We rank vendors based on rigorous testing and research, but also take into account your feedback and our commercial agreements with providers. This page contains affiliate links. Advertising Disclosure
US$
We rank vendors based on rigorous testing and research, but also take into account your feedback and our commercial agreements with providers. This page contains affiliate links. Advertising Disclosure
If crypto is your thing but your artistic skill taps out at drawing a passable stick figure, then I’ve got some good news. You don’t need to be an artist to mint your own NFTs (non-fungible tokens). Sure, artists and designers kick-started the trend – but that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on making some serious moolah.
To make an NFT, all you need to do is own a piece of media. And you can commission NFT media from freelance designers just like you would any other project.
But with dozens of freelance websites offering a quick and easy way to hire an NFT designer or artist, how do you know which platforms are reliable?
Wonder no more, my friend – I’ve tested the best freelance websites on the market. From budget-friendly professionals to world-class graphic designers, these websites have all the tools you need to kickstart your crypto career.
What We Look For in the Best Sites To Hire NFT Designers
Not every freelancer website is built the same. And when you’re looking to hire an NFT designer, you’ll want certain features and guarantees. With that in mind, here’s what I looked for when researching this article:
Easy filtering system: With thousands of freelancers to choose from, you’ll need a filter to help you find the right NFT artist for your project.
Designer portfolios: These websites all allow freelancers to upload examples of previous projects, so you can make sure their style suits your NFT idea.
Wide range of art styles: Whether you want 2D pixel art or a 3D animated GIF, these websites have a range of art styles to choose from.
Intellectual property (IP) rights: The trade of NFTs can cause legal issues. These websites either grant or allow you to purchase full intellectual property rights.
A Note on Intellectual Property Rights for NFTs
Because you’re purchasing an NFT design to mint and sell under your name, I can’t stress enough how important it is to make sure you have the legal ownership of and (if necessary) commercial rights for your artwork.
Typically, when you commission artwork under a work-for-hire agreement, you’ll automatically be granted ownership of that work once you’ve paid your invoice. You’ll be able to sell the original artwork as an NFT, but you can’t make copies or distribute it elsewhere. So, if you’re just selling the one NFT, chances are you’ll only need ownership rights.
However, if you want to sell multiple NFTs using the same artwork, you can potentially run into legal issues. You’ll need commercial usage rights to be able to make and sell copies of that artwork. Both ownership and commercial rights are usually (but not always) covered by intellectual property rights.
When you’re commissioning an NFT design, I recommend that you go through the platform’s terms and conditions over work ownership with a fine tooth comb. Make sure you also ask the NFT artist whether you’ll get full commercial usage rights following payment and, ideally, get this in writing.
I love how easy it is to filter through Fiverr’s NFT artists
Fiverr is one of the best websites for hiring freelancers because it’s popular with freelancers. With thousands of graphic designers using the platform and hundreds of NFT-specific gigs to choose from, there’s bound to be a freelancer for you.
Plus, many NFT professionals on the platform offer their services for as little as $5, so you can easily find a designer on Fiverr to suit your budget. The platform provides multiple search filters, and the interface is intuitive and easy to navigate, which is a huge timesaver.
The only thing I should note is that not every Fiverr seller offers commercial use of their work, and you can’t filter designers based on whether they offer this. If commercial usage rights are essential to you, be prepared to spend a little more time finding a designer for your project.
Features
Huge talent pool. You’ll find thousands of talented artists who can create unique designs based on your requirements for as little as $5.
Advanced filters. You can pick between 2D and 3D art, and there’s an extensive collection of styles. Remember, this is an emerging industry, so any extra choice is a bonus.
Clear about your legal rights. You get full ownership of your commissioned design after paying for the work. Every designer on Fiverr works under the same legal contract, so you don’t need to spend hours poring over endless legal jargon to ensure your designer offers what you need.
Payment security. Fiverr takes agreements between buyers and sellers seriously. If an order isn’t delivered as promised, requesting and receiving a refund is straightforward.
Upwork’s NFT artist search results make it easy to see an artist’s specializations and save them to your shortlist
Upwork is well-known for hosting many freelance artists and designers, from complete newcomers to highly rated professionals. It’s easy to search through Upwork’s directory of NFT professionals, and you can immediately see their key attributes in the search results.
Upwork makes it easy to draft contracts and comes with many work-related tools that can help you manage freelancers. It’s one of the best solutions if you’re looking to hire NFT artists for bigger, long-term projects.
The only problem with Upwork is that the UI is clunky and outdated. The design makes it look like you can click on the skills listed for each freelancer, but you can’t. While I don’t think this detracts too much from the service’s overall utility, this is still a big letdown if you want to filter your search by specific art styles.
