Printify vs Printful (Mar 2024): The Ultimate Print-on-Demand Services Comparison

Catch an up-close contrast on the top two print-on-demand services for drop shippers.

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printful vs printify

Printify vs Printfulโ€ฆ which ranks better?

Itโ€™s never an easy task to be the judge.

Weโ€™ve been asked every so often to give an in-depth summary and recommend the best platform to launch a T-shirt business.

The Quick Verdict:

Printful is the ideal solution overall, thanks to its product quality, wide range of integrations with online marketplaces and ecommerce platforms. Printful also has more features to explore, including mobile apps, a comprehensive product design tool, logo generator, and branding options.

While Printify has a more extensive product range, and offers discounts to platform subscribers, itโ€™s a little more complex than Printful. Printful makes it easier to automate various aspects of your print on demand business, as you only have one set of pricing and shipping details for every product. On Printify, you need to compare the offers from numerous vendors.

Printify does have a few extra features, such as the ability to create a simple standalone store, but Printful offers more fulfillment options and services.

Itโ€™s now easier than ever to custom-print stuff like drawstring bags, hoodies, or cushion covers, in just a click. So far, both Printify and Printful stand as the two biggest print-on-demand services.

But ultimately, this comparison will put a pivotal consideration on the strengths and snags of each print-on-demand solution.

To brief you up.

This guide gives a full account of how each platform stacks up in the market. To brief you up on the main segments, weโ€™ll take a closer look at these productive factors:

  • Ease of Use
  • Pricing
  • Order fulfillment
  • Customer support
  • Print quality
  • Integrations

That sort of rounds up what weโ€™re about to review on each platform. Weโ€™ll give credit where itโ€™s due, as well as point out all the pitfalls on both Printful and Printify.

What to like about Printful

  • Printful has a significant number of unique products to work with
  • Has an automated order fulfillment solution
  • Integrates with major shopping cart channels and marketplaces
  • It has a quick turnaround time.
  • Centralized fulfillment locations. Printful has warehouses in Los Angeles, North Carolina, Latvia, and Mexico. Theyโ€™re planning to launch another base in Spain. Since they do in-house printing, drop shippers can sell their print products globally and fulfill orders promptly.
  • Its ease of use is up to scratch
  • Great quality of products
  • Printful has a large customer base across the US and Europe

What not to like about Printful

  • While the product quality is streets ahead of its competitors, Printfulโ€™s products are slightly overpriced. You might want to research your customer base to know how much theyโ€™re willing to spend on custom branded products.

What to like about Printify

  • You can choose your printing provider
  • A flexible pricing model
  • Over 200 products to choose from
  • Products are a bit cheaper

What not to like about Printify

  • A limited number of integrations
  • The branding services are quite limited
  • Its print quality is sometimes fluctuating

In the end, youโ€™ll get to know which particular POD solution is right for your soon-to-be, ecommerce business.

But before we share deep insights on these services, letโ€™s first define what print-on-demand entails.

Printful vs Printify – Video Comparison

Instead of reading, you can watch this video where we look at the features, benefits, and drawbacks of both Printful and Printify to help you make an informed decision for your online store.

YouTube video

Printful & Printify Detailed Comparison

PrintfulPrintify
OverviewFounded20132015
Business modelOwns and operates its own printing and fulfillment centersActs as a middleman, connecting you to third-party print providers
Items delivered70 million+65 million+
PricingFree to sign-upYesYes
Premium subscriptionLaunching soonYes
Paid plans start from$29/month
Production TechniquesDTGYesYes
EmbroideryYesYes
SublimationYesYes
Cut & sewYesYes
AOPYesYes
Print NetworkChoose your print providerNoYes
Print facilities15+100+
Print providersIn-house printing3rd-party print partners
Fulfillment & ShippingAverage fulfillment time1-3 business days2-5 business days
Average shipping time2-7 business days4-12 business days
Flat shipping ratesYesYes
Live shipping ratesYesYes
Custom return addressYesYes
Customer SuppportLive chatYesYes
EmailYesYes
PhoneNoNo
BrandingProduct brandingInside labels, outside labels, sleeve printing, embroidered logoNeck labels
Packaging brandingWhite-label packaging, packing slips, pack-insBranding inserts
White label order-tracking pageYesNo
Design ToolsProduct mockup generatorYesYes
Embroidery mockup generatorYesYes
Text ToolYesYes
Graphics/clipart toolYesYes
Design share for group ordersYesNo
Frontend product personalization toolYesNo
Design servicesYesNo
IntegrationsMajor integrationsShopify, WooCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, BigCommerce, Square, Ecwid, Weebly, Prestashop, Gumroad, Magento, Big Cartel, 3dcart, Launch Cart, Webflow, Nuvemshop, Shift4ShopShopify, WooCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, Walmart, Bigcommerce, PrestaShop
MarketplacesAmazon, Etsy, eBay, StorenvyEtsy, eBay
API accessYesYes
ProductsProduct count330+850+
Product typePrimarily focuses on clothing and accessoriesOffers a wider range of products, including clothing, home decor, accessories, etc.
Print qualityBestGood
Eco-friendly productsYesYes
Cheapest T-shirt base price$6.95$7.26 ($5.89 with Printify Premium)
WarehousingWarehousing servicesYesNo
24-hour fulfillmentYesNo
Shopify ReviewsTotal reviews4,500+1,900+
5 star reviews3,800+1,500+
Overall rating4.6 stars4.4 stars

What is Print on Demand?

Print-on-demand, as the term suggests, is an online fulfillment process where the seller works with a supplier to make custom-print products on an order basis.

The supplier, which is mostly a print-on-demand service with a warehouse and an online platform that integrates with the drop shippers online selling channel, customizes white label products under the sellerโ€™s brand or a customer’s pre-made print design.

These products include caps, T-shirts, tote bags, leggings, hoodies, pillows, and curtains. This list goes on and on.

Same as dropshipping, the model allows you not to hold any inventory or pay any upfront fees until a product is sold to the customer.

This makes print on demand the best solution to test a business idea since it has low overheads and a marginal barrier to entry.

If youโ€™ve built an audience whether organically or through campaigns, print-on-demand is an option to help you monetize your content.

