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Best Alternatives to Zazzle for Apparel Sellers in 2026

July 1, 2026 8 min read By Cameron Wells
Quick Answer
Table of Contents
  1. The alternatives compared at a glance
  2. CafePress: the closest apples-to-apples comparison
  3. Printify and Printful: connector-style alternatives
  4. Redbubble and Threadless: fan-facing artist marketplaces
  5. Bear Grips Pro Shops: the branded apparel-only alternative
  6. Frequently Asked Questions

Sellers searching for the best Zazzle alternatives are usually solving for one of three problems: they want an apparel-only catalog instead of one mixed in with invitations and stationery, they want to set the full retail price instead of a royalty on a platform-set base, or they want free shipping included instead of calculated at checkout. Here is how the most commonly compared alternatives stack up, with Bear Grips Pro Shops covered last since the right fit depends on the type of business.

The Alternatives Compared at a Glance

PlatformStorefrontPricing modelShippingBest for
ZazzleShop page on Zazzle's marketplaceBase price plus seller royaltyCalculated at checkoutDesigners selling one design across many product types
CafePressShop page on CafePress's marketplaceBase price plus seller markupCalculated at checkoutSellers wanting a near-identical wide-catalog model
PrintifyNot included, connects to Shopify/EtsyBase price varies by print providerCalculated at checkoutSellers with an existing marketplace store
PrintfulNot included, connects to Shopify/EtsyBase price varies by print providerCalculated at checkoutWide product catalog beyond apparel
RedbubbleArtist shop page includedBase price plus artist markupCalculated at checkoutIndependent artists selling design-led merch to fans
ThreadlessArtist storefront includedBase price plus artist markupCalculated at checkoutArtists building a fan-facing merch shop
Bear Grips Pro ShopsBranded shop includedVendor sets full retail price, no royalty splitFree, included in priceGyms, studios, small businesses, creators wanting an apparel-only shop

CafePress: the Closest Apples-to-Apples Comparison

CafePress and Zazzle are the two names most sellers compare first, since both run a nearly identical model: a wide product catalog spanning apparel, mugs, stickers, and home goods, a shop page hosted on the marketplace's own domain, and a seller markup layered on top of a platform base price. A seller weighing Zazzle against CafePress is largely weighing which marketplace has more relevant shopper traffic for their niche, since the underlying structure is similar. See the full CafePress vs Zazzle comparison for the details.

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Printify and Printful: Connector-Style Alternatives

Printify and Printful take a different approach entirely: neither includes a storefront. Both connect to a seller's existing Shopify or Etsy store and fulfill orders placed there, with per-item pricing that varies by which print provider fulfills the order and shipping typically calculated at checkout. That model fits a seller who already has a separate ecommerce platform running and just wants fulfillment attached to it, rather than a marketplace shop or a fully bundled branded shop.

Redbubble and Threadless: Fan-Facing Artist Marketplaces

Redbubble and Threadless are closer in spirit to Zazzle than to a branded shop model, since both give an artist a shop page inside a much larger marketplace and both use a markup-over-base pricing structure. The audience skews toward independent artists and fans discovering designs through the marketplace itself, rather than a business driving its own traffic to its own shop. Neither is built specifically for a gym, studio, or small business selling branded apparel to its own customer base.

Bear Grips Pro Shops: the Branded, Apparel-Only Alternative

Bear Grips Pro Shops is built for the business that wants a single, apparel-focused shop with its own name on it, rather than a page inside a much larger marketplace. The catalog runs 63 apparel and headwear products from Bella+Canvas, Next Level, Champion, Gildan, Sport-Tek, and other recognized brands, with tees from $19.88 VIP base and hoodies from $36.88. Every order ships free to the buyer in about a week, there is no order minimum, and the vendor sets the retail price and keeps the full margin rather than a royalty split. A built-in vendor referral program pays 10% of a referred vendor's subscription plus $1 per unit they sell, on top of whatever the shop itself earns.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the single biggest difference between Zazzle-style marketplaces and Bear Grips Pro Shops?

Zazzle, CafePress, Redbubble, and Threadless are all marketplaces where a seller's shop lives on the platform's own domain and pricing runs on a royalty or markup over a platform base. Bear Grips Pro Shops gives every vendor a branded shop and lets them set the full retail price.

Which alternative is best for selling one design across many non-apparel products too?

Zazzle, CafePress, and Redbubble all support a wide catalog beyond apparel. Bear Grips Pro Shops is apparel and headwear only.

Which alternative fits a seller who already runs a Shopify or Etsy store?

Printify or Printful, both of which connect to an existing storefront rather than providing their own marketplace or branded shop.

Does Bear Grips Pro Shops charge shipping separately like the marketplace alternatives do?

No. Shipping to the buyer is free and included in the item price on every plan, including the Free tier.

Cameron Wells
Cameron WellsCustom Apparel and POD Industry Writer

Cameron has been writing about the custom apparel and print on demand industry for seven years, with a background in e-commerce operations. He covers platform comparisons, no-minimum vendors, and what is changing for small custom merch businesses.

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Bear Grips Pro Shops: Free storefronts for gyms, clubs, and teams. No inventory. No risk.