CustomCat vs Printify
We give CustomCat a 3.0 GPA and Printify a 3.4, out of 4.0. Printify grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, 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
Printify
Print-on-demand marketplace with 2,000+ products and 70+ printers
How we grade them
| 3.0GPACustomCatVery good | 3.4GPAPrintifyVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | AThe figure is $0 a month: the free plan connects up to 5 stores with unlimited designs, which is plenty to sell. Premium is $24.99 a month on yearly billing ($39 monthly) and only lowers product prices. The printers it's listed with are free to sell on too. |
| 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. | AFree forever, with 5 stores per account, unlimited product designs, every sales channel and 24/7 support. A small store won't reach those limits. You only pay for the product and shipping when an order comes in. |
| 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. | AThe whole job, plus something its rivals don't do: 2,000+ products, each from one of 70+ printers you choose by cost and location. There's also a free Pop-Up Store with your own domain, a mockup maker and free reprints for print errors. A custom API is Enterprise only. |
| 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 on record. You design products in the creator, then connect a store like Etsy or Shopify or set up the Pop-Up Store. Not hard, but it's setup before your first sale. |
| 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, iPhone and Android, with Etsy, Shopify, TikTok Shop, Amazon, eBay, WooCommerce, Wix and Squarespace. No desktop app, which keeps it off an A, and the Android app still lacks some iPhone features. |
| Best for | US-made print on demand at wholesale prices | print on demand with the widest choice of printers |
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 Printify. 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. Printify starts at $24.99 a month and scores 3.0.
Printify scores higher and starts $0.01 a month lower. Of the other print-on-demand and dropshipping services on the chart, 6 score higher than CustomCat for less, and none scores higher than Printify 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
- CustomCat starts at $25 per month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly). Printify starts at $24.99 per month, billed yearly ($39 billed monthly).
- Only Printify lists iOS and Android apps.
- Printify also covers online store.
At a glance
| CustomCat | Printify | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $25 per month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly) | $24.99 per month, billed yearly ($39 billed monthly) |
| 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. | Up to 5 stores per account, unlimited product designs, every sales-channel integration and 24/7 support. You pay only the product and shipping cost when an order comes in. |
| Free trial | 60-day free trial of CustomCat PRO for first-time subscribers | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | CustomCat | Printify, Inc. |
| Price read from | help.customcat.com | printify.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Who each one suits
CustomCat
- High-volume T-shirt sellers who want lower wholesale prices
- Shopify and Etsy stores shipping mostly to US customers
- Sellers who want a long free trial before paying for discounts
Printify
- Etsy and Shopify sellers who want printed merch without holding stock
- Beginners who want to start with no monthly fee
- Sellers who want to compare several printers' prices for the same product
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.
Printify
- Product and shipping costs are charged per order: the pricing page's example tee costs $8.77 to fulfill with one print, before shipping and taxes.
- Premium is non-refundable and must be cancelled before the renewal date to avoid the next charge.
- A custom API integration, branded customer support and an account manager come only with Enterprise.
- The Android app lacks some iPhone features, such as AI mockups and manual orders, which Printify says are coming.
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.
Printify
- Catalog and print providers
- 2,000+ products, from T-shirts and hoodies to phone cases, candles and posters, each made by one of 70+ print providers you pick by base cost and location.
- Sales-channel integrations
- Publish products to Etsy, Shopify, TikTok Shop, Amazon, eBay, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Wix, Squarespace and PrestaShop, and orders flow back to Printify to fulfill.
- Pop-Up Store
- A free Printify-hosted store with your own domain, logo and colors, no subscription or listing fees, and products buyers can personalize with names or dates.
- Design tools
- A free product creator and mockup generator, an AI image generator, and AI mockups for Premium members.
- Mobile app
- iOS and Android apps for designing, publishing and tracking orders; the iPhone app also places sample orders and connects Etsy and TikTok Shop.
- Merchant Protection
- If an order arrives with a manufacturing error, Printify covers a free reprint or a refund within 30 days.
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.
Printify
Free$0
5 stores per account, unlimited designs, the product creator, manual and imported orders, and 24/7 merchant support.
Premium$24.99
per month, billed yearly ($39 billed monthly)
Up to 20% off all products and up to 33% off new ones, 10 stores, AI mockups, Printify Connect order management and Sellers Club PRO mentoring. Shown as "from".
EnterpriseCustom
For merchants with high daily sales: unlimited stores, extra product discounts, a custom API integration and a dedicated account manager.
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.
Printify
- Annual discount
Save 36% on Premium with yearly billing
Printify's pricing page shows Premium from $24.99 a month billed yearly instead of $39 billed monthly, a 36% saving.