Itโ€™s easier to create an income stream since you donโ€™t have to deal with the fulfillment process.

So letโ€™s compare both services a little further to find out which works best for newbies.

How Printful Works?

printful homepage

Printful runs production houses in the USA, Mexico, and Europe. The company covers a large geographical scope to fulfill customersโ€™ orders on time.

To get started, you need to sign up and connect your store to Printful. Why do you need to integrate your store to this POD service?

Hereโ€™s the hint.

Well, itโ€™s accurate to term print-on-demand as any other dropshipping method. As soon as youโ€™re done with all the integrations, youโ€™ll need to work on your custom products using its mockup generator.

You might want to ask– what the heck is a mockup generator?

In all technical terms, the mockup generator is more like a design tool to help you virtually create custom prints for your listed products. It helps you create amazing and high-resolution photos using the suggested templates.

On Printful, you can reach out to any of its categories and pick any of its POD items that you want to upload on your online store. There are over 200 products to choose from.

Printful’s high-selling categories:

  • Clothing: T-shirts, Hoodies, Sweatshirts, Leggings, Shorts, Tank tops, Polo shirts, Long sleeve shirts.
  • Accessories: stickers, Phone cases, Bracelets, Necklaces.
  • Bags: Tote bags, Laptop cases, Drawstring bags, Backpacks, Fanny packs.
  • Home & Living: Coffee mugs, Blankets, Pillows, Posters, Canvas prints, Bean bags, Beach towels, Embroidered aprons.
  • Collections: Sportswear, Streetwear, Workwear, Beachwear.

Thereโ€™s literally a whole library of products to post on your dropshipping store. Printful gives users a multifold approach due to its large volume of custom branding options.

After putting your mockups together, Printful allows you to import all the product designs to your store. The next step is to promote your products to your target audience and wait for the order automation feature to take effect.

Printful prints, packs, and ships all orders made by customers from your store. The drop shipper has to pay for the fulfillment costs once an order is fulfilled.

This gets you off the hook from the daunting process of manually designing a print design and shipping orders to your customers.

So basically, two concurrent transactions happen anytime a customer makes an order for a print-on-demand product.

First, you need to draw a pricing formula to set your profit margins. As a result, itโ€™s much easier to have competitive retail prices on your listed products.

The subsequent transaction, which Printful charges, is used to purchase the product and settle the fulfillment fees.

And thatโ€™s it.

So simple. Right?

Here’s an extra guide on Printful’s overall performance:

Printful Review: Higher Quality Printing and Dropshipping.

How Printify Works?

Printify attempts to make the order automation process as simple as it can.

Same as itโ€™s top competitor, Printify uses a mockup generator to lessen the burden of designing the print designs. It has easy drag and drop tools that are enormously friendly to beginners.

To create a 3D high-quality product image, Printify has all sorts of color options you can ever think of. Thereโ€™s also a rich product catalog to work with.

The POD service works with print designers and brands that use state of the art technology to improve on productsโ€™ overall quality.

Printify sorts these print-on-demand gurus according to bestselling, location, and prices. So picking the right print provider to fulfill your orders is such a plentiful accessory to your POD dropshipping business.

Its huge directory of products is similar to that of its rival. You can customize your print designs to appear on products such as hoodies, T-shirts, mugs, canvas prints, leggings, and so on.

The option to handpick your supplier makes it convenient for both ends; your business and the customers. As a dropshipping business, you get to reserve your brandโ€™s authority by working with the most suitable print provider.

You have an option to request for samples. This allows you to feel and make first-hand ratings on the productsโ€™ quality and print design. If youโ€™re pleased with what you see, you can take a step to the next level and list the variety of products in your store.

And quite as expected, Printify takes care of the whole fulfillment process. To break out of the deficit territory, the print-on-demand service promises not to fall short of any order management priorities.

Whenever you make a sale, be certain that the quality control is in check and that you can track each shipment.

All that is left for you to decide is the marketing strategy. As far as its mode of operation goes, it seems like Printify runs in the same line of action as its competitor.

Below is a descriptive afterthought on Printify’s functionality:

Printify Review: Easy and Quick Way to Create Products With Your Designs.

Winner

Itโ€™s a tie. The ease of use of of both Printful and Printify is equally convenient for new users.

Printify vs Printful: Pricing

Thereโ€™s always a significant shift that pricing holds when it comes to picking the right solution. As the middleman, you need to factor in whether a POD channel is cost-effective.

That allows you to build momentum when maxing out on the potential profit margin.

Youโ€™ll be gratified, or if you prefer, complacent that both companies are outrightly transparent with their pricing. There are no hidden fees. You can bank on this fact. A new user doesnโ€™t pay to sign up on their platform.

Both print-on-demand solutions can identify their customersโ€™ imminent needs. And as a result, they donโ€™t charge any membership or subscription fees.

Printfulโ€™s Pricing Plans

If you want to sell white-label products without a lot of upfront costs, Printful could be the ideal solution. You donโ€™t necessarily have to spend anything on Printful to access a range of features.

The company has a rather generous free plan, which includes access to the Printful design maker with built-in tools and visuals, as well as Printfulโ€™s integrations for automatic order fulfillment.

Plus, youโ€™ll get global order fulfillment managed by Printfulโ€™s suppliers, round-the-clock customer support, and an educational resource hub.

Printful Memberships

If you want to leverage some unique benefits from Printful, you can apply for one of their memberships. There are two options to choose from: Growth and Business.

printful memberships

Growth Plan

With the Growth plan, youโ€™ll need to earn at least $12k in a 12-month period to be deemed eligible. If you earn enough, after subtracting VAT, taxes, shipping, and discounts, you can apply for access to the following benefits for free:

  • Unlimited stores and designs for every account
  • Product branding discounts of 7%
  • Up to 20% discounts on DTG products
  • Up to 30% discounts on other product categories
  • Stable pricing commitments

If you havenโ€™t earned enough in 12 months to qualify for the Growth plan, Printful also allows you to pay a monthly subscription price to earn all of the same benefits.

When your sales cross over the threshold, youโ€™ll be able to access the bonus features for free for the next year.

