Best merch websites: Top 10 places to create & sell

Did you know that the custom t-shirt printing market alone is expected to exceed $10 billion by 2025? There’s never been a better time to tap into this booming industry and see your designs come to life!

Ready to turn your creative sparks into cash? Here's our roundup of the top 10 merch websites where you can design and sell your own creations. These platforms are more than just a marketplace; they're a launchpad for artists and entrepreneurs alike.

• Selling merch online becomes easier by leveraging the efficient, high-quality platforms available today.

• When choosing a platform to sell merchandise online, consider factors like ease of use, product quality, and market reach. 

• Each merchandising platform offers unique features, pricing plans, inventory management, and target audiences, making it essential to choose the right solution for your needs.

•  Expertise in creating and selling custom products and merch can serve as a lucrative monetization channel for creators and artists.

• Gelato stands out among established merch-selling websites due to its commitment to quality and seamless global distribution.

We've curated a list of the 10 best and major ecommerce platforms, demonstrating diversity, quality, ease of use, and far-reaching market potential.

1. Gelato

Gelato is a global print on demand platform that allows users to create and sell custom products online. It is equipped with facilities for local production in 32 countries and supports seamless integration with ecommerce platforms. The service also provides around-the-clock customer support to assist users at any time.

Key features

• Local production: Gelato has production capabilities in 32 countries, which helps reduce delivery times and costs.

• Variety of products: It allows you to sell custom merch such as t-shirts, mugs, wall art, phone cases, tote bags, photo books, and much more. You can sell merch online and offer worldwide shipping to customers with their advanced logistics.

• 24/7 customer support: Continuous support is available, ensuring that users can get help whenever needed.

Pricing 

Gelato provides scalable pricing plans catering to both small and large businesses. We offer pay-as-you-go as well as monthly subscription plans - Gelato+ is $24/month or $239/year, Gold is $119/month or $1185/year, and Platinum has a custom pricing model.

Best for

This platform is excellent for businesses of all sizes. Bloggers, digital artists, graphic designers, influencers, and internet marketers looking to monetize their followings will find comprehensive services and products to meet their needs.

2. Zazzle

Zazzle is a popular online marketplace that caters to over 30 million customers annually. It provides a platform for individual sellers to design and list their own products for sale. Notably, it restricts sellers to its platform only, which differentiates it from other print on demand services that allow integration with personal websites. 

Key features

• Large product catalog: Offers over 1,000 different items, allowing for a wide range of product offerings from digital downloads to personalized items like mugs.

• Market exposure: Although sellers cannot connect to their own sites, they gain visibility through Zazzle’s large customer base.

• Passive income opportunities: With no listing fees and the ability to create products once and sell repeatedly, Zazzle is well-suited for creating passive income streams.

Pricing

Zazzle Plus is $19.95 per year, and Zazzle Plus Premium is $49.95 per year. 

Best for

Zazzle is ideal for graphic designers and creatives who want to sell their designs on various products without the hassle of managing a personal ecommerce site. It is particularly beneficial for those looking to establish a side income with minimal overhead and effort in marketing and sales operations.

3. Redbubble

Redbubble is an online marketplace featuring a wide array of unique products designed by independent artists. The platform allows artists to sell their creations on over 70 different product types, from clothing and stickers to wall art and home décor. Redbubble focuses on providing artists with a venue to earn money while offering consumers original, often customizable products.

Key features

• Diverse product range: Redbubble basic online store offers an extensive selection of products, including apparel, phone cases, wall art, home and living items, stationery, and more.

• Artist-centric model: Artists receive payments directly for their sales, supporting their creative endeavors.

• Socially responsible production: The company invests in programs to offset carbon emissions, reflecting its commitment to social responsibility.

Pricing 

Redbubble is free to use, so there are no upfront costs or fees to sell designs on the platform. Redbubble also allows creators to set their pricing and margins, putting them in direct control of their profits.

Best for

Redbubble is best suited for independent artists and designers who want to monetize their art without the overhead of managing production and shipping. It is also ideal for consumers looking for unique, artist-designed products that aren't available in standard retail channels.

