The size of an NFT isn’t usually referring to how big it is across or how high it is literally in space. It’s referring to how many megabytes are in the file, with fewer megabytes indicating a smaller NFT and more megabytes indicating a bigger one. Since it takes more energy and server space to upload a larger NFT, there are some restrictions on how big they can be. 

A good size for an NFT is anywhere under one hundred megabytes. This is the maximum amount of megabytes that the average NFT website can support. This size will ensure that the NFT is uploaded correctly and well supported. 

The following article is a more in-depth explanation of how big NFTs can be and why the right size for them is essential. Plus, I have included the maximum file sizes allowed by the top NFT marketplace platforms.

Average Size of an NFT

The average size of an NFT is around fifty megabytes. Some NFTs are smaller or larger than this size, but fifty megabytes is pretty standard.  

Computers and servers only have so much storage space until they get too full. If the storage on a computer is too full, then it could have a hard time functioning properly. You’ve probably noticed this on your smartphone or PC.

This is why the average size of an NFT is about fifty megabytes. It’s the ideal size for an NFT to look good and for a purchaser to download onto their computer. The size isn’t too big for the computer to process, but also not too small where the NFT looks odd, overly pixelated, or incomplete. 

But the size of an NFT can also fluctuate depending on a few factors, such as: 

  • How much color is in the NFT 
  • The shape of the NFT, such as portrait size or square size
  • How much is in the NFT, such as images, animated images or words 

NFTs can be so many different things. We are talking about poems, fine art, memes, games, metaverse objects, video, music, or even logos, just to name a few. All of these have different size requirements. For example, a one-page poem is not going to have as many megabytes as a video.

However, there are still size limitations to NFTs since the internet isn’t an infinite resource. 

NFT Server Space
3D renduring of server space.

NFT Size Limitations 

NFTs themselves don’t necessarily have size limitations, but the NFT marketplace websites where they are uploaded and minted do. Their size restrictions are typically based on the type of NFT being uploaded, such as a photo or video. 

The majority of NFT marketplace websites have a file size limit of around 50 megabytes to 100 megabytes. But some websites have a maximum size limit of 10 megabytes, and some can accommodate an impressive 300-megabyte limit.

It all depends on what the website chooses to support, and it’s highly recommended to check their support pages for NFT size restrictions before uploading and minting. 

Here is a list of the more popular NFT platforms and their respective file size limits in megabytes.

NFT marketplace websites have NFT size restrictions because the larger a file is, the more space it takes up and the more energy it takes to process it.

The internet is not a never-ending resource; there’s only so much of it to go around. And there are already so many things taking up space on it, with NFTs being a relatively new addition. The first NFT was created in 2014, but as of 2021, the NFT world has blown up, and so has the needed server capacity!

There has to be enough data space for each person that wants to upload an NFT to a marketplace site, hence the file size restrictions. 

Furthermore, it takes more energy to process files that are larger in size. In the case of marketplace sites, that usually means they have to pay more to their providers in order to do so.

Having a file upload limit means the sites can avoid uploading large files, saving them space, money, and time in the long run. 

Also, did you know that the unfortunate side of minting NFTs is that it takes a considerable amount of energy and is a drain on the environment? Learn more with this article: How Much Energy does it Take to Make an NFT?

How To Make an NFT That’s The Right Size

The steps to making an NFT that’s the right size include knowing what you want your NFT to be and choosing the right marketplace to upload it to. Following these steps will ensure you upload a correctly sized NFT without spending more than necessary. 

The first step to creating an NFT is knowing what you want. The more elements you add to your NFT and the better resolution you require, the larger the file size will be.

Naturally, animations of 3D rendered objects will have larger file sizes compared to a static image or photograph.

Always keep track of your file size to see if you are near the size limit; then, you’ll know to scale back on how many elements you’re adding.

You can also try to lower the file size by downloading the NFT as different types of files, such as jpegs or pdfs. Or check the internet for software that decreases file sizes with minimal damage to the resolution.

The most important step is choosing the right online marketplace for your NFT. As discussed previously, each marketplace has its own NFT size limits.

Doing some research about popular NFT online marketplaces before uploading it will help you decide which marketplaces are the most ideal for your NFT and its size. 

It’s also worth noting that you have to pay something called “gas fees” to create your NFT, otherwise known as minting. This is basically a fancy name for processing fees. These fees fluctuate in costs from around $70 per NFT up to $700 in extreme cases.

So yeah, it is easy to lose money by minting NFTs that don’t sell or where you are required to reduce the price.

The drastic differences in costs are due to demand. The higher the demand to mint NFTs during the day, the higher the price.

The cool thing is that you can time it and only mint at times where the system is less stressed. If it sounds complicated and you want to save up to hundreds of dollars (crypto), you will want to read this guide and check out the timing graph:

Metaverse NFT
Ideas for NFTs that could be implemented into the metaverse or decentraland.

Final Thoughts 

Size limitations for an NTF vary from website to website, depending on how much the website is able to process or want to process. Basically, the NFT platform is the one dictating the file size limits, but with a little due diligence, you will be able to find the appropriate market place your project.

Generally speaking, as long as the NFT size isn’t over 100 to 200 megabytes, then you’ll be able to upload it to a majority of marketplace sites.  

Assuming you have your NFT ready to go, you now need to learn how to sell. We have numerous guides on marketing and selling NFTs, and these are some of our most popular articles:

Sources

OpenSea Support

Medium

Cyber Skrilla

NFT Club