Gelato vs. Printify vs. Printful: Which Print on Demand Platform Is Best?

Saving money on gelato printify printful which does not have to be complicated. We rounded up the essentials so you can spend less and skip the guesswork.

Key Takeaways

• Are you trying to decide between Gelato, Printify, and Printful?
• If you want to start a print-on-demand business, then you may be wondering which platform is the best one to use for your online business.
• Gelato, Printify, and Printful are three popular print-on-demand companies that help you sell custom products online without keeping invento...

Are you trying to decide between Gelato, Printify, and Printful?

If you want to start a print-on-demand business, then you may be wondering which platform is the best one to use for your online business.

Gelato, Printify, and Printful are three popular print-on-demand companies that help you sell custom products online without keeping inventory, buying a printer, or shipping orders yourself.

This means you can create a product, list it in your online store, and when someone buys it, the print-on-demand company prints and ships the order.

I like print-on-demand because it can be a low-cost way to start selling products online. You don’t have to order 100 shirts, store boxes in your house, or hope that everything sells.

But, each print-on-demand platform works a little differently. So, you may be wondering what’s the best choice for you! I get it, this can feel overwhelming.

Gelato may be a good fit if you want global production and local fulfillment when possible.

Printify may be a good fit if you want lots of product options and print provider choices.

Printful may be a good fit if you want branding tools and a more controlled fulfillment setup.

In today’s review, I’m going to compare Gelato vs. Printify vs. Printful so that you can decide which one may be the best fit for your online store.

Gelato vs. Printify vs. Printful

Below is a quick summary of Gelato, Printify, and Printful.

PlatformBest forGelatoGlobal production, local fulfillment when possible, and selling to shoppers in different countriesPrintifyProduct variety and choosing between different print providersPrintfulBranding tools and a more controlled fulfillment process

All three can be good print-on-demand platforms. The right one for you depends on what you want to sell, where your shoppers live, your budget, and what features matter most to you.

For example, if you want to sell wall art to shoppers around the world, you may like Gelato’s global production network.

If you want to test numerous different product types, you may like Printify’s product catalog and print provider choices.

If you want branding tools for a clothing or merch business, you may like Printful.

There isn’t one perfect answer for everyone. The best print-on-demand platform is the one that fits your business.

What is print on demand?

Before we begin, let’s quickly cover what print-on-demand is.

Print-on-demand, also known as POD, is a way to sell products that are made only after someone buys them.

For example, let’s say you create a design for a T-shirt.

You upload the design to a print-on-demand platform, list the shirt in your Etsy or Shopify store, and when someone buys it, the POD company prints and ships it.

You don’t have to purchase inventory ahead of time.

This is one of the biggest reasons people like print-on-demand - because it can be a excellent way to test product ideas without spending a lot of money upfront.

You can sell numerous different types of print-on-demand products, such as:

• T-shirts
• Sweatshirts
• Hoodies
• Mugs
• Posters
• Canvas prints
• Greeting cards
• Calendars
• Photo books
• Tote bags
• Stickers
• Phone cases

This can be a fun side hustle if you enjoy being creative.

But, I always like to be realistic, too. Print-on-demand is not automatic money (no real business is!). You still need to create products people want, write good listings, cost your items correctly, and get people to see your shop.

Recommended reading:

• How I Make $7,500 Monthly Selling Print-On-Demand Gifts
• How I Made $6,161 in Just 4 Months With a New Etsy Printables Shop
• How I Make $1,500 Monthly With My Print-On-Demand Business

Gelato’s homepage

What is Gelato?

Gelato is a print-on-demand platform that lets you you create and sell custom products online.

With Gelato, you can sell products like wall art, apparel, mugs, greeting cards, calendars, photo books, stationery, and gifts.

One thing that makes Gelato stand out is its global production network. Gelato has production partners in numerous countries, which means products may be made closer to your customer when possible (this may be key to you if you care about shipping speed!).

For example, if you live in the United States and someone in Europe buys from your shop, Gelato may be able to route the order to a production partner closer to that customer.

