11 Best Shopify Print On Demand Apps (2024 Comparison)

Looking for the best Shopify print on demand apps? We’ve got you covered.

If you want to start selling print on demand (POD) merchandise through your Shopify store, the first step is to connect your store to a print on demand fulfillment provider.

But with so many options in the Shopify App Store to choose from, it can be tough to know which one is best for your business.

That’s why in this post, we’ll be reviewing all the best Shopify print on demand services available this year. And we’ll look at the key features, pros and cons, and pricing of each one to help you compare your options.

The best Shopify print on demand apps

Our top picks:

Gelato – Best overall.
Printful – Best for reliability.
Printify – Best product catalog.

#1 – Gelato

Gelato is our overall favorite print on demand company. It has its own Shopify app for easy integration and offers top-notch quality, competitive prices, and an extensive product catalog.

Gelato has an average rating on the Shopify App Store of 4.4 stars based on hundreds of reviews, which says a lot. They’re one of the top-rated POD apps around—and for good reason.

Not only do they have one of the largest networks of global production partners (130+ printing facilities in 32 different countries) for fast, local production and rapid shipping.

But they also offer some of the best prices we’ve seen. Base product and shipping costs are very reasonable, and if you sign up for one of the paid plans you can get up to an extra 50% off shipping, which allows for really good margins.

You only pay for what you sell so there are no upfront costs. Just install the app, add your products, and start selling. Gelato automatically routes orders through to the nearest production facility to the customer for fulfillment as they come in, and bills you afterward.

Their product catalog is huge and includes all the most popular items, like apparel, wall art, phone accessories, stationery, bags, drinkware, etc.

And the quality is really good, at least in our experience. Gelato uses premium materials from the best brands for durability, and cutting-edge printing tech to ensure the final products look as good as your mockups.

Gelato does work with third-party printing facilities, but unlike other POD platforms, they integrate directly to these facilities via software. This allows them to perform automatic machine calibration which results in better quality prints.

There’s a strict application process for partners to ensure they can meet the necessary quality and a 100% quality guarantee is offered on all orders.

Key features

Shopify app
Other ecommerce integrations
130+ production centers
Tax & VAT handling
Mockup studio
Personalized packaging
iOS app
Shipping discounts

Pros

Direct Shopify integration
Easy to use
High-quality prints (usually)
Competitive pricing
Large global printing network

Cons

Premium fonts only available on paid plans
Shipping discounts only available on paid plans

Try Gelato Free

#2 – Printful

Printful is our runner-up pick for the best Shopify print on demand app. It’s one of the few POD companies with a fully-owned production process, which makes it more reliable and consistent than other providers.

Of all the POD Shopify apps out there, Printful is the most popular. It has over 4,000 reviews, which is more than any of its competitors, and has still managed to maintain an excellent 4.6-star rating.

And part of the reason for that is no doubt the way Printful handles orders.

Unlike most other print on demand companies, it doesn’t outsource production to third parties. It owns all 15 of its fulfillment centers, which are distributed globally, so it’s able to implement quality control measures across the board and deliver consistently good quality.

Set up is quick and easy: Just install the Printful app to connect it to your Shopify store. Then, use the built-in design tools to create or upload your designs to products in Printful’s catalog, and start selling.

Printful also offers custom branding options, so you can add personalized labels, pack-ins, and packing slips to the products you send to customers. And they have hundreds of products in their catalog for you to choose from.

As with Gelato, you can use Printful for free and only pay for what you sell. But if you want to unlock premium features like the option to add additional branding or custom packaging, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan.

Key features

Shopify app
Custom branding
Custom packaging
Direct-to-garment printing (DTG)
UV printing
Cut and sew
Embroidery
Design Maker

Pros

Fully-owned production process
Reliable and consistent quality
Direct Shopify integration
Ease of use
Lots of customization options

Cons

Small margins
Fewer fulfillment centers than Gelato
Shipping times could be better

Try Printful Free

#3 – Printify

Printify is another super-popular print on demand fulfillment provider, used by over 4 million sellers around the world. It gets a 4.4-star rating on the Shopify App Store.

The best thing about Printify is its product catalog. There are over 800 products to choose from, which is more than any other provider I’ve come across.

That includes all the most popular product categories like t-shirts, sweatshirts, phone cases, wall art, mugs, face masks, etc.

But it also includes some super niche products that many other providers don’t offer, like pet bandanas, plushies, acrylic wall clocks, and the like.

