Gelato vs Printify
We give Gelato a 3.0 GPA and Printify a 3.4, out of 4.0. Printify grades higher on the free plan and features. 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
Printify
Print-on-demand marketplace with 2,000+ products and 70+ printers
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAGelatoVery good | 3.4GPAPrintifyVery 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 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 | 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 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 | 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. | 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, 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 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 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, 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 | printing orders close to buyers worldwide | 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: Gelato and Printify. 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. Printify starts at $24.99 a month and scores 3.0.
Printify scores higher, and starts $5 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 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
- Gelato starts at $19.99 per month, billed annually ($29.99 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
| Gelato | Printify | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $19.99 per month, billed annually ($29.99 billed monthly) | $24.99 per month, billed yearly ($39 billed monthly) |
| 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. | 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 | 14-day free trial of Gelato+, with payment details required; product discounts start only once you pay | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Gelato | Printify, Inc. |
| Price read from | support.gelato.com | printify.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
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
