Redbubble vs TeePublic 2026 — Which Marketplace Pays More?
- Redbubble lets you set your own markup (default 20%) — higher earning potential but requires pricing strategy
- TeePublic pays a flat $4 per standard-price sale and $2 per sale-price item — simple but capped
- Redbubble has higher organic traffic (~30M monthly visits) vs TeePublic (~8M monthly visits)
- TeePublic runs frequent sitewide $14 sales that cut your commission to $2 per shirt
- Redbubble's markup model can earn $4–$8+ per shirt if you raise margins above the 20% default
Redbubble and TeePublic are the two biggest POD marketplaces where you upload designs and they handle everything — printing, shipping, customer service, and payments. You don't need an Etsy store or Shopify site. But their earning models are completely different, and choosing the wrong one can cost you thousands in lost revenue over a year.
Unlike Printify/Printful where you set your own retail price, Redbubble and TeePublic are marketplaces — they set the base prices and you earn a commission or markup on each sale.
How Redbubble Pays You
Redbubble uses a markup model. Each product has a base price set by Redbubble (which covers production, shipping, and their margin). You add a markup percentage on top — the default is 20%, but you can set it anywhere from 0% to any amount you want.
For example, a Redbubble standard t-shirt has a base price of approximately $22.66. With the default 20% markup, the customer pays $27.19 and you earn $4.53. Raise your markup to 35% and the customer pays $30.59 — you earn $7.93 per sale.
- Base price (set by Redbubble): ~$22.66 for a standard t-shirt
- Default 20% markup: You earn $4.53, customer pays $27.19
- 30% markup: You earn $6.80, customer pays $29.46
- 35% markup: You earn $7.93, customer pays $30.59
- You control your earnings per sale by adjusting markup
How TeePublic Pays You
TeePublic uses a fixed commission model. The retail price is set by TeePublic — you cannot change it. For a standard t-shirt priced at $22, you earn a flat $4. When TeePublic runs one of their frequent sitewide sales (dropping prices to $14), your commission drops to $2.
- Standard-price t-shirt ($22): You earn $4 flat
- Sale-price t-shirt ($14): You earn $2 flat
- TeePublic runs sitewide sales frequently — sometimes multiple times per month
- You cannot adjust your commission or the retail price
- The simplicity is appealing but caps your earnings potential
TeePublic's frequent $14 sitewide sales cut your per-sale commission in half ($2 instead of $4). Since sales drive the majority of purchases, many sellers report their effective earnings average closer to $2.50–$3.00 per sale.
Earnings Comparison: Real Numbers
Let's compare what 100 t-shirt sales per month looks like on each platform. We'll assume Redbubble at a 25% markup (moderate) and TeePublic with 60% of sales at standard price and 40% during sitewide sales (a realistic split).
| Metric | Redbubble (25% markup) | TeePublic (60/40 split) |
|---|---|---|
| Retail price | $28.33 | $22 standard / $14 sale |
| Your earnings per sale | $5.67 | $4 standard / $2 sale |
| 100 sales/month | $567.00 | $320.00 |
| Annual earnings (1,200 sales) | $6,804.00 | $3,840.00 |
| Difference | +$2,964/year | — |
With a moderate 25% markup on Redbubble, you'd earn nearly $3,000 more per year than on TeePublic — assuming the same sales volume. But the caveat is that higher prices on Redbubble can reduce your conversion rate.
Product Range
Redbubble offers 70+ product types including t-shirts, stickers, hoodies, phone cases, throw pillows, duvet covers, shower curtains, jigsaw puzzles, and more. Stickers are a huge seller on Redbubble — many top sellers earn the majority of their income from sticker sales due to high volume and decent margins.
TeePublic has a smaller catalog of roughly 30+ products. It covers core items — t-shirts, hoodies, tank tops, stickers, mugs, notebooks, and phone cases — but lacks the extensive home décor and lifestyle products that Redbubble offers.
Traffic & Discoverability
Redbubble attracts approximately 30 million monthly visitors, making it one of the highest-traffic POD marketplaces. Its SEO is strong and listings frequently appear in Google image search results. TeePublic gets roughly 8 million monthly visits — still significant but less than a third of Redbubble's traffic.
More traffic generally means more sales, but it also means more competition. Redbubble has millions of designs, so standing out requires strong tags, trending designs, and niche targeting. TeePublic has less competition, which can mean higher visibility for new sellers.
Seller Control
| Feature | Redbubble | TeePublic |
|---|---|---|
| Set your own price | Yes (markup model) | No (fixed by TeePublic) |
| Control over promotions | Yes (your markup stays) | No (sitewide sales cut your commission) |
| Analytics dashboard | Detailed with traffic data | Basic sales data only |
| Design upload limit | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Payout schedule | Monthly, 15th of month | Monthly, 15th of month |
| Minimum payout | $20 | $25 |
| Payment methods | PayPal, bank deposit | PayPal only |
Payout Terms
Both platforms pay monthly around the 15th for the previous month's earnings. Redbubble has a $20 minimum payout threshold and supports PayPal or direct bank deposit. TeePublic requires $25 minimum and only supports PayPal. Neither platform charges withdrawal fees.
When to Choose Redbubble
- You want control over your profit margins with custom markups
- Stickers and home décor products are part of your strategy
- You prefer higher traffic and stronger organic search exposure
- You want detailed analytics to track which designs and products perform best
- You're willing to optimize your markup percentages over time for maximum profit
When to Choose TeePublic
- You want a simple, predictable commission with no pricing decisions
- You're just starting out and want the easiest possible upload-and-earn experience
- You focus primarily on t-shirts and don't need a massive product range
- You value less competition and easier discoverability for new designs
- You're okay with earning less per sale in exchange for simplicity
The Verdict
For most POD sellers, Redbubble is the better earner. The markup model gives you control, the traffic is significantly higher, and the product catalog is more than double TeePublic's. If you optimize your markups to 25–35%, you can earn $5–$8 per t-shirt sale compared to TeePublic's average of $2.50–$4.00.
That said, there's no reason not to use both. Uploading the same designs to both platforms takes minimal extra effort and doubles your exposure. Many sellers treat TeePublic as a secondary income stream — less revenue per sale, but essentially free additional money for the same designs. Use our Margin Calculator to model exact earnings at different markup levels.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sell on both Redbubble and TeePublic at the same time?
Yes, absolutely. There's no exclusivity requirement. Many sellers upload the same designs to both platforms to maximize their exposure and income. Just make sure you own the rights to your designs.
What is the best markup percentage on Redbubble?
Most successful sellers use 25–35% for t-shirts and hoodies, and 50–100%+ for stickers (since the base price is low and customers are less price-sensitive). Start at the default 20%, then experiment with higher markups to find the sweet spot where you maximize total revenue.
How often does TeePublic run sales?
TeePublic runs sitewide $14 t-shirt sales frequently — sometimes 2–4 times per month. During these sales, your per-sale commission drops from $4 to $2. Many sellers report that 40–60% of their total sales happen during sale periods.
Which platform is better for stickers?
Redbubble, by a wide margin. Stickers are one of the best-selling products on Redbubble, with high volume and the ability to set generous markups (50–100%+). Sticker buyers are often impulse purchasers who are less price-sensitive. TeePublic sells stickers too, but the market is much smaller.