Mostra vs Saatchi Art vs Etsy: Where Should Artists Sell Online In 2026?

Mostra vs Saatchi Art vs Etsy: Where Should Artists Sell Online In 2026?

Three of the most searched places to sell art online, compared honestly on the thing that matters most: how much of each sale you keep. Plus who each platform is really for, and what they do and do not do for an artist.

All fees below are taken from each platform's own published terms at the time of writing. Check current terms before committing anywhere, including with us.

The short version

Saatchi Art takes 40 percent commission on original sales. Etsy charges listing, transaction and payment processing fees that typically add up to around 9 to 10 percent before advertising. Mostra takes zero commission on every sale and charges one flat membership.

On a £1,000 sale: Saatchi Art pays you roughly £600. Etsy pays you roughly £900 before any ad spend. Mostra pays you £1,000.

Saatchi Art

Saatchi Art is a large, established online gallery with a global audience and curated features. Listing is free. When an original sells, Saatchi Art takes a 40 percent commission on the sale price, a rate raised from 35 percent in 2026. Buyer discount promotions are deducted before the split, so a discounted sale reduces the artist's share further. Saatchi handles shipping labels and pays after the return window closes.

Good for: artists who want a large marketplace audience without any upfront cost and are comfortable giving up 40 percent of every sale for it.

Less good for: artists with their own audience, since you pay the same 40 percent on collectors you brought yourself.

Etsy

Etsy is a general craft and goods marketplace, not an art platform, but many artists sell prints and small originals there. Fees include a per listing charge, a transaction percentage on each sale and payment processing fees, typically totalling around 9 to 10 percent, with optional advertising fees on top. You handle shipping and customer service entirely yourself.

Good for: prints, editions and lower priced work sold at volume, where a small percentage on many sales works.

Less good for: original artwork at gallery prices, where Etsy's audience expects craft pricing and the platform gives an artist no gallery context or curation.

Mostra

Mostra is a zero commission art marketplace built by The Holy Art, the international gallery that has exhibited over 25,000 artists across nine cities. Artists open their own studio with a custom URL, list unlimited work, and are paid directly through Stripe Connect. Mostra never holds funds and never takes a cut; the only cost is one flat membership.

Mostra also connects to a real exhibition network: the same audience of 245,000+ followers and 180,000+ mailing list subscribers that attends Holy Art and Streeters Gallery shows, plus room view mockups showing collectors how a work looks in a home.

Good for: artists selling original work who want to keep 100 percent, own their collector relationships, and connect online sales to physical exhibitions.

Less good for: artists who want a completely free listing with no membership, or who sell craft goods rather than art.

The comparison

Commission on sales: Saatchi Art 40 percent, Etsy around 9 to 10 percent in combined fees, Mostra zero. Upfront cost: Saatchi Art free, Etsy per listing fee, Mostra flat membership. Audience context: Saatchi Art curated art marketplace, Etsy general goods, Mostra art marketplace tied to a gallery network. Who owns the collector relationship: Saatchi Art the platform, Etsy the platform, Mostra the artist. Payment: Saatchi Art after return window, Etsy via Etsy Payments, Mostra direct via Stripe. Connection to physical exhibitions: Saatchi Art none, Etsy none, Mostra direct through The Holy Art and Streeters.

Which one should you use?

Selling prints at volume at low prices: Etsy's model can work, with your own marketing.

Wanting maximum marketplace traffic and willing to pay 40 percent for it: Saatchi Art.

Selling original work, keeping 100 percent, owning your collectors and pairing online sales with real exhibitions: Mostra.

Many artists use more than one. The question is where you send the collectors you actually meet, at an opening night, on social media, through your own network. Sending them somewhere that takes 40 percent of a sale you generated yourself is the most expensive decision an emerging artist makes without noticing.

Frequently asked questions

What commission does Saatchi Art take? 40 percent on original artwork sales, according to Saatchi Art's published terms, up from 35 percent in 2026.

What are Etsy's fees for selling art? A per listing fee plus transaction and payment processing fees, typically around 9 to 10 percent combined, with optional advertising on top.

Does Mostra take commission? No. Zero commission; artists keep 100 percent of every sale and pay one flat membership.

Which is the best platform to sell original art online? For original work where keeping your full sale and your collector relationship matters, Mostra. For volume prints, Etsy. For pure marketplace reach at 40 percent, Saatchi Art.

Can I use Mostra alongside exhibiting? Yes. Mostra is built to catch the sales that follow Streeters Gallery and The Holy Art exhibitions.

Keep the whole sale

Mostra: open your studio, list unlimited work, keep 100 percent.

Streeters Gallery and The Holy Art: exhibit with zero commission, then sell online with zero commission.

The gallery world is built on taking a cut. This part of it is not.