Shopify vs Redbubble for Print-on-Demand Businesses: A Comprehensive Comparison

Deciding between Shopify vs Redbubble for your print-on-demand business? This comprehensive comparison can guide you in making an informed choice. 

Key Takeaways

• Shopify is an excellent choice for businesses of all sizes who need a robust and flexible platform to build their own online store. Its compatibility with a vast array of third-party services makes it especially beneficial for print-on-demand businesses. 
• Redbubble is best for independent artists and designers looking to sell their designs on various products without the need to manage inventory or shipping logistics. This platform offers an easy way for people to earn side income by monetizing their art with no upfront costs. 

Shopify vs Redbubble: The key difference

Shopify and Redbubble, while both leaders in the e-commerce sphere, cater to different needs and offer unique features which fundamentally sets them apart.

Shopify is a robust e-commerce platform allowing individuals or businesses to create an entirely personalized online store. It caters to those who seek total autonomy over their brand’s identity, pricing strategies, marketing efforts, and customer relations. With Shopify, users can choose from various print-on-demand providers and maintain control over the specific products they offer. 

On the other hand, Redbubble operates as a global marketplace that specifically caters to independent artists wanting to monetize their creative work. Artists upload their designs, and Redbubble handles the rest, including product manufacturing, shipping, customer service, and even marketing. 

Shopify vs Redbubble: Pros and Cons

Pros and Cons of Shopify 

Pros

• Building a brand and complete online presence: The platform provides the tools needed to build a complete online brand.
• Flexibility and customization options offered: Shopify is highly customizable, allowing each business to create a unique online store.
• Integration with over 250 print-on-demand companies through the Shopify app store makes it a versatile choice for print-on-demand businesses.
• Easy product listing and the availability of numerous print-on-demand options: It’s easy to list products, and there are plenty of options to choose from.
• Maximum control over branding, product selection, and profit per sale: Shopify allows you to have complete control over many aspects of your online store.

Cons

• Time and effort required for setup and management: Setting up a Shopify store can be time-consuming and requires ongoing management.
• Responsibility for driving traffic to the website: Unlike marketplaces where customers are already browsing, with Shopify, you’re responsible for driving traffic to your own website. This can involve learning and implementing SEO strategies, digital advertising, social media marketing, and more.

Pros and Cons of Redbubble

Pros

• A marketplace for independent artists: Redbubble provides a dedicated platform for artists to showcase their work.
• Ability to upload designs and sell them on various products: The platform enables artists to upload their designs and apply them to different products.
• Marketing and promoting products: Redbubble takes on the responsibility of marketing and promoting products, which can be a significant advantage for artists more focused on the creative process.
• Benefits of not handling marketing efforts personally: Artists can focus on creating designs while Redbubble handles marketing.
• Zero startup cost: It’s free to start selling on Redbubble, making it a low-risk option for artists.

Cons

• The drawback of limited control over marketing and branding: While Redbubble handles marketing, this also means artists have limited control over these crucial aspects of their business.
• Possibility of high competition and need for a large volume of designs: The platform can be highly competitive, requiring artists to create and upload new designs to stay ahead continuously.
• Limited control over product selection: Artists don’t have much say in the types of products their designs are printed on.
• Limited control over pricing and profit per sale: Redbubble sets the prices, which can affect the profit margin for artists.

Shopify vs Redbubble: In-depth Comparison

Pricing

Shopify

Subscription fees

Shopify provides a variety of subscription packages catering to businesses from small to big. With pricing tiers from $39 to $2,000, they offer different service options from which customers can choose. The logic is, of course, the more expensive a plan is, the more advanced features it offers. 

Note that new merchants will enjoy a special deal offered by Shopify. You can fully try this platform totally free for 3 day, then get three more months for only $ 1 per month after that. You can click here to claim this deal. 

Transaction fees

Transaction fees are charges applied by Shopify when a customer makes a purchase from your store. These fees are over and above the monthly subscription costs for your chosen Shopify plan. The purpose of these fees is to cover the costs involved in processing payments and ensuring the secure and smooth operation of transactions.

Shopify charges transaction fees, which fluctuate based on your chosen plan, typically between 0.5–2%. Remember, these rates apply if you are not using Shopify Payments. If you decide to use Shopify’s own payment gateway, Shopify Payments, these transaction fees are waived.

In addition to transaction fees, you should also be aware of credit card fees. These are the fees charged every time a customer pays using a credit card. Again, the rate varies based on your Shopify plan, from 2.4%–2.9% + 30¢ per transaction

These rates apply if you’re using Shopify Payments. If you’re using an external payment gateway, rates may vary and could potentially be higher.

