Battle of the Giants: Choosing Between Printful and Printify for Your Drophipping Success

Print-on-demand is an excellent way to share your creative designs and ideas with a global audience. The leading print-on-demand services assist you in selling your products by producing them only when ordered, eliminating the risk of excess inventory and the need to push sales aggressively. As the marketing industry anticipates a compound annual growth rate of 32.4% over the next five years (rising from $1,932.5 million in 2020 to $5,937.4 million in 2026), there’s never been a better time to start making money online through a print-on-demand business.

Two of the top providers in this field—Printful and Printify—have built strong reputations over recent years. Many wonder: which platform is superior? While both are capable of fulfilling customer needs effectively, making an informed choice can enhance your business success. This article compares Printful and Printify, highlighting their main advantages and limitations. Continue reading as I evaluate both platforms side-by-side.

Printful and Printify rank among the most popular dropshipping and print-on-demand platforms available today. They enable you to effortlessly create custom branded items like T-shirts, hats, backpacks, phone cases, mugs, pillows, blankets, and more, which are shipped directly to your customers.

Some core features they share include:

Before diving into a detailed comparison, here’s a brief overview of each platform.

Printful is an e-commerce platform that simplifies the selling of personalized products online. It manages order processing, fulfillment, inventory control, and payment handling, allowing you to focus on designing your products. The platform offers a wide range of products—including clothing, phone cases, decorative pillows, posters, calendars, mugs, magnets, stickers—and emphasizes quality and customer support. Features like custom packaging inserts, reliable print quality, and reasonable shipping rates make it appealing for entrepreneurs looking to build a brand.

Printify is another popular print-on-demand platform focusing on a broad spectrum of products, from T-shirts and hoodies to promotional items and household goods like mugs and blankets. It collaborates with multiple suppliers to handle fulfillment, packaging, and shipping, effectively acting as a middleman. You select products from their catalog to showcase on your website under your brand, and Printify manages the entire order workflow through its network of partner suppliers.

Here’s a detailed comparison of Printful and Printify to help you determine which platform best suits your needs.

Both options are straightforward to use. You can start by signing up with just your business name, uploading your designs, and immediately beginning to fulfill orders for your customers.

Let’s explore this more closely.

Printful manages the printing, packaging, and shipping processes, saving you time and effort so you can concentrate on creating and marketing your designs. Setting up an account is quick and free—sign up with your email, or connect using Facebook, Google, or Apple. Additionally, Printful integrates with numerous ecommerce platforms, making it easy to connect your existing online store and streamline your workflows.Here’s how you can utilize Printful effectively: once you identify the most suitable option for your needs, you can connect your custom designs to Printful’s product catalog. Their team will take care of manufacturing, packaging, and dispatching your orders. This setup is especially handy if you’re creating your own products and want to leverage their warehousing and shipping services. They can store your items, pack them with your branding, and ship directly to your customers. It’s also possible to combine both approaches—using your designs on Printful products and managing your own inventory.

Remember, Printful charges for fulfillment once your orders are confirmed. You’ll also need to cover a monthly storage fee, which varies depending on the size and volume of your items. After signing up, you can start selling right away. The platform simplifies the process by breaking it down into seven manageable steps, making setup straightforward.

Printful offers two user-friendly design tools: the Mockup Generator and the Product Push Generator. You’ll primarily use the Product Push Generator when adding new products to your online store. To help you visualize your designs, they provide numerous product templates that combine print files with Printful’s existing products. Simply select a template, add your design, save it, and then use it for your shop. These templates can also be edited further and pushed directly to your store for sale.

You can choose between printing or embroidery techniques, selecting from a wide array of colors. You can crop images, upload videos, and customize your products extensively. If you ever feel overwhelmed or unsure, Printful offers numerous video tutorials available at each step to guide you through the process.

You’ve completed most of the setup process. Now, you’re ready to connect your online store or create a new one, then start uploading products to sell.

