crypto supported: Ethereum, credit card, debit card, Gemini balance
- Blockchains supported: Ethereum
- Interesting features: Different selling methods, including dutch auctions and raffles
- Availability of statistics: Limited
The platform features some of the top NFT artists, including Beeple, who is well-known for his $69 million art sale in March. It also has no gas. As the platform holds its “Nifties” (Nifty Gateway NFTs) in a custodial wallet, transactions don’t occur on a blockchain. This enables “no-gas” transactions, which save buyers and artists a great deal of money.
The design of the website is clean. On the home page, there is a featured collection, a list of pieces that are up for auction, recent drops, and some of the more popular Nifties. The navigation bar on top of the page will lead you to curated drops, verified drops, a marketplace, and an activity feed, where you can see purchased items.
Because this is primarily an art NFT platform, you’ll see that some of the pieces have thousands of editions. Others may have a single edition. Edition size is a metric used by some to determine NFT rarity and sellability.
In addition to no gas fees, there is another big plus about trading on Nifty Gateway: You can purchase with a credit or debit card, an option rarely seen on other marketplaces. Purchasing with a card takes out the hassle of opening a crypto wallet, transferring crypto in and out, dealing with seed phrases, and all the technical aspects of buying an NFT.
#3 – SuperRare
- Latest Monthly Sales Volume: $31+ million
- Fees: 3%
SuperRare has been rising in popularity lately, seeing record-shattering NFT sales in October and an accompanying 1,330 ETH sale in early November. Rather than just a generative collectible NFT marketplace, SuperRare is a platform where digital artists and collectors can connect. Check out its specs below:
- Wallets supported: MetaMask, Fortmatic, Wallet Connect-compatible wallets
- Payment options/crypto supported: Ethereum
- Blockchains supported: Ethereum
- Interesting features: Decentralization through $RARE token
- Availability of statistics: Limited
As SuperRare’s website states, the process of being admitted as an artist on the platform is difficult, but for customers, there is a wide selection of different types of artwork. Some are uncomplicated illustrations, others highly-detailed renderings. Some are animated, while others are not. There are some big names on the platform, but you can find undiscovered gems too.
If you go to the marketplace section of the site, you have the option of organizing your feed depending on four artist criteria.
- Artists you follow
- Artists who follow you
- Artists you’ve collected
- Artists followed by those you follow
Then it’ll bring up a row of three pieces of art. Each piece of art comes with the following information: the artist, the owner, the current list price, and the selling price the last time someone purchased the artwork. You also have the option of bidding on artwork. The prices display in Ethereum and corresponding fiat prices.
In addition to being a proponent of artist royalties, SuperRare has another claim to fame: It is one of the few marketplaces to decentralize, offering its $RARE token to constituents, so that they can vote on the direction of the platform.
#4 – Rarible
- Latest Monthly Sales Volume: $269,000
- Fees: 5% (2.5% listing, 2.5% sale)
Founded in early 2020 by Alex Salkinov and Alexei Falin, Rarible was one of the top NFT marketplaces in contention during the spring of 2021 before struggling to match the pace of its competitors. But it certainly has some perks that other marketplaces may lack. Scroll down to read its specs:
- Wallets supported: MetaMask, Coinbase, Trust Wallet (+6 more)
- Payment options/crypto supported: VISA, Mastercard, ETH, other cryptocurrencies
- Blockchains supported: Ethereum, Flow, Tezos
- Interesting features: Timed auctions, messenger, personalized activity feed
- Availability of statistics: Limited
The layout on Rarible can be a little confusing — it’s a cross between a social network where you can “follow” people and trade NFTs. But if you can navigate past that and grow accustomed to the flashing colors and numbers, you can find some real benefits to the site.
Like OpenSea, Rarible has access to some of the top NFT collections, such as the Bored Ape Yacht Club and the Mutant Ape Yacht Club. You can also buy metaverse land and purchase NFTs used in play-to-earn games.
Rarible is primarily about individuals selling to individuals, and if you like what someone is selling, you can choose to “follow” them. But perhaps the best-known Rarible feature rewards you for doing something you’d do all along: buying and selling NFTs.
Every time you make a transaction on the platform, you receive a certain amount of $RARI, which is a governance token. People holding the governance token can vote on future directions of the NFT platform or cash out at whatever market price $RARI is trading.
#5 – Foundation
- Latest Weekly Sales Volume: $28,700
- Fees: 15%
Foundation, a marketplace for digital art built on the Ethereum blockchain, was once one of the hottest tickets in town. “Do you have a Foundation app invite?” was a common question in NFT Twitter-verse and on Discord, as artists viewed Foundation as a gateway to some of the wealthiest NFT clientele.
