Blog / Beginner's handbook / Top 10 Printify Alternatives for Your Print-on-Demand Needs
Blog / Beginner's handbook / Top 10 Printify Alternatives for Your Print-on-Demand Needs
Choosing the best print-on-demand platform is a crucial decision for any ecommerce business. Whether you’re launching an online store or scaling an existing ecommerce store, finding the right partner affects everything from product quality and custom branding to shipping costs and profit margins.
Printify is a top player in the print-on-demand industry, offering competitive prices, a vast product range, and access to various print providers. Many entrepreneurs choose Printify for its lower product costs, flexibility to select print providers, and global fulfillment network.
However, every business has unique needs, and factors like custom merchandise options, consistent quality, reliable customer support, and sustainable practices can influence the choice of the best print-on-demand service.
If you’re looking to compare Printify alternatives to other print-on-demand platforms—whether for higher profit margins, branded labels, bulk orders, or more consistent quality—this guide explores ten options worth considering. Let’s dive in!
Depending on your business goals, exploring Printify alternatives can help you refine your strategy in several ways:
Cost efficiency: Other print-on-demand services may offer more competitive prices, making your profit margins bigger
Quality control: Product and print quality can make or break your business, so a provider that ensures quality control can be crucial for your online business
Shipping options: Some alternatives allow you to reduce shipping costs and keep more profit for yourself
Customer support: Superior customer support from other platforms can significantly improve customer experience
There’s no shortage of print providers you could use for your print-on-demand business. And they’re often seemingly very similar. So, how do you choose the right print-on-demand provider?
By focusing on details.
Small changes can make a big impact. For example, having custom branding options like a customizable tracking page, branded labels, or personalized packaging might seem like a small change, but a solid brand presence makes your brand memorable. Memorable brand experiences lead to customer satisfaction, more return customers, and increased sales.
You should also consider other details: where are the products fulfilled? Does the print-on-demand company own printing facilities or act as a middleman? How do factors like shipping times, product quality, and profit margins impact your decision? What are the pros and cons?
We’ll give you insights into the 10 best Printify alternatives so you can weigh your options. To choose the best print-on-demand partner for your online business, we recommend doing deeper research after finding a platform you think might be a good fit.
Now, let’s get started with the alternatives.
Source: Printful
Founded in 2013, Printful is the leading print-on-demand company. It provides diverse tools and services for online businesses to start and grow their brands as easily as possible. To that end, Printful offers a Mockup Generator that allows sellers to create visuals for online stores without expensive photoshoots. You also get access to various free design tools and resources to ease the design process. Plus, there are custom branding options to make your customer experience best-in-class.
Valuable read: 7 Printful Branding Tools for Your Brand
Pricing
Printful is completely free to use: there are no signup or hidden fees; you only pay for the products you sell. If you want extra perks like reduced product prices or product transfer assistance, you can get a Printful membership.
Production
Printful owns the entire production process and fulfillment centers worldwide, which allows for greater control over product quality and faster shipping times. Printful also has partner facilities that are checked thoroughly to maintain the same quality standards.
Source: Printful
Printful is well-known for its high-quality products, product catalog with 383 premium products like custom t-shirts, and excellent integration with world-leading ecommerce platforms like Shopify, Etsy, and WooCommerce.
Pros |
Cons |
Premium-quality products |
Higher product base prices |
Owns the production process |
Variable shipping times |
Excellent ecommerce integrations |
Valuable read: How to Start an Online Store with Printful
Source: Print Aura
Print Aura is a print-on-demand fulfillment company founded in 2012. It offers 250+ customizable print-on-demand products, including apparel, accessories, and home goods, catering to online businesses of all sizes. Print Aura is known for the product and packaging branding online store owners get.
Pricing
Print Aura doesn’t charge a subscription fee; you only pay for the products as they are sold. The platform provides a range of design tools, including a Mockup Tool, but compared to some competitors, it lacks advanced marketing tools.
Production
Print Aura acts as a middleman, outsourcing production to third-party manufacturers. This can lead to a broader selection of products but may also result in varying quality control.
Pros |
Cons |
Various branding options |
Varied product quality |
No signup or subscription fees |
Only accepts USD |
Suitable for small businesses and startups |
Limited integrations with platforms and marketplaces |
Source: Teelaunch
Teelaunch is a print-on-demand business founded in 2015. Teelaunch is known for its easy integration with Shopify and Etsy. However, potential sellers should consider the variability in product and printing quality and shipping times due to third-party production.
Pricing
Teelaunch doesn’t have a subscription cost; you only pay for the products when they’re sold. The platform has basic design tools, including a mockup generator, but doesn’t provide sellers with marketing or product personalization tools.