So if there’s something very specific you’re looking to sell, there’s a good chance you’ll find it in Printify’s catalog.

That’s not the only good thing about Printify either. It also has one of the largest global fulfillment networks and works with print providers in dozens of different countries all over the world.

And because all of those print providers compete for your business, prices are very competitive. You can get good margins with Printify if you choose the right products.

Key features

Shopify app
Other ecommerce integrations
800+ products
Global fulfillment
Geo routing
Design tools

Pros

Huge product catalog
Large global fulfillment network
Competitive prices
Direct Shopify integration

Cons

Quality can be hit-and-miss (depends on the printing partner)
Support could be better

Try Printify Free

#4 – ShineOn

ShineOn offers the best margins of any Shopify print on demand app. Use it to sell premium, high-margin POD products like personalized jewelry, engraved watches, and other gifts.

Here’s the thing: A lot of print on demand companies only offer generic merchandise like t-shirts and drinkware. But the problem with these types of products is that they tend to have super low margins, so you only make a couple of bucks per sale.

ShineOn is different. It exclusively offers high-margin products that can earn you up to 5x more per sale.

Take the ShineOn Engraved Chronograph watch, for example. Its average sale price is around $70, while its average base cost is around $24.

If we do the math, that works out at around $46 in profits for every sale. In comparison, you’d be lucky to make over five bucks in profits on a typical print-on-demand t-shirt.

It’s no wonder, then, that ShineOn is the top-rated print on demand app on Shopify, with an impressive 4.9-star rating based on 589 reviews.

Products are shipped from ShineOn’s production factories in FL, USA, and Amsterdam, NL, so you can expect reasonably quick deliveries to Europe and North America

ShineOn also provides a bunch of useful seller tools including a huge library of creatives that you can use in your products (like videos, pictures, mock-ups, etc.), addon and upsell products, and more.

Key features

Shopify app
Creatives
Add-on and upsell products
Personalized jewelry & gifts
Payout tracking
Discounts
Knowledgebase
Worldwide shipping

Pros

Excellent profit margins
Premium products
Great reputation (4.9-star rating)
Useful seller tools

Cons

Only two production centers (USA & EU)
Support could be better

Try ShineOn Free

#5 – Pixels

Pixels is a Shopify print on demand app by Fine Art America. It’s a good choice for those selling prints and wall art.

In case you didn’t know, Fine Art America (FAA) is an online print on demand marketplace where customers can buy affordable wall art from independent artists.

But FAA also has its own Shopify app, Pixels. So you can list your print on demand products for sale both through the marketplace and your own store to maximize your reach. This added sales channel is something no other POD app can offer.

Given that it’s owned by FAA, the best products to sell through Pixels are things like wall art, framed prints, canvas prints, posters, tapestries, etc.

The quality of the prints is excellent and because FAA is the largest custom framing company in the world, you can choose between hundreds of different frames and mats in all sorts of colors and finishes.

Aside from wall art and prints, you can also sell other print on demand product types with Pixels including home decor, lifestyle products, tech accessories, stationery, and apparel.

Key features

Shopify app
Online marketplace
Worldwide shipping
14 global fulfillment centers
Physical retail stores
Mobile app
Custom framing
Design tools
Sales tools
Marketing tools
API

Pros

Great for selling wall art and prints
Lots of useful sales and marketing tools
Lots of ways to sell (on your Shopify store, on the marketplace, through FAA retail stores, etc.)
Custom framing/material options

Cons

Some users report bugs/glitches in the system
App is updated infrequently

Try Pixels Free

#6 – SPOD

SPOD is another print on demand company that has its own Shopify app. It’s powered by Spreadshirt and stands out for its fast production times and focus on sustainability.

SPOD works the same way as most of the other apps we’ve looked at so far. You install the app, create your custom product lines by uploading your designs (or create designs from scratch with the free graphic library), and start selling.

SPOD handles fulfillment for you automatically and you only pay when you get an order.

What makes it special, though, is its rapid production times. They claim to print and ship 95% of orders in less than 48 hours, and 50% in under 24 hours. That’s significantly faster than many other companies, some of which take over a week to produce orders.

It has production facilities in both the US and EU so you can sell globally with local production.

The quality of the prints tends to be good, and the company is more sustainable than most. They use water-saving printing techniques, vegan ink, paperless production, and plastic-free shipping packaging.

