If you’re a content creator or a small business owner, you probably came across Fourthwall and wondered what it offers. Well, ask no more, as we’ve prepared a comprehensive review of Fourthwall that discusses how it works, what it does well, and where it may have limitations depending on your needs.

Fourthwall Overview

Fourthwall is a company founded in 2019 by Walker Williams, Will Baumann, and Eli Valentin. It’s based in Los Angeles and designed to empower content creators and small businesses by providing online storefronts for selling merchandise and digital products directly to their audiences. Fourthwall positions itself as a one-stop solution for monetization, offering print-on-demand shop creation, fan memberships, and gated digital content or exclusive merch.

Main Features

In this section, we’ll take a look at Fourthwall’s key characteristics. 

Branded online storefront

One of Fourthwall’s main offerings is its branded online storefront. With this feature, you can build your own fully custom online store that matches your company’s brand. Using the platform’s visual editor, you can add your logo, brand colors, messaging, and more to have it aligned with your goals and/or brand. It’s a good option if you want to set up your own company swag store, appreciate your employees, or give away merchandise for a conference or event.

Print-on-demand fulfillment

Fourthwall offers print-on-demand fulfillment, which means that, if you’re a creator, you don’t have to personally manage your inventory or handle shipping logistics for every order. For example, if one of your fans or supporters places an order, Fourthwall partners with print and fulfillment vendors to produce and ship the items directly to them. This approach can help you reduce monetary risks and financial barriers by eliminating inventory costs.

Built-in mockup generator and design studio

The platform also provides a built-in mockup generator and design studio where you can upload an artwork, adjust placement, select colors, and instantly see how your merch will look. If you want more advanced design or need support, Fourthwall also offers access to certified Fiverr designers who can provide you with professional-quality designs that align with your aesthetic or brand identity.

Pricing

Fourthwall has no subscription fees, meaning you won’t have to pay monthly fees or upfront costs to use its platform. But it does have other fees that you need to know about. Here are some of them.

Products and features

Product fees: All products from the Fourthwall product catalog have a publicly listed flat fee on the website, which will be deducted from the selling price you will set. To make it easier to understand, suppose that a t-shirt in Fourthwall’s catalog is priced at $20, which will be deducted from your sales profits. Meaning, if you sell that shirt for $35, then your actual profit will be $15 per unit sold. In addition, Fourthwall will also show you exactly how much you will make per sale so that you can set your own pricing.

Digital products: These products include PDFs, eBooks, music files, etc., and will incur a 3% flat fee. For example, if the eBook you’re selling is priced at $10, the fee will be $0.30 per item sold.

Subscription memberships: Subscription memberships are for your fans or supporters who wish to access members-only or exclusive content  (videos, images, polls, etc.) from you. This feature will cost you a 5% flat fee. In this case, if your subscription membership tier is priced at $20, the fee will be $1.

Shipping fees

Before we delve into Fourthwall’s shipping fees, you first need to know that these costs will be shouldered by your supporters/fans, not you. Meaning if they wish to buy your items from your Fourthwall storefront, these are the prices they need to pay.

For Printful-manufactured items, shipping within the US typically ranges from $4.49 to $10.99 per item, depending on the actual product. Shirts and stickers are on the lower end (around $4.49), while hoodies and drinkware can go up to around $11. International shipping is higher, averaging $7 to $17 per item, with some regions (like EFTA states or Brazil) seeing rates over $10 for even basic products. Shipping to “Worldwide” or non-specified regions often falls into the $12 to $17 range.

For Dubow-manufactured items, shipping to the US ranges from $4 to $10 per item, depending on its category. Most items shipped from Dubow arrive within 3 to 10 days to its recipients.

Other fees

Credit card fees: All US-based credit card transactions will be automatically charged a processing fee of 2.9% + $0.30. Meanwhile, if you’re using an international credit card, the fee will be 3.9% + $0.30.

PayPal transaction fee: If you’re using PayPal, Fourthwall will directly go to PayPal, which charges a 3.49% + $0.49 fee for domestic transactions. Now, if it’s an international transaction, the fee will be 4.99% + $0.49 per transaction.

Buy Now, Pay Later transaction fee: If you do Buy Now, Pay Later transactions, Fourthwall’s BPL providers such as AfterPay/Klarna will charge you with a 6% + $0.30 fee per transaction (and an additional 1% if it’s international).

Pros and Cons

What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of using Fourthwall?

Pros

✅ Best suited for small businesses and content creators: Since the platform doesn’t have a subscription fee, and with only minimal fees, you can maximize it if you’re a small business or a content creator just building your audience.

✅ Ease of use and good customer service: Reviews have mentioned that Fourthwalls’ platform is easy to use, and it has dependable customer service support.

✅ High-quality items: Users have also commended the high-quality items that Fourthwall offers its users.

✅ Customization: Fourthwall works with Fiverr designers (which you need to pay at a cost) who will then customize your merchandise depending on your requirements.

Cons

❌ Integrations aren’t suitable for corporate businesses: Since Fourthwall is a platform for content creators, predictably, its integrations are also more suitable for such users. This means that it doesn’t have any HRIS that enterprises typically use.

