8 Printful Alternatives You Must Know in 2021

If you’ve been curious about print on demand (POD), you’ve probably heard of Printful. While it can be an amazing solution when it’s the right fit for you, some entrepreneurs still find themselves looking for alternatives to Printful.

But just because you haven’t found the ideal POD platform doesn’t mean that you should give up your search entirely. If you want the benefits of dropshipping, plus the added bonus of being able to sell unique and custom clothing designs, there are plenty of Printful alternatives that can help you build your POD business exactly how you want it.

In this article, we’re going to look at 8 platforms that are similar to Printful, but might be able to offer you the customization that you need from your POD partner.

Let’s get into it, shall we?

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Reasons to Use a Printful Alternative

While Printful has quality products and robust features and functionality for its users, it’s a good idea to learn about Printful alternatives. This is especially true if you’re shipping within the US, where there are plenty of alternatives to Printful that have lower costs. And as we all know: lower upfront costs on raw materials, fulfillment, and shipping means that you can bring in more profit margins for your business.

Another reason to explore Printful alternatives is the range of product categories. While Printful has a solid selection of items, in comparison to other POD options, there’s a limited amount of product categories. If you want a more robust selection, see what some of the Printful competitors below have on offer.

What Are The Best Alternatives to Printful? 

So, what companies are notable Printful competitors, and why should you consider them for your POD business?

Glad you asked. Here are the top 8 alternatives to Printful.

One of the most popular POD solutions around, Printify makes selling creative products a breeze. The service comes with access to over 300 high-quality products to choose from, ranging from t-shirts and mugs to caps and smartphone accessories. 

Printify is an excellent alternative to Printful if you’re looking for fast shipping times, excellent customer service, and reasonably low prices. Printify also allows you to add the custom designs you create to various platforms, like Etsy, WooCommerce, and Shopify.

One particularly impressive feature of Printify is its extensive global network of fulfillment partners. You can scale your store as quickly and as far as you like. Plus, Printify offers some of the lowest prices in the industry.

Pros:

• Excellent variety of products 

• Fulfillment within 2-7 business days

Cons:

• Limited branding options (you can only add neck labels)

• Integrations are somewhat limited

Best for Printify is ideal if you’re looking for a budget-friendly alternative to Printful. The prices offered are some of the lowest in the industry, and there are plenty of great products to choose from. A global network also enables shipping worldwide. 

If you’re keen to test and launch your designs as quickly as possible, AOP+  can give you a head start. This print on demand service uses dye sublimation all-over-print to bring your products to life.

You simply upload your artwork and decide which items you’d like to create. AOP+ then prints the goods in-house, after which it ships from one of its fulfillment centers in the UK, US, or Europe.

The biggest benefit of using AOP+ is that you can put your own custom packing slips in orders. Plus, you can utilize other branding options, like private labeling and packaging stickers, via AOP+ paid plans.

Pros:

• In-house printing (allows for better quality control)

• Discounts for up to 10% off

Cons:

• Production lead time is 7-10 business days for all-over-print

Best for: AOP+ is ideal for store owners who would like to create high-quality POD products, fast. If you’re looking for unique products, AOP+ invites you to discuss your requirements with them via live chat or email. 

Teelaunch is a great Printful alternative for launching a print on demand business. With Teelaunch, you can add your designs to all kinds of t-shirts, wall art, drinkware, home products, and accessories. 

Most orders shipped with Teelaunch take between 3-6 days to reach the US, UK, and Canada. You can see the breakdown of shipping costs and fees on TeeLaunch’s website to see exactly how much you need to pay. 

Use the personalization tool on the Teelaunch website to design and prepare your product for print. You can even generate high-quality mockups, which are great for envisioning your designs on actual products.  

Pros:

• Excellent line of personalized product options with fast shipping

• High-quality mockup images to make selling products easy

Cons: 

• Limited support from customer service

Best for: Teelaunch is a great product for people in the US, UK, and Canada who want to get custom-made products to their clients fast. Quick shipping and professional mockups make it easy to build a reputable brand.

Gooten simplifies the process of selling your designs. Essentially, the service allows you to adopt a fixed pricing strategy that saves you time by not requiring you to dabble in markups.

You can choose to print on a host of different products, from coasters and t-shirts to mugs and calendars. There’s even the option for additional print placements—for instance, you can print on the back or sleeves of shirts.

