CafePress vs Society6 (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, CafePress grades higher than Society6: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
CafePress grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
CafePress
Custom products for business, plus a marketplace for your designs
Free
Society6
Artist marketplace for wall art and home decor, with a curated shop
Free
Which one is for you
Pick CafePress if
- Fits if you want to upload designs to a marketplace without paying to list
- Works for sellers who want their designs on Amazon, eBay or Walmart through a partner channel
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to know your cut, as the commission rate is not stated on the pages read
- Watch out: fees may apply to a private shop, and the amounts are not published
- Watch out: the site now leans toward business and personalised orders, and sellers must be 18 or older
- Watch out: sellers must keep tax and contact details current to be paid
Pick Society6 if
- Fits if you make art for walls and homes and want printing, shipping and support handled
- Makes sense if you want a curated artist community for your work
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: entry is by hand-reviewed application and isn't guaranteed
- Tight on earnings: markup is 5% or 10% of base price, and sitewide sales lower it
- Skip it if you want to set your own price, since the markup is fixed
- Watch out: an earning can be cancelled before payout if the customer gets a full refund
How we grade them
| 2.4GPACafePressFair | 2.2GPASociety6Fair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo price is stated: no fee for the marketplace, but the commission rate and any private-shop fees are not published on the pages read. | CNo fee, but a 5% or 10% markup is fixed by product, and sales cut it: a 10% markup on a $35 item with 20% off earns $2.80. |
| Free plan and trial | BSeller accounts and the shared marketplace carry no listed fee, but what you earn per sale is a percentage that is not stated. | BOpening a shop costs nothing on the pages read, and there is no trial to need. The catch is the application. |
| Features | CA design marketplace, private shops, partner channels and business customisation. The commission is unknown, and designs are reviewed. | CArtist Studio, monthly payouts, fulfilment and third-party marketplace sales. The gap: you can't set your own markup. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You upload and manage designs, and keep tax and contact details current to be paid. | CNo store rating on record. You apply, wait for review, then upload and tag work. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, with Amazon, eBay and Walmart channels. No app is listed. | CWeb only, with no API or store links listed. |
| Best for | selling designs on a shared print marketplace | artists selling wall art and home decor on a curated site |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: CafePress and Society6. How we grade
Price against what you get
CafePress has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Society6 has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
CafePress scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other print-on-demand and dropshipping services on the chart, none scores higher than CafePress for less, and none scores higher than Society6 for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
In commonFree planWebOnline storePrint on demand
At a glance
| CafePress | Society6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Seller accounts and the shared marketplace carry no listed fee; the seller terms say a private shop may carry fees. | Opening an artist shop costs nothing on the pages read; artists earn a 5-10% markup on each product's base price. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | PlanetArt, LLC | Society6 |
| Price read from | cafepress.com | help.society6.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
CafePress
- The commission rate is not stated on the pages read, so the earn-per-sale percentage is unknown here.
- Terms say fees may apply to a private shop; the amounts are not published on the pages read.
- CafePress is run by PlanetArt, and the site now leans toward business and personalized orders.
- Sellers must be 18 or older and keep tax and contact details current to be paid.
Society6
- Entry is by application and not guaranteed; the vendor says even talented artists may not be a fit at a given time.
- Earnings are calculated on the price after customer discounts and sales, so a sitewide sale lowers an artist's cut.
- An earning can be cancelled before payout if the customer gets a full refund.
- The artist markup is fixed at 5% or 10% of the base price, depending on the product.
Key features
CafePress
- Marketplace for designs
- Sellers upload original artwork and CafePress lets others add it to products and buy it; the seller earns a percentage of each sale.
- Private shops
- Seller terms describe a private store hosted on CafePress as an option, and say fees may apply to it.
- Partner store channels
- The seller terms say products can also be offered on partner stores such as Amazon, eBay and Walmart.
- Business customization
- Most items have no minimum order, and the about page says there are no setup or artwork fees for business orders.
- Designer review
- The company says an in-house team reviews each custom order before it ships.
Society6
- Base price plus markup
- Society6 sets a base price that includes manufacturing, shipping and customer service; the artist earns a markup of 5% to 10% depending on the product.
- Curated artist community
- Every application is reviewed by a person; the help page asks for original work and a portfolio link, and says no AI-generated art or stock photos.
- Fulfilment handled
- Society6 manufactures, ships and supports orders, so artists do not hold stock or answer customers.
- Artist Studio
- Artists manage their shop and see pending and paid earnings in an Artist Studio dashboard.
- Monthly payouts
- Earnings are paid between the first and third business day of each month, after a 30 to 60 day pending period; payments go through Trolley.
- Third-party marketplace sales
- For products sold on outside marketplaces such as Amazon, artists earn a 5% net sale commission.
Plans
CafePress
Marketplace seller$0
Upload designs to the shared marketplace and earn a percentage when they sell; no fee is stated on the pages read.
Society6
Artist shop$0
Apply to open a shop; earn a 5-10% markup over the base price on each sale, which covers manufacturing, shipping and support.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, CafePress or Society6?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both CafePress and Society6 are free to use.
Which has a free plan, CafePress or Society6?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both CafePress and Society6 have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.