You make great designs and want to sell them online without handling printing or shipping. Zazzle lets you upload once and earn royalties on t-shirts, mugs, cards, and more.
The print-on-demand space keeps growing. Newer platforms often pay better, offer cleaner tools, faster money, or less competition so your work gets noticed more easily.
Here are 15 solid Zazzle alternatives that creators use today. Each has different strengths—some for easy passive sales, others for building your own brand. Pick what fits your goals best. Let's dive in.
What is Zazzle, and How Does It Work?
What is Zazzle
Zazzle is a website where you can create and sell your designs on demand. You can upload your designs once and sell them on products such as t-shirts, mugs, cards, wall decor, and phone cases.
They don't require inventory because they only print and ship products after a customer has ordered. Customers can also customize your work by changing colors, adding their names, and changing photos.
It's been running for a long time and feels like an open marketplace where your products sit next to thousands of others. Most creators treat it as passive income: good designs can earn small amounts for years with almost no ongoing effort.
How Does Zazzle Work
- Create a free account and turn on creator features.
- Upload clean, high-res artwork (PNG or SVG usually looks sharpest).
- Use their tool to put the design on different products—pick categories that fit.
- They show a base price that covers printing and their share.
- You decide your royalty percentage (most people pick 10–15% so the item doesn't price itself out).
- Add good tags, titles, and descriptions so it shows up in searches.
- Publish, then wait—buyers find it organically or through your shared links.
- When an order comes in, Zazzle prints, packs, and ships it straight to the buyer.
- You get your royalty cut (paid via PayPal or bank once you hit the payout minimum, usually low like $10–20).
Sales often start slow unless you promote, but steady uploads and decent keywords keep bringing in trickle income over months.
Why You Might Want to Look for a Zazzle Alternative
Zazzle is fine if you're okay with the basics, but plenty of creators quietly move on after a while. The royalty you actually pocket stays pretty thin unless you crank it up—and then your stuff prices out and sits unsold.
The site is packed with designs, so unless you're constantly tweaking keywords or running ads, most of your work just disappears into the scroll.
Payouts crawl in , the threshold isn't huge but still annoying when you're waiting months for $15. Print quality and shipping complaints land in your inbox even though you never touch the product. The editor feels clunky if your art isn't super simple.
A lot of people also get tired of having almost zero say in branding, pricing control, or how fast money hits their account. When those things start to grate, switching platforms usually feels like the practical next step.
Top 15 Zazzle Alternatives You Should Know
Society6
Society6 is a marketplace built for independent artists. It focuses on turning artwork into stylish home decor and everyday items.
It offers a large selection of products like wall art prints, framed prints, canvas prints, pillows, tapestries, rugs, duvet covers, bedding, plus some apparel, tech accessories such as iPhone cases, and bath items.
Suitable for: Artists who want to sell designs on home decor and wall art items. It has a built-in audience that likes artistic styles.
Pricing structure:
Free to join with limits on designs in the basic plan. Paid plans start around $5 per month for more designs and custom markups. Artists earn a fixed percentage (often 10%) on most items or set their own markup on art prints. The platform sets base prices and handles production and shipping.
PrintKK
PrintKK is a free print-on-demand service with global dropshipping. It gives creators access to a very wide range of custom products.
It includes over 1000 items such as t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, lamps, home decor pieces, unique accessories, and some made-in-USA options like wall art or furniture-related items.
Suitable for:
Beginners and sellers who want no upfront costs. It works well for a wide range of apparel and accessories.
Pricing structure:
100% free to use. You only pay base costs for products and shipping after a sale. You set your own retail prices to decide profit margins.
Podbase
Podbase is a print-on-demand platform made for dropshipping with fast fulfillment. It puts strong focus on tech accessories and high-quality items.
It offers over 300 products, including phone cases (like iPhone and Samsung), iPad cases, MacBook cases, AirPod cases, canvas prints, posters, apparel, and other home goods.
Suitable for:
Sellers who use Shopify, WooCommerce, or Etsy. It fits those who want higher profits and quick 24-hour production.
Pricing structure:
Free to start with no monthly fees. You pay only for product base costs and shipping per order. It claims higher margins than many competitors.
Redbubble
Redbubble is a large global marketplace for independent artists and designers. It lets creators upload designs that appear on many different products.
It has a huge variety including stickers, t-shirts, hoodies, posters, phone cases, mugs, throw pillows, tote bags, notebooks, laptop sleeves, greeting cards, and home decor items.
