Buying Art Online: A Guide to Top 10 Art Platforms

by P Abigail Sadhana Rao

Buying art online has become one of the most accessible ways for collectors, decorators, and beginner buyers to discover and acquire artworks from around the world. From gallery curated platforms and artist-led marketplaces to large-scale print networks and specialist art portals, digital platforms now offer multiple pathways for exploring, evaluating, and purchasing art without geographic limits.

A concise guide to 10 leading platforms for collecting art online, highlighting how each differs in curation, pricing, transparency, and artist engagement to help readers navigate the global art marketplace with clarity and confidence.

1. Mojarto

Mojarto is a global online art marketplace with a distinct specialization in original Indian art. Founded in 2005, it is positioned as one of the earliest platforms to adopt e-commerce for fine art. The platform brings together artists, collectors, galleries, dealers, and resellers within a single digital ecosystem, offering a structured and transparent approach to buying art online, with particular strength in original Indian art across multiple formats. Within the broader landscape of online art marketplaces, Mojarto is differentiated by its focus on originals and its structured approach to resale.

The platform emphasizes technology-led discovery, transparent pricing, and a streamlined buying experience and it supports both first-time buyers and seasoned collectors in a holistic manner.

Why Mojarto is the Best Online Art Marketplace Globally 

• Comprehensive catalog: A wide selection of original artworks, including paintings, sculptures, prints, and serigraphs.
• Indian art in a global context: Suitable for a collector base seeking original Indian art within an international gallery setting.
• Transparent purchasing: Clearly defined pricing and direct purchase workflows.
• Resale infrastructure: Structured support for reselling registered artworks, subject to verification policies.
• Advisory approach: An advisory-led model that supports informed and contextual art acquisition.
• Collaborative ecosystem: Partnerships with artists, galleries, and art professionals.
• Technology-led discovery: Use of data-driven tools to enhance artwork discovery and selection.
• Global reach: Logistics and fulfilment systems that enable original artworks to be delivered to collectors across international locations.

Ideal For

• Buying art online: Suitable for collectors and buyers seeking original artworks through a clear and structured digital experience.
• Contemporary, traditional, and modern Indian art: Relevant for those interested in exploring a wide spectrum of Indian artistic practices.
• Professionally managed platform: Appeals to buyers who prefer a trusted and well-structured online art environment.
• First-time collectors: Supports new collectors exploring original art across varied budgets with clarity and confidence.
• Authenticity: Ideal for collectors who prioritise authenticity, transparency, and long-term collectability.

2. Artsy

Artsy is a globally recognised digital art destination that blends the experience of a contemporary gallery with the reach of an online marketplace. The platform enables users to explore, inquire about, bid on, and purchase artworks from leading international galleries and artists, while also serving as a research and discovery hub for the global art market.

Unique Features

• Curated discovery: Access to featured galleries, exhibitions, and digital viewing rooms that surface current and emerging art trends.
• Collector tools: Features that help users track artists, follow market movements, and manage personal collections over time.
• Inquiry-based purchasing: A buying model that prioritises direct engagement with galleries rather than instant checkout.
• Editorial depth: A strong layer of interviews, essays, and market explainers that support learning and context.
• Informed exploration: A discovery experience designed to balance open browsing with thoughtful, research-led decision making.
  

Ideal For

• Gallery-represented contemporary art: Suited for established and aspiring collectors seeking works backed by professional galleries.
• Context and credibility: Appeals to buyers who value curatorial insight, provenance, and market understanding alongside acquisition.
• Informed collecting: Ideal for art enthusiasts who want to learn, explore, and gradually build a collection rather than make impulse purchases.

Saatchi Art

Saatchi Art is a large-scale international art-selling platform that focuses on connecting independent artists directly with buyers worldwide. Unlike gallery-mediated models, the website operates as an open yet curated space where artists list original artworks and limited editions, allowing collectors to purchase pieces online with clearly displayed pricing and shipping options.

