Gelato vs Printful
We give Gelato a 3.0 GPA and Printful a 3.2, out of 4.0. Printful grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, 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
Printful
Print-on-demand company that makes and ships orders in-house
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAGelatoVery good | 3.2GPAPrintfulVery 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: the free plan has all 584 products, unlimited stores and the design and mockup tools, which is enough to sell. Growth is $24.99 a month for up to 33% off products, and turns free once sales reach $12K a year. Its rival printers 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 forever with every product, unlimited store connections, the Design Maker, the Mockup Generator and 24/7 support. The cap you might notice is samples: 1 order a month with up to 3 items, at 20% off. |
| 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. | BThe whole job, made in-house: DTG, DTF, all-over print and embroidery including 3D puff, 20+ sales channels from Shopify and Etsy to TikTok Shop and Amazon, free design tools, and branded labels and packaging. Quick Stores are US-only, but nothing core is missing. |
| 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 connect a store or open a Quick Store, design in the Design Maker and publish, so there's setup before your first sale. |
| 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, WooCommerce, TikTok Shop, Amazon, Wix, Squarespace and BigCommerce among 20+ channels. No phone or desktop app on record, so B is as high as it goes. |
| Best for | printing orders close to buyers worldwide | print on demand made and shipped in-house |
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 Printful. 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. Printful starts at $1 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and Printful starts $18.99 a month lower. Of the other print-on-demand and dropshipping services on the chart, none scores higher than Gelato for less, and none scores higher than Printful 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). Printful starts at $24.99 per month (Growth), free once sales reach $12K a year.
- Printful also covers online store.
At a glance
| Gelato | Printful | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $19.99 per month, billed annually ($29.99 billed monthly) | $24.99 per month (Growth), free once sales reach $12K a year |
| 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. | All 584 products, unlimited store connections, the Design Maker and Mockup Generator, 24/7 support and 20% off sample orders. You pay for each product and its shipping when an order comes in. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of Gelato+, with payment details required; product discounts start only once you pay | 14-day free trial of Printful Growth |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Gelato | Printful Inc. |
| Price read from | support.gelato.com | printful.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
Printful
- Brands that want one company to print, check and ship every order
- Etsy and Shopify sellers adding embroidered or all-over-print apparel
- US beginners who want a free storefront without a store platform
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.
Printful
- Products are paid per order plus shipping and taxes: the Bella + Canvas 3001 unisex T-shirt page lists $11.92, which includes one print.
- Extra print placements, labels, premium images and embroidery digitization ($2.95 to $6.50 per design, once) all cost extra.
- Free plan sample orders are limited to 1 a month with up to 3 items, at 20% off.
- Quick Stores work only for sellers with US tax residency and buyers with US shipping addresses.
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.
Printful
- In-house production
- Printful makes every order in its own facilities with a 3-step quality check, and covers a free reprint or refund for manufacturing errors.
- Printing methods
- Direct-to-garment, direct-to-film, all-over print and embroidery, including 3D puff and unlimited-color embroidery.
- Store integrations
- Connect Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, TikTok Shop, Amazon, Wix, Squarespace, BigCommerce, Ecwid, Square or Big Cartel, among 20+ channels.
- Quick Stores
- A free Printful storefront you can launch in minutes, with your store name and logo; available only to US sellers shipping to US buyers.
- Design Maker and mockups
- Free design and mockup tools, with paid Getty premium images at $1 per image, placement and item sold.
- Branding options
- Printed inside labels ($0.99 each), outside labels ($2.49 each), and branded packaging and inserts, at extra cost per order.
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.
Printful
Free$0
584 products, unlimited stores, free design and mockup tools, 20+ sales channels and 24/7 support.
Printful Growth$24.99
per month
Up to 33% off products, 9% off branding, 25% off samples and a large front print on some items. Free once your sales reach $12K a year.
EnterpriseCustom
For high-volume brands: a store built and run by Printful's team, custom solutions, a dedicated success manager and market data.
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.
Printful
- Other savings
Growth plan free at $12K a year in sales
Printful's pricing page says the $24.99-a-month Growth plan becomes free once a store reaches $12,000 a year in sales.
