Looking to start a print-on-demand business selling merch online in 2023? With print-on-demand (POD), you can design and sell customized products without needing to manage inventory or shipping. When an order is placed, a third-party company prints and ships the product for you.
In this comprehensive guide, we compare the 12 best print-on-demand companies and break down the pros and cons of each to help you decide which is right for your business.
How to Choose the Best Print-On-Demand Service
With so many print-on-demand sites to choose from, it can be overwhelming trying to select the right one. Here are some key factors to consider:
Product variety: The more products offered, the more niches you can target. Apparel, home goods, wall art, and accessories are some of the most popular POD categories.
Print quality: Pay attention to print methods, ink types, materials used. Customer reviews can provide insight into real-world print quality.
Order fulfillment: Speed and reliability of fulfillment and shipping services. Some sites utilize production partners all over the world for faster local fulfillment.
Platform integration: If you already have an online store, choose a service that easily connects to your ecommerce platform or marketplace accounts.
Profit margins: What cut does the print provider take? What is the base cost of items? Higher margins mean more profit potential.
Branding options: Opportunities for custom packaging, inserts, etc. allow you to build brand recognition.
Sustainability: Eco-friendly production methods appeal to environmentally conscious shoppers.
Keep these factors in mind as we explore the top sites for selling print-on-demand products below.
1. Sellfy
Sellfy is our top overall pick for starting a POD business. It‘s a user-friendly ecommerce platform built specifically for selling print-on-demand merchandise.
Highlights:
- Create full-featured online store in minutes
- Built-in POD merchandise designer
- Wide variety of products including apparel, mugs, bags, wall art
- Add embroidery, labels, tags to customize items
- Top-notch print quality with water-based inks
- Faster 7-9 day US fulfillment
- Ability to sell other inventory/digital products
With Sellfy, you have complete control over your product catalog, pricing, profit margins, and more. When an order comes in, Sellfy handles printing and shipping the merchandise for you while you pocket the profits.
The intuitive store builder also provides marketing tools to help drive traffic to your shop. This combination of features makes Sellfy our top choice for starting and scaling a POD business.
Pricing: Starts at $19/month. 14-day free trial available.
2. Printful
One of the most well-established POD services, Printful is a top choice if you want to sell through your existing online store or across multiple marketplaces.
Highlights:
- Integrates with Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy, etc.
- Also sell directly on Amazon, eBay, Facebook
- Huge variety of products from apparel to home decor
- Add tags, inserts, and branding to packages
- Quality and reliability comparable to top competitors
- Fast 2-7 day US order processing
Printful handles printing, packaging, and shipping your products. You design items, set pricing/margins, make sales, and collect profits. With reliable fulfillment and broad platform connections, Printful makes POD accessible for any type of business.
Pricing: Free account option. Paid discounts available based on order volumes. Pay per product sold.
3. Amazon Merch
Amazon Merch gives you access to the world‘s largest online retailer. While selective about who it allows to sell, if you get approved, the massive reach is unmatched.
Highlights
- Instantly access over 300 million Amazon customers
- Merch displayed prominently across Amazon sites
- Amazon handles printing, shipping, and customer service
- Limited product selection focused mainly on apparel
- Must apply and be approved to start selling
Although you are restricted to Amazon‘s catalog and terms, the volume of buyers they provide allows many sellers to drive substantial profits.
Pricing: No signup costs. Amazon takes a royalty from each merchandise sale.
4. Redbubble
Redbubble is the largest print-on-demand marketplace with over 600,000 independent artists selling their designs on 30+ products.
Highlights:
- Established POD marketplace with millions of buyers
- Huge variety of merchandise from apparel to electronics
- Manufacturing partners located around the world
- Handle marketing to buyers and provide design resources
- Additional fees can cut into profits significantly
While profits per sale tend to be lower due to more fees, Redbubble allows creators to tap into their built-in customer base rather than acquiring all their own traffic and sales.
Pricing: Free to set up shop. Additional account fees taken from each product sale depending on plan.
5. Teespring
Specialized in apparel and accessories, Teespring is one of the easiest print-on-demand platforms for creating and selling custom shirt designs.
