Printful vs Redbubble: Key Pros and Cons for Sellers

Choosing between Printful and Redbubble has become a key decision for anyone interested in selling custom products. These platforms serve entirely different purposes while sharing a common foundation of print-on-demand services. Printful integrates deeply into online stores and focuses on branding, product variety, and control, whereas Redbubble functions as a marketplace simplifying the selling process. Both attract entrepreneurs and creators, but the differences in their target audiences, flexibility, and features often influence the final choice.

The Main Difference Between Printful and Redbubble

The main difference between Printful and Redbubble is that Printful acts as a print-on-demand fulfillment service that integrates with your e-commerce store, while Redbubble operates as a global marketplace where independent artists can sell their designs directly to consumers. This distinction significantly influences how both platforms function, offering unique benefits depending on an individual’s business needs and goals.

What is Printful?

Printful is a print-on-demand and dropshipping company that enables e-commerce entrepreneurs to create and sell custom products online. It acts as a fulfillment service that integrates seamlessly with platforms like Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, and others, allowing sellers to upload designs and have products automatically printed, packed, and shipped to customers when orders are placed. Printful offers a wide range of products, including apparel, accessories, home goods, and even custom embroidery items. The focus is on giving users full control over branding and customer experience, as Printful works behind the scenes to fulfill your orders.

What is Redbubble?

Redbubble, on the other hand, is an online marketplace that provides a dedicated platform for independent artists to showcase and sell their work. In this model, artists upload their designs onto Redbubble’s website, and customers can browse and purchase products featuring those designs. Redbubble handles all aspects of printing, order fulfillment, and shipping, while artists earn royalties based on product sales. The marketplace primarily caters to a consumer audience looking for unique and creative designs, spanning products like clothing, stickers, stationery, and home decor.

While both platforms revolve around custom-printed products, their fundamental approach to selling and fulfillment creates a significant divergence in user experience and business model.

Key Differences Between Printful and Redbubble

1. Business Model: Printful is designed for entrepreneurs who operate their own e-commerce stores, while Redbubble is a marketplace that allows artists to sell directly to consumers.
2. Control Over Branding: With Printful, users maintain control over branding and packaging, enabling them to use their logo and custom labels. In contrast, Redbubble branding is more prominent, and artists have little to no control over the shipment presentation.
3. Integration Options: Printful integrates seamlessly with popular e-commerce platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, and Etsy, helping users manage their entire sales process. However, Redbubble does not offer integration with external platforms since it operates as a standalone marketplace.
4. Cost Structure: On Printful, sellers only pay for products and shipping after a sale is made, which requires pricing your products to include a profit margin. In comparison, Redbubble manages pricing, paying artists a royalty or set percentage for each sale.
5. Product Range: Printful typically offers a broader product selection, including embroidery and more niche items like eco-friendly products. Redbubble’s product catalog is extensive but focuses more on artistic and marketplace-demand items.
6. Profit Margins: With Printful, users set their own profit margins, allowing for more financial control. On the other hand, Redbubble’s royalty system limits profit flexibility.
7. Brand Visibility: Printful operates in the background, allowing entrepreneurs to build their own brand identity. Conversely, Redbubble’s platform-centric model means that customers associate purchases with Redbubble rather than the individual artist.
8. Order Control: Printful allows entrepreneurs to handle everything, including custom orders and customer-specific requests. Redbubble does not offer this type of flexibility, as it’s a marketplace that standardizes its services.
9. Target Audience: Printful is ideal for entrepreneurs looking to build their own business and customer base, while Redbubble attracts independent artists who want a pre-existing consumer base browsing a marketplace.
10. Startup Flexibility: With Printful, you have to establish your own store and drive traffic, whereas Redbubble allows you to simply upload designs without building an external infrastructure.

Key Similarities Between Printful and Redbubble

1. Print-On-Demand Model: Both Printful and Redbubble operate on a print-on-demand basis, meaning products are only created after a customer places an order, avoiding inventory risks.
2. Wide Product Variety: Both platforms offer a diverse catalog of customizable items, ranging from clothing and accessories to home decor and printed goods.
3. No Upfront Costs for Inventory: Neither Printful nor Redbubble requires sellers to purchase inventory upfront, making them cost-effective choices for creators and entrepreneurs.
4. Global Shipping Options: Both platforms offer international shipping, enabling sellers and buyers to reach a broader global audience.
5. Custom Design Uploads: Both platforms allow users to upload their unique artwork for product customization.
6. Eco-Conscious Practices: Printful and Redbubble both emphasize sustainability, offering environmentally friendly products and reducing waste through on-demand manufacturing.
7. Flexible Use Cases: Whether you’re an independent artist or an entrepreneur, both platforms cater to different use cases, offering scalable solutions for customization.
8. No Need for Technical Expertise: Both Printful and Redbubble are user-friendly platforms that don’t require advanced technological know-how to upload designs or manage sales.

