Printful vs Zakeke (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 13, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Printful grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on 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
Zakeke
Product customizer, 3D configurator and AR viewer for online stores
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 Zakeke if
- Fits if you sell personalized or engraved products that need print-ready files
- Works for brands that want a 3D configurator or AR viewer
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you sell many products, since Starter publishes 10, Grow 50 and Scale 100
- Pricey if you sell a lot, because 1.5% to 1.9% is taken on each customized product sold
- Skip it if you want one price, as adding channels costs $49.90 a month on Grow and Scale
- Watch out: manual orders cost $0.50 each, and the Powered by Zakeke label stays until Grow
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAPrintfulVery good | 2.2GPAZakekeFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | D$59 a month billed annually ($69.90 monthly) is above the category's dearer quarter of $41.66, and a fee per sale comes on top. Grow is $110 and Scale $255. |
| 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. | C14-day free trial with no card needed. Nothing stays free. |
| 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. | BCustomizer, 3D configurator, AR viewer, virtual try-on and AI Agent Studio. The product caps are limits of plan size rather than missing features. |
| 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. | CYou set up each customizable product and connect your store. No store rating is on record. |
| 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, BigCommerce, Adobe Commerce, PrestaShop, OpenCart, Shopware, Etsy and Amazon. |
| Best for | print on demand made and shipped in-house | product customisers and 3D configurators for online shops |
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 Zakeke. 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. Zakeke starts at $59 a month and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and Printful starts $58 a month lower. Of the other print-on-demand and dropshipping services on the chart, none scores higher than Printful for less, and 1 scores higher than Zakeke 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 also covers print on demand.
At a glance
| Printful | Zakeke | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $24.99 per month (Growth), free once sales reach $12K a year | $59 per month, billed annually ($69.90 billed monthly) |
| 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. | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of Printful Growth | 14-day free trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Printful Inc. | Zakeke |
| Price read from | printful.com | admin.zakeke.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Nov 13, 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.
Zakeke
- A per-sale fee of 1.5% to 1.9% applies to customized products on top of the monthly price, and it does not apply to the 3D/AR viewer.
- Starter publishes only 10 customizable products; Grow and Scale raise that to 50 and 100.
- Adding sales channels costs $49.90 a month extra on Grow and Scale, and manual orders cost $0.50 each.
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.
Zakeke
- Visual product customizer
- Shoppers add text, upload images and see a printing preview; the store gets print-ready files and can set design and pricing rules.
- 3D product configurator
- Sell made-to-order products with customizable components and colors shown in 3D, with pricing rules and conditional options.
- 3D asset manager and AR viewer
- Store 3D models and embed 3D and AR viewers; pro features such as GIF and video generation cost $29.90 a month extra.
- Virtual try-on
- Customers try products on virtually, sharing the experience by QR code, link or iframe with no app needed.
- AI Agent Studio
- Generates product photos, lifestyle visuals and short product videos from existing product images.
- Store and API integrations
- Connects to Shopify, BigCommerce, Adobe Commerce, PrestaShop, OpenCart, Shopware, Etsy and Amazon, and offers 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.
Zakeke
Starter$59
per month, billed annually ($69.90 billed monthly)
Up to 10 published products, email support, and a 1.9% fee on each customized product sold (minimum $0.03).
Grow$110
per month, billed annually ($129.90 billed monthly)
50 published products, removes the "Powered by Zakeke" label, dynamic pricing rules, CMYK and Pantone colors, 1.7% sales fee.
Scale$255
per month, billed annually ($299.90 billed monthly)
100 published products, pricing rules for configurations, multiple design areas on 3D products, 1.5% sales fee.
EnterpriseCustom
For businesses with $10M+ in revenue: dedicated account manager and cloud server, custom rates and contract.
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.
Zakeke
- Annual discount
Save 15% with yearly billing
Zakeke's pricing page shows lower monthly prices when billed annually, for example $59 against $69.90 a month on Starter.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Printful or Zakeke?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Printful is cheaper to start with: $1 a month when paid by the year, against $59 a month for Zakeke. Printful starts at $24.99 per month (Growth), free once sales reach $12K a year, and Zakeke starts at $59 per month, billed annually ($69.90 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Printful or Zakeke?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Printful has a free plan. Zakeke does not, though it has a free trial.
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.