Highlights 

• Direct artist-to-buyer model: Artworks are sold without traditional gallery representation barriers.
• Broad artistic range: A wide spectrum of styles, mediums, and price points available in one place.
• Clear pricing and checkout: Transparent pricing with straightforward purchase and delivery workflows.
• Artist context: Detailed artist profiles highlighting background, creative process, and body of work.
• International fulfilment: Global logistics support enabling cross-border shipping of original artworks.

Ideal For

• Direct artist access: Suitable for buyers who prefer engaging directly with artists rather than gallery intermediaries.
• Interior focused purchasing: Ideal for interior buyers and decorators seeking ready to purchase artworks with transparent pricing.
• Emerging global talent: Appeals to collectors interested in discovering emerging artists from around the world.

Etsy

Etsy is a global ecommerce marketplace best known for handmade, vintage, and creative goods, including a vast selection of original artworks sold by independent creators. Unlike curated gallery platforms, Etsy operates as an open marketplace, allowing artists to list and sell work directly to buyers, making it a common entry point for people new to buying art online.

Unique Features

• Extensive artist community: A large network of independent artists offering original works and custom commissions.
• Personalised creation: Strong emphasis on made-to-order and customised artworks.
• Credibility signals: Seller ratings and reviews that help buyers assess trustworthiness.
• Flexible pricing: A wide price range spanning affordable pieces to higher value originals.
• Pre-purchase interaction: Direct messaging that allows buyers and artists to connect before completing a purchase.
  

Ideal For

• First-time buyers: Suitable for those exploring buying art online with lower entry barriers.
• Custom and personalised art: Appeals to shoppers interested in bespoke, handmade, or made-to-order artworks.
• Direct artist interaction: Ideal for buyers who prefer engaging directly with artists before purchase.
• Accessible originals: Well-suited for those seeking original works at approachable price points.

ArtZolo

ArtZolo is an online art marketplace that connects artists directly with collectors and art buyers around the world. Established in 2014, the platform positions itself as a space where original and culturally rooted artworks can be discovered with greater clarity around authenticity, pricing, and artist attribution, making the experience of buying art online more transparent and approachable.

Key Features

• Diverse painting styles: Original paintings across abstract, contemporary, figurative, and nature-inspired themes.
• Traditional art focus: Curated representation of regional and classical art forms, including Warli, Madhubani, Kalamkari, and miniature traditions.
• Beyond the canvas: An expanded range that includes sculptures, statues, and handcrafted art objects.
• Accessible editions: Archival quality art prints and limited edition serigraphs offered at approachable price points.
• Commissioned works: Options to request custom artworks directly from a large community of registered artists.
  

Ideal For

• Original and traditional art: Suitable for buyers interested in traditional art forms alongside contemporary work.
• Buying art online: Relevant for those who prefer transparent documentation and clear provenance.

Gallerist

Gallerist is an online art platform that focuses on showcasing contemporary artworks from emerging and mid-career artists. The website presents a gallery-style browsing experience, offering buyers a curated way to discover and acquire artworks while navigating the process of buying art online with clear pricing and visual context.

Features

• Contemporary and decorative focus: Artworks suited for modern living spaces.
• Transparent pricing: Clearly displayed prices without inquiry-based barriers.
• Visual clarity: Detailed artwork images to support remote decision-making.
• Accessible curation: A platform designed to balance curation with ease of access.

Ideal For

• Contemporary art access: Suitable for collectors looking to buy contemporary art without gallery complexity.
• Visual discovery: Ideal for new collectors seeking visually led discovery while buying art online.
  

Tappan

Tappan is an online art gallery and artist collective focused on supporting emerging artists and connecting them with collectors worldwide. The platform blends curatorial practice with commerce, offering a thoughtfully assembled selection of original artworks and prints while creating a more guided, relationship-driven approach to buying art online.