Features of Printful vs Redbubble

1. E-Commerce Integration: Printful stands out in its ability to integrate with popular e-commerce platforms, enabling sellers to use it as a backend for their independent online stores. Redbubble operates more like an all-in-one marketplace focused exclusively on listing and selling designs.
2. Fulfillment Process: Both platforms handle printing and shipping, but Printful supports branded packaging and shipping flexibility, while Redbubble provides standard, Redbubble-branded order fulfillment.
3. Product Range: Printful offers a diverse catalog of products, including embroidered apparel, wall art, and eco-friendly items. Redbubble, meanwhile, focuses on artistic products like stickers, stationery, and trendy home goods.
4. Pricing Model: Printful charges sellers the cost of production and shipping, leaving profit margins up to the seller, whereas Redbubble calculates and automates artist royalties based on sales.
5. Customer Relationship Management: Printful allows businesses to collect and manage their customer data, helping with email marketing and relationship building. Redbubble keeps customer information within its ecosystem, not sharing it with sellers.
6. Marketplace Presence: Redbubble functions as a ready-built marketplace with high traffic from artistic design enthusiasts. Printful lacks a marketplace, requiring sellers to generate traffic to their e-commerce stores.
7. Branding Opportunities: Printful offers custom branding options, including personalized labels and packaging, which are unavailable on Redbubble where products are shipped in Redbubble-branded packaging.
8. Ease of Setup: Redbubble is designed for simplicity, with minimal setup steps required for creators to start selling. Printful, on the other hand, involves integrating with an external e-commerce platform, which can be more complex for beginners.

Pros of Printful Over Redbubble

1. Control Over Branding: Printful gives you complete control over branding, which includes custom labels, packaging, and even branded inserts. This allows you to reinforce your business identity and build customer loyalty.
2. Integration with E-commerce Platforms: Printful seamlessly integrates with several popular e-commerce platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and Etsy, empowering you to fully own the customer sales journey.
3. Higher Profit Margins: With Printful, you set your own pricing and profit margins, giving you greater financial control and allowing you to scale based on your pricing strategy.
4. Diverse Product Catalog and Quality: Printful offers a wide range of high-quality products, including options for embroidery and custom branding, which often surpass the artistic-focussed inventory on Redbubble.
5. Customizable Shipping Options: Printful allows you to manage and brand shipping options, giving you flexibility in choosing delivery methods and shipping fee structures.
6. Focus on B2B Growth: Printful’s focus on professional business-to-business services makes it an excellent choice for entrepreneurs building a long-term e-commerce business.
7. Global Fulfillment Network: Printful has fulfillment centers located around the world, enabling faster shipping times and better scalability for businesses targeting international customers.
8. Order Management Flexibility: You have the ability to manage and customize orders or handle specific customer demands, which is impossible on a platform like Redbubble.

Cons of Printful Compared to Redbubble

1. Upfront Marketing Efforts: On Printful, you are responsible for driving traffic to your store since it doesn’t offer a built-in marketplace. This can be challenging for those unfamiliar with digital marketing strategies.
2. Complex Setup Process: The process of integrating Printful with e-commerce platforms and setting up a store can be time-consuming and requires technical knowledge compared to the plug-and-play nature of Redbubble.
3. Higher Initial Resource Commitment: While Printful doesn’t require upfront inventory, establishing your store, brand, and marketing often demands a greater investment of time and money.
4. No Pre-Existing Audience: Printful does not have a built-in customer base, unlike Redbubble’s vibrant marketplace, which means you need to build your own audience.
5. Shipping Fees Responsibility: You need to manage and charge shipping fees on Printful’s platform, which can add another layer of complexity for business owners starting out.
6. Learning Curve for Beginners: The Printful business model may be less beginner-friendly due to its focus on integration, branding, and profit management compared to the simpler, artist-friendly setup of Redbubble.
7. Risk of Overpricing for Beginners: Setting your own profit margins may lead to high pricing if you’re inexperienced, potentially reducing customer interest.
8. Lack of Organic Discoverability: Unlike Redbubble, Printful does not provide organic discoverability for sellers’ designs since it lacks a marketplace for showcasing listings.

