CustomCat vs Scalable Press (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, CustomCat grades higher than Scalable Press: 3.0 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
CustomCat grades higher on value for money and the free plan. Scalable Press grades higher on features. They get the same grade on 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
Scalable Press
Single-invoice print fulfilment with a public ordering API
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 Scalable Press if
- Fits if you want custom apparel in small runs under one invoice
- Works for developers who order prints through an API
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: estimator prices exclude shipping and may differ when you order
- Tight if you want high volume rates, which need a call to Scalable Press
- Skip it if you want ready-made store links, since none are listed
- Not for you if you want a free trial, as only per-item pricing is shown
How we grade them
| 3.0GPACustomCatVery good | 2.4GPAScalable PressFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 subscription. The API page's example is a plain white full-colour shirt at $5.50, and the estimator leaves out shipping. |
| 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. | CAn account with no fee, but you pay per item, and no trial is on the pages. |
| 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. | BScreen printing, DTG, sublimation, digital and embroidery, a single invoice, no minimums and an ordering API. Nothing on the listing is missing for the job. |
| 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. Ordering means choosing a print type and product, or building to the API. |
| 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 a public ordering API and no store apps listed. |
| Best for | US-made print on demand at wholesale prices | bulk print orders on one invoice, with an API |
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 Scalable Press. 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. Scalable Press has no paid plan and scores 2.7.
Scalable Press scores higher and starts $25 a month lower. Of the other print-on-demand and dropshipping services on the chart, 8 score higher than CustomCat for less, and none scores higher than Scalable Press 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
- Scalable Press also covers dropshipping.
At a glance
| CustomCat | Scalable Press | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | No subscription on the pages read: you request or register an account and pay per item ordered; a pricing estimator shows per-piece prices. |
| Free trial | 60-day free trial of CustomCat PRO for first-time subscribers | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | CustomCat | Scalable Press |
| Price read from | help.customcat.com | scalablepress.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
Scalable Press
- The API page shows a plain white shirt in full color at $5.50 per shirt as an example; costs vary by item and quantity.
- Estimator prices exclude shipping and may differ at order time.
- Embroidery is labeled new on the home 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.
Scalable Press
- Five print types
- Screen printing, DTG, digital, sublimation and embroidery, each with its own product list and typical turnaround.
- Single invoice
- Blanks, printing and white-label fulfilment arrive on one invoice, from facilities spread across several locations.
- Ordering API
- The API page offers documentation for sending shirts, mugs, phone cases, posters and other products programmatically.
- No minimums
- The API page says all products have no minimum order quantity, and orders typically ship in one to three business days.
- Pricing estimator
- A public estimator shows per-piece prices by product, print type and quantity; it excludes shipping.
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.
Scalable Press
Pay per order$0
Account with no listed fee; you pay per item printed, with high-volume pricing available by contacting Scalable Press.
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.
Scalable Press
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, CustomCat or Scalable Press?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Scalable Press 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 Scalable Press is free.
Which has a free plan, CustomCat or Scalable Press?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both CustomCat and Scalable Press 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.