Choosing between Bear Grips Pro Shops and Custom Ink comes down to one question: does the business need a single group order or an ongoing shop. Custom Ink's model centers on a group leader building a design, collecting sizes from members, and closing the order once it is ready to print. Bear Grips Pro Shops is a single system where a branded shop stays open, priced on a fixed catalog, with free shipping and no order window. Neither approach is wrong, they solve different problems. Here is what a business actually gets with each in 2026.
| Category | Custom Ink | Bear Grips Pro Shops |
|---|---|---|
| Storefront | Group order page, open for a set window, then closes | Included, branded shop URL that stays live from day one |
| Design tool | Online Design Lab with templates, clipart, and upload | Upload your own design or logo, applied to the catalog |
| Base pricing | Quote based, changes with quantity, print colors, and product | Fixed catalog price, tees from $19.88 VIP base, hoodies from $36.88 |
| Order minimum | Minimum order size on many styles, varies by product | 1 piece |
| Shipping to the buyer | Often a flat rate or free over a set order threshold | Free, included in the item price |
| Monthly platform cost | No subscription, priced per order | Free, $59/mo, or $105/mo (Done-For-You) |
With Custom Ink's group order model, the group leader collects the design approval and the order window, while members buy directly through that one-time order page. There is no ongoing account or repeat storefront tied to the group leader's own brand once the order ships. With Bear Grips Pro Shops, the vendor's branded shop is the checkout, the product catalog, and the sales history in one place under the vendor's own name, open for as long as the vendor keeps it running. That matters for a business trying to build a repeat-customer list under its own brand rather than a one-time order form.
Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.Bear Grips Pro Shops builds an affiliate program into every signup, free or paid. Every vendor gets a unique referral code alongside their shop. Referring another vendor pays 10% of that vendor's subscription, for as long as they stay subscribed, plus $1 for every unit the referred vendor sells. Payouts run bi-weekly. This is a feature of the Bear Grips Pro Shops platform itself, not something a one-time group order tool offers.
Custom Ink's group order model fits a genuinely one-time need, a single team order, a company retreat shirt, or a reunion run that will not repeat. Bear Grips Pro Shops fits a gym, studio, small business, or creator who wants an ongoing shop (pricing, printing, and payouts) that stays open rather than a form that closes once. See the full Custom Ink alternative overview for the fuller picture, or the pricing teardown for how the cost of each model adds up.
Bear Grips Pro Shops publishes a fixed price list across the full catalog. A few reference points at the VIP base tier: Airlume Cotton Tee $19.88, Comfort Soft Hoodie $36.88, Champion Performance Hoodie $45.88, Classic Zip-Up Hoodie (Gildan) $41.88, and printed or embroidered hats from $25.86 to $29.86. Because Custom Ink's price depends on the quantity, print colors, and product a group leader selects for a specific run, a direct line-item comparison depends on the order being quoted, which is why a fixed price list is one of the clearest structural differences between the two models.
One branded shop, one price list, free shipping included, and a built-in affiliate program. Free to start.
Start FreeNo. Bear Grips Pro Shops is an independent apparel platform with its own printing process, separate from Custom Ink in every respect.
It depends on the quantity and design a Custom Ink order is quoted at. Bear Grips Pro Shops publishes one fixed price with free shipping included, which makes the true per-piece cost easier to calculate up front.
Yes. There is no exclusivity requirement. Many businesses use a group order for a single event and a Pro Shop for the ongoing brand shop.
No. The platform is built around uploading a finished design or logo. The Done-For-You VIP plan applies an uploaded design to 15 products with a personal shop advisor handling the mockups.
Bear Grips Pro Shops