10 Best Websites Like Society6 – Ultimate Guide
Making money selling artwork can be difficult, especially if you sell online.
Between making your artwork, packaging, shipping, and finding buyers in the first place, it's definitely a tough way to make money online.
Unsurprisingly, this difficulty is why many artists and designers rely on print on demand (POD) marketplaces to sell their artwork. And, one of the most popular print on demand options is Society6.
But if you're already on Society6 and are having trouble getting sales, don't despair! There are actually plenty of sites like Society6 you can use to expand your online art sales and make more money.
Why People Choose Society6 Alternatives
According to Semrush, Society6 gets over 2 million monthly visitors from just organic traffic alone.
In other words, it's a massive online marketplace.
Society6 also has a robust product catalog, is free for artists to list on, and lets you start selling POD products very quickly.
But, here are some reasons artists tend to try alternatives to Society6 (and find success in doing so):
- Competition. Society6 gets a lot of visitors, but growing your store and listing visibility on the platform is still tough.
- Artist Fees. Artists earn 10% of the retail price on Society6 for most products. The reality is that there are other POD marketplaces or options for selling your designs that have better commission structures.
- Experimentation. Getting multiple irons in the fire by selling on several platforms can help you reach a wider audience.
Society6 is still a popular choice, but if you upload lots of designs and don't find traction after a few months, it's probably time to test another marketplace.
The Best Sites Like Society6
If you're ready to start earning passive income with your designs, the following websites like Society6 are the perfect place to start selling.
Just note: some options require starting your own online store and give you way more control over your pricing and how your storefront looks.
The catch is that these methods can take longer to find buyers since you aren't selling on an existing marketplace.
Whatever the case, I'll list the margins, product catalogue, and all the info you need for each website to hopefully make the right decision!
1. Sellfy
If you like the idea of running your own store as an alternative to selling on Society6, Sellfy is one of the best options you should consider.
With Sellfy, you get your own custom storefront to sell products from.
You can start your store in just 5 minutes, and Sellfy is sort of a middle-ground between using something like Printify and sticking with a site like Society6.
Sellfy has a fairly small POD product catalogue, which is worth noting. Currently, you can create and sell products like:
- Apparel
- Mugs
- Phone cases
- Posters
- Stickers
- Tote bags
This is quite limited compared to Society6 and other POD marketplaces, but you can also sell digital downloads on Sellfy, which is great for things like stickers.
But really, the main advantage of using Sellfy is that you create your own storefront and brand and aren't uploading your designs to a massive marketplace like with Society6.
Sellfy also has some email marketing tools and an upsell feature to help you get more sales, although driving traffic to your store is still largely up to you.
I actually tested out Sellfy and built an example storefront to see how it compared to Society6. And honestly, I think the scaling potential for a Sellfy store is way higher since it's actually your own store.
There's even a free Sellfy plan you can use to test out the waters, so there's no risk with starting. Additionally, Sellfy doesn't charge transaction fees, which is awesome.
- Artist Margins: You set your prices.
- Payment Method: Payments process with Stripe or PayPal.
- Total Products: 10+ POD products.
- Sign Up: Create a store with Sellfy and start selling!
2. Printify
Printify is another excellent option you can use if you don't like the idea of selling on a marketplace that's similar to Society6.
This is because Printify is a POD provider, not a marketplace. This means Printify lets you sell POD products but gives you the control to choose where and how you sell.
Currently, Printify integrates with ecommerce platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix, BigCommerce, and PrestaShop. Additionally, Printify lets you sell on marketplaces like Etsy and eBay.
Plus, using Printify's product creator tool is very easy, and you can upload your designs to over 300 products, including:
- Mugs
- Apparel
- Clocks
- Phone cases
- Backpacks
- Pillows
- Stickers
Printify is how I started an Etsy POD store and to try and make money with memes.
It usually takes more time to get sales with Printify versus using sites like Society6 since you have to build your own storefront and attract customers.
But, the trade-off is higher margins (usually) and actual ownership of the store you're selling on.
- Artist Margins: You set your prices.
- Payment Method: You can pay for Printify products with a credit card or PayPal.
- Total Products: 300+ products.
- Sign Up: Start selling with Printify!
- Read More: Printify Review 2024.
Extra Reading – How To Sell Stickers On Etsy.
3. Redbubble
Out of all the websites like Society6, Redbubble is probably one of the most well known.
Redbubble's marketplace gets millions of monthly visitors, and artists can sell 70+ POD products.
Plus, with Redbubble, you get to design your own storefront, group your products into collections, and can give your store a sense of branding/identity.
It's still not as flexible as starting your own website with Printify POD products, but hey, it's a massive marketplace and it's easy for artists to get started with selling.
