Printify vs Gelato 2024: The Complete Comparison Guide

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The Quick Verdict

Ultimately, while both print-on-demand vendors are excellent, Printify does have a significant edge when it comes to advanced features.

You can build your own pop-up store with Printify, use AI tools to create images, and leverage an incredible mockup generator. Plus, there are a lot more products to choose from with Printify.

However, Gelato is excellent if an eco-friendly approach is core to your brand. The company works with shipping organizations around the world to reduce shipping distances, and carbon emissions, as well as sourcing eco-friendly materials.

Printify vs Gelato: Which print-on-demand vendor is right for you?

It’s a tough decision to make, particularly since both solutions offer high-quality products, lots of customization options, and even eco-friendly solutions for sustainable companies.

I’ve experimented with both Gelato and Printify extensively in the past, and can say first-hand they both have something valuable to offer, whether it’s Printify’s great mockup tools, or Gelato’s expansive global delivery network.

Today, I’ll be sharing my insights about both solutions, to help you decide which vendor you should consider working with for your print on demand business.

Printify vs Gelato: Key Takeaways

Here are some of the key takeaways you should consider when comparing Printify and Gelato:

Printify partners with manufacturers worldwide to produce products, whereas Gelato handles things in-house, but ships products locally.
Both companies offer access to products in the USA, as well as express shipping options.
Printify offers more advanced design tools, such as an AI image generator, although Gelato does offer access to a lot of stock images.
Both companies offer both free and premium plans, with extra discounts and features on the paid subscription options.
Printify gives customers access to more sales channels, with integrations for a range of platforms, and a pop-up store builder.
Printify has more product options to choose from than Gelato, though Gelato does have a better reputation for quality.
Gelato is more focused on sustainable production and cutting carbon emissions, though Printify does offer eco-friendly products.

When to Use Printify:

I recommend using Printify if you:

Want access to hundreds of unique products.
Need to leverage AI-powered design tools.
Want to sell through a range of channels and platforms.
Value the option to scale your business with premium plans.
Appreciate the option to work with different vendors.

When to Use Gelato

I’d recommend using Gelato if you:

Value eco-friendly production and sustainability.
Want excellent 24/7 customer service.
Need access to simple and convenient design tools.
Appreciate high-quality and vetted products.
Want the option to upgrade to various premium plans.

Printify vs Gelato: Pros and Cons

Both Printify and Gelato have distinct benefits and downsides to consider.

These are the most significant points I’ve noticed when experimenting with the platforms:

Printify Pros and Cons

Pros

Excellent quality control measures for printing partners.
Huge selection of fulfillment centers and vendors for global companies.
Excellent AI design tools, including an AI image generator.
Free pop-up store creator.
Integrations with a wide selection of platforms.

Cons

Product pricing and quality is variable based on your vendor.
Customer support can be a little slow.

Gelato Pros and Cons

Pros

Expansive production network in over 32 countries.
Excellent premium plans for leading vendors.
Fast delivery times for most products.
Great personalization studio

Cons

Fewer products than Printify.
Limited integration options.
Not as many useful tools for growing your business.

Printify vs Gelato: The Core Features

Verdict: Printify delivers a broader range of features than Gelato, including AI-powered design tools, a pop-up store generator, and more integrations with different sales channels.

Both Gelato and Printify work in a similar way. They both allow companies to outsource the creation of products, and their fulfillment needs to a network of global partners.

Both options can integrate with a range of ecommerce platforms, and they also both offer excellent design studios for creating mockups. However, there are some core differences in features.

Printify Key Features

Printify is one of my favorite print on demand platforms. Not only does it offer access to hundreds of different product options (including new CPG options), but it also provides companies with a huge range of tools they can use to grow their business.

Some of the key features include:

Giant products and vendor catalog: Printify offers access to more products and manufacturers than virtually any other print on demand vendor. You can choose from over 900 different items, from home décor and apparel to eco-friendly products. There’s even the option to brand and sell CPG products like coffee.
Design tools: The design tools on Printify’s platform are excellent. Alongside an incredible mockup generator, you’ll also have access to an AI image generator, which uses text prompts to create images for you. There’s also a fantastic range of resources to help you optimize your designs and prints.
Fulfillment network: Printify works with partners around the globe, rather than producing products in-house. While this means the product quality can vary, it also means you can search for local suppliers who can offer faster shipping to your customers. There are also express delivery options for some locations.
Sales channels: With Printify, you can integrate your POD system with platforms like Etsy, Ebay, Shopify, Wix, and more. Plus, there’s an API for creating your own integrations, and you can design your own Printify pop-up store, if you don’t have a storefront already.
Branding: Printify gives you plenty of ways to add your own branding to your products. You can create branded neck labels for as little as $0.55 per product. There are branding inserts, and custom packaging options available too.

Gelato Key Features

Gelato is one of the world’s most trustworthy print on demand suppliers, with production facilities in 32 countries worldwide.

The company is excellent if you’re looking for fast delivery times, and a sustainable approach to production. Key features include:

Broad product catalog: Although Gelato offers fewer products than Printify, they’re guaranteed to be high quality. The company uses cutting-edge technology and sustainably sourced materials from leading brands to create phenomenal items.
Personalization studio: The comprehensive personalization studio makes it easy to add your designs to products and see what they’re going to look like. There are various useful tools and free fonts and images you can add to your items too.
Sales channels: Printify, Gelato integrates with Shopify, Squarespace, Etsy, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and Wix. The company also has its own API, so you can connect virtually any store to the platform.
Global network: Gelato promises fast and local production in 32 countries, with hundreds of vendors ready to create your orders. 90% of all orders are produced locally, reducing carbon emissions. There’s also the option to leverage a premium service from Gelato, where you’ll get expert coaching and even faster delivery times.
Branding: Gelato offers everything from sublimation printing to embroidery, giving you plenty of ways to make your brand stand out. You can add custom labels to your products, although the packaging options are limited.

