ERC-721 Alternative: Best Non-Ethereum NFT Standards You Should Know

When people talk about NFTs, they usually mean ERC-721, the original token standard for unique digital assets on Ethereum. But it’s not the only option anymore—and for many users, it’s not even the best one. ERC-721 made NFTs possible, but it’s slow, expensive, and clunky. High gas fees, network congestion, and long confirmation times make it frustrating for everyday users. That’s why smart creators, collectors, and traders are moving to Solana NFT, a fast, low-cost NFT standard built on the Solana blockchain, Polygon NFT, an Ethereum-compatible layer-2 solution with near-zero fees, and other chains that actually work for real people.

Unlike ERC-721, which forces you to pay dozens of dollars just to mint one NFT, Solana lets you mint thousands for under a dollar. Polygon cuts Ethereum fees by 99% while keeping compatibility with most wallets and marketplaces. These aren’t just alternatives—they’re upgrades. And they’re not theoretical. Projects like ZAM TrillioHeirs and GamesPad’s GMPD airdrops already use these chains because they’re faster, cheaper, and more reliable. Even exchanges like NovaEx and Karura Swap now prioritize non-Ethereum NFTs because that’s where the activity is.

Some people still cling to ERC-721 because it’s familiar. But familiarity doesn’t mean better. If you’re buying, selling, or creating NFTs in 2025, you’re wasting time and money if you’re only looking on Ethereum. The real innovation—better token standards, faster transactions, lower costs—is happening elsewhere. Below, you’ll find real-world examples of NFT projects that skipped ERC-721 entirely, reviews of exchanges that support these alternatives, and guides on how to move your assets off Ethereum without getting scammed. This isn’t about hype. It’s about using the tools that actually work.