Redbubble built its name on a huge marketplace, trend-driven shoppers, and an easy setup for creators. Society6 is often associated with premium home decor, curated products, and design-focused shoppers. But when it comes to Redbubble vs Society6, which one is better?
In this guide, we’ll compare both platforms on the factors that matter most, including ease of use, fees, store customization, and scalability. We’ll also show how to start selling with Printify if you want more flexibility, stronger branding, and room to grow beyond marketplace limits.
What is Redbubble?
Redbubble is a global print-on-demand marketplace built on user-generated designs. Artists upload artwork, Redbubble slaps it on tees, stickers, phone cases, and other products, then handles printing, packing, and shipping worldwide. Artists earn a royalty per sale – making it a low-risk entry point for selling art online.
Redbubble pros and cons
Pros
Massive built-in audience. Millions of monthly shoppers already browse Redbubble looking for unique designs.
Zero upfront cost. Upload artwork for free and start earning per sale.
Wide product range. Over 70 product types across apparel, decor, and accessories.
Cons
Low royalty margins. Artists set markup, but base fees leave slim profits per sale.
Fierce competition. Millions of designs make discoverability tough for new artists.
Limited brand control. Redbubble owns the customer relationship, not you.
What is Society6
Society6 is the art-school kid of Print on Demand – a US-based marketplace known for design-forward home decor and lifestyle products. Think framed prints, tapestries, throw pillows, and rugs, with a smaller apparel section on the side. Widely considered the best platform for artists whose work looks best hung on a wall.
Society6 pros and cons
Pros
Design-focused audience. Aesthetic-driven shoppers willing to pay for well-curated artwork.
Home decor powerhouse. Exceptional for artists making pieces suited to framed prints, wall tapestries, and interior styling.
Editorial marketing. Society6 actively promotes trending artists through email, social, and site features.
Cons
Fixed 10% royalty on most products (only art prints allow custom markup).
Limited pricing control. Society6 sets retail prices, capping upside.
Slower international shipping. US-focused fulfillment means longer delivery times abroad.
Redbubble vs Society6: Quick overview
Redbubble and Society6 both help artists sell products without handling inventory, but they take different approaches.
Redbubble focuses on open access, a larger product catalog, and higher marketplace traffic. Society6 takes a more curated route, with a smaller catalog centered on art prints, home decor, and premium lifestyle products.
This quick table breaks down the key differences so you can see which platform matches your goals faster.
Redbubble | Society6 | |
Best for | Beginners, trend-based sellers, broad product niches | Artists focused on home decor and premium art |
Startup cost | Free to join | Limited access / curated entry |
Monthly cost | No monthly fee, platform fees apply | No monthly fee |
Artist fees | Tier-based platform fees | Fixed commission rates |
Products | Apparel, stickers, accessories, home items | Art prints, decor, lifestyle items |
Traffic potential | High | Low |
International selling | Ships worldwide | US regions only |
Store customization | Basic profile branding | Basic profile branding |
Redbubble vs Society6: A platform comparison
Both platforms let you sell designs on demand, but the experience can vary widely. Let’s see how Redbubble and Society6 compare where it counts most.
Store setup and ease of use
Redbubble keeps the signup process simple. You only need an email to create an account and get started.
New sellers go through an account review, which can take up to five business days before the shop becomes visible in search results and through direct links. Once approved, new designs usually appear in your store in less than an hour.
Redbubble uses a tier system that affects account status and fees. Most creators start under Redbubble Standard, while more established sellers may qualify for Premium status. You can move up later through strong design quality, consistent uploads, and solid sales performance. We’ll cover each tier’s fees later in this guide.
The dashboard is beginner-friendly and gives sellers a clear place to manage uploads, products, sales, and helpful learning resources. Most creators should find it easy to use from day one.
Society6 also has a clean and straightforward interface artists can easily navigate. However, access is the bigger challenge right now.
The platform stopped accepting new artists on March 18, 2025, and plans to shift to a curated invitation-based system where creators join after portfolio review. That means many new sellers may not be able to open a store right away.
Even after joining, the newer moderation system can take up to 30 days to approve and publish new designs.
Verdict
If fast setup and easy entry matter most, Redbubble has the clear advantage here. Society6 may appeal more to artists who value a curated marketplace, but it creates a much higher barrier to entry.
Store customization and branding control
Society6 and Redbubble offer similar storefront customization tools. You can upload an avatar, add a cover image, and write an artist bio to personalize your shop page and showcase your style and artwork.
Both platforms use tagging systems that help shoppers browse designs by category and keywords. On Redbubble, followers can keep up with creators they like, adding a light social feel. Redbubble also includes built-in download protection to help stop high-resolution artwork downloads from product pages.
That said, Society6 and Redbubble keep your store inside their marketplace ecosystem. Your products sit under their branding, website structure, and customer experience, giving you less control over how you build an independent brand. If full customization matters most, these print-on-demand marketplaces offer only basic control.
Redbubble vs Society6: Fees, pricing, and profit margins
Redbubble uses a tiered fee system that can significantly affect earnings. Standard artists pay a mandatory platform fee equal to 50% of monthly earnings, while Premium artists pay 20%. Pro artists are exempt from these fees.
Redbubble still lets artists control their own pricing by setting markups above the base price of each product. However, if you raise markups above 20%, the platform charges an extra 50% fee on earnings made over that level.
To reduce the impact, Standard and Premium accounts have a monthly fee cap of $150. Payments go out monthly once you reach the $20 threshold.