Pros of Redbubble Over Printful

1. Pre-Existing Marketplace: Redbubble provides access to a large, engaged audience of shoppers, significantly reducing the effort required to find customers.
2. Simple Setup Process: Selling on Redbubble is straightforward—upload your designs, and you’re ready to go, with no need for external integrations or coding knowledge.
3. No Marketing Required: Redbubble handles all advertising and marketing, eliminating the need for sellers to invest in paid campaigns or acquire digital marketing skills.
4. Time-Saving Fulfillment: Redbubble manages everything from printing and shipping to customer service, freeing up sellers to focus solely on creating designs.
5. No Upfront Costs: Redbubble has no fees for listing your designs and no upfront costs for inventory management, providing a risk-free way to monetize creativity.
6. Built-In Design Showcase: As a marketplace that thrives on creativity, Redbubble makes it easy for your designs to be discovered by its audience of shoppers browsing for unique products.
7. Lower Learning Curve for Beginners: For artists who are just starting, Redbubble is extremely user-friendly, requiring no background in running an e-commerce store or managing logistics.
8. Community-Oriented Platform: Redbubble fosters a supportive environment for artists, with built-in tools and analytics to help creators thrive.

Cons of Redbubble Compared to Printful

1. Limited Branding Opportunities: Redbubble controls the packaging and shipping, meaning sellers have no control over how their products are branded or delivered to customers.
2. Lower Profit Margins: Redbubble’s royalty-based pricing model caps your earnings, often resulting in lower profits compared to the flexibility of setting your own margins on Printful.
3. Competition in Marketplace: As a public marketplace, Redbubble has intense competition among creators, which means your designs may get lost easily if not actively promoted.
4. Restricted Product Customization: Redbubble offers minimal customization in terms of shipping details or order management compared to Printful’s extensive options.
5. No Direct Customer Relationship: Redbubble doesn’t allow sellers to collect customer information, making it difficult to foster long-term relationships or build loyalty.
6. Limited Integration Options: Unlike Printful, Redbubble isn’t designed to integrate with external e-commerce platforms, which limits scalability for entrepreneurs looking to grow multi-channel businesses.
7. Fixed Pricing Structure: Redbubble sets base pricing and royalties, limiting the seller’s ability to adjust pricing based on target markets or profitability goals.
8. Restricted Ownership of Sales Process: Since Redbubble handles everything from product listing to post-purchase support, artists lose control over the end-to-end sales process.

Situations When Printful is Better Than Redbubble

1. When Building a Brand Identity: If you want to establish your own brand with logos, custom packaging, and labels, Printful is the better option because it allows full control over branding during the fulfillment and shipping process.
2. If You Want Multi-Channel Selling Flexibility: Printful integrates with various e-commerce platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and Etsy, making it ideal if you plan to sell on multiple platforms rather than relying on a single marketplace.
3. When Seeking Higher Profit Margins: Entrepreneurs who want to set their own pricing and profit margins to maximize revenue will benefit more from Printful’s pricing control compared to Redbubble’s fixed royalty system.
4. If You Need a Wide Product Range: Printful’s extensive catalog, including niche products like custom embroidery and eco-friendly items, makes it a superior choice for businesses targeting unique product niches.
5. For Scalability and Global Reach: Printful’s international fulfillment centers enable businesses to scale faster thanks to reduced shipping times and costs for global customers.
6. If Customer Relationship Matters: Entrepreneurs who want to build a direct relationship with customers, including email collection and post-sales engagement, should choose Printful, as Redbubble does not provide customer details.
7. If You Want Customizable Shipping Options: Printful allows you to set tailored shipping rates and methods, a feature that is not available on Redbubble where shipping is standardized.
8. When Managing High Order Volumes: Printful’s backend support system and API integration make it suitable for businesses handling high order volumes across multiple channels.

Situations When Redbubble is Better Than Printful

1. If You Have Limited Time or Resources: Redbubble handles everything from order fulfillment and shipping to customer service, allowing creators to focus solely on uploading designs without worrying about logistics or operations.
2. For Access to a Built-In Consumer Base: If you’re looking to reach an established audience quickly, Redbubble’s marketplace offers millions of active shoppers, eliminating the need for external marketing efforts.
3. When You Are Just Beginning: For beginner artists or hobbyists who don’t want to invest in setting up an e-commerce store, Redbubble’s plug-and-play model is highly appealing and hassle-free.
4. If You Are Focused on Artistic Freedom: Redbubble is ideal for creators who want to explore pure design creation and leave the administrative tasks, such as pricing and customer relationships, to the platform.
5. When You Want a Free Platform: Unlike Printful, which requires integrating with a paid e-commerce service like Shopify, Redbubble’s free listing system makes it an attractive option for creators on a budget.
6. For Discoverability Without Marketing Effort: Redbubble organically showcases your designs to its marketplace visitors, making it a better option for exposure if you lack marketing experience.
7. When Selling Niche or Quirky Artwork: Redbubble’s audience specializes in seeking artistic and quirky products, making it the perfect platform for showcasing creative and unconventional designs.
8. If You Seek Passive Income Opportunities: Artists who want to upload designs once and potentially earn passive income from royalties with minimal ongoing effort will find Redbubble more suitable.

