8 Displate alternatives for metal posters and wall art

If you’re searching for Displate alternatives, you’re likely stuck on one of three things – price, size, or artist commission fee.

Displate’s custom metal posters are often cheaper than those of its competitors, but many shoppers have noticed increasing prices. It also offers limited size options and commission fees that limit how much artists can earn.

In this guide, we’ll compare eight Displate competitors by material, pricing, mounting, and earnings so that you can make the best choice for your needs.

What are the best alternatives to Displate? Quick comparison

The best alternatives to Displate are Printful, Mpix, Metaleks, Pixels, Etsy, Society6, INPRNT, and STG Collection. They range from metal poster printers to marketplaces where you can buy or sell artwork.

What is Displate?

Displate is a print-on-demand marketplace that offers metal posters printed on stainless steel. It’s popular for its licensed pop-culture artwork and tool-free mounting system, but the cost and narrow size range have led many sellers and buyers to search for alternatives.

What Displate does well

Displate is well-known for its:

• Magnetic mounting system. Each order includes a magnet and a protective leaf, with the cost built into the price, so a poster can hang without nails or drilling.

• An extensive catalog. Displate carries over 2 million art pieces, including officially licensed designs from famous franchises like Star Wars and Marvel.

• Limited Edition prints. These use special print enhancements like screen printing, special inks, varnishes, and gold or holographic foil.

• Custom Displates. Upload your own image in M or L sizes, then choose a matte or gloss finish.

Displates come in three sizes, all 3.5 mm thick:

• M. 17.72” x 12.6”, starts at $44.99 (ready for purchase) or $54.99 (custom).

• L. 26.6” x 18.9”, starts at $89.99 (ready for purchase) or $99.99 (custom).

• XL. 35.44” x 25.2” – the largest available format, starts at $164.99. It arrives as four M plates rather than a single piece and only comes in a matte finish.

Buyers can also purchase an optional frame in natural, graphite, white, or black at checkout.

Why search for Displate alternatives

People are searching for Displate competitors because of these reasons:

• Increasing cost. Displate has confirmed that production costs, inflation, and local tax rules pushed its rates up.

• Limited sizing options. There are only three available formats in rectangular shapes. Images that don’t suit a 1.4:1 ratio need to be cropped during upload, so square artwork and wide panoramas lose detail at the edges.

• Wall compatibility. Displate advises against brick, wallpaper, and slanted walls. The magnetic mounting system is single-use, so moving a poster means buying a replacement magnet.

• One product type. Artists who want to sell their artwork on canvas, framed paper, acrylic, or apparel need a second platform, since Displate prints only on metal.

• Fixed commissions. Artists earn $4.50 on an M, $9 on an L, and $14.50 on an XL, with no ability to choose their own prices.

• Returns. Standard orders can be returned within 100 days, but custom Displates can’t be returned at all, and the buyer pays for return delivery.

8 Best Displate alternatives

The differences between these platforms come down to material, product line, pricing, and control over your artwork. See how they compare to Displate before making a decision.

1. Printful

Printful is a print-on-demand platform that offers 585+ products, including metal posters, framed prints, and wall art. You can order them for yourself or connect your online store to sell them online.

• Best for: Selling wall art, apparel, accessories, and more under your own brand without inventory.

• Pricing: The metal print with a glossy finish starts at $39.48 and is available in six sizes, ranging from 8” x 10” to 24” x 36”. Posters start at $6.75, canvas at $14.75, and framed posters at $20.25.

• How it compares to Displate: You control your retail price and the full margin above the base cost. There’s no built-in marketplace, so you need to sell through your own website or a channel like Etsy or TikTok Shop and run your own promotions.

• Worth knowing: The metal poster currently ships only to the US. It also hangs with a wood frame backing rather than magnets.

Tip: Discover how Printful works.

2. Mpix

Mpix is a photo lab that prints your images on metal, canvas, acrylic, wood, and seven paper types. It specializes in photographic reproduction, with a color technician reviewing and correcting the content before it reaches the printer.

• Best for: Printing your own images in a specific size or material.

