Quick winner breakdown
- In-house quality control and standard fulfillment facilities
- Printful
- Lowest base product costs and largest catalog selection
- Printify
- Custom inside and outside neck label options for apparel
- Printful
- On-demand packaging inserts without storage fees
- Printify
The short version: pick Printify if you want the highest profit margin on every sale, and pick Printful if you want consistent apparel quality and your own brand tags. Both let you start for $0 a month and print items only after a buyer pays you. What separates them is who owns the printers and how much wholesale base cost cuts into your profit.
The worked example below breaks down real costs on a t-shirt and a ceramic mug at two retail prices, showing your take-home profit per item and the exact order volume where paid plan discounts pay for themselves. All pricing and shipping rates are US-dollar figures checked on 2026-10-03.
The two models in one table
| Feature | Printful | Printify |
|---|---|---|
| Operating model | In-house manufacturing in owned centers | Marketplace network of independent print providers |
| Production footprint | 7 owned centers plus regional partner facilities | 70+ independent providers across 140+ facilities |
| Quality oversight | Standardized 3-step in-house inspection | Provider ratings, rankings, and Merchant Protection |
| Catalog size | 567 customizable products | 2,000+ customizable products |
| Free plan price | $0/month | $0/month |
| Entry paid plan | Growth: $24.99/month (or free at $12,000/year sales) | Premium: $24.99/month billed annually ($39/month monthly) |
| Paid plan discount | Up to 33% off products, 9% off branding | Up to 20% off all products, 33% on new items |
| Neck labels | Inside ($0.99) and outside ($2.49) | Starting at $0.55 on select items |
| Package inserts | Bulk pack-ins with storage and picking fees | On demand from $0.15 with no storage fees |
Worked example: profit on a t-shirt and mug at two prices
These two product examples use real vendor prices from the catalog and standard online card processing (2.9% + 30¢). Retail prices and shipping charged to the customer are hypothetical store figures.
Product margins: t-shirt and ceramic mug
On Printify Free, a Unisex Jersey Tee has an $8.77 base cost and Monster Digital US shipping costs $4.75, totaling $13.52 in vendor costs. An 11oz ceramic mug starts at $4.93 base plus $6.39 US shipping, totaling $11.32. On Printful, single shirt US shipping is $4.95 ($2.20 additional) and single 11oz mug shipping is $6.69 ($3.50 additional).
- T-shirt at $25 ($20 product + $5 customer shipping): card fee is 2.9% of $25.00 ($0.73) + 30¢ = $1.03. Net customer payment is $25.00 - $1.03 = $23.97. Vendor cost is $8.77 + $4.75 = $13.52. Profit is $23.97 - $13.52 = $10.45 (41.8% margin on $25.00).
- T-shirt at $30 ($25 product + $5 customer shipping): card fee is 2.9% of $30.00 ($0.87) + 30¢ = $1.17. Net customer payment is $30.00 - $1.17 = $28.83. Vendor cost is $8.77 + $4.75 = $13.52. Profit is $28.83 - $13.52 = $15.31 (51.0% margin on $30.00).
- Mug at $18 ($12 product + $6 customer shipping): card fee is 2.9% of $18.00 ($0.52) + 30¢ = $0.82. Net customer payment is $18.00 - $0.82 = $17.18. Vendor cost is $4.93 + $6.39 = $11.32. Profit is $17.18 - $11.32 = $5.86 (32.6% margin on $18.00).
- Mug at $22 ($15 product + $7 customer shipping): card fee is 2.9% of $22.00 ($0.64) + 30¢ = $0.94. Net customer payment is $22.00 - $0.94 = $21.06. Vendor cost is $4.93 + $6.39 = $11.32. Profit is $21.06 - $11.32 = $9.74 (44.3% margin on $22.00).
| Item and retail price | Total fees (vendor + card) | Net profit (margin) |
|---|---|---|
| T-shirt at $25 ($20 + $5 ship) | $13.52 vendor + $1.03 card | $10.45 (41.8%) |
| T-shirt at $30 ($25 + $5 ship) | $13.52 vendor + $1.17 card | $15.31 (51.0%) |
| Mug at $18 ($12 + $6 ship) | $11.32 vendor + $0.82 card | $5.86 (32.6%) |
| Mug at $22 ($15 + $7 ship) | $11.32 vendor + $0.94 card | $9.74 (44.3%) |
When Printify Premium pays for itself
Printify Premium costs $24.99 a month billed annually ($299.88 a year, saving 36% compared to $39 a month billed monthly). It gives discounts up to 20% on all catalog products.