Printify:

Setting up an online store with Printify is straightforward, quick, and user-friendly, whether you’re selling custom T-shirts or other personalized items. Like Printful, Printify offers a helpful “MockUp Generator” that allows you to design and preview your products easily. In just minutes, you can see how your artwork will appear on various items such as bedsheets, tote bags, or tank tops from Printify’s extensive catalog. The generator features drag-and-drop tools and makes it simple to switch between different sizes and colors.

Because Printify sources its printing from third-party providers, you can select from multiple print vendors. You can compare options based on location, pricing, available colors, and sizes, giving you more flexibility. You can also generate your designs, preview them, and publish your finalized products directly to your online shop. Importantly, Printify integrates seamlessly with popular e-commerce platforms like Shopify, Etsy, and Wix, making the entire process smooth.

Both Printful and Printify thus offer easy-to-use mockup tools, and both services enable you to request sample products to verify quality.

Third-party Suppliers and Print Providers:

Now, let’s compare the supply networks behind Printful and Printify to see which one leads the pack.

Printful:

Printful manages printing, packaging, warehousing, and shipping all in-house, simplifying the process for users. You only need to upload your artwork, and they handle the rest. There are no minimum order restrictions or costly equipment needed, so you can freely experiment with different products without worrying about unsold stock. Should any issues arise with print quality or alignment, you can directly contact Printful for resolution, since no intermediaries are involved. They claim to work with top suppliers like Bella+Canvas and Gildan, although you cannot switch suppliers freely if you’re dissatisfied. Fortunately, complaints about quality are quite rare.

Printify:

Printify relies on various third-party vendors for printing, manufacturing, branding, and fulfilling your orders. This setup allows you to choose from multiple print providers—potentially different ones for various product categories like shirts and hats. You upload your designs to these providers, and they handle production and shipping. Printify’s network spans many locations worldwide, including Australia, Canada, China, the Czech Republic, the UK, and the US, offering broad geographical options for faster delivery and potentially better prices.

They will also suggest the most suitable suppliers based on your product needs. You can select one by considering factors such as shipping costs, location, reviews, production timelines, and more. This model offers flexibility because you can switch suppliers at any time if you’re dissatisfied with the quality or service. You also have the freedom to choose providers that align best with your specific requirements.

However, there’s a risk of receiving subpar print quality, so it’s essential to carefully review each supplier before committing. It’s highly recommended to order a sample first, ensuring their printing meets your standards. If the quality isn’t satisfactory, you can always explore other suppliers. Both options have their merits and drawbacks. Printful handles all production and shipping in-house, giving you more control, while Printify relies on third-party providers, which can sometimes lead to variable quality and service.

Winner: It’s a Tie.

Printful offers in-house production, while Printify collaborates with external service companies for printing, packaging, and delivery. Both approaches present unique advantages and challenges.

3. Warehousing and Fulfillment.

Warehousing refers to storing your inventory in a dedicated space until it’s sold, while fulfillment involves preparing and shipping those items to your customers. Managing warehousing and order fulfillment can be complex and time-consuming for online retailers. Both Printful and Printify help simplify this process, freeing you to focus more on developing your products and engaging with your customers. Let’s compare their services in detail.

Printful provides warehousing and order fulfillment services, allowing you to store your products in their facilities. When an order comes in, they handle packing and shipping under your brand name. They operate fulfillment centers in the USA (Charlotte, NC, and Los Angeles, CA), Canada (Toronto and Ontario), and Europe (Riga, Latvia, Barcelona, Spain), along with fulfillment in Mexico. However, your products must meet specific requirements to be stored at Printful’s warehouses, such as excluding perishable goods, oversized items larger than 18″ × 18″ × 17″ (46 × 46 × 43 cm), or products valued above $750. There are costs involved for warehousing and order fulfillment.

