Print On Demand companies allow you to sell your custom designs on white-label products without the need of having stock or warehouses. This e-commerce business model can be interesting if you plan to sell your designs and artworks online. If you are looking for the best Print On Demand sites, stay with me on this article till the end.
🏆 Our top picks
Printful
Leading Print On Demand provider that becomes the ideal partner for artists, graphic designers and entrepreneurs. Perhaps the most reliable Print On Demand company.
Gelato
A provider that stands out for product originality and quality. Gelato offers competitive prices and a very wide production network (about 130 production partners).
Printify
This Print On Demand site offers unbeatable value-for-money service. It is an excellent option for those who want to get started in e-commerce and stands out for its ease of use.
Sellfy
Sellfy is an online store builder perfect for selling digital products, subscriptions or merchandising. It also offers an integrated POD service. Very useful tool.
You have probably arrived at this article because you are planning to get started in this business model, delegating most of the tasks to third parties. In this guide we will analyze which are the best Print On Demand companies and we will study the key aspects of each company as well as their advantages and disadvantages.
Interesting, isn’t it? Well, stay with me in this guide for a more in-depth analysis 😏
Summary: Print On Demand Companies comparison chart
First of all, I would like to start summarizing the article with a comparison chart of the different Print On Demand companies. Please note that prices may change depending on the region and promotions available at any given time.
| Company | Stands out | Recommended for | Free plan | Paid plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Printful | High quality printing and global shipping | Online merchants looking for a high quality option | Yes | No, charged per product |
| Gelato | Global reach, eco-conscious | Sustainability-focused and global coverage retailers | Yes | Starting at $14.99/month |
| Printify | Wide range of products and suppliers | Entrepreneurs looking for a broad selection of products | Yes | $29/month (Premium) |
| Sellfy | The eCommerce software that integrates POD services | Those looking for an all-in-one solution (software + POD products) | No, 14-day free trial | Starting at $29/month |
| Inkthreadable | Wide range of organic products | Merchants looking to produce in the UK | Yes | No, charged per product |
| SPOD | Fast turnaround times | Retailers that value speed | Yes | No, charged per product |
| Gooten | Intuitive user interface and customization options | Those looking for customization options | Yes | No, charged per product |
It is important for you to know that these companies, except for Sellfy, have free plans where you pay for each product you make and ship. Printify and Gelato offer Premium plans with competitive conditions that reward user loyalty.
Also, you should keep in mind that the prices of the products offered by POD companies may vary over time, so I recommend you check them on the corresponding websites to get the most updated information.
What are Print On Demand companies?
Print On Demand (POD) is a very interesting solution for small businesses and independent artists that want to sell their artworks and designs without worrying about storage and supply chain until the product reaches the customer.
Print On Demand companies offer a full e-commerce service to sellers. These companies are responsible for receiving, managing, manufacturing and shipping orders to the final buyer.
This business model is similar to dropshipping, but with its own characteristics. The main difference between dropshipping and the Print On Demand model is that in dropshipping, the supplier does not make any changes to the product while POD companies create the products based on your custom designs. This implies that you add additional value to your products.
List of the best Print On Demand companies
There is no doubt that every day more and more Print On Demand companies are created, and therefore, a very important key is that you determine who you are going to work with. Perhaps you have arrived here with doubts about which may be the best option for you, so let’s see which are the best Print On Demand sites.
The main disparities are often related to the breadth of the product catalog, printing techniques (sublimation, direct-to-garment printing, embroidery, etc.), the number of production centers, delivery times and product quality.
After working with many different POD suppliers, here are the ones that, in our experience, offer the best services.
Below, we are going to provide you with the key aspects of each company, as well as their pros and cons.
1. Printful
Printful is considered one of the most reputable Print On Demand providers in the market. It has an intuitive and very versatile control panel that streamlines the design process from the very first moment. Moreover, linking Printful to your online store becomes a quick and simple task with the most popular e-commerce platforms on the market (such as Shopify or Wix eCommerce).
Printful Pros
- Quality: Printful’s products provide excellent quality.
- Production: It has a production and logistics facilities network in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Latvia, UK and Spain; as well as associated facilities in Brazil, Japan and Australia.
- Product catalog: Very extensive, with more than 444 different items.
- Subscription: No monthly subscription fees required.
- Software: Advanced and easy to use.
- Brand identity: It is possible to add “branded” labels and pack-ins
- Integration: It can be linked with the most popular e-commerce platforms and marketplaces.
- Mockup generator: Products can be customized thanks to this high-quality tool.
- Production and shipping times: Very good in general, in terms of production time and shipping delivery times.
