10 Printify Alternatives: A Detailed Comparison

Choosing the right print-on-demand (POD) platform is crucial for creators looking to expand their brand through custom merchandise. 

Printify has become a popular go-to print-on-demand platform for quite some time. Known for its wide range of products, competitive pricing, and global network of print providers, the platform has become a convenient choice for creators looking to offer diverse merchandise. 

However, compared to other POD companies, Printify falls short in a few areas. Its reliance on multiple third-party print providers can lead to inconsistencies in product quality and shipping times, potentially affecting customer satisfaction. 

Although Printify offers a free plan to users, its premium plan, which is necessary to access the best discounts and features, comes at a cost that may not be justifiable for smaller businesses or individual creators with limited budgets.

While Printify has become a staple in creating and selling branded merchandise, it's not the only game in town. Many other platforms offer unique features and benefits, catering to different needs and preferences. 

This article aims to provide a detailed comparison of the best Printify alternatives by exploring their key features, pros and cons, and pricing, helping you make an informed decision for your POD needs.

What to Look for in a Printify Alternative

When choosing a print-on-demand (POD) platform, it's essential to consider various factors to ensure you select the best fit for your business. Here are some crucial factors to consider:

1. Product Selection

A diverse range of products allows you to cater to your audience's different tastes and preferences. Look for a platform that offers a wide array of items, from clothing and accessories to home decor and more niche products. Additionally, the ability to customize products extensively, with options for multiple designs, colors, and custom text, can help your merchandise stand out.

2. Profit Margin

Evaluate the base cost of the products offered by the platform. Lower base costs typically result in higher profit margins, allowing you to price your products competitively. Also, consider any additional fees the platform might charge, such as transaction fees, subscription fees, or premium account costs, as these can affect your overall profitability.

3. Sustainability

Many consumers are increasingly eco-conscious, preferring to buy sustainably made products. Check if the platform offers eco-friendly materials and sustainable production practices. Also, evaluate the platform’s commitment to reducing its ecological footprint, such as minimizing waste, using renewable energy, or supporting environmental causes.

4. Seamless Integrations

The ability to integrate seamlessly with popular e-commerce platforms (like Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce) is vital for streamlining your sales process. Additionally, integrations with social media platforms (like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube) can help you reach a wider audience and sell directly through your social channels.

5. Customer Support

Look for platforms that offer reliable customer support, as the availability of 24/7 support can be crucial for resolving issues promptly. Multiple support channels (like email, chat, and phone) provide flexibility in seeking help. Also, check if they have a comprehensive knowledge base or community forum for additional assistance.

The Top 10 Printify Alternatives for Your POD Needs

1. Fourthwall

Fourthwall is a comprehensive all-in-one e-commerce platform that offers an extensive product catalog featuring over 250 retail-quality print-on-demand (POD) items with a wide range of customization options and features. The platform stands out in comparison to other POD platforms with its competitive pricing, offering the lowest apparel costs, which makes it an attractive option for creators looking to maximize their profit margins.

Fourthwall offers creators a range of advanced printing options, including direct-to-garment (DTG), embroidery, screen printing, direct-to-film (DTFx), and sublimation printing. These options allow creators to bring their designs to life with precision and vibrancy, ensuring high-quality outputs for a variety of products, such as t-shirts, hoodies, hats, bags, and more.

With fulfillment centers located in the US, EU, and Australia, Fourthwall provides worldwide shipping, ensuring fast and affordable delivery for creators and their communities globally. This extensive shipping network helps creators reach a broader audience without worrying about long delivery times or high shipping costs.

In addition to its robust product and printing offerings, Fourthwall provides creators with an array of incredible features designed to enhance their selling experience. These features include personal mobile apps for shops, promo codes for customers, custom domain and social media integration features, and comprehensive analytic tools that provide insights into sales performance, customer behavior, and overall store metrics. 

Pricing: Basic plan: Free; 5% transaction fee for all sales.

Pros:

• All-in-one e-commerce platform.
• Built-in website builder.
• Competitive apparel costs.
• Mobile apps.
• Custom domain integration.
• Ability to sell digital and physical products.
• Manage customer support on your behalf.
• Users own their own data.
• Integrated shopping features, including YouTube Product Shelf, TikTok Shop, and Twitch Gifting.

