In this ever-evolving landscape, owners develop different models for managing their businesses. One of the recent developments that changed the way individuals started launching their online stores was the POD services. With the print-on-demand apps, users can upload their own designs or choose from a catalog of pre-existing options, and the app takes care of printing, packaging, and shipping directly to customers. This business model empowers individuals to start their own online stores with minimal upfront costs, as products are only produced when a sale is made. When selecting POD apps for your Shopify store, it is essential to consider the following factors:
- The product variety,
- The quality of printing,
- Product customization and design options,
- Pricing and profit margins
- Shipping and fulfillment times.
In this article, we have curated a list of the five best print-on-demand apps that excel in the abovementioned factors. They share most of the features but have some peculiarities.
1. Printful
Printful is a print-on-demand fulfillment service that helps Shopify merchants sell custom products without buying inventory in advance. From printed and embroidered hoodies to accessories and home decor, it handles production, packaging, and shipping directly to customers.
Its Shopify integration makes it easy to connect your store, publish products, and send orders for fulfillment. The built-in Design Maker and mockup generator help you prepare designs and create product visuals, while a central dashboard keeps product and order management organized.
For merchants building a recognizable brand, Printful also offers custom branding options, including packing slips, labels, packaging, and pack-ins. Availability varies by product and fulfillment location, with additional charges for certain services.
Key Features
- Shopify Integration: Connect your store, publish custom products, and automate order fulfillment.
- Global Fulfillment and Shipping: Reach customers through an international fulfillment network.
- Built-in Design Tools: Create or upload artwork and generate product mockups.
- Printing and Embroidery: Customize apparel, accessories, and other products using different decoration methods.
- Branding Options: Add custom labels, packing slips, packaging, and pack-ins to eligible orders.
- No Minimum Orders: Test designs and expand your catalog without purchasing bulk inventory.
Pricing
Printful is free to install, with no required monthly subscription. Merchants pay for products, fulfillment, shipping, and applicable taxes when placing orders.
The optional Printful Growth plan costs $24.99/month and offers up to 33% off product pricing, discounted product branding, and additional benefits. Once qualifying annual sales reach $12,000, merchants can receive Growth free for one year.
2. Printify
Printify is a print-on-demand platform that connects Shopify merchants with a network of print providers. Its catalog includes 2,000+ customizable products, ranging from t-shirts and hoodies to custom shoes, accessories, and home decor.
Provider choice is one of Printify’s key advantages. Merchants can compare available suppliers by product price, location, and shipping options to find a suitable match for their store. Using the built-in Product Creator, sellers can upload designs, prepare mockups, and publish products to Shopify. Connected orders can then be sent automatically for production and shipping.
For time-sensitive purchases, Printify offers Express Delivery, which combines production and delivery within 2–3 business days for eligible t-shirt variants in the contiguous US. This option does not apply to every product or destination.
Key Features
- Extensive Catalog: Choose from 2,000+ customizable products across multiple categories.
- Print Provider Choice: Compare available suppliers and fulfillment locations.
- Shopify Integration: Publish products and automate order submission.
- Product Creator and Mockups: Prepare designs and product visuals in one platform.
- No Upfront Inventory Investment: Products are made to order, with no need to purchase stock.
- Express Delivery: Offer faster fulfillment for eligible products and US destinations.
- Bulk Orders: Place larger orders alongside individual customer purchases.
Pricing
Printify’s Free plan supports five stores, unlimited product designs, design tools, and manual order creation. Product and shipping costs are charged when orders are submitted for production.
Printify Premium starts at $39/month, or $24.99/month billed annually, with advertised annual savings of 36%. It supports 10 stores and includes up to 20% off all catalog products, up to 33% off new products, and order management through Printify Connect.
3. Hoplix
Hoplix takes the third spot as one of the best Print-on-Demand apps that helps businesses earn money while eliminating the need for inventory management and upfront costs. Start using Hoplix by creating your products there or connecting your Hopilix account to your store. Once customers purchase on your website, Hoplix will print and deliver your already-branded products anywhere in the world.
Hoplix is more than just a POD app: from printing to real-time tracking, it has got you covered. The app stands out with unique products available for printing, quick printing and shipping, and traced shipping for tracking your orders. Deliver your products to your customers in no time while also reducing the risks of lost orders.
