Printful vs Spreadconnect
We give Printful a 3.2 GPA and Spreadconnect a 3.0, out of 4.0. Printful grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Printful
Print-on-demand company that makes and ships orders in-house
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAPrintfulVery good | 3.0GPASpreadconnectVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | 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 | 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. | AFree outright. No upfront costs, no subscription and no fees, with an unlimited number of products per store. |
| Features | 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. | 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 or open a Quick Store, design in the Design Maker and publish, so there's setup before your first sale. | 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, 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. | 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 | print on demand made and shipped in-house | 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: Printful and Spreadconnect. How we grade
Price against what you get
Printful starts at $1 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Spreadconnect has no paid plan and scores 2.3.
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 Printful 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
- Printful starts at $24.99 per month (Growth), free once sales reach $12K a year. Spreadconnect is free.
- Printful also covers online store.
At a glance
| Printful | Spreadconnect | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $24.99 per month (Growth), free once sales reach $12K a year | Free |
| Free plan | 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. | 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 Printful Growth | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Printful Inc. | Spreadshirt Print On Demand GmbH |
| Price read from | printful.com | spreadshop.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
Spreadconnect
No public discounts listed.
