Sellers searching for an Apliiq alternative are usually solving one of two different problems: either they want another Shopify-app fulfillment tool with a different specialty, or they want to skip the Shopify-plus-app stack entirely and run a hosted storefront instead. Both paths are legitimate depending on the business. Here is an honest rundown of where each alternative fits, starting with the hosted option built for gyms, studios, coaches, and small businesses.
The only option on this list that skips Shopify entirely. Every vendor gets a hosted, branded storefront at signup, a 63-product apparel catalog from $19.88 for a VIP tee, and all-inclusive pricing that already covers printing, packing, and free US shipping. Best fit: gyms, CrossFit boxes, martial arts studios, personal trainers, and small businesses that want a live shop this week without assembling a platform first. Free plan available at $0 a month for 3 products, plus a Done-For-You VIP tier at $105 a month with full white-glove shop management.
Printful runs on the same Shopify-app model as Apliiq but with a much wider product catalog, including phone cases, mugs, and posters beyond apparel. It requires the same Shopify subscription overhead and typically charges shipping to the buyer separately at checkout. Best fit: sellers who need non-apparel products alongside apparel, or who already run Shopify for other reasons. Read the full Printful comparison for the line-by-line cost breakdown.
Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.Printify works through a network of independent print partners rather than a single fulfillment operation, which means quality and turnaround can vary by which partner fills a given order. Also a Shopify-app model requiring the same store subscription overhead as Apliiq and Printful. Best fit: sellers comfortable managing partner selection for cost and quality tradeoffs. Read the Printify comparison for more detail.
| Platform | Storefront model | Specialty | Shipping |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Grips Pro Shops | Hosted, included | Fast, all-inclusive apparel shop | Free, in item price |
| Apliiq | Shopify app | Private label, cut-and-sew, embroidery | Typically charged at checkout |
| Printful | Shopify app | Wide non-apparel catalog | Typically charged at checkout |
| Printify | Shopify app | Print partner network | Typically charged at checkout |
Three quick questions settle it. Do you need cut-and-sew or private label construction? Stay with Apliiq or a similar specialty provider. Do you need non-apparel products (mugs, phone cases)? Printful covers that ground. Do you want a branded apparel shop live this week with no Shopify subscription, no app stack, and free shipping already built into the price? That is Bear Grips Pro Shops. Most gyms, studios, and small businesses land in the third bucket.
No Shopify subscription, no app stack. Free to start, 63 products from $19.88, free US shipping on every order.
Start FreeBear Grips Pro Shops offers embroidery on its hat line (snapback, winter hat, youth cap) but not on apparel. For embroidered apparel beyond hats, a specialty embroidery provider or Apliiq itself remains the stronger fit.
Bear Grips Pro Shops has a Free plan at $0 a month for 3 live products with no Shopify subscription required, which removes the biggest hidden cost in the Shopify-app model.
Bear Grips Pro Shops includes free US shipping in the item price. Shopify-app POD tools including Apliiq, Printful, and Printify typically calculate and charge shipping to the buyer separately at checkout.
Yes. Many sellers run a specialty Shopify-app tool for construction-heavy products alongside a hosted shop like Bear Grips Pro Shops for their standard printed team and fan apparel.
Bear Grips Pro Shops