NFT marketplace fees in 2025 include platform commissions, gas costs, and royalty payments. Learn how much it costs to build a marketplace, what users pay to trade, and which platforms offer the best value.
NFT Transaction Costs: What You Really Pay to Buy, Sell, or Transfer NFTs
When you buy or sell an NFT transaction cost, the total fee you pay to move a non-fungible token on a blockchain network. Also known as gas fees, it’s not just the price of the NFT—it’s what the network charges to record the trade. Many people think they’re just paying for the digital art or collectible. But if you’ve ever been shocked by a $50 fee on a $20 NFT, you know the real cost isn’t listed on the marketplace.
NFT transaction costs depend on three things: the blockchain, the platform, and timing. On Ethereum, fees spike when everyone’s trading—like during a new NFT drop. On Solana or Polygon, fees stay under a dollar, even during rush hours. But you can’t pick the blockchain after you buy. If you bought an NFT on Ethereum, you’re stuck with its high fees when you sell. Some platforms like OpenSea add their own service fee on top, often 2.5%. Others, like Blur, charge less but require you to hold their token. And if you’re moving an NFT between wallets? That’s another transaction cost—sometimes more than the NFT’s value if you’re on the wrong network.
It’s not just about money. High transaction costs kill activity. Look at the NFT market in 2022—when Ethereum gas hit $100, trading dropped 70%. Projects that relied on frequent trades, like play-to-earn games or generative art collections, lost momentum. Meanwhile, chains like Base and Arbitrum grew because their fees stayed low. That’s why most serious NFT traders now use Layer 2 networks or newer chains. They’re not just saving money—they’re keeping their assets liquid.
And don’t forget the hidden costs: failed transactions. If your gas fee is too low, the network rejects your trade. You still pay the fee. No refund. No second chance. That’s why tools like Etherscan and NFTGasStation exist—to show real-time fee trends. Even then, you’re guessing. The only way to avoid surprise fees is to check the network before you click ‘Buy’ or ‘Sell.’
Some NFTs come with royalties—another fee you might pay when reselling. If the original creator set a 10% royalty, that’s taken out before you see your profit. Not all marketplaces enforce this, but many do. So your ‘profit’ might be less than you thought.
What you’ll find below are real stories from people who got burned by NFT transaction costs. One user paid $87 in fees to sell a $150 NFT. Another missed a chance to flip a rare PFP because the gas fee jumped 300% in 10 minutes. There are guides on how to time trades, which chains to use, and how to avoid scams hiding behind fake low-fee promises. You’ll also see how some NFT projects built their whole economy around cheap transactions—while others collapsed under the weight of their own fees.