❌ Limited product choices and gift options: Currently, Fourthwall only has 300+ items offered in its catalog, which is much more limited compared to its competitors. Additionally, it also doesn’t offer experiential gifts as of now.

❌ Less focused on bulk orders: Most of Fourthwall’s offerings are On Demand swag or merchandise, meaning you won’t get any discounts for bulk swag orders.

❌ Lack of advanced features for corporate scalability: Fourthwall’s user base is content creators, meaning it’s not suitable for large companies or organizations that seek scalability when sending swag or gifts to global recipients.

❌ Limited visibility on sustainability commitments: On Fourthwall’s website, you might notice its lack of a sustainability page or clear statements of its sustainable approach to merchandise.

❌ Not the most suitable for events: As a platform most suitable for content creators, Fourthwall also has limitations when it comes to marketing events, notably in marketing software integration and bulk swag support.

Fourthwall is best for…

…  content creators who want to build an online shop for their audiences 👍

Fourthwall, as mentioned, is primarily built for creators (YouTubers, streamers, podcasters, etc.) who want to sell their products to their fans. Now, if you are a content creator, then the platform can be a good fit for you; this is because it offers tools to build your own storefront, design your merch, manage orders, and keep exclusive content behind paywalls. So, if your goal is to monetize your audience and/or deepen fan engagement through merch, then you can consider Fourthwall.

… teams with global audiences or supporter base 👍

Fourthwall works with multiple manufacturers around the world, allowing it to fulfill orders in several key regions and reduce shipping times and costs for your global audiences. Additionally, the platform’s broad manufacturing network will enable you to connect with your supporters who are outside of your region. If you’re a creator or an organization with a geographically diverse audience, it can offer you a way to deliver merchandise more efficiently while still maintaining a consistent brand experience across regions.

… small businesses just starting their online brand 👍

Similarly, if you’re a small business owner just launching your first online store, Fourthwall's no-upfront-cost model can be a good fit for you. Specifically, you can launch your online storefront, customize product offerings, and instantly establish a professional online presence without the need for technical expertise or a large financial investment, typically associated with swag stores.

Fourthwall may not be a good fit for…

… companies focused on recognizing employees and appreciating clients 👎

Fourthwall is designed for creators monetizing fans, not businesses rewarding teams or nurturing client relationships. In particular, the platform lacks corporate-focused features like bulk swag and gift sending, milestone-based recognition programs, or automated sends for new clients. If your goals are internal engagement or external appreciation, you’ll likely find the Fourthwall too limited in scope.

That said, the platform does offer some workarounds that may be suitable if you have smaller teams. For example, you can create giveaway links or one-time use promo codes that let your recipients redeem items from your storefront. While not a substitute for full automation or HRIS-triggered gifting, these features can be useful for simple use cases like welcoming a new hire.

… busy teams looking for automated swag shipments and gifting for employees 👎

Fourthwall does not offer integrations with popular HRIS software, which means that you can’t automate gift or swag sending based on occasions like work anniversaries or employee birthdays. Additionally, it also means more manual oversight, which isn’t suitable for busy teams.

… businesses that want a wider range of products and options 👎

Looking for a product catalog that goes beyond On Demand swag and also includes experiences? Then Fourthwall’s current offerings may be too limited for you. As of now, the platform focuses on offering customized merchandise, dedicated gifts, giveaway links, and an online storefront. That said, if you’re looking for corporate bulk swag or experiences, you might need to look elsewhere.

… big enterprises with consistent bulk orders 👎

If you’re an enterprise with frequent bulk swag orders, you may find Fourthwall’s capabilities limited. For instance, the platform’s advanced inventory management tools are limited. Additionally, it’s designed for made-to-order sales, rather than an inventory-based distribution for companies with bulk swag needs. This can be challenging if you’re running a multi-region campaign or planning hundreds of even swag shipments.

Fourthwall is a platform that’s focused on helping content creators boost their engagement through an online storefront and merch. It’s especially great for monetization, especially if you’re a startup business or have a small team. However, these same strengths can also be its weakness, as its focus on content creators and e-commerce also means it doesn’t offer enterprise-level automation, integrations, bulk swag logistics, and other corporate swag and gifting features. If you seek advanced tools for gifting, a wide product selection, or highly scalable workflows, you will likely find that Fourthwall is lacking in these areas.

Looking for comprehensive swag solutions? Explore the best Fourthwall alternatives

If your needs go beyond creator merch, like recognizing employees, engaging clients, or managing swag for events, then there are better platforms tailored specifically for corporate use. Such platforms are built for corporate gifting and offer features like automation, integrations, inventory tracking, and a broader range of swag and gifts. So, if this is what you need, it’s worth exploring Fourthwall alternatives that offer more robust swag management tools.

Fourthwall vs PerkUp, the #1 global platform for corporate swag and gifts

Fourthwall and PerkUp serve two very different purposes. Fourthwall is focused on fan engagement and merch sales, whereas PerkUp is built for organizations that want to gift across teams, departments, and countries. With features like a wide variety of swag and gift options, global warehousing, affordable international shipping, HRIS integrations, and automated swag campaigns, PerkUp offers everything modern companies need to deliver premium, branded experiences. Delve into how Fourthwall and PerkUp stack against each other, and see why companies like Mapbox and Autocamp choose PerkUp.