Top 10 Print On Demand Platforms You Should Know

Did you know that Amazon attracts 1 to 2 billion visitors every month? For print on demand sellers, this translates into immense sales potential!
Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or a seasoned designer, these platforms let you sell custom products without warehousing or upfront inventory costs.

Understanding Print On Demand

Print on demand (POD) is a fulfillment model where products—like t-shirts, mugs, posters, and phone cases—are produced one at a time based on customer orders. Sellers upload artwork or designs, and the POD provider handles printing, packaging, shipping, and even customer service. This zero-inventory approach minimizes financial risk and simplifies logistics. By tapping into various POD websites, sellers get exposure to built-in traffic pools and can focus on creativity, marketing, and growing a personal brand.

The Heavyweights of Organic Traffic

Passive POD websites excel at driving visitors to your listings without any paid ads or external promotion. They handle the entire fulfillment process, so you simply upload artwork and set your margins. Organic traffic—visitors who come to the site on their own—translates into real sales opportunities. Focusing on these traffic powerhouses can supercharge your passive income stream while you concentrate on design and product ideas.

1. Amazon Merch on Demand

Designed for sellers seeking maximum reach, Amazon Merch on Demand (formerly Merch by Amazon) offers the largest organic audience in the POD space.

"Amazon gets roughly 1 to 2 billion visitors to their website every single month." [verify]

When you list a custom shirt or hoodie here, it appears alongside millions of products. Amazon handles printing, shipping, and even returns, allowing you to leverage its global fulfillment network.

2. Redbubble

Redbubble attracts around 25 million monthly visitors. This community-driven marketplace is popular for its artistic variety—everything from stickers to home decor. Once you upload your design, Redbubble takes care of production and customer support, and you earn a royalty on each sale.

3. Zazzle

With about 5 million monthly visitors, Zazzle focuses on highly customizable products. Customers can tweak colors, add text, or reposition designs before checkout. This level of personalization appeals to buyers looking for one-of-a-kind gifts, and it gives sellers a competitive edge.

4. TeePublic

TeePublic receives roughly 1 to 2 million visitors per month. Known for its friendly design community, it offers periodic promotions and site-wide sales events where your creations get featured and promoted to new audiences.

5. Teespring

Once boasting 1 to 2 million monthly visitors, Teespring now sees about 500,000 unique traffic each month. It has shifted focus to creator storefronts, giving influencers and artists a branded space to sell directly to their followers.

6. Spreadshirt

Spreadshirt welcomes around 400,000 visitors every month. It’s especially strong in European markets and provides a straightforward interface for uploading designs and choosing product types—ideal for newcomers seeking simplicity.

7. Threadless

Attracting about 200,000 monthly visitors, Threadless may be smaller, but it emphasizes community voting and challenges. Getting featured in their curated collections can boost visibility and ride the wave of an expanding audience.

All of these platforms are non-exclusive, meaning you can upload the same design across multiple sites to multiply your exposure and sales potential.

Moving to Active Print On Demand Platforms

Active POD platforms require more hands-on management: you’ll build and maintain your own storefront, drive traffic through marketing efforts, and handle customer interactions. This route offers full branding control, custom domains, and a seamless shopping experience under your label. However, it does involve additional responsibilities like website hosting fees and self-fulfillment oversight.

8. Printful

Printful is renowned for high-quality prints and premium product options, from embroidered hats to all-over print apparel. To use Printful, you integrate it with your own e-commerce site—popularly on Shopify. You pay a monthly Shopify fee (starting at $29) plus product and printing costs, then set your retail price for desired profit margins.

9. Printify

Printify is similar to Printful but often more budget-friendly. It partners with a global network of print providers, allowing you to choose the best combination of cost, turnaround time, and location. As with Printful, you need an independent storefront and a platform integration (Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, etc.).

10. Etsy

Etsy sits between passive and active POD. It drives significant organic traffic for handmade and custom items, but you must arrange fulfillment through a third-party provider (like Printful or Printify) and handle listings, customer service, and order management yourself. For sellers seeking a niche audience searching specifically for personalized goods, Etsy remains a valuable channel.

Making the Right Choice

Choosing between passive and active POD depends on your goals and resources. Passive platforms are low-effort: ideal if you want to focus solely on design and let the marketplace handle fulfillment and customer service. Active platforms demand more marketing savvy, website management, and a budget for hosting fees—but reward you with total brand ownership, custom domain names, and direct customer relationships. Evaluate your bandwidth, marketing skills, and brand vision before committing to one or both approaches.

Conclusion

Launching or scaling your POD business hinges on selecting platforms that align with your strategy, budget, and growth plans.

• Key takeaway: Identify whether you need passive marketplaces for instant traffic or active storefronts for full brand control, then prioritize platforms that match your skills and goals.

Ready to start? Choose your platforms, polish your designs, and share your POD journey in the comments below!