Contrado vs Society6 (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Contrado grades higher than Society6: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Contrado grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Contrado
Made-to-order custom printing with dropshipping and artist stores
Society6
Artist marketplace for wall art and home decor, with a curated shop
Which one is for you
Pick Contrado if
- Fits if you are an artist who wants a store without handling production
- Works for designers who sell fabric and home goods
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you sell on Etsy or Amazon, as Shopify is the only store connection listed
- Too light for sellers who want many product types, since the range is mostly clothing, homeware and fabric
- Tight if you live on commission: 20-25% base, paid within 14 days, unless you set your own price
- Watch out: the site serves several regions in local currencies, and the US dollar view was the one read
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
| 2.4GPAContradoFair | 2.2GPASociety6Fair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BOpening an artist store is $0 and dropshipping through the Shopify app is free to start. The cost is the 20-25% base commission, and no per-item prices are listed. | 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 | BThe artist store and the Shopify app are free to start, with no card and no time limit. Anything you sell still pays Contrado its cut, so it is not a free ride. | BOpening a shop costs nothing on the pages read, and there is no trial to need. The catch is the application. |
| Features | CArtist store, dropshipping, wholesale and its own production in 1-3 days. The listing says the range is mostly clothing, homeware, accessories and fabric, which narrows what you can sell. | 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 is on record. You have to design products, set prices and sync a store, so there is a setup job before the first sale. | CNo store rating on record. You apply, wait for review, then upload and tag work. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, with one listed connection, the free Shopify app. No Etsy, Amazon or other marketplace link is on record. | CWeb only, with no API or store links listed. |
| Best for | made-to-order custom printing for artists | 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: Contrado and Society6. How we grade
Price against what you get
Contrado has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Society6 has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other print-on-demand and dropshipping services on the chart, none scores higher than Contrado 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
- Contrado also covers dropshipping.
At a glance
| Contrado | Society6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Opening an artist store and dropshipping through the Shopify app are free to start; artists get a 20-25% base commission. | 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 | Contrado Imaging Ltd | Society6 |
| Price read from | contrado.com | help.society6.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Contrado
- Artist payouts are the vendor's stated 20-25% base commission, paid within 14 days.
- The site serves several regions with regional currencies; the US dollar view was read.
- Products are mostly clothing, homeware, accessories and fabric.
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
Contrado
- Artist marketplace store
- Open a store and sell your designs; set your own price to earn more than the base commission.
- Dropshipping
- Drop-ship orders with a minimum profit of 20%, per the page.
- Shopify app
- A free Contrado Shopify app syncs a store.
- Wholesale
- Bulk orders with discounts of up to 40%, with no minimum order on 450+ products.
- Own production
- Products are made to order in the vendor's facility in 1-3 days, it says.
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
Contrado
Artist store$0
Sell your art on Contrado and earn a 20-25% base commission on each sale.
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.
Ways to pay less
Contrado
- Education
Student discounts
The sell-your-art page offers student discounts on fabrics, branding materials and the marketplace.
Society6
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Contrado or Society6?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Contrado and Society6 are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Contrado or Society6?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Contrado 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.