Ease of Use: Which Platform is Simpler?

Verdict: I didn’t have any trouble using either Printify or Gelato to mockup products and design items. However, Printify is slightly better in my opinion, thanks to it’s AI-driven tools.

Most print on demand vendors make it as simple as possible to start running your business with minimal effort. That’s certainly the case with Gelato and Printify.

You can sign up for an account on both platforms (for free) in a matter of minutes.

Plus, both companies offer access to extremely easy design tools. Gelato has a great “design studio”, with 100% free editing tools.

You can create realistic mockups, and select from 100s of free mockup images to display on your site. There’s also various image platform integrations, so if you don’t have any visuals for products already, you can source free options.

You can even customize the backgrounds of mockups, so they stand out on your website, and there are hundreds of fonts to choose from too.

Plus, integrating your store with Gelato takes only a couple of clicks, making it simple to automate future order processing workflows.

Printify also has a fantastic mockup generator, with drag-and-drop tools, access to free images, and a fantastic range of fonts.

What makes the company really stand out is its advanced features, like the generative AI image generator, which can create entirely unique visuals for you based on text inputs.

On top of that, there are editing tools, where you can remove backgrounds and add different components to your images with ease.

Plus, as well as integrating with a huge range of platforms, Printify also offers the option to create your own pop-up store in a couple of clicks, and start selling online with absolutely no subscription fees.

Printify vs Gelato Product Variety and Quality

Verdict: I have to give Printify the win in this section for product variety, but Gelato does have stricter quality control measures in place to ensure excellent quality.

Both Printify and Gelato give companies plenty of different products to choose from, ranging from clothing like t-shirts and sweaters, to pet products, tote bags, stickers, home décor and more.

However, Printify definitely has a much larger product catalog.

The company offers more than 900 items to choose from, and they’re constantly expanding their collection.

Recently they even announced the upcoming option to sell consumer packaged goods, like coffee. In terms of quality, however, there is some variability.

Printify does implement quality assurance measures to help guarantee that all of its providers deliver great items, but since you’re working with so many vendors, the quality can vary.

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Gelato has a much better reputation for delivering consistent quality.

Gelato sources state-of-the-art equipment and materials from leading vendors to ensure they always deliver excellence to customers.

The downside is the company doesn’t list the number of products available to vendors.

However, from what I can see, there’s still plenty of variety to choose from, whether you’re selling water bottles and mugs, or clothing.

The good news is both companies have dedicated “US” vendors, meaning if you’re located in America, you’ll have no problem accessing fast shipping and production times.

Plus, both companies do offer returns for damaged products.

Printed Mint vs Printify: Customer Support

Verdict: Gelato has a better reputation for customer support, offering 24/7 service to all customers, and quick responses to questions.

If you’re looking for rapid customer support, then Gelato is my recommendation. It’s one of the most trustworthy vendors out there, committed to rapidly responding to any questions or concerns you may have.

There’s also the option to get dedicated consulting hours with Gelato’s team on some plans.

Gelato offers access to a huge range of resources for beginners, although you will be limited to live chat support for most queries.

Printify supports customers via chat and email, and also has its own wide range of FAQs, guides, and knowledgebase articles for self-service.

However, even with live chat, this company can be a little slow to respond to some of your queries.

Gelato vs Printify: Pricing and Plans

Verdict: Both companies tie here. They both offer fantastic free plans, as well as premium plans that deliver excellent value for money.

If you’re looking for a way to launch your print-on-demand business for free, then both Gelato and Printify have you covered.

You can run your entire organization without paying for anything other than base product costs and shipping (plus the fees for your ecommerce platform).

However, there are premium plans available from both vendors too. Printify’s free plan offers unlimited access to all of its design tools and features, for up to 5 stores.

If you want to expand your business, the premium plan for $29 per month gives you 10 stores per account, and up to 20% discounts on all of your products.

For high-volume sellers, there’s also an Enterprise plan, with unlimited stores per account, and additional discounts on all products. This plan is priced based on your specific needs.

Gelato’s free plan includes all of the features of the Gelato platform, from the intuitive design editor to production in 32 countries. Alternative, you can explore options like:

Gelato+: $24 per month: Up to 10% off products, premium mock-ups, millions of stock images, branded labels and inserts, and product expansion tools.
Gold: $119 per month: All the features of Gelato+, as well as 15% off products, 30% of branded labels and inserts, smart shipping pricing, and a customer success manager.
Platinum: Custom pricing: All the features of Gold, plus fixed rate shipping on local orders, dedicated implementation services, and expert consulting.

Which is Best? Printify or Gelato

Ultimately, I think Printify is the better option overall for print-on-demand vendors.

While Gelato delivers excellent product quality, fantastic design tools, and amazing customer service, Printify has an edge in several areas. It has more advanced design tools, more products to choose from, and even a more comprehensive mockup generator.

Plus, Printify gives you access to more sales channels, including the option to build your own free pop-up store if you don’t have an existing storefront.

FAQ:

Is Gelato the same as Printify?

Gelato and Printify are both print-on-demand companies. However, Gelato is more focused on sustainable production, while Printify gives companies more variety, a wider range of sales channels, and a more comprehensive collection of design tools.

Which is better, Gelato or Printify?

Gelato is excellent if you’re looking for sustainability, exceptional product quality, and fantastic customer service. Printify is the better option if you want to sell on a range of channels, need access to cutting-edge design tools, and want more product options.

Do you have to pay to sell with Gelato?

Gelato has a free plan available with access to all the tools you need to run your business. However, there are premium plans available with access to more features, more advanced customer support, and discounts on your products.