OpenSea vs Rarible: Which is Best for NFT Investors?

The NFT marketplace is booming, with digital assets being traded by artists, collectors, and investors alike. NFTs are unique digital assets stored on a blockchain, representing ownership of anything from artworks to music, virtual items, and beyond. Also, they are bringing change in how digital ownership works and creating opportunities for creators.

With the market moving fast, the global NFT market is expected to reach $61 billion in 2025 and $247 billion in 2029.

As demand increases, the NFT marketplaces continue to grow and provide a better range of features and reduced fees and offer better scalability. On that, OpenSea and Rarible is the leading platforms that are ever-improving to maintain competitiveness.

In this article, we will take a look at these leading NFT Marketplaces, focusing on their features, advantages, and main differences to help you choose the best platform for trading your digital assets.

Overview of OpenSea

OpenSea is the world’s premier NFT Marketplace and, to a very large extent, the most frequented of all. Also, it is known for its wide range of art, collectibles, virtual goods, and domain names. Founded in 2017, it has grown to become one of the top marketplaces one can join, regardless of experience. On top of that, OpenSea allows trading across multiple blockchains, from Ethereum to Polygon, Solana, and Klaytn so that users can choose the trade route that incurs the least transaction cost. 

For these reasons, it is always the first in global trading and central for making all NFT purchases and sales sleek, smooth, and easy for buyers and sellers.

Overview of Rarible

Rarible is well-made with decentralization in mind, as it focuses on community governance and creator empowerment. Launched in 2020, it distances itself from OpenSea via its first-ever governance model powered by RARI, its native token, allowing users to have a voice in any decision on the platform. Also, Rarible enables the minting and trading of NFTs across multiple blockchains, namely Ethereum, Flow, and Tezos. Its innovative decentralization and creator-like approaches make Rarible very attractive to those who want more control in this NFT marketplace arena.

Now that we have a general overview of OpenSea and Rarible, let us talk about some differences. Although both NFT platforms exist, they operate in slightly different ways, each with its own strengths and unique features.

OpenSea vs Rarible: A Detailed NFT Marketplace Comparison

OpenSea and Rarible are the main talk of the NFT spaces. While both platforms enable NFT trading, they differ in features, audience, decentralization, and approach. In this blog, we will compare them based on target audience, fees, blockchain support, payment options, security, user experience, and more.

1. Target Audience

OpenSea is designed for a broad audience, making it the top choice for both beginners and experienced NFT traders. Also, it supports a wide variety of NFT categories, including art, gaming assets, collectibles, domain names, music, and virtual worlds. Due to its user-friendly interface and extensive collection, OpenSea is an excellent choice for anyone looking to explore the NFT space with ease.

Rarible, on the other hand, focuses more on artists, creators, and community-driven users. Unlike OpenSea, which operates more like a traditional marketplace, Rarible offers a decentralized governance model, giving creators more control over their NFTs. Also, users who value greater influence over platform changes and policies may find Rarible a better fit.

2. Fees and Royalties

If you want lower fees, here’s how the platforms compare:

• OpenSea charges a flat 2.5% fee on secondary sales and has a sliding scale fee structure between 2.5% and 10% on primary drops.
• Rarible has a sliding scale fee structure between 0.5% and 7.5%.

OpenSea has an advantage in this case because of its lower prices. However, Rarible’s community-driven model and creators’ increased flexibility in setting royalties frequently serve as justifications for its cost structure. 

Rarible is more adaptable, creators can set royalties as high as 50%. Rarible’s flexibility may be an advantage if maximizing your prospective profits is a top priority. Additionally, compared to OpenSea, creators frequently find greater support for larger royalty percentages due to Rarible’s community-focused strategy.

Royalties

For creators looking to profit from secondary sales, royalties are crucial. 

• OpenSea offers a fixed 10% royalty for creators on every resale.
• Rarible offers creators set royalties up to 50%

If maximizing earnings is your priority, Rarible’s model could be a better fit. Also, its community-driven approach often provides better support for higher royalty rates than OpenSea.

3. Blockchain Support

Blockchain compatibility is a major factor when choosing an NFT marketplace, as it affects transaction costs, speed, and accessibility.

• OpenSea supports multiple blockchains, including Ethereum, Polygon, Solana, and Klaytn. This allows users to choose different networks based on their needs. For example, trading on Polygon significantly reduces gas fees compared to Ethereum.
• Rarible supports Ethereum, Flow, and Tezos. While it does not currently support Solana or Klaytn, its multi-chain functionality still provides users with diverse options for minting and trading NFTs.

4. Payment Options

OpenSea primarily supports cryptocurrency payments, allowing users to purchase NFTs using Ethereum (ETH), wrapped ETH (WETH), MATIC, SOL, and other supported tokens. It connects with popular crypto wallets like MetaMask, Coinbase Wallet, and WalletConnect but does not offer direct fiat payment options.

Rarible, on the other hand, provides a more flexible payment system by supporting both crypto and fiat payments. Users can buy NFTs with credit cards through third-party providers like MoonPay, making it easier for new users to enter the NFT space without first purchasing cryptocurrency.

5. Security

Security is a critical factor when dealing with digital assets. OpenSea operates as a non-custodial marketplace, meaning users have full control over their assets. The platform has implemented smart contract audits and fraud detection systems. However, OpenSea has experienced phishing attacks, fake NFT listings, and smart contract exploits, which have led to security concerns.

Rarible, being community-driven and decentralized, provides transparency and control to users. However, it also requires users to be more cautious when navigating transactions, as decentralization comes with less platform-controlled fraud prevention compared to OpenSea.

6. User Experience

OpenSea is known for its simple and intuitive user interface, making it easy for beginners to navigate the marketplace, browse NFTs, and make purchases. The platform provides various filters and categories, helping users quickly find assets that match their interests.

Rarible has a slightly more complex interface, catering more to experienced creators and traders. Also, its focus on decentralization means users have more control over their listings, but it may not be as beginner-friendly as OpenSea.

7. Features

OpenSea and Rarible offer a variety of features, but their approaches differ:

OpenSea:

• Lazy minting allows creators to list NFTs without paying upfront gas fees.
• Gas-free transactions on Polygon reduce costs for buyers and sellers.
• Auction-style and fixed-price sales, giving users flexibility in trading.
• Rarity rankings for collectibles and gaming items.

Rarible:

• Governance token (RARI) that allows users to participate in platform decisions.
• Fractional ownership enables users to split ownership of high-value NFTs.
• NFT lending features, introduce financial tools that expand NFT utility.
• Customizable smart contracts allow creators to launch their collections without relying on shared contracts. 

8. Decentralization

One of the biggest distinctions between OpenSea and Rarible is decentralization. OpenSea operates with centralized control, meaning platform decisions, policies, and updates are managed internally. While it provides convenience and stability, users have little say in governance.

Rarible, in contrast, is a fully decentralized platform, governed by its community through the RARI token. Also, users who hold RARI can vote on platform changes, policies, and upgrades, giving them a direct role in shaping the marketplace.

9. Community Involvement

One of the biggest distinctions in the OpenSea vs Rarible debate is governance:

• OpenSea has a large user base, but the community’s role in decision-making is limited. The platform does not have a governance token, meaning users have no direct say in platform updates. 

Rarible has a strong community focus, with RARI token holders participating in governance decisions. So, this makes it a better choice for users who value community-driven development.

10. Platform Upgrades

Both platforms introduce regular updates, but the decision-making process differs.

• OpenSea upgrades are controlled by its internal development team.
• Rarible upgrades are community-driven, with users voting on platform improvements via the RARI token.

11. Use Cases

The choice between OpenSea and Rarible depends largely on your use case.

OpenSea is ideal for:

• General NFT trading (art, collectibles, gaming assets, virtual worlds).
• Buyers and sellers are looking for an easy-to-use platform with high liquidity.
• Users who prefer a more centralized and stable marketplace.