They also offer a fantastic organic line of apparel made from organic cotton grown in Turkey and donate or upcycle all returned items to minimize wastage

Key features

Worldwide shipping
POD catalog
Design tools
48-hour production time
US and EU printing facilities
Graphic library

Pros

Easy to use
Sustainability
Rapid production & shipping
High quality

Cons

Support could be better

Try SPOD Free

#7 – Gooten

Gooten is another top-rated print-on-demand solution for Shopify. It has a catalog of 150+ products for you to choose from.

Available product categories include fashion & apparel, home and lifestyle, wall art, pets and baby, and accessories.

Like most of the other apps we’ve looked at, Gooten offers fulfillment all across the world. They work with 30+ manufacturers in 70+ global locations, so most orders are produced locally.

It only takes 1.7 days for Gooten to produce products and 3.8 days for them to ship them, on average, which is pretty fast.

Aside from Shopify, it also integrates natively with other popular ecommerce platforms including Etsy, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce. You can also use Gooten’s API to connect it to your own apps and create custom solutions.

Key features

Shopify app
Ecommerce integrations
API
150+ products
Design tools
Worldwide shipping
Order management
70+ global routing locations

Pros

Large global fulfillment network
Fast production and shipping
Scalable solution
Good product catalog

Cons

Built more for larger businesses than small businesses

Try Gooten Free

#8 – AOP+

AOP+ is another print on demand company with a great reputation. They have a 4.4-star rating on the Shopify App Store and work with over 10,000 sellers.

All AOP+ products are produced and dispatched from their in-house facilities based in London, UK, but they ship worldwide.

The quality of INK+ prints tends to be excellent, and shipping is often very fast in the UK or Europe.

Their catalog features over 120+ premium, unique products, including apparel, accessories, pets, home and living, and wall decor. You can add your own designs to products or use one of the included stock designs.

Key features

Shopify app
Other ecommerce integrations
120+ products
Worldwide shipping
Branding options
Stock designs
Vegan-friendly printing
No minimum orders

Pros

Outstanding quality
In-house production
Easy to use
Organic and sustainable
Excellent support

Cons

UK-only production
Product catalog is smaller than many other providers

Try AOP+

#9 – Zendrop

Zendrop is a two-in-one print on demand and dropshipping app, so it’s a good choice for users that want to sell POD merch alongside other products in their store.

Once you’ve installed Zendrop, you’ll have access to a huge catalog of over a million unique, fast-delivery products from dropshipping suppliers all over the world.

You can import these products to your store in a couple of clicks and start selling. Then, fulfill orders manually or turn on auto-fulfillment to let Zendrop take care of it for you.

It’s free to use Zendrop for dropshipping, but you’ll need to upgrade to the Plus plan to sell print on demand products.

The good news is that Plus users also get other premium features including custom branding, the ability to sell subscription boxes, automated fulfillment, unlimited orders per month, and more.

Key features

Dropshipping
Print on demand
Subscription boxes
Product sourcing
Auto-fulfillment
Custom branding options
Real-time analytics

Pros

Offers both dropshipping & print on demand
Huge product catalog
Lots of sales and marketing tools

Cons

Paid plan required to sell print-on-demand
Lots of low-quality products/suppliers in their database
Some of the Shopify app reviews are fake and written by AI

Try Zendrop Free

#10 – Ownprint

Ownprint isn’t quite as well-known as some of the other POD providers on this list, but it’s a great choice if you want to sell viral print on demand jewelry.

Unlike a lot of other print on demand companies, Ownprint doesn’t have a vast catalog featuring every product under the sun.

They do one thing and one thing only: Personalizable jewelry.

You’ll find dozens of personalizable jewelry items in their catalog including necklaces, bracelets, keychains, and horoscope/spirituality jewelry.

These are organized into different niches, like pet, baby, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, etc.

Engraving is available, so you can offer this as an upsell to your customers. And Ownprint also gives you the option to add customizable jewelry cards to your orders.

The great thing about selling jewelry is the margins. Prices start at under ten bucks but retail at over 40 bucks, so you can earn substantial profits on each sale.

Orders are typically fulfilled in around 2-4 business days and ship in 1-6 business days, but it depends on the product.

Key features

Print on demand jewelry
Engraving options
Shopify app
Etsy integration
Branding options

Pros

Great for jewelry sellers
Fast fulfillment
Excellent profit margins

Cons

Small product catalog (only jewelry)

Try Ownprint Free

#11 – TPOP

Last but not least, we have TPOP—the best choice for eco-responsible businesses that care about sustainability.