Below are the fees for processing and fulfilling orders based on locations and product types:

Additionally, storage fees depend on your location and the weight of your inventory. The specifics vary depending on how long you store items and their size, but costs are transparent and comparable with industry standards.

The overall storage cost is influenced by factors such as the size of your inventory, the number of units, and the warehouse’s location.

In addition to storage, Printful offers a print-on-demand Drop Shipping Service. This fulfillment method enables you to sell products without holding physical stock. Instead, sellers send customer orders directly to Printful, which then prints and ships the items on your behalf, all branded under your business name.

This model reduces the risk of unsold inventory and simplifies product diversification. However, it usually results in higher costs per product and longer delivery times. If you choose this route, be prepared for a brief wait, as orders need time to be processed and printed. Printful estimates their fulfillment times in business days: apparel items like T-shirts, leggings, or dresses typically take 2 to 7 days, while non-apparel items such as posters, mugs, or phone cases generally require 2 to 5 days.

A helpful visual shows the average fulfillment time for various product types. It’s important to note that these times do not include shipping, which adds to the total delivery duration based on the destination and shipping method. If you prefer quick fulfillment, Printful can process and ship your orders on the same day if you opt for their simple warehouse fulfillment service.

Printify operates similarly in that they handle printing and shipping logistics automatically. Unlike Printful, however, they do not own warehouses or offer fulfillment services directly. Instead, Printify connects you with third-party manufacturers and suppliers who handle the production and shipping. This means fulfillment times can vary widely depending on the chosen provider, but most reliably ship within 2 to 7 business days after receiving an order, with production times averaged over the last month available for review.

Though fulfillment speed can fluctuate, checking the current status of your chosen Printify provider helps you stay informed. Keep in mind that holidays and peak seasons may cause delays. Overall, Printful has an edge with more precise fulfillment estimates and warehouse capabilities, making it the preferred choice for most users looking for reliable and transparent shipping timelines.

Moving on to branding and packaging, these elements are crucial for creating a distinctive brand identity in the e-commerce space. How your products are packaged and branded impacts customer perception and helps your store stand out. Let’s explore how each platform approaches this aspect.

Printful allows you to create customized branding and packaging options, enabling you to add personalized labels, packaging inserts, and branded packing materials, thus elevating the unboxing experience.Enhance your brand image and convert your website visitors into loyal customers with ease.

Printful provides a platform for sellers to upload their logos, slogans, or any custom design they create (just ensure you own the rights to your artwork) and start building their online store effortlessly. Several branding tools offered by Printful help maintain a cohesive look and feel for your brand. For example, you can add a personalized message to your packaging slips that highlights your eco-friendly initiatives, creating a positive first impression with your customers.

Image Source

Your packing slips can also include a small black-and-white logo or a personalized “thank you” message, adding a professional touch to each order. You have the option to customize various aspects of your branding, such as:

– Your order tracking page’s appearance
– Using Printful’s return address or your own
– Printing labels inside or outside your apparel
– Including custom packaging inserts like flyers, coupons, business cards, and handwritten notes
– Designing branded stickers, postcards, or using your own packaging materials

For hats, you can position your design or logo on the front, back, or sides, giving you full control over your product branding.

Moving beyond packaging, you can also add your business contact info—including your support number and email—on your packing slips, creating a seamless brand experience for your customers.

Printify, on the other hand, also offers white-label print-on-demand services that keep your branding discreet, ensuring your customers don’t see any of their branding elements on the final products. You can further personalize by adding your own labels, but be aware that branding options vary depending on the print provider. Some providers offer neck label printing (both inner and outer labels), while others provide sleeve print options.

Here are the providers that support neck label printing:
– Stakes Manufacturing (US)
– Textildruck Europa (Germany)

And those that offer sleeve printing:
– Textildruck Europa (Germany)
– OPT OnDemand (Czech Republic)

However, one major downside is that your choice is limited to a few providers, and you might have to work with less optimal manufacturers even if better options are available elsewhere. Additionally, branding options for non-t-shirt products, like hats, are generally unavailable through Printify.

