Printify vs Printful

by Gralio May 02, 2025

Printify and Printful both offer print-on-demand services, allowing businesses to sell custom products online without holding inventory. Printify provides access to a broad network of print providers, offering potentially more product variety and competitive pricing options. Printful utilizes its own facilities or closely managed partners, aiming for greater consistency in quality and fulfillment, though potentially with fewer product choices or higher base costs.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 232 reviews and 60 websites, saving 1 hour, 47 minutes of reading.

About

Printify is a technology platform that makes selling custom-designed products online easy. It connects online stores to a network of printing companies, allowing them to offer print-on-demand products like clothing and homeware. This means businesses of any size can sell personalized goods without managing inventory or handling printing. Printify focuses on providing a simple and automated service, making it suitable for both new and established online sellers looking to expand their product lines.
Printful is a print-on-demand and dropshipping platform that allows you to create and sell custom-designed products without managing inventory or shipping. Integrate Printful with your online store, and they'll handle printing and delivering orders directly to your customers under your brand. Printful offers a wide selection of products and printing techniques, ensuring high-quality output and efficient order fulfillment.

Summary

Main difference
The core difference lies in their operational models: Printify is a platform connecting sellers to a diverse network of third-party printers, offering choice but potential variability. Printful primarily fulfills orders through its in-house or tightly integrated partner facilities, emphasizing standardized quality and process control.

Relative strengths of Printify (compared to Printful)

  • *Wider Network and Product Variety*: Printify connects users to a large, diverse network of print providers globally, often resulting in a broader selection of products and potentially more niche items compared to Printful's more curated catalog.

  • *Provider Choice and Potential Cost Savings*: By allowing users to choose from different print providers within its network, Printify enables businesses to compare prices, production times, and locations, potentially finding more cost-effective options for specific products or shipping destinations.

  • *Structured Pricing Tiers*: Printify offers clear Free and Premium subscription tiers, with the Premium plan providing significant product discounts (up to 20%), which can offer better value for businesses with sufficient volume compared to Printful's less defined pricing structure (though Printful offers volume discounts too).

Relative weaknesses of Printify (compared to Printful)

  • *Variability in Quality and Fulfillment*: Because Printify relies on a network of independent printers, the quality of the final product, printing consistency, and fulfillment speed can vary significantly between providers, potentially leading to unpredictable customer experiences.

  • *Potentially More Complex Issue Resolution*: When problems arise (e.g., print errors, shipping delays), resolving them can sometimes involve communication between the seller, Printify, and the specific print provider, which can be more complex and potentially slower than dealing with Printful's more centralized support and production.

  • *Product Availability and Consistency*: Dependence on multiple independent suppliers means products can be discontinued, go out of stock, or change without much notice, forcing sellers to find replacements or update listings more frequently than might be necessary with Printful's more controlled inventory approach.

Who should use Printify VS. Printful

Printify seems like a solid choice for online stores wanting to offer custom print-on-demand items without handling inventory or printing themselves. We find it's particularly handy for those on platforms like Etsy or Shopify. Users appreciate the wide product selection and ease of getting started, making it accessible even for newer businesses looking to expand their offerings quickly.

Printful is a popular choice for businesses venturing into print-on-demand. We see it work well for online stores, especially those just starting or looking to scale without holding inventory. Users often praise its smooth integration with platforms like Shopify and Etsy, and the automated order handling is a big plus. While it offers a good range of products, keep an eye on potential inconsistencies in print quality and shipping times that some users have mentioned. Overall, it's a solid tool for e-commerce entrepreneurs looking to easily sell custom products online under their own brand name without managing stock or logistics themselves.

  • In our experience, Printify works best for small to medium-sized businesses (1-1000 employees) wanting straightforward print-on-demand.

  • We see Printify primarily used by E-commerce businesses looking to easily add custom-designed products to their online storefronts.

  • We find Printful works best for small to medium-sized businesses, typically those with 1 to 1000 employees needing scalable fulfillment.

  • In our experience, Printful is particularly strong for companies operating directly in the E-commerce space, selling custom goods online.

Printify and Printful features

Supported
Partially supported
Not supported
Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

  • Higher profit margins
    Supported

    Printify supports higher profit margins via low upfront costs, competitive pricing, and premium discounts.

    Supported

    Printful allows for potentially higher profit margins through flexible pricing and competitive base costs.

  • Quality Products
    Partially supported

    Printify offers potentially high-quality products, but consistency varies across providers. The 10K 5-star review claim isn't verified.

    Supported

    Printful receives a 4.6/5 rating from over 67,805 reviews, indicating generally positive feedback on product quality.

  • Immediate Production
    Not supported

    Printify automates order processing, but production takes 2-7 business days.

    Supported

    Printful starts production immediately after the order is placed, typically taking 2-5 business days to fulfill.

  • Label printing
    Supported

    Printify supports printing shipping labels through its integrated shipping solutions.

    Not supported

    Shipping label printing is not directly supported.

