How Much Does Bluethumb Take From Artists - and How Did It Get This Bad?

24 June 2026  ·  9 min read

Bluethumb is the largest dedicated online art marketplace in Australia. It has genuine Australian collector traffic, a recognisable brand, and a straightforward listing process. For many Australian artists it is the first platform they consider. But before you list your work there, you need to understand what it actually costs - and how that cost got to where it is today.

What commission does Bluethumb charge in 2026?

Bluethumb currently charges a 40% service fee plus GST, which equals 44% inclusive of GST on every sale. The artist receives 56% of the final sale price. On a $2,000 painting, Bluethumb retains $880. You receive $1,120. On $30,000 in annual sales, Bluethumb retains $13,200. You keep $16,800.

On top of the base commission, Bluethumb runs promotional discount campaigns of up to 20% off artworks. When a discount is applied it is deducted from the sale price first, and the 56/44 split is calculated on the reduced amount - meaning you absorb the discount proportionally. A 20% discount on a $2,000 work drops your actual take to around $896. The platform's income falls too, but you carry the larger share of the loss.

Source: Bluethumb FAQs - Are there any fees associated with joining? (updated May 2026)

How much has Bluethumb's commission increased since they launched?

This is the part every Australian artist needs to understand before committing to the platform. Bluethumb was founded in 2012 by brothers Edward and George Hartley. Their founding argument was explicit and built into every pitch they made: galleries charge 40% to 60% and that is too much. They were the fair alternative. Lower commission. Artist-first. Here to change the industry.

Here is what actually happened to their commission rate:

• 2012 (launch): approximately 20% - well below gallery rates, the founding value proposition
• Mid-growth years: increased to 25%, then settled at 30% + GST (33% inclusive)
• May 2025: increased again to 35% + GST (38.5% inclusive)
• 2026 (current): 40% + GST (44% inclusive of GST)

In roughly 13 years, Bluethumb's commission has more than doubled. The platform that launched saying galleries take too much now charges artists at the same rate as the galleries they claimed to be replacing. One Trustpilot reviewer noted that with discount vouchers and Afterpay fees factored in, the effective take on some transactions hit 44% or higher - adding: "they'll probably make more than my husband."

Source: Bluethumb - Commission Changes 2025 | Artist reviews - Trustpilot

What did investor money do to Bluethumb?

For the first four years Bluethumb was bootstrapped - funded by the founders themselves, keeping the business lean and the commission genuinely low. In late 2015 they took their first outside investment, and the trajectory changed.

Bluethumb's investors include Grand Prix Capital and Equity Venture Partners - professional investment firms whose interest in Bluethumb is financial return, not the welfare of Australian artists. Total documented funding raised is $1.16 million in a Series A round. When institutional investors back a startup, they expect growth in revenue. The most direct lever for growing platform revenue is the commission rate - the percentage taken from every artist on every sale.

Source: Bluethumb funding and investors - CB Insights | Bluethumb company profile - Dealroom

Each commission increase since 2015 has been announced with the same language: rising costs, reinvesting in marketing, building technology to help artists succeed. The reality is simpler. Investors do not put money into platforms to help artists. They put money in to get money back - more than they put in, and on a timeline that suits them. The artists are the product. Their work is the inventory. Their sales are the revenue line that generates investor returns. When returns need to grow, the commission rate goes up and artists pay for it.

This is not unique to Bluethumb. It is how investor-backed art platforms work everywhere. The founding mission gets diluted the moment outside capital arrives, because outside capital has its own mission - and it is not yours.

What does Bluethumb provide for that 44%?

Bluethumb provides a listing environment with genuine Australian collector traffic, payment processing, buyer trust infrastructure, and some platform-level marketing. They do not provide shipping - that is your responsibility - and they do not actively promote individual artists beyond general platform marketing.

The value of 44% depends entirely on whether Bluethumb's traffic is genuinely finding and buying your work, or whether you are doing the marketing yourself and simply paying 44% for a transaction processor. Artists who drive their own traffic to their Bluethumb profile are paying a very high rate for very little. Every dollar of marketing effort that points to your Bluethumb profile builds Bluethumb's traffic and platform authority - not yours. When you leave, or when the commission increases again, you leave with nothing you built there.

Is Bluethumb worth it for Australian artists?

For artists genuinely being discovered by new collectors through Bluethumb's organic traffic, the platform provides real access. Whether 44% is a fair price for that access is a question only you can answer - but compare it to where they started. They launched saying 20% was the fair alternative to gallery rates. They are now at 44%. There is no reason to believe the rate has stopped moving.

The alternative is a platform where the business model does not depend on taking an increasing percentage of your earnings every time investor expectations require more revenue. Solene Haus charges zero commission on sales - a flat membership fee only - with no investors to satisfy by raising the rate you pay.

Frequently asked questions

What is Bluethumb's current commission rate?

40% service fee plus GST, equalling 44% inclusive of GST. The artist receives 56% of the final sale price. Source: Bluethumb FAQs.

Has Bluethumb always charged this much?

No. Bluethumb launched in 2012 at approximately 20% and explicitly marketed itself as the affordable alternative to galleries. After taking outside investment in 2015, the rate has increased steadily - reaching 33% inclusive, then 38.5% in May 2025, and 44% inclusive of GST in 2026. The commission has more than doubled since launch.

Who are Bluethumb's investors?

Bluethumb's documented investors include Grand Prix Capital and Equity Venture Partners, with a total of $1.16 million raised in a Series A round. Source: CB Insights.

How does Bluethumb compare to Solene Haus?

Bluethumb retains 44% inclusive of GST on every sale. Solene Haus charges zero commission with a membership fee only. On $30,000 in annual sales, Bluethumb retains $13,200. Solene Haus retains nothing from your sales. Solene Haus also includes HAUS Shield image protection and built-in resale royalties, which Bluethumb does not offer.

Solene Haus

The art world you deserved.

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