10 Free Print-on-Demand Sites: Pros & Cons (2024)
Print-on-demand(POD) has gained popularity in these years since people have long for unique items that can make a sense of value and specialness. For the artists, setting up a store to sell POD products can express their personality, and it’s basically passive income.
There are numerous sites out there offering print-on-demand services. Let’s take a look at the 10 free print-on-demand sites, and their pros and cons for you to weigh.
What’s Print-On-Demand site?
A Print-on-demand(POD) site is an online platform that helps people to turn their creativity into physical products. This business model allows entrepreneurs to offer exclusive products to their customers.
Print-on-demand is getting popular in the e-commerce industry since it has many advantages, including no upfront costs, low risk, diverse product range, and easy to reach.
How Print-on-demand site work?
It has two types print on demand sites, one is print-on-demand companies, like Inkedjoy, and another is print-on-demand marketplaces, like Redbubble.
Here’s how print-on-demand companies work step by step:
- Select: You can choose from the diverse product range provided by companies.
- Design: Upload a picture or create in a built-in design tool.
- Publish: Connect your store with POD companies and publish the products.
- Earn: You set the final price and earn the profits while the POD companies fulfill the orders.
Here’s how a print-on-demand marketplace works step by step:
- Set up your store: You need to set up your shop on the platform first.
- Select: You can pick up the product you love from the product range.
- Design: You can simply upload your design or create it in a built-in design tool.
- Publish: Publishing your design to your shop.
- Earn: You get a percentage of the sale commission when your product gets sold, and the platform takes charge of the rest.
10 of the best free print-on-demand sites
1. Inkedjoy
Inkedjoy is a fast-growing print-on-demand site that offers excellent POD fulfillment services. You can choose from over 1500 products, from apparel, home decor to pet supplies.
The average delivery time of Inkedjoy is 7-15 days, and it takes longer in busy seasons. Their factories are based in China, the USA, and Australia, and you can see details on the product page. The product made in China takes longer shipping time than in other European countries and America. But Inkedjoy makes it up with a shorter production time. The normal turnaround time takes 2-5 business days, but Inkedjoy can produce the products within 2 hours at the fastest when the orders auto-syn to the platform.
One of the advantages of Inkedjoy is its competitive price. The competitive price comes by connecting firsthand with the factory supply chain. You can get more discount when you have bulk orders.
Inkedjoy offers free and paid plans for beginners and experts. You can choose the plan all to your needs. The free plan allows you to customize labels, hangtags, and packing bags, and you can extra customize gift cards and scotch tapes by attending the paid plan. Using branding services can let you raise brand awareness and turn it into substantial revenue.
Pros
- Inkedjoy offers competitive prices in the industry and you can earn a higher profit margin.
- Inkedjoy has no minimum limits, which allows small businesses to start with a small amount of product.
- You can enhance your customers’ brand awareness with branding features of Inkedjoy.
- Inkedjoy offers a diverse product range for you to choose from.
Cons
- The products made in China take longer shipping times than other POD companies with a global network.
- Inkedjoy has few but major integrations. You can easily integrate your store with Etsy, Woocommerce, and Shopify.
2. Printify
Printify is a print-on-demand site similar to Inkedjoy, providing POD fulfillment services. They provide over 800 products and integrate with all major e-commerce platforms and marketplaces like Shopify, eBay, and Etsy.
It’s completely free for merchants to start their business but limited to 5 stores per account on Printify. They also provide premium and enterprise plans for setting up more stores and getting additional discounts.
The best part of Printify is that they offer a lot of printing options like Direct-to-Garment(DTG), Direct-to-film, Dye sublimation, etc. The printing options depend on your products and needs.
Printify has developed a large global network. Currently, Printify sources and prints from over 110 printing partner facilities throughout all over the world, including Australia, Canada, China, the USA, the UK, etc. When ordering on Printify, they will automatically select the most suitable partner facilities for you, which makes it cost-efficient.
With such a powerful global network, you can save your shipping times and costs, while the bad thing is you may need to face the potential quality issue. Printify’s working model means the quality varies from partner facilities, and printing options may be different too.
In general, Printify is a great choice if you’re looking for a flexible and cost-effective print-on-demand solution that allows you to fulfill orders from all over the world.
Pros
- Printify developed a global network, that can finish orders from all over the world at a faster speed.
- Printify offers a competitive price in the industry.
- Printify offers a huge product catalog.
Cons
- Printify transfers your orders automatically, so you can’t guarantee the quality of products.
- Printify has a few branding options, and it’s limited to neck labels and branding inserts.
3. Printful
Printful is a popular print-on-demand site, and it can be integrated with most e-commerce platforms like Shopify, Amazon and Etsy. It’s completely free to sign up and use, and they also offer two paid plans for e-sellers to get more discounts.