4. Merch by Amazon

Merch by Amazon is a content creation service that enables designers to share their designs with the world through products like graphic tees and accessories, all printed on demand. Amazon handles all aspects of printing, shipping, and customer service, allowing creators to focus solely on design.

Key features

• No upfront costs: Creators can upload their designs and create product listings on Amazon without any initial investment.

• Prime shipping: Products are eligible for Amazon Prime, ensuring fast delivery.

• Royalties on sales: Designers earn royalties for every product sold, providing a potential passive income stream.

Pricing

There's no initial cost to use Merch by Amazon. Simply set up your Amazon Merch on Demand account, upload the artwork for your product, and click submit. Keep in mind that a portion of your product sales goes towards production, shipping, and Amazon's costs. The creators earn the remaining as royalty.

Best for

Amazon Merch on Demand is ideal for independent designers, artists, and large brands that want to sell merchandise without the hassle of managing inventory, production, and shipping. It's also great for those looking to easily scale their reach and access a large audience with minimal marketing effort.

5. Big Cartel

Big Cartel provides an easy-to-use platform for artists and creators to build unique online stores. It caters specifically to small businesses and independent creators such as clothing designers, bands, jewelry makers, and crafters. The service emphasizes simplicity in setting up an online store without dealing with listing fees, hidden fees, or unnecessary data-sharing practices.

Key features

• Product listings: Offers plans ranging from 5 to 500 product listings, accommodating businesses of various sizes.

• Sales platforms: Allows selling online and in-person, accepting various payment methods, including cards and PayPal.

• Analytics and tracking: Includes tools like real-time sales dashboards and Google Analytics for tracking performance.

Pricing

Big Cartel offers a free Gold plan for selling up to five products. Its Platinum plan, for selling up to 50 products, is available at $12/month, and the Diamond plan, at $24/month, is for selling up to 500 products.

Best for

Big Cartel is ideal for creators who want complete brand control and prefer a smaller, more curated product list. However, if you're looking for a more comprehensive product range and global reach, Gelato comes out on top with worldwide production and delivery arrangements and a much broader product line to choose from.

6. CafePress

CafePress is a versatile platform that allows individuals to celebrate their unique identities and passions through customized merchandise. It offers a wide array of products ranging from t-shirts and stickers to posters and coffee mugs.

Key features

• Customization: Users can create personalized products such as pajamas, home decor, t-shirts, and more.

• Sales and discounts: Regular promotions on various items, such as greeting cards, canvas tote bags, and sweatshirts, provide affordable options for personalized gifts.

• Quick turnaround: The company emphasizes quick production of orders without compromising quality.

Pricing

CafePress follows the popular model of charges through the sale of products, in contrast to a subscription model. This makes it financially accessible for creators embarking on their merch journeys. From monthly checks, they deduct 10% (up to a $10 maximum).

Best for

The gross product array and straightforward entry point dovetail nicely to appeal most to beginners and creators of novelty items or gifts.

7. Spreadshop

Spreadshop is a print on demand platform that allows creators, businesses, and personal brands to set up an online shop to sell custom merchandise without any upfront costs. The service streamlines the selling process by handling all payments, production, fulfillment, and shipping.

Key features

• Full service: Takes care of all operational aspects, including payments, production, fulfillment, and shipping.

• Customization: Offers tools to customize the shop to fit the brand, making it simple and quick to tailor the user experience.

• Quality products: Supports a variety of products including face masks, t-shirts, hoodies, tote bags, and mugs from top brands like Next Level and Bella Canvas.

Pricing

Spreadshop doesn't have a specific pricing plan; rather, it charges a base price for each merchandise item, and any price beyond that becomes your profit.

Best for

This platform is best for small-scale businesses and individual artists aiming to venture into apparel and accessory merchandise sales.

8. Spring

Spring, formerly known as Teespring, provides a platform for creators to design and sell custom merchandise directly to their audience with no upfront costs. It focuses on enabling content creators to monetize their fan base by selling products like apparel, home goods, and accessories. Spring offers an impressive platform for merchandising, with an emphasis on customer experience and product range.

