Every NFT art collection yearns to be displayed, and for many collectors, the ideal place to show off their portfolio is on the walls of their home. This leads to the question: What is the best device for displaying my NFTs at home?
There are many digital displays on the market that cater to digital art collectors. But only some of these frames are optimized for blockchain-based art (aka, NFTs). And among that subset, features vary widely from brand to brand. Just some factors to consider when purchasing an NFT display frame are what screen sizes the manufacturer offers; which blockchains they support; whether audio playback is supported; and whether the frame can rotate to best show off portrait- or landscape-oriented images.
As I recently started looking for the perfect frame to showcase my own NFT collection, I found myself overwhelmed by the options. So I began to compile this complete roundup of the state of the digital display market going into 2024 to help other collectors navigate the numerous options and find the perfect frame for them.
My picks are based on my own extensive research into each brand’s product offerings. As you will see, my assessments are honest and sometimes idiosyncratic. For some brands below, I have included a purchase link that will automatically return a percentage of the sale to me. If you choose to buy a frame, please consider supporting my work by using a purchase link in this article.
And now on to the good stuff: Here are my picks for the best displays on the market for NFT collectors.
Best Overall NFT Frame: The Muse Frame
Out of all the products on the market right now, the Muse Frame has the most to offer NFT collectors.
The Muse frame offers a range of frame sizes (even as small as 10"), all at reasonable prices. It beats out competitors because of its smooth interface, ease of use, and flexibility in displaying different types of artwork (including NFTs, personal photos, and art from subscription services). Plus, I found the company to be extremely responsive, and even receptive to criticism, as I researched this article.
Between the best overall user experience and the most flexible product, you really can’t go wrong with a Muse frame.
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Best NFT Frame for Hardcore Collectors: TokenFrame
UPDATE NOVEMBER 19, 2024: I no longer recommend TokenFrame displays.
The TokenFrame software that comes pre-loaded with their displays has not worked for at least 3 weeks, as the company has run out of money. While it is possible for existing customers to use workarounds to display NFTs on TokenFrames, and the company is exploring subscription-based options to fund the TokenFrame software, I do not advise purchasing a TokenFrame display at this time.
TokenFrame is the only brand whose product is fully committed to NFTs, in that their frames can only display tokenized art. This strict approach will appeal to users who believe in respecting the authenticity and provenance of digital art: If you see a piece of art on a TokenFrame, you can be sure that the author purchased on the blockchain.
I ended up purchasing a 32" TokenFrame display during the course of writing this article. I’ve found it to be a beautiful display for my Ethereum-based and Polygon-based NFTs. I appreciate being able to rotate the frame, and having the ability to schedule the frame to turn on and off. TokenFrame’s pricing is reasonable, and I also found them to be responsive to my inquiries for this article.
That being said, the product doesn’t have the smoothest UX, since users can only interact with the screen through the TokenFrame webapp or smartphone app. This requires occasionally having to authenticate before you can take any action with the device, which can be a pain for those who use a hardware wallet to protect their NFT collection.
But for purists committed to a world of blockchain-authenticated art, there is really only one brand out there for you, and that’s TokenFrame.
Best Frame for Nifty Gateway Collectors: The FRAME by Samsung
For those who collect NFTs primarily through Nifty Gateway, Samsung’s competitively priced FRAME TV is the clear choice. With a native app that allows users to display their own Nifty Gateway collection, and even purchase NFTs through their TV, Samsung has built an easy to use platform that follows Nifty Gateway’s lead on making it easy for mainstream users to become NFT collectors.
In addition, the device offers a long list of great features for a digital display, including support for audio and video (naturally), mechanical device rotation (via an add-on mount), plus automatic picture adjustment based on ambient light.
However, this TV does not offer native support for NFTs out there on public blockchains such as Ethereum, so it’s not ideal for all collectors. If you want to show off NFTs you own outside of Nifty Gateway’s ecosystem, you have to rely on apps made for smart TVs. Additionally, the OneConnect box that must be attached precludes this from being used easily as a wall frame.