Printful is different from other platforms since it invests more in resources. For education, Printful provides blogs, guides and Printful Academy. You may become an expert in this field and thrive in your business with these educational resources.
Printful also provides powerful design tools for beginners and experienced to turn their creativity into real products. You can use their design makers to create an eye-catching design and see the sketch with a mockup generator.
For branding services, Printful offers white label branding services and other branding options. You can customize your own product labels, packages, packing slips, etc. This branding service can make your customers feel connected to your brand. However, the branding services are not completely free.
Like Printify, Printful also developed a global network, 15 in-house fulfillment centers, and partner facilities located all over the world to offer a faster shipping time. The production time takes 2-5 business days, and the shipping time depends on product availability and delivery destination.
Pros
- Printful offers global fulfillment at a faster speed and less shipping costs. The in-house facilities can guarantee the quality of products.
- There are no minimum limits on Printful.
- You can create your own design with powerful and easy-to-use tools.
- Printful provides multiple printing options to cater to different needs.
- Printful offers discounts for bulk orders.
Cons
- Printful has less competitive prices than Inkedjoy and Printify, and it narrows e-seller’s profit margins.
4. Gelato
Gelato has become the leader of the POD industry over the past few years, and they define themselves as the most trusted global print-on-demand platform. Gelato offers an extensive product range, from apparel to paper items. You can find the products that perfectly match your ideas.
Gelato can integrate with major e-commerce platforms like Shopify, Etsy, and Woocommerce.
Gelato also developed a global network, and it includes over 130 production partners in 32 countries. The difference is Gelato leverages an internal algorithm to automatically route your order to its printing provider based on location and printing options.
The production time and shipping time vary from product and destination. You can get details from their delivery times page.
Gelato is also an eco-friendly company since they mention sustainability is the core of what they do. Harnessing the power of technology and a global network, they produce the products near the end destination. That effectively reduces the emission, waste, and shipping costs. Except for the shipping, they also use sustainable materials to make products.
It’s worth mentioning that Gelato has a quantity discount policy which provides you with different percentage discounts when you purchase in bulk. It’s an encouraging policy for small businesses.
Pros
- The Global network of Gelato can fulfill orders at a faster speed.
- Gelato is an eco-friendly company that produces products with sustainable materials.
- Gelato has considerable quantity discounts.
Cons
- The global network has a potential communication risk that Gelato can’t get the information from their partner facilities in time.
- You need to use subscription plans to access to more graphic designs.
5. SPOD
SPOD is a free-to-use print-on-demand site that provides the fastest fulfillment service. Boasting their turnaround time within 48 hours for 95% of orders, and the large orders(>10 items per order) will take longer.
Except for the fastest shipping speed, SPOD also be known as an eco-friendly company. They pay attention to sustainable production and materials. SPOD uses water-saving techniques and vegan ink to produce products and ship them in plastic-free packages.
SPOD provides about 200 products to e-sellers, and it’s mainly about apparel and accessories. It’s a small product selection compared to other POD companies. SPOD offers multiple printing options, such as direct-to-garment, digital direct, thermo sublimation, laser transfer, and flex/flock printing. You can integrate SPOD with Etsy, Shopify, WooCommerce, and Wix.
The coolest thing about SPOD is that they offer over 5000 free designs for you to use. You can use SPOD’s design to create your own artwork, and bring it into real products even you’re not a professional graphic designer.
Pros
- SPOD offers a 48-hour production time guarantee for most orders.
- You can freely use the graphics design provided by SPOD.
- SPOD provides discounted samples.
- SPOD uses environmentally friendly materials and techniques to produce products.
Cons
- SPOD has a small product range compared to other POD companies.
- The approval step takes time that could impact the launch of products.
6. Apliiq
Aplliq is a print-on-demand company that focuses on clothing lines, including tops, shorts, and accessories.
To make their clothing outstanding, Apliiq offers various printing options such as digital printing, transfer printing, and screen printing.
Apliiq has a high standard for the apparel, and it’s presented in the whole production process. The artist team will censor your artwork, making a recommendation and asking for your request before production. The production process will start after you approve. It takes 1-5 days depending on the printing options, facilities’s capacity, etc. The final step is shipping, and it takes about 1-5 days for domestic shipping.
Different from other POD fulfillment services, Apliiq provides a robust customization service. It includes woven labels, private labels, and custom packages. With this powerful customization service, you’re able to create unique and differentiated products and packages. This can set you apart from competitors and build customer loyalty.
The downside of Apliiq is the narrower product line and limited integration options. They focus on clothing lines, and you can only integrate with Shopify, Woocommerce, and Etsy.
