Cloudprinter vs Gelato (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Gelato grades higher than Cloudprinter: 3.0 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Gelato grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Cloudprinter
Print API that routes print-on-demand orders to local printers
Gelato
Print-on-demand service that prints orders near the buyer
Which one is for you
Pick Cloudprinter if
- Fits if you are a developer or platform that wants to send print orders by API
- Works for sellers who need local printing in different countries
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you outgrow Starter: Business is 199 euros a month
- Skip it if you want to buy online, as Business is bought by contacting sales
- Not for you if you want a mobile or desktop app, as it is a web dashboard and API only
- Watch out: print and shipping costs vary by product and country, and none are listed
Pick Gelato if
- Fits if your buyers are spread across many countries and you want orders printed near them
- Works for Shopify and Etsy stores selling wall art, apparel and home decor
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you sell through more than 2 stores or need a third user, as the free account stops at 2 of each
- Not for you if you want to try Gelato+ without handing over payment details
- Watch out: product discounts start only once Gelato+ is paid, not during the trial
- Watch out: product costs vary with the region that prints the order, so margins differ by country
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $29.99 for Gelato+ against $19.99 billed yearly, with local tax added in the US and Norway
How we grade them
| 2.6GPACloudprinterGood | 3.0GPAGelatoVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CStarter is $0 and you pay print and shipping per order. The first paid plan is 199 euros a month, far above the $25 category middle, and no print costs are published. | AThe figure is $0 a month: the free account has the full catalog, the design editor and free mockups, which is enough to sell. Gelato+ is $19.99 a month on yearly billing ($29.99 monthly) for product discounts and 10 stores. Its rival printers are free to sell on too. |
| Free plan and trial | BStarter includes the Print API, print apps, automated routing, chat support and the full catalog, free for good. Nothing about it is time-limited. | BThe free account has the full catalog, the design editor and free mockups. But it's 2 connected stores and 2 users, so a third shop won't fit. The 14-day Gelato+ trial needs payment details, and its discounts only start once you pay. |
| Features | BPrint API, a global print network, routing profiles and a 50,000+ product catalog. Ecwid, Order Desk and Big Cartel need Zapier, a small gap. | BCovers the whole job: local production in 33 countries, Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, BigCommerce and Amazon, an API, a design editor, free mockups and buyer personalization on Shopify. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core work. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating is on record. It is API-first, so a developer or a print app is needed to connect your store. | CNo store rating on record. You connect a store, design in the browser editor and publish, so there's setup before your first sale. Mockups are free. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb and API, with Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix, eBay and Amazon Seller Central. No desktop or mobile apps. | BWeb only, with Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, BigCommerce, Amazon and Order Desk, plus the Gelato API. No phone or desktop app on record, so B is as high as it goes. |
| Best for | a print API that routes orders to local printers | printing orders close to buyers worldwide |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Cloudprinter and Gelato. How we grade
Price against what you get
Cloudprinter starts at about $222.32 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Gelato starts at $19.99 a month and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and Gelato starts $202.33 a month lower. Of the other print-on-demand and dropshipping services on the chart, 1 scores higher than Cloudprinter for less, and none scores higher than Gelato for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Cloudprinter also covers online store and dropshipping.
At a glance
| Cloudprinter | Gelato | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | €199 per month (Business plan) | $19.99 per month, billed annually ($29.99 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | Starter plan: Print API and print apps, 24/7 chat support, a self-serve help center, automated routing and the full 50,000+ product catalog. | Free account: 2 connected stores, 2 users, the full catalog, the design editor and free mockups. You pay only for products and shipping when an order comes in. |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial of Gelato+, with payment details required; product discounts start only once you pay |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Cloudprinter.com B.V. | Gelato |
| Price read from | cloudprinter.com | support.gelato.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Cloudprinter
- The Business plan is priced in euros and is bought by contacting sales, not through self-serve checkout.
- Print and shipping costs vary by product and country; the pricing page lists none.
- Ecwid, Order Desk and Big Cartel connections need Zapier, according to the apps page.
- Runs as a web dashboard and API; there are no desktop or mobile apps.
Gelato
- Gelato charges for each product and its shipping when it receives a paid order, and its help center says costs vary with the region that produces it.
- The free account connects only 2 stores and 2 users; Gelato+ raises that to 10 stores and 5 users.
- The Gelato+ trial needs payment details, and product discounts apply only after the paid plan starts.
- Local taxes are added to the Gelato+ price for customers in the United States and Norway.
Key features
Cloudprinter
- Print API
- A RESTful API with PHP and Node.js SDKs for sending print jobs; the site says API calls are unlimited.
- Global print network
- Orders print and ship from 381 print locations in 104 countries, which the vendor says cuts shipping distance.
- Print apps
- More than 50 integrations, including Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix, eBay and Amazon Seller Central.
- Wide product range
- Over 50,000 print products, from T-shirts and posters to photobooks, textbooks, puzzles and flyers.
- Routing profiles
- Rules that decide which print partner takes an order; the Business plan gives 10 or more, Enterprise adds custom ones.
- PDF FIX
- A tool that checks and corrects print files, included from the Business plan.
Gelato
- Local production network
- Orders are routed to print hubs in 33 countries, so products are made near the customer rather than shipped from one central plant.
- Store integrations
- Connect Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, BigCommerce or Order Desk, publish to Amazon, or send orders through the Gelato API.
- Design editor and mockups
- A browser design editor with free product mockups; Gelato+ adds premium apparel and wall art mockups, background removal, graphics and text effects.
- Personalization
- Shopify buyers can personalize products with a button on the product page, which Gelato+ members can hide or restyle.
- Gelato+ selling tools
- Magic Mockups, Instant Collections, Price Navigator for setting retail prices, and Velocity Switch for moving products over from another print service.
- Branded extras
- Gelato+ adds branded labels and packaging inserts for posters, and shipping profit options on top of the product discounts.
Plans
Cloudprinter
Starter$0
Print API, print apps, automated routing and the full catalog; you pay print and shipping cost per order.
Business€199
per month
Adds 10+ routing profiles, PDF FIX, a dedicated regional manager and a 10% discount on print cost; sold through sales.
EnterpriseCustom
Adds custom product templates and routing profiles, a key account manager, a custom print-cost discount and carbon emissions reporting.
Gelato
Free$0
2 connected stores and 2 users, local production in 33 countries, the design editor and free mockups for every product.
Gelato+$19.99
per month, billed annually ($29.99 billed monthly)
10 stores, 5 users, product discounts, live shipping rates and express shipping on Shopify, premium mockups, Shutterstock images and 250 premium fonts.
Ways to pay less
Cloudprinter
No public discounts listed.
Gelato
- Annual discount
Gelato+ for $19.99 a month billed yearly
Gelato's help center lists Gelato+ at $239.88 a year ($19.99 a month) against $29.99 billed monthly; its Shopify listing calls this a 33% saving.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Cloudprinter or Gelato?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Gelato is cheaper to start with: $19.99 a month, against about $222.32 a month for Cloudprinter. Cloudprinter starts at €199 per month (Business plan), and Gelato starts at $19.99 per month, billed annually ($29.99 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Cloudprinter or Gelato?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Cloudprinter and Gelato have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.