Additional fees

Beyond the standard subscription and transaction fees, Shopify might add further charges for extras like add-ons, themes, apps, and integrations. While some of these resources are free, others can carry additional costs. 

Related articles:

Shopify Fee Calculator: How Much Does A Shopify Store Cost?
Shopify Pricing Plans: How To Choose The Right Plans For Your Store

Redbubble

Subscription fees

Redbubble works on a different pricing model. Instead of charging a subscription fee, Redbubble charges an account fee. This flat fee is based on monthly income and only applies when the artist makes a sale. If no sales are made during checkout, no fees are charged, so the artists never run out of pocket.

Let’s break it down with an example:

Suppose you sold goods for a total of $300 and from that you earned $75 (because you keep on average 25% of the sales price). The fee Redbubble charges you is based on your earnings of $75. They have a fixed fee of $28. They take this fee from your earnings before they pay you. So, after they take out the $28 from your $75 earnings, you will receive $47 as your payment for that month.

Compared to Shopify, it seems that using Redbubble can be more expensive. Since Redbubble charges a fee on every item you sell, the more orders you get, the more you pay. Meanwhile, Shopify subscription fees are fixed and will not be affected by the number of orders you place.

Transaction fees

From our research, there is no public specific amount of transaction fees you have to pay to Redbubble. However, we suppose whether there is a transaction fee or not, you’ll still have to pay the credit card rates per transaction. 

Additional fees

Redbubble is an all-in-one platform that handles all aspects of selling, from payment gateways and inventory management to customer service. As such, there are no additional fees outside of the base price and your desired markup. It’s a system designed to remove the complexity of selling online, allowing artists to focus on their craft.

Table comparison in terms of overall pricing

The Verdict

Shopify is the winner in terms of pricing as it is more cost-effective in the longer term. 

Sales & Marketing Features

Shipping And Fulfillment

Both Shopify and Redbubble offer global shipping. However, Shopify requires you to arrange to ship or leverage their integration with dropshipping apps. Redbubble, on the other hand, handles shipping and fulfillment on your behalf.

Inventory Management

Since both platforms are primarily geared towards print-on-demand, traditional inventory management isn’t much of a concern. You create the designs, and products are only created as orders come in.

Order Management

Both platforms provide comprehensive order management tools, allowing you to track orders, handle returns, and manage customer queries effectively.

Payment Options

Shopify and Redbubble offer various payment options, including major credit and debit cards and PayPal. Shopify, additionally, has its payment gateway, Shopify Payments and offers a larger number of third-party gateways  (100+ payment gateways) while Redbubble only has a few (less than 10 payment gateways).

SEO & content marketing 

Shopify and Redbubble understand the importance of SEO for online visibility. Shopify provides various SEO tools, including blogging feature, meta tags, etc. They are excellent for content marketing to drive traffic. 

Redbubble’s marketplace model naturally benefits from a higher domain authority, helping your products get found in search results. However, it’s your job to take advantage of all you can customize on Redbubble—keyword optimization—to drive traffic to your store.

Reporting and Analytics 

Shopify offers robust reporting and analytics features, providing insights into sales, customer behavior, and more. 

Redbubble provides primary sales data but lacks the in-depth analytics of Shopify.

Sales Features only Shopify has

Despite their similarities, Shopify has some distinct features that give it an edge:

• Abandoned Cart Recovery: Shopify provides automated emails to remind customers of items left in their carts, improving conversion rates.
• Shopify Email: With Shopify Email, you can create, run and track email marketing campaigns directly within Shopify.
• Multichannel Selling: Shopify enables selling across multiple channels, including Facebook, Instagram, and Amazon.
• Customizable Checkout: Shopify allows for full checkout customization, enhancing the customer experience and potentially boosting sales.
• Integration with 8000+ Apps: Shopify’s App Store offers numerous applications for added functionalities, from SEO improvement to accounting.

These features help sellers create more personalized, engaging customer experiences and build a more successful online business.

The Verdict

Shopify emerges as the winner for businesses with a more comprehensive strategy and resources to invest in marketing, analytics, and customer experience enhancement. 

Apps and Integrations

Shopify 

Shopify’s advantage lies in its app marketplace, which boasts over 8,000 apps and integrations, which allows businesses to extend the platform’s functionality and customize their store to their unique needs. From SEO tools and email marketing apps to social media integrations and analytics tools, the Shopify app store is a treasure trove of resources.

Redbubble

From what we researched, Redbubble doesn’t support an integration with a third-party app. So you need to totally depend on this platform to increase online presence and boost your store’s sales. 

