Comparison
Redbubble vs TeePublic
Redbubble and TeePublic are both print-on-demand marketplaces owned by the same company, but they pay artists in completely different ways. Here's how they compare.
Last Updated: June 2026
Reviewed for current platform fees and pricing rules.
Side-by-side comparison
A quick overview of how Redbubble and TeePublic stack up on the things that matter most.
| Factor | Redbubble | TeePublic |
|---|---|---|
| Payout model | Base cost + your markup (you set the price). | Fixed amount per item sold (set by TeePublic). |
| Per-sale earnings (default) | Standard tier ~$2–3 per shirt. | Artisan tier ~$4 per shirt (about 2x Redbubble Standard). |
| Seller fees | Platform fee by tier: Standard 50%, Premium 20%, Pro 0% + excess markup fee. | No seller fees. |
| Traffic | Much higher — roughly 10–15x TeePublic. | Smaller, niche community. |
| Sales/discounts | Frequent sales reduce artist earnings during the sale. | Frequent sales reduce artist earnings during the sale. |
| Product range | Wider catalog (apparel, stickers, home goods, wall art). | Narrower — mostly apparel and accessories. |
| Best for | Volume sellers at Premium/Pro tier — far more traffic. | Standard-tier or new sellers — higher pay per sale, simpler setup. |
Pros and cons
Redbubble
Pros
- Massive traffic compared to TeePublic.
- Wide product catalog beyond apparel.
- Set your own markup for higher per-item earnings.
- Tier system rewards top sellers (Premium, Pro).
Cons
- Standard tier earnings are low (~$2–3 per shirt).
- Frequent sales cut into your margin.
- Tier qualification and excess markup fee add complexity.
- Heavy competition for visibility.
TeePublic
Pros
- Higher fixed payout per sale — about 2x Redbubble Standard.
- No seller fees and no tier system.
- Simpler dashboard and upload flow.
- Lower competition than Redbubble.
Cons
- Much smaller traffic and discovery.
- You can't set your own price.
- Frequent sale events lower your per-unit payout.
- Narrower product catalog.
Example scenarios
Realistic situations and which platform tends to fit best.
Brand new POD artist with a small portfolio
TeePublic first. Higher fixed payouts mean fewer sales needed to see real money, and the simpler setup gets you live faster.
Artist with a growing catalog (100+ designs)
Upload to both. They share an owner, so your designs can live on both with the same files — Redbubble adds traffic, TeePublic adds per-sale pay.
Established Redbubble seller at Premium/Pro tier
Lean into Redbubble. Once the platform fee drops, the traffic advantage makes Redbubble clearly the higher-earning platform.
Artist who hates pricing decisions
TeePublic. Fixed payouts mean no markup math, no tier juggling, no excess markup fee — you upload and TeePublic handles the rest.
Who should choose Redbubble?
Artists with a large catalog, anyone who has reached Premium or Pro tier, and sellers who want products beyond apparel. The traffic advantage is real, but you need volume (or a high tier) to outpace TeePublic's fixed payouts.
Who should choose TeePublic?
New artists, anyone at Redbubble's Standard tier, and sellers who want a simpler setup. The fixed ~$4 payout per shirt usually beats Redbubble Standard on a per-sale basis.
Can you use both?
Yes — and since Redbubble and TeePublic share an owner, many artists upload the same designs to both. Each platform reaches different shoppers, and there's no exclusivity rule.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Redbubble or TeePublic pay more per sale?
- TeePublic usually pays more per sale at the default Artisan tier (~$4) versus Redbubble Standard (~$2–3). Redbubble can pay more once you reach Premium or Pro tier.
- Why does Redbubble have a tier system?
- Redbubble's tier system reduces its platform fee as your sales grow — Standard takes 50%, Premium 20%, Pro 0%. The catch is qualifying for higher tiers requires sustained sales volume.
- Are Redbubble and TeePublic owned by the same company?
- Yes — Redbubble Group owns both. They run as separate marketplaces with different audiences and payout models.
- Should I upload the same designs to both?
- Yes, most artists do. There's no exclusivity rule, and reaching both audiences is easy since the upload requirements overlap heavily.
- How do sales events affect my earnings?
- Both platforms run frequent storewide sales, and your per-sale earnings drop during those events. You can't opt out, so factor it into your expected average.
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