Art Storefronts

What Art Storefronts does

Art Storefronts, operated by Discerning Software, LLC and headquartered in Austin, Texas, is a vertical SaaS e-commerce and marketing platform purpose-built for fine artists, photographers, galleries, museums, and print studios. Founded in 2014, the company has built an integrated stack spanning website building, image security (no-right-click, watermarks, AWS-backed high-resolution originals), a lightweight CRM, e-commerce analytics, automated email marketing, offline selling tools, and a patent-pending augmented-reality Wall Preview Tool that lets buyers visualize artwork on their walls. The platform serves a long-tail base of 12,000+ individual artists and photographers plus 300+ institutional accounts.

The company monetizes through four reinforcing revenue streams: (1) annual subscription fees for the core platform; (2) print-on-demand fulfillment transaction fees on fine art prints, canvas, metal, acrylic, and merchandise (calendars, puzzles, coasters, t-shirts, totes, bags, phone cases, mugs), with negotiated vendor pricing passed through to members; (3) a marketing agency offering website building, social media management, and Facebook/Instagram ad management; and (4) Art Business University education plus weekly one-on-one consulting under a 365-day marketing plan. Distribution is sales-led, beginning with a 5-10 minute introductory qualification call and supported by self-serve onboarding and dedicated account management. The proprietary Art Buyer AI feature classifies website visitors by their likelihood of being art buyers, enabling targeted marketing automation.

Bootstrapped and privately held under Discerning Software, LLC, Art Storefronts reports a 98% customer renewal rate and tens of millions of dollars in annual art sales processed across customer websites. The platform is differentiated less by underlying technology than by depth of vertical specialization — image security, fine-art-specific conversion flows, AR visualization, and bundled education/agency services — and by an exclusive private member community (Small Wins) that compounds switching costs.

Name

Art Storefronts

Legal name

Discerning Software, LLC

Website

https://artstorefronts.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Art Storefronts is a vertical SaaS e-commerce and marketing platform for artists, photographers, galleries, and print studios, offering website building, print-on-demand fulfillment, AR art visualization, AI-driven buyer identification, marketing education, and agency services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art E-commerce Platform

NAICS

Art Dealers (45992)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Marketplaces for Downloadables (Creators/Assets) (CRAFAIAH)

Keywords

• Art e-commerce platform
• Artist website builder
• Print-on-demand fulfillment
• Fine art marketing services
• Photographer selling platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Subscription Software Platform: Recurring subscription for access to website builder, e-commerce tools, marketing automation, CRM, analytics, and support services. The company offers a free website setup and management promotion, with dedicated support reps assigned upon sign-up.
2. Print-on-Demand Fulfillment: The company handles printing, packaging, and shipping of art prints and merchandise. Orders are printed, boxed and shipped automatically. The company negotiates exclusive pricing and discounts from world-class printing vendors and provides first-class service with logo on packaging.
3. Marketing Agency Services: Exclusive art marketing agency available to members for outsourcing tasks including website building, social media management, Facebook/Instagram ad management, and fully-managed marketing services. Offered as both one-time assistance and ongoing fully-managed service.
4. Marketing Consulting & Education: 365-day art marketing plan with pre-made templates for social media and email marketing, one-on-one consulting with weekly live video workshops, and art business education including lessons on Facebook/Instagram Ads, art licensing, email marketing, and shipping originals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Art Storefronts provides a cloud-based e-commerce and marketing platform that lets artists, photographers, galleries, museums, and print studios build art-selling websites, market their work, and fulfill orders. The platform combines a website builder with image security, an AR wall-preview tool, AI-driven buyer identification, a lightweight CRM, automated email marketing, and integrated print-on-demand fulfillment for fine art prints, canvas, metal, acrylic, and merchandise. It is sold primarily as an annual subscription, with optional managed marketing agency and consulting services.

Product overview

Art Storefronts is a single, unified e-commerce and marketing platform for artists and photographers, comprising a core website builder with unlimited photo galleries, image security, and SEO tools, integrated with print-on-demand fulfillment, AI-powered buyer identification (Art Buyer AI), a lightweight CRM, analytics dashboard, automated email marketing, and offline selling tools. The platform is complemented by Art Business University for education, Art Marketing Consulting with a 365-day plan and one-on-one workshops, and an exclusive Art Marketing Agency for outsourced services. The patent-pending Wall Preview Tool enables art visualization. All components work together to provide artists with a comprehensive solution for building and growing their online art businesses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Art Storefronts Platform Cloud-based e-commerce and website builder specifically designed for artists and photographers to sell art online, featuring industry-leading art-selling functionality, unlimited photo galleries, image security (no right-clicking, watermarks, no high-res display), custom domain support, and built-in SEO tools.
• Print-on-Demand Fulfillment Automated fine art print fulfillment service that handles printing, boxing, and shipping of art prints on archival-certified paper, canvas, metal, acrylic, and merchandise (calendars, puzzles, coasters, t-shirts, totes, bags, phone cases, mugs) with negotiated exclusive pricing from world-class vendors and first-class packaging.
• Art Business University
• Art Marketing Consulting
• Art Marketing Agency

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% customer renewal rate
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Shopify: Dominant generalist e-commerce platform that artists and photographers can use to build storefronts. Competes indirectly by offering broader tooling, app ecosystem, and integrations; lacks art-specific features like AR wall preview and built-in print-on-demand fulfillment.
• Squarespace: Design-forward website builder widely used by artists, photographers, and creators to showcase and sell work. Direct overlap on website building and basic e-commerce; squarespace is self-serve while Art Storefronts bundles marketing services and print fulfillment.
• Wix: Mass-market website builder with extensive app marketplace including photography and e-commerce add-ons. Competes as a generalist alternative for self-serve creators who want lower-cost DIY websites without the concierge onboarding Art Storefronts provides.

Direct peers

• SmugMug: Photo-focused portfolio and storefront platform with built-in print-on-demand fulfillment for photographers. Most direct competitor - serves the same SMB photographer segment with website + print lab + commerce in one product.
• PhotoShelter: Portfolio, e-commerce, and archive platform purpose-built for photographers, including stock-licensing workflows. Competes on the photographer-specific platform layer with print fulfillment and image protection features.
• Pic-Time: Gallery, sales, and print-on-demand platform designed for professional photographers to deliver, sell, and print client images. Competes directly for high-volume photographers and studios needing automated fulfillment and client proofing.
• Format: Portfolio website builder with e-commerce capabilities aimed at photographers, artists, and creative professionals. Directly comparable on the website/e-commerce layer though without Art Storefronts' depth of marketing agency and education services.
• Fine Art America: Online art marketplace and print-on-demand network where artists and photographers upload work for sale as prints and merchandise. Closely comparable on the marketplace + fulfillment model, though Art Storefronts emphasizes owned websites vs. a shared marketplace.
• Saatchi Art: Leading online art gallery and marketplace connecting artists with buyers worldwide for originals and prints. Competes on the art-selling side but without Art Storefronts' focus on giving artists their own branded storefront.

Emerging players

• Pixpa: All-in-one website builder with built-in online store and client galleries targeted at photographers, artists, and creatives. Competes in the same SMB creator segment with simpler, more affordable pricing than Art Storefronts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Art_Storefronts
• Facebookfacebook.com/ArtStorefronts
• Instagraminstagram.com/art_storefronts
• Pinterestpinterest.com/artstorefronts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Art Storefronts