Collecist

Digital Art Sales 2026: What Do the Numbers Say?

Written by Collecist Ekibi

November 4, 2026 ·

The global art market grew 4 percent in 2025 to reach $59.6 billion. Despite this, online-only sales fell to $9.2 billion, representing just 15 percent of the total market. Expensive works have returned to in-person sales; the internet continues to serve as the main gateway where new buyers discover art and purchases under $5,000 are made.

The share of online sales is shrinking, but it remains strong as a channel for discovery and first purchases.

The growing segment of the market is works under $5,000 and emerging artists.

Collectors want to connect directly with artists: buying via Instagram, purchasing directly from artists, and studio visits are all on the rise.

Online galleries typically take 40–50 percent from artists; small and selective platforms are growing rapidly.

Female and younger collectors are more open to new artists.

The agenda for 2026 includes the Gulf, biennials, caution at auctions, and artificial intelligence.

The market by the numbers

The market recovered in 2025, but growth came from fairs and in-person sales rather than online. The annual global report prepared by Art Basel and UBS summarizes the situation with the following figures:

Indicator

Value

Global art sales, 2025

$59.6 billion (+4% year-on-year)

Online-only sales, 2025

$9.2 billion; lowest level since 2019

Online share of total sales

2019: 9% · 2020: 25% · 2024: 18% · 2025: 15%

Fair sales as share of gallery turnover, 2025

35%; highest since 2022

Source: Art Basel & UBS Global Art Market Report 2026

During the pandemic year, the internet's share rose to one quarter because it was the only mandatory channel. Once fairs and exhibitions reopened, the buying and selling of expensive works returned to in-person settings. Even so, today's share is roughly double that of the pre-pandemic period.

The market's money is at the top, its activity at the bottom

The value of sales is concentrated in a handful of expensive works, but the vast majority of transactions are low-priced. According to an April 2025 analysis by The Art Newspaper, 95 percent of auction transactions are under $50,000, and 75 percent are under $5,000.

• Sub-$5,000 is growing. While the market contracted by 12 percent overall in 2024, auction sales in this price band increased in value by 7 percent.

• Smaller sellers are leading. Sales by galleries and dealers with annual turnover under $250,000 rose 17 percent in the same year.

• The reason for buying is changing. In this price band, people are buying art not as an investment but to live with in their homes.

The internet is the most widely used channel for this base. According to Artsy data, the number of first-time buyers on the platform increased by 30 percent in 2025; approximately 1,000 people purchase their first work each month. In the same year, 40 percent of purchases on Artsy were small works under 100 centimeters.

Sources: The Art Newspaper · American Craft Forum, Artsy data

Who is today's collector

Today's buyer is younger, purchases through multiple channels, and increasingly prefers fewer intermediaries between themselves and the artist. The 2025 Art Basel and UBS survey was conducted with 3,100 wealthy collectors across 10 countries, including Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Switzerland.

Finding

Figure

Those who purchase works via Instagram

51% (43% in 2023)

Direct purchases from artists

More than doubled compared to the previous survey

Average annual studio visits

2019: 5 · 2024: 7 · Planned for 2025: 8

Those who made fair-related purchases

58% (39% in 2023)

Those who frequently buy from unknown artists

55% among women, 44% among men

Women's art spending, 2024

An average of 46% more than men

Share of female artists in collections

49% among female collectors, 40% among male collectors

Those who have purchased digital works

51%; the most active segment is Generation Z

Those intending to purchase, 2025

40% (43% in 2024)

Source: Art Basel & UBS Survey of Global Collecting 2025

The table says two things. First, social media is no longer just a showcase but a place where sales actually happen. Second, no matter how much the internet grows, face-to-face encounters with artists — fairs and studio visits — retain their value and are even increasing it.

Artsy data points in the same direction: 61 percent of collectors are looking at works under $5,000, and 72 percent are most interested in emerging artists (American Craft Forum).

How online galleries make money

On major online marketplaces, artists give 40 to 50 percent of the sale price to the platform; on some, they also pay a subscription fee on top of that. Smaller and more selective platforms are growing not through pricing but through a carefully curated selection of works and one-on-one relationships with collectors.

Platform

Model

Commission from artist

Notable feature

Saatchi Art

Large open-application marketplace

40% on original works

High visitor numbers; artists can easily get lost in the crowd

Artfinder

Curated marketplace with subscription plans

40% or 45%

Verifies artist identity

Singulart

Selective jury and paid subscription

Plans starting from €42/month or €499/year, plus commission

Certificate of authenticity, free returns, insured shipping

Avant Arte

Limited editions co-produced with artists

Co-production

$23 million in sales in 2024 (+53%); one-third of customers are collectors of less than two years

Gertrude

Small, curated app

Undisclosed

138 works in 12 months, totaling £150,000; typical price £1,000–£1,500

What Avant Arte and Gertrude have in common is striking: accessible pricing, a small but carefully selected range of works, and direct contact with buyers. Their fee models, however, are a topic of debate among artists; the subscription-plus-commission arrangement is frequently criticized in artist reviews.

The 2026 agenda

Artsy's January 2026 assessment noted that after the turbulence of 2025, the market entered the year with cautious optimism. The IMF's upward revision of its global growth forecast to 3.1 percent and expectations of falling inflation were considered positive for art spending. The assessment highlighted five key themes:

The year of the Gulf. With the opening of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, Art Basel's first Qatar fair, Frieze Abu Dhabi, and Art Dubai in its 20th year, the region is on its way to becoming a new art hub.

Names emerging from biennials. The Venice, Sydney, and Whitney biennials are all falling in the same year; artists who stand out at biennials often become the most sought-after names in subsequent years.

A return to quality at auctions. Buyers are moving away from speculation and toward artists with strong track records and institutional recognition; provenance and exhibition history are key trust factors.

Slowdown in galleries, shift to digital. Seventy-five percent of galleries see economic uncertainty as their biggest challenge, and 57 percent are responding by expanding their online presence.

Artificial intelligence. The debate has shifted from whether AI is having an impact to how widely it will be adopted; copyright and artist payment issues are becoming more prominent.

Conclusion

Although the figures may seem contradictory, the picture is consistent. The internet has moved away from being the place where expensive works are sold and has become the route through which people discover art, make their first purchase, and find artists. The vibrant segment of the market lies in works under $5,000, in emerging artists, and in direct relationships with artists. The coming period looks set to be shaped by artists and platforms that can achieve discovery online while building in-person connections.