Is Selling T-shirts On Redbubble Profitable
Last updated: April 2026 ·affiliate disclosure
Most t-shirt sellers on Redbubble earn net margins between 15% and 35% per sale after all platform fees. You won't get rich quick—the average seller moving 10-20 shirts per month makes $50–$150 in profit. Redbubble handles production and shipping, so you're paying for that convenience with lower per-unit earnings compared to print-on-demand alternatives like Printful or Teespring.
Redbubble Fees for t-shirts Sellers
Redbubble takes a production fee (their cost to print and ship) plus a commission fee of 20% on top of your base price. On a $20 t-shirt sale, Redbubble's production fee runs $8–$10 depending on shirt quality, and they keep 20% of your markup. If you price at $20 retail, you keep roughly $4–$6 per sale before you account for any marketing spend or design time.
Profit Margin Benchmarks
Good margins: You're hitting 30%+ net profit when you price aggressively ($22–$28) on high-demand designs that sell 30+ units monthly. Average margins: Most sellers see 18–25% on t-shirts priced at $19–$22 with modest sales (5–15 units monthly). Poor margins: If you price at $18–$19 to compete on cost, you're looking at 8–15% margins, and your designs need 20+ monthly sales just to hit $100 profit.
Calculate your actual numbers
The margins above are averages. Your real profit depends on your specific price, costs, and volume.
Run Your Redbubble Profit Calculation →Verdict: Is It Worth It?
Selling t-shirts on Redbubble is worth it as a side income stream, not as a primary business. You need either design skill to create high-converting artwork or an audience to drive traffic. Realistic expectation: $200–$500 monthly profit if you commit to uploading 20+ designs and promoting actively. If you're after higher margins, explore Printful or Etsy's print-on-demand integrations instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Redbubble t-shirt royalties and how much do I actually earn?
Redbubble doesn't use a traditional royalty system. Instead, you set a markup above their base production cost (which is $8–$10 for standard t-shirts), and you keep that markup minus their 20% commission. On a $20 t-shirt with a $10 base cost, you set it to $20, Redbubble takes $2 (20% of your $10 markup), leaving you $8 per sale.
What profit margins should I expect on Redbubble t-shirts?
Net profit margins typically range from 15–35% depending on your pricing strategy and sales volume. A $20 t-shirt with $8 production cost gives you roughly $2.40 profit after Redbubble's 20% commission (before design or marketing time). To hit 30%+ margins, you need to price at $22–$25 and drive consistent sales of 20+ units monthly.
Is it actually profitable to sell t-shirts on Redbubble in 2026?
Yes, but only if you treat it as a side income stream with realistic expectations. Most active sellers earn $100–$500 monthly with 10–30 designs uploaded and regular promotion. Profitability depends entirely on design quality and your ability to drive traffic—organic Redbubble traffic alone rarely generates sustainable income.
How do Redbubble's fees compare to other print-on-demand platforms?
Redbubble charges a flat 20% commission on your markup, which is middle-of-the-road. Printful and Teespring take lower percentages (10–15%) but require you to drive your own traffic and handle customer service. Etsy's print-on-demand integration (Printful partnership) offers similar fees but charges Etsy's 6.5% transaction fee on top.
Tools that improve these margins
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Related calculators
Compare T-shirts across platforms
Sell T-shirts on other platforms — fee and margin breakdowns for the same product type.
| Platform | Calculator | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon FBA | Open calculator → | View full breakdown → |
| Merch by Amazon | Open calculator → | View full breakdown → |
We monitor platform fees quarterly and email you when something affects your margins.