Still, it is a beautiful display offered at a relatively low price by a major manufacturer with more versatility than any other frame on this list.
The Full Roundup - All the NFT Display Frames
As you may be able to tell by now, each device comes with its own trade-offs. It will be up to you as a collector to figure out what are the key features you need in an NFT display frame, and find the best match among this list.
Here are my full thoughts on each brand, including the ones that didn’t make the cut for my top picks.
Muse Frame
A uniquely versatile option for NFT collectors that can also display non-tokenized images.
The Muse Frame was launched by and for NFT collectors after they found existing solutions lacking. This is a scrappy company with a focus on the hustle, and their determination to build the best solution for crypto art collectors is evident from their hustle to meet the demands of customers. (For this article, the founder of the Muse frame answered my questions extensively and even arranged a remote walkthrough so I could “test drive” the product.)
To start with, Muse frames come in a variety of sizes from very small (a 10" tabletop display) to large (55"), and even two square sizes. They are generally priced in the middle-high end of the market, in line with competitors like TokenFrame. They run on Android and come with a remote control and 16GB of memory, which can store your NFTs for offline playback.
Muse frames support the Ethereum and Polygon networks via Metamask, Rainbow, and Coinbase wallet logins. While I wish there were support for more blockchains, you are able to access the device’s browser on Muse frames, which means that in theory you can display any NFT through the web interface of your choice. Out of all the companion apps I was able to test, I found that Muse’s companion iPhone app, which lets you select NFTs to cast to the frame, was the easiest to navigate and the most responsive.
Muse frames can be physically rotated to portrait or landscape mode, and you can customize how NFTs display within your that orientation. They include built-in speakers in the rear of the unit. Muse Frames do not support automatic display adjustment based on lighting conditions or a scheduled on/off feature, although they assured me the latter feature is coming soon.
Muse Frames will appeal to a more general audience than something like TokenFrame or Atomic Form since they can support casting of any image from the user’s phone library. In addition, the Muse Frame offers support for an art subscription service (Sedition), so that a user does not have to own NFTs to be able to display a variety of artwork.
Overall, the Muse Frame offers the widest feature set and the most flexibility for NFT collectors. You can’t go wrong with one of these frames.
TokenFrame
Designed for the devout, this strict NFT display is the right choice for those who most value blockchain authentication.
UPDATE NOVEMBER 19, 2024: I no longer recommend TokenFrame displays.
The TokenFrame software that comes pre-loaded with their displays has not worked for at least 3 weeks, as the company has run out of money. While it is possible for existing customers to use workarounds to display NFTs on TokenFrames, and the company is exploring subscription-based options to fund the TokenFrame software, I do not advise purchasing a TokenFrame display at this time.
From my research, TokenFrame stood out as the company that was most committed to nurturing the specific world of NFT art. While all brands on this list marketed to collectors of crypto art, most other companies also offered features meant to broaden the appeal of their products beyond the limited audience of NFT collectors.
Not TokenFrame. NFT collectors are their audience. That is to say, this product does not have all the features that a digital display frame could have — and that’s what makes it stand out. To be specific, a TokenFrame display will not let you show photos from your phone, or allow you to subscribe to an art curation service. You don’t have access to the browser, or even to any physical settings on the device. It’s there to show off the images you own on the blockchain, and it’s all done through their authenticated web portal.
TokenFrame supports displaying NFTs on the Ethereum, Polygon, and Solana networks via MetaMask, WalletConnect, and Phantom wallets. Promised support for Tezos is still to come. The company also told me they are working on support for Bitcoin Ordinals.
TokenFrame offers a wide variety of frame sizes, including square sizes. Overall, their pricing was on the high end for most models. The 32” model, their most popular model according to a representative, retails for $999. (This was the model I ultimately purchased myself.)