Apliiq is a completely free-to-use site, but they also have paid services like graphic design, co-marketing, and paid ads. It’s a great service when you need to promote your business.
Apliiq will be a perfect choice if you want to start your own clothing print on demand business.
Pros
- Apliiq offers multiple printing options to cater to different needs.
- Apliiq provides a robust customization service than other POD companies.
Cons
- Apliiq focuses on clothing lines, and it’s less attractive to the e-sellers who want to sell more products.
- Apliiq only has 3 integration options.
- The approval step takes time that could impact the launch of products.
7. Redbubble
Redbubble is a print-on-demand marketplace for independent artists. It has its own marketplace and no integration with other e-commerce platforms. This makes Redbubble less attractive to those who have operated an online store.
However, if you’re an amateurish artist who has a 9-5 job, looking to start a small business as a side hustle, Redbubble may be a good choice for you. Redbubble is a marketplace with huge traffic, and they’re good at running ads. You can save time and energy on marketing since the platform will bring you free traffic.
Another attractive point of Redbubble is the artists can determine their margins. You start to set the profit margins all by yourself when you upload the artwork, but it’s a challenge to keep it profitable and competitive in the marketplace. Besides, Redbubble does take a percentage of the sales made through its platform to cover the costs of production, fulfillment, etc.
Redbubble also pays attention to protecting against copyright infringement on its platform. For example, they have a strict intellectual property policy, content review, and moderation. It can reduce the phenomenon of copycat to some extent. Besides, copycats can get penalties by removing content, terminating accounts, and even legal action.
Redbubble primarily relies on a network of third-party printing partners to fulfill orders. When a customer places an order on Redbubble, the order will automatically transfer to the nearest printing facility to the end destination. It’s a cost-effective solution but has potential quality risk. Fortunately, Redbubble makes it up with a free return policy within 90 days.
Pros
- Redbubble is a popular marketplace that can bring huge traffic for artists.
- You can gain flexible margins by adjusting margins.
- Redbubble has a strict policy to protect against infringement behaviors.
- The homepage of artists can show their personalities and goods to attract followers.
Cons
- Potential quality issues due to third-party printing facilities.
- Redbubble is a marketplace with no integration options.
8. Zazzle
Zazzle is another print-on-demand marketplace like Redbubble. It differentiates itself from other POD sites by its diverse product catalog and powerful customization options. You can browse over 1300 products on Zazzle, from apparel to personalized cards. Once the customers select your design, they can freely edit the color, size, and icons.
When you upload the artwork, you can freely set royalties between 1% to 99% per product. The flexible margins can be motivational. But you also need to set your royalties in a reasonable range.
Being a creator is not the only way to make money on Zazzle. They offer an associate program for creators to make extra money by referring to Zazzle products. You can get a 15% commission on sales when the customers buy the Zazzle products through your link.
Zazzle also introduced a platform called Zazzle Live to help customers make a perfect product. It’s a platform that matches the customers with an expert designer to help them create the best design in real-time.
Pros
- Zazzle has powerful customization options that allow your customers to decide the color, size, etc.
- Zazzle has over 500 brand partners including Disney, Getty Images, and the Armed Forces.
- Easy-to-use tools are perfect for beginners and experts.
- Associate program is great for artists to make extra money.
- Zazzle has a huge customer pool that brings free traffic to you.
Cons
- Zazzle is a print-on-demand marketplace with no integration that could be less attractive to the artist who operates an online shop.
- Many artists are selling on Zazzle which leads to high competition.
9. Merch by Amazon
Merch by Amazon is a program that exists in Amazon. It allows you to sell your print-on-demand products on Amazon. Currently, the only way to sell on Merch by Amazon is by visiting their website and requesting an invitation.
Amazon is a huge marketplace, and selling POD products on its platform can bring exposure to millions of customers all over the world. They have no integration, but you’re allowed to sell POD products on other platforms.
The production time of Merch by Amazon takes 2-7 business days, and it varies from product. Products of Merch by Amazon have several shipping options available. The Prime member can enjoy free & faster delivery.
Similar to Zazzle, you will earn a royalty on every product sold. Your royalties are based on your product’s final price less the taxes and Amazon’s cost, including material, production, fulfillment, etc. You can check the details from their royalty calculation page. While this royalty structure may not give the artist substantial revenue.
Merch by Amazon has a tier system and design limits. The new sellers on Merch by Amazon start with 10 published designs, and the number of products you can add to your designs each day is determined by your tier level. You need to reach a certain level that can get tier up.
Pros
- Merch by Amazon allows their sellers to sell products on Amazon, and it makes product reach globally and exposure to a huge customer base.
