The Best Platforms to Buy and Sell Art Commissions in 2025
- Morgan Nugent
- 5 days ago
- 9 min read
Originally written for Kirke Social, published. Republished here with permission.
Whether you’re a digital artist looking for freelance income or a buyer searching for the perfect custom portrait, knowing the best platforms for art commissions is key.
In this guide, we’ll be breaking down the top websites, marketplaces, and communities where artists and buyers alike thrive, with pros, cons, and personal takeaways for each.
What Makes a Good Art Commission Platform?
✶ Audience size and demand: it’s hard to sell art if there’s nobody to sell it to!
✶ Commission protection and payment processing: Unfortunately, we live in a world where scams are common, so it is a necessity that there are protections in place to ensure a secure transaction on both sides.
✶ Portfolio display and marketing features: Buyers need easy access to a vast display of an artist’s past work, and the implementation of a solid marketing algorithm is extremely beneficial for artists. Most of us don’t know a thing about SEO!
✶Creative freedom and customization tools: Art commissions are very flexible, and customizable. This is not a one-size-fits-all industry.
✶Tangible fees and a smooth payout structure: It can be disheartening when you complete a commission, both parties satisfied, then boom! The platform takes a huge bite out of your revenue, or it takes a month to see that money.
In consideration of all of these features listed above, we’ve created the ultimate list of the best platforms to buy and sell artwork. [updated: April 20th, 2025]
Top Commission Platforms for Artists (2025)
Below, we’ll rank the top commission-specific platforms by overall income potential for artists. Let’s begin!
Fiverr is one of the largest freelance marketplaces, with artists collectively earning over $2 billion through the platform.
Pros: ✶ Huge Global Audience: Fiverr boasts a huge global audience of over 5.5 million active buyers across 160+ countries. This broad user base means there is constant demand for art commissions. ✶Customization: Artists can set tiered “gig” packages and add-ons (e.g., extra figures, commercial rights, accelerated delivery) ✶Excellent Marketing Infrastructure: The marketplace is searchable by category (e.g., “Illustration” or “Character Design”), with a solid review system. Positive ratings and portfolios help attract new clients. ✶Available to All: There is no invitation system to start selling on Fiverr.
Cons: ✶Slow Payouts: Payments take 14 days to clear. ✶Sizable Fees: Fiverr takes a 20% cut of every commission (ouch!) ✶High Traffic, Intense Competition: High buyer traffic gives top-rated artists access to more potential high-paying clients than niche platforms. ✶Marketing Services Require a Membership: To benefit from a majority of their marketing features, you must pay to upgrade your profile.
Takeaway: Fiverr is a great place to start — it is extremely user friendly to both buyers and sellers, highly respected in a professional setting, and optimal for the most traffic. However, the steep platform fees, oversaturation, and features that require a membership may make it difficult to establish your place as an emerging artist.
✶Author’s Choice Kirke is a new commission-capable platform (beta) that combines a social art network with a commission marketplace.
Pros: ✶No Commission Fees: Kirke advertises a 0% platform fee on sales. This means artists get to keep 100% of commission earnings. ✶Social Media Integration: Kirke is not just a commission platform, it is also a platform for artists to connect, showcase work, and build community. This means that even before commissioning, artists can get noticed just by sharing art. ✶No Generative AI: The platform has a zero-tolerance policy for AI generated content, promoting an “Artists Only” community. ✶Multiple Channels for Exposure: trending art posts, searchable tags, an artist directory, and community events provide all users an equal opportunity to build an audience.
Cons:
✶Invite-Only: Artists must receive an invitation link to sell on Kirke.
✶Small User Base: Kirke is still in early access (beta) and does not have the high traffic levels of a platform like Fiverr. There is currently a stronger demand for buyers than artists on the platform.
✶Requires a Pre-Established Audience: Because of the small community, it is difficult to acquire new clients through Kirke at the moment. Artists with a larger following on other platforms are more successful, bringing buyers in from other sources.
✶Early Access (beta): Kirke is still in development, so not all features are completely polished.
Takeaway: Kirke is not yet a top-tier platform by numbers; it’s better seen as an up-and-coming space. However, its community-centric approach is quickly attracting a dedicated user base of fandom clients who commission regularly. Think of Kirke as a hybrid of an art social feed and a commission site — as its user count climbs, it could become a significant player. For now, it’s one to watch, especially for early adopters looking to establish a presence before the crowd arrives.
