Bear Grips Pro Shops vs Shopify Plus a Print on Demand App

Comparing Bear Grips Pro Shops to Shopify is really a comparison between one all-in-one system and a two-part stack (Shopify for the storefront, a separate app for production). Both can sell a t-shirt. The difference is what a seller has to set up, pay for, and manage to get there. Here is an honest, factual comparison across the details that actually change a seller's decision.

Side-by-side: setup, cost, and ownership

	Shopify + connected POD app	Bear Grips Pro Shops
Systems to manage	Two (storefront platform and production app)	One
Monthly platform cost	Shopify subscription plus app costs, stacked separately	$0 (3 products) to $105/mo (250 products), all-inclusive
Shipping	Often charged to the buyer at checkout on top of the item price	Free US shipping built into the base price
Minimum order	Typically 1 piece, varies by connected app	1 piece, no minimum on any product
Setup time	Theme, app connection, and product sync, often several hours	Live the same day a design is uploaded

Who owns the customer relationship

On Shopify, the seller owns the storefront and the customer data directly, which is a real advantage for building an email list or running retargeting ads on a fully custom domain. On Bear Grips Pro Shops, the seller gets a branded shop under their own name and slug, sets their own retail prices, and keeps the margin on every sale, but the storefront itself runs on the shared platform rather than a fully independent domain and codebase.

Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.

Where Shopify has the real edge

Two areas where Shopify is genuinely the stronger pick:

• Non-apparel product lines: Shopify supports any product category. Bear Grips Pro Shops is apparel only, across a 63-product catalog.
• Full custom storefront design: Shopify's theme system allows complete control over every page. A Bear Grips Pro Shop is a branded storefront with logo, colors, and curated sections, not a fully custom-coded site.

Where Bear Grips Pro Shops has the edge for apparel sellers

For a seller focused only on apparel, three things tip the decision: no second app subscription to manage, free US shipping baked into the price instead of a surprise line item at checkout, and a shop that goes live the same day instead of after a multi-hour theme and app setup. The built-in affiliate program (10% of a referred vendor's subscription forever, plus $1 per unit they sell, paid bi-weekly) is also unique to the all-in-one model.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I move my apparel line from Shopify to Bear Grips Pro Shops?

Yes. Upload the existing design files, set retail prices without needing to bake in a separate shipping charge, and share the new storefront link.

Does Bear Grips Pro Shops replace Shopify entirely?

For an apparel-only business, yes. For a store selling multiple product categories, Shopify still covers ground Bear Grips Pro Shops does not.

Is the print quality different between the two paths?

Print quality depends on the specific production process and blank used, not the storefront platform. Bear Grips prints on brand-name blanks including Bella+Canvas, Next Level, Champion, Gildan, and Sport-Tek.

Who sets the retail price on Bear Grips Pro Shops?

The vendor. There are no pricing restrictions, and the default recommended profit is $10 per item, though most vendors charge more on hoodies and premium pieces.