TokenFrames come with a rotating mount. When rotated, the display will update automatically to match the new orientation. The frames include speakers, but they are not good, with no bass response to speak of.
Getting my TokenFrame set up was a bit of a chore, since the locked-down device requires you to connect it to wifi via your phone. But once set up, I found the frame to be zippy and responsive. The TokenFrame webapp is a better software experience than most, although there is room for improvement in terms of responsiveness.
Overall, I felt that TokenFrame was the best choice for committed NFT collectors. If you worry that allowing non-tokenized images onto an NFT display frame raises thorny questions of authenticity, then TokenFrame is the choice for you.
Atomic Form
A premium offering, especially useful for Nifty Gateway collectors, whose feature list may not justify its price point.
Atomic Form offers single-size frame for experienced NFT collectors called the Wave. There are three things to know about this offering.
First, the Wave only comes in one display size — a 27” 4k display (comparable in size to many desktop display monitors).
Second, the Wave is priced very high, at $1,500. For comparison, the only other company offering a 27” frame is Meural, whose Canvas product lists at $699 — less than half the cost of an Atomic Form display. Consider also that TokenFrame’s larger 32” display costs $999. Atomic Form is clearly out of step with their competitors in this size range.
Third, Atomic Form is one of only two displays that integrates with Nifty Gateway. This is good news for collectors on that platform, since it means you can just log in to your Nifty Gateway account to display your NFTs. For most other displays on this list, Nifty Gateway users would be forced to transfer each NFT they want to display to an external wallet, which is potentially expensive depending on Ethereum gas prices, not to mention a major pain in the butt (let me tell you!).
Apart from the connection to Nifty Gateway’s closed ecosystem, Atomic Form supports Ethereum and Solana through Metamask and Phantom wallets. (It was not clear if it supported any layer 2 networks such as Polygon.)
The Wave display frame can be rotated to display NFTs in portrait or landscape mode. It does not seem to support direct audio output, although it can connect to an output device through Bluetooth. Unique among competitors, the Wave can be purchased in ETH (always equal to an approximate price of $,1500 USD).
I was not able to test a Wave frame, but I was able to log into Atomic Form’s webapp, which I found to be basic and clunky. Several of my Nifty Gateway NFTs showed up as broken image icons. (For what it’s worth, Duncan Cock Foster, one of the Co-Founders of Nifty Gateway, told me that he loves his Atomic Form display.)
Apart from their Wave frame, Atomic Form offers a product called Photon that allows you to display your NFTs on any display via HDMI. So if you have the perfect display in mind and want to find an easy (and portable) way to show off your Ethereum-based, Solana-based, or Nifty Gateway-based NFT collections, that may be your best option.
Ultimately, I could not find enough standout features that justified the large premium this company charges for their flagship Wave frame. Still, for Nifty Gateway collectors who are not sensitive to price, Atomic Frame could be a fine choice.
Samsung “The Frame”
A thin TV from a major brand that can display NFTs and other art, but whose external box limits where it can be placed.
Samsung’s “The Frame” stands out on this list as a bit of an odd fit. It is one of two options that are made by large corporations instead of indie startups. The product is sometimes called “The Frame TV,” because in fact, it is a fully functioning TV. However, it has been marketed at digital art collectors because of its slim profile and included picture frame with customizable bezels. And indeed, this product does have a number of features which are compelling for NFT collectors.
But let’s start with the one weird thing about this product (other than the fact that it can play TV shows): In order to get such a slim profile, Samsung moved some of the functions of a typical TV to a physical box called the One Connect box. The box serves as a hub for all connections to the TV, including power and HDMI, coaxial, ethernet, and USB. It must be connected to the TV in order for it to work.
Now, all devices on this list call for at least one cord — typically just a power cord — and many companies acknowledge that this is an aesthetic challenge for digital displays vs. analog frames. So in one sense, the One Connect Box is an improvement, in that it allows any connections to the device to take place well away from the screen, keeping the one power cord in place.