You can also print your company address and phone number on shipping labels, with options for custom return addresses—though you’ll have to handle returns yourself if you do so. Keep in mind, Printify doesn’t support adding personalized messages to your shipping or packaging labels.

The default shipping label displays your store name and return address, which can be either Printify’s or your own. Using a custom return address gives you more control, but the responsibility for handling returns shifts to you.

In summary, Printful stands out for offering more extensive customization and branding options than Printify.

The shipping process for Printful kicks off immediately once an order is placed. Apparel items generally take 2 to 7 business days to produce, while non-apparel products typically require 2 to 5 days. Shipping times vary based on location and product availability, with estimates like 3 to 6 business days within the US. With over 3 million orders shipped annually, Printful partners with leading international carriers such as DHL, FedEx, USPS, and DPD. Shipping costs can be checked using their online shipping rate calculator, which considers factors like destination, product type, and order size.

While Printful offers worldwide shipping, it currently does not deliver to Cuba, Iran, Crimea, Syria, or North Korea due to legal restrictions or limitations by shipping carriers. Customers should be aware that customs fees might apply depending on the destination country and the fulfillment location. These costs can vary based on the order value, country-specific limits, and other factors. Customers also have the option to either calculate shipping costs during checkout or embed them into the product’s retail price.

Printify also works with a network of trusted carriers to provide reliable shipping options. It collaborates with local fulfillment centers in different regions to support drop shipping for sellers worldwide. However, higher shipping rates in some cases are a drawback. Its international delivery excludes a few countries such as Belarus, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, and Zimbabwe. Additionally, shipping times for international orders through Printify tend to be longer. The delivery window depends on the print provider, location, order volume, and the type of product ordered.

However, customers using Shopify or WooCommerce can opt for express shipping, which is also available for manual orders placed directly through Printify. The estimated delivery times for express shipping are within 2-3 business days within the US, and 3-5 business days internationally. The express option appears only if the print provider offers it. Users can track the shipping progress directly from their dashboard after an order has been placed.

Overall, Printful is the clearer choice for transparent shipping times and costs, and support is readily available if any issues occur. Printify’s shipping process can be more complicated, making it less user-friendly in this aspect.

Print quality also plays a crucial role in selecting a print-on-demand platform. Let’s compare the qualities of Printful and Printify in detail. Printful manages its printing process in-house, which allows for direct control over quality and customization. They have invested over $57 million in advanced printing machinery to ensure high-quality output. This investment guarantees that their printed items maintain their shape, color, and durability over time. Their sourcing of products and fabrics from reputable, ethical brands further ensures that customers receive top-tier items. In addition, some of their products are cut and sewn in-house by their professional staff, contributing to their consistent quality standards.

Another important aspect of Printful is their use of advanced techniques and machinery to ensure top-quality results. For instance, they utilize a diamond engraving tool for precise mechanical engraving, guaranteeing detailed and accurate printed designs.

Furthermore, their quality assurance process involves a three-stage check before any product is shipped. First, their automated software reviews the graphics, and an AI system assesses whether the design needs adjustments for proper alignment. Next, their fulfillment specialists manually inspect the product for quality. Lastly, a final check is performed after customization to catch any issues before delivery.

Printify, on the other hand, does not invest directly in printing equipment. Instead, they act as a middleman, connecting you with third-party print providers who handle production. While Printify investigates customer complaints and offers solutions like refunds or reprints, the quality of the final product largely depends on the chosen third-party provider and their equipment.

Printful prioritizes high-quality printing by investing in advanced machinery, which often results in better print outcomes. However, the overall product quality can vary if lower-quality materials, like cheap t-shirts or hoodies, are used.

Overall, the better option is Printful, as they focus on maintaining a high standard of production through their own equipment and quality controls, whereas Printify’s results are more reliant on third-party manufacturers.