The Verdict

When considering the aspect of apps and integrations, Shopify emerges as the stronger platform. 

Ease of Use

Shopify 

Shopify shines when it comes to ease of use. The platform offers a highly intuitive and user-friendly interface, making it accessible even for beginners. With its drag-and-drop website builder, you can easily customize your online store, even if you have no coding skills. The steps for setting up a store are clear and straightforward, from choosing a theme, adding products, and setting up payment gateways to launching your store.

In addition, Shopify’s dashboard is cleanly designed and easy to navigate, allowing you to manage everything from inventory and orders to customer information and analytics from one central location. Plus, with 24/7 customer support and a wealth of online resources, help is readily available should you run into any difficulties.

Redbubble

Redbubble also offers a user-friendly interface, but it operates differently from Shopify. As a marketplace, the setup process is more straightforward, involving creating an account, uploading your designs, and choosing the products you want your designs to feature on. There’s no need to worry about creating a website, managing inventory, or setting up payment gateways. Redbubble takes care of all of this.

However, the downside is that you have less control and flexibility compared to Shopify. For instance, you cannot customize the appearance of your shop beyond a cover image and a profile picture. And while Redbubble’s interface is straightforward, it might not be as comprehensive as Shopify’s, especially if you want more control over your online business.

The Verdict

When it comes to ease of use, Redbubble emerges slightly ahead, particularly for users who prioritize simplicity over extensive customization. 

Scalability

Shopify 

Shopify is renowned for its scalability, offering features and tools to accommodate businesses of all sizes. Here’s how Shopify is well prepared for your business to grow, even exponentially:

• Pricing plans: Shopify offers several pricing tiers to accommodate businesses of different sizes and needs. These range from the Basic Shopify plan for small businesses to the Shopify Plus plan for enterprise-scale businesses. You can upgrade your Shopify plan to access more features and resources as your business grows.
• Transaction fees: With higher-tier Shopify plans, the transaction fees decrease, which can be very beneficial for a scaling business with increasing sales volume.
• API and app store: Shopify has a powerful API and a vast app store, which means you can add new features and functionalities to your store as your business grows. This makes Shopify a very flexible and scalable platform.

Redbubble

Redbubble also offers scalable solutions. 

• Unlimited design uploads: Redbubble allows artists to upload unlimited designs without any additional cost. This makes Redbubble an excellent platform for artists who want to add new designs as their creative portfolio grows continually.
• Consistent features: Regardless of the size of your business or the number of designs you have on Redbubble, the platform’s features and functionalities remain consistent. Adding new features or functionalities is less flexible than Shopify, but the ease and simplicity may benefit artists and designers.

The Verdict

If you’re looking for a platform that offers more room to grow, adapt, and customize as your business evolves, Shopify is the clear winner. 

Help and Support 

Shopify 

• Support Channels: Shopify provides customer support via phone, email, and live chat. They also have a robust Help Center, user forums, tutorials, and guides for self-help.
• Support Time: As the support is 24/7, customers can get their issues resolved, or queries answered anytime, reducing downtime and ensuring smoother operations.

Redbubble

• Support Channels: Redbubble, on the other hand, offers a more limited range of support options. Their support channels include email, live chat, and telephone and an extensive knowledge base. 
• Support Time: Redbubble offers its users round-the-clock phone assistance and email and live chat support for any questions or concerns related to their offerings or services.

The Verdict

When it comes to help and support, Shopify emerges as the clear winner. 

Security

Shopify 

• SSL Certificate: Shopify provides an SSL certificate for all stores on its platform. This means all data between your store and customers is encrypted, keeping sensitive information like credit card details safe.
• PCI DSS Compliant: Shopify is Level 1 PCI DSS compliant, the highest level of compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. This means it meets stringent global standards for data protection.
• Fraud Protection: Shopify includes built-in fraud analysis features, which help you identify and avoid fraudulent transactions.
• Two-Factor Authentication: Shopify allows you to add an extra layer of security to your account with two-factor authentication. This prevents unauthorized access even if someone knows your password.
• Data Protection: Shopify regularly backs up your store data to safeguard against data loss. In the event of an unforeseen incident, you can rely on these backups to restore your store to its previous state.

Redbubble

• SSL Certificate: Just like Shopify, Redbubble uses SSL encryption to secure the data exchanged between the site and its users.
• PCI DSS Compliant: Redbubble is also PCI DSS compliant, meaning it adheres to the same high standards of data protection as Shopify.
• Privacy Policy: Redbubble has a detailed privacy policy in place, which outlines how user data is collected, used, and protected.
• External Security Testing: Redbubble uses external security firms to test their systems and ensure there are no vulnerabilities regularly.

