CustomCat vs PODpartner (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, CustomCat grades higher than PODpartner: 3.0 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
CustomCat grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
CustomCat
US print-on-demand printer with wholesale prices and a PRO plan
Which one is for you
Pick CustomCat if
- Fits if you sell lots of T-shirts and want PRO's 20% to 40% off wholesale prices
- Works for Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce and BigCommerce stores shipping mostly to US customers
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if most of your buyers are abroad, as printing happens only in the US and orders ship from there
- Skip it if you sell on TikTok Shop or Amazon, as neither is on its integration list
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $30 for PRO against $300 a year
- Watch out: the 60-day PRO trial is for first-time subscribers only
- Watch out: Enterprise pricing depends on steady daily orders or monthly revenue, reviewed every quarter
Pick PODpartner if
- Fits if you sell printed or embroidered clothing on Shopify or Etsy
- Works for sellers who want no monthly fee
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you sell mugs or posters, as it is clothing only
- Pricey if you sell cheap tees: the base cost starts at USD 10.31
- Watch out: shipping is charged per order and the rates are on a separate page
- Watch out: base costs vary by item, so check each product
How we grade them
| 3.0GPACustomCatVery good | 2.4GPAPODpartnerFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AThe figure is $0 a month: Lite has the full catalog at standard wholesale prices, unlimited product creation and no minimum order. PRO is $300 a year ($30 monthly) for 20% to 40% off. The printers it's listed with are free to sell on too. | CNo membership fee, but a basic T-shirt starts at USD 10.31 and a hoodie at USD 24.96 before shipping, so cost sits in the middle. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright on Lite, with the full catalog and unlimited products. First-time subscribers also get a 60-day free trial of PRO, the longest trial in this category. | BThe whole service has no membership fee and no order minimum. You pay product and shipping on orders that sell. |
| Features | CPrinting and shipping done by CustomCat itself, DIGISOFT and all-over print, personalization apps, bulk publishing, an API and CSV upload. The gaps: printing happens only in the US, and TikTok Shop and Amazon aren't among its integrations. | CDesign Creator, DTG printing, embroidery, store integrations, custom branding and fulfillment. Clothing only, which is a narrower catalog. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You connect a store or upload a CSV and create products, with bulk tools to help, so there's setup before your first sale. | CNo store rating is on record. You design, connect a store and order samples, so there is setup first. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, with Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce and BigCommerce, Order Desk, CSV upload and an API, plus Customily, Teeinblue and Zakeke for personalization. No phone or desktop app on record. | BWeb only, with Shopify, Etsy, Wix and WooCommerce. |
| Best for | US-made print on demand at wholesale prices | print-on-demand clothing with no membership fee |
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: CustomCat and PODpartner. How we grade
Price against what you get
CustomCat starts at $25 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. PODpartner has no paid plan and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and PODpartner starts $25 a month lower. Of the other print-on-demand and dropshipping services on the chart, 11 score higher than CustomCat for less, and none scores higher than PODpartner 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
- PODpartner also covers online store and dropshipping.
At a glance
| CustomCat | PODpartner | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $25 per month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly) | Free |
| Free plan | CustomCat Lite: the full catalog at standard wholesale prices, unlimited product creation and direct fulfillment, with no subscription. You pay the product's base cost and shipping when a sale is made. | The whole service: no membership fees or order minimums; you pay product and shipping cost for each order that sells. |
| Free trial | 60-day free trial of CustomCat PRO for first-time subscribers | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | CustomCat | PODpartner, Inc. |
| Price read from | help.customcat.com | podpartner.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
CustomCat
- Products and shipping are paid per sale: CustomCat's example T-shirt costs $9.58 on Lite and $6.90 on PRO, and an 11oz mug $6.82 or $3.75.
- Printing happens only in the US, so international orders ship from there.
- TikTok Shop and Amazon are not among the listed integrations.
- Enterprise pricing needs a steady daily order volume or monthly revenue, reviewed every quarter.
PODpartner
- Clothing only; it is not a general product catalog.
- Base costs vary by item: the homepage shows a 190GSM unisex T-shirt from USD 10.31 and a fleece-lined hoodie from USD 24.96.
- Shipping is charged per order; the homepage does not give rates, which are on a separate shipping page.
Key features
CustomCat
- US production
- Orders are printed and shipped from the USA by CustomCat itself, with no third parties in between; it advertises 48-hour printing.
- Wholesale pricing tiers
- Lite charges standard wholesale prices; PRO cuts them by 20% to 40%, and Enterprise adds volume discounts for high-volume sellers.
- Store integrations
- Connect Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce or BigCommerce, or send orders by CSV upload, through Order Desk or with the CustomCat API.
- Personalization apps
- Works with Customily, Teeinblue and Zakeke for personalized products, and Shopify stores can add a personalization section.
- Bulk publishing
- Tools to create products in bulk and mass-publish listings, with a design library and export templates.
- Printing options
- DIGISOFT digital printing and all-over-print products, with eco-friendly items in the catalog.
PODpartner
- Design Creator
- A browser design tool for placing artwork on garments. A single print area can be up to 24 by 24 inches, with up to 21 print areas per garment.
- DTG printing and embroidery
- Direct-to-garment printing on a Brother GTX Pro-B printer and machine embroidery, plus HTV and a jumbo DTG option.
- Store integrations
- The homepage lists Shopify, Etsy, Wix and WooCommerce, and its FAQ also names Squarespace.
- Custom branding
- Branding materials produced with each order to shape the unboxing experience.
- Fulfillment
- The site says 98% of orders are fulfilled within 48 hours, with three shipping methods worldwide.
- Apparel catalog
- Men's and women's T-shirts, long sleeves, hoodies, sweatshirts, tank tops, jackets, shorts, pants and hats.
Plans
CustomCat
CustomCat Lite$0
Full catalog at standard wholesale prices, unlimited product creation, DIGISOFT printing and no minimum order volume.
CustomCat PRO$25
per month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly)
20% to 40% off wholesale prices on the whole catalog, plus promotional product pricing. Sold as $300 a year or $30 a month.
EnterpriseCustom
For stores with hundreds of orders a day: volume pricing, a dedicated account specialist, SLAs and API technical support.
PODpartner
Free$0
Design tool, store integration and fulfillment with no subscription; each order is charged at the product's base cost plus shipping.
Ways to pay less
CustomCat
- Annual discount
PRO for $300 a year, save 17%
CustomCat PRO costs $300 a year, or $25 a month, against $30 billed monthly; CustomCat's Shopify listing calls this a 17% saving.
PODpartner
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, CustomCat or PODpartner?
As of Nov 13, 2026, PODpartner is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $25 a month for CustomCat. CustomCat starts at $25 per month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly), and PODpartner is free.
Which has a free plan, CustomCat or PODpartner?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both CustomCat and PODpartner 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.