Features
Multiple ways to hire. It’s free to list a job and have freelancers come to you, but you can also browse ready-to-go services through a gig-like marketplace.
Detailed profiles and portfolios. Upwork profiles include information about each NFT designer, including their rate, formal education, work experience, and other similar projects they’ve worked on. You can also view recent client feedback to see what they’re like to work with.
Intellectual property rights. Intellectual property rights are automatically transferred to you upon payment. You also get the right to distribute your design as standard – a must-have if you want to release multiple NFTs.
Secure payments. Payments aren’t released until buyers approve the submitted work. If you request a refund for a recently completed job, you’ll usually receive the funds within 5 business days.
TopTal’s designers are hand-vetted and highly skilled
TopTal’s freelancers undergo a rigorous vetting process consisting of multiple steps. Only 3% of the best-performing applicants make the cut, which is unique among freelance websites.
TopTal features hundreds of profiles, with its designers specializing in very niche markets, including NFT art. Most of them are senior designers who have worked with high-profile companies on high-stakes projects.
The NFT artists on TopTal have experience with the most popular digital editing software and can create beautiful art and assets that stand out. You might pay a little more, but you’ll get top-quality work with complete ownership and commercial rights upon purchase.
Features
Multistep screening process. Making it onto the platform as a freelancer can take up to five weeks. Candidates undergo several rounds of interviews and must pass a few tests and evaluations before creating their profile.
Risk-free Trial. With Toptal, you get a no-cost, two-week trial to evaluate each NFT artist and see if they’re a good fit. If you’re not satisfied, you can easily switch to another with the same trial terms.
Efficient matching. Although you don’t get to browse through thousands of profiles like on Fiverr or Upwork, TopTal’s matching system is top-notch. It reports a maximum hire time of 48 hours and an impressive 98% success rate.
No fees. TopTal’s designers and artists set their own rates and tend to charge more than freelancers on other platforms. That said, TopTal itself doesn’t charge any extra fees, so the final invoice is at least predictable.
NFT Design contests on DesignCrowd are quick and affordable
What if you have zero clue what kind of NFT art to create? Crowdsourcing platforms are probably the best choice if you have a rough idea of what you want but aren’t sure what your design should look like.
DesignCrowd is one of the most popular design contest platforms, mainly due to its affordable packages and gigantic talent pool. It currently hosts over 1.1 million profiles, and the number keeps growing.
It’s worth noting that DesignCrowd’s submissions can be hit or miss. There will usually be a couple of great designs that stand out, but there’s no guarantee you’ll find something you like. If you want to be sure you’ll get an excellent design on your first try, this platform’s cheap packages probably won’t cut it.
Features
Top-Designer add-on. DesignCrowd lets you pay a bit more to work with highly rated designers who consistently deliver great work.
Private projects. Working on a top-secret NFT design that you don’t want competitors to get their hands on? Maybe you just want to keep it a surprise for a special occasion. DesignCrowd offers private projects protected by an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) for an extra fee.
Quick and Affordable. Most contests on DesignCrowd only run for a few days, but you’ll get quite a few designs without emptying your wallet.
Money-back guarantee. While freelancer submissions can be unreliable, I appreciate how easy it is to get your money back if you genuinely don’t like anything you see.
99designs has over 3,000 freelancers willing to work on NFT designs
Kicking things off on 99designs is as straightforward as it gets. You pay upfront – payment is only released once you pick a winner and approve the design. If you like the idea of running a design contest and budget isn’t as big of an issue, 99designs might suit you better than DesignCrowd. On average, submissions tend to be higher quality here, but you should also expect to pay slightly more to launch a contest.
99designs is one of my favorite contest platforms because of its flexibility. Although you can run a contest and receive dozens of high-quality submissions within a few hours, you can also hire a designer directly if you like their work. This makes it extremely easy to commission repeated work for an NFT artist after discovering them through a contest.
Features
Design only. 99designs is all about designs – no distractions. With a few clicks, you can begin setting up your own NFT art contest or even check out the detailed freelancer profiles.
Active community. 99designs has a very active designer community. Although primarily a communication medium among designers, the forum can be a great alternative to customer support for general questions related to the platform.
Yours forever. NFT art you receive on 99designs includes full intellectual and distribution rights. It comes with the so-called Copyright Transfer Agreement (which you don’t need to pay extra for).
Inspiration tab. All completed designs not marked as private (which costs extra) are displayed under the Inspiration tab on the homepage. You can freely browse art that catches your eye and invite freelancers to work with a single click.