Business Plan

Printful Business is the second membership option from Printful, with a lot of the same benefits, such as unlimited designs and stores for every account, as well as consistent product pricing.

It also offers up to 22% off DTG products, discounts of up to 33% on other products, and branding discounts of 9%. Plus, you also get free digitization for all embroidered products, and 25% off sample orders.

To be deemed eligible for this plan, youโ€™ll need to earn at least $60k in a 12-month period. Printful will calculate your total sum for the year by looking at your order amounts and subtracting any fees, tax, VAT, and discounts.

It does add the cost of services like warehousing and store setup back in, however, as well as any digitization fees.

Enterprise customers can also access custom order fulfillment, production management support, and exclusive perks such as an embedded design maker.

Though Printful has removed most of the information about its costs from the website, we can make some assumptions based on the previous listed information. For instance, in the past, Printful charged $2.49 per label for each custom label on your items.

Other services that Printful offers to drop shippers include:

  • Outside label
  • Long sleeve print
  • Short sleeve print
  • Embroidered logo

Printful allows you to create a design that captures your logo and prints it on the packing slips for free. Most sellers use this option to build better a customer relationship, issue discounts, and introduce a new product in the already existing market.

For pack-ins like stickers, business cards, or flyers, youโ€™ll need to pay approximately $0.75 per order. You can opt to pay this small fee to promote your products.

As you can see above, each customization has its price.

So how much profit Iโ€™m I left with?

Thatโ€™s a safety concern for all print-on-demand drop shippers. Looking on the bright side, Printful gives you pricing strategies that are proven to work.

Thereโ€™s a profit calculator to help you descend on the most practical profit margin suggestions. It shows you how much to expect in net profit per product sold.

While there are no limits to pricing, Printful recommends a 30% minimum profit margin. Printful issues volume discounts to users when they reach a specified amount of sales per month.

Printful – Branding Pricing

TypePrice
Product BrandingInside label$2.49 per label
Outside label$2.49 per label
Short sleeve print$2.49 per sleeve
Long sleeve print$5.95 per sleeve
Embroidered logo$2.95 per additional placement
Packaging BrandingCustom packaging$0.50 per custom packaging used for an order ($25 monthly minimum for storage)
Pack-ins$0.50 per pack-in added to order ($25 monthly minimum for storage)
Packing slips$0
Website BrandingWhite-label tracking page$0

Printful – Warehousing & Fulfillment Pricing

USEuropeUKCanada
Processing & Fulfillment FeesProduct fulfillment fee (per order)$2.00โ‚ฌ1.75ยฃ1.60C$2.80
Product picking fee (per product)$0.95โ‚ฌ0.80ยฃ0.75C$1.30
Pack-in fulfillment fee (per order with pack-ins)FreeFreeFreeFree
Pack-in picking fee (per pack-in added to order)$0.50โ‚ฌ0.45ยฃ0.45C$0.70
Custom packaging fulfillment fee (per order with packing)FreeFreeFreeFree
Custom packaging picking fee (per packaging used for order)$0.50โ‚ฌ0.45ยฃ0.45C$0.70
Receiving & processing feeFreeFreeFreeFree
Packaging materialsFee variesFee variesFee variesFee varies
Stock removal feeFee variesFee variesFee variesFee varies
Storage fees (per cu. ft.)1โ€“25 cu. ft.$1.60โ‚ฌ1.40ยฃ1.30C$2.20
25โ€“300 cu. ft.$1.25โ‚ฌ1.10ยฃ1.05C$1.70
300+ cu. ft.$0.80โ‚ฌ0.70ยฃ0.65C$1.00
Minimum monthly storage feeProducts$150โ‚ฌ150ยฃ135C$210
Only branding items (custom packaging and pack-ins)$25โ‚ฌ22ยฃ20C$35

Printifyโ€™s pricing plans

Printify has three unique plans. On each package, the drop shipper gets access to these headline features:

  • An advanced mockup generator
  • Integration with selling channels such as Shopify, eBay, Etsy, WooCommerce, among other ecommerce cart solutions.
  • 27/7 live support
  • Manual order creation.

Free plan

Printify recommends this plan to a merchant who’s merely starting their dropshipping business. There are no limits to the number of product designs you wish to upload to your online store.

This free account allows you to integrate with up to 5 POD dropshipping stores. Thereโ€™s nothing more to depend on from this plan. As you know, cheap never comes easy.

Premium plan

If you want to scale up a little further, this is the right package to bank on. Itโ€™s ideal for merchants with multiple stores since it has a capacity for 10. Printify charges $29 per month for the premium plan.

This package is the most popular since the drop shipper gets up to a 20% discount on all ordered products.

The extra perk to consider is that this option gives you access to sell personalized products in your store. Thatโ€™s not available on the free plan.

Enterprise plan

To fulfill over 10,000+ orders per day, youโ€™d need to go with the most pricey package. The merchant gets a custom API integration thatโ€™s doesnโ€™t limit the number of stores to sync your account with.

It comes with a dedicated customer support team to help the seller resolve any pitfalls. Printify promptly keeps all the enterprise plan users posted on any new features which they add on the platform.

Printify – Plans Comparison

FreePremiumEnterprise
Pricing$0$29/monthCustom quote
Number of stores510Unlimited
Mockup generatorYesYesYes
IntegrationsYesYesYes
Manual order creationYesYesYes
24/7 merchant supportYesYesYes
Self-serve help centerYesYesYes
Up to 20% discount on all productsNoYesYes
Custom order importNoYesYes
Early access to new featuresNoNoYes
Custom API integrationNoNoYes
Dedicated account managerNoNoYes
Branded customer supportNoNoYes

Winner: Printify. Its pricing is way cheaper. But the pricing isnโ€™t clearly defined. Printiful has classified all its services accordingly( in-labels, packing slips).

Printful Bestselling Products

Both Printful and Printify offer a huge variety when it comes to choosing the products you want to sell. These leading print on demand companies are constantly expanding their selections, so you shouldnโ€™t have any problem creating a fantastic portfolio of products.

When it comes to Printful, you can choose from a range of tech accessories, like iPhone covers and earbud cases, as well as home and living products, accessories, and apparel.