Cons:

• Limited product options in some categories, including makeup, sports products, and CPG goods.
  
  

2. Printful

Printful offers high-quality printing with no order minimum and an intuitive interface, making it a user-friendly option for print-on-demand (POD) services. This ease of use extends to its seamless integration with multiple e-commerce and online platforms, including Amazon, Wix, eBay, Shopify, Etsy, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce, providing flexibility for creators to choose their preferred marketplace.

One of Printful’s standout features is its mockup generator, which allows creators to visualize their designs on more than 200 available products. These products include a wide range of clothing items, accessories like stickers and jewelry, as well as digital and home goods. This tool simplifies the design process by enabling users to see exactly how their products will look before they go live.

Once the mockup is generated, Printful automatically imports the designs into your store, streamlining the selling process and delivering it directly to your customers. This integration means that when a customer places an order, Printful handles the production, packaging, and shipping, allowing creators to focus on marketing and growing their business.

Printful also offers a wide variety of high-quality products, from apparel like t-shirts, hoodies, and hats to home decor items such as posters, pillows, and mugs. This diverse product range enables creators to cater to different customer preferences and expand their offerings without managing inventory or dealing with upfront costs.

Pricing: Free to use, pay per product ordered.

Pros:

• High-quality printing ensures professional-looking products.
• No order minimum allows for flexible order sizes.
• Automated fulfillment and shipping. 

Cons:

• Need your own storefront and have to pay third-party platforms like Shopify.
• Have to provide your own customer support. 
• Some categories have very few products.
• Refunds are only permitted for lost or damaged products. 

3. Sellfy

Sellfy caters to a wide range of digital goods and apparel, including e-books, music, t-shirts, hoodies, and hats. This versatility allows creators from various industries to find suitable products for their niche, making it a popular choice for those looking to monetize their creative works.

Similar to Fourthwall, which offers tools to build a custom storefront, Sellfy provides creators with the same service, enabling them to set up a personalized online store without needing extensive technical knowledge. 

However, while Sellfy’s platform is user-friendly, it offers limited options for site customization compared to more advanced e-commerce platforms. This might be a consideration for creators who want highly tailored storefront designs.

Despite the customization limitations, Sellfy supports integration with various platforms like Facebook, Patreon, and Etsy, providing users with multiple avenues to expand their reach and streamline product sales. These integrations help creators manage their business operations more efficiently and tap into existing audiences on these platforms.

Pricing: Paid plans start at $19/month.

Pros:

• Intuitive interface is easy to navigate
• Wide range of product options.
• Provides excellent email marketing tools.

Cons:

• Limited customization options.
• Higher fees for processing payments.
• Limited shipping options.
• No integration with social media shops.
  
  

4. Spreadshirt

Spreadshirt offers over 150 custom printable items, including t-shirts, hats, mugs, phone cases, and more. This extensive product range provides creators with a diverse array of products to customize and sell, ensuring that they can find the perfect items to suit their brand and audience and cater to various customer preferences and trends.

Spreadshirt functions as both a print-on-demand (POD) website and a marketplace for designed products. This dual functionality allows creators to choose how they want to sell their products. 

For those with Shopify stores, Spreadshirt integrates seamlessly, enabling products to be published directly on their storefronts. This integration streamlines the process for Shopify users, allowing them to manage their products and sales in one place. 

For creators without their own e-commerce stores, Spreadshirt's marketplace offers a platform to sell custom product designs directly to a broad audience. This marketplace is a vibrant community of designers and buyers, providing creators with an additional channel to reach potential customers.

The platform also supports various printing methods, including digital direct, thermal sublimation, plot printing, and embroidery. These options ensure high-quality and versatile customization, allowing creators to produce detailed and durable designs on their products.

Pricing: Free to use, pay per product ordered.

Pros:

• Good quality prints.
• Easy-to-use interface.
• Integration with YouTube Merch Shelf.
• Provides customer support.

Cons:

• Limited product varieties.
• Limited customization options for storefronts.
• Shipping costs can be high.
• Three-color maximum for higher-quality print designs. 

5. Teespring (Spring)

For years, Teespring, now known as Spring, has been a dominant force in the print-on-demand industry, providing users with an impressive catalog of products while handling production and shipping at limited cost. 