On the $8.77 t-shirt, a 20% discount saves $1.75 per shirt ($7.02 base cost). On the 11oz mug, Premium lowers the base cost from $4.93 to $3.68, saving $1.25 per mug.
| Item | Monthly plan cost | Unit discount | Break-even sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| T-shirt (annual billing) | $24.99/mo | $1.75/unit | 15 shirts/month |
| T-shirt (monthly billing) | $39.00/mo | $1.75/unit | 23 shirts/month |
| Mug (annual billing) | $24.99/mo | $1.25/unit | 20 mugs/month |
| Mug (monthly billing) | $39.00/mo | $1.25/unit | 32 mugs/month |
As a rule of thumb, once you sell 15 shirts or 20 mugs a month, Printify Premium pays for itself in base manufacturing savings alone. Under that volume, stay on the Free plan.
Printful Growth costs $24.99 a month (with a 14-day free trial) and cuts product pricing by up to 33%. Printful gives you Growth free for one year once your store reaches $12,000 in yearly sales ($1,000 a month in retail volume).
Run it with your own numbers: retail price + shipping charged - card processing fee - vendor base cost - vendor shipping = your take-home profit. The profit per order calculator runs this math for any product, and our guide on how to price your products explains how to set your retail markup.
Two details that change the math
- Wholesale sales tax certificates: Platforms charge sales tax on wholesale production unless you submit an active state resale exemption certificate. See business basics for a US online store.
- Split shipments on mixed orders: On Printful, items packaged separately (such as mugs) or made at different facilities ship in separate packages with separate shipping fees ($4.95 + $6.69 for a shirt and a mug). Check how your Printify provider ships mixed orders. If you charge flat customer shipping, the extra fee reduces your margin.
Printify: for lowest base costs and catalog variety
Printify operates as a marketplace connecting merchants with more than 70 independent print providers running 140+ facilities worldwide. Examples of US-based network providers include Casestry, Dimona Tee, Candlebuilders, and CatPrint, alongside international facilities like ArtsAdd in China and Atelier Katanga in France.
Because multiple providers compete for orders on common blanks like the Bella+Canvas 3001, wholesale prices are lower. You can compare provider ratings, production speeds, color availability, and base costs directly in the catalog before picking a fulfillment partner.
Printify’s catalog includes over 2,000 customizable products across apparel, accessories, home decor, and drinkware. You can sell niche lifestyle items like scented candles, pet beds, car seat covers, luggage tags, and shower curtains that smaller catalogs do not stock.
The Free plan includes up to 5 store connections, unlimited product designs, standard base prices, and 24/7 merchant support. Upgrading to Premium ($24.99 a month on annual billing, or $39 monthly) unlocks up to 20% discounts on all products, up to 33% on new arrivals, 10 store connections, AI mockups, and order management with Printify Connect. For an in-depth breakdown of plan tiers, see our guide on Printify pricing explained.
Printful: for consistent in-house quality and apparel branding
Printful operates primarily as an in-house manufacturer rather than a broker. It owns its machinery and fulfills orders in company-operated centers in Charlotte, North Carolina; Dallas, Texas; Tijuana, Mexico; Toronto, Canada; Riga, Latvia; Barcelona, Spain; and Birmingham, United Kingdom, alongside partner hubs in Australia, Brazil, and Japan. Documented metrics show that 86% of orders are fulfilled in the same region as the customer.
Because Printful controls production directly, every garment passes a standardized 3-step quality inspection before dispatch. Sizing, direct-to-garment ink density, embroidery tension, and packaging remain uniform from batch to batch.
Printful’s catalog contains 567 curated products focused on apparel, headwear, wall art, and drinkware. Its design tools include a free Design Maker and Mockup Generator that generates product photos on apparel models without physical sample shoots.
The Free plan costs $0 a month with unlimited stores, 10 Quick Stores, and 24/7 support. Sample orders on Free receive a 20% discount (limited to 1 order per month with up to 3 items). Printful Growth costs $24.99 a month (with a 14-day free trial) and includes up to 33% off product pricing, 9% off branding, 25% off sample orders, free embroidery digitization, and exclusive large front print areas. Sellers who reach $12,000 in yearly sales get Growth free for a year.
Fulfillment speed and shipping transit
Print-on-demand fulfillment has two stages: production time and carrier transit.
Printful averages 2 to 5 business days for fulfillment. Domestic US Flat Rate Standard shipping takes 3 to 4 business days post-production ($4.95 for a single shirt, $2.20 per additional product; $6.69 for an 11oz mug, $3.50 additional), while Express takes 1 to 3 days. International shipping takes 5 to 20 business days.