But this also means that the One Connect Box must have a surface to sit on top of, and this will limit where the display can be placed in the home. If you’re going to hang the frame above the mantle, great! If you’re looking for a TV that can also display your digital art, fantastic! But if you’re hoping to hang this in the hallway, you’ve now got a bit of an awkward problem.
Now, let’s review what The Frame offers digital art collectors. The Frame offers a large variety of screen sizes, starting at 32” (typical for a digital frame but small for a TV) to 86” (enormous). There are three customizable bezel upgrades (brown, teak, and white) that can be easily added over the default black. The various Frame sizes were consistently priced on the low end of the market — which is impressive considering how many features this product offers. But adding custom frames, or adding on a One Invisible Connection cable, will add some cost.
The Frame supports audio playback (naturally, being a TV), as well as rotation of the Frame (not so naturally for a TV!). Notably, itseems to support automatic dimming based on lighting conditions.
In terms of support for NFTs, the Frame is uniquely mixed. The Samsung NFT Platform app comes pre-installed on the device, and is powered by Nifty Gateway. This is fantastic for Nifty Gateway collectors, who are otherwise short-changed by most other brands on this list. Samsung NFT Platform users can even purchase NFTs directly through their TV to display.
The Nifty Gateway integration also features a neat solution for the problem of a user displaying art that they haven’t purchased. The screen can seemingly show any NFT on Nifty Gateway — but if the user doesn’t own it, a Nifty Gateway logo will be superimposed on a corner of the screen.
Unfortunately, the Samsung NFT Platform does not support wallet login for any blockchain — which means no Metamask login and no out-of-the-box support for even your Ethereum-based NFTs. I find this rather shocking for a device marketed to NFT collectors. Instead, you have to rely on third party apps in their ecosystem to cast your NFTs, which may or may not support your preferred blockchain. Presumably, though, you could access the device’s browser and show off your NFTs that way.
If all else fails, you have the option of downloading the media files from your NFTs and casting them to the screen from your phone (which is bound to be a major pain no matter what platform you’re using).
For the larger displays (43"-65"), a separate auto-rotating wall-mount is available that will mechanically rotate your display to portrait or landscape orientation. This is supposed to integrate with the NFT Platform app to rotate your TV to display NFTs in landscape mode.
Overall, I was surprised to find such a strong contender for an NFT frame from a major manufacturer. While the lack of native support for NFTs on any public blockchain is unfortunate, Nifty Gateway users at least will find a smooth solution for displaying their collections without having to move their NFTs off the platform.
Canvia
A budget offering for art lovers who might own some NFTs on Ethereum.
The Canvia Digital Art Canvas is aimed at traditional art collectors who value a high-quality display at a low price point. It is a smaller display frame available in only one size (27”). It is priced on the budget side, at $521.
But the Canvia canvas offers only limited support for crypto art. Canvia allows for logging in with Metamask to display NFTs. Unfortunately, this seems to be the only wallet they support, and it was not clear whether they support any Ethereum L2 blockchains such as Polygon.
On the other hand, this device supports the casting of personal pictures via user uploads or login via Google Photos, a great feature for many consumers who may not be into NFT collecting. Canvia also offers an art service subscription, so the user doesn’t need to own an NFT to display art. Additionally, the company partners with digital artists to display their art. (The pricing of these services were not clear to me.)
One nice feature is that Canvia does automatically dim according to the ambient light. But Canvia does not support rotation of the frame, and does not have native audio playback, two features that some NFT collectors will miss.
I was able to test Canvia’s web interface, which I found smooth, although I encountered an error when trying to login with Metamask.
Buyers will want to make sure they are comfortable with the large white matte surrounding the screen. It certainly helps position the content as art, mimicking a traditional way to display photos or paintings in a physical frame. But it also limits the size of the art, and options for displaying different aspect ratios.