Production
Teelaunch acts as a middleman, outsourcing production to third-party manufacturers. This approach allows for a wide product range but can result in inconsistent quality control. The company also only offers direct-to-garment printing and sublimation fulfillment techniques.
Pros |
Cons |
Access to global fulfillment centers |
No product branding |
No upfront costs |
Only uses USD currency |
Seamless Shopify and Etsy integration |
Very limited integration with ecommerce platforms and marketplaces |
Source: Gelato
Gelato is a global print-on-demand solution founded in 2007. It offers a wide range of on-demand products and is well-known for its global network of production partners.
Valuable read: Gelato vs. Printful comparison
Pricing
Gelato has a tiered pricing structure: there’s a free plan with core features, the Gelato+ plan, priced at $24/month, which gives you additional benefits (including up to 10% off products, premium mockups, and more), and, lastly, the Gelato+ Gold plan, which costs $119/month and includes up to 15% off product prices, smart shipping pricing, and other perks.
Production
Gelato is a middleman, outsourcing production to third-party manufacturers in 32 countries. This model reduces shipping costs but limits Gelato’s control over production quality.
Pros |
Cons |
Extensive global network |
Variable product quality |
Free design tools and Shutterstock access |
Dependence on third-party manufacturers |
Wide product assortment |
Higher product price point |
Source: Zazzle
Zazzle is a customizable product marketplace and a print-on-demand company founded in 2005. It allows designers and customers to create and sell various products with their own designs. One of Zazzle’s key features is its high customization level.
Pricing
Sellers can use Zazzle for free or choose one of the paid plans: Zazzle Plus for $19.95/year or Zazzle Plus Premium for $49.95/year. The Zazzle platform operates on a royalty-based system, where sellers earn a percentage of each sale. The platform offers a range of design tools and supports promotional efforts through its marketplace.
Production
Like Printful, Zazzle is not a middleman: it handles all manufacturing processes in-house. This affords sellers more reliability.
Pros |
Cons |
High level of product customization |
Royalties can vary significantly |
A big product variety |
Mixed reviews about product quality |
Global reach |
Zazzle takes % of each sale |
Source: Redbubble
Established in 2006, Redbubble is a print-on-demand service and marketplace in one. It’s known for its diverse artist community and wide range of product categories. It’s particularly appealing for independent artists looking to reach a global audience with unique artwork.
Pricing
Redbubble has 3 membership tiers: Redbubble Standard, Redbubble Premium, and Redbubble Pro. These tiers are designed to reward artists based on their activity and success in the marketplace. The platform provides various artist tools, including analytics and marketing insights, to help boost sales.
Production
Redbubble operates as a middleman, outsourcing production to a network of global third-party manufacturers.
Pros |
Cons |
Access to a worldwide customer base |
Potential inconsistencies in product quality |
Easy to set up and start selling |
Limited advanced design tools |
Robust set of tools to track and improve performance |
Earnings can be inconsistent |
Valuable read: Printful vs. Redbubble comparison
Source: Society6
Society6 is a print-on-demand marketplace launched in 2009 to support artists by offering a platform to sell their designs on a diverse product range. Known for its vibrant artist community, it emphasizes artistic expression and diversity.
Pricing
Society6 model allows for direct artist-to-consumer sales with no upfront costs, though the higher base prices sometimes limit markup flexibility. On Society6, artists set their markup above the base price for each product, determining their earnings. The platform provides design upload and visualization tools, but artists must handle their own marketing.
Production
Society6 doesn’t own the production process; instead, it collaborates with a network of third-party manufacturers.
Pros |
Cons |
High-quality art prints and home decor |
Higher price point which can lead to lower profit margins |
Quick store setup |
Dependence on third-party manufacturers |
An existing customer base |
Limited branding options |
Valuable read: How to Know When to Leave Society6 to Start Your Own Online Store
Source: Spreadshirt
Spreadshirt is a print-on-demand and ecommerce platform founded in 2002. The platform is well-known for the broad reach it gives its users and the high level of quality in production. The platform offers a versatile setup where users can sell through their Spreadshop, the Spreadshirt Marketplace, or integrate with external ecommerce platforms.
Pricing
Selling on Spreadshirt is free. Users can set up a Spreadshop with no initial cost and determine their own profit margins by adding a markup to the product’s base price. Spreadshirt also offers promotional tools to aid in marketing efforts.
Production
Spreadshirt manages its production and fulfillment operations, offering services in over 170 countries. Spreadshirt allows creators to focus solely on design and marketing by handling production, shipping, and customer support.
Pros |
Cons |
No subscription fees |
Commission-based earnings |
User-friendly design tools |
Limited product range compared to some competitors |
Extensive customization options |
Longer setup process for shop customization |
Source: Spring
Spring, formerly known as Teespring, is a print-on-demand platform that allows creators to design and sell custom merchandise online. Since its launch in 2011, Spring has focused on simplifying the process of selling custom products by integrating with social media platforms, boosting its appeal to influencers and digital marketers.
