How to Mint an NFT for Free: Three Ways

In general, users need to pay a fee (called a gas fee) in order to mint a non-fungible token (NFT) on a blockchain. However, there are certain techniques that allow you to sidestep this fee and mint an NFT for free. 

NFTs have become one of the leading extensions of blockchain technology. According to data from Chainalysis, the NFT market surpassed $41 billion in 2021 and keeps on expanding with each passing day.

Since NFTs are minted on a blockchain, the creator of the NFT needs to pay a certain amount of gas fee to get their NFT minted, a fee that has surged since the NFT boom began. To help users find more economical ways, let’s take a look at some possible methods through which they can mint NFTs for free.

1. Mint NFTs for Free Using Rarible

Rarible has introduced a new ‘lazy minting’ feature that neither asks you to pay gas fees nor write a smart contract. You can now mint a free NFT by using short lines of codes provided by Rarible. 

This next step aimed to improve the platform’s sustainability by eliminating the need for an Ethereum blockchain and unnecessary transactions. Hence, there is no upfront cost required to monetize your creation.

How Does Rarible’s “Lazy Minting” Work?

The traditional way to create an NFT requires users to mint it to the Ethereum blockchain. Doing so requires a gas fee to be paid right away, which is costly. However, the new lazy minting feature lets users skip the minting process when creating NFTs, which is then done while making a purchase.

This means the buyers will pay the fees instead of the seller.

So unless an NFT is purchased, it is listed on the marketplace and the data remains stored on IPFS (decentralized storage). 

While creating an NFT, you will sign the “minting authorizations” with your wallet, which is free and guarantees your ownership rights so that your creations remain in your control.

A Step-By-Step Guide to Mint an NFT

To mint a free NFT on Rarible using the lazy minting option, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Rarible.com website
2. Click on “Create”
3. Choose the wallet of your choice.
4. Choose the type of listing for your NFT
5. Enter the required information.
6. Select the “Free minting” option
7. And lastly, tap on the “Create Item” button and sign free authorizations with your wallet.

When a buyer purchases your NFT, it will be automatically minted and transferred to the new owner. Isn’t that simple?

Please note: if you wish to burn the lazy minted NFT, you will need to pay the gas fee as with the regular NFTs.

NB: The lazy minting functionality is available for the Rarible default collection only. It will be applied for owned collections soon.

2. Mint NFTs for Free Using OpenSea

OpenSea is the first and largest marketplace for NFTs, where you can buy and sell any digital goods in the form of assets stored on the blockchain. It supports multiple blockchains like Ethereum, Polygon, and Solana, focusing on growing the marketplace for creators, buyers, and sellers.

Creating an NFT on OpenSea is free, but selling it is not. The OpenSea marketplace charges sellers two prices before they can sell NFTs on the platform. The first fee is charged while initializing an account, priced between $70 and $300. 

The second fee of $10 to $30 is required to enable OpenSea to access the NFT. This platform is among the most trusted and preferred by NFT traders.

How to Mint NFTs for Free on OpenSea

Follow the step-by-step guide below to mint your first NFT on OpenSea for free.

1. Create a MetaMask wallet account

To sign in to OpenSea, you must log in through your cryptocurrency wallet account, which supports multiple blockchain networks. The most commonly used wallet on OpenSea is MetaMask, which can be created and used for free.

2. Create an OpenSea account and connect a wallet

Then, create an OpenSea account and link your wallet to it.

3. Set up your NFT collection

Next, set up your first OpenSea collection by going to your Profile icon on the upper right, and clicking on My Collections. Then, Create a single NFT, or click on Create a Collection. Fill in the relevant fields — your name, logo, descriptions, price, royalties, etc.

4. Select Polygon Network

Since Ethereum gas costs can be high, make sure to switch to the Polygon Network at this step to make your minting process gas-fee-free.

5. Start minting

Begin minting NFTs by clicking on the collection, and then on the Add item option. This will open up the form. Upload the piece of media that you want to convert into an NFT. Click on Create.

Now you’re done. You’ve just minted your first NFT on the Polygon Network, without paying gas fees. If you want to sell this NFT, click on Sell and proceed.

3. Mint NFTs for Free Using Mintable

Mintable is another convenient platform for traders to find cheaper ways to create or sell their NFTs. Surprisingly, it gives users a free creation process that requires zero fees for creating or listing NFTs for sale, making it a much more promising option for young and broke traders.

Mintable has created a suitable platform for artists looking for zero investment and higher gains. With its zero minting fees, it can soon become the top-visited marketplace. 

One more fact that might be the reason for its low traffic is the lengthy registration process which may annoy users. It might be a less user-friendly website, but it does offer NFT creators a free minting and sale process. 

Considering this, we must try this platform in this guide!

What is Mintable?

Mintable is offering its online customers a free minting process for creating NFT. If you want to have a free NFT, then go follow the following steps:

1. Visit the app. Also, keep in mind that the internet is full of scammers and data breaches. So make sure the site you are visiting is authentic.
2. Then, you need to sign up to access the website. Follow the given procedure to make your account on Mintable.
3. After the sign-up is completed, log in and click on “Mint.”
4. Select “Create a new item” when the pop-up appears on the screen
5. Then you will see another pop-up that will offer you an easy or advanced way of minting NFT. You have to choose between the available options.
6. After choosing the easy way, the website will ask you to connect your wallet. The most preferred wallet remains MetaMask, so connect it if you already have it.
7. Fill in the details of your NFT and upload the item you want to tokenize. You can choose from a variety of types. The item can be an image, audio, document, or even a ZIP file. Also, you will be required to add a preview of the item you want to upload, followed by filling in the description of the same item.
8. Then, choose if the copyright is transferred with the purchase.
9. Be it a fixed price, auction, or auction with buy now, select how you want to sell it. Auction with buy now means buyers can immediately purchase a token set for a special price regardless of the competition.
10. After completing all of the above steps, click on the “List This Item” button.
11. Then, you will be required to sign this transaction with Metamask, which is free.
12. After the signing step, your NFT will be listed and available for purchase at Mintable Gasless Shop. You can boost the sale on the NFT page as well.