Given the frame’s limited support for wallet login and apparent lack of support for any blockchains besides Ethereum, Canvia seems like a better option for those looking for a general market digital display frame than dedicated NFT collectors.
MetaSill
A good-looking option for displaying NFTs.
MetaSill NFT frames are a mid-market offering that come in a variety of sizes, including squares, from a 10" frame all the way up to a 75" frame.
The MetaSill stands out for me as the backbone of the Crypt Gallery in Manhattan, which features a truly formidable amount of displays on the wall of the lobby of the Dream Hotel. They at least look fantastic.
MetaSill allows login via Metamask and Phantom, supporting Ethereum and presumably Solana. I was able to set up an account on their web portal easily, but I was not able to test casting or display options to a screen.
MetaSill NFT are missing some of the premium features that define the higher end of the market, in that they do not support audio playback, automatic dimming, or screen rotation (at least that I could find mention of). They do not offer an integration with a subscription art service, or platforms like Nifty Gateway.
The company has a less polished web presence that seems to be focused more on offering rentals than purchases. I found that some of the links on their website were dead, and the company did not respond to my inquiry.
If all you need is a great-looking screen to display your NFTs, MetaSill frames (at least the smaller sizes), should be a good option for the price.
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Meural Canvas
A workable offering from a large brand, but whose user experience is lacking.
The other big brand competing for NFT collectors’ dollars is NetGear with their Meural line of digital frames. The company offers three options: The Meural 13.5"x7.5" Frame (not called Canvas), with a 15.6" diagonal; the Meural 16"x24" Canvas, which sports a 21.5" diagonal; and the Meural 19”x29” Canvas, which has a 27" diagonal.
Like the Canvia Canvas, Meural frames are marketed to NFT collectors as one category of digital art collectors. It seems like Meural’s main demographics are users looking to showcase their personal photos, or who want to show off art from a free curation service or optional subscription service. Consequently, their support for NFTs is limited.
Meural supports Ethereum and Solana NFTs via MetaMask, Coinbase, and Phantom wallet logins. Their webapp allows you to collect multiple wallets at once, so you can select which NFTs from your various wallets you want to display. There is a companion mobile app as well.
The Meural hardware includes a light sensor that automatically adjusts the lighting of the frame according to room lighting, and will even turn off the frame when the lights go out (a favorite feature of mine).
Though a feature called the Meural Art Service, users are able to select art to display on their Canvas. Though it is a subscription service, it includes a decent selection of art that can be displayed for free.
Oddly, the Meural Art Service has partnerships with the NFT platforms SuperRare and Async Art that allow users to display works from those platforms, even if they don’t own the NFTs. When I checked, there were a few dozen pieces from each website that were available even for free users to display. (Given Async Art’s recent announcement that they will be shutting down, I wonder if this integration will continue to be supported.)
I own a Meural 13.5”x7.5” frame, so this is one of the devices I can speak to with the most experience. This particular frame, the smallest of the three offerings from Netgear, is made to be placed on a surface instead of hung on a wall. It comes with a built-in stand that allows it to be be placed in portrait or landscape mode.
Overall, I’m lukewarm on this product. My initial experience was bogged down by the poor UX of their mobile app and lack of support for Tezos. This forced me to have to download the files associated with my Tezos NFTs and cast them to the display one by one — an arduous process. (Note: I have not found any display frame that supports Tezos NFTs.)
But once I got my favorite NFTs on the device, and once I got the hang of casting to it, I have come to appreciate it more. I enjoy seeing my collection rotating through this screen all day long, and turn off when the lights do.
My biggest remaining complaint (besides lack of Tezos support) is the quirky user interface on the device itself. Instead of including a remote, Netgear developed a gesture interface that requires you to wave your hand in different directions in front of the device to navigate the menu. Unfortunately, I have never gotten the hang of this control method, and I would say solidly less than 30% of my gestures are successful in getting the device to do what I want.