VGen is designed to simplify the buying and selling of digital art, especially for creators in the VTuber, streamer, and anime art communities.
Pros:
✶Low Platform Fees: VGen only takes a 5% service fee, allowing artists to keep 95% of their earnings.
✶User-Friendly Interface: Artists can offer multiple commission types (e.g., bust, full-body, Live2D model), each with their own pricing, tiers, and add-ons. Request forms, artist terms, client messages, progress tracking, and file delivery are all in one place.
✶Built-in Discovery & Translation: VGen offers an explore page, category search, and automatic translation tools that help connect artists with international clients.
✶Secure Payment: Artists are paid only when both parties agree to a commission; the platform provides payment security and dispute resolution.
Cons: ✶Invite-Only for Artists: Currently, you must apply, or be invited to join as an artist, which limits accessibility for newcomers. It is, by far, the most difficult platform to gain access to. ✶Niche-Focused Audience: The majority of clients are looking for anime-style or VTuber-related commissions, which may not suit every art style. ✶Smaller User Base: While fast-growing, VGen’s user base is smaller than giants like Fiverr or DeviantArt, limiting casual traffic from general audiences.
Takeaway: VGen is an excellent artist-forward platform designed specifically for digital artists. Their popularity has exploded as of recently, with the platform quickly becoming a top choice for professionals in the anime, VTuber, and fandom art communities. Its exclusive environment makes it ideal for both artists and clients. It’s likely the best option on this list, just so hard to get into.
Upwork is a major freelancing platform where artists often land larger, high-paying projects (e.g. game art, book illustrations).
Pros:
✶Lowered Platform Fee: Upwork’s fee is now a flat 10% on earnings for most contracts (reduced from a previous 20%-tiered fee), this means higher net income, especially on large commissions.
✶Secure Payment: Upwork offers payment protection and escrow for fixed-price jobs, ensuring you get paid for delivered work.
✶Hub for Professionals: The platform is well-known in professional circles; many businesses and entrepreneurs go to Upwork for design and illustration needs.
✶Great Customer Retention Rates: Artists turn one-off commissions into long-term engagements on Upwork, using features like client bookmarks and private invites to maintain retention. The platform’s professional structure appeals to clients who want to keep rebooking reliable artists.
Cons:
✶Niche Audience: Upwork’s community and client base are primarily composed of highly skilled and experienced professionals looking for contract work, not so much for new artists.
✶Not Beginner-Friendly: Emerging artists find a higher level of difficulty finding success on Upwork due to its professional atmosphere.
✶Artists Make the First Move: Upwork moves differently than most commission platforms, encouraging Freelancers to reach out to potential clients first.
✶Pay to Play: In order to reach out to a potential client, Freelancers are required to purchase credits from Upwork. This can be discouraging to new users.
Takeaway: Upwork is a fantastic platform for professionals in the art and design industry, with the ability to easily connect with professionals, book contract gigs, and retain a strong relationship with previous clients. However, its professional atmosphere is unwelcoming for amateur artists, and the pay-to-play infrastructure makes breaking into the industry difficult.
DeviantArt (DA) is the grandfather hub for commissions, especially in fandom, fantasy, and character art spaces.
Pros: ✶0% Commission Fees for Core Members: Artists subscribed to DeviantArt Core (paid membership) pay no platform fee on commission sales, keeping 100% of their earnings. ✶Flexible Pricing System: Artists set their own rates in either DA Points or real currency, with customizable pricing tiers. ✶Massive Client Pool: With over 75 million registered members, DA has one of the largest art-focused user bases in the world. ✶Organic Exposure: Art uploads can naturally lead to commissions via profile visibility and fan engagement. ✶Strong Community: DeviantArt’s long history and fan-following model make it easy for artists to build lasting client relationships.
Cons: ✶Commission Visibility Is Manual: DA is not exclusively a commission marketplace. Artists must actively promote that their commissions are open. ✶Requires Consistent Engagement: Visibility is tied to community activity, which can be time-consuming. ✶Difficult to Navigate: Unlike marketplaces like VGen, DA doesn’t have a centralized storefront of commission listings, which limits casual browsing for buyers. ✶Steep Fees for Free Accounts: Non-Core users pay a 20% platform fee.