Printful offers a comprehensive product catalog. Their main categories include Men’s, Women’s, and Kids’ clothing, as well as accessories, home and living products, collections, and brand options. Customers can customize these items using their “Mockup Generator” and sell them under their own brand name.

Printify also provides a catalog with diverse options, including holiday picks, bestsellers, men’s, women’s, and kids’ clothing, accessories, home and living items, plus categories like New Arrivals, Eco-friendly products, and items suited for all-over printing. With over 700 products available, Printify offers a wide range of choices for entrepreneurs looking to develop their product line.

Both platforms enable product customization and branding. However, Printify’s larger catalog gives it an edge for those seeking variety. Therefore, Printify is considered the winner here due to its extensive product range.

Customer support is also crucial. Printful provides a Help Center with a search feature, along with numerous articles and video tutorials covering topics like getting started, shipping, packaging, fulfillment, design tips, mock-ups, and printing processes. This comprehensive resource makes it easier for users to find solutions and learn about the platform.

While the details about Printify’s customer service aren’t provided here, their approach generally involves resolving customer complaints and offering support solutions, although the level of direct support may vary based on the third-party providers involved. Overall, Printful’s organized and resource-rich support system tends to offer a more streamlined experience for users seeking assistance.

When it comes to taxes, billing, integrations, and more, both Printful and Printify offer useful features to help you manage your online store efficiently. Printful provides a complimentary onboarding session for new users, making it easier for beginners to get started. Their support team is accessible through live chat, app chat, or email for assistance. Meanwhile, Printify’s Help Center includes a search feature with articles covering various topics like account setup, connecting stores, designing products, fulfillment, and shipping. However, Printify doesn’t provide 24-hour live support and only offers help via email. Therefore, in terms of support accessibility, Printful has the edge.

Printful seamlessly integrates with 21 ecommerce platforms, including Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, Squarespace, Webflow, Amazon, Weebly, Bigcartel, Storenvy, and others. You can also set up custom API connections for more tailored integration.

Printify supports integrations with seven main ecommerce channels: Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy, eBay, Wix, PrestaShop, and BigCommerce. They also offer a custom API option, but the choices are somewhat limited. If you plan to sell on additional platforms, Printful may be the better option.

Winner: Printful.

Printful offers two plans: a free basic plan and a Pro plan. The free tier allows you to customize over 300 products, connect with all major ecommerce platforms, create designs with their Design Maker, and access a variety of clipart images. The Pro plan costs $49 per month if billed monthly or $539 annually, and includes additional features such as a Promo Maker, Custom Mockup Generator, Background Removal Tool, exclusive clipart, free embroidery file digitization, and carrier-based shipping options. Note that sales tax applies if your billing address is in the US.

Printify’s platform is free for up to five stores, with no subscription fees, and you can design unlimited products. The free tier includes essential features like a mockup generator, store integrations, manual order creation, unlimited designs, 24/7 merchant support, and a help center. They also offer paid plans: Premium at $24.99/month, which grants discounts on products and multiple store management; and Enterprise, with custom pricing, suited for high-volume merchants with over 10,000 orders daily. Premium accounts provide lower prices compared to the free version.

Fulfillment capabilities are an important consideration. Printify operates global fulfillment centers, allowing orders to be rerouted if a particular location is out of stock. This flexibility increases the likelihood that orders will arrive on time, especially when products are limited in availability.

Starting an online business involves finding cost-effective manufacturing options that offer quality and minimal hassle. Both Printful and Printify are leading names in the print-on-demand industry, offering dropshipping solutions that suit different needs. Your decision should depend on factors like shipping costs, platform integrations, print quality, product customization, and pricing.

Choose Printful if:

Get started with Printful.

Choose Printify if:

Get started with Printify.

Which print-on-demand service aligns best with your needs? Drop a comment below to share your thoughts!