CustomCat vs Printful: Which is Better for POD?

CustomCat and Printful are two dependable, and standard print on demand corporations. Whereas CustomCat is a veteran within the POD trade, with greater than 20 years of expertise, Printful is certainly one of my favourite platforms, because of its persistently wonderful product high quality, and wide selection of integration choices.

I put these two POD distributors head-to-head, their key options, product choices, integrations, pricing, and buyer help companies, that can assist you select the fitting answer.

The Execs and Cons of Each Corporations

CustomCat Execs and Cons

Printful Execs and Cons

Which Platform Has The Greatest Options?

Winner: Printful

Whereas CustomCat provides distinctive merchandise and wonderful advertising and marketing instruments, Printful’s broader vary of customization choices, superior design instruments, and wider integration capabilities stand out to me. I notably recognize Printful’s AI-powered picture upscaling and in depth inventory graphics library. Their ‘Fast Retailer’ function for US retailers, although restricted, is a pleasant contact for rookies. Nonetheless, it is price noting that CustomCat excels in manufacturing velocity, which could possibly be essential for some sellers. In the end, Printful’s complete function set makes it my best choice for many customers searching for a flexible POD platform.

CustomCat and Printful are comparable in plenty of methods. They each supply a variety of customizable merchandise, and international success. Nonetheless, Printful does supply a couple of additional companies, resembling help with design, a “fast shops” generator (for US retailers) and international warehousing. I additionally love its design instruments, in addition to its dedication to creating high-quality merchandise.

CustomCat has wonderful advertising and marketing instruments, resembling the flexibility to seize buyer information and split-test campaigns. It provides fewer product choices general, however extra distinctive decisions, like indoor doormats, vegan leather-based patch hats, and enamel tenting mugs. It additionally has a terrific popularity for quick turnaround instances, however you’ll have to wait longer for supply outdoors of the US.

Product Choices and Customization

Printful has a barely wider vary of merchