Sell a ₱20,000 painting and you keep ₱12,000 on Saatchi Art, ₱11,000 to ₱12,000 on Artfinder (before its monthly plan), about ₱10,000 through a typical gallery, and ₱17,000 on Obramaestra. That gap is why this article exists.
Most advice on where to sell art online in the Philippines points to the same global sites. It rarely checks what a sale looks like from Manila, Cebu, or Davao.
A 24x36-inch canvas is a different problem when the buyer is in New York. The courier quote can rival the price of the painting, and your payout arrives in dollars through a middleman that takes a cut of the exchange rate.
The local alternative, selling through Facebook and Instagram, has no commission. But it turns you into a social media manager, a customer service desk, and a dispatcher.
Below we run the same ₱20,000 sale through each route and count what you keep, what you wait for, and what you have to do yourself. We built Obramaestra, so we also say where it is not the right fit.
One limit up front: Obramaestra serves the Philippine market only. Buyers, shipping addresses, and payouts all stay in the Philippines, and we do not ship artworks outside the country.
Table of contents
What a ₱20,000 painting pays you, platform by platform
The percentages below come from each platform's own seller pages, applied to a ₱20,000 listing price. Foreign platforms pay in foreign currency, so your actual peso amount also depends on the exchange rate your payout method uses.
| Route | Commission | Monthly fee | You keep on ₱20,000 | Who handles shipping and buyer trust |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saatchi Art | 40% | None | ₱12,000 | Saatchi arranges pickup, you pack to its guidelines |
| Artfinder | 40% (Premium) or 45% (Core) | $40 or $14 | ₱11,000 to ₱12,000, minus the plan | Managed shipping offered |
| Traditional gallery | Often 50% | Varies | About ₱10,000 | Gallery |
| Etsy | Transaction, listing, and processing fees (see Etsy fee basics) | None | Most of it, if you can get found | You |
| Facebook and Instagram | 0% | None | ₱20,000, if the buyer actually pays | You, entirely |
| Obramaestra | 15% flat | ₱0 to ₱399 optional plans | ₱17,000 | You ship within the Philippines, escrow protects both sides |
Saatchi Art: the biggest audience, and 40% off the top
Saatchi Art is the best-known marketplace for independent artists, and it handles shipping coordination for you. The cost is a 40% commission on the final sale price.
Its seller page also mentions promotional discounts, so check how a discount affects your payout before you agree to one.
For a Filipino artist, three things add friction:
- Payout route. You request payout through PayPal, bank wire, or check, not straight to GCash or a local bank in pesos.
- Packing liability. Saatchi insures shipments, but it treats damage from poor packaging as non-insurable and holds the artist responsible.
- Distance. International pickups and cross-border delivery add days between "sold" and "paid."
Artfinder: curated, and you pay a subscription too
Artfinder reviews seller applications, then charges a commission of 40% or 45% depending on your plan. Both plans carry a monthly fee: $14 for Core (45% commission) and $40 for Premium (40% commission).
Artfinder also now offers managed shipping.
If you sell one original a month, a $40 plan is a fixed cost before your first peso of profit. Artists whose sales come in bursts, such as around an exhibit or a holiday, feel that most.
Etsy: the digital art route, and why it is crowded
Etsy works best for printable wall art, planners, and Procreate brushes. It takes smaller cuts than the art-specific sites, but it stacks listing, transaction, and processing fees.
A new shop also competes with thousands of near-identical listings. Without strong Etsy search optimization or paid ads, a listing sinks fast.
Obramaestra does not sell digital downloads or prints today. If your work is digital, Etsy is a better fit for now.
Facebook and Instagram: zero commission, five jobs
Facebook Pages, Instagram, and groups like "Art for Sale Philippines" cost nothing, and you can take payment through GCash or Maya. The price is the workload:
- Marketing. Reach drops when you stop posting.
- Customer service. Every "hm po?" needs a reply with price, size, and availability, often from people who will not buy.
- Trust. Buyers have to send ₱20,000 to a stranger first. Many will not.
- Logistics. You book Lalamove, Grab, or J&T Express yourself, deal with tracking numbers, and absorb damage.
For a setup that keeps Instagram for reach and moves the sale somewhere safer, read Instagram vs. Obramaestra.
Curated local galleries: Cartellino, Vintana, Ateneo Art Gallery, and Leon Gallery
Local online galleries such as Cartellino and Vintana present Philippine contemporary art in a polished, exhibition-style format. They behave like physical galleries that moved online: selective, often invitation-based, and built around represented artists.
Two newer names are worth knowing. Ateneo Art Gallery is a university museum that exhibits and collects Philippine art. A show there builds credibility more than it works as a direct sales channel.
Leon Gallery in Makati is known for its art auctions, which suit established and historically significant works.
If you have gallery shows behind you, all four are worth pursuing. If you are emerging and need a shop open this week, they are hard to get into. For the collector's side of the same choice, see how buyers compare these galleries in our roundup of Artsy alternatives for Philippine art.
How Obramaestra changes the math
Obramaestra is an open marketplace for original, one-of-a-kind physical artworks by Filipino artists. Each feature below answers one of the problems above.
Problem: the platform keeps 40% or more. We charge a flat 15% commission only when a piece sells, on every plan.
No subscription is required. The Free plan allows 10 listings, and the Basic (₱199) and Pro (₱399) plans add listings and AI room renders. See pricing.
Problem: foreign payouts and conversion. Collectors pay with QR Ph through GCash or their bank app, GrabPay, Maya, ShopeePay, online banking, or BillEase installments. Your payout goes to your local account in pesos.
There is no PayPal conversion step.
Problem: international shipping. Every sale stays domestic: Obramaestra does not ship artworks outside the Philippines.
You pack the piece and ship through the courier you already use, such as J&T Express, JRS Express, LBC Express, Ninja Van, or 2GO Express. The buyer pays shipping at checkout and that fee goes to you.
Our packaging guidelines cover each medium and size.
Problem: buyers will not pay a stranger. The collector's payment is held in escrow and released after delivery is confirmed. If the collector does not confirm, payment releases automatically 14 days after you mark the order shipped.
Buyers also get a 14-day claims window for damage or non-delivery. The how it works page shows the full timeline and the returns policy covers problem cases.
Escrow protects the buyer from scams and protects you from joy reservers and non-payment.
Problem: gatekeeping. Anyone can open a free artist profile and list work. Collectors, interior designers, and hotels decide what sells.
You get artist profiles, categorized search, and browse pages so buyers can find you without fighting a feed algorithm.
Where Obramaestra is not the right fit
- Digital art and prints. We list originals only.
- Buyers outside the Philippines. We sell to Philippine buyers only and do not ship artworks abroad. If you want to sell to collectors overseas, a global platform is the route for now.
- Audience size. Obramaestra launched in late August 2026. Saatchi Art and Etsy have far larger existing audiences.
We back artists with profile tools, collections, and outreach to interior designers and hotels. You should still share your own link with your followers.
Many artists will use more than one route. The rule that works: keep each original in one place at a time, because every piece here is one of a kind.
How to start selling on Obramaestra
- Build your profile. Our guide on writing an artist profile collectors trust takes about twenty minutes.
- List your first piece. The step-by-step listing guide takes about ten.
- Send the link to the people who already follow you. Where to put your Obramaestra link lists every spot.
Prefer to follow along with screenshots? The seller guide walks through every screen, from sign-up to your first payout.
Create your free artist profile and list your first piece today.
Frequently asked questions
A flat 15% on every artwork sold, on every plan. On a ₱20,000 painting, you keep ₱17,000 plus the shipping fee. There is no subscription requirement.
Obramaestra charges a flat 15% commission with no required subscription, while Saatchi Art takes 40% of the sale price. Artfinder takes 40% or 45% plus a $14 or $40 monthly plan, and traditional galleries often take 50%. On a ₱20,000 painting, you keep ₱17,000 on Obramaestra versus about ₱12,000 on Saatchi Art.
On Obramaestra, yes. Payment is held in escrow until the artwork is delivered, and buyers have a 14-day window to report damage or non-delivery.
No. Obramaestra serves the local market only. Orders ship to addresses within the Philippines, and we do not ship artworks internationally.
Not yet. We currently list original, one-of-a-kind physical artworks such as paintings and sculpture.
The artist, through a local courier such as J&T Express, JRS Express, LBC Express, Ninja Van, or 2GO Express. The buyer pays the shipping fee at checkout and it goes to you.
If you are an emerging artist who wants to get the most out of your art without excessive commissions, Obramaestra is your best bet. It charges a flat 15%, pays you in pesos, and protects every sale with escrow. If you prefer to sell globally and can accept a 40% commission, Saatchi Art is a good place to start. If you sell digital downloads, choose Etsy. If you already have gallery shows behind you, approach Cartellino, Vintana, or Leon Gallery.