Takeaway: DeviantArt is one of the most financially rewarding platforms for active Core members, and long-time fans. Its massive global community and large fanbase secure client loyalty, especially for artists in anime, fantasy, and niche genres. However, success depends on active engagement and self-promotion and may be knocked off its throne by newer platforms like Kirke and VGen.
Skeb is a Japanese commission platform focused on anime/manga style artwork, known for its smooth, no-haggle system.
Pros: ✶Low Platform Fees: Skeb takes an estimated 5–10% fee built into the client’s payment, so artists keep up to 95% of earnings. ✶No-chat, no-revision: This silent system means artists can fulfill more commissions in less time, and buyers don’t get to cause a fuss! ✶Global Reach with Auto-Translation: Skeb bridges language barriers between artists and international clients with auto-translation technology. ✶Large User Base: Skeb is Japan’s largest commission platform for anime-style work. ✶Secure Payment & Delivery: Payment is held until delivery; refunds and cancellations are not allowed.
Cons: ✶No Communication: Clients cannot message artists. All instructions are given upfront, and the artist either accepts or declines without dialogue. (This is still a pro in my opinion, but it has its share of downsides.) ✶No Revisions Allowed: Artists work solely from the initial request — no corrections, edits, or feedback loops, leaving room for potentially unhappy buyers. ✶Limited Styles: The platform is exclusive to anime, VTuber, and game art styles. Non-anime styles are unlikely to thrive. ✶No Marketing Support: Skeb doesn’t offer any marketing features or promotions for artists. Exposure is driven by external links and fanbases.
Takeaway: Skeb is perfect for introverted anime-style artists. It is, overall, a very reliable platform for passive commission income. While its no-contact model isn’t ideal for complex or collaborative projects, it’s a great way to monetize fanbases and establish yourself as a professional.
SO, WHAT’S THE BEST?
Ultimately, the “best” platform depends on an artist’s style, target clients, and preference for how commissions are managed. The true answer to “what’s the best platform?” is all of them.
Many successful artists use multiple platforms.
For example, try to keep up on DeviantArt for fan-based commissions, claim your territory on Kirke, seek out professional gigs on Upwork, and list your offerings on VGen for streamer clients. Tapping into each platform is the best method for client reach in the commission market. As a digital artist in an oversaturated market, you want to be everywhere all at once.
Final Rankings: (that’s my opinion!)
Best for Sheer Volume: Fiverr
Best for Community: Kirke
Best for Professionals: Upwork
Best Investment: Kirke, Skeb, & VGen
If you are new to selling art commissions, and they check all of your boxes, you are going to find that investing in Kirke, Skeb, and VGen will have the greatest payoff in the long run. These are fresh, clean platforms with huge potential. The internet, social media, AT Protocol, and websites in general are going through a massive transition — and they’re going to leave sites like DeviantArt in the dust. (Sorry DeviantArt!)
Worst for Volume: Kirke Worst for Community: Skeb Worst for Professionals: DeviantArt Worst Investment: DeviantArt
“Aren’t you writing for Kirke? Why would you put it on the “worst” list?”
The reality is, Kirke is an infant compared to these industry giants. Not only is it sill in the beta phase, but AT Protocol sites in general are still very, very new. As much as I advocate for Kirke’s future, it is the worst for volume at the moment. If I wanted to lie — I wouldn’t have made this list in the first place.
However, if I were a gambling man (and I am), I would strongly recommend that everyone in the art community starts pushing for real estate on sites like Kirke, VGen, and Skeb.
Final Thoughts: Why Kirke Leads the Future of Art Commissions
Kirke is more than just a commission platform, it’s a cultural shift. Built on the open and decentralized AT Protocol, Kirke is helping shape a web where creators own their content, communities thrive without algorithm gatekeeping, and artists aren’t forced to compete with AI-generated work.
In an era where automation and exploitation threaten creative careers, AI-free spaces like Kirke are essential to protecting the authenticity, value, and emotional impact of art. For fans who want to support real artists, and for artists who want to build genuine, long-term creative careers? Kirke isn’t just an option, it’s the future.
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About the author: Morgan Nugent | Cjrisami
Morgan (she/her) is a Chicago based marketing professional by day, illustrator by night. 5+ years of professional experience in this rare combination have allowed her to refine an expertise in illustration, digital marketing, and all of the design elements in between. Check out Morgan’s work here: Cjrisami
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