Printful Cons
- Brand identity: Customization is limited, and certains elements, such as packaging, cannot be modified.
- Costs: The price of production is usually high, although it is one of the best suppliers in terms of quality.
- Return policy: No returns are allowed, except for lost or damaged items.
Most popular Printful products
- T-shirts
- Sweatshirts
- Mugs
- Stickers
- Blankets
- Accessories
- Posters
- Tights and leggings
- Cell phone cases
- Backpacks
- Jewelry (necklaces, bracelets, rings)
- Bags
Recommended provider for:
Printful is a print-on-demand service ideal for all types of online sellers. Anyone can create an online store from scratch and integrate this service that stands out for its ease of use and features. Ideal for artists, graphic designers and entrepreneurs, with any level of experience. It is our most used POD provider.
⮕ Read our Printful review
2. Gelato
Gelato ranks second on our list for being one of the most interesting Print On Demand websites. Founded in 2007 by Henrik Müller-Hansen, Gelato Print On Demand, based in Oslo, Norway, has become one of the fastest growing POD companies. Its success is not due to its variety of products, since it has a small or medium-sized catalog. Its products stand out due to their originality and quality.
Gelato Pros
- Subscription: No monthly or annual payment is required to use it.
- Production facilities: It has expanded across more than 32 countries around the world, with approximately 130 production partners.
- Prices: Offers very competitive prices.
- Production and shipping time: Shipments are fast, with delivery within 72 hours, including international destinations.
Gelato Cons
- Limited product catalog: Unlike other Print On Demand companies, Gelato has barely about 100 items in its catalog.
- Integration: It can only be integrated with Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy, Wix, Squarespace, BigCommerce or via API.
Most popular Gelato products
- T-shirts
- Sweatshirts
- Mugs
- Stickers
- Cell Phone cases
- Clothing bags
- Blankets
- Accessories
- Notebooks
- Bottles
Recommended provider for:
Gelato is ideal for those who are starting out in the Print On Demand business or for those that already have their own online store. The platform’s ease of use and its competitive prices, as well as its international projection, are perfect advantages for new users and entrepreneurs.
⮕ Read our Gelato review
3. Printify
Printify also deserves recognition as it stands out as one of the most successful and popular Print On Demand site out there. This Print On Demand company does not have its own factory network and is not directly involved in the production processes. Printify’s role is to be an intermediary between vendors and factories located around the world.
Printify Pros
- Ease of use: Very easy to use and well-structured platform.
- Quality: The print quality is good overall.
- Production facilities: It works with a large number of factories (not owned) located in most continents. It has manufacturers in the United States, Germany, Czech Republic, Canada, UK and China, among other places. The network is constantly growing, allowing the seller to choose the manufacturer in each location.
- Prices: It offers really tight and competitive prices, in relation to other Print On Demand providers.
- Production and shipping times: Its manufacturing and delivery times are in line with the industry average.
- Product catalogs: Printify’s product catalog has more than 763 variants, and becomes one of the leading Print On Demand providers in terms of product variety.
- Integration: Easy integration with many e-commerce platforms and marketplaces.
Printify Cons
- Subscription: It is possible to use this service without having to pay anything. However, if you use the paid version, which is the one we recommend ($29 per month), you get 20% discounts on the products you purchase. It is the best option since it is easy to amortize this cost with a few sales.
- Quality and international market: Not having your own network of factories has some disadvantages. Each manufacturer has a different production process, so if you plan to sell internationally you will have to ship internationally in many cases. On the other hand, the quality will depend on each factory, so it can vary somewhat. However, the manufacturers selected by Printify have high quality standards.
- Brand identity: It only allows you to customize the neck tags in some cases, and does not give you many brand integration options.
Most popular Printify products
- Sweatpants
- T-shirts
- Clothing bags
- iPhones or iPads cases
- Posters or paintings
- Mugs
- Sweaters
- Dresses
- Stickers
- Bottles
Recommended provider for:
Printify offers an affordable service, at very reasonable costs. A really useful company for those looking to get started in e-commerce and sell countrywide or at an economic region level (e.g., USA, Europe). Its competitive prices and ease of use make it one of the best options for both beginners and experts in the e-commerce sector.
⮕ Read our Printify review
4. Sellfy
Sellfy is a software designed to manage and create an online store, that also offers Print On Demand services together with a small range of products. Particularly interesting for those who are looking for an all-in-one solution. This platform is great to sell digital products to the customers and, therefore, Print On Demand is a perfect fit. If you want to sell illustrations, artworks, merchandising, e-books, videos, music or online courses, it is an option to consider.
