Gelato vs Spreadconnect
We give Gelato and Spreadconnect the same GPA: 3.0 out of 4.0. Gelato grades higher on features. Spreadconnect 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 | 3.0GPASpreadconnectVery 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: no setup, subscription or running fees, and you pay the base price, shipping and tax per order. Each extra print area adds $5, and flex or flock prints add a one-time $2.50 per order. 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 outright. No upfront costs, no subscription and no fees, with an unlimited number of products per store. |
| 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. | CFast and complete for apparel, mugs and caps: 250+ products, DTG, sublimation, DTF and flex prints, a design tool with a design library, and an API. The gap: Etsy isn't among its integrations, and it can't ship to some countries. |
| 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 such as Shopify or WooCommerce, design in the drag-and-drop tool 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, TikTok Shop, WooCommerce, Squarespace, Magento and Shopware, Amazon and eBay through Order Desk, and an API. No phone or desktop app on record. |
| Best for | printing orders close to buyers worldwide | fast print on demand from US and EU plants |
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 Spreadconnect. 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. Spreadconnect 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 Spreadconnect 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). Spreadconnect is free.
At a glance
| Gelato | Spreadconnect | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | No upfront costs, subscription or fees. Each order is invoiced at the product's base price plus any extra print areas, shipping and tax. |
| 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 | Spreadshirt Print On Demand GmbH |
| Price read from | support.gelato.com | spreadshop.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
Spreadconnect
- Shopify and TikTok Shop sellers who want fast US or EU production
- Brands that already know Spreadshirt or Spreadshop
- Sellers who want no monthly fee at all
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.
Spreadconnect
- Orders cost the base product price plus shipping and tax: the site's earnings calculator starts from a $9.00 base price, and each extra print area adds $5.
- Flex, special flex and flock prints add a one-time $2.50 per order.
- Etsy is not among the listed integrations; Amazon and eBay work only through Order Desk.
- Spreadconnect cannot ship to some countries, which its help center lists separately for its US and European facilities.
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.
Spreadconnect
- 48-hour production
- Spreadconnect says it produces and ships 95% of orders within 48 hours from its facilities in the US and Europe.
- Store integrations
- Connect Shopify, TikTok Shop, WooCommerce, Squarespace, Magento or Shopware, or route Amazon and eBay orders through Order Desk.
- API
- A customizable API for selling Spreadconnect products from your own website or software.
- Printing methods
- Digital direct-to-garment printing, sublimation for mugs and phone cases, DTF transfers, and flex, flock and special flex prints for designs of up to three colors.
- Design tool and library
- A drag-and-drop designer for your own artwork, with a library of ready-made designs to choose from.
- 250+ products
- T-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, mugs, caps and hats and other accessories, with an unlimited number of products per store.
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.
Spreadconnect
Free$0
No setup or running fees. You pay the base product price, which includes one print area, plus shipping and tax on each order.
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.
Spreadconnect
No public discounts listed.