Redbubble adds a 20% markup to base product prices to determine how much you earn as a default. You can also edit your prices to determine how much you make in profit per sale.
- Artist Margins: You set your prices but the default margin is 20% per sale.
- Payment Method: Redbubble pays artists through PayPal every month as long as you have $20 in your account.
- Total Products: 70+ products.
- Sign Up: Start selling with Redbubble!
- Learn More: How To Make Money With Redbubble.
4. Zazzle
Another popular website like Society6 is Zazzle.
Like Redbubble and Society6, millions of people visit this POD marketplace every month. In fact, it's one of the larger players in the space based on traffic.
Selling as an artist is also rather straightforward. You upload your designs to different Zazzle products, create a storefront, and start selling.
Zazzle offers several dozen POD products, including:
- Apparel
- Buttons
- Cards
- Coffee mugs
- Caps and hats
- Stickers
- Artwork
- Pillows
You also get to add some branding to your storefront and can group products into collections. People can also follow your store to receive updates about when new products go live.
All-in-all, Zazzle is fairly similar to the likes of Society6 and Redbubble…if you're struggling to get sales on Society6, this is a very natural progression to make and will feel right at home!
- Artist Margins: You set your prices.
- Payment Method: Zazzle pays artists via check or PayPal 30 days after they complete a sale.
- Total Products: Several dozen products.
- Sign Up: Try selling on Zazzle!
- Learn More: 8 Best Websites Like Zazzle.
5. Etsy
Etsy is probably best-known for a place to sell handmade and vintage goods like apparel, jewelry, artwork, and home goods.
But, Etsy is also one of the best alternatives to Society6 because, in my opinion, growing your presence on Etsy's marketplace has a way higher earning potential than most POD marketplaces.
This is for several reasons.
Firstly, in my experience, it's possible to get organic traffic and eyeballs on your products with Etsy with some proper keyword research and by writing robust product descriptions.
I mean, when I was selling meme mugs as a college side hustle, I actually made two sales and was starting to get organic visitors to my listings:
Plus, as a marketplace, Etsy is a great launching pad for selling your own products, digital downloads, and growing a brand that can become a full-time business.
Now, in terms of POD selling, Etsy also integrates with services like Printify and Printful, so you can still upload your designs to products and then sell them on your Etsy store.
Granted, Etsy has some fees, including a $0.20 product listing fee and 5% transaction fee as the two main types.
However, I think the fees are more than worth it for the potential to grow an Etsy business.
Honestly, if I had to choose a site like Society6 to use, I'd go with the Printify + Etsy combo to start selling.
- Artist Margins: You set your prices.
- Payment Method: Etsy sellers get paid through direct deposit, although some stores still use PayPal for getting paid.
- Total Products: Depends on the POD provider you integrate but you can use Printify or Printful
- Sign Up: Create your own Etsy store!
6. Merch By Amazon
When you think of making money with Amazon, you probably think of things like starting an Amazon FBA business or driving for Amazon Flex.
But, did you also know you can sell POD on products through the Merch by Amazon program?
That's right: Amazon has gotten into the POD market and honestly, this is another awesome Society6 alternative with massive potential for artists.
With Merch By Amazon, you're selling POD products right on Amazon's marketplace, which means you can reach millions of buyers.
Furthermore, people already do a lot of their shopping on Amazon anyway, and your products are also Prime-eligible!
Now, Merch By Amazon has a smaller product catalogue than websites like Society6 or provides like Printify, but you can sell:
- Apparel
- Phone cases
- PopSockets
- Pillows
The apparel category is really where the money is since again, people do a ton of clothing shopping on Amazon.
Merch by Amazon is an invite-only program, so you have to submit an application to begin selling which is the main downside.
- Artist Margins: Varies depending on the product you sell but it's generally between 10% to 25%
- Payment Method: Merch by Amazon sellers get paid with an electronic funds transfer 30 days after a sale
- Total Products: 20+ products, mostly apparel.
- Sign Up: Submit an application to Merch by Amazon.
7. Fine Art America
If you're looking for a slightly higher-end website like Society6, Fine Art America is what you're looking for.
As an artist on Fine Art America, you upload your designs to products like:
- Art prints
- Greeting cards
- Phone cases
- Home decor
- Tote bags and lifestyle products
- Apparel
You can also sell digital downloads and original artwork, so I like Fine Art America's flexibility for artists.
You also set your own prices, and the prints on Fine Art America are definitely more expensive than most POD marketplaces on average, meaning more profit per sale as a seller.
Fine Art America also integrates with Shopify, Facebook, and your own website, so it's quite flexible in terms of where you sell.
Selling on Fine Art America is also free, although you can pay $30 per year for a premium membership that adds some promotional/exposure benefits for artists.