The platform offers a wide range of customizable items, including t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, posters, and phone cases, allowing creators to cater to diverse audiences and expand their product offerings.

In addition to a user-friendly platform that helps simplify the creative and selling process for creators, the platform has also recently added an innovative integration with YouTube. This integration allows YouTube creators to directly link their merchandise to their videos and channels, enabling viewers to purchase products without leaving the platform. This seamless integration helps creators expand their reach and sales by leveraging their existing YouTube audiences.

Furthermore, Spring offers various promotional tools and analytics to help creators optimize their sales strategies. Creators can use built-in marketing features such as discount codes, email marketing campaigns, and social media sharing options to boost their sales. These tools make it easy for creators to run promotions, engage with their customers, and drive traffic to their stores.

Pricing: Free to sign up.

Pros:

• Impressive product catalog.
• Can ship products to over 180 countries around the world.
• YouTube integration tools.
• Impressive marketing tools and partnership integration features.

Cons:

• Higher prices for certain products.
• Delayed payouts.
• Lack of customer support. 

6. CustomCat

CustomCat provides creators with over 500 options for customizable products, ranging from t-shirts, jerseys, and sweatshirts to backpacks, hats, and phone cases. This extensive catalog enables creators to offer a diverse array of merchandise, catering to various niches and customer preferences.

The platform supports multiple printing methods, including embroidery, dye sublimation, and digital printing. Embroidery offers a classic, high-quality finish ideal for apparel and accessories, while dye sublimation allows for vibrant, full-color designs on items such as mugs, phone cases, and apparel. 

Digital printing, also known as Direct-to-Garment (DTG) printing, ensures detailed and durable prints for a wide range of products. These versatile customization options empower creators to produce high-quality merchandise that meets their specific design requirements and standards.

CustomCat also excels in its integration capabilities, offering seamless integration with popular e-commerce platforms like Etsy, WooCommerce, and Shopify. These integrations streamline the process of adding CustomCat products to online stores, automating order fulfillment, and simplifying inventory management. 

In addition to these platforms, CustomCat supports integration with custom online stores through its API, allowing for a tailored and cohesive shopping experience.

Pricing: Free to sign up.

Pros:

• User-friendly platform.
• No limit on minimum orders.
• Affordable prices.

Cons:

• Free plan has limited features
• Limited to e-commerce platforms only.
• Few product varieties
• Must provide your own customer support on orders.
• No integration with social media shops. 

7. Gelato

Gelato is a global print-on-demand platform that stands out for its commitment to eco-friendly materials and readily available email customer support. These features make it an attractive option for creators and businesses that prioritize sustainability and seamless operations.

One of Gelato's key advantages is its intuitive mobile app, which allows users to manage their POD business on the go. The app provides a comprehensive suite of tools for designing products, tracking orders, and monitoring sales. This mobile accessibility ensures that creators can stay connected to their business and respond quickly to customer needs, no matter where they are.

The platform’s dedication to sustainability is another major selling point. The company uses eco-friendly materials and processes to minimize its environmental impact. By sourcing responsibly and focusing on sustainable production methods, Gelato appeals to environmentally conscious consumers who value green practices. 

In addition to these features, Gelato provides a wide range of customizable products, including apparel, accessories, wall art, and home decor. The platform uses high-quality printing techniques to ensure that designs are vibrant and durable, resulting in professional-grade products that satisfy customers

Pricing: A free plan is available; paid plans start at $24/month.

Pros:

• Intuitive mobile app allows for easy management on the go.
• Eco-friendly materials appeal to environmentally conscious consumers.
  Easily-available email customer support.

Cons:

• No phone or chat support, limiting immediate assistance.
• A limited selection of products may not meet all user's needs.
• No stock images without a paid account.
  
  

8. SPOD

SPOD, a print-on-demand service owned by Spreadshirt, excels with its competitive pricing, user-friendly design tools, and rigorous quality control measures. Known for offering some of the lowest base prices in the industry, SPOD allows creators to maximize their profit margins without significant upfront investment. 

The platform’s intuitive design interface simplifies the customization process, enabling creators to effortlessly upload and personalize their designs across a diverse catalog of over 100 products, including t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, and phone cases. 

