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How to sell art online

Short answer

Sell original art on your own site once you have a body of work and people who follow it, since you set the price and keep the collector's details. Use a curated gallery like Saatchi Art to reach collectors who don't know you yet, and Etsy or eBay for prints and smaller pieces.

Two ways to sell, and which is yours

Resell a piece you own

Inherited or collected art sells to buyers who search by the artist's name, so eBay works for signed prints and known names. Get an appraisal before listing anything that might be valuable. A store adds nothing for a single piece.

Best for

Inherited paintings, collected prints and one-off resales

Sell your own work

Artists with steady output do best with a site that shows the portfolio, the prices and the person behind the work. Replo's checkout sells each original or print as a one-time item, so you don't need a separate store platform.

Best for

Working artists selling originals and limited-edition prints

Where to sell art and what each platform charges

Fees for selling art
Your own site (Replo checkout)Your Replo plan2.9% + $0.30 card processingReplo checkout runs on Stripe, and Replo's docs list no extra per-sale fee.
Saatchi ArtNothing until you sell40% commission on originalsPromo discounts come off the price before the 60/40 split, which shrinks your share.
Etsy$0.20 a listing6.5% + 3% + $0.25 processingOffsite Ads take 15% of sales they bring in, or 12% once you pass $10,000 a year.
eBay250 free listings a month, then $0.3513.6% + $0.30, or $0.40 over $10Payment processing is built into eBay's final value fee, so nothing else is added.

Curated galleries take the largest share, and in return they put your work in front of collectors. Your own site keeps the most of each sale, so send followers and past buyers there.

What you keep on a $300 original painting

Each platform's fees on one $300 sale, before shipping, taxes, monthly plans and any ads you choose to buy.

  1. Your own site (Replo checkout)$291.00 kept, $9.00 in fees
  2. Etsy$271.05 kept, $28.95 in fees
  3. eBay$258.80 kept, $41.20 in fees
  4. Saatchi Art$180.00 kept, $120.00 in fees

Launch checklist

  • Sign each original and issue a certificate of authenticity listing title, medium, dimensions and year.
  • Number limited-edition prints on the print itself, and keep a log so an edition never grows.
  • Shoot every piece square-on in even light, with a detail close-up and one photo on a wall for scale.
  • Ship works on paper flat between rigid boards in a sealed sleeve, never folded or loose in a tube.
  • Double-box framed pieces with corner protectors and glass taped or swapped for acrylic, and insure the parcel.
  • Tell buyers they get the object, not the copyright, so you can keep selling prints of the image.

Build your art portfolio store

Replo builds a portfolio site on your own domain where collectors buy an original or a print at a one-time price.

The prompt Replo starts from

Build a portfolio site for my art, [artist name]. Make a homepage with my newest work, a gallery of available originals with size, medium and price, a prints page, an about page with my artist statement and past shows, and a commission request form that asks for size, budget and deadline.
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Frequently asked questions

What kind of art sells best online?
No single style wins. Work that sells online has clear photos, a stated size and a price a buyer can act on without a conversation. Prints and small originals ask less of someone who can't see the piece in person; large originals usually sell to people who already follow you.
How can I tell if a painting is worth money?
Start with the signature. Search the artist's name with past auction results to see what similar works sold for. Gallery labels, stamps and provenance on the back add value. For anything that looks valuable, pay a certified appraiser before you list it.
Do I keep the copyright when I sell a painting?
Yes. Under US copyright law, transferring the physical artwork doesn't transfer the copyright unless you sign an agreement that says so. You can keep selling prints of the image after the original has gone to its new owner.
Do I need to register my art's copyright?
No. Your work is protected the moment you create it in a fixed form. Registration is voluntary, but you must register before you can sue over infringement of a US work, so it's worth doing for images you sell widely as prints.

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