If youโ€™re struggling to figure out where to get started, you can sort through the available products using the โ€œBestsellersโ€ tab, to see whatโ€™s currently trending.

The โ€œBestsellersโ€ option will allow you to filter through products based on the category youโ€™re interested in. For instance, in the apparel landscape, premium t-shirts and hoodies are quite popular. Some of the other best-selling options you can consider include:

  • Wall art (canvases, posters, and prints)
  • Blankets and throws
  • Drinkware (cups and reusable bottles)
  • Accessories like patches and hats
  • Phone cases and laptop stickers
  • Notebooks, greeting cards and stickers
  • Premium T-shirts (with all over print and better materials)
  • Hoodies and sweatpants (loungewear)
  • Sporting wear (including shoes)

Each option can be customized to suit your specific needs, wand added to your ecommerce store with a couple of clicks. You can even create custom packaging for your Shopify store before you start sending items out to your target audience.

Read our dedicated article on Printful’s bestselling products.

Printify Bestselling Products

Similar to Printful, Printify offers a range of fantastic products to choose from, in many of the same categories. You can sort through the items available by clicking into the โ€œCatalogueโ€ section and selecting โ€œbestsellersโ€.

This will show you all of the options currently trending, alongside the options you have for customization, colors, and sizes.

As you might expect, many of the top options for your online business are also some of the cheapest to create.

However, you may need to think about additional costs when figuring out your budget. Think carefully about what you want to get from the fulfillment services you choose, and what kind of delivery times you want to ensure youโ€™re providing to customers.

Some of the top-selling products on Printify include:

  • T-shirts, unisex cotton tees
  • Heavy blend hooded sweatshirts and crewneck sweatshirts
  • Tote bags and backpacks
  • Die-cut stickers
  • Polyester square pillows
  • Sublimation socks
  • Homeware like notebooks and posters
  • Premium pin buttons
  • Extra-tough phone cases

Itโ€™s worth looking at all of the options available from Printify (outside of the bestsellers), to make sure youโ€™re selecting items relevant to your target audience and your chosen brand.

There are lots of great options available, ranging from drinkware to technology accessories. You can even create your own seasonal decorations, Eco-friendly clothing, and more.

Plus, thereโ€™s the option to choose products specifically assembled in the USA, to increase your chances of faster shipping times.

Product Example Comparison (Gildan 5000 Tshirt)

PrintfulPrintifyPrintify Premium
Base CostMonthly Price$0$0$29
Gildan 5000 Tshirt Price (US Supplier)$6.95$9.28$7.42
Gildan 5000 Tshirt Price (EU Supplier)$6.95$7.79$6.00
Shipping CostShipping to US (First product)$4.69$4.75$4.75
Shipping to US (Additional product)$2.20$2.40$2.40
Shipping to EU (First product)$4.79$3.89$3.89
Shipping to EU (Additional product)$1.45$1.19$1.19
Total Monthly CostCase 1 (50 orders of 1 T-shirt US + 50 orders of 1 T-shirt EU)$1,169$1,286$1,132
Case 2 (150 orders of 1 T-shirt US + 10 orders of 1 T-shirt EU)$1,863$2,221$1,953
Case 3 (10 orders of 1 T-shirt US + 150 orders of 1 T-shirt EU)$1,877$1,892$1,634
Case 4 (50 orders of 2 T-shirts US + 50 orders of 2 T-shirts EU)$2,047$2,319$1,983
Case 5 (150 orders of 2 T-shirts US + 10 orders of 2 T-shirts EU)$3,320$4,063$3,498
Case 6 (10 orders of 2 T-shirts US + 150 orders of 2 T-shirts EU)$3,229$3,356$2,811
Monthly Profit (Selling Price: $25)Case 1 (50 orders of 1 T-shirt US + 50 orders of 1 T-shirt EU)$1,331$1,215$1,368
Case 2 (150 orders of 1 T-shirt US + 10 orders of 1 T-shirt EU)$2,137$1,779$2,047
Case 3 (10 orders of 1 T-shirt US + 150 orders of 1 T-shirt EU)$2,123$2,108$2,366
Case 4 (50 orders of 2 T-shirts US + 50 orders of 2 T-shirts EU)$2,954$2,682$3,018
Case 5 (150 orders of 2 T-shirts US + 10 orders of 2 T-shirts EU)$4,680$3,937$4,502
Case 6 (10 orders of 2 T-shirts US + 150 orders of 2 T-shirts EU)$4,771$4,644$5,189

Printify vs Printful: Integrations

Both platforms have in-built APIs to help the merchant integrate with large ecommerce platforms.

Printful and Printify can integrate with Shopify and WooCommerce selling channels. Printful has a longer integration list, unlike its rival. It syncs with other channels such as:

  • Squarespace
  • BigCommerce
  • Weebly
  • Ecwid
  • PrestaShop
  • Big Cartel
  • Gumroad
  • Magneto
  • 3rdcart
  • Launch Cart.
  • Wix

Printifyโ€™s premium plan only connects to two marketplaces; Etsy and eBay. In contrast, Printful makes headway for other product listing platforms such as Amazon, Storenvy, Inktale, Wish, and Bonanza.

If you want to start selling print-on-demand products on ecommerce channels, Printful recommends Shopify, Etsy, Ecwid, and BigCommerce since theyโ€™re quick to setup. Its API automates the order fulfillment process and the plugin is available on the above-mentioned stores.

If you plan to use an enterprise-oriented channel such as Magneto, itโ€™s worth hiring a developer to help you launch your POD store.

Winner: Printful.

Note: Here are our top step-by-step articles on connecting Printful and Printify to some of the most popular ecommerce platforms and marketplaces. Read our guide on how to use Printful with Shopify here, our guide on how to use Printify with Shopify here and our guide on how to connect Printify to Etsy here.

The Printify Popup Store

While Printful outperforms Printify in terms of integrations, Printify does give you a unique alternative to โ€œintegratingโ€ the app with an existing store or marketplace. Users can use a free โ€œpop-up storeโ€ creation tool to design a simple ecommerce store just with Printify. 

