If you are an artist who is looking to graduate from Newgrounds and DeviantArt, two of the best artist monetization and print on demand sites to consider are Society6 and Redbubble.
On the surface, you can’t lose. These two websites are well known for their ability to monetize artwork on a variety of retail items.
The sales funnel is simple as well.
Artists make a substantial commission, and the business handles everything else.
Everything else includes printing the artwork on the retail item, shipping it to the customer, and dealing with all customer service issues in the meantime.
If you are new to monetized arts, either website will make a good training ground.
However, if you delve into the details, there are some subtle differences you may want to be made aware of.
But before we proceed with the Society6 vs Redbubble comparison, let’s show you a short overview about them.
What Is Society6?
Society6 is a print on demand marketplace that was launched in 2009, which enables individuals, designers, artists, and budding entrepreneurs to sell their artwork on products.
On the other hand, you can also purchase custom printed Society6 products by other artists on the platform.
Interestingly, over 300,000 independent artists use the Society6 platform to sell different products. Some of their customized products includes:
- Apparels
- Throw pillows
- Mugs
- Canvas prints
- Home decors
- iPhone cases
- Stickers
- Tote bags
- Fan art and merchs
- Wall arts
- And more
What Is Redbubble?
Redbubble is a POD marketplace that was launched in 2006 which enables designers and artists to sell their print on demand products.
Currently, Redbubble has over 700,000 independent artists and they support printing of over 60 custom products.
Some of their popular products include:
- Clothings
- Stickers
- Masks
- iPhone cases
- Wall Arts
- Accessories
- And more
All you have to do is create an account to open an artist shop and then upload your designs or artwork for your ideal products. Once an order is made, Redbubble will print your design/artwork on the product, and then ship it to your customer.
Consequently, you can have a high profit margin irrespective of the product’s base price without worrying about print quality. Also, you can upload new designs for other products while focusing only on getting more customers.
Pay Schedule
One thing that you will quickly learn as an artist is that your cash flow is everything. Society6 pays on the first of every month. However, this is only after a 30-day purchase grace period.
Redbubble pays its artists between the seventh and the 10th of each month. However, you must reach a certain sales threshold before you get your payout.
Business Analytics
As an artist, you may not want to delve into marketing analytics. However, learning how to use analytics can provide you with insights that improve your sales over time.
Society6 does not have any analytics to speak of. Redbubble does. This is a difference that will affect the way you do business for a long time, so choose wisely.
The difference is usually whether you want to actually try to make a living off of your art or just do it as a hobby on the weekend.
Retail Product Lines
Each website has a different inventory of retail products to slap your artwork on. The basics are the same – tote bags, T-shirts, and baseball caps. However, Society6 also has an inventory of retail items that Redbubble does not have, and vice versa.
For example, Society6 allows you to brand clocks, cards, and even shower curtains. The unique products that show up on Redbubble include stickers, calendars, and metal prints.
Take a look at your artwork and decide how it would best present on the items that each website includes. You may find that your artwork sells more on cards than it does on calendars, or vice versa.
Sign Up Fees
Society6 has a nominal one dollar sign-up fee, while Redbubble is completely free. This is a pretty simple decision; however, you should look at the amount of commission that you think you will earn on each website to really determine which one you sign up for.
Total Web Traffic
According to SimilarWeb, Redbubble had over 28 million unique visitors within 6 months as of May 2021. Conversely, Society6 had over 6 million visitors within 6 months.
Although on the surface Redbubble seems to be the clear winner, you should focus on the audience that actually purchases your material.
For instance, if your logos do not look good on calendars, then you probably lose a great deal of the 5 million unique visitors that make their way to Redbubble.
Although that website has more people, it doesn’t matter if you can’t sell to them.
T-shirt Size Range
The size range of T-shirts is also slightly different on each website. Society6 goes up to XL in women’s sizes and to XL for unisex T-shirts. Redbubble goes up to two XL for women and three XL for unisex products.
T-shirt Colors
Both websites have a large array of colors for T-shirts. Redbubble has more, however. You can also match certain colors on white in Redbubble. Society6 only allows for solid colors in the background of your T-shirt.
