Zazzle vs. Vistaprint

Two Popular Platforms, One Important Question

When it comes to designing and ordering custom pillows online, two names come up again and again: Zazzle and Vistaprint. Both platforms have been around long enough to build real audiences, and both offer an end-to-end experience from blank canvas to physical product. But the experience of using each tool is quite different.

This guide evaluates both platforms across eight key categories using a five-star rating system. We also take a look at what the broader landscape has to offer — including a platform that outperforms both in ways worth understanding before you commit.

1. Template Library and Design Variety

Zazzle

Zazzle has one of the largest collections of ready-to-customize pillow designs available anywhere online. Thousands of independent designers have contributed templates spanning every aesthetic. The sheer volume is impressive, though quality varies since templates come from many different creators.

Vistaprint

Vistaprint takes a more curated approach, but its library reflects its roots in business printing. The pillow templates lean toward clean layouts suited for photo transfers, monograms, and simple text arrangements. Users with specific creative visions will find the library limiting.

3. Image and Asset Library

Zazzle

Zazzle does not offer a meaningful built-in stock image library. The platform assumes users either choose marketplace templates or upload their own artwork. Users who arrive without finished images will need to source artwork externally.

Vistaprint

Vistaprint integrates with Getty Images, giving users access to a substantial library of professional photography directly within the design editor. Some premium assets carry an additional fee, but the integration is a meaningful advantage.

5. Branding and Consistency Tools

Zazzle

Zazzle does not offer a Brand Kit or any centralized branding tool. Each new design begins without any pre-loaded brand context.

Vistaprint

Vistaprint offers a basic brand identity feature for business customers that allows some color and logo assets to be saved to a profile. This is more than Zazzle offers, but considerably less sophisticated than a dedicated design platform.

7. Marketplace and Seller Opportunity

Zazzle

Zazzle has a well-established creator marketplace where designers can upload original artwork, apply it to products, and earn royalties on every sale. For designers who want passive income from their artwork, Zazzle's marketplace is a genuine opportunity.

Vistaprint

Vistaprint does not offer a marketplace or any mechanism for selling designs to other users. It is a B2C printing service, not a creative marketplace.