We think this feature could make Printify a lot more appealing to merchants who donโ€™t want to handle the stress of setting up and managing a comprehensive ecommerce site. However, it does have a lot of limitations. You wonโ€™t have nearly as much functionality as you would when creating a store with Wix, Shopify, or Squarespace, for instance.

There arenโ€™t any templates to choose from, and you can really just add your logo to make your store โ€œstand outโ€. You also wonโ€™t be able to use your own custom domain. Instead, youโ€™ll receive a generic โ€œmystore.printify.meโ€ URL.ย 

All that being said, Printifyโ€™s pop-up store does have some attract elements to it. There are no transaction fees when you make a sale, and the store loads really quickly.

It might not be a replacement for a complete online store, but it could be ideal for those with a low budget, limited time, and very basic online selling needs.

Printful vs Printify: AI Features

AI or Artificial Intelligence is becoming a common component of the ecommerce landscape, and both Printful and Printify are taking notice.

Printful has its โ€œSmart Image Toolโ€, this uses artificial intelligence to automatically โ€œupscaleโ€ images for printing.

This means if you have an image you want to use on a shirt or something similar, but itโ€™s not high-resolution, the AI can upgrade the image for you. It can double the image DPI for certain designs, and even analyzes the image to see if any information can be added. 

Printify has a slightly different selection of AI tools. First, thereโ€™s the AI automated quality control system that uses image recognition and AI to scan a product and evaluate its quality. This helps to ensure you always get a great print. 

Additionally, Printify introduced a generative AI image generator in 2023. This basically uses text prompts (similar to ChatGPT) to create designs for you that you can apply to blank products.

This is an incredibly handy tool for designers who are struggling to come with ideas for new products, or simply donโ€™t have the advanced software available for advanced customizations. 

Printful vs Printify: Mobile Apps 

Another area where Printful has an edge over Printify, is in mobile app design. Printful has both Android and iOS apps available for users, whereas Printifyโ€™s app is only available for Android. 

The iOS app for Printful has a great reputation among users, with a current rating of 4.7 out of 5, and thousands of reviews. It also gives you full access to Printfulโ€™s product designer.

The Android app, on the other hand, has a slightly lower score (4 out of 5), in part because it misses some key functionality, like the ability to resize design elements and add stock imagery to designs.

Printify has earned more than 100,000 downloads on the Google play store, and itโ€™s relatively easy to use. The interface is just as clean as simple as it is on the Printify website, and you can access a wide range of great features, to design your products, get samples, or order in bulk while on the move.

printify mobile android app

Printify vs Printful: Fulfillment and Shipping costs

If shipping takes way longer, your business risks plunging into slow sales. Printful explains in detail, how the entire fulfillment process works.

The process begins right after an order is made. Printful estimates that it can take between 2-7 business days to make apparel products, and 2-5 business days for non-apparel products.

For shipping, it depends on where the product has to be shipped to. On average, Printful suggests that it might take about 4 business days. Printful hits the target of over 3 million orders each year by working with global carrier companies.

Some of the listed shipping solutions include FedEx, DHL, USPS.com, and DPD. The company has a full-detailed guide on how to calculate the shipping rates.

For print products like T-shirts, long sleeve shirts, crop tops, or tank tops, this is what your customers will need to pay as shipping:

First product

  • USA: $3.99
  • Europe: $4.39
  • Canada: $6.49
  • Australia/ New Zealand: $6.99
  • Worldwide: $5.99

Additional product

  • USA: $1.25
  • Europe: $1.09
  • Canada: $1.25
  • Australia/ New Zealand: $1.25
  • Worldwide: $1.25

You can choose to let the customer calculate the shipping at checkout or include it in the retail price. Customs fees may also apply depending on the geographical location where your customer is located.

Printify also fulfills orders using top carrier companies. The company has also partnered with local fulfillment companies to effectively support drop shippers selling products from different corners of the world. The rates on some of these solutions are, however, a bit higher.

Shipping solutions on Printify take longer to deliver international orders since they have fewer fulfillment centers. Hereโ€™s a breakdown of the shipping times:

Location

  • USA: 7-15 business days
  • Canada: 10- 15 business days
  • International: 10-30 days

Printify doesnโ€™t explain much about how long itโ€™d take to manufacture a product. Printful, on the other hand, updates, in real-time the shipping rates during checkout.

To take the bad with the good, Printify offers a faster solution for merchants using the Advanced Shopify plan.

Average Shipping Time & Price (Tshirt)

PrintifyPrintful
CountryShipping TimeFirst ProductAdditional ProductShipping TimeFirst ProductAdditional Product
US2 – 5 business days$4.75$2.402 – 5 business days$4.69$2.20
Canada10 – 30 business days$9.39$4.392-6 business days$8.29$1.95
Australia10 – 30 business days$12.49$4.992-5 business days$7.19$1.30
Rest of the World10 – 30 business days$10.00$4.008-21 business days$11.99$6.00

Winner: Printful. It has a dedicated page that gives full disclosure on the whole shipping and fulfillment process. Printify isnโ€™t optimized for international orders.

Printify vs Printful: Customer support

Printful has a deep-dyed set of tactics to engage with their customers at a more snappy level. The company offers an onboarding session to all new users at no cost.

Its blog section is pretty much resourceful and has useful insights on how to run a successful print-on-demand business. You can give them a call, start a chat, or send an email.

printful customer supoort

We actually contacted Printful customer support, through email, live chat, and the Printful app. This article documents the entire experience.

On Printify, youโ€™ll find a help center with articles on important topics like integrations, troubleshooting, products, payments, and mockup designs.

They also run a gainful blog that has tips on marketing, design trends, and success stories. But what makes it fall behind Printful is that it lacks a 24-hour clock live support.

Thereโ€™s a wave of mixed reactions on the internet regarding Printfulโ€™s customer support. We have a group that upvotes the print-on-demand service for its responsive dashboard while others bash out claims that its customer support is slow to answer any pressing questions from users.

Winner: Tie. Both have equal wins and noticeable flaws.

Printify vs Printful: Overall features

Which one takes the lead? Letโ€™s find out.

Printful has an organized structure that classifies its services concisely. The Printful ecommerce photography service is one rare feature thatโ€™s hardly available on other print-on-demand services.