OnlineJobs’ advanced filters make it easy to find the right NFT artist
The platforms I’ve mentioned are great for getting one or several NFT designs for a one-off project. But if you’re willing to outsource and need a designer to join your team long-term, OnlineJobs.ph offers a quick and affordable way to do so.
Most designers on OnlineJobs.ph have set their rates much lower than the market average – without sacrificing quality. The platform itself doesn’t charge any fees for connecting you with talent. It’s a middleman service that requires a subscription, but you can easily cancel once you hire someone.
The problem with this approach is that OnlineJobs.ph doesn’t oversee the hiring and payment procedure in the way that, let’s say, Upwork does. This means you need to be extra vigilant regarding contracts and payments.
Features
Advanced filters. You can keep your budget tight by selecting how much you’ll pay your designer monthly and whether they’ll work full or part-time.
Background checks. Although OnlineJobs.ph doesn’t officially vet freelancers, you can request a quick background data report if you’re on a Premium subscription.
Recruitment services. This involves a flat fee of $500 per hired worker. You just fill out the request form, and the team does the rest for you. It’s pricey but pretty effective if you’re short on time and need to hire ASAP.
EasyPay and TimeProof. OnlineJobs has its own free time-tracking and payment management apps. They’re nothing spectacular, but they get the job done.
Now you know where to find your NFT artist, here’s a very quick guide on what you need to do next:
1. Head to the Fiverr website. You could pick any of the websites in this list, but let’s use Fiverr as an example. It’s home to literally thousands of NFT artists, and has options available for every budget.
2. Type “NFT art” into the search bar. Alternatively, go to “Browse Categories”, then navigate to “Graphics & Design.” Under this section, you’ll find Fiverr’s “NFT Art” landing page.
3. Use Fiverr’s filtering system. Given that there are so many NFT artists and designers, you’ll want to use Fiverr’s handy filters to narrow down your options. You can filter by art style (2D, 3D, comic, pixel art) delivery time, budget, or even where the freelancer lives if you want an artist local to you.
4. Choose your freelancer. When you find a gig you like the look of, click on it, and take a look at the freelancer’s portfolio, customer reviews, and the different services they offer. It’s always a good idea to message the seller before you hire them to discuss exactly what you want and check their availability.
5. Continue to checkout. Add your NFT art commission to your basket, including any extras you want (like faster delivery), and check out. Simple as that.
Selling NFT art isn’t as complicated as many people think. Sure, it can sound like an exclusive club, but once you’ve got the hang of it, it’s pretty simple. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how to start selling NFT art.
1. Decide What You Want to Sell as an NFT
I know it might sound obvious, but as with selling anything on the internet, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to do.
While it can be tempting to decide on a huge series of NFT art to increase their value as collectibles, I’d recommend coming up with one design you’re happy with to get started.
2. Create or Commission NFT Artwork
If you’re an artist, go ahead and bring that design to life!
But for those of us who weren’t graced with the blessed by the art gods, don’t worry – you can still create NFTs. There are a ton of freelance artists and designers who can create a stunning NFT for you.
I’ve listed the 5 best sites for hiring NFT artists above, but as a TL;DR, I recommend checking out Fiverrand Upworkas your main ports of call. These sites have artists who specialize in NFTs, and both have written contracts that ensure ownership of the commissioned artwork is handed over to you on payment.
While not every seller on Fiverr offers the ability to purchase commercial rights, you’ll get this as standard with Upwork. Having commercial rights means you can sell multiple NFTs of the same artwork, and even sell your design on T-shirts, posters, or other merchandise.
As always, I 100% recommend talking to the person you want to commission first to make sure you have those rights in place.
3. Choose an NFT Marketplace
With NFTs being big business these days, there are dozens of marketplaces to choose from. It’s a whole other topic to go through which marketplaces you should choose and why. But you must choose a marketplace before you move forward.
OpenSea, Rarible, Foundation, and Nifty Gateway are all popular NFT marketplaces, but there are a lot out there. It’s worth doing your research because some marketplaces try to curate certain types of NFT art.
You should also be aware that most marketplaces will only allow you to connect certain cryptocurrency wallets. If you don’t have a wallet open yet, you’ve got a bit more freedom of choice.
4. Open and Connect a Cryptocurrency Wallet
You’ll know by now which wallet you’ll need for your chosen marketplace, so go ahead and sort that now. Again, there’s a huge selection of wallets on the market and all have varying fees, account minimums, and levels of security. Not all wallets support Ethereum (ETH), either.
Again, this is a whole other topic, but you’ll want to make sure you do your research to make sure you’re getting a good deal.
