Printify vs Printful: Which Print-on-Demand Platform Should You Choose?

If you're launching a print-on-demand business, Printify and Printful are the two heavyweights you're probably deciding between. Both can print and ship custom products for you, but they operate completely differently—and that matters more than you might think.

Here's the short version: Printify is cheaper and gives you more product options. Printful offers better quality control and branding features. Which one wins depends entirely on what you're building.

Let me break down the specifics so you can actually make a decision.

The Core Difference: In-House vs. Print Provider Network

Before we get into pricing and features, you need to understand how these platforms fundamentally differ.

Printful is a vertically integrated print-on-demand company. They own their printing facilities and handle the entire fulfillment process from printing to shipping. This means they have direct control over quality at every step.

Printify operates as a broker. They connect you to a network of 90+ third-party print providers across 140+ locations worldwide. You choose which printer to use for each product based on price, location, and ratings.

Think of it this way: Printful is like ordering from a single restaurant that prepares everything in their own kitchen. Printify is like a food delivery app that connects you to dozens of different restaurants—more options, but more variability.

Pricing Comparison

Let's talk money. This is where Printify has a clear advantage for most sellers.

Printify Pricing

The big draw of Printify Premium is that 20% product discount. If you're selling 15-20 items per month, those savings will cover your subscription cost. For more details, check out our full Printify pricing breakdown.

Printful Pricing

Printful's approach is simpler: no subscription needed to get started. But their base product prices are generally higher than Printify's.

Actual Product Price Comparison

Let's look at a popular product—the Bella+Canvas 3001 Unisex Jersey T-Shirt:

That's a significant difference that compounds with every sale. On a t-shirt you sell for $25, your margin with Printify could be $5-8 higher than with Printful.

However, there's a catch with Printify: if you're ordering multiple different products in one order, they might ship from different print providers, meaning separate shipping charges. Printful's in-house fulfillment means combined shipping is more straightforward.

Print Quality: Where Printful Shines

This is where Printful has a genuine edge.

Since Printful controls the entire production process, they use standardized equipment and procedures across all their facilities. Every location uses the same machines, inks, dyes, and threads. That means a customer in Canada and a customer in Florida both get products that match the sample you approved.

Printful reports a return rate due to quality issues of just 0.24%—that's exceptional in this industry.

Printify's quality is more variable because different print providers use different machines and ink brands. Even if you order a sample, that sample reflects one specific printer—not every printer in Printify's network.

Printify does provide "Print Provider Performance Scores" so you can choose printers with good track records. But you'll need to do that research and potentially order multiple samples from different providers.

The verdict: If consistent quality is your top priority and you're building a premium brand, Printful is the safer bet. If you're more price-focused and willing to do the work to find reliable print providers, Printify can deliver good quality too.

Product Range

Printify wins this one decisively:

Printify's broker model means they can offer products from dozens of different suppliers. If you want variety—especially for niche product categories—Printify gives you more to work with.

Both platforms cover the essentials: t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, phone cases, hats, and home decor. But Printify tends to have more options within each category.

For a deeper look at what Printify offers, see our Printify review.

Branding and Customization

If you want your products to look like they came from your own brand (not a generic POD company), Printful offers more options:

Printify offers some branding options, but they're more limited and depend on which print provider you're using.

If you're serious about building a recognizable brand where customers don't realize you're using print-on-demand, Printful's branding features are worth the premium.

Shipping and Fulfillment

Both platforms ship globally, but their approaches differ:

Printful:

Printify:

Printful's in-house model gives you more predictable shipping costs and times. Printify's network gives you more flexibility to choose providers closer to your customers, potentially reducing shipping time and cost—but you have to do the research.

Platform Integrations

Both integrate with all the major ecommerce platforms:

Printful technically integrates with a few more platforms (like LaunchCart and Shift4Shop), but for most sellers, both will connect to whatever you're using. If you're building on Squarespace, check out our Squarespace pricing guide to factor those costs into your business plan.

Ease of Use

Printful is simpler to use because there's no decision-making about print providers. You pick a product, upload your design, and Printful handles the rest.

Printify requires more work upfront. For each product, you need to compare multiple print providers based on price, location, ratings, and shipping. That flexibility is powerful, but it adds complexity—especially when you're just starting out.

Sample Orders

Always order samples before selling. Here's how each platform handles it:

Printful: 20% discount on sample orders, up to 3 products per month. Additional sample discounts unlock as you hit sales milestones.

Printify: Standard pricing for samples, no discounts.

This is another area where Printful's approach is more seller-friendly, especially when you're testing multiple products.

Important Update: The Merger

Printful and Printify announced a merger in November 2024. However, both continue to operate as separate brands and platforms. For now, you still need to choose between them—though this may change in the future as the companies integrate.

Who Should Choose Printify?

Printify is the better choice if:

Try Printify Free →

Who Should Choose Printful?

Printful is the better choice if:

The Bottom Line

For most new sellers focused on margins, Printify is the smarter starting point. The lower product costs mean you can price competitively while still making decent profit. Just invest time in finding reliable print providers and order samples before launching.

If you're building a premium brand where quality and consistency are worth paying for, Printful is the safer choice. The higher costs are offset by better quality control, superior branding options, and less operational complexity.

Many experienced sellers actually use both—Printify for price-sensitive products and Printful for premium items where quality matters most. That's a viable strategy once you've got the volume to justify managing two platforms.

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