ERC-721 vs ERC-1155: NFT Standard Selection

Perfect for 1-of-1 collectibles: Each token is a distinct, non-fungible asset with a unique ID and metadata. This is the standard for profile picture (PFP) projects like Bored Ape Yacht Club, standalone art on SuperRare, and real-world asset (RWA) deeds. It's the simplest, most battle-tested choice for true uniqueness.

Ideal for fungible & non-fungible items in one contract: A single contract can manage an entire game's inventory—1000 swords (fungible) and 1 legendary sword (non-fungible). Used by Enjin and The Sandbox. Enables efficient batch transfers, drastically reducing gas costs for minting and trading multiple items.

Maximum compatibility and liquidity: Supported by virtually every major marketplace (OpenSea, Blur, LooksRare), wallet, and indexing tool. The ownerOf and tokenURI functions are universally understood, simplifying integration. This widespread adoption minimizes development friction and maximizes asset reach.

Built for complex, high-volume applications: Features like batch transfers and semi-fungibility are native. The balanceOfBatch function allows checking balances for multiple token IDs in one call. This architecture is superior for dynamic ecosystems where users hold hundreds of items, as seen in play-to-earn games like Axie Infinity.

Specific advantage: Each token is a unique, non-fungible asset with its own metadata and owner. This is the bedrock standard for profile picture (PFP) projects like Bored Ape Yacht Club and high-value digital art on SuperRare. It ensures absolute scarcity and provenance for individual items.

Specific advantage: Near-universal marketplace and wallet support. Every major platform (OpenSea, Blur, MetaMask) is built around its interface. This matters for maximizing liquidity and discoverability for your collection, as it requires no custom integration work for buyers.

Specific limitation: Minting, transferring, or approving multiple unique items requires separate transactions. For a 10k PFP drop, this can cost users $50K+ in gas on Ethereum mainnet. This is prohibitive for mass airdrops or gaming where users interact with many assets.

Specific limitation: Metadata is typically locked to a token URI, making on-chain or dynamic updates complex. This matters for evolving game items or assets that need to change state. While solutions exist (like storing traits on-chain), they are not native to the standard.

Specific advantage: Mint, transfer, and approve multiple token types (fungible, non-fungible, semi-fungible) in a single transaction. This reduces gas costs by up to 90% for distributing game items or event tickets. Used by Enjin and The Sandbox for in-game economies.

Specific advantage: A single contract can manage an entire game's item catalog—from unique legendaries (supply: 1) to common potions (supply: 10,000). This simplifies inventory management and is ideal for Unreal/Unity game integrations where asset types are numerous.

Specific limitation: While OpenSea supports it, many secondary marketplaces have limited indexing or display logic for semi-fungible tokens. This can fragment liquidity. It matters for projects that rely heavily on aftermarket trading as a core feature.

Specific limitation: The hybrid model (managing both NFTs and FTs) requires more sophisticated wallet UI/UX and smart contract logic. This matters for consumer-facing apps where simplicity is key. Developers must build more tooling to abstract the complexity from end-users.

Single contract for fungible and non-fungible tokens. Enables minting, transferring, and approving thousands of token IDs in one transaction. This reduces gas costs by up to 90% for game item drops or mass airdrops compared to individual ERC-721 calls. Critical for gaming (like Enjin) and ticketing platforms where operations are bulk by nature.

Multiple token types in one atomic transaction. Users can swap a bundle of different items (e.g., 10 potions + 1 sword) for another bundle in a single, fail-safe operation. This native functionality eliminates trust issues and complex escrow logic, making it the superior standard for in-game marketplaces and decentralized exchanges for assets.

The de facto standard for blue-chip NFTs. Supported by every major marketplace (OpenSea, Blur), wallet (MetaMask, Rainbow), and indexer. This eliminates integration overhead and ensures maximum liquidity and discoverability. Non-negotiable for profile picture (PFP) projects, 1/1 art, and any asset where primary sales and secondary market reach are paramount.

One smart contract per collection. Each token is a unique, non-fungible asset with a dedicated ownership record and metadata URI. This simplicity provides unambiguous provenance and is perfectly suited for high-value digital art, real-world asset (RWA) deeds, and membership passes where individual asset tracking is the core requirement.

Not natively supported by all marketplaces. While OpenSea supports it, some aggregators and wallets may have limited display or trading functionality for semi-fungible tokens. Requires more due diligence on infrastructure compatibility, adding complexity for projects targeting a broad, non-technical user base.

Inefficient for mass operations. Minting 10,000 items requires 10,000 separate transactions or a complex, custom minting contract. This leads to prohibitive gas fees and a poor user experience for play-to-earn games, layer-2 loyalty points, or any application requiring frequent, bulk state changes.