Sellfy Pros
- All-in-one solution: A company that offers an online store builder and includes the possibility of using its Print On Demand services. It is not necessary to integrate your store with third party applications.
- Ease of use: There is no learning curve to use the platform, as anyone can create an online store in minutes.
- Online store: With this company you have access to an online store and powerful software from the beginning.
- Production: It has many production partners in the United States, UK, Europe and Canada.
- Broad range of possibilities: It allows you to sell physical and digital products as well as subscriptions.
- No transaction fees: Sellfy will not charge you any sales commissions. You will only have to assume the costs related to the companies that handle payments (such as Stripe or PayPal).
Sellfy Cons
- Subscription: It is the only Print On Demand company that requires a monthly subscription, although it also provides you a software to create your online store including hosting and technical support.
- Limited product catalog: Sellfy’s Print On Demand product catalog is relatively small.
- International shipping: International shipments can take up to 20 days, but usually less. In contrast, shipments to the United States or Canada are fast.
Most popular Sellfy products
- T-shirts
- Sweatshirts
- Banners
- Paintings
- Tote bags
- Mugs
- Baby clothing
- Caps
- Cell phone cases
- Notebooks
Recommended provider for:
Sellfy is recommended for those looking for a complete solution that includes software to create an online store and integrated print on demand services. Sellfy is an online store builder that allows the sale of multiple types of products, such as Print On Demand items, subscriptions, digital products and physical products. This makes it an excellent overall e-commerce solution.
5. Inkthreadable
Inkthreadable is an interesting option when it comes to Print On Demand companies based in the UK. Although it has only one printing and distribution center located in Blackburn (England), this company has manufactured and served more than 1.2 million orders to date. It stands out for its customer service and the wide variety of high quality products. It also offers a wide range of environmentally sustainable, recycled and organic products.
Inkthreadable Pros
- Ease of use: The platform has a clean and simple structure which makes it intuitive.
- Quality-price: Inkthreadable’s products and printing techniques are very good. It is good value for money.
- Volume discounts: The company offers monthly sales volume discounts ranging from 5% to 10%.
- No subscription fee: No monthly fee is required to use the platform, you will only pay for the products you send to print.
- Product catalog: It offers a fairly large catalog of more than 250 customizable products.
- Environmental commitment: Most of their products are made from organic and/or recyclable materials and they even have a completely vegan collection.
- Customer service: You can reach customer service by email, live chat or phone and their response is usually fast. It is one of the most effective Print On Demand websites in this regard.
Inkthreadable Cons
- Production: It has only one production center in the United Kingdom.
- Shipping times: Occasionally, international shipping times can be somewhat slow.
- Integration: It does not have too many integrations with external tools, although it does integrate with the most popular e-commerce platforms such as Shopify, Wix, WooCommerce, Squarespace, Etsy or Big Cartel.
Most popular Inkthreadable products
- Mugs
- Sweatshirts
- T-shirts
- Posters
- Tote bags
- Bottles
- Caps
- Baby clothing
- Backpacks
- Cell phone cases
Recommended provider for:
Inkthreadable offers a Print On Demand service suitable for all users and ideal for those who are looking for a POD provider based in the UK. It stands out for the ease of use of the platform and the competitive prices it offers. It is also interesting for those who want to offer environmentally sustainable items through organic, recycled and vegan products.
6. SPOD
SPOD has been part of the Print On Demand business for more than 20 years. It belongs to the Spread group, which also owns the Spreadshirt marketplace and is constantly expanding. Nowadays, it has a significant production network, both in Europe and North America.
SPOD Pros
- Production and shipping times: This company provides one of the fastest lead times in the market. Product manufacturing takes about 2 working days.
- Product catalog: SPOD’s product range is one of the largest. Currently, it has a variety of more than 200 items.
- Prices: Along with Printify, it is one of the most competitively priced companies in the Print On Demand arena.
- Designs: SPOD is one of the few Print On Demand platforms that offers the sellers the possibility of using more than 50,000 in-house designs. If you are not a graphic designer and you do not plan to hire anyone, this extra service can be a great help.
SPOD Cons
- Brand identity: SPOD does not allow you to add customized elements to your products. Both labels and packaging will be presented to the end customer with white labeling.
- Manufacturing network: It is located only in the United States and Europe, with 5 management facilities, which leads to slower deliveries to other places around the world.
- Integration: It does not offer too many integrations. It can only integrate directly with some platforms such as Shopify, WooCommerce, Squarespace and Magento. Other integration options require the use of the API.
