Printful vs Spreadshirt (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 2.8.
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. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, 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
Spreadshirt
Free Spreadshop stores with print-on-demand apparel and gifts
Which one is for you
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
Pick Spreadshirt if
- Fits if you want a free shop and no inventory to manage
- Works for shops on Shopify or WooCommerce through Spreadconnect
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: product prices aren't on the pages, so your profit is only what you can see after signing up
- Not for you if you want a mobile app, since shops run in a browser and none is listed
- Watch out: Spreadconnect is a separate service and its pricing wasn't read
- Skip it if you need a trial to compare, as free is the only plan shown
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAPrintfulVery good | 2.8GPASpreadshirtGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CNo shop cost, but product prices aren't listed, so the margin can't be compared with the category. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | ASpreadshop has no costs or fees to set up or run, no card and no cap named on the page. |
| Features | 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. | BOver 350 products, own production sites, your own margin and Spreadconnect for outside stores. Nothing on the listing is missing for the job. |
| 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 still build a shop and set margins. |
| 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 only, with Shopify, WooCommerce, TikTok, Squarespace and Magento links. |
| Best for | print on demand made and shipped in-house | a free print-on-demand shop with 350+ products |
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 Spreadshirt. 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. Spreadshirt has no paid plan and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and Spreadshirt starts $1 a month lower. Of the other print-on-demand and dropshipping services on the chart, none scores higher than Printful for less, and none scores higher than Spreadshirt 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
- Spreadshirt also covers dropshipping.
At a glance
| Printful | Spreadshirt | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Spreadshop is free: the page says there are no costs or fees for setting up or operating a shop. You set your own margin. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of Printful Growth | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Printful Inc. | Spreadshirt |
| Price read from | printful.com | spreadshirt.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
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.
Spreadshirt
- Your profit is only the margin you set above Spreadshirt's product price; product prices are not listed on the pages read.
- Spreadconnect is a separate service from Spreadshop; its pricing is not covered here.
- Shops are managed in a browser; no desktop or mobile app was listed.
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.
Spreadshirt
- Free shop, no fees
- Spreadshirt says Spreadshop is and will remain free, with no setup or operating costs; the home page adds no setup fee, card or minimum order.
- You set your margin
- The product price includes a print area; the difference between that and your customer price is your profit.
- Over 350 products
- T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, bags and other items, printed only after an order is placed.
- Own production sites
- Spreadshop's page cites four of its own production facilities in Europe and the US and a typical 48-hour print-and-ship time.
- Spreadconnect
- A separate fulfilment service connects stores on Shopify, TikTok, WooCommerce, Squarespace, Magento and others through an API.
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.
Spreadshirt
Spreadshop$0
Free shop with 350+ products; you set the margin over the product price, and Spreadshirt prints, ships and handles returns.
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.
Spreadshirt
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Printful or Spreadshirt?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Spreadshirt is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $1 a month when paid by the year for Printful. Printful starts at $24.99 per month (Growth), free once sales reach $12K a year, and Spreadshirt is free.
Which has a free plan, Printful or Spreadshirt?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Printful and Spreadshirt 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.