Gelato vs Gooten
We give Gelato and Gooten the same GPA: 3.0 out of 4.0. Gelato grades higher on features. Gooten grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Gelato
Print-on-demand service that prints orders near the buyer
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAGelatoVery good | 3.0GPAGootenVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | AThe figure is $0 a month: it's free to install and use with no subscription, and you pay production and shipping per order. Higher VIM loyalty tiers come from yearly spend with Gooten, not a fee. The printers it's listed with are free to sell on too. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe free account is a real one: full catalog, 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. | AFree outright: no subscription, no monthly fee and no plan to upgrade to. Each order is billed at production cost plus shipping, separately from your Shopify invoice. |
| Features | BThe 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. | CThe basics are here: 525+ products, a global network of vetted printers, Shopify, Etsy, TikTok Shop, WooCommerce and BigCommerce, an API and private labels. The gap: its public catalog pages don't list product prices, and Wix, Squarespace and Amazon aren't on its list. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You connect a store, design in the browser editor and publish, so there's setup before your first sale. The free mockups help. | CNo store rating on record. You install the app, connect your store and set up products before the first order, and the public pages don't show what products cost. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | BWeb, with Shopify, Etsy, TikTok Shop, WooCommerce and BigCommerce, plus Order Desk, Customily and a custom API. No phone or desktop app on record. |
| Best for | printing orders close to buyers worldwide | print on demand through a managed printer network |
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: Gelato and Gooten. How we grade
Price against what you get
Gelato starts at $19.99 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Gooten has no paid plan and scores 2.3.
Gelato scores higher, and starts $19.99 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other print-on-demand and dropshipping services on the chart, none scores higher than Gelato for less, and none scores higher than Gooten 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
- Gelato starts at $19.99 per month, billed annually ($29.99 billed monthly). Gooten is free.
At a glance
| Gelato | Gooten | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $19.99 per month, billed annually ($29.99 billed monthly) | Free |
| Free plan | 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 to install and use, with no subscription. Each order is charged for the cost of production and shipping. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of Gelato+, with payment details required; product discounts start only once you pay | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Gelato | Gooten |
| Price read from | support.gelato.com | apps.shopify.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Gelato
- Sellers with buyers in many countries who want shorter delivery distances
- Shopify and Etsy stores selling wall art, apparel and home decor
- Starting with no monthly fee and upgrading once order volume grows
Gooten
- Brands with steady order volume that want account support as they grow
- TikTok Shop and Etsy sellers who need a fulfillment network that meets those marketplaces' rules
- Developers sending orders from a custom site or app through an API
Worth knowing
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.
Gooten
- You pay the production cost and shipping for each order, and Gooten's public catalog pages do not list product prices.
- Printing is done by partner decorators in Gooten's network rather than in Gooten's own plants.
- Gooten's Shopify app is published by OrderMesh Inc., and its charges are billed separately from the Shopify invoice.
- Higher VIM tiers depend on a yearly spend with Gooten rather than a fee.
Key features
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.
Gooten
- Global fulfillment network
- Orders are routed to vetted decorators in Gooten's network, chosen by location to cut shipping costs; Gooten states a service level of under 3 days.
- Store integrations
- Apps for Shopify, Etsy, TikTok Shop, WooCommerce and BigCommerce, plus Order Desk, manual uploads and Customily for personalized products.
- Gooten API
- A custom API for sending orders from your own site, a mobile app or other software, for brands that do not use a standard store platform.
- Catalog
- 525+ products, including Bella + Canvas, Champion and C2 Sport apparel, kids' clothing, hats, stickers, canvas wall art and phone cases.
- VIM loyalty program
- Very Important Merchant tiers, from Insider to Elite, unlock consultations, custom holiday cut-off dates and performance reports as yearly spend grows.
- Private labels
- Products can carry your own labels, and the catalog supports customization for personalized orders.
Plans
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.
Gooten
Free$0
No monthly fee. Orders are charged at the product's production cost plus shipping, billed by Gooten outside your Shopify invoice.
Ways to pay less
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.
Gooten
No public discounts listed.