- Artist Margins: Varies depending on the product you sell.
- Payment Method: Fine Art America pays artists monthly through PayPal.
- Total Products: Several dozen products.
- Sign Up: Start selling on Fine Art America.
8. TeeSpring (Spring)
If you have a loyal social media following, TeeSpring, now rebranded as Spring, is one of the best sites like Society6 you can sell on.
With Spring, you can sell over 180 POD products, including the usual items like apparel, mugs, phone cases, and stickers.
But, where Spring separates itself from many basic POD marketplaces is with its social media integration options.
As a Spring seller, you can sell your products through:
- YouTube
- Twitch
- TikTok
You still get a Spring storefront to sell your products on, but the fact you can promote your designs/products on other channels is a massive plus.
So, if you're currently making money on YouTube or stream on Twitch and want to sell merchandise, I'd take a serious look at Spring.
- Artist Margins: Varies depending on the product you sell.
- Payment Method: Spring pays artists through Payoneer and PayPal
- Total Products: 180+ products.
- Sign Up: Learn more about selling on Spring.
Extra Reading – The Best Websites Like TeeSpring.
9. Design By Humans
Design By Humans is another company like Society6 where artists can sell POD products in their own store.
What Design By Humans does quite well is giving artists more control over how they design their storefronts; you actually have quite a few customization options to make your store look the way you want.
Like other POD marketplaces, you can upload your design to dozens of products, including:
- Apparel
- Art prints
- Phone cases
- Mugs
- Stickes
Apparel is the largest product category by far, but even so, you have enough product depth to get creative as a seller on Design By Humans.
I also like that Design By Humans is currently doubling royalties for 90 days for new sellers, so it's definitely nice timing if you want to try another marketplace instead of sticking with Society6.
- Artist Margins: Varies depending on the product you sell.
- Payment Method: Design By Humans pays artists monthly through PayPal.
- Total Products: A few dozen products.
- Sign Up: Check out Design By Humans.
Extra Reading – How To Avoid PayPal Fees.
10. Threadless
With over 100 available products, Threadless is another one of the popular sites like Society6 where artists can start selling.
As an artist on Threadless, you can create your own storefront to promote your products alongside having buyers find you on Threadless' marketplace.
Overall, Threadless is about 10 times smaller than Society6 in terms of monthly traffic, and receives around 200,000 monthly visitors according to Semrush.
But, if you're not getting sales on Society6 or some of the larger sites, it's definitely worth keeping in mind as an alternative.
Plus, Threadless has a Shopify integration option in the works, so there are some exciting changes coming to the platform.
I think apparel is the most popular category on Threadless by far, but again, don't be afraid to test out this marketplace if sales are slow elsewhere.
- Artist Margins: Varies depending on the product you sell.
- Payment Method: Threadless pays artists through PayPal.
- Total Products: 100+ products.
- Sign Up: Start selling on Threadless.
Tips For Choosing The Best Society6 Alternative
There are so many other sites like Society6 out there, it's admittedly difficult to choose where to sell.
And, one of the worst things sellers can do is to stretch themselves too thin by trying to sell everywhere. After all, you want to get positive reviews and grow your profile on a marketplace to make the most out of it, which takes time and effort!
So, what Society6 alternative should you choose?
Well, here's how I think about it:
- If You Like Society6: Websites like Redbubble, Threadless, Zazzle, and Fine Art America have very similar business models, so these are your best options.
- If You Want More Control: Printify and Sellfy are your best options for keeping more control over your margins, storefront, and how you sell because you aren't just selling on another marketplace.
- If You Want Something New: I'd probably stick with selling on Etsy because of how promising and diverse the marketplace is. You could also apply to Merch by Amazon to test what selling on Amazon is like.
At the end of the day, all of these websites like Society6 have potential to earn some nice passive income or scale into a more serious side hustle.
Just make sure to pick a niche and to give whatever platform you test next its fair share of attention.
Extra Reading – Ways To Make $50 Per Day.
Final Thoughts
I hope our list of the best sites like Society6 help you decide how to branch into a new artwork market.
I think the world of POD has immense potential for artists because it lets them focus on what they do best: creating unique, awesome designs.
That said, I don't think making a full-time income from POD selling is easy or should be your expectation.
Start out slowly and test a few designs. When you find something that catches and gets sales, do more of that!
It might be on Society6, another website, or several marketplaces.
Whatever the case, with persistent effort and testing, I think you can scale a POD business into a significant online business that pays dividends for years to come.
Thanks for reading!
Looking for other online selling ideas to make money? Checkout:
- The Best Poshmark Alternatives For Selling Online.
- Mercari vs eBay – What's Best For Sellers?.