Two Different Approaches to Selling Custom Products

Printful and Redbubble serve different needs for people looking to sell customized products. Choosing between the two often depends on your goals and how much control you want in your business.

Branding Matters

If you want to build a strong identity for your business, Printful offers tools to help you stand out. Using Printful, entrepreneurs can customize packaging, labels, and even invoices. This isn’t something Redbubble allows you to do. Instead, Redbubble takes care of everything, but all products are shipped in their branding. Customer relationship management is also better with Printful. Sellers can collect buyer details to engage with them directly, which creates opportunities for repeat purchases.

Meanwhile, Redbubble directs all communication to the platform itself, making it less useful for those trying to build a business over time. Although this system frees artists from dealing with customer issues, it limits long-term growth potential. For anyone who wants more than just uploading designs, Printful is usually a better fit.

Flexibility and Product Choices

Printful provides more customization for your products. It includes options for embroidery, availability of eco-friendly items, and variations in print styles. On the other hand, Redbubble focuses on items based on popular demand, such as stickers, apparel, and home decor. For some people, this limited offering might work fine, especially if they target artistic buyers.

Redbubble also handles everything itself, which can save time. But if you want flexibility — from setting up your pricing to adding new ideas for products — Redbubble may fall short. Printful’s customizable approach fits well with e-commerce stores and broader product plans, helping sellers cater to various customer needs.

Cost Structures of Both Options

The costs of running these two business models vary widely. Making the right choice depends on how much you’re prepared to spend upfront or on an ongoing basis.

Pricing and Royalty Policies

On Redbubble, you get paid royalties because you’re essentially licensing your designs to the platform. The base price is fixed by Redbubble, and while you can adjust your royalty percentage, you’re limited in how competitive you can be. The more you increase your royalty, the more your product costs for shoppers, which can lower your sales in a price-conscious market.

Conversely, Printful allows sellers to choose the price entirely. You pay for production and shipping after a sale is made, meaning your earnings will depend on what markup you apply to the base price. This setup gives more room for experimentation and control but requires planning. If your pricing doesn’t account for demand and competition, customers may choose other sellers with better deals.

Additional Operational Costs

Using Printful usually involves added costs like e-commerce platform subscriptions, such as Shopify or WooCommerce. These fees can add up. At the same time, Redbubble is free to join. It covers the manufacturing and shipping with no initial financial commitment. If capital is tight and you don’t want to take risks, Redbubble is clearly the cheaper option. This appeals to artists or casual creators who don’t want to handle logistics or incur additional fees.

Both models are fair in their systems, but the Printful structure benefits business-oriented creators more. With the ability to track profits and losses closely, you’re more likely to hit revenue goals over time.

Audience Differences

The buyers who visit Redbubble and the customers who shop through Printful-powered stores are often different groups looking for different experiences.

Shoppers on Redbubble

Redbubble draws a crowd of casual shoppers. They typically come to the site for quirky designs or personal, creative items. These customers enjoy browsing the work of independent artists. They can also shop without having to visit another external site. This means creators on Redbubble gain access to a pre-existing audience with minimal marketing. The downside? All that traffic is for Redbubble, not the individual artists themselves.

The marketplace structure of Redbubble is both a strength and a limitation. While an artist’s work might get lost among thousands of others, Redbubble gives new sellers a head start in reaching buyers. It’s particularly useful for people making high-demand items such as stickers or printed laptop skins.

Buyers from Printful-Powered Stores

On Printful, your audience depends on the marketing you do. Buyers are usually more specific, shopping for brands or concepts they already know. This makes Printful better for sellers with a clear target audience and defined vision. By using ads or content to direct traffic, sellers attract customers ready to pay for branded or highly curated products.

This distinction is crucial. Printful suits someone willing to build a loyal customer base over time. Redbubble fits creators who need quick and easy exposure without major effort from their side. Both approaches work; it just depends on how you want to connect with potential buyers.

FAQs

Can Printful and Redbubble be used together?

While both platforms cater to people selling custom products, they aren’t directly built to work together. Printful is best for integrating with external e-commerce platforms, while Redbubble operates as a standalone marketplace. You could theoretically use both if you’re aiming to expand your reach, but managing two different models may require extra time and organization.

Can I migrate my designs from Redbubble to Printful?