  • Squarespace integration
    Not supported

    Orders are automatically fulfilled by Printify, not imported.

    Supported

    Printful receives orders automatically when they are placed through Squarespace.

  • Shopping links
    Supported

    Printify supports linking online stores for automated order fulfillment.

    Not supported

    Printful does not directly support adding shopping links to publications.

Qualities

  • Value and Pricing Transparency
    -1
    Strongly negative sentiment
    -0.56
    Rather negative sentiment
  • Customer Service
    +0.5
    Rather positive sentiment
    +0
    Neutral sentiment
  • Ease of Use
    +0.74
    Strongly positive sentiment
    +1
    Strongly positive sentiment
  • Reliability and Performance
    +0
    Neutral sentiment
    +0.27
    Neutral sentiment
  • Ease of Implementation
    +0.2
    Neutral sentiment
    +0.87
    Strongly positive sentiment

Printify and Printful Pricing

Printify's pricing plans cater to various business sizes. The Free plan allows for up to 5 stores and unlimited product designs. The Premium plan offers up to 20% discounts on products, 10 stores, unlimited designs, and order management with Printify Connect. The Enterprise plan provides custom pricing, unlimited stores, additional product discounts, and a dedicated account manager.
Plans

User sentiment

Strongly negative
-1

See full Pricing page

No data

User sentiment

Rather negative
-0.56
We couldn't find a pricing page for Printful.

Printify and Printful review insights

145 reviews analysed from and

Users love

  • Wide selection of products and printing companies to choose from.
  • User-friendly interface that makes designing and listing products easy.
  • Seamless integration with popular ecommerce platforms like Etsy and Shopify.
  • No upfront inventory costs, making it accessible for new businesses.
  • Helpful customer support that is responsive and generally resolves issues effectively.
  • Seamless integration with various e-commerce platforms (Etsy, Shopify, etc.).
  • Automated order fulfillment and no inventory management required.
  • User-friendly design interface with mockup generator.
  • Wide selection of customizable products (apparel, accessories, etc.).
  • Helpful and responsive customer support.

Users dislike

  • Inconsistent product availability leading to discontinued items and supplier changes, requiring relisting products.
  • Customer service can be slow and unhelpful, with inconsistent responses and difficulties obtaining refunds.
  • Occasional technical glitches and issues with order processing, particularly during peak seasons.
  • Shipping costs can be high and vary significantly between suppliers and regions.
  • Limited control over shipping options and packaging customization.
  • Inconsistent print and embroidery quality, requiring replacements and customer service interaction.
  • Screen-printed items fade quickly after a few washes.
  • Limited product variety compared to competitors.
  • High shipping costs and slow delivery times, especially outside the US.
  • Occasional stock shortages and difficulties managing out-of-stock items.

Printify and Printful Ratings

  • G2
    3.8/5
    (13)
  • Glassdoor
    4.5/5
    (192)
  • G2
    3.6/5
    (66)
  • Capterra
    4.3/5
    (66)
  • Glassdoor
    3.7/5
    (205)

Company health

Employee growth

17% increase in the last year
3% increase in the last year

Web traffic

5% decrease in the last quarter
27% decrease in the last quarter

Financing

March 2016 - $125K
December 2020 - $130M

How do Printify's and Printful's product availability compare for consistent fulfillment?

Based on user feedback, both Printify and Printful face challenges with consistent product availability for fulfillment. Printify users specifically mention inconsistent product availability leading to discontinued items and supplier changes, which requires effort to relist products. Printful users also report occasional stock shortages and difficulties managing out-of-stock items. Both platforms present potential risks regarding consistent product availability needed for reliable fulfillment.

Which platform, Printify or Printful, offers better control over shipping options and costs?

Based on user feedback, Printify users explicitly mention having limited control over shipping options and note that costs can vary significantly depending on the chosen print provider within their network. While Printful users complain about high shipping costs and slow delivery times, the provided information doesn't highlight a lack of control over options to the same extent. Therefore, neither platform seems ideal regarding shipping costs, but Printify is specifically noted for offering limited direct control over shipping options due to its reliance on a diverse network of suppliers.

What are the advantages of Printify?

Printify's primary advantage lies in its large network of printing partners, offering users a wider selection of products and suppliers to choose from compared to some competitors. Users find its interface user-friendly for designing and listing products, and it integrates seamlessly with major e-commerce platforms like Shopify and Etsy. Additionally, Printify receives relatively positive feedback for its customer support effectiveness and allows businesses to start without upfront inventory costs, making it accessible for new sellers.

What are the disadvantages of Printify?

Printify's disadvantages include highly negative user ratings regarding its value, pricing transparency, reliability, performance, and ease of implementation. Users frequently report issues such as inconsistent product availability requiring items to be relisted, customer service that can be slow, unhelpful, and inconsistent, occasional technical glitches affecting order processing, high shipping costs that vary significantly, and limited control over shipping and packaging customization.

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Page co-authored by
MK
Michal Kaczor
CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

TT
Tymon Terlikiewicz
CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

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