Threadless is one option among several for anyone who wants to sell custom-designed apparel without holding inventory. Some alternatives are other design marketplaces with a similar community-and-royalty structure. Others are supplier platforms meant to plug into a store you already run. And some, like Bear Grips Pro Shops, are branded storefront platforms built for a specific type of seller (in this case, gyms, studios, coaches, and small businesses) rather than for individual artists browsing a marketplace. Here are seven options worth knowing, with an honest note on what each one actually is.
Redbubble runs on a model very close to Threadless: artists upload designs, shoppers browse the marketplace, and artists earn a margin the platform allows on top of the base cost. Product range spans apparel, stickers, phone cases, and home goods. Like Threadless, the customer relationship belongs primarily to the marketplace, not the individual artist.
Spring (formerly Teespring) leans toward creators with an existing social audience, offering direct integrations with platforms like YouTube. It is closer to a hybrid: part marketplace, part creator storefront, with the seller setting a margin on top of a base cost.
Printful is a print-on-demand supplier that plugs into a store you already have (Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy). It is not a storefront on its own. A seller who already has a website and just needs fulfillment often looks at Printful.
Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.Printify works similarly to Printful (a fulfillment layer connected to your existing store) but routes orders through a network of print partners, often at lower base prices with more variance in production location and turnaround.
Gelato is a print-on-demand supplier with a network of print partners across many countries, which can mean shorter shipping distances for international buyers. Like Printful and Printify, it plugs into an existing store rather than providing its own branded storefront.
Custom Ink is built for bulk group orders (a team, event, or company ordering the same design in quantity) rather than ongoing print-on-demand sales to individual buyers. It is a different use case entirely from Threadless's design-marketplace model.
| Option | Model | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Redbubble | Design marketplace | Individual artists, broad product range |
| Spring (Teespring) | Creator marketplace | Creators with a social following |
| Printful | Supplier, plugs into your store | Sellers who already run a website |
| Printify | Supplier network | Sellers wanting lower base prices |
| Gelato | Global supplier network | International order volume |
| Custom Ink | Bulk group orders | Teams and events, one-time runs |
| Bear Grips Pro Shops | Branded storefront, no store needed | Gyms, studios, coaches, small businesses |
Bear Grips Pro Shops gives every vendor a complete branded shop (no separate Shopify or Etsy needed), free US shipping built into the base price, no minimum order, and a starting free plan with 3 live products. Vendors set retail pricing directly and keep the margin, with tees from $19.88 VIP base and hoodies from $36.88.
No marketplace listing, no royalty split. Your own shop, your own price, free to start.
Start FreeRedbubble is the closest match: a design marketplace where the platform, not the artist, controls the shopping experience and pricing bounds.
Printful, Printify, and Gelato need an existing store to plug into. Threadless, Redbubble, Spring, and Bear Grips Pro Shops all provide their own storefront or listing page.
No. It is a branded storefront platform. Each vendor gets a dedicated shop under their own name rather than a listing inside a shared marketplace catalog.
Free, with 3 live products at $0/month. Self-Service VIP is $59/month for 200 products; Done-For-You VIP is $105/month with a personal advisor.
Bear Grips Pro Shops