Yes, you can use the same design files on both, but there is no built-in feature to migrate content. You’ll have to manually upload the designs to Printful and then link it with your online store. Be aware that the product sizes and file requirements may differ, so adjustments to the files might be necessary.

How does customer support compare between the two platforms?

Printful offers dedicated support through live chat, email, and guidance tailored to entrepreneurs. In contrast, Redbubble primarily focuses on handling customer service for buyers on behalf of artists, leaving creators less involved. If you’re looking to be part of the customer experience, Printful offers better options for involvement.

Can I use Printful without an online store?

Using Printful without an online store is not possible because the platform requires integration with compatible e-commerce websites. If you’re looking for a solution with no storefront requirements, Redbubble may be a better fit since it functions as its own marketplace.

Is there a size limit or quality requirement for uploaded designs?

Yes, both Printful and Redbubble have specific file size and resolution requirements. Printful often demands higher resolution files for premium output quality, while Redbubble’s guidelines may vary depending on the product. Read their specs carefully to ensure optimal print results on both platforms.

Does selling on either platform require a business license?

Redbubble typically doesn’t require a business license because it lets individuals sell their designs as independent artists. With Printful, since you’re running your own store, you may need a business license depending on your location, platform, and legal obligations.

Which platform offers better international shipping?

Both Printful and Redbubble provide global shipping. Printful’s international shipping can often be faster, owing to its fulfillment centers in multiple countries. Meanwhile, Redbubble’s delivery covers a wide range but may involve longer wait times depending on your customers’ locations.

Are there any subscription fees on Redbubble or Printful?

Redbubble is free to use, with no upfront costs. Printful doesn’t charge monthly fees either but does require you to integrate with an e-commerce service like Shopify, which has its own subscription fees. These fees vary depending on the platform you choose.

Can I create eco-friendly products with these platforms?

Yes, both platforms offer sustainable options. Printful provides several eco-conscious products like organic shirts and hemp-based tote bags. Redbubble also has eco-friendly items, but the choice is more limited compared to Printful’s range.

Do either of the platforms handle taxes?

For Printful, tax settings need to be configured in the e-commerce platform you integrate with, as they don’t manage taxes directly. Redbubble calculates taxes for your sales and includes them in the product price, simplifying the process for artists.

Printful vs Redbubble Summary

Printful and Redbubble offer valuable yet contrasting opportunities for sellers. Printful is built for people who want control over branding and the ability to run their own store. It integrates seamlessly with e-commerce platforms and supports international scale, making it ideal for those who focus on building an independent business. In contrast, Redbubble suits artists looking to quickly upload designs and reach a marketplace filled with active shoppers. It simplifies sales but limits control over branding and customer interaction. Each choice depends on your priorities, whether it’s growing a standalone business or joining a pre-established creative community.

Aspect	Printful	Redbubble
Business Model	Integration-based print-on-demand fulfillment service operating through your own store	Marketplace where artists list and sell designs directly to shoppers
Branding	Full control over branding including custom labels and packaging	No branding control; products are shipped with Redbubble branding
Audience	Requires seller to attract their own customers	Features a built-in marketplace with millions of active shoppers
Profit Margins	Sellers set their own margins based on cost of production	Artists earn royalties decided by the platform’s base prices
Cost to Start	Free to use, but requires external e-commerce platform subscriptions	Free to list designs with no upfront costs
Customization Options	Wide customization options including embroidery and eco-friendly merchandise	Limited to product-specific customizations based on existing Redbubble inventory
Order Fulfillment	Requires integration; users manage external tools to process branded orders	Handles all fulfillment and shipping directly without user involvement
Shipping Coverage	Offers global shipping with fast delivery through multiple international fulfillment centers	Provides global shipping, but delivery times may take longer
Control Over Pricing	Full pricing control; you decide final product prices	Limited control; pricing adjustments are tied to royalty percentage
Customer Relationship	Sellers collect and manage customer data for building loyalty	Redbubble keeps customer interactions centralized on its platform
Ease of Setup	Requires technical setup and integration with an existing online store	Simple plug-and-play platform for design uploads
Best For	Entrepreneurs who want to build a brand, establish scalable foundations, and maintain control	Artists or hobbyists looking for quick exposure with minimal setup
Product Range	Offers a broader selection including premium options like embroidery and custom all-over printed items	Focuses heavily on artistic and creative products reflective of market trends
Scalability	Supports scalable business models with tools for multichannel selling and API integration	Limited scaling options as it’s confined to Redbubble’s marketplace
Customer Support	Comprehensive seller support via multiple channels	Handles buyer support on behalf of sellers, minimal direct guidance for artists