Masterworks Review for 2026

If you want a diversified portfolio, you need more than just stocks and bonds. One increasingly popular way investors are diversifying their portfolio is with fine art— more specifically, lucrative blue-chip art investments.

We know what you are thinking. Purchasing your own Picasso is not a small feat; it’s expensive, illiquid, and requires special storage and maintenance. But what if we told you there’s a way to buy fractional shares of contemporary artwork by some of the world’s most famous artists.

This is what Masterworks excels at. It’s a community of more than 1,000,000 users from around the globe with exclusive access to art investments. If you are interested in investing in art for art’s sake or diversifying your portfolio, here is why it pays to know this platform.

Masterworks Overview

Masterworks.io is an online art investment platform founded in 2017 with the goal of allowing users to buy shares of some of the world's most iconic and valuable works of fine art.

Also known as blue-chip art, the pieces available here include highly sought-after paintings that are highly likely to gain in value over time.

Typically, you can find blue-chip artworks like these exhibited in major museums or sold at prestigious auction houses. Some of the most famous artists include Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, and Andy Warhol.

The art investment platform buys the painting itself then offers investors SEC-qualified fractional shares in the entity that owns the artwork. Once Masterworks does that, you can buy shares of that painting.

Thanks to Masterworks, you can invest in multimillion-dollar art and potentially see a sizable return on your investment without having to buy the entire painting.

Who Is Masterworks For?

Masterworks is an excellent platform for anyone looking to diversify their portfolio. If you’re just an art-lover and interested in owning a piece of a Picasso, Masterworks is perfect for you. 

There’s also long-term potential for significant profit, which is tempting even for those with no interest in art. While today’s art profiteers often rely on a range of NFT marketplaces to buy and sell digital art, investing in actual paintings without purchasing them can also be a lucrative opportunity. 

Historically, artwork has better returns than other types of investments, including stocks and bonds. Over the last 26 years, art investments averaged a 13.8% annual return. During the same period of time, the S&P 500 had a 10.2% annual return.

In addition to diversifying your portfolio, the value of the artwork won’t be affected by the ups and downs of the stock market, which isn’t really correlated with the art market.

How Masterworks Works

Masterworks is an investing platform for purchasing contemporary art. Its team evaluates the artwork, and experts choose pieces they believe will grow in value.

They’ve analyzed millions of data points to determine which paintings will increase in price the fastest.

Once the art is bought, Masterworks qualifies the offering with the SEC under Regulation A+. It allows them to sell shares of the artwork to the investors through the platform.

Since the art is offered through SEC-qualified offerings, both accredited investors and retail investors can participate in their offerings.

Shares of the piece are then sold for the primary offering period disclosed in the applicable offering documents. You can then purchase shares on Masterworks and there is a stated $15,000 minimum investment per offering.

It can take some time for the company to sell a piece. They may keep artwork in storage for a few years or more because there wasn’t an opportunity to sell it at the right price.

After the sale, Masterworks distributes all proceeds to the investors who purchased shares. Masterworks says it has raised $1.2 billion+ across 525+ SEC-qualified offerings and distributed $61M+ to investors, but it does not present that as a guaranteed return profile for future investments.

Investors who are not willing to wait for the art to be resold can sell their shares on a secondary market, which is also available on the platform. This allows users to trade shares with fellow members. However, the platform doesn’t guarantee that there will be buyers or sellers for the art you may wish to purchase or sell.

Additionally, the prices on the secondary market aren’t fixed - it depends on the demand for particular shares. The secondary market is available to both U.S. and eligible international investors, though access is subject to eligibility rules and restrictions.

App Features

The Masterworks platform comes with several excellent features that simplify the process of investing in art. 

Excellent Art Research Available to Investors

Masterworks currently has over 125 employees based in New York City, many of whom are seasoned art experts.

These people evaluate and research artists and their work to find art pieces that have the potential to grow in value over time.

Investors themselves have access to this research to help them choose which piece they want to invest in.

The Superb Platform Design 

The investing platform has a simple design that makes it easy to navigate. A database containing the prices of thousands of pieces and other resources is easily accessible. Buying and selling shares is also straightforward.

Furthermore, Masterworks has a streamlined web platform with a dedicated trading market and research content.

Accessible to Different Types of Investors

Until recently, investing in art was a privilege reserved for the ultrarich. These types of investments required large sums of money, including funds for storage and maintenance. 

With Masterworks, you don’t have to be a billionaire to invest in art. The platform makes investing in art accessible to different kinds of investors and for a much smaller amount of money.

What's more, you don’t have to be an accredited investor or even a high net individual to use the services. 

Excellent Customer Support 

As with any other decent investment platform, Masterworks pays special attention to the quality of its customer support. You can reach the support team via the channels provided through its platform and disclosures.

The initial point of contact is a membership interview, where you’ll be able to connect with experts and discuss your goals and risk tolerance.

You will also get expert advice to help you pick the appropriate pieces of art to add to your portfolio.

Things to Be Mindful Of

Even though Masterworks offers excellent investment opportunities, there are a few potential pitfalls.

There are No Guarantees 

Unlike when you purchase bonds for your portfolio, artwork doesn’t promise regular returns. Instead, you have to wait for the piece to be sold for a higher price down the road.

Unfortunately, Masterworks warns that they cannot guarantee you’ll make a good return on your investment, since past performance doesn’t guarantee future results.

Nevertheless, investors unhappy with their purchase can cash out early if they want, as Masterworks provides a secondary market on its platform.

Of course, to sell your investment, you have to find an investor willing to buy it, which is also not always guaranteed.  

Not-So Managed Portfolio for a Management Fee

The annual management fee on the platform is high. Moreover, investors are paying solely for the research and assistance in selecting investment products.

There’s a team that guides you in the investing process, but you are the ones who ultimately designs your portfolios.

Compared with robo-advisors that drastically simplify portfolio creation for investors, this business model might be challenging for some.

However, if you don’t mind taking the time to get better informed, you won’t have trouble navigating the platform. 

Investing Through Masterworks

The financials behind Masterworks are pretty straightforward, but the actual pricing will depend on the price of the art you are purchasing. No investor can purchase more than 10% of the shares of one art piece.

Masterworks currently charges a 1.5% annual management fee for using its services.

If the art increases in value and is sold on the open market, the platform keeps 20% of the profit.

Masterworks also says certain expenses are allocated to the investment vehicle, so investors should review each offering circular carefully.

How to Become a Masterworks Investor

Part of the application process involves requesting an invitation to join the platform, which requires you to complete the onboarding process and, in many cases, speak with the Masterworks team about your investment objectives and suitability.

The interview typically doesn’t last longer than 30 minutes, and the overall consensus among investors is that it’s incredibly helpful for getting familiar with the platform.

Our Verdict

Masterworks is a legitimate investment platform that offers members access to unique and exciting investment opportunities, representing a unique way to invest in art and diversify one's investment portfolio.

However, this investment is not without its share of risks. Your returns aren’t guaranteed and liquidity can be limited if you need to exit before a painting is sold or before finding a buyer on the secondary market. Of course, with greater risks come greater rewards.

Even though Masterworks art is thoroughly vetted by experts, you should never invest more than you can afford to lose.