Gooten’s easy-to-use application works brilliantly with Shopify. With just a few clicks, you’re able to create products ready to be sent for printing. A wide partner network ensures prints get to your customers on time, and the manufacturing quality of Gooten’s products is always top-notch. 

Pros:

• Excellent range of unique printing options

• Fixed pricing for easier profit prediction

Cons:

• You’ll have to do all your marketing on your own

• Some products have quite high prices

Best for: Gooten is great if you want a POD solution to integrate with your existing store. There’s plenty of products to choose from, and the finished items are always high quality. The fixed pricing strategy makes it easier to plan your profits too. 

APrint Aura offers dozens of custom product options, including face coverings, t-shirts, mugs, and bags. There’s no minimum order amount, so you can order just one product at a time when necessary. Standard turnaround times are usually between around 3-5 days, but you can access expedited processing for a 48-hour turnaround time too. 

To help build your brand, Print Aura combines high-quality printing with multiple customizable return labels, packing slips, neck labels, and more. A handy design tool allows you to create professional mockups, and you can ship your items anywhere in the world thanks to a global fulfillment community. 

Pros:

• No minimum order requirements

• Expedited fulfillment options with global shipping

Cons: 

• Customer service is quite slow

• Shipping can be expensive to some parts of the world

Best for: Print Aura offers a convenient way for entrepreneurs to scale their business with a range of new products. There’s no minimum order, so you can test out different designs without a huge initial investment. 

CustomCat is a leader in high-quality custom designs. With this Printful alternative, you can choose from direct-to-garment, sublimation, 3D dyes, and embroidery printing for your products. And with one of the biggest catalogs of any POD app (featuring over 550 products), it’s easy to differentiate yourself from the competition and connect with a wide range of potential customers.

CustomCat does offer to ship to multiple places around the world, like Printful, but international shipping can take up to 15 days, while local shipping takes up to 7 days. 

Pros:

• Excellent wide range of product options and printing styles

• The premium plan offers fantastic discounts on products

Cons:

• Delivery costs can be high for certain locations

• Shipping times are a little slow

Best for: CustomCat is a great choice for companies looking to stand out from the crowd with a wide range of custom products. You can access over 550 product types and choose how to print your designs to really make them stand out. 

T-Pop is a European Print on Demand solution with a production line based in France. It’s a great choice for socially conscious brands because all products are guaranteed to be ethical and eco-friendly, as well as high quality. 

You can easily add your designs to a range of products and choose from options like direct-to-garment printing or sublimation. There’s also a range of branding options, including the opportunity to add your logo to the packaging.

T-Pop automates many complicated parts of running your business and offers a range of products to choose from, like tote bags and baby bibs. Orders take around 2-4 days to be prepared for shipping and can take between 2-7 days to be delivered

Pros:

• Completely ethical and eco-friendly fulfillment products

• Reasonably fast shipping throughout Europe

Cons:

• Only for European store owners

• Longer waiting times for some products

Best for: T-Pop is an excellent Print on Demand alternative to Printful for European business owners searching for an ethically conscious partner. The eco-friendly production and packaging options can help your business to stand out. 

JetPrint is a fantastic POD app with various products to choose from. You can design your own shoes, hoodies, watches, facemasks, and many other products not available from most POD partners. 

There’s a 3-day production time, and most products will get to your customers within 7 to 20 days, no matter how far they need to travel. JetPrint is particularly appealing because it offers a range of options for how you can showcase your design. You can access things like all-over printing or just add a simple image to one product. 

JetPrint is easy to use, with automatic order processing and express shipping service available for urgent orders. The company also frequently updates its product options.

Pros:

• Wide range of unique POD products to choose from

• Easy-to-use backend environment with product tracking numbers

Cons: 

• Processing and delivery times can be quite slow

• Can be quite expensive

Best for: If you’re keen to explore different POD products, like watches and shoes, JetPrint is an excellent option. There’s even a mockup generator to help you professionally showcase your designs. 

Summary: 8 Best Printful Alternatives for POD Dropshipping

To recap, here are our top choices if you’re looking for a POD platform that isn’t Printful:

1. Printify

2. AOP+

3. Teelaunch

4. Gooten

5. Print Aura

6. CustomCat

7. T-Pop

8. JetPrint

There’s no need to settle for a company that doesn’t suit your needs—shop around and make sure that your POD partner will help set you up for maximum success.

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