Printful vs Threadless – Which Is Better?

Starting your own business has never been easier.

Whether you’re an artist looking to showcase your designs or an entrepreneur expanding your eCommerce empire, print-on-demand platforms have made it extremely easy to get started in no time.

Printful and Threadless are two popular names in the market. However, you might be wondering which one is better.

In this article, we will dig deep into these platforms, exploring their features, benefits, drawbacks and other things to help you decide which one should you go with.

Let’s quickly find out.

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Overview: Threadless vs Printful

Printful is a print-on-demand dropshipping service that handles the production, packaging, and shipping of products for online stores.

With Printful, you can upload your designs and sell a variety of customized products like t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, and more without having to manage inventory or fulfillment.

The platform allows you to fully brand the customer experience with your own designs, packaging, and tracking pages.

Printful operates 13 in-house facilities globally to provide fast fulfillment and shipping to customers. It operates on a pay-as-you-go model, with no upfront or monthly fees.

Threadless is a similar platform.

It is an online community of artists and designers who submit t-shirt designs that are voted on by the community.

Threadless operates an “Artist Shops” platform that allows creators to open their own online stores to sell Threadless-printed products.

With Threadless Artist Shops, creators get the benefits of Threadless’ brand recognition, print services, and access to the Threadless community, while maintaining control over their own store and customers.

Threadless does not charge any upfront or monthly fees, allowing creators to maximize their profits.

Threadless provides customer support and handles shipping and returns for Artist Shop owners.

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Product Quality

Printful has the reputation of having the best quality products in the industry.

Their attention to detail and commitment to excellence ensure that each item is printed with precision and care.

Whether it’s a Bella & Canvas 3001 T-Shirt or a Gildan 6400 T-Shirt, you can expect top-notch quality from Printful.

Threadless, on the other hand, has received some mixed reviews regarding their product quality.

While they offer a wide range of unique and creative designs, there have been instances where customers have reported issues with print placement, incorrect images, and faulty products.

When it comes to product quality, Printful is better.

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Printing Options

Printful provides a comprehensive range of printing options.

They offer direct-to-garment (DTG) printing, which is ideal for intricate and colorful designs on apparel.

Additionally, Printful specializes in embroidery, allowing you to add beautiful and detailed stitching to your products.

Printful offers custom printed labels, giving you the ability to create a unique brand identity.

With inside labels, you can showcase your logo, brand name, or care instructions, enhancing the professional look and feel of your products.

On the other side, Threadless differentiates itself through its community-driven approach.

Their printing options focus primarily on direct-to-garment (DTG) printing, ensuring high-quality prints on apparel.

While both platforms offer solid printing options, Printful’s embroidery and custom printed labels give them an edge, particularly if you’re looking to establish your own brand.

The additional features can elevate the perceived value of your products and help you stand out in a competitive market.

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User Experience

Printful is known for its user-friendly interface and seamless user experience.

With a clean design and straightforward process, it’s an excellent choice for beginners looking to kickstart their online store.

Printful offers a wider range of product options, including home decor, lifestyle products, apparel, and accessories, giving artists and entrepreneurs the flexibility to diversify their catalogs and increase their sales potential.

Threadless specializes primarily in apparel and accessories, with a more limited product catalog compared to Printful.

While their user experience is also seamless, some users have reported negative reviews regarding the quality of their products.

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Unique Features

Printful offers a range of additional features that can enhance the professionalism of your brand.

One notable feature is the option to add inside labels to your apparel products.

This allows you to showcase your brand logo or message directly on the inside of the garment, giving it a premium look and feel.

With this, you can create a truly customized and branded product for your customers.

Printful also offers pack-ins which are small inserts that you can include with each order, such as promotional cards, stickers, or discount coupons.

This gives you the opportunity to engage with your customers further and offer them incentives to make repeat purchases.

These personalized touches can help strengthen brand loyalty and encourage customer advocacy.

Unlike Printful, Threadless does not offer such features.

While Threadless focuses primarily on selling artist-designed products, their platform does not provide options for adding inside labels or including pack-ins with orders.

If you prioritize brand building, Printful is the better choice for you.

Also Read: Threadless vs Fourthwall

Platform Integration

Printful offers integration with popular ecommerce platforms such as Shopify, WooCommerce, and more.

This allows you to seamlessly connect Printful’s print-on-demand services to your existing website or online store.

By using plugins, you can automate the ordering, printing, packaging, and shipping processes, freeing up your time to focus on creating and promoting your artwork.

Threadless’ Artist Shops platform enables artists to showcase their work and create a personalized online store.

With Threadless, you have full control over the branding and presentation of your products.

The platform allows you to customize your storefront, set your own prices, and even access useful analytics to make informed business decisions.

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Shipping

Printful offers low shipping rates to ensure that customers can efficiently deliver their products to their clients.

They have partnered with global carriers like FedEx, DHL, and USPS.Com to provide reliable and cost-effective shipping options.

Printful calculates shipping costs based on the weight and destination of the package, ensuring accurate and transparent pricing.

The real-time calculation allows you to estimate the shipping costs for each order on the spot, so you can pass on the appropriate charges to your customers.

Whether you’re shipping apparel, accessories, or home goods, Printful strives to offer competitive rates.

Threadless, in contrast, offers free shipping for orders over a certain amount, making it an attractive option for customers who are looking to save on shipping costs.

However, it’s important to consider your target audience and shipping volume when evaluating the shipping costs of both platforms.

While Printful may have shipping costs associated with each order, they provide a reliable and efficient shipping service that ensures your products reach customers on time and in excellent condition.

Their partnership with reputable carriers helps to streamline the shipping process and reduce the likelihood of any shipping-related issues.

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Pricing

Printful operates on a pay-as-you-go basis, charging for each product sold, including base cost, printing, and shipping fees.

This allows you to have more control over your expenses, as you only pay for the products that are actually sold.

It is particularly advantageous for businesses with a higher volume of sales, as they can benefit from the economies of scale and potentially achieve higher profit margins.

However, it’s important to note that the pricing for each product includes various factors, such as material and product type, which may affect the overall cost.

Artist shops on Threadless are free. They can set their own prices.

All they need to pay is the product cost plus 5% processing fees based on the retail price of the product.

This can be beneficial for those who are just starting out and want to minimize their upfront expense.

Check Out: Teepublic vs Threadless

Conclusion

Printful’s high-quality printing, and product quality result in greater customer satisfaction.

It also has a faster turn-around time, customization options and responsive customer support.

However, it’s important to note that Printful has higher base prices and variable profit margins.

On the other hand, Threadless offers generally good printing quality at lower base prices with fixed royalty rates.

They also have a wide audience base and strong organic reach, which can benefit sales.

However, Threadless has limited options for branding customization compared to Printful.

Now that you know where do they score and miss, you can pick the one that aligns better with your needs.