Suitable for:
Creators who want built-in traffic from a big audience. It is good for many design types and casual sellers.
Pricing structure:
Free to join. Artists set their own margin (markup) on base prices. There may be account tiers with fees on earnings for some users. The platform handles printing, shipping, and customer service.
Fine Art America
Fine Art America is a marketplace aimed at photographers, fine artists, and photographers. It specializes in professional, high-quality wall art and gallery-style pieces.
It provides products like canvas prints, framed prints, metal prints, acrylic prints, wood prints, posters, tapestries, plus greeting cards, tech accessories such as iPhone cases, throw pillows, and some apparel items.
Suitable for:
Artists focused on fine art, photography, or gallery-style prints. It works for those who sell professional wall decor.
Pricing structure:
Free basic account. Premium features cost about $30 per year for more exposure. Artists set their own profit margins. The platform adds its markup and handles printing, framing, and global shipping.
TeePublic
TeePublic is one of the popular marketplaces for graphic designers and pop culture enthusiasts. It is known for its fun and trendy designs with a focus on fan art designs.
It provides a wide variety of products such as t-shirts, hoodies, phone cases, and some home decor items such as pillows and blankets.
Suitable for:
Designers who create pop culture, funny quotes, gaming, or fandom artwork. It attracts a large audience that looks for casual, affordable apparel and accessories.
Pricing structure:
Free to join. Artists set their own markup percentage on base prices. The platform runs frequent sales that lower retail prices but still pay artists a base royalty. TeePublic handles printing, shipping, and customer support.
Custom Ink
Custom Ink is an online custom apparel company with a focus on group orders. It lets users create designs for t-shirts, hoodies, and other clothing. It also offers some accessories like tote bags, hats, and drinkware, plus options for screen printing and embroidery.
Suitable for:
Teams, events, schools, businesses, or anyone needing bulk custom apparel with the same design on many items. It works best when you want higher-quality printing for groups.
Pricing structure:
No signup fee to design or sell. You pay per order based on quantity, product type, and printing method. Bulk discounts apply for larger orders. Profits come from setting your own retail price above their costs if you resell.
Fourthwall
Fourthwall is a platform built for content creators like YouTubers, streamers, and influencers. It lets you set up your own branded storefront. It offers custom merch such as apparel (t-shirts, hoodies), mugs, posters, phone cases, and digital products like memberships or downloads.
Suitable for:
Creators with an existing audience on YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, or similar platforms. It fits people who want a professional-looking shop with their own domain and branding.
Pricing structure:
Free to set up a store with no monthly fees. You pay base production and shipping costs per order. You keep the profit margin you set. Fourthwall handles fulfillment and payments.
CafePress
CafePress is one of the older print-on-demand marketplaces. It focuses on personalized gifts and casual items. It has a wide range of products including t-shirts, mugs, stickers, posters, mouse pads, bags, home decor like pillows and blankets, and some seasonal or holiday items.
Suitable for:
Sellers who want to reach buyers looking for funny sayings, personalized gifts, or niche hobby designs. It has a long-time user base that browses for unique gifts.
Pricing structure:
Free to create a shop and upload designs. You set your own markup on base prices. CafePress handles production, shipping, and customer service. They take a cut from each sale.
Gelato
Gelato is a global print-on-demand network with local production in many countries. It connects to your existing store on Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, or other platforms. It offers products like apparel, wall art (posters, canvas), mugs, phone cases, stickers, and home goods.
Suitable for:
Sellers who already have an online store and want faster shipping with lower costs through local printing. It works well for international sales.
Pricing structure:
Free to sign up with no monthly fees. You only pay for product base costs and shipping when an order comes in. You set retail prices to control your profit. Gelato focuses on quick local fulfillment to reduce delivery time.
Choose the Best Zazzle Alternative by Product Type
Clothing Category
PrintKK usually has the cheapest starting prices for everyday t-shirts and hoodies, making it easy to keep profits decent.
Redbubble pays you a royalty and brings its own crowd of buyers who love graphic tees and fandom stuff. If fabric feel matters more, Apliiq or Printful offer thicker cottons and streetwear cuts. No one asks for minimum orders—design once, sell forever.
Home & Lifestyle Products
Gelato stands apart with local factories in lots of countries, so mugs, pillows, and posters reach customers quicker and cheaper on shipping.