Key features

• Easy-to-use design tools: The platform offers a user-friendly interface for designing and launching custom merchandise.

• Risk-free: The service operates on a print on demand basis, meaning products are only created when they are ordered.

• Creator discovery: Features a section where fans can discover creators and their products, enhancing visibility.

Pricing

Spring's fee is included in the base cost of the product. For example, if the base cost of a t-shirt is $10 and you set the selling price as $24, you would keep $14 in profit.

Best for

Spring is best suited for content creators, influencers, and anyone looking to engage their audience and monetize their content through custom merchandise. It particularly benefits those with a dedicated social media following or fan base.

9. Sellfy

Sellfy is an easy-to-use ecommerce platform designed specifically for creators. It allows them to sell merchandise, digital products, and subscriptions all from one place. It offers a straightforward setup process that focuses on removing technical complexities and enhancing user experience.

Key features

• Print on demand: Provides tools to launch a merch store, handling everything from design to sales in one integrated platform.

• Digital products: Facilitates the sale of digital goods like ebooks, music, videos, and software without the need for separate file hosting or delivery solutions.

• Marketing tools: This package includes built-in marketing features, such as email marketing and discount codes, to help grow sales and reach.

Pricing 

• The starter plan is $29/month, $264/year, and $456/two years. 

• The business plan is $79/month, $708/year, and $1176/two years. 

• The Premium plan is $159/month, $1428/year, and $2376/ two years. 

Best for

Sellfy is ideal for independent creators, artists, and small businesses who want a hassle-free way to start selling online.

10. Society6

Society6 is an online marketplace that empowers independent artists worldwide to sell their original art across a variety of product categories. These include wall art, home decor, bed and bath items, apparel, and tech accessories. 

The platform allows artists to upload their designs and transform them into quality, marketable goods while maintaining artistic integrity.

Key features

• Wide range of products: Offers a diverse selection of products, from art prints and canvas prints to apparel and tech accessories.

• Customization: Consumers can choose from a vast array of unique designs to personalize every aspect of their home and lifestyle.

• Community focus: Features artist stories and collections, fostering a community that celebrates creativity and artistic expression.

Pricing 

The basic plan is priced at $4.99/month with 100 designs and allows you to set your own prices. The pro plan is priced at $12.99/month and allows 10,000 designs in their shop.

Best for

This platform is particularly suited for artists and individuals seeking rich, artistic merchandise. The wide variety of product offerings, from home décor to apparel and tech accessories, means consumers have an extensive range to choose from.

With Gelato, you can easily bring your creativity to life on a host of print on demand products, from stunning t-shirts and vibrant mugs to mesmerizing wall art, striking phone cases, and classic photo books.

Furthermore, Gelato’s Personalization Studio offers intuitive tools that empower you to design effortlessly. So why wait?

Kickstart your merchandising journey and sign up for Gelato - define your path to success today by choosing a subscription plan that matches your needs.

What is the most bought custom merch?

The most purchased custom merchandise often includes everyday items with a personal touch. Products in Gelato's catalog, such as hats, t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, tote bags, phone cases, and wall art, are particularly popular for their unique flair and practical use.

Do influencers make money from merch?

Yes, influencers can generate substantial revenue from merch. By leveraging their personal brand and follower base, they can sell products such as t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, and more. This provides an additional revenue stream. 

How do influencers sell merch?

Influencers typically sell merch through online platforms like the ones listed in this article. They create custom-designed merchandise, set up a virtual storefront on one of these platforms, and then promote their products through their social media channels or websites, directing followers to their online shop to make a purchase.

How many followers do you need to make merch?

There's no definitive number of followers to begin selling merchandise. However, a rule of thumb for influencers is to consider merchandising when they have a following of 5,000-10,000, as that enables at least potential initial sales. 

What shirt sizes sell the most?

Typically, the most sold t-shirt sizes in the US are large and extra large. However, the top-selling size can vary depending on the target demographic and its unique sizing trends. It's essential to understand your audience's preferences to stock the most relevant shirt sizes for your specific merch offering.