It still retains some of its luster and mystique, and there are numerous reasons why you’d consider it in your next search for the latest, best NFT art to buy. Here are its specs:
- Wallets supported: MetaMask, Wallet Connect-compatible wallets
- Payment options/crypto supported: Ethereum
- Blockchains supported: Ethereum
- Interesting features: Invitation-only minter privileges
- Availability of statistics: Limited
Foundation is easy to navigate. On the home page, there are ongoing auctions that show the high-resolution art, the current bid prices, and when the auction ends. The art has varying styles. Some of it is animated, some still. Some are hyperrealistic, while others are cartoony.
It has a unique invitation-style system for artists. While artists can connect a wallet to the site with no problems, they can’t mint any artwork until they receive an invitation from an existing member. As a collector, you face no restrictions in placing bids, with or without an invitation.
At Foundation, you can find top NFT artists and high-quality artwork and collections that are hard to find elsewhere. The art speaks to more than just diversity in style. The artists themselves are from diverse backgrounds, living in countries throughout the world.
Top Solana Marketplaces
There are two main blockchains for collectibles. We’ve covered the first (Ethereum). Now, we turn our attention to the relatively new kid on the block: Solana. Collectibles on Solana were a rare occurrence until a few months ago, but quickly the NFT community took to Solana’s low gas fees and lightning-quick speeds.
Here are the four leading Solana marketplaces, starting with the OG: Solanart.
#6 – Solanart
- Latest Weekly Sales Volume: $34 million
- Fees: 3%
Solanart is the original Solana NFT marketplace and one of the top NFT marketplaces. It houses legacy Solana collections SolPunks and Degenerate Ape Academy, it has recently expanded into gaming Solana NFTs with the Genopets collection.
Check out its specs below:
- Wallets supported: Phantom, Clover, and Sollet (+3 more)
- Payment options/crypto supported: SOL
- Blockchains supported: Solana
- Interesting features: Ability to search by attributes in collections
- Availability of statistics: Good
Solanart went with a dark purple background and white font, which is easy to read. The home page has a featured collection/piece scrolling picture gallery on top, followed by a quick hits statistics display that shows pertinent Solanart statistics.
When you click on a collection, you see rows of NFTs and their list prices. Using a feature off to the left, you can select attributes within the collection and see their corresponding floor prices. Clicking an attribute brings up all the NFTs in that collection with that attribute.
For the statistics, you get four basic stats for each collection: item count, number of owners, floor price, and volume traded. The stats page gives you more:
- Average price (24 hours & percentage change)
- Market cap
- 7-day volume
- 24-hour volume change in %
- Floor price
You can also look at a collection’s price and sales histories. Buying an NFT is as simple as buying one on OpenSea, the top Ethereum marketplace.
#7 – Magic Eden
- Latest Monthly Sales Volume: $244 million
- Fees: 2%
Magic Eden, the up-and-comer, is a serious contender for the top Solana NFT marketplace throne. In the months since it launched, it has done $200 million in sales volume and comes with innovations, including a tool that makes minting easier for creators.
Here are its specs:
- Wallets supported: Phantom, Sollet, Solflare (+3 others)
- Payment options/crypto supported: SOL
- Blockchains supported: Solana
- Interesting features: Zero listing and low transaction fees
- Availability of statistics: Solid
In addition to having some of the lowest transaction fees of all marketplaces, Magic Eden features strong Solana collections on its platform, including Art Punks, Boneworld, and The Slow Patrol. And the ease of using its minting tool makes some of the more technical aspects of NFTs simpler for creators and artists.
The site design is easy to navigate, and the color scheme easy-to-ready: white font displayed over dark background. There is a scrolling gallery at the top with images of featured collections. Below, there are sections about upcoming collections, hot collections, and an individual NFT section.
On an individual NFT’s page, some statistics pop up about the NFT: price, attributes, price history, offers, transaction activity, and details about the collection. On a collection’s page, you can see the floor price, the all-time sales volume, the average 24-hour sale price, and the number of NFTs in the collection that are listed for sale.
To the left, you can filter by attributes. This can help you find the exact NFT in the collection you’re looking for. The only drawback to Magic Eden is that there is no dedicated statistics page.
#8 – Solsea
- Latest Monthly Sales Volume: unknown
- Fees: 3%
Solsea was one of the first Solana marketplaces to launch and features edgier collections than in most marketplaces. It has some benefits for creators and collectors that other marketplaces don’t have, including a way to embed copyright licenses when creating an NFT.
Its specs are listed below:
- Wallets supported: Phantom, Sollet, Solflare
- Payment options/crypto supported: SOL
- Blockchains supported: Solana
- Interesting features: Copyright embedding, “like” feature
- Availability of statistics: Good
Solsea hosts some strong collections, but you’re more likely to find off-the-wall collections that are interesting and engaging. Some examples are Hot Bunnies and Space Kitties.