TPOP works the same way as all the other apps we’ve looked at. You hook it up to your store, add your designs to products from the catalog, and then let TPOP handle all the printing and shipping for you.

But its USP is its commitment to eco-responsibility. It’s very much ‘the green print on demand company’, and has built sustainability into every aspect of its business model.

TPOP works with eco-responsible textile companies and offers environmentally friendly, plastic-free products. And they use 100% eco-certified, water-based inks to print your designs.

Plus, they never use plastic packaging. All your products are shipped in recyclable cardboard sleeves or sleeves made from recycled materials. Not only is this good for the environment, but it’s good for branding too. Eco-conscious consumers are sure to appreciate it.

There are a few other things we like about TPOP too. For example, they offer excellent branding options: You can add your logo to every package for no additional cost.

And you can also insert customizable slips and pack-ins like stickers, business cards, accessories, thank-you cards, etc. TPOP will even translate the slips for you automatically to the destination country’s language—this is a unique feature we haven’t seen offered anywhere else.

TPOP is also one of the few companies that offer entirely in-house production. All printing and dispatch is carried out by them, on their own premises, rather than by third-party providers.

Key features

Print on demand
Worldwide shipping
Branding options
Shopify app
Integrations
Automatic pack-in slip translation

Pros

Very eco-responsible
High-quality products and prints
Fully-owned production
Good branding options

Cons

Limited product range

Try TPOP Free

Frequently asked questions

Before we wrap up, here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about Shopify print on demand.

How do I start a print-on-demand business?

To start a print-on-demand business, you’ll need three things:

An online shop (ideally this will be your own ecommerce website, but you can also open a shop on marketplaces like Amazon or Etsy)
A print on demand service (to connect to your store for automated order fulfillment)
Your own designs (to add to your print on demand merchandise)

Once you’ve got all of the above, you’re ready to go. Just choose the products you want to sell through your print on demand provider’s app, upload your designs to them, import them to your online store, and start selling.

Of course, if you want to make sales, it also helps to research the market and make designs that you know people want. And you’ll probably need to invest time and money into marketing to drive traffic to your store and product pages.

Is print on demand profitable on Shopify?

Yes, selling your custom products through Shopify can be very profitable if you get it right. While it’s true that profit margins with POD products aren’t quite as high as you get with traditional stock, you can still make a very good income if you can get a high volume of sales.

Does Shopify take a cut of my sales?

Yes, but the amount depends on the plan you sign up for and the payment processor you use.

Shopify charges a small fee of between 2.4% and 2.7% +25p per sale to allow you to accept major credit cards in your store.

There are no additional transaction fees if you use Shopify payments, but if you use a third-party provider, you’ll also be charged an extra 0.5%-2% per sale, depending on your plan.

If that’s a deal-breaker for you, why not use one of these ecommerce platforms to build your store instead?

Where else can I sell my print on demand products?

Aside from your own Shopify store, you can also sell print on demand products on third-party marketplaces and ecommerce platforms. That includes sites like Amazon, Etsy, Redbubble, and Zazzle.

I’d recommend checking out our roundup of the best print on demand sites to explore all your options.

How long does it take for print on demand orders to ship?

It depends on the print on demand company you work with. Some providers will print and ship your orders within a few days, whereas others might take 1-2 weeks.

For faster shipping, it’s worth choosing a print on demand company that offers local production in the country that your customers are from.

If you sell internationally, many of the options in this list have local production centers all over the world and will route your orders to the nearest facility to the customer who placed the order.

Wrapping it up

That concludes our roundup of the best Shopify print on demand sites.

If you’re still not sure which one to choose, we’d recommend going with one of our top three picks:

Gelato is the overall best choice for most Shopify stores. It offers competitive prices, great-quality prints, fast shipping, and local production in 32 countries.
Printful is the most reliable print on demand company we’ve tried thanks to its fully-owned production process. They use their own production centers rather than third-party providers, so quality is more consistent.
Printify has the largest product catalog of any print on demand app we’ve seen. If you’re looking for a specific, niche product, there’s a good chance you’ll find it with Printify

While you’re here, you might want to check out some of our other posts about print on demand, and ecommerce:

Disclosure: If you buy through links on our site, we may make a commission. This helps to support the running of Startup Bonsai.

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