• Pricing: The metal print is available in 27 sizes, ranging from $24.99 for 4” x 4” to $1,129.99 for 40” x 60”.

• How it compares to Displate: Far more size choices. However, Mpix costs more – a 12” x 18” runs for $87.49, compared to $54.99 for a medium custom Displate.

• Worth knowing: Metal posters arrive with a French cleat or metal easel attached, so no separate mounting purchase is needed to hang the artwork. You can also add a float frame in Oxford brown, black, or white.

3. Metaleks

Source: Metaleks

Metaleks is a custom metal print shop based in Colorado, with manufacturing handled by a partner in China. Alongside standard rectangles, it prints hexagons and multi-panel collage sets you can arrange into a honeycomb or grid.

• Best for: Unique shapes and formats for a gallery wall.

• Pricing: The custom metal prints are available in three size tiers, starting at $39.99, with hexagons at $24.99 and collage panels at $49.99.

• How it compares to Displate: The material is thinner at 1 mm aluminum against Displate’s 3.5 mm steel. It offers three mounting options – Standard for a classic wall hang or tabletop display, a Float mount with a 3D shadow effect, and a drill-free Magnetic mount.

• Worth knowing: Custom orders don’t qualify for returns.

4. Pixels

Pixels is an online art marketplace that prints metal, canvas, acrylic, and wood through 16 production facilities across five countries.

• Best for: Artists who want to decide their own earnings.

• Pricing: The metal print ranges from 6” x 6” up to 50” x 108”, with popular sizes at $48.35 for 8” x 10” and $116 for 24” x 36”.

• How it compares to Displate: Pixels takes no commission on artist markups. You choose a retail price that includes the base cost, and that difference is your earnings.

• Worth knowing: A free account caps uploads at 25 images. The $30/year Premium lifts that limit and adds a white-label site and a Shopify app.

5. Etsy

Source: Etsy

Many Etsy sellers offer customizable metal posters. You send them an image, and they’ll handle production, either in-house or passing the order to a print-on-demand partner.

• Best for: Shoppers who want a custom metal poster from a small, independent shop.

• Pricing: Set by each seller, with no standard rate across the marketplace.

• How it compares to Displate: Far more variety in style and often lower costs, but quality varies by seller.

• Worth knowing: Check the listing for material thickness, finish, and whether mounting hardware is included – these can vary from shop to shop. Also, read the shop reviews and processing times carefully, as fulfillment runs on each seller’s own schedule.

6. Society6

Society6 is an art marketplace selling wall art, home decor, and apparel from artists it approves by application.

• Best for: Buying from a reviewed catalog or selling your artwork in a curated marketplace.

• Pricing: Metal posters range from $100 at 8” x 10” to $225 at 18” x 24”.

• How it compares to Displate: Costs run well above Displate and the other metal print sellers here. Artist pay is lower, too – the markup on metal is 5%, so an 11” × 14” earns roughly $6.90 before discounts.

• Worth knowing: Society6 doesn’t currently ship outside the US.

Read more: Society6 vs Printful: Profit margin differences

7. INPRNT

Source: INPRNT

INPRNT makes gallery prints at its own studio in Orlando, Florida, offering metal, canvas, acrylic, and framed work. New artists join by invitation or by a vote from artists already on the site.

• Best for: Artists who want to choose their own rates inside a curated shop.

• Pricing: Set by each artist, with the available sizes differing from one artwork to the next.

• How it compares to Displate: Artists choose their own retail price above a set minimum and can run their own sales. For metal prints, you’ll earn 30% of the sale price, with INPRNT covering materials, production, shipping, and customer service.

• Worth knowing: Each metal print arrives ready to hang with a pine bracer bar and wire hardware.

8. STG Collection

Snapping Turtle Gallery (STG) is a pop culture wall art shop in Oklahoma that prints on metal, acrylic, and canvas. Its catalog covers anime, gaming, comics, and superhero artwork from a roster of independent artists, with a custom upload option.

• Best for: Buyers who want fandom artwork in a larger size than Displate offers.

• Pricing: Catalog artwork starts at $45. Custom metal prints range from $45 for 8” x 8” to $280 for 30” x 40”, with the popular 16” x 24” at $125.