PrintKK packs the widest selection if you want odd items like ceramic lamps or seasonal blankets. Redbubble keeps things simple with their ready-made shop and steady traffic for gift shoppers.
Wedding & Party Supplies
VistaPrint is the go-to for actual invitations, thank-you cards, and small favor runs because they handle paper products cleanly.
For add-on gifts like engraved tumblers or custom napkins, Printify fills the gap without forcing big minimums. Delivery lands in one to two weeks; keep designs clean since fancy embellishments are limited.
Photo-Based Gifts
Mixbook creates the nicest-looking photo books and albums with professional layouts and durable pages.
Snapfish wins on budget—cheap prints, calendars, and photo mugs. For gallery-quality canvases or metal prints, check Printique. Upload your shots, tweak in their tool, order one to test print quality, then go bigger.
Corporate & Bulk Orders
VistaPrint covers basics like branded pens, notebooks, and apparel with straightforward bulk pricing. Printful or Printify unlock bigger discounts (sometimes half off) once you hit repeat orders of 25+ pieces.
Custom Ink works when you need matching team hoodies or embroidered polos. Always start with samples so the final batch matches what you expect.
How to Move from Zazzle to Other Platforms
Export Your Designs
Log into Zazzle and go to your image albums or product pages. Download each design as a high-res PNG or the original file type you uploaded. Rename them clearly—like "CatFunny_Tshirt_Main.png"—so you know what goes where.
Keep folders organized by theme or product type. This step usually takes a few hours if you have many designs, but it saves rework when uploading elsewhere.
Gather Your Sales and Customer Info
Check your royalty history in the account dashboard. Export sales data as a CSV file to see what sold best, when, and how much you earned. Zazzle lets you download transaction details this way.
For customer contacts, note any repeat buyers from messages or orders if you tracked them manually—Zazzle does not give full email lists easily. This list helps you reach people later without starting from zero.
Pick the Right New Platform
Look at options like Redbubble for easy marketplace setup with artist focus, Printify or PrintKK if you want your own Shopify store and more control over branding and pricing, or others like Teepublic for similar passive sales.
Compare things like royalty rates, product range, shipping times, and how crowded the site feels. Test one or two with a few designs first to see what fits your style and goals.
Set Up Listings on the New Site
Upload your downloaded designs to the new platform. Adjust them for each product since sizing and placement rules differ—mockups help check how they look. Set your prices to cover base costs plus a fair profit, often higher than Zazzle royalties.
Add strong titles, tags, and descriptions using keywords from your old top sellers. Link products into collections if the site allows it. This part builds your new catalog fast once files are ready.
Tell Your Customers About the Change
Post updates on your Zazzle store profile, social media, or email list if you have one. Say something simple like where to find your new shop and why you moved.
Offer a small discount code or free shipping link on the new platform to encourage buys. Share direct product links so fans can follow easily.
Keep it short and clear—most people appreciate the heads-up and will check the new spot if they liked your work before.
Read More:
- 16 Best Teespring Alternatives for Custom Products
- Redbubble vs Zazzle: Which Is Best for Your Needs?
Expert Tips
You've seen what Zazzle offers and where it falls short. Now you know the main zazzle alternatives can give you better royalties, faster payouts, stronger branding tools, or less crowded marketplaces.
Pick the one that matches your style and goals. Start small—move a few designs over and test how it feels. Many creators run two or three platforms at once and watch sales grow.
You put real effort into your work. It deserves platforms that reward that effort fairly. Keep creating, keep testing, and watch your income build. The right fit is out there for you. You've got this.
FAQs
What is the best print-on-demand site for artists?
It depends on your style. Redbubble suits simple, bold art with easy reach. Society6 works well for detailed prints and home decor. PrintKK pairs nicely with your own store if you want full control. Try a couple to see what fits.
Is Redbubble or Zazzle better?
Redbubble often feels easier with higher base royalties and less crowded searches. Zazzle gives more product choices and customization options. Many artists use both at the same time to catch different buyers. Pick based on your designs and goals.
Are there Zazzle alternatives that don't take a commission?
No platform is fully commission-free since they cover printing and shipping costs. Some like Printful or Gelato let you set your own markup on top of base prices, so you keep more profit per sale.
What is the cheapest way to make custom products online?
Use Printify or Printful with a free Shopify Lite plan or link to Etsy. Order samples first to check quality. Bulk discounts kick in with more sales, keeping your costs low over time.
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