5. Purchase Ethereum
To mint an NFT, you’ll need ETH. That’s because, surprise surprise, you’ll have to pay fees to your chosen marketplace to mint and trade NFTs. Those fees include:
Transaction fees, which are paid whenever you trade an NFT.
Certificate of Authenticity fees, for the cost of generating a certificate for every new NFT.
Gas fees, which cover the fuel cost it takes to process NFTs in the blockchain. This may or may not cover all of your fees – it depends on the marketplace.
Listing fees, which cover the cost of listing your NFT on the marketplace.
When you purchase ETH, you will need to pay transaction fees. It’s important to note that these fees, including gas fees, which are influenced by electricity prices, are subject to constant fluctuations.
It’s worth bearing this in mind when pricing your NFT because you can quite easily lose money on the sale if it’s priced too low.
6. Upload and Mint your NFT
Go to your chosen marketplace and start the process of minting your NFT. The marketplace should have a guide to help you with this. Usually, you’ll need to upload your NFT as a GIF, JPG, or PNG for art and animations, or MP3/MP4 for sound files, but some marketplaces offer a wider range of file formats.
As I mentioned earlier, you’ll have to pay a fee to mint your NFT, which will vary between marketplaces and is based on the current price of electricity.
7. Promote and Sell your NFT
Each marketplace will typically offer different selling options, but, usually, you can decide to either sell your NFT for a fixed price or open up bids. Again, make sure you don’t price your NFT too low.
You should also promote your NFT on social media to get potential buyers interested in the sale, particularly if you’re running a bid.
8. Yay, It Sold! Now What?
Once your NFT sells, you’ll receive the payment in your wallet – minus any fees – and your NFT will automatically transfer to the buyer’s crypto wallet. Congratulations, you’ve just sold your first NFT!
I Found the Best Websites To Hire NFT Artists
There’s a lot to bear in mind when you’re commissioning an NFT design, which is why I recommend hiring on Fiverr or Upwork.
Both of these platforms are great for NFT-specific designers who can work on both NFT commissions and repeat work. Not only that, but the legal terms are easy to understand. Upwork automatically grants you commercial use of your NFT, and it’s an add-on purchase you can make on most Fiverr gigs, which helps prevent any potential legal issues.
If you want to make sure you’re working with the best of the best, you really can’t go wrong with TopTal’s vigorously vetted designers.
You can! With websites like Fiverr and Upwork, you can hire an independent artist to design an NFT for you. Once you’ve got an idea of what you want to sell as an NFT, you can easily search these websites for NFT artists in your chosen style.
What types of NFTs can I make and sell?
You can make an NFT out of any type of media as long as you have the intellectual property rights for that media. Digital art is the most prevalent form of NFT, but you can also sell photography, music, films, GIFs, 3D models, and more. Some NFT sellers even combine art and real-world merchandise in their sales.
Can I sell a commissioned NFT?
Yes, but you need to check what degree of ownership you have over your commissioned artwork. Websites like Upwork and DesignCrowd automatically give you full intellectual property rights while Fiverr only guarantees ownership rights, unless you pay sellers for commercial rights.
Where can I find an NFT artist/designer?
Fiverr and Upwork are both great places to find NFT artists and designers, as they’ve got a ton of features to make your NFT commission a success. If you want to work only with vetted professionals, I suggest you check out TopTal. For more options, check out our list of the best freelance websites in 2024.
A freelance writer and editor with experience in digital marketing, Alex has published over 40 product reviews and comparisons on Website Planet. He has tested email marketing services, freelance websites, social media management tools, and more. Before joining our team, he worked at an Australian agency where he experimented with all things digital marketing. In addition to his work, Alex enjoys cooking and writing about games.
It is an amazing post and you explained it in a detailed way. Nice to see this here. I will bookmark your blog for more details. Keep sharing new things like this.
Reply
sanchezz111
I am a professional NFT designer (c 2021) - contact me directly on Telegram - @Sanchezz111
I will tell you more about my projects in a personal correspondence.
Website Planet Team
Hi, thanks for the feedback! We're glad you like our content and that you find it helpful!
Thank you, - your comment was submitted successfully!
We check all user comments within 48 hours to make sure they are from real people like you. We're glad you found this article useful - we would appreciate it if you let more people know about it.
Share this blog post with friends and co-workers right now:
Thank you, , your comment was submitted successfully!
We check all comments within 48 hours to make sure they're from real users like you. In the meantime, you can share your comment with others to let more people know what you think.
Thank you for signing up!
Once a month you will receive interesting, insightful tips, tricks, and advice to improve your website performance and reach your digital marketing goals!