Most popular SPOD products
- Mugs
- Vinyls
- Prints
- T-shirts
- Bottles
- Blankets
- Coasters
- Sweatshirts
- Stickers
- Cards
Recommended provider for:
SPOD is a very useful print-on-demand provider for people who want to sell a wide variety of products and are looking for optimal lead times. Their vast catalog and simple control panel, allows to customize hundreds of products with the same design in a very easy way.
⮕ Read our SPOD review
7. Gooten
Gooten is another option when thinking about global Print On Demand suppliers. It is not as acclaimed as the previous ones, but it stands out for having exclusive products at very attractive prices.
Gooten Pros
- Price-quality: Excellent quality items at a competitive price.
- Product catalog: It has more than 150 items available, with some really original standouts (toys, watches or accessories for pets and babies).
- Subscription: There is no fee to use this Print On Demand service.
- Time: The manufacturing and shipping time of the products is fast.
- Production network: It has factories in several locations, including the following: United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, Canada, United States or Asia. Thanks to Gooten’s integrated dynamic routing system, manufacturers are automatically selected based on the order.
- Images: Gooten provides a mockup tool to make the job easier for sellers.
- Loyalty program: Gooten has a loyalty program known as VIM (Very Important Merchant) to reward loyal merchants. The program is designed to support, educate and benefit merchants as they expand their online business.
Gooten Cons
- Production: Although you will have a wide variety of manufacturers at your disposal, you will not be able to choose them and, therefore, the quality or finish of the products will also be somewhat variable.
- Integration: It is only possible to integrate it with some eCommerce platforms such as Shopify, WooCommerce, Big Commerce or Etsy, as well as via API.
- Ease of use: Unlike other platforms, Gooten is a bit more complex to use.
Most popular Gooten products
- Christmas decorations
- Pet accessories
- T-shirts
- Mugs
- Baby clothing
- Tote bags
- Stickers
- Sweatshirts
- Prints
- Notepads
Recommended provider for:
Gooten is a good choice for those looking to create and sell quality products. Unlike other providers, Gooten keeps you informed about sales trends by sharing their reports with you. Its customer service also stands out for its proximity to you, something you may find interesting to start working with.
⮕ Read our Gooten review
What are the best Print on Demand marketplaces?
In this section, we will analyze the other kind of companies available: the Print On Demand marketplaces. These Print On Demand companies operate similarly to the ones we previously described, but differ in several aspects.
Print On Demand marketplaces are sites that provide a complete solution, including customer service and operations management, in addition to production and shipping. In other words, a complete management except for the creation of the designs.
These Print On Demand sites have no costs except for the time and resources you spend on creating different designs. They are a good option if you do not plan to spend money to create your own online store. On the downside, you will have to compete with many other designs from other users. For one reason or another, here are the four Print On Demand sites that, to date, we have found to be the most complete.
8. Redbubble
Redbubble is a global marketplace based in Melbourne (Australia) that aims to commercialize artwork created by users. It has an extensive catalog of more than 70 products where you can lay out different designs. Likewise, this is a huge print-on-demand site with an international presence.
⮕ Read our guide about how to sell on Redbubble
9. Amazon Merch on Demand
Amazon Merch on Demand offers sellers the possibility to sell on Amazon, the largest marketplace in the world. It provides a small catalog, though very specialized in that area. You can sell your Print On Demand designs, but first you will have to go through a rigorous registration process.
⮕ Read our guide about how to sell on Amazon Merch on Demand
10. Zazzle
Zazzle is, undoubtedly, the Print On Demand platform with the largest catalog available. It has more than 30 million visitors per month and a significant sales volume. You can open your store for free and start creating products and making them available for sale. This company will take care of the entire manufacturing process, shipping and customer service, so you can focus on creating the best designs.
⮕ Read our guide about how to sell on Zazzle
11. Spreadshirt
Spreadshirt has the guarantee of belonging to the Spread Group, a corporation with more than a decade of experience in the Print On Demand business. This company is also the founder of the SPOD firm that we have previously analyzed.
⮕ Read our guide about how to sell on Spreadshirt
What kind of Print On Demand products can be sold?
The different Print On Demand suppliers have their own product catalogs. Most companies tend to offer a number of common products that are really popular and sell well. Other companies differentiate themselves by offering a more original and specific range of products. You can find all kinds of items related to the most popular categories:
- Clothing and fashion: hooded and non-hooded sweatshirts, different types of t-shirts, pants, socks, dresses, sports leggings and tights, skirts, joggers, jackets, boots, flip-flops, slippers, sweaters, etc.
- Home: cushions, carpets, rugs, blankets, sheets, quilts, curtains, clocks, kitchen accessories, etc.
