Printful vs Printify for beginners: which should you start with?
Updated 2026-10-16 · Some links are affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no cost to you. Prices change often, so check the vendor's site.
Printful and Printify are the two names almost every new print-on-demand seller runs into. Both connect to Etsy and Shopify, both have no upfront inventory, and both charge you only when an order comes in. The real difference is how your products get made.
The core difference
- Printful prints and ships from its own facilities in the US, Europe and other regions. One company controls production, so quality is more consistent.
- Printify is a network of independent print providers. For each product you pick a provider by price, location and rating, so quality depends on which one you choose.
Pricing plans
- Printful: No monthly fee; pay per product. Optional Growth plan $24.99/mo (free above a sales threshold) — checked Oct 2026.
- Printify: Free; Premium from $39/mo or $24.99/mo billed yearly — checked Oct 2026. Premium gives discounts on product prices.
Both let you start for $0. Base product prices change often and depend on the product, so compare the exact item you plan to sell in each catalog before you decide.
Pros and cons for a beginner
Printful: consistent quality, a wide catalog that includes embroidery, and branding options like labels and packaging. The trade-off is higher base prices and thinner margins.
Printify: generally lower base costs, a huge catalog, and the freedom to pick a provider per product. The trade-off is that you need to check providers yourself, ideally by ordering samples.
Our recommendation
- Pick Printful if you want fewer surprises, branded packaging, or embroidery, and can price a little higher.
- Pick Printify if margin matters most and you're willing to order samples from a few providers to find a good one.
You can also use both. Many sellers source each product from whichever service does it best. Whichever you choose, put the full cost (base price, shipping and Etsy fees) into our Etsy fee & profit calculator before you set prices.
More detail: Printful review · Printify review · side-by-side comparison · Printify vs Gelato.