Unique Features

• Contemporary artist focused: Strong emphasis on discovering and promoting contemporary artists at early stages of their careers.
• Balanced offerings: Curated selection of original artworks alongside limited edition and open run prints.
• Direct relationships: Connections between artists, collectors, and institutional partners.
• Flexible pricing: A range that spans high-value original works as well as more accessible print editions.
  

Ideal For

• Emerging artists: Suitable for collectors interested in discovering early career and emerging artists.
• Originals and prints: Appeals to art enthusiasts looking to balance original works with collectible prints.

Laasya Art

Laasya Art is an Indian art gallery and advisory firm based in Palo Alto, California, serving collectors across the San Francisco Bay Area and internationally. Operating as both a physical gallery and a curated online platform, it presents modern, contemporary, and traditional Indian art, and offers a highly considered approach to buying art online.

Unique Features

• Dual presence: Operates as both a physical gallery and a curated online gallery.
• Artistic scope: Focuses on modern, contemporary, and traditional Indian art.
• Artist representation: Showcases both renowned masters and emerging artists.
• Curated approach: Presents exhibitions and collections through a selective, gallery-led model rather than open marketplace listings.
  

Ideal For

• Curatorial and advisory support: Appeals to buyers who value guidance and expertise when buying art online.
• Traditional and contemporary practices: Relevant for collectors interested in combining traditional and contemporary Indian art.
• Physical to digital bridge: Ideal for art buyers looking to move between gallery visits and online access.
  

Artfinder

Artfinder is an artist-led online art marketplace built around the idea of making original art sustainable, accessible, and fairly rewarded. This platform was created to challenge traditional art commerce by connecting buyers directly with artists, while prioritising ethical practices, affordability, and long-term artist livelihoods as part of the buying art online experience.

Highlights 

Ideal For

• Direct artist support: Suitable for collectors who want to support artists directly while buying art online.
• Ethical marketplaces: Appeals to collectors who value ethical, sustainable, and transparent platforms.

Fine Art America

Fine Art America is a large-scale online art marketplace and print-on-demand platform that enables artists and photographers to sell their work across a wide range of formats. Rather than operating as a traditional gallery, the platform focuses on reproduction and fulfilment at scale, allowing buyers to explore artworks and designs that can be customised and purchased easily while buying art online.

Unique Features

• Extensive catalogue: A large selection of artworks and photography available as prints and art-based products.
• Print on demand model: Multiple format options, including framed prints, canvas, metal, acrylic, and paper.
• Customisation flexibility: Choices for size, material, and presentation to suit different spaces and preferences.
• Integrated fulfilment: Built-in production and global shipping infrastructure to support international orders.
• Open artist access: An open platform that allows artists and photographers worldwide to list and sell their work.

Ideal For

• Print-focused buyers: Suitable for those interested in prints and reproduced art.
• Interior sourcing: Ideal for home decorators and interior stylists working across multiple formats.
• Custom flexibility: Appeals to shoppers seeking flexible formats and custom sizing.

Understanding Your Options in Online Art Platforms

The way people discover and collect art has shifted decisively into the digital space, opening access to artists, galleries, and artworks that were once limited by geography or gatekeeping. Today’s platforms offer far more than simple transactions and shape how collectors research provenance, understand context, compare formats, and develop confidence in their choices. From highly curated gallery environments to artist-led marketplaces and print-focused platforms, online art platforms now accommodate a wide range of collecting motivations and levels of experience.

As an art e-commerces continues to mature, the real distinction lies in how each platform balances curation, transparency, artist support, and ease of acquisition. For those navigating buying art online, whether building a first collection, sourcing work for interiors, or expanding an established portfolio, understanding these differences is essential. Thoughtful platform selection enables collectors to move beyond convenience, supporting meaningful discovery, informed decision making, and long-term value in an increasingly global art landscape.

For collectors exploring original artworks, platforms like Mojarto offer access to paintings, sculptures, photographs, printmaking and serigraphs through an organised and professionally managed online art marketplace. You may also engage with an art advisory team for informed guidance when exploring to find art that aligns with your vision for your spaces.