Discover the best print-on-demand platforms to start your online business with minimal upfront costs

Print on demand (POD) services have gained significant traction over the past few years, offering creators and entrepreneurs the ability to design custom products and sell them without the need to maintain inventory or handle shipping. Whether you're an artist looking to sell prints or a designer wanting to launch your own clothing line, choosing the right print-on-demand platform can be a game-changer. In this article, we’ll explore the best print-on-demand sites in 2022, highlighting their features, pricing, and ease of use to help you make an informed decision.

1. Printful: Best Overall for Versatility and Integration
Printful is widely considered one of the best print-on-demand services available today. It is a comprehensive POD platform that offers a wide range of customizable products, from apparel and accessories to home decor and wall art. One of its key advantages is the ability to integrate seamlessly with popular eCommerce platforms like Shopify, Etsy, and WooCommerce, making it incredibly easy for entrepreneurs to get started and manage their online stores.

Printful’s product range is extensive, allowing you to offer everything from T-shirts, hoodies, and mugs to pillows, posters, and face masks. The quality of products and prints is top-notch, with the company providing high-quality printing techniques such as direct-to-garment (DTG) printing, embroidery, and sublimation printing. Their pricing is competitive, and they provide transparent cost breakdowns for each product. Shipping is reliable, with multiple fulfillment centers located across the United States, Europe, and other parts of the world, ensuring fast delivery times.

Another standout feature of Printful is its design tools, which allow you to upload your artwork and easily customize it on products. Additionally, Printful offers a mockup generator, which helps visualize what your design will look like on real-world products before you start selling. Overall, Printful stands out for its ease of use, range of products, and solid integration with eCommerce platforms.

2. Teespring (Spring): Best for Social Media Integration
Teespring, now known as Spring, is a popular print-on-demand platform, particularly among social media influencers, artists, and creators. It is a user-friendly platform that allows you to create and sell custom merchandise without upfront costs. Teespring offers a variety of products such as T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, phone cases, and tote bags, which can be easily customized using their online design tools.

What sets Teespring apart is its seamless integration with social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. This makes it incredibly easy for creators to market and sell their products directly to their audiences. You can set up a storefront on Teespring and sync it with your social media profiles, making it simple to promote and sell products without leaving the platform. Additionally, Teespring offers a “Shop” feature that lets you bundle different products into one collection, providing an easy way to upsell to customers.

Teespring also offers a built-in marketing suite with tools to help you promote your products via email campaigns, ads, and promotional codes. For creators looking to monetize their following with minimal effort, Teespring provides an excellent solution. However, it's important to note that Teespring’s base prices may be higher than other POD services, so careful pricing strategies are necessary to maintain good margins.

3. Redbubble: Best for Artists and Designers
Redbubble is one of the most popular print-on-demand platforms for artists and independent designers. If you're a creative looking to showcase your art on a variety of products, Redbubble offers one of the largest product selections among POD services. You can sell everything from clothing, accessories, and home decor to stickers, phone cases, and even masks. The platform is perfect for artists looking to turn their artwork into a wide range of physical products without worrying about production or shipping.

One of Redbubble's key features is its global reach. The company operates fulfillment centers in several countries, ensuring that customers worldwide can access and purchase your products. Artists retain a large degree of creative freedom with the platform, as they can upload their designs and apply them to various products with ease. Redbubble also takes care of all the logistics, including printing, shipping, and customer service, allowing creators to focus on what they do best: creating.

Redbubble’s pricing structure is straightforward. You set your markup percentage on each product, and Redbubble takes care of the rest. This means you have control over your profits while still benefiting from the platform's global presence and easy-to-use design tools. However, like Teespring, the base prices on Redbubble may be higher, which could affect your profit margins. Nevertheless, for artists looking for a hands-off approach to selling their designs, Redbubble is an excellent choice.

4. Gooten: Best for Business Scaling and Product Variety
Gooten is a robust print-on-demand service that offers a wide array of customizable products, ranging from clothing and accessories to home goods and pet products. Gooten is particularly ideal for entrepreneurs and businesses looking to scale their POD operations, as it offers a variety of tools to automate and streamline the order fulfillment process. The platform works by integrating with eCommerce platforms such as Shopify and WooCommerce, enabling sellers to easily sync their stores and manage orders.

What sets Gooten apart from other POD services is its focus on helping businesses scale. It offers features like multi-channel fulfillment, meaning that you can use Gooten for selling not only on your eCommerce store but also on marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, and Etsy. Additionally, Gooten has a network of global suppliers, allowing you to offer a variety of high-quality products and ship to customers around the world. With Gooten, you can be confident that your business can grow as your orders increase, thanks to their reliable and efficient fulfillment system.

Another notable feature of Gooten is its customer support. The platform offers personalized assistance to help businesses navigate product sourcing, shipping, and customer service issues. This makes it a great choice for entrepreneurs who need a bit more guidance as they scale their POD businesses. However, Gooten’s interface is not as intuitive as some other POD platforms, and it may take some time to fully familiarize yourself with the system.

Conclusion: Which Print-on-Demand Platform is Right for You?
In 2022, the print-on-demand industry offers a range of platforms catering to different needs, from small-scale creators to large businesses looking to expand. Printful is best for those who want versatility and ease of integration, while Teespring excels for creators focusing on social media sales. Redbubble offers a fantastic platform for artists and designers, and Gooten is perfect for entrepreneurs looking to scale their businesses. Ultimately, the best POD platform for you depends on your specific needs, goals, and target audience.

When choosing a print-on-demand service, consider the product range, pricing, shipping times, and ease of use. No matter which platform you choose, starting a print-on-demand business has never been easier. With the right platform, you can create and sell custom products without upfront costs, while focusing on growing your brand and connecting with customers.