With Gelato, the print fulfillment company is chosen automatically through its production network, which is very nice and convenient. This means Gelato routes the order for you instead of making you manually pick a print provider, which can make the process feel easier for beginners. This may also be helpful for international orders because products can be routed to a production partner closer to the customer, when possible, instead of automatically shipping everything across borders.

Also, if you sign up for Gelato+ (their premium option), you can get branded labels and custom packaging inserts.

Gelato can connect with popular e-commerce platforms like Etsy, Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix, and more. This means that when a customer buys from your store, the order can go to Gelato for fulfillment.

You can learn more about Gelato by clicking here. Gelato is currently offering 30% off your first order if you place it within two days of signing up, which can be a nice way to test the platform and order a sample product for less.

You can read my review at Gelato Review: How To Sell Custom Products Without Inventory.

Printify’s homepage

What is Printify?

Printify is a print-on-demand platform that connects you with different print providers.

This means that when you create a product, you can frequently choose between different suppliers based on cost, location, ratings, shipping time, and product options.

Printify is known for having a large product catalog, and you can create products like shirts, mugs, bags, stickers, home decor, accessories, and more.

With Printify, I think ordering samples is very key. Since different print providers may make the products, you’ll want to see the quality for yourself before selling a product to shoppers.

Printify may be a good fit if you want a lot of product choices and print provider options.

You can read my review of Printify at Printify Review: Can You Actually Make Money From Printify?.

Printful’s homepage

What is Printful?

Printful is another popular print-on-demand platform.

Printful is known for its branding tools and more controlled fulfillment process because it makes items itself, instead of outsourcing them to different print fulfillment companies. This may be helpful if you want to build a more polished clothing brand with specific branding features (like your own logo on the tag and custom packaging), a merch shop, or a product-based business.

You can sell products like shirts, sweatshirts, hats, mugs, wall art, bags, and other custom products.

Gelato vs. Printify vs. Printful Comparison

Below are the differences between each print-on-demand platform.

1. The different types of products you can sell

Gelato, Printify, and Printful all have numerous print-on-demand products that you can sell, but their catalogs are a little different.

Gelato has products such as T-shirts, hoodies, posters, canvas, framed prints, mugs, greeting cards, calendars, photo books, stationery, and gifts.

Printify has a large product catalog with numerous product types, such as apparel, drinkware, home goods, accessories, stickers, bags, and more.

Printful also has numerous popular print-on-demand products, such as shirts, sweatshirts, hats, bags, mugs, wall art, and home items, as well as custom branding options.

When choosing a platform, I recommend thinking about what you actually want to sell first. For example, if you want to sell travel wall art, calendars, or photo books, Gelato may be a good option to look into. If you want to test numerous different types of products, Printify may be helpful. If you want to create a branded clothing or merch shop, Printful may be worth looking into.

I also recommend starting with a small number of products. You do not need to put every single design on every single item. That can get overwhelming fast. Instead, think about your ideal customer and what they would actually want to purchase.

2. Pricing

Gelato, Printify, and Printful are all free to start, but you still have to pay for the product and shipping when an order is placed.

This is how most print-on-demand platforms work. A customer buys from your online store, and then the POD company charges you for printing and shipping the item. Your profit is what is left after product costs, shipping, marketplace fees, payment processing fees, ads, taxes, and any other expenses.

Gelato is free to sign up for, and you pay when an order is placed. There may also be paid plan options if you want extra features (like custom labels) or discounts.

Printify is also free to start and has paid plan options. Because Printify has different print providers, product costs can vary. This means you can compare providers based on cost, location, ratings, and shipping.

Printful is free to start as well, and you pay when an order is fulfilled. Some sellers like Printful for its branding tools and fulfillment setup.

I recommend going to each platform and trying to make/design the item you are interested in and seeing which pricing you like the most (

Final Thoughts

The bottom line: a little research on gelato printify printful which goes a long way. Compare your options, watch for seasonal offers, and never pay full price when a better deal is one click away.

Originally published at makingsenseofcents.com.