Redbubble vs Zazzle: Off-the-Shelf Art or Personalization?
Redbubble sells finished designs — what you upload is what the buyer gets. Zazzle is built around buyer customization: invitations, business cards, party supplies, stamps, where the customer types their names and dates into your template. Redbubble pays a fixed 20% margin on a 70-product catalog. Zazzle lets you set 5-99% royalties on a 1,300-product catalog, but the algorithm penalizes high royalties — most successful Zazzle sellers set 10-15%. They serve very different design strategies.
TL;DR · Our verdict
Pick by what you design, not by the royalty rate. Pure art / illustrations / quotes → Redbubble. Templates that buyers fill in (wedding invitations, baby announcements, business cards) → Zazzle. The platforms barely overlap, so most artists pick one and go deep.
Redbubble
Option AMass-market discovery shoppers — gift-driven, design-led, ~70% mobile
- Visitors / mo
- ~30M
- Founded
- 2006
- Fee model
- Base price + your margin (avg 20%)
- Payout
- Monthly via PayPal/bank, $20 minimum
- Catalog
- 70+ (apparel, stickers, home, stationery, wall art)
- $25 t-shirt math
- $25 tee → ~$5 to artist (20%)
Pros
- Largest organic discovery engine in POD
- True passive income — RB owns fulfillment, returns, customer service
- 70+ product types from one design upload
- Free to start, no monthly fees
Cons
- Margins compressed since 2024 (default 20%, was 30%)
- Fierce internal competition — saturation in evergreen niches
- No customer ownership; you can't email buyers
- Account-bans for trademark mistakes are aggressive
Best for: Beginners who want true passive income and don't want to run ads or build a list.
Visit RedbubbleZazzle
Option BPersonalization-driven — invitations, business cards, weddings, gifts
- Visitors / mo
- ~25M
- Founded
- 2005
- Fee model
- 5-99% royalty (you set; default 10%) + 15% volume bonus
- Payout
- Monthly via PayPal/check, $50 minimum
- Catalog
- 1,300+ (largest catalog in POD)
- $25 t-shirt math
- $25 invite → up to $24 royalty if you set 99%
Pros
- You set your own royalty (5-99%)
- Buyer customization built-in (huge for invitations)
- Largest product catalog — invitations, stamps, business cards
- 15% volume bonus for top sellers
Cons
- High royalty kills discoverability (Zazzle deprioritizes 30%+)
- Complex royalty math — most beginners undercut themselves
- Personalization-heavy — pure art doesn't perform as well
- Slow growth curve compared to Redbubble
Best for: Invitation, wedding and personalization designers who can set thoughtful royalty tiers.
Visit ZazzleWhich one should you pick?
Are your designs templates buyers fill in?
Redbubble doesn't support customization
Zazzle — that's their whole platform
Do you want to set your own royalty rate?
Redbubble — 20% default, capped
Zazzle — 5-99% (but keep it 10-15% for discoverability)
Are you targeting weddings, baby showers, business networking?
Redbubble has almost no presence here
Zazzle — that's where the buyers are
Don't pick a platform — pick a niche.
Profit Lab 360 surfaces high-demand, low-competition niches across all POD marketplaces in seconds.
FAQ
What royalty should I set on Zazzle?+
Most successful sellers stay between 10-15%. Anything above 30% deprioritizes your products in Zazzle search.
Can I sell finished art on Zazzle like on Redbubble?+
Yes, but Zazzle's audience and search algorithm favor customizable products. Pure art posters convert ~10× better on Redbubble.
Which has better support for new sellers?+
Both have docs and forums. Zazzle's design tools are more powerful but the learning curve is steeper. Redbubble is upload-and-forget.