The Verdict

Shopify stands out with its built-in fraud protection, providing an extra layer of protection. 

Design And Customization Features

Shopify 

• Theme Variety: Shopify offers a diverse range of free and premium themes (120+ themes available on Shopify Theme Store, not to mention third-party theme providers) catering to many industries. All themes are fully customizable to match your brand’s look and feel. Its reputation and popularity make Shopify a more lucrative land for theme developers to provide more and more quality theme. Check out over 100 best themes for Shopify store here: Shopify Theme collections

• Customizable Checkout: Shopify’s checkout process can be fully customized, providing your customers with a seamless and branded shopping experience.
• Drag-and-Drop Builder: Shopify’s easy-to-use drag-and-drop store builder allows you to change the look of your store without needing any coding skills.
• Apps for Enhanced Customization: With Shopify’s extensive app marketplace, you can add even more customization options to your store. There are apps for everything from design elements to layout tweaks.

Redbubble

• Product Design Customization: With Redbubble, you can tailor the size, color, and materials employed for every product. Using their intuitive drag-and-drop functionality, you can conveniently append text or visuals to any item.
• Simple Setup: Redbubble’s setup is straightforward, with fewer options to customize, making it easier for those who are less tech-savvy.
• Design Features: Redbubble seamlessly integrates with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, enabling the smooth creation of personalized product designs. Furthermore, it supports direct uploading of pre-developed designs onto the platform.

The Verdict

When it comes to design and customization features, Shopify takes the lead. 

Shopify vs Redbubble: Table Comparison

This comparison shows that Shopify is the winner in several vital areas, such as pricing, sales & marketing features, apps and integrations, scalability, help and support, security, as well as design and customization features. While Redbubble has its strengths, especially ease of use, the overall comparison shows that Shopify is a better choice for most businesses. 

Who should use Shopify? And who should use Redbubble?

Who should use Shopify? 

Shopify is ideal for:

• Small to Medium Businesses (SMBs): Shopify’s flexibility, scalability, and vast features make it an excellent choice for small to medium-sized businesses. Shopify can handle everything from inventory management to shipping logistics, making it a versatile platform for growing businesses.
• Aspiring Entrepreneurs: If you’re looking to start your online store, Shopify offers an easy-to-use platform with a wide range of features. Plus, its ability to integrate with numerous apps means you can tailor your store to your unique needs.
• E-commerce businesses: For established e-commerce businesses looking to expand their product offerings to include print-on-demand items, Shopify offers seamless integration capabilities. Its integration with various apps and tools enhances inventory management, order fulfillment, and payment processing, providing a streamlined experience.
• Artists and Designers seeking more control: Artists and designers who want more control over their online store, including the look and feel pricing, and marketing strategies, would find Shopify’s customization options beneficial.

Who should use Redbubble?

Redbubble is ideal for:

• Artists and Designers: Redbubble is primarily an art-focused marketplace where artists can upload their work and sell it on various products. The ease of use and the fact that Redbubble handles manufacturing, shipping, and customer service make it ideal for creatives.
• Aspiring Entrepreneurs with fewer resources: If you’re starting and don’t want to handle the logistics like inventory, production, and shipping, Redbubble takes care of these aspects, allowing you to focus solely on creating designs and marketing your products.
• Independent Sellers focusing on design work: For independent sellers whose primary interest lies in the design work rather than the technical aspects of running an online store, Redbubble provides an easy and straightforward platform.

Shopify vs Redbubble: FAQs

Can I use Shopify with Redbubble?

The answer is no. For now, Redbubble doesn’t yet support an integration with a thirdparty platform like Shopify, as said by Redbubble.

What percentage does Redbubble take?

A fee of 5% in addition to 30 cents is applied to each transaction, while for US customers, this fee is reduced to 3% plus 30 cents.

Is it better to sell on Etsy or Redbubble?

The choice between selling on Etsy or Redbubble largely depends on your needs and business model. Redbubble is better suited for artists who want to sell their designs on various products without worrying about production or shipping. On the other hand, Etsy is more suitable for handmade goods, vintage items, and craft supplies. If you’re an artist, Redbubble might be the better choice. However, for handcrafted items, Etsy could be more beneficial.

Can you make money from Redbubble?

Yes, you can make money from Redbubble. Redbubble pays you the amount you set as your artist margin when you sell a product. 

Shopify vs Redbubble: Conclusion

In conclusion, the choice between Shopify and Redbubble for your print-on-demand business largely depends on your specific needs, objectives, and the level of involvement you wish to have in the process.

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