In contrast, Society6 moved away from artist plans during its recent overhaul and no longer lets creators set their own markup percentages. Instead, the platform uses fixed commissions based on product type.
For example, pillows, wall tapestries, framed art, and posters use a 10% markup, while most other products use 5%. Society6 pays monthly and doesn’t have a minimum payout threshold.
When it comes to Redbubble vs Society6 earnings, Society6 keeps things simpler with predictable payouts. Redbubble offers more pricing flexibility, but higher fees can eat into profits.
SEO, marketplace traffic, and discoverability
Redbubble brings far more marketplace traffic, with around 20.09 million visits in March 2026. It supports self-promotion and lets creators sell on other platforms. Its automatic translation of titles and tags can help products reach shoppers in different markets. The downside is stronger competition, since the easy signup process attracts many sellers.
Society6 saw around 704,000 visits in the same period, so traffic is much smaller. However, fewer sellers and a stricter review process can reduce competition.
Its 2025 curation update aimed to reduce the number of artists and designs to improve discoverability. If successful, that could help quality artwork stand out and strengthen the platform’s premium feel.
Marketing tools and audience growth
Redbubble gives artists more built-in tools to promote their work and grow a community. The platform offers free promotional templates that update regularly around seasonal campaigns, product launches, and popular design trends, making it easier to create content and encourage purchases.
Redbubble also lets you connect social media accounts to your profile, making your art accessible even outside the marketplace. That can help artists build a stronger brand, attract more customers, and monetize their audience across different platforms.
Society6 takes a more limited approach. Artists can add social media links to their profile, but cannot place links to an external website or other stores inside the shop. That means you can still sell your art on other platforms, but Society6 gives you few ways to redirect marketplace traffic to your own channels.
Scalability and selling worldwide
Redbubble has a broad product variety, from trending apparel like t-shirts and hoodies to accessories and home and living products, including stickers, phone cases, mugs, and pillows.
That larger catalog makes it easier to test niches, add new products, and expand your business over time. This print-on-demand marketplace also ships worldwide, giving artists access to customers across the world.
On the other hand, Society6 now takes a narrower approach. The platform removed apparel and certain accessories from its catalog, focusing instead on art prints, home decor, and premium lifestyle products.
Society6 also currently ships only within US regions. It no longer offers international shipping, including to Canada and Mexico, due to higher costs and tax complexity. This is a major downside for artists who want to grow outside the US market.
Customer support and seller resources
Redbubble offers support through email, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Its ticket system usually responds within 48 hours.
Artists can also use the Help Center knowledge base and the Redbubble Blog for helpful tips, platform updates, and spotlights featuring fellow artists.
Society6’s Help Center features essential guides for artists to start and troubleshoot, while the Society6 Blog for guides and updates. However, its only direct support option is a ticket system, with replies usually taking one to two business days, excluding US holidays.
Redbubble or Society6: Which should you choose?
Deciding between Society6 vs Redbubble comes down to what you want to sell and how you want to grow. Both platforms help artists sell online, but they suit different goals.
Best for Redbubble
Redbubble is a strong pick if you want to start quickly and sign up with minimal barriers. It works well for new artists testing ideas with low risk and looking to make money from trends or niche demand.
It’s especially good for stickers, t-shirts, phone cases, mugs, and other everyday products that follow trends or niche demand. If you like to upload often and try new ideas, Redbubble gives you more flexibility.
Redbubble also suits sellers who want global shipping and more product variety, since the marketplace ships worldwide.
Best for Society6
Society6 is a better fit for artists focused on premium art, artwork, and home decor. It caters to illustrators, photographers, and designers who want to showcase their art in a more curated space.
The platform leans toward art prints, framed pieces, wall decor, and lifestyle products instead of mass-market accessories. That can appeal to customers who care about style and quality, which may lead to stronger margins.
Sell with Printify: More control and higher profits
If marketplace fees, limited branding, and platform rules feel restrictive, Printify offers a smarter way to sell. Instead of depending on a marketplace, you can build your own business, keep more of your earnings, and sell on your terms.
Here’s what makes Printify one of the best print-on-demand sites today.
Higher profits, less risk
Set your own prices and keep more money from every sale. You aren’t giving away a large share of each order to a marketplace. Signing up is free, there’s no subscription fee, and you only pay when you make a sale.
Huge product range
Choose from 1,300+ custom products, including apparel, accessories, home decor, and gifts. Want to start with apparel? Make your own t-shirt and expand into other products later. Add products as demand changes and enjoy more creative freedom with where your designs appear.
Global fulfillment
Sell worldwide without holding inventory. Printify’s network of Print Providers prints closer to your customers for faster delivery and lower shipping costs.
Sell anywhere
Choose the marketplace vs own store path that fits your business goals by connecting your own stores through platforms like Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, and more. You can also launch a Printify Pop-Up Store in minutes for a quick way to sell while keeping your brand front and center.
Simple setup
Getting started with Printify only takes four simple steps:
- Sign up for free with your email address.
- Choose products from our Catalog.
- Upload art or create one from scratch using the Product Creator.
- Publish your listings and start selling.
Frequently asked questions
Final thoughts
Choosing between Society6 or Redbubble depends on your goals, products, and future plans. Both platforms can help artists start selling, but each comes with limits around fees, control, and flexibility.
Want a better option? Printify is free to start, offers tons of custom products, and handles printing, packing, and shipping for you. Build your brand, not someone else’s, with us.
