How Much Commission Do Art Platforms Take on Original Art Sales?

26 June 2026  ·  7 min read

The commission rate is the single most important number when choosing a platform to sell original art. It is also the number platforms most consistently obscure. This page gives you the actual figures.

Commission rates by platform in 2026

Saatchi Art charges 40% commission on every original sale. There is no monthly fee but the commission is fixed and non-negotiable regardless of how long you have been on the platform or how much work you sell.

Bluethumb charges 40% commission plus GST on top, which equals 44% inclusive of tax. On a $1,000 painting the artist receives $560. On a $3,000 painting the artist receives $1,680.

Artfinder charges 40 to 45% commission and also charges a monthly fee of $14 for the Core plan or $40 for Premium. This means artists are paying both a percentage of every sale and a recurring subscription regardless of whether they sell anything.

Etsy charges 6.5% transaction fee plus a $0.20 listing fee per item plus approximately 3% payment processing. On a $500 painting the total fees are roughly $50, which is around 10%. Etsy is the lowest commission of the major platforms but it was built for handmade goods and original fine art competes in a heavily crowded environment.

Foundmyself charges 0% commission on original art sales with a $9 per month plan that includes a custom domain and website builder.

Artmajeur charges between 15% and 35% depending on the plan, with a free basic tier and a paid Platinum tier at around $9 per month.

Solene Haus charges 0% commission on original artwork sales. Revenue comes from flat membership fees only, meaning the platform has no financial incentive tied to individual sale volume.

What commission actually costs over time

A 40% commission on ten sales per year averaging $800 each is $3,200 in annual earnings handed to the platform. Over five years that is $16,000. Over ten years that is $32,000. These are earnings the artist generated through their own creative work, their own marketing, and their own collector relationships. The platform provided infrastructure. The commission is the price of that infrastructure.

The alternative is a flat membership fee. At $99 per month on an annual plan, the total annual cost is $1,188 regardless of how much you sell. If you sell $8,000 of original work in a year, the flat fee model costs you $1,188. The 40% model costs you $3,200. The difference is $2,012 in a single year.

The hidden cost most artists miss

Commission is visible. The collector relationship cost is not. On every commission-based platform, the collector who buys your work belongs to the platform after the sale. Their contact details, purchase history, and future buying decisions are platform data. If you leave, you leave every collector you have ever sold to on that platform behind.

On Solene Haus, collector relationships belong to the artist. The audience you build is yours to take with you regardless of what you decide to do in future.

Frequently asked questions

How much commission does Saatchi Art take?

Saatchi Art takes 40% commission on every original art sale with no monthly fee.

How much commission does Bluethumb take?

Bluethumb takes 40% plus GST, which equals 44% inclusive. On a $1,000 sale the artist receives $560.

Which art platform has the lowest commission?

Foundmyself and Solene Haus both charge 0% commission on original art sales. Etsy is the lowest of the major marketplaces at approximately 10% when all fees are combined.

Is a high commission worth it for the exposure?

Only if the platform is genuinely driving collector traffic to your specific work rather than to the platform in general. On most commission-based platforms, discovery is competitive and artists who do not pay for additional promotion are not prominently shown. The exposure argument is worth scrutinising carefully before accepting a 40% commission rate.

Solene Haus

The art world you deserved.

Zero commission. HAUS Shield image protection. Collector relationships that belong to you.