Pricing
There are no signup or monthly subscription fees with Spring, and sellers get complete control over the markups they set for their products. Note that the platform will keep a % of each sale you make through Spring. The platform supports creators with sales tracking and analytics tools, although marketing largely remains the creator’s responsibility.
Production
Spring acts as a middleman, outsourcing production to third-party manufacturers. This approach allows for a broad range of products, but it also means Spring has no oversight over output and quality.
Pros |
Cons |
No subscription fees |
Variable product quality |
Analytics and marketing support |
Highly competitive |
Control over pricing and profits |
% of sales go to the platform |
Valuable read: Printful vs. Spring comparison
Source: CustomCat
CustomCat is a print-on-demand platform that specializes in custom clothing, housewares, and accessories. Known for its fast fulfillment and worldwide shipping, CustomCat allows online store owners to expand their product range without worrying about inventory management or shipping.
Pricing
CustomCat offers two pricing plans to accommodate different business needs:
Lite Plan: Free access to the entire product catalog at standard wholesale prices, making it an excellent option for sellers looking to start without upfront costs.
CustomCat Pro: A subscription plan at $25/month (billed annually) or $30/month (billed monthly), giving sellers 20–40% off print-on-demand products to help achieve higher profit margins.
Production
CustomCat uses digital printing, sublimation, and embroidery techniques to produce high-quality products with vibrant, long-lasting designs. With its fulfillment centers based in the US, CustomCat offers fast shipping for domestic orders and international shipping for global customers.
Pros |
Cons |
DIGISOFT® digital printing technique |
Focused on the US market |
Customer support by phone |
Limited integrations with platforms and marketplaces |
Fast fulfillment and delivery in the US |
Limited product range |
To choose the best Printify alternative, consider these factors:
Product range: Select platforms offering diverse products relevant to your designs
Production: Prefer platforms with in-house production for better quality control
Pricing: Evaluate base prices and profit margin flexibility
Ecommerce integration: Ensure compatibility with platforms like Shopify, Etsy, or WooCommerce
Global shipping: Check if the platform supports international sales and assess shipping costs
Customer support: Look for robust support and additional resources like design tools and seller communities
Once you’ve found one or a couple of printing partners that you think might be a good fit for your business, it’s time to do some deeper digging: order samples, test their customer support, etc.
Do your homework before starting to sell custom products, and you’ll set your business up for success and ensure that your brand will be represented at the highest standard. Your ecommerce journey will be much easier to navigate once you have a trustworthy partner. Best of luck in your search!
Valuable read: 21 Trending Products to Sell Online in 2024
Printify offers competitive prices, a wide product range, and access to multiple print providers. However, depending on your profit goals, custom branding needs, or specific quality standards, you might find that another print-on-demand company is a better fit for your business.
With Printify, you can sign up and design products for free, but there’s also a paid plan for $29/month (or $24.99/month for a yearly subscription).
As the seller, you cover the shipping costs when fulfilling orders through Printify. This allows you to set your own pricing strategy and offer competitive prices to your customers.
When a customer places an order, Printify charges you for the product and fulfillment costs, and then your custom products are created and shipped. This flexible approach allows you to sell without upfront costs.
As with all print-on-demand services, your profit margins from selling with Printify will depend on your retail price.
There are no upfront fees to start selling with Printify, and you only pay for products and shipping once a customer places an order.
No, Shopify is an ecommerce platform, while Printify is a print provider. With Printify, you create your products; with Shopify, you sell them.
Printify charges you for the products you sell, not Etsy. Etsy only deposits the money from sales in your bank account.
By Katrina Resne 13 min read
By Karlina Rozkalne 21 min read
By Cloe Ann Montoya 20 min read
By Una Berzina-Pudule 13 min read
By Gabriela Martinez 20 min read
By Karlina Rozkalne 9 min read
By Karlina Rozkalne on Mar 11, 2025
Karlina Rozkalne
SEO Content Writer
Karlina is an SEO Content Writer specialist at Printful. As a firm believer in attitude over aptitude, Karlina gives her 100% whenever she works on something new. Karlina spends her free time reading, traveling, and doing yoga.
Karlina is an SEO Content Writer specialist at Printful. As a firm believer in attitude over aptitude, Karlina gives her 100% whenever she works on something new. Karlina spends her free time reading, traveling, and doing yoga.
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12 min read Mar 11, 2025
By Katrina Resne 13 min read
By Karlina Rozkalne 21 min read
By Cloe Ann Montoya 20 min read
By Una Berzina-Pudule 13 min read
By Gabriela Martinez 20 min read
By Karlina Rozkalne 9 min read