If you need high-resolution images to help you build your brandโ€™s persona, Printful has got you covered. As we pointed out earlier in this comparison guide, the service offers discounts on bulk orders.

For products that need to be photographed and fulfilled, Printful gives a 20% discount; which sounds like a good deal. They have a stock of pre-made samples so you donโ€™t need to wait much longer to have images for your products.

Printful also promises same-day fulfillment for orders made before noon through itโ€™s automated order processing solution. Best of all features is its pricing calculator which helps users set competitive retail prices.

In comparison, Printify racks up with a rich catalog of products. On the contrary, it hits the fan when it comes to design services. Printful steps up with graphic design options for business branding, promotions, and accessories.

The company displays some of their design work and a professional team of in-house graphic designers to customers on their official page.

Winner: Printful.

Printify vs Printful: Product designs and quality

This was a pretty hard factor to gauge. So I decided to do some research on the internet and gather some user-generated reviews.

Printful has taken a keen interest in hunting for winning product designs in the market. Printify, on the other side, seems like a conventional channel with long-established print-on-demand products like T-shirts and hoodies.

And thereโ€™s nothing wrong about that. But the fact is, having a variety of trendsetting products goes a long way.

Looking at the comments online, Printful looks a bit more compelling when it comes to curating merchandise and boosting customersโ€™ confidence in a brand.

The little feedback that I managed to gather regarding product quality happens to rank Printful as a better alternative.

Most complaints point to Printifyโ€™s print quality. Itโ€™s claimed that some of their apparel products fade and crack within a short time. What could perhaps drive this to happen is the fact that Printify acts as a middleman.

Literary, they donโ€™t do the printing. Rather, they source this service from 3rd party companies; which isnโ€™t the case with their close competitor. Printful has invested so much in printing machines, warehouses, and graphic designers.

With this kind of infrastructure, itโ€™s much easier to maintain the productsโ€™ quality.

Winner: Printful.

Printful vs Printify for Etsy

If youโ€™re planning on using Printful or Printify to sell products through Etsy, youโ€™re in luck. Both solutions integrate directly with Etsy, as well as a range of other platforms.

You can load your products directly to your Etsy storefront. However, itโ€™s worth remembering Printify gives you more products to choose from in total. Alternatively, Printful offers some unique products not available from Printify, such as sportswear and certain unique garments.

Additionally, Printify is a somewhat cheaper option than Printful with basic t-shirts starting at around $9.51 compared to $16.51 for Printful.

This could mean you need to charge higher prices with Printful just to earn the same profit margin. On the plus side, both solutions offer high-quality items, made with fantastic materials and high-end printing tools.

Both take careful steps to ensure the happiness of your customers, with quality assurance strategies. However, Printful offers a little more customization to make your brand stand out, such as unique labels. Additionally, it produces products itself, rather than outsourcing to third parties.

This means thereโ€™s less risk of variation between your items. However, it also means if thereโ€™s an issue with production at Printful, your products are more likely to be delayed.

Printful vs Printify for Amazon

If youโ€™re planning on launching your Print on Demand business with Amazon, one of the worldโ€™s largest marketplaces, Printful is the solution for you.

Printful offers a native integration with Amazon, whereas with Printify, youโ€™ll need to find a workaround, such as loading your products onto Shopify and using an integration with Amazon that way.

Overall, Printful offers far more integration options than Printify (around 22 compared to Printifyโ€™s 10). Plus, itโ€™s worth remembering that Printful is a more feature-rich tool over all, giving businesses access to a wider variety of branding options, and a comprehensive design tool.

There are even additional fulfillment options to consider, and mobile app solutions.

On the other hand, while creating products and listing them on Amazon is simpler with Printful, itโ€™s important to note that the price of the products can be a bit higher.

This could mean that you need to charge your customers a lot more to make a profit. On the plus side, you only have one set of shipping and pricing details to work with for each product.

With Printify, on the other hand, you need to sort through various competing suppliers to find the right one for your business needs.

Printful vs Printify for Shopify

For entrepreneurs starting their own branded store on a platform like Shopify, both Printify and Printful are solid choices. Both offer integrations with Shopify which allow you to automate processes like managing fulfillment and sending orders to suppliers.

With both tools, you can link your print-on-demand account to Shopify in a couple of minutes, with virtually no complexity.

Shopify is an excellent tool for online vendors because it offers a wide range of integrations with existing tools, allowing companies to sell both dropshipped and POD items.

Plus, with Shopify, you can access international selling options, and even choose to sell your products in-person using Shopifyโ€™s point of sale technology.

One thing we do recommend if youโ€™re going to be using Shopify as your sales platform, is using the companyโ€™s โ€œdropshipping starter kitโ€.

This comes with a three-day free trial, and a $1 per month subscription for the first 3 months. Additionally, it offers business leaders a range of powerful resources that help you to optimize your print on demand and dropshipping business.

You even get exclusive access to lessons, support, and resources from a private Facebook group, which can give you a fantastic competitive edge when youโ€™re entering a competitive market.

Printful vs Printify vs Print Aura

Print Aura is far less effective as compared to Printify and Printful. It branches off from most of the print-on-demand merchantsโ€™ expectations.

The website looks static which is a bit off if we picture the pressing need to work with a user-friendly and responsive POD service. Without a savvy platform in place, that would cripple the entire order fulfillment process by far.

The standard shipping for a T-shirt order on Print Aura only takes between 3-5 business days in the US. If weโ€™re to rank these three services based on shipping speed, itโ€™s clear that Print Aura takes a narrow lead.

Its mockup tool is, unfortunately, not the perfect blend for custom printing. Even worse, the design toolโ€™s page isnโ€™t optimized to load fast. Printful and Printify have taken good care of this key performance indicator.

Iโ€™d recommend Print Aura to a beginner who needs a basic punchline of selling bare bone print designs. Its capacity to scale is a bit crappy and their print designs are less fancier than those youโ€™d find on Printful.

Another snag you might not like about this print-on-demand service is its mockup generator. On Print Auraโ€™s landing page, they barely talk about how their mockup tool operates.

Despite it being functional, new users might find it pretty difficult to navigate through any technical curves.

You may find selling your brand as an objective thatโ€™s within reach but you might miss out on the extra level of workflow precision that both Printful and Printify equally have.