• How it compares to Displate: STG uses 1mm dye-sublimated aluminum with heat-infused printing rather than steel. The sizes run up to 30” x 40” as a single piece, whereas Displate’s largest arrives as four plates. You can also get optional full or floating frames.

• Worth knowing: Metal prints include a hidden float mount that sits 1/2” off the wall, but it needs a wall bracket and screws rather than magnets.

How to choose a Displate alternative

Before making a purchase or selling online, check these aspects to find the best Displate alternative that suits your needs.

Material and finish

Most Displate alternatives on this list print on aluminum between 1 mm and 1/16 inch, which is much thinner than the 3.5 mm stainless steel Displate uses. However, the method matters more than the thickness.

Mpix, Metaleks, and STG all heat-fuse the image into a coated aluminum surface, so colors stay sharp and the panel wipes clean. Meanwhile, Printful uses sublimation on aluminum with an MDF wood frame.

Finish matters, too. Gloss deepens colors and brings out fine detail in photographs, while matte cuts glare and hides fingerprints in sunny rooms.

For artists who want to expand their product line, canvas and framed posters cost far less and can hang with ordinary hardware. Acrylic prints are another alternative – they cost more than metal but give the artwork a clear, layered depth that metal and canvas can’t match.

What’s included in the price

Displate is usually the cheaper option, especially with the mounting kit already included in the price. That’s why it’s better to check for perks you don’t get from Displate, like a size it doesn’t make, a material it doesn’t print, or control over your earnings.

For example, Mpix charges $87.49 for a 12” x 18” print, compared to $54.99 for a Displate M at 17.72” x 12.6”. That higher figure covers a French cleat or metal easel attached to the back, free shipping on orders over $45, and a 30-day reprint guarantee.

Mounting and hanging

Displate’s magnetic mounting system works by sticking an adhesive magnet to a clean, dry, and smooth surface. However, it cannot be used on brick, wallpaper, slanted walls, or bathrooms. Plus, the adhesive itself is single-use, so moving a print means buying a replacement magnet.

Before making your purchase, confirm if the alternative offers a mounting system that suits your walls.

Metaleks is the closest match with a drill-free magnetic option, while STG includes a hidden float mount with a wall bracket. Pixels, Society6, and INPRNT ship with a wire or sawtooth hanger already fitted.

Artist earnings

Displate pays a flat fee of $4.50 to $14.50 per sale and sets prices itself, so artists can’t raise their own rates.

To make more money from your art, choose a Displate alternative that lets you set your own retail price. With platforms like Printful and Pixels, you can keep everything above the base cost and pay no commission at all.

Besides commission, what matters is the terms around payouts and discounts. For instance, Society6 applies your markup to the discounted price rather than the full one, so a 20% sitewide sale cuts your earnings by 20% as well.

Order or sell wall art with Printful

Whether you’re looking to print your own posters or start your own wall art business, you can do it all with Printful. Here’s how:

1. Sign up for a free Printful account – there’s no upfront investment to start selling.

2. Choose your wall art – from posters and framed pieces to canvas or metal prints with a glossy finish.

3. Upload your own text, logo, or image in the free Design Maker, or start from our built-in templates and fonts.

4. Order for yourself, or connect your store to Shopify, Etsy, TikTok Shop, or another platform through Printful’s integrations.

We’ll produce each piece of wall art, framed print, and poster only after a customer buys, so nothing is printed in advance. Fulfillment takes 2 to 5 business days for wall art.

Printful also supports brand building through custom packaging, branded inserts, and a tracking page that carries your logo instead of ours.

Quick tip Still on the fence? Compare Printful against other print-on-demand platforms to see how pricing, products, and fulfillment stack up.

Which Displate alternative is right for you?

The right Displate alternative depends on what prompted you to search in the first place.

Mpix and Metaleks suit anyone printing their own images, offering a wider size range and more formats than Displate. STG works for collectors who want fandom artwork at a larger scale.

If earnings matter to you, look into Pixels and INPRNT – both of which let you set your own prices. If you want to sell wall art under your own brand, Printful handles production and delivery while you control your store and margins.