Printify production averages 2 to 7 business days across its network. Domestic US standard shipping takes 2 to 5 business days (Monster Digital shirt shipping is $4.75, plus $2.40 per additional shirt; 11oz mugs start at $6.39). International transit takes 7 to 21+ business days. Continental US orders on select items offer Express Delivery combining production and shipping in 2 to 3 business days. See our guide on shipping basics for a new online store.
Packaging and private-label branding
Both platforms fulfill orders in white-label packaging with no vendor logos.
Printful specializes in apparel relabeling. It includes personalized packing slips for free, prints inside neck labels for $0.99 (replacing manufacturer tear-away tags), prints outside neck labels for $2.49, charges $2.95 to $6.50 for embroidery digitization ($2.95 per extra placement), and accepts bulk custom mailers and pack-ins for warehouse storage.
Printify emphasizes low-friction on-demand branding. Custom packaging inserts cost $0.15 each and print on demand per order, requiring no bulk printing commitments and no warehouse storage fees. Select providers offer neck labels starting at $0.55, and eligible items support free gift messages.
If you want private-label apparel with custom neck tags, pick Printful. If you want thank-you notes without monthly storage fees, pick Printify’s $0.15 inserts.
Returns, customer policies, and merchant liability
You are the merchant of record and handle customer support directly.
Neither Printful nor Printify accepts returns or refunds for buyer’s remorse, wrong sizes ordered by customers, or minor sizing variances under 1 inch. If you offer a size exchange, you pay for the replacement order out of pocket.
For manufacturing defects, misprints, or shipping damage, both platforms provide free reprints or full refunds when reported within 30 days of delivery with photo evidence (Printful also covers packages lost in transit within 30 days of the estimated delivery date). Printify does not require physical returns and lets you designate your own return address, while unclaimed packages sent to Printful’s address are donated to charity after 30 days. Outline clear return terms before launching using our returns and refunds process and legal pages and policies guide.
Who should pick something else
Print on demand removes inventory risk, but consider traditional manufacturing if:
- You need rapid delivery: POD items require 2 to 5 business days of production before shipping transit begins.
- You sell high volume: Once you sell 100 or more copies of one design monthly, bulk screen printing lowers unit costs to $4 to $6, beating POD wholesale rates.
- You want custom cuts or fabrics: POD prints on standard blanks. Custom apparel cuts or unique dyed fabrics require cut-and-sew manufacturers.
- You cannot absorb exchange costs: Because vendors do not refund customer sizing errors, you must absorb replacement costs or enforce an all-sales-final policy. Compare other models in our guides to dropshipping explained and print on demand explained.
Common mistakes when choosing a print-on-demand partner
- Overlooking split shipment costs: Mugs, hats, and shirts ship in separate boxes from different facilities with separate carrier fees. Account for multiple shipping fees in your checkout rules.
- Upgrading before break-even: Paying $24.99 a month for Printify Premium before selling 15 shirts or 20 mugs monthly wastes money. Stay on Free until discounts cover the fee.
- Ignoring payment processing fees: Deduct the 2.9% + 30¢ card fee and platform subscriptions when pricing items. Review online payments, fees and chargebacks and the monthly cost of running an online store.
- Skipping sample orders: Check fabric feel, print colors, and sizing using Printful’s 20% sample discount or Printify’s base prices before driving traffic.
- Forgetting resale certificates: Register a state resale exemption certificate to avoid paying wholesale sales tax on every fulfilled order.
How to decide in 10 minutes
- Match your priority: Pick Printful for consistent in-house apparel quality and custom neck labels. Pick Printify for the lowest wholesale base costs and widest catalog variety.
- Start on the free plan: Both charge $0/month with no upfront fees. Connect your store (Shopify, Squarespace, or Wix, or Etsy) via official integrations.
- Publish mockups and order one sample: Generate product images with their built-in mockup tools, then order a sample using Printful’s 20% discount or Printify’s base prices to verify print quality.
- Price for a 40%+ margin: Deduct base cost, shipping, and the 2.9% + 30¢ card fee. Use our launch checklist before opening checkout.
General information, not legal or tax advice.
Sources (checked 2026-10-03)
- Printful: pricing, Free and Growth plan pricing, branding fees, sample order rules, and facility metrics
- Printful: shipping speeds & pricing, production times, shipping tiers, and fulfillment center locations
- Printful: return policy, 30-day claim policy, manufacturing error guarantees, and buyer’s remorse terms
- Printful: ecommerce integrations, supported store platforms and marketplace connections
- Printify: pricing, Free, Premium, and Enterprise plans, catalog size, and provider network scale
- Printify: shipping rates, print provider network list, production timelines, and shipping speeds
- Printify: custom branding, neck label pricing, packaging insert costs, and on-demand branding features
- Printify Help Center: refunds and returns, Merchant Protection terms, defect reporting windows, and return address settings
