9 Best Printful Alternatives to Compare in 2026

Printful is not the only print-on-demand option, and the right alternative depends on what a seller values most: an included storefront, the widest possible product catalog, or existing marketplace traffic. This list compares nine real options across those trade-offs, without inventing numbers for platforms that do not publish a single fixed rate.

What to weigh before picking an alternative

• Storefront ownership: does the platform include a shop, or does it require a separate site?
• Shipping model: charged separately at checkout, or folded into the price?
• Catalog focus: apparel-only, or a wide mix of non-apparel products?
• Customer relationship: does the seller keep the buyer's data, or does a marketplace hold it?

The 9 alternatives, compared

1. Bear Grips Pro Shops: branded storefront included, free US shipping folded into the base price, no minimum order, apparel-focused 63-product catalog.
2. Printify: a direct fulfillment competitor to Printful, connects to external storefronts, runs a network of print providers with a wide non-apparel catalog.
3. Custom Ink: built around bulk group orders with design consultants, historically minimum-order oriented for one-time team or event runs.
4. Apliiq: focuses on cut-and-sew construction and private label features for sellers building a distinct fabric brand.
5. Threadless: an artist marketplace where the platform runs the storefront and community around uploaded designs.
6. Teespring (Spring): a creator-focused storefront with social media and audience integration built in.
7. Gelato: positions itself around a distributed print network for sellers shipping to many countries.
8. Redbubble: a marketplace model where Redbubble owns the storefront, search ranking, and most buyer contact information.
9. Merch by Amazon: a listing program inside Amazon itself, where Amazon controls the storefront, approval process, and customer relationship.

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

Marketplace vs your own store, side by side

Platform	Storefront	Who owns the customer	Apparel focus
Bear Grips Pro Shops	Included, branded URL	The seller	Apparel only
Printify	Connects to your own site	The seller, if self-hosted	Wide, non-apparel included
Redbubble	Marketplace, platform-owned	Redbubble	Wide, non-apparel included
Merch by Amazon	Marketplace listing inside Amazon	Amazon	Apparel-focused

Why the marketplace vs own-store split matters most

A marketplace listing brings built-in shopper traffic, which helps a brand new seller with zero audience. It also means the platform can change fees, algorithm ranking, or approval rules at any time, and the seller rarely gets the buyer's email address for future marketing. An owned storefront trades some of that discovery traffic for full control over pricing, branding, and repeat-buyer contact.

How to trial an alternative without abandoning what you have

Most of these platforms, including Bear Grips Pro Shops, allow a single test order with no minimum. Run the same design through two platforms, compare the final price the buyer sees, and track conversion for two to three weeks before fully committing. See the full Bear Grips vs Printful comparison for a deeper look at the closest head to head.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Printify basically the same as Printful?

They are close competitors in the fulfillment-backend category, both connecting to external storefronts, though their print provider networks and catalogs differ.

Which alternative is best for a brand new seller with no audience?

A marketplace option like Redbubble or Merch by Amazon offers built-in shopper traffic, at the cost of platform ownership over the customer relationship.

Which alternative is best for a gym, team, or creator with an existing audience?

An owned storefront like Bear Grips Pro Shops tends to fit better, since the seller already has a way to drive traffic and benefits more from keeping the margin and the customer data.

Do any of these charge a setup fee per design?

Digital print-on-demand methods generally do not charge per-color setup fees the way traditional screen printing does, across most of the platforms on this list.