Key Features
- Fast Shipping: Delivering to over 50 countries ensures swift and efficient global distribution of your print-on-demand products.
- Order Desk: sell products on over 200 platforms: Seamlessly expand your market reach by selling products on over 200 platforms (eBay, Etsy, Magento, Prestashop) through a centralized and user-friendly order management system.
- Whitelabel Products & Store: Elevate your brand with customizable, white-label products and a personalized store that reflects your unique identity.
- Free Store & Integrations: Build your online presence without cost and effortlessly integrate with various platforms to enhance your store’s functionality.
- 200+ Quality Products: Offer a diverse range of over 200 high-quality products, all proudly crafted in Italy, to meet the varied preferences of your customers.
- No Minimum Order: Prioritize customer satisfaction with top-notch product quality and dedicated customer service to build trust and loyalty.
- No Registration Fees: Start your print-on-demand journey confidently, paying only when you make a sale without any upfront registration fees.
- CSV/XLS Import: Simplify your workflow by easily importing and managing product data through CSV/XLS files, streamlining the inventory management process.
- Language & Currencies: Access a free in-platform store in five languages and ten currencies
Pricing
The costs depend on the area you want to deliver your products. They vary for Italy, Europe, and worldwide shipments, starting with just € 4.95. Also, prices will change with the methods you use for your deliveries: Economy No Track, Economy Tracked, and Express.
4. Customily
Customily is a smart product personalization app that helps Shopify stores create and sell personalized products.
With Customily, stores can add a variety of customization options to their products, including text, images, vectors, and maps.
Besides its wide range of personalization tools, Customily also provides a live preview so that the customer can visualize the final product before making the purchase, and printing files for the merchant to automate the fulfillment process.
By offering personalized products, stores can create unique and memorable shopping experiences for their customers, boosting their conversion rates and reducing their returns at the same time.
Key Features
- Unlimited options: texts, fonts, colors, textures, images, street maps, star maps, cartoons, dall-e image generator!
- Clipart collections and full design templates ready to apply and sell for free!
- Export ready-to-print, engraved, or laser-cut files! No extra manual work is needed!
- Connect with the best Print-on-Demand providers to automate fulfillment! (Printify, Printful, Shine On, Gelato, Custom Cat, and more!)
- Global support team to help your products look stunning. Live chat included!
Pricing
Customily has a 9-day FREE trial, and then a monthly subscription fee of $49 + usage fees. This plan includes ALL features, from unlimited personalization tools to POD automation, and also access to royalty-free clipart and designs that you can sell in your store.
This plan also includes unlimited stores, so you can share your Customily account with as many Shopify stores as you want and pay only one subscription. If you have a developer store, you can use Customily for free.
5. Apliiq
If you’re seeking ways to enhance your brand identity, Apliiq might be your choice. Besides being one of the best print-on-demand apps, it goes further by unlocking features like private labels, patches, woven labels, and neck prints. This way, you can stand out in the crowd by offering your customers high-quality products. On top of this, every process is fully automated in Apliiq, sparing you time to engage with other activities vital to your business.
Key Features
- Undisputed Apparel Experts: Their team of clothing experts is always there to assist with whatever you need.
- Fashion Branding: Elevate your brand identity with strategic and stylish design elements tailored to the latest fashion trends.
- Private Label Everything: Customize and personalize your apparel lines, from tags to packaging, for a unique and exclusive brand experience.
- Fully Automated: Streamline your production process with full automation, ensuring efficiency and precision at every stage.
- Screen Print Results On-Demand: Enjoy quick and customizable screen printing services that deliver high-quality results whenever needed.
Pricing
Apliiq is free to install, making all the advanced features available for your use. This means no upfront costs – no risks. Start your business with $0 and pay only when you receive your orders. Apliiq has affordable pricing and fee rates for businesses. If you want to get discounts, you can choose to buy your products beforehand. The more you buy, the more you save, up to 55% when you buy in bulk.
Wrapping Things Up
Each of these POD apps has outstanding features. One comes through best for businesses needing an extensive product catalog; the others stand out with their built-in customization and design tools; the rest offer fully automated processes. Depending on what aspect you prefer more, you can make a well-informed decision based on the brief product overviews above.