Overall, the Meural is a good device for NFT collectors who want to show off their Ethereum or Solana NFTs alongside other images at a reasonable price. Just be prepared to struggle your way through the gesture controls as you set it up.
BlackDove
An NFT display from an innovative company, held back by a mandatory subscription.
BlackDove has historically targeted the higher end of the NFT display market with screen sizes ranging from 43" all the way to 98" (!). But as I write this, they are taking preorders for smaller frame sizes that compete with the other brands mentioned in this article, including a 21.5" and a 32" display, as well as two square sizes of 22" and 33". The pricing for these new frames is right in line with competitors at those sizes.
BlackDove frames support Ethereum based NFTs through MetaMask and WalletConnect logins. It was not clear whether they support any other blockchains.
The BlackDove frames offer audio playback, and come with a remote control. The frames do not support rotation.
While I did not have access to a BlackDove device, I was able to log into their webapp using Metamask. I found the software experience passable, if not exactly pleasant.
The major downside of BlackDove’s offerings is that you have to use their app to display your NFTs, and you have to pay a monthly fee of at least $20/month to use the app — apparently even if you’ve bought their hardware. (I sure hope I’m misunderstanding, but the company did not respond to my inquiries requesting clarification.)
With apologies to Blackdove, I struggle to imagine why anyone would buy a NFT display device that’s going to lose that ability as soon as you let your monthly subscription lapse.
It’s not all bad news here, though. I was impressed that BlackDove allows users to buy NFTs directly through their webapp.
And BlackDove was the only company I found that offered the ability for buyers to purchase display licenses for artworks. This is a novel solution for showcasing art on a digital frame, and one that sidesteps thorny blockchain issues of image hosting and user authentication. I can easily see consumers wondering why they’d bother with all the fuss of NFTs (including having to acquire crypto, purchase and transfer the artwork, then log in through a display app), when they could just buy a license with cash and have the artwork show up right away.
Overall, I’m put off by BlackDove’s insistence on charging users a monthly fee to use a BlackDove display. And for a company focused on NFT art, I am surprised their support for blockchain networks appears to be limited to Ethereum. Otherwise, though, the company seems to be developing some innovative approaches to displaying NFTs, which is refreshing to see in a time when some of their competitors’ focus on crypto art seems to have waned.
Infinite Objects
A great option for a desktop frame permanently dedicated to showcasing a single NFT.
Infinite Objects is unique among display options in that these displays can only display one video ever. They call it a “video print” — a permanent, looping playback of a single file.
Infinite Objects only offers small devices — tabletop options ranging from 5" (about the size of a playing card) to 10" (about the size of a sheet of paper). They come with bamboo or clear acrylic frames.
Despite their small size, they must be connected to power at all times. These displays are not capable of sound playback. The screens do not turn off automatically, nor adjust to lighting conditions.
I think Infinite Objects may work best as a gift. For example, with the help of the artist Anas Abdin, I was able to gift my brother a custom portrait of our grandmother after she passed. He was touched and delighted by the video print, and the company does a great job building a memorable unboxing experience.
Infinite Objects is committed to the web 3 ethos. They will only print NFTs whose creators have authorized them to be printed. However, you may also upload your own video to Infinite Objects, and forego the blockchain route altogether.
Therefore, this option is best for collectors who are attached to a single NFT or artist who has authorized their work to be printed via Infinite Objects displays.
Frames that Folded
In case it helps anyone else attempting a round-up of all the NFT displays on the market , I’ve also compiled a list of NFT displays that I saw recommended in the course of my research which seem to have gone out of business:
FRAMED Mono X7 Digital Canvas
Qonos Digital Frame
BlockFrameNFT Crypto Frame
Lago — The Frame
Conclusion
I hope this has helped you evaluate the options for NFT displays out there. I’d love to hear your feedback if you own one of these devices yourself — find me on your social network of choice at @niftyist.
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