By ExpertahUpdated October 202614 min read

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BEST FOR BRANDS
Printful
Best for: brands that want consistent quality and custom branding
  • Own fulfillment network
  • Custom labels, pack-ins and branded tracking
  • Consistent quality and sizing
  • Multi-item orders ship together
Try Printful →
Printify
Best for: sellers chasing the lowest costs and widest catalog
  • 1,300+ products
  • 80+ print providers to choose from
  • Lower base prices on many items
  • Free plan; Premium cuts costs up to 20%
Try Printify →
Quick verdict

Choose Printful for quality and branding: it runs its own facilities, delivers consistent results and lets you add custom labels and packaging. Choose Printify for margins and variety: it connects you to 80+ print providers with over 1,300 products and generally lower base prices, but quality varies by provider. Both are free to start.

Printful and Printify are the two biggest print-on-demand services. You upload designs, connect your store, and when a customer orders, the product is printed and shipped for you, with no inventory or upfront costs. They solve the same problem in different ways, and the right choice depends on whether you care more about margins or brand experience.

Printful vs Printify at a glance

PrintfulPrintify
ModelOwn facilities plus select partnersMarketplace of 80+ print providers
Products600+1,300+
Free planYesYes
Paid planGrowth: $24.99/mo (free after $12K/yr in sales), up to 33% off productsPremium: $39/mo or $24.99/mo yearly, up to 20% off
Base pricesUsually higherUsually lower
QualityHighly consistentVaries by provider
BrandingLabels, pack-ins, branded trackingLimited, depends on provider
Multi-item ordersCan ship in one packageMay ship separately
Our pickBrandsMargins and variety

Plan details as reported in 2026. The two companies have announced they are combining under one parent company, but they continue to operate as separate services for sellers.

How they work

Printful prints most orders in its own facilities, which gives it tight control over quality, packaging and production times. Printify is a marketplace: you choose from many independent print providers for each product, comparing their prices, ratings, locations and production times.

Pricing and profit margins

Both are free to use: you pay the base cost of each product plus shipping when a customer orders. Printify’s base prices are generally lower, especially on standard apparel, because providers compete for your orders. A basic t-shirt on Printify typically costs around $10 to $15 before shipping.

Both offer paid plans that cut product costs. Printify Premium ($39 a month, or $24.99 a month billed yearly) gives up to 20% off products and pays for itself at roughly 15 to 20 orders a month. Printful Growth ($24.99 a month, free once you pass $12,000 a year in sales) gives up to 33% off select products and discounts on branding.

Example: t-shirt sold for $25Typical result
Base product + US shippingabout $15 (Printify, popular blank)
Gross profit before feesabout $10
After payment processing (~3%)about $9

Illustrative figures; actual costs depend on product, provider and destination.

Winner: Printify

Product range

Printify’s catalog is much larger, with over 1,300 products thanks to its provider network, including many niche items. Printful offers 600+ carefully curated products, with strong coverage of apparel, accessories, wall art and home goods, plus premium options such as embroidery.

Winner: Printify

Quality and consistency

Printful’s biggest advantage is consistency: because it controls production, prints, colors and sizing are reliable from order to order. Printify’s quality depends on the provider you choose; top-rated providers are excellent, but switching providers can change results. Always order samples before selling.

Winner: Printful

Shipping and production

Printful routes each order to the nearest suitable facility and can ship multi-item orders together in one package, often with production in a few business days. On Printify, items from different providers ship separately, and you pay shipping for each, which can raise costs on multi-item orders. Production times vary by provider.

Winner: Printful

Branding

If you are building a brand, Printful is well ahead. It offers custom inside and outside labels, packaging inserts and branded tracking pages, so your customers experience your brand rather than a generic fulfillment company. Printify’s branding options depend on the provider and are generally limited.

Winner: Printful

Design tools and integrations

Both offer easy design editors and mockup generators, and both connect to Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce and other major platforms. This one is a tie.

Winner: Tie

Printful or Printify: which should you choose?

Choose Printful if you…

Pros
  • are building a long-term brand
  • want consistent quality and sizing
  • want custom labels and packaging
  • sell multi-item orders often
Cons
  • need the lowest possible base prices

Choose Printify if you…

Pros
  • want the best margins
  • want the widest product catalog
  • test lots of designs and trends
  • are happy to vet providers and order samples
Cons
  • need consistent branding across all products
Our verdict

Printful is the better choice for brands that care about quality and customer experience. Printify wins on price and variety. Many sellers start on Printify to test designs and move best-sellers to Printful as their brand grows.

Need a store first? See our Shopify review and guide on how to start an online store.

Frequently asked questions

Is Printify cheaper than Printful?

Usually, yes. Printify’s base prices are often lower because many print providers compete for orders. Printful’s higher prices reflect its own facilities and consistency.

Which has better quality, Printful or Printify?

Printful is more consistent because it controls production. Printify’s quality depends on the provider you choose.

Are Printful and Printify free?

Yes. Both are free to use; you pay for products and shipping when orders come in. Both offer optional paid plans with product discounts.

Can I use both Printful and Printify?

Yes. Many sellers use both, choosing whichever offers the best price or quality for each product.

Do Printful and Printify work with Shopify and Etsy?

Yes. Both integrate with Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce and other popular platforms.

Expertah · Editorial team

Expertah compares the software that runs online stores, from ecommerce platforms to hosting and marketing tools, in plain English. How we review