Merch by Amazon vs Printful (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Printful: it is second in our ranking of print-on-demand and dropshipping services, and it grades higher too, 3.2 against 2.2.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Printful grades higher on value for money, the free plan, features and platforms. They get the same grade on ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Merch by Amazon
Amazon program for uploading designs and earning royalties
Printful
Print-on-demand company that makes and ships orders in-house
Which one is for you
Pick Merch by Amazon if
- Fits if you want your designs sold on Amazon with Amazon handling customer service
- Makes sense if you can wait for an approval decision before selling
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: accounts are reviewed and approved, so you may not get in
- Watch out: Amazon can remove designs or suspend accounts that break its content policy
- Skip it if you need to know your earnings in advance, since the royalty formula is on a separate page
- Tight if you want your own storefront, as your products live on Amazon
Pick Printful if
- Fits if you want one company to print, check and ship every order
- Works for Etsy and Shopify sellers adding embroidered or all-over-print apparel
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you want branded labels, as printed inside labels are $0.99 each and outside ones $2.49
- Watch out: extra print placements, premium images and embroidery digitization at $2.95 to $6.50 a design all cost extra
- Not for you if you're outside the US and want a Quick Store, as those need US tax residency and US buyers
- Tight if you order lots of samples, as the free plan allows 1 sample order a month with up to 3 items
- Pricey if your sales are under $12K a year and you want Growth's discounts, at $24.99 a month
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAMerch by AmazonFair | 3.2GPAPrintfulVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo upfront costs, but the royalty rate is on a page we did not read, so it can't be set against the category. | 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 | BFree to join and no trial needed, though a request goes through approval and Amazon replies by email. | AFree with no time limit, 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 | CUpload art, pick a product and colour, Amazon makes and ships it, with Prime shipping and sales analytics. The listing names t-shirt artwork rules, 300 dpi PNG, and nothing on royalties. | BCovers the 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 prepare artwork to a 15 by 18 inch print area and wait for approval. | 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 | CWeb only, with no API or integrations on the listing. | 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 | selling t-shirt designs on Amazon with no upfront cost | 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: Merch by Amazon and Printful. How we grade
Price against what you get
Merch by Amazon has no paid plan and scores 2.0 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.
Printful scores higher, and starts $1 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 Merch by Amazon 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
- Merch by Amazon also covers amazon selling.
- Printful also covers online store.
At a glance
| Merch by Amazon | Printful | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $24.99 per month (Growth), free once sales reach $12K a year |
| Free plan | No upfront costs: the page says Amazon prints and ships each sale and pays the creator a monthly royalty. | 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 | None listed | 14-day free trial of Printful Growth |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Amazon.com, Inc. | Printful Inc. |
| Price read from | merch.amazon.com | printful.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Merch by Amazon
- Accounts are reviewed and approved; the page says Amazon will send a decision by email after a request.
- Amazon can remove designs or suspend accounts that violate its content policy.
- T-shirt artwork should be a 300 dpi PNG with a 15 by 18 inch printable area.
- The royalty formula is on a separate page not read here, so rates are not stated.
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
Merch by Amazon
- No upfront costs
- Upload artwork, choose a product type and color and add a description; Amazon builds the product page and prints after each sale.
- Royalties on each sale
- Amazon pays a royalty per product sold; the landing page points to a separate Royalty Calculation page for the formula.
- Prime shipping
- The page says all products are eligible for Prime shipping, with the same shipping options as other Amazon items.
- Non-exclusive
- The FAQ says the program is non-exclusive, so the same design can be offered on other sites.
- Sales analytics
- Creators get analysis tools showing their best-selling designs and revenue.
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
Merch by Amazon
Content creator$0
Sign up with an Amazon account and wait for approval; Amazon pays a royalty on every product sold.
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
Merch by Amazon
No public discounts listed.
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.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Merch by Amazon or Printful?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Merch by Amazon is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $1 a month when paid by the year for Printful. Merch by Amazon is free, and Printful starts at $24.99 per month (Growth), free once sales reach $12K a year.
Which has a free plan, Merch by Amazon or Printful?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Merch by Amazon and Printful 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.