SPOD also ensures high standards of product quality through its proprietary production sites, which maintain stringent quality control, guaranteeing consistent and satisfactory products for customers.

Additionally, SPOD boasts one of the fastest production times in the POD industry, with 95% of orders produced within 48 hours. This ensures prompt delivery and enhances the customer shopping experience. 

SPOD supports seamless integration with major e-commerce platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento, automating the order fulfillment process and reducing manual workload. With global shipping options and production facilities in the United States and Europe, SPOD effectively serves both domestic and international markets. 

Pricing: Free to use, pay per product ordered.

Pros:

• Lower base prices increase profit margins.
• Fast production times.
• Intuitive design tools make it easy to create products.

Cons:

• Slow international shipping outside of the US and Europe.
• Smaller product selection compared to competitors.
• Low maximum file upload size limits design complexity.
  
  

9. Teelaunch

Teelaunch provides automated profit calculation, branded products, and no subscription fees, making it a cost-effective option for POD services.

One of Teelaunch's standout features is its automated profit calculation tool. This tool allows sellers to set their prices and automatically calculate profits based on production and shipping costs. This feature simplifies the financial aspect of running an e-commerce business, enabling creators to focus more on their designs and marketing strategies. 

Additionally, the platform does not require any subscription fees, making it an attractive option for those who are budget-conscious or just starting out in the POD industry. Users only pay for the products they sell, ensuring that there are no upfront costs or financial risks associated with using the platform.

Furthermore, Teelaunch offers a wide range of high-quality, branded products that can be customized to suit various customer needs and preferences. The product catalog includes everything from apparel and accessories to home goods and tech products, providing a comprehensive selection for creators to choose from. 

Pricing: Free to use, pay per product ordered.

Pros:

• Automatized profit calculation simplifies financial tracking.
• Branded products add a professional touch.
• No subscription fees reduce upfront costs.

Cons:

• Limited integrations with other platforms.
• Limited white-labeling options.
  
  

10. Print Aura

Print Aura stands out in the print-on-demand (POD) industry by offering creators a wide range of customizable products, from T-shirts and hoodies to hats, bags, and home decor items.

The platform's commitment to quality is evident through its use of high-quality printing techniques like direct-to-garment (DTG) printing. These techniques ensure that designs are not only vibrant but also durable, meeting the expectations of both creators and their customers for professional-grade merchandise.

Moreover, Print Aura distinguishes itself with its user-friendly business model that requires no paid subscription. This approach lowers the barrier to entry significantly for small businesses and individual creators, allowing them to leverage Print Aura's full suite of services and features without any upfront costs. Creators only pay for the products they sell, which is beneficial for those starting out or operating on a tight budget.

This pay-as-you-go model not only supports cost-effective entrepreneurship but also provides flexibility in scaling up operations as sales grow. By offering seamless integration with e-commerce platforms and robust fulfillment services, Print Aura empowers creators to focus on designing and marketing their products while ensuring efficient order processing and delivery to customers worldwide.

Pricing: Free to use, pay per product ordered.

Pros:

• No minimum order allows for flexible order sizes.
• Good customer service supports users effectively.
• No requirement for a paid subscription lowers entry barriers.

Cons:

• Outdated platforms may not offer the best user experience.
• Expensive shipping, in some cases, can increase costs.
• Slow customer service response times.

Explore Beyond Printify: Considering Fourthwall for Your Print-on-Demand Needs!

Ultimately, the best POD platform for you depends on your unique needs and priorities. Each of the alternatives mentioned has its strengths and weaknesses, so it's essential to evaluate them against the factors discussed above carefully. 

Take the time to explore each option, considering your specific requirements and goals. Whether it's product variety, profit margins, sustainability, seamless integrations, or robust customer support, choosing the right platform can significantly impact your success in the POD space. 

Fourthwall stands out as a compelling choice for creators seeking an all-in-one solution. It offers a comprehensive POD service and integrates website building and community features. This allows you to manage your entire online presence seamlessly without any coding knowledge, making Fourthwall an excellent option for creators of all technical skill levels.

So, if you're looking for a better alternative to Prinitfy, then consider joining Fourthwall today and take your POD business to the next level!