Printify Alternative For Ecommerce Brands

Printify is a print-on-demand backend that connects to Shopify, Etsy, eBay, and other carts. It works well for sellers who want PoD SKUs in an existing store. For ecommerce brands that want a real branded apparel home (instead of SKUs scattered across a marketplace or grafted onto Shopify), Bear Grips Pro Shops is the alternative. Here is how the two compare for ecommerce brand founders.

Backend Integration vs Dedicated Storefront

The structural difference:

• Printify: backend that feeds SKUs to a Shopify, Etsy, or eBay store; the seller manages the storefront separately
• Bear Grips Pro Shops: dedicated storefront at shops.beargrips.com under the brand slug; storefront, checkout, and fulfillment in one platform

For ecommerce brand founders who already own a Shopify store and treat apparel as a SKU expansion, Printify fits. For founders who want apparel to feel like its own line with its own home, Pro Shops fits.

Storefront Branding And Customization

Branding control differs:

• Printify: branding is whatever the connected Shopify or Etsy store supports; the brand is bound by the cart it is plugged into
• Bear Grips Pro Shops: branded header image, logo, color palette, custom URL slug; on the DFY VIP plan, product titles, descriptions, and metadata written by Bear Grips professionals

For brands where the apparel needs premium presentation (size charts, color swatches, lifestyle photography, fit guides), the dedicated storefront is the better tool.

Apparel Catalog And Brand Coverage

Both platforms carry similar major-brand apparel lines. Bear Grips Pro Shops runs 63 pieces across Bear Grips, Bella+Canvas, Sport-Tek, Next Level, Champion, Gildan, Independent Trading Co., Cotton Heritage, Jerzees, Hanes, AS Colour, Yupoong, Richardson, Otto Cap, Valucap, and Comfort Colors. Printify carries similar major brands plus a broader non-apparel catalog (mugs, posters, phone cases, home goods).

For apparel-only brands, the two are roughly equivalent on apparel coverage.

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

Affiliate And Side-Income Differences

Bear Grips Pro Shops includes a built-in affiliate program. Every vendor signup is also an affiliate; the affiliate earns 10% of every referred vendor's subscription forever, plus $1/unit sold by every referred vendor. Affiliates also get a personal discount code for first-order acquisition.

Printify does not offer an analogous program for vendors referring other vendors. For ecommerce founders with podcast or content presence in the founder community, the Pro Shops affiliate side income is meaningful.

Pricing Comparison On Common Pieces

Bear Grips Pro Shops publishes a flat catalog. Sample VIP base prices for common pieces:

Piece	VIP base
Airlume Cotton Athletic Tee	$19.88
Premium CVC Jersey Tee	$24.88
Comfort Soft Hoodie	$36.88
Classic Rope Hat	$29.86
Adjustable Cotton Lifestyle Hat	$25.88

Printify pricing varies by garment, brand, and connected store. For most common pieces the Bear Grips VIP base is within 5-10% of Printify on the same garment.

When To Switch From Printify To Pro Shops

The cleanest signals that an ecommerce brand has outgrown the Printify backend model:

• The apparel line is large enough to deserve its own storefront, not just SKUs in the main cart
• Customers ask for size charts, fit photos, and color swatches that the main store theme does not support
• The founder wants apparel to feel like a real brand line, not a SKU expansion
• The brand has a customer list big enough that the affiliate program is meaningful

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I run both Printify and Bear Grips Pro Shops?

Yes. Some brands run Printify for in-cart apparel and Pro Shops as a dedicated apparel storefront. The two solve different problems.

Which has lower base prices?

Depends on the garment. Bear Grips publishes a flat catalog; Printify varies by garment and brand. For most common pieces, prices are within 5-10%.

Does Bear Grips integrate with Etsy or eBay?

No. Pro Shops is a standalone storefront, not a marketplace integration. Promote the storefront link from your existing channels.

Can I move my existing Printify designs to Bear Grips?

Yes. Upload the same logo and design files to Pro Shops; the apparel pieces are similar across both platforms.