Pricing
Perhaps the largest difference in the two websites is the pricing system. Redbubble lets you decide how much you want to charge above the base price that the website forces you to charge. The profit from each sale is the difference between these two prices.
Society6 gives you predetermined prices. Your commission is set in stone on the website as well – 10%. The one exception is our prints, which you have the freedom to price on your own.
Autosizing
Redbubble has an autosizing feature that keeps the artist from having to measure out dimensions on each product. This is not the case on Society6.
The upside to Society6 is that you have complete freedom to size the logo on each product, which is not the case on Redbubble.
You may find that your design ends up being too small or too big on Redbubble, and there is not very much that you can do to change it other than upload a larger or smaller picture.
Artist Rights
One very important thing to consider is that you retain all rights to your artwork on both Society6 and Redbubble. What this really means is that you don’t have to choose. If you want to, you can place your items on both websites and run two stores.
This is usually too much marketing for the average individual artist, however. It is usually best to choose one site and learn the system as best you can.
Branding And Packaging
Here, both Society6 and Redbubble share similarity. Society6 does its packaging in boxes and in fitted frames. Arts and prints are packaged in boxes for onward shipment to their destinations.
Likewise, Redbubble neither folds nor wraps branded arts. Instead, poster artworks and prints are rolled and placed into firm boxes, while framed artworks are placed in tightly fitted boxes for onward shipment to their destinations.
Customer Support
In terms of customer support, Society6 has a customer support help center for inquisitive customers. Their email support system is also helpful for customers when a situation is beyond the help center.
Redbubble also has a customer help center. Additionally, customers also get the opportunity to call or chat with their customer support via dedicated mobile numbers on the platform. Also, there is the ticket submission option.
FAQs About Redbubble vs Society6
Does Society6 Steal Art?
The answer to this is No. Society6 is an art licensing website. All rights are reserved and owned by artists.
Does Redbubble Steal Art?
No. The kind of business model Redbubble runs does not allow it to steal artworks. Artists own their works.
Is Society6 A Safe Website?
Society6 has a customer rating of 4.7 from about 1500 customer reviews. Meaning that users are generally comfortable with the platform, and its entire process. The indication is that the website is safe.
Is Redbubble A Safe Website?
The Redbubble platform is a safe website. It is a legitimate business that is clean and secure. Its term of service has consistently grown customers’ confidence over the years.
Alternatives To Society6 and Redbubble
Although Society6 and Redbubble are excellent choices, you may want to look at alternatives in the print on demand market. Notable mentions include Cafepress, Threadless, Amazon Merch, etc.
Two of the best choices include Zazzle and Printful.
Printful
Printful is the business that has been around the longest in the marketplace. They have been in business since 2000, and they rest their laurels on a reputation for great printing and good customer service.
Overall, Printful has invested over $13 million in printing equipment. They employ over 400 people in their fulfilment locations in the United States, Spain, Latvia, and Canada.
Printful helps you design and sell products online with ease. Try it today!
This is definitely a business to reckon with. You will definitely get quality products if you choose to do business with Printful.
You will also have quite a good chance of making some money. As of this year, the company boasts that it has given artists over $180 million in commissions with over 4 million orders fulfilled. Learn more about Printful here.
Printful helps you design and sell products online with ease. Try it today!
Zazzle
Zazzle is perhaps the most prominent upstart in the print on demand market. The company gives artists a wide inventory of retail products to print on, including custom cards, iPhone cases, and home decor items.
The company is also well known for its customer support. Many artists that have no experience in the print on demand industry rave about the attention they receive from Zazzle.
Alongside great customer service, the user interface is also very intuitive. Artists usually have no trouble figuring out how to choose their products and match them with logos. This is a huge advantage over some of the other competitors in the market, which have a slight learning curve to them.
Society6 vs Redbubble – Which Is Better?
The winner of this Society6 vs Redbubble comparison is Redbubble. This is due to their high quality prints and pricing. Moreover, Society6 charges $1 for verification fee, while Redbubble does not.
Regardless of which platform you use, you should look at your choices with a detailed eye. Although you can make a change at any point in time, you lose precious time if you do not choose a platform that is conducive to your style of art.