Printify, unlike the two other POD sites, has an option to upgrade to a more advanced plan. On the other hand, Printful is the only service here with a diverse production network.

A drop shipper gets to pick a print designer of their choice. This freedom is limited in both Printify and Print Aura.

Printful vs. Printify vs. Sellfy

Sellfy is another POD with several things in common with Printful and Printify. For starters, it caters to entrepreneurs looking for a relatively simple and effective way to sell POD products.

Sellfy’s platform is easy-to-use and comes with a built-in 3d mock-up for testing different designs, adding graphics, and customizing products.

Although Sellfyโ€™s product range is smaller in comparison with 40 products, they provide a wealth of color, size, and labeling variations. In addition, they offer embroidery options, direct-to-garment printing, and eco-friendly material alternatives.

When it comes to shipping, Sellfy boasts an average fulfillment (from printing to delivery) time of five days. However, they warn that sometimes it can take as long as 20 days, particularly in locations outside the US and Canada. Nevertheless, in 50% of cases, Sellfy ships within three working days, so they may be slightly quicker than Printify and Printful for US customers.

You can’t select the fulfillment location of your product, and they donโ€™t specify where their fulfillment centers are, except that they have locations in the US, Canada, and internationally. Sellfy also doesnโ€™t offer native integrations with dropshipping apps or third-party carriers.

Their add-ons are solely for marketing and store management.

That said, Selfy empowers sellers to set up their own fully hosted eCommerce website, from which you can sell digital, physical, and POD products. However, if you wish to sell your own physical products (i.e., non-Sellfy POD products), youโ€™ll have to arrange the shipping and fulfillment side of things yourself.

That said, for everything Sellfy offers, its price is quite competitive. Their platform equips you with built-in marketing and analytics tools. The latter provides details on your revenue, site visits, conversions, and purchases from the convenience of your Sellfy dashboard.

Still, as a standalone POD service and eCommerce platform, as mentioned above, they need to improve their flexibility regarding fulfillment and enable dropshipping integrations to catch up with their competitors.

Printful vs Printify vs Teelaunch

These three solutions at least have one thing in common. They all have a candid customer support system.

But thereโ€™s one โ€˜out of the wayโ€™ fact about Teelaunch. Itโ€™s designed to only work for Shopify users. Teelaunch holds a modest position in the print-on-demand market since itโ€™s not as popular as the two captains of the print-on-demand model.

In spite of that, Teelaunch has unique products that are hard to find on other platforms. You can sell rare print items such as branded power banks, shower curtains, UV printed bracelets, kids beanies, monogram gloves, journal hardcovers, jewelry boxes, dog bowls, and so on.

Among the three print-on-demand solutions, Iโ€™d rank Printful as the most productive solution in terms of brand designs and quality. Teelaunch being a newbie in the dropshipping model, has a lot of stuff to catch up on.

To reach where Printful stands at the moment, theyโ€™d need to invest more in fulfillment centers. Since Printful has more warehouses across the US, they take shorter shipping times as compared to Teelaunch.

If Teelaunch attempts to work on their lead time, then it would be on an equal footing with its competitors. But this would require Teelaunch to have an in-house team for all their fulfillment priorities.

At the moment, they outsource this service which denies the POD company a greater control on product quality and quick turnaround time.

If we make a head-to-head comparison on the ease of use, all three services seem to have a newbie-friendly interface. They all have an up to snuff reputation when it comes to the ease of use factor.

In terms of pricing, Teelaunch gives the drop shipper a more competitive markup potential without leaving out the quality aspect of all their print designs.

FAQ

Is Printful quality better than Printify?

Both Printful and Printify offer a very similar level of quality. You can access most of the same options from each provider, including eco-friendly items and premium apparel. However, Printify does give you the option to focus on products made specifically within the USA.

Is Printful more expensive than Printify?

Both Printful and Printify donโ€™t require you to pay for a monthly subscription to sign up, so you can start your business with a relatively low amount of capital. The pricing for each companyโ€™s items will vary depending on the quality and type of item you get. A premium t-shirt from Printful will cost a little more than a standard shirt from Printify.

Which company is more popular Printful or Printify?

Printful is a little more advanced than Printify overall. The company uses a slightly more advanced selection of printing technologies, and a good shipping history system. However, it can be more expensive than Printify in some cases.

Which company has better profit margins: Printful or Printify?

Printful can have slightly higher profit margins than Printify, but it all depends on the products youโ€™re getting, and whether you choose to sign up for a premium plan with the brand. Itโ€™s worth taking the time to calculate your possible profit margins from each business before you make your choice.

Printful vs Printify – Final Verdict

Itโ€™s promising to see how print-on-demand products are receiving an upward trendline in the drop-shipping model.

This comparison would be great for merchants who arenโ€™t only interested in how to start a print-on-demand business but want to launch using a top-notch POD service.

While these two have their selling points to consider, product quality is the top-tier factor that helps a brand make repeat sales.

From all the facts weโ€™ve pointed out in this guide, itโ€™s no secret that Printful has an acute edge over Printify.

Printful is a grandmaster in the print-on-demand game. The company has been in existence since 2013 while its close rival is 2 years younger.

From a factual context, Printful has a quicker shipping model and a better print quality which, in essence, is a great deal for dropshippers.

Since customers are mostly interested in the quality you need to be consistent on each print order. And no solution is better at print quality than Printful.

Consequently, each platform has its pros and downsides. So you want to test both POD services to see which works perfectly on your dropshipping goals.

For that to come about the easy way, you need to perhaps take a stroll on the internet and run a market analysis, order samples, or even better, test these two solutions separately.

After all, itโ€™s free to integrate both POD services to your dropshipping store. That way, youโ€™ll learn better which service is likely going to make your online store bank more on repeat customers.

If you want nothing else but quality and customer satisfaction, Printful has an unmatched strategy to work with.

Ultimately, Printful takes the lead.

How to Use Printful with Shopify – Video

In this exciting video, we dive deep into the world of ecommerce, specifically focusing on how to use Printful with Shopify to achieve unparalleled success.

Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting your online business journey, this comprehensive guide will equip you with the knowledge and strategies you need to skyrocket your profits.

