Where to Sell Art Online: Originals, Prints and Print on Demand

The best place to sell art online depends on what you're selling: originals usually sell best on a curated art marketplace such as Saatchi Art or on your own site, prints on Etsy or Fine Art America, and art printed on products through print on demand marketplaces. No single site is best for every artist, because each one handles traffic, shipping and fees differently, and those trade-offs change with the type of work.

So start with a simpler question: what exactly are you selling? This guide sorts the main options by type of work, compares the fees each platform publishes as of 2026, and covers what most artists don't think about until later, such as copyright and how slowly first sales usually come.

Are you selling originals, prints or print on demand?

Originals are one-of-a-kind pieces you ship yourself or through a gallery; prints are copies you produce and sell; print on demand means a partner prints your art on paper or products only after someone orders. Each model has a different cost, workload and margin.

Many artists combine them: originals for the few buyers who want the real piece, and prints or products for everyone else. If you're leaning toward the no-stock route, our print on demand guide for beginners explains how that model works from first design to first order.

What's the best place to sell art online by type of work?

Match the platform to the format: galleries for originals, flexible shops for prints, and print on demand sites for products. Here's a comparison based on each platform's own pages as of 2026.

For the upload-only marketplaces in the fourth row, is Redbubble legit covers payouts and account fees in detail.

Where should you sell original art?

Sell originals where buyers expect to pay gallery prices and where shipping a fragile piece is handled well, which usually means a curated marketplace or your own site.

Saatchi Art

Saatchi Art is an online gallery built around originals. To join, you submit a brief application with details about your background and a sample portfolio of 3 artworks; once approved, you verify your email and identity before uploading. Its seller page says you must be at least 18.

The trade-off is the commission. Saatchi Art's help center says it receives 40% of the artwork price on originals, and that promotional discounts are deducted before the 60/40 split. In return, shipping is paid by the collector and handled by Saatchi Art's team; you are responsible only for packaging the work and buying the packaging materials. It's also non-exclusive, so you can sell elsewhere.

Etsy

Etsy works for smaller originals such as sketches, small paintings and mixed media, especially in gift-friendly sizes. You keep more of each sale but do all the shipping and customer service yourself. Our Etsy print on demand guide covers how to add print partners to an Etsy shop if you later want prints too.

Your own website

A personal site gives you full control and no commission, but no buyers come with it. It works best once you already have an audience, for example followers, past collectors or an email list, who need a place to buy.

How do art platform fees compare on a real sale?

Etsy takes far less per sale than Saatchi Art, but the difference pays for traffic and shipping logistics you'd otherwise handle yourself. As of 2026, Etsy's published fees include:

• Listing fee: $0.20 per item listed.
• Transaction fee: 6.5% of the item price plus what you charge for shipping and gift wrapping.
• Payment processing: for US bank accounts, 3% plus $0.25 per order; in the UK, 4% plus £0.20. Rates vary by country.
• Offsite Ads: a fee on orders Etsy attributes to its ads on other sites, 15% as standard and 12% for some larger shops.
• Setup fee: Etsy says some new sellers may be charged a one-time fee to open a shop.

Example (hypothetical): you sell a $400 original painting.

• On Saatchi Art, you'd receive 60%, or $240, and pay for packaging. The buyer pays shipping and Saatchi Art arranges it.
• On Etsy, say you charge $40 for shipping. The transaction fee is 6.5% of $440, or $28.60; processing is 3% of $440 plus $0.25, or $13.45; plus the $0.20 listing fee. You'd keep about $398 before your real shipping cost, packaging and any Offsite Ads fee, but you also had to find that buyer yourself.

These figures are for illustration; check Etsy's fee pages for your country and remember that sales tax handling differs by location. For a fuller breakdown of Etsy's costs, see how much it costs to sell on Etsy.

Where should you sell prints of your art?

Sell prints through print on demand if you want no stock, or produce them yourself if you want higher margins and control over paper and packaging.

• Self-produced prints: you order a batch from a print shop or print at home, then sell on Etsy or your own site. Margins are better, but you hold stock and ship every order.
• Fine Art America: it sets a base price for each product and you add a markup, which is what you earn on the sale. Its fulfillment partners print and ship.
• Saatchi Art open edition prints: if your originals are listed there, buyers can also order prints, and you get 60% of the profit after production costs.
• Print on demand partners: Printful, Printify or Gelato can print posters, canvas and framed pieces for your own shop.

The print on demand route has its own decisions about frame ratios, file resolution and shipping damage. Our print on demand wall art guide covers which sites fit and how to set it up, so we won't repeat it here.

Do you keep the copyright when you sell your art?

In the US, yes by default: owning a physical artwork is legally separate from owning its copyright. Federal law (17 U.S.C. § 202) says that transferring the physical object doesn't by itself transfer the copyright.

What that means in practice:

• You can usually keep selling prints of a painting after the original is sold, unless a contract says otherwise.
• Read every agreement. Commissions, licensing deals and some gallery contracts can transfer or limit your rights.
• Limited editions are a promise. If you sell a print as limited to a set number, don't quietly print more.
• Rules differ by country. UK, Canadian and Australian law have their own details; check your local copyright office if you sell internationally.

This is general information, not legal advice. For anything high-value, such as a large commission or a licensing deal, talk to a lawyer.

How do you get your first art sales online?

Expect it to take time: most new art shops sell little at first, and early sales usually come from steady listing, good photos and the audience you bring. Results depend on your work, your pricing and how consistently you show up.

1. Choose one main platform that fits what you sell, based on the tables above.
2. Photograph the work well, in daylight and in a room setting, with close-ups of texture and edges.
3. Write searchable titles, describing subject, style, size and medium the way buyers search.
4. Price clearly by size and include your real packaging and shipping costs.
5. Share your process on social media to build a following that can later buy originals.
6. Review after a few months, then add a second channel, such as prints or print on demand products, once you know what sells.

Next steps

Decide what you're selling first, then pick one platform that fits it and give it a few months of steady effort.

• If you want to sell art on products without holding stock, follow our step-by-step guide to making money with print on demand.
• For posters, canvas and framed prints made on demand, read the print on demand wall art guide.
• Compare selling art with other realistic paths in our guide to making money online.