- The artist only needs to upload their artwork and Amazon will take charge of the rest of things, including fulfillment, customer service, exchange & return.
Cons
- The tier system and design limit the growth of e-sellers.
- Merch by Amazon is a large e-commerce platform that the e-sellers can face high competition and hard to standout.
10. Society6
Society6 is another print-on-demand marketplace that differentiates itself from other POD sites by its unique style. It’s more about classic and aesthetic art. For product range, Society6 focuses more on wall art and home decor rather than apparel.
The production time of Society6 varies from product. It takes 3-4 business days for most items, and 1-2 weeks for credenzas. For shipping. Society6 has 3 options for domestic shipping, including standard(5-10 business days), expedited(2-3 business days) and rush(1-2 business days). International shipping takes 7-15 business days, and only the standard shipping option is available.
Society6 opens a global community of over 450,000 independent artists from over 170 countries. You can get in touch with artists who have different cultural backgrounds, and this global reach of the community enhances diversity and perspective.
Pros
- Society6 has a global audience, allowing the artists to reach their customers from all over the world.
- Society6 provides a global online community for artists, they can benefit from each other by interacting with diverse perspectives.
- Society6 is more about fine art than pop culture, accumulating a specific audience thereby.
Cons
- The artists need to balance the commission and final price, so they only get a small amount of commission even if they can adjust the markup price.
- It’s an open marketplace that has no integration options.
- Fixed style only attracts a minimal audience.
What should take into consideration when choosing a print-on-demand site?
Print Quality
Print quality matters since it’s a crucial factor whether your customer comes back or not, and your review will also be affected by the print quality. Check the POD company’s review and customer feedback to evaluate their print quality.
Product Range
Check the different types of products every print-on-demand company provides, and see whether they provide the product you need. For example, choosing Inkedjoy for selling a wide product range, or choosing Apliiq for selling clothing.
Production & Shipping
Check the details of production and shipping time. To satisfy your customers, it’s crucial to guarantee the production time and shipping time in a reasonable range.
Printing option
Different POD sites offer various printing options. You need to know the printing methods and ensure they align with your requirements.
Pricing & Margins
No matter whether you’re using POD companies or marketplaces to fulfill orders, it’s necessary to balance the pricing and margins that make your products profitable and competitive in the marketplace. Plus, don’t forget to count on the extra expenses like taxes and customs fees.
Customization Options
Most of the POD companies provide customization options, and you can assess the level of the customization options they have. Then, consider what kind of options your business needs. It’s important to elevate brand awareness and establishing a connection with your customers.
Integration options
Check the integration options if you decide to use print-on-demand fulfillment services. It’ll save you lots of time since you don’t have to place orders manually.
Transparent Policy
There are a lot of uncontrollable factors during the fulfillment process, so knowing the relevant policies and solutions beforehand is necessary. Check the print-on-demand sites whether they have transparent policies or not, including exchange & return, shipping delays, quality issues, etc.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are a lot of print-on-demand sites available. Each POD sites provide a different product catalog, printing options, and shipping options. Partnering with a suitable POD site can help lose your burden and promote business.
Knowing all the information about these POD sites, you’re able to start your own business now. You can choose Inkedjoy for its competitive price, or Redbubble for its free traffic. The key is to weigh the pros and cons of your business and choose based your real needs.
FAQ
1. Where can I get free print-on-demand designs?
You can get free print-on-design in three ways. The first one is to access to free picture sites like Unsplash and Pixabay, but you need to make sure that the design is authorized. The second way is to create by design tools like Canva. The last one is using graphic designs provided by POD companies like SPOD.
2. Can I start print-on-demand with no money?
Yes, you can start a print-on-demand business with no money. The things for you to start the POD business are to set up your store, create your own design, and promote to get sales.
3. How do I start my print-on-demand business?
- Create your own design
- Choose a product to sell
- Select a print-on-demand site as your supplier.
- Upload your design and visualize it with a mockup generator.
- Sign up for an e-commerce platform and set up your store.
- Integrating the POD site with your store and import products.
- Manage your store.
4. Is print-on-demand like dropshipping?
Print-on-demand is similar to dropshipping, but they have distinct differences. You can tell by customization options, printed vs generic products, return policy, etc.
5. What products do print-on-demand companies offer?
Print-on-demand products vary from the POD companies, you can check their product catalog for the details.
6. What’s the difference between the POD company and the POD marketplace?
A print-on-demand company is serving artists(e-sellers) who want to turn their creativity into physical products and sell them in their own stores.
A POD marketplace is serving customers who want to buy POD products. The artists upload their artwork, and sell it in the marketplace, and get a percentage of the sales. They don’t need to invest in marketing.