Rarible is best for:

• Creators who want more control over royalties and NFT sales.
• Users are interested in decentralized governance and community-driven decisions.
• Those who want access to advanced features like fractional ownership and NFT lending.

After comparing the features and key differences between OpenSea and Rarible, the next step is understanding how these platforms operate as businesses. So, their revenue models are essential for sustainability and growth in the NFT space. Let’s take a deeper look at how they generate revenue and what sets their business strategies apart.

OpenSea Business & Revenue Model

Business Model: OpenSea is a decentralized NFT marketplace serving buyers and sellers. It offers a wide range of NFTs, covers Ethereum gas fees, and operates via web and mobile apps. Also, the platform maintains customer service and social media relationships, relying on digital assets, marketplace management, and partnerships. Key costs include payment processing, salaries, and maintenance.

Revenue Model: OpenSea earns from transaction fees (2.5%-10%), premium services, and revenue-sharing with creators.

Rarible Business & Revenue Model

Business Model: Rarible supports customizable royalties, gas-free minting, and decentralized governance. Also, the platform operates via its website, with a focus on community engagement and partnerships. Costs include platform maintenance and compliance.

Revenue Model: Rarible earns from a 5% transaction fee (split between buyer & seller) and its governance token ($RARI). 

Rarible’s model emphasizes community involvement and decentralized governance, setting it apart from more centralized platforms like OpenSea. Also, rarible’s model focuses on community involvement and decentralized governance, making it different from more centralized platforms like OpenSea. 

So, now that we’ve covered everything from the basics to the key features, it all comes down to the big question:

Which NFT Marketplace is the best – Opensea Or Rarible?

If you’re new to NFTs or looking for a user-friendly, high-liquidity marketplace, OpenSea is the best choice with its multi-chain support and massive user base. On the other hand, if you’re a creator who values decentralization, customizable smart contracts, and advanced NFT features, Rarible could be a better fit.

While Rarible’s market cap ($23.6M) is significantly higher than OpenSea Collections ($3,505), the market cap alone doesn’t determine long-term success. Also, OpenSea has established itself as the leading NFT Marketplace, driven by its high transaction volume, broader user base, and strong industry adoption.

In the rapidly evolving NFT space, OpenSea vs Rarible remains one of the most debated topics, but OpenSea continues to dominate with its scale and innovation. In that case, creating an NFT Marketplace like OpenSea or Rarible would definitely be a great choice.

So, now that you have a complete knowledge about these popular Platforms and which one to choose with. Here is a bonus point of…

Benefits of Creating NFT Marketplaces like OpenSea & Rarible

Creating NFT Marketplaces similar to OpenSea or Rarible offers various business opportunities for startups and newcomers looking to enter the NFT market. Building these NFT Marketplaces offers: 

• High Revenue Potential – Generate revenue through various fee structures, ensuring the steady growth of your NFT marketplace.
• Branding and Market Positioning – Establish your startup as a recognized brand in this competitive market.
• Expansion of New Ideas – Scale your platform by integrating advanced features that set it apart.
• Empowering Creators and Communities – Foster a thriving space for emerging creators to monetize their work, attracting an engaged audience to your platform.

On the Whole, launching an NFT Marketplace like OpenSea & Rarible as your startup is highly beneficial and promises great potential. But unsure where or how to start? That’s where professionals come in!

Get Started with Coinsclone for NFT Marketplace development! 

As professionals, we at Coinsclone have been serving the digital industry as a leading NFT Marketplace development company. Also, we offer a wide range of NFT Marketplace development services, including white-label solutions and clone scripts, to create NFT Marketplaces like OpenSea, Rarible, and other popular platforms.

By choosing us, as your NFT Marketplace development company, you get a secure, scalable, and fully customizable platform designed to maximize growth and revenue. Also, with advanced features, multiple earning opportunities, and expert guidance, you can build a marketplace that stands out and thrives in the competitive NFT world.