Its main selling point is a tool that allows creators to embed a copyright agreement when creating an NFT. This tool allows you, as a collector, to be sure of the licensing privileges you have if you were to purchase the NFT. While many grant licensing privileges to the purchaser, not all of them do. This tool clears up any confusion.
The design of the website delivers information well. On the homepage, you can see upcoming and trending collections, the latest listings, and recent sales. One nice feature is — like OpenSea — there is a “like” function for the NFTs. You can see how many people liked a particular one, which may indicate the level of demand for that NFT within the collection.
There is a dedicated statistics page where you can see top collections (ranked by 24-hour sales volume), the number of sales in that collection, the average sale price, and the floor.
#9 – DigitalEyes
- 4-Day Sales Volume: $21 million (during Alpha launch)
- Fees: 2.5%
While DigitalEyes is a lightweight in the field of Solana marketplaces, it features many of the top Solana collections for purchase and has added a brand new social feature that could bring a great deal of value to you as a collector.
Below are its five specs:
- Wallets supported: Phantom, Sollet, Solflare (+3 more)
- Payment options/crypto supported: SOL
- Blockchains supported: Solana
- Interesting features: DigitalEyes “Solo,” a social feature to the NFT marketplace
- Availability of statistics: Limited
On DigitalEyes, you can find some top collections that are featured on more prominent marketplaces — Degenerate Ape Academy, Solana Monkey Business, and Pesky Penguins, just to name three. The design (light font on dark background) is pleasing to the eye, and the site is relatively easy to navigate.
The homepage shows featured collections, trending collections, and top “verifeyed” collections. At the bottom of the page, you can find a list of top and trending collections if you prefer reading text rather than looking at the NFTs themselves.
Statistics availability is limited on this site. There are none on the homepage and there is no dedicated statistics page either. On each collection’s page, you can see the collection’s floor price, the volume traded, and the highest sale. You can filter by attribute, which is a nice feature.
DigitalEyes’s innovation is its “solo” feature, which allows creators to put together a string of their works along with their prices. If you want to contact an artist, the artist often lists their social media handles on their “solo” page.
Top Alt Marketplace
And then there was one. Our last top NFT marketplace in this list was on a blockchain that did serious volume in October while most of the NFT world was slowing down. It is also a perfect place for beginners to get their feet wet.
Welcome to the strange world of WAX.
#10 – AtomicHub (WAX)
- Latest Monthly Sales Volume: Unknown
- Fees: 2% (1% for buyer and 1% for seller)
AtomicHub is the leading marketplace for the WAX (Worldwide Asset eXchange) blockchain. If you think WAX is just for cheap derivatives and strange art, think again: More and more big-time companies are launching their collections on this blockchain, which has been certified carbon-neutral.
In fact, WAX has risen to 2nd-position in blockchain NFT leadership. It does even more volume than Solana and Flow. AtomicHub, as the top WAX marketplace, sees much of that action. Check out its specs below:
- Wallets supported: WAX Cloud Wallet, Anchor, Scatter
- Payment options/crypto supported: WAX
- Blockchains supported: WAX
- Interesting features: Near gas-less transactions and “suggested” price for listing
- Availability of statistics: Solid
AtomicHub is designed a little differently than the marketplaces we’ve covered. On the homepage, you’ll see some promotions up top, then a list of the action on the marketplace that day. There are new listings down below, then a chart of the volume on AtomicHub dating back a month (you can toggle between USD and WAX).
On the site itself, some of the collectibles are a bit cruder than on other marketplaces. They are formatted like little digital trading cards and run from the low-priced to the very expensive. You have to sift through many NFTs on Atomic but can come across some gems.
The main pull of Atomic are gaming NFTs. From Farmers World to Gods Unchained, AtomicHub is the spot to collect NFTs needed in your favorite blockchain games — or sell them if you’ve accumulated the NFTs while playing.
While the statistics for some collections are not easy to find, you can find a host of statistics when selling an individual NFT. These include the lowest market listing, the suggested price, a breakdown of fees, and how much money you’ll gain after you sell.
You can also see sales history for that NFT, when it was sold (date and time), for how much it was sold, and the long-term sales trend — whether people are purchasing for more or less money. A big plus is that WAX is a gas-less blockchain. You’ll just need a small amount of RAM (not the kind on your computer) to sell if you do a lot of transactions, which is easy to purchase.
Find the Marketplace Right for You
Choosing the right marketplace for you depends on your motivations in the NFT space. If you’re a trader, statistics are invaluable. If you like collectibles, a filter search option is critical. And if you like art, finding a marketplace with the art you like or a variety of options is helpful.