- Accessories and stationery: hats, cell phone cases, stickers, mugs, notebooks, notepads, posters, canvases… etc.
- Other products: bottles, masks, speakers, toys, jewelry, cards, bags, headphones, coasters… etc.
What types of Print On Demand sites are there?
It is important to distinguish between two types of Print On Demand sites:
1. Print On Demand companies
Print On Demand companies provide your business with a product manufacturing and shipping service by integrating your online store with their own systems. Once the integration is done, and you start getting sales, the orders will be synchronized and these providers will be in charge of the complete management of the orders. In this case your responsability is to promote your designs, serve your own customers and manage the usual operations of an online store.
2. Print On Demand marketplaces
Print On Demand sites that operate as marketplaces allow any user to display and sell designs from a site over which they have no direct control. In this case, apart from production and shipping, you also delegate other tasks such as customer service or the management of the operations of an online store. Once sales are made and shipped to the recipients, the owner of the designs receives a commission for each sale.
How to choose a Print On Demand company
Now that we have reviewed the most complete Print On Demand companies on the market, it is time to make a choice. If you have decided to sell on marketplaces, you can work simultaneously with all platforms of this type. If you are going to have your own online store, you must choose among the best Print On Demand companies, so we recommend that you look at the following aspects to make your selection:
- Best value for money: A good Print On Demand platform must have quality products at affordable prices. This will allow you to have good profit margins and you will be able to market with reasonable and competitive prices.
- Fast shipping times: Amazon’s Prime service has set a precedent regarding shipping times. Because of this, any potential buyer will value the delivery time of the products. Therefore, it is crucial to look for a company that has short shipping and production times. From our own experience, avoid Chinese Print On Demand suppliers.
- Avoid product blockages in customs: When selling products in other countries, customs become anyone’s greatest fear. In this sense, it is good to select companies that have production centers in many different countries, to ensure that your customers will receive the products without the need to clear them through customs.
- Customization and printing options: Considering the branding options available never hurts. If you want to create a recognized brand, customization of labels and packaging is something you should consider. The key in e-commerce is to look for the long term and build a solid brand.
- Original and high-value products: Our recommendation is that you build an online store around a specific niche by choosing products with a high perceived value. If you are going to market t-shirts (we don’t recommend it) it is difficult to sell them at a price above the $20-30 range. However, canvas or leggings have a higher perceived value, which may allow you to sell them in the $50-80 range. The profit margin will be considerably higher in the second case mentioned.
Summary and conclusions
In our opinion, although all the options are very complete, we highlight Printful and Gelato as the best Print On Demand companies. We have worked with both of them and they are reliable. We have worked with both of them and they are the best in terms of delivery times and reliability. These companies are leaders in the market and it is no coincidence since they offer very complete solutions and are active in many countries.
As time goes by, many new Print On Demand websites continue to emerge that may be interesting, but we believe that it is better to choose established providers in the market that bring stability to your e-commerce project. You should look at them as partners of your business, who care about your own customers.
In this article we have not mentioned other alternatives such as Picanova (specialist in canvases and posters) or ShineOn (specialist in costume jewelry), with whom we have worked. These are also good options but they offer a very limited range of products and have few production centers. However, if you plan to sell these types of items, they can be very interesting options to consider.
Want to learn more?
- Printful vs Printify: Which is Better For You?
- 35 Best Print On Demand Niches
- Top 10 Best-Selling Print on Demand Products
- 20 Successful Print On Demand Store Examples
- How to Start a Print On Demand Business
Frequently Asked Questions
It is simple. Once you open your own online store, you become an intermediary between the manufacturer and the buyer. Your role is to generate sales, and the rest (product management, production and shipping) is the Print On Demand company’s responsibility.
There are many Print On Demand companies in the market, but the most important and most popular are Printful, Gelato, Printify, Sellfy, Inkthreadable, SPOD or Gooten. To work with any of these manufacturers, you just need to register on the official websites. Once you connect your online store with these companies you must take care of order processing and customer service.
If you plan to sell your designs on one of the most popular marketplaces, we recommend Redbubble, Amazon Merch on Demand, Zazzle and Spreadshirt. In this case you must take into account that you are competing in the same space with other competitors, so you must have a good design strategy.
According to studies conducted by Shopify, the best-selling Print On Demand products go beyond the typical unisex t-shirts. More specifically, the best-sellers include: mugs, sweatpants, posters, sweatshirts, tote bags, fanny packs, etc.
The key factors to consider when choosing a POD company include: product quality, production and delivery times, number of factories and production costs. Be sure to analyze these factors in depth.
