How much does it cost to create an NFT on Solana?

Deploying is free on iMintify and Solana's network fee is a fraction of a cent per mint. Compressed NFTs push the cost even lower, which is why Solana is the cheapest chain for large drops.

What is a Candy Machine?

Candy Machine is Solana's standard for fair, on-chain minting from a public page. When you pick the mint-site route on iMintify, it sets up the Candy Machine and your public mint page for you, no code.

What are compressed NFTs (cNFTs)?

Compressed NFTs store data more efficiently on Solana, so minting thousands costs a tiny fraction of normal NFTs. iMintify offers cNFTs on the marketplace route, which makes huge Solana drops affordable.

Can I store my Solana NFT art permanently?

Yes. On Solana you can add permanent Arweave storage for a one-time fee, so your art never expires. Every collection is also pinned to IPFS for free. See our Arweave vs IPFS guide for the difference.

How to Create an NFT on Solana (No Code, 2026 Guide)

iMintify· Published June 16, 2026· Updated July 24, 2026

Solana is the cheapest and fastest chain to launch an NFT on, which is why it is the go-to for large drops and first-time creators. Mints cost a fraction of a cent, and with compressed NFTs you can launch thousands for almost nothing. This guide shows you how to create an NFT on Solana with no code, using iMintify.

Why create an NFT on Solana?

Three reasons: cost, speed and scale. Solana fees are tiny, confirmations are near-instant, and compressed NFTs (cNFTs) make even a 10,000-piece drop affordable. It also has strong marketplaces in Magic Eden and Tensor. The trade-off is a smaller collector base than Ethereum, so Solana suits volume and reach over prestige.

How to create an NFT on Solana, step by step

Make your art. Use the AI NFT generator from a prompt, or upload trait layers to the layer generator for a full collection.
Start the Solana deploy. In Deploy Collection, choose Solana. iMintify sets up the on-chain program for you, no Rust or CLI.
Pick your route. Choose a mint site (a Candy Machine public mint page on your own subdomain) or the marketplace route (mint to your wallet and list on Magic Eden or Tensor). For big drops, the marketplace route can use compressed cNFTs to keep costs tiny.
Add permanent storage (optional). On Solana you can pay once for Arweave so your art is stored permanently, on top of the free IPFS pinning.
Deploy and share. Sign once with a Solana wallet like Phantom, and your collection is live.

Mint site or marketplace on Solana?

Pick the mint site when you want collectors to mint directly from your own page with phases and an allowlist. Pick the marketplace route when you want your NFTs listed where Solana buyers already shop. iMintify supports both from the same deploy step.

What it costs

Creating and deploying is free. You only pay Solana's network fee, which is cents, and the one-time Arweave fee only if you choose permanent storage. New to the basics? Read what is an NFT or the full how to create an NFT guide.