YouTube video

How to Use Printify with Shopify – Video

In this exciting video, we dive into the world of Printify and Shopify to help you unlock the full potential of your online store. Discover how to use Printify with Shopify and witness a significant boost in your earnings.

Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned entrepreneur, this step-by-step guide will equip you with the knowledge and strategies you need to succeed.

YouTube video

Comments 37 Responses

  1. Jey says:

    Is it allowed to upload the same designs in both Printful and Printify platforms, in which case the accounts will not be blocked, or do I need to choose in favor of one?

    1. Bogdan Rancea says:

      Hello Jey,

      As long as they are original designs, there are no issues with uploading the same design on both platform.

  2. Tayo says:

    I love this. So very helpful.

    1. Bogdan Rancea says:

      Haappy to help Tayo! Let us know which platform you decided to choose, Printful or Printify?

  3. Zae says:

    Thanks for this – just what I needed to expand my business to include shirts & bags!

  4. Paula Boyer says:

    Thank you!
    This was just the information I was looking for.๐Ÿ™
    I can see that in Printify’s Premium you can personalized the products.
    I need the option to add an image that is different for each buyer. Is this possible only with this plan?

    Thank you so much for your article!
    Regard,
    Paula

    1. Bogdan Rancea says:

      Hello Paula,

      It’s best to check with them for technical details, but as far as I know this is possible.

  5. Catherine Buies says:

    Is it possible to export my designs from Printify to Printful?

    1. Bogdan Rancea says:

      Hey Catherine, as far as I know you can download the mockups from Printful as long as you have a connected store.

  6. Dana A Schneider says:

    I want to start a “store”, but I find the idea of making an item ad very intimidating. Do I have to write-up all my products on Printful before connecting with Shopify? Or can I import the item info from Shopify?

  7. Frank says:

    Such a great and detailed article. Thank you and keep up the good work!

    1. Bogdan Rancea says:

      Thanks Frank!

  8. JD Bliss says:

    Printify lets you adds users with limited access so you can have an account admin and then a manage or designer with limited access. Does Printful offer the ability to add users to an account?

    1. Bogdan Rancea says:

      Yes, you can do that by going to Settings > Users.

  9. Alejandro Gรณmez says:

    Excelente reseรฑa, es importante considerar todos esos puntos y saber donde se esta ubicado. Asรญ mismo, quizรก un punto para la actualizaciรณn de este articulo, sabe cual es la ganancia neta por artรญculo, pues; por obvias razones las plataformas se llevan la mayor parte, pero serรญa bueno para hacer un balance en donde se obtendrรก una mejor ganancia, Felicidades por este artรญculo.

    1. Bogdan Rancea says:

      Thanks Alejandro! ๐Ÿ‘

  10. John says:

    Hi,
    This Post has very useful information.
    Thanks for sharing.

    1. Bogdan Rancea says:

      You’re welcome John!

  11. rodney says:

    Love this break down. i will definitely use printful. i have a friend who is also using printful and ive seen the quality of his products. I only wish i could find someone that does the acrylic type printing on the shits.

  12. Marquecia Jordan says:

    Thanks so much for this โ€“ย it helps so much!

    1. Bogdan Rancea says:

      You’re welcome Marquecia!

  13. Penny2020 says:

    I used both platforms. Although Printiful is more expensive the customer service makes it work the cost.
    The only bad reviews I have received have come from using Printify. I now have four bad reviews thanks to them ranging from shipping to quality issues.
    With Printify you can’t NOT get an order update, they put something “in production” so you can’t change (if the customer ordered the wrong size) or cancel (even if it should have shipped 2 weeks ago)
    With one order I emailed as the order was 18 days past due being shipped and received a generic response of “I’ll check on this” email back and waited 3 days, then I tried to just cancel the order as the customer was now pissed only to be told I couldn’t cancel as it was “in production”
    Zero customer support for the customers so I will stick with Printiful all day.

    1. Bogdan Rancea says:

      Thanks for sharing Penny!

  14. Katrina D McIntosh says:

    This was very helpful. Thank you!

    1. Bogdan Rancea says:

      You’re welcome Katrina! ๐Ÿ™‚

  15. Chelsea Palmer says:

    This article was a great help in my decision. I sell my own original art on Etsy and want to integrate some of these products offered by drop shipping companies. I have excellent customer reviews and a perfect score that I want to keep. So, quality and customer satisfaction are very important to me. I was feeling quite uneasy about the prospect of trusting someone else to print and ship my orders but this article helped settle some fears. Printful sounds like the winner for me!

    1. Bogdan Rancea says:

      ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘

    2. Lisa Terracina Rosenberg says:

      Same for me. Print quality is paramount to me, so is customer service. Few customer service issues is worth the difference in proce. Haven’t started now. Have you heard of Gooten, another POD company that has rave reviews.

      I like to do my research before working with a company.

  16. Ariesly says:

    Gracias por su articulo, me ha sido de mucha utilidad.

    1. Bogdan Rancea says:

      Hey Ariesly, youโ€™re welcome. Glad you enjoyed it!.

  17. Sol Bahamonde says:

    I created my online store on shopify and also i’m using Printful. Do you know if it is posible that i use both platforoms (printful and printfy) for the same store? Thank you!

    1. Bogdan Rancea says:

      Hello Sol,

      You should be able to import products from Printful and Printify at the same time, to your Shopify store.

  18. Keanan says:

    Dear Joe,
    What do you mean by, “…sell personalised products in your store.”?
    Is this to say that with the free plan you only have access to the affiliate distributors. Whereas with the premium plan you can link directly to a personal eshop?
    Thanks in advance!

    1. Chelsea says:

      Yes, this one left me confused as well.

      1. Deb says:

        Thanks SO much for the detailed comparison. I also appreciate the comments, such as Penny, about customer experience. I am in the agonizing stages of trying to decide which company is best and you have definitely helped me over the WALL of some of the qualms and questions!

    2. Gabriel says:

      I had the same question…

    3. Joshua says:

      I interpret this to mean that you can individualize designs, for instance place the name of the recipient into the artwork. Such as a pet’s name next to a picture of an animal.

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