Highlights:
- Campaign-style selling optimized for viral growth
- Trending campaigns regularly go viral on Teespring
- Very fast US based printing and shipping
- Minimal fees compared to other apparel-focused platforms
- Limited only to apparel and accessory products
If you have a great t-shirt design or want to experiment with smaller batches before investing in bulk orders, Teespring makes launching and marketing campaigns simple.
Pricing: Free account option. Small commissions taken per item sold.
6. Zazzle
One of the first print-on-demand marketplaces, Zazzle remains popular thanks to a massive product selection and built-in audience.
Highlights:
- Sell designs on almost anything imaginable
- Established customer base with millions of buyers
- Set your own pricing and profit margins
- Manufacturing and shipping handled by Zazzle
- Very high competition means less visibility
With such a wide range available, Zazzle lets you test selling a huge variety of customized and personalized products. The tradeoff is less visibility against more sellers.
Pricing: Free account option. Zazzle takes royalty fees per item sold.
7. CafePress
Another long-running POD marketplace, CafePress features a similar model to Zazzle with some key differences in its product selection.
Highlights:
- Strong presence in personalized gifts/keepsakes
- Manufactures products only after order placed
- Set your own pricing and profit splits
- Provides useful promotion tools and guidance
- Smaller audience size limits potential reach
With personalized mugs, puzzles, bags, and more, CafePress appeals to shoppers looking for customized gifts and mementos rather than apparel.
Pricing: Free signup. CafePress takes commission from each product sold.
8. TeePublic
TeePublic brings together features of both artistic marketplaces like Redbubble and apparel-focused platforms like Teespring.
Highlights:
- Strong presence of pop culture/fandom designers
- Specializes in artistic, graphic t-shirt designs
- Campaign-style promotions and limited runs
- Manufacturing and fulfillment globally
- Caters to specific niche so smaller audience
With a focus on artistic apparel, the site draws buyers interested in graphics tees showcasing their favorite music, movies, games, and more.
Pricing: Free account setup. Additional fees per item sold.
9. GearLaunch
GearLaunch provides simple storefront creation combined with order management tools tailored for apparel companies.
Highlights:
- Complete package for launching clothing line
- Automatic integration with Shopify, WooCommerce
- Quality standards ensure color accuracy
- Provides guidance and resources for new brands
- Limited only to apparel and accessories
For anyone serious about starting an apparel brand, GearLaunch delivers the merchandising tools and manufacturing partners needed to scale up a clothing business.
Pricing: Plans start at $49/month. Credit provided matching subscription cost.
10. Fine Art America
Leading marketplace for photographers, Fine Art America makes it easy to sell your images on high-quality wall art.
Highlights:
- Caters to photographers and fine art prints
- Manufactures after order placed for lower waste
- Fulfills many specialty wall decor options
- Provides unique ways to showcase portfolio
- Smaller audience than larger art platforms
With wall art expertise combined with on-demand fulfillment, Fine Art America appeals to creatives selling specialized graphic prints.
Pricing: Free account option. Additional fees per order.
11. SPOD (Spreadshirt)
With a focus on sustainability, SPOD by Spreadshirt provides quality print-on-demand merchandise paired with eco-friendly production.
Highlights:
- Carbon neutral shipping in Europe
- Organic cotton options and water-based inks
- Paperless production and plastic-free packaging
- Integrates with major ecommerce platforms
- Manufacturing located only in US and Europe
For environmentally conscious sellers, SPOD hits the marks with responsible manufacturing and fulfillment practices.
Pricing: Free account. Pay per item sold.
12. Lulu XPress
Lulu XPress makes self-publishing books accessible for independent authors through print-on-demand.
Highlights:
- Print books one at a time on demand
- Extensive formatting and layout options
- Global distribution to bookstores available
- Tools provided to create promotional pages
- Specifically for published books and content
With on-demand printing capabilities combined with distribution tools, Lulu empowers writers to self-publish their work with ease.
Pricing: Free signup. Pay per book printed.
Find the Right Print-on-Demand Service for You
Selling customized merchandise through print-on-demand is easier than ever in 2023. As you evaluate the various platforms and services, narrow your choice by determining your product focus, sales channels, and business priorities first.
Be sure to also consider pricing models closely during your comparison to understand exactly what fees and margins to expect.
We hope this overview gives you a starting point to decide which option aligns closest with your business goals this coming year and wish you success with your print-on-demand endeavors!
