The short answerOpenSea remains where most collections list first, with Seaport as a well-audited settlement contract and marketplace fees currently at zero on most trades. Its scale makes it the most impersonated interface in NFTs, and its reversal on creator royalties was handled poorly.
Best forThe broadest collection coverage across chains
Approval & custody safetyweight 25%
8.0avg 7.9
Fee clarityweight 20%
8.0avg 8.1
Liquidityweight 20%
8.5avg 6.0
Royalty policyweight 15%
6.5avg 7.3
Chain coverageweight 10%
9.5avg 6.5
Usabilityweight 10%
8.5avg 8.0
this service category average across 15Score = Σ mark × weight. Recommendable to most readers, with stated caveats. Methodology.
| Criterion | Mark | What we found | Source | Checked |
|---|
| Approval & custody safety | 8.0 | not sourced yet | not sourced yet | — |
| Fee clarity | 8.0 | not sourced yet | not sourced yet | — |
| Liquidity | 8.5 | not sourced yet | not sourced yet | — |
| Royalty policy | 6.5 | not sourced yet | not sourced yet | — |
| Chain coverage | 9.5 | not sourced yet | not sourced yet | — |
| Usability | 8.5 | not sourced yet | not sourced yet | — |
What we liked, and what fell short
Liked- Widest collection and chain coverage of any marketplace
- Seaport is open source and heavily audited
- Fees currently reduced to zero on most trades
Fell short- Its approvals are the most-imitated phishing target in the sector
- Royalty enforcement was abandoned under competitive pressure and communicated poorly
Why the marks landed where they did
OpenSea is the default NFT marketplace by coverage: more collections, more chains and more listings than any competitor, with Seaport — an open-source settlement contract used across the industry — underneath it.
Approvals are the real risk
Listing an NFT means granting a contract permission to transfer it. That is how the vast majority of NFT theft happens: a phishing site imitating OpenSea presents a signature request that grants a drainer permission over your collection, and the signature looks like a routine listing. The contract is not the problem; the interface you were looking at is. Bookmark the real domain, verify signature contents on a hardware wallet, and revoke approvals you are not using.
The royalty reversal
OpenSea spent years positioning itself as creator-friendly, then made royalties optional under competitive pressure from Blur. Creators who had built businesses on expected royalty income found the terms changed with limited notice. The commercial logic was clear and the communication was poor, which is why royalty policy scores 6.5 despite the platform's other strengths.
Fees
The marketplace fee has been reduced to zero on most trades, which makes OpenSea competitive on cost for the first time in years. Creator royalties are optional in most cases, so what a seller pays and what a creator receives are both lower than they once were.
Who should use it
Anyone wanting maximum visibility for a listing or the widest selection when buying. Traders optimising for bid liquidity should look at Blur; Solana users should use Magic Eden or Tensor.
FAQ
What does OpenSea charge?+
The marketplace fee is currently zero on most trades. Creator royalties are optional in most cases, so the total cost depends on whether the buyer chooses to pay them.
How do people get their NFTs stolen on OpenSea?+
Through phishing sites imitating the interface, which present signature requests granting a drainer permission over your collection. The settlement contract itself is not the vector.
Does OpenSea pay creator royalties?+
They are optional on most collections following its 2023 policy change, made under competitive pressure. Some on-chain enforced royalties are still honoured.
Which chains does OpenSea support?+
Ethereum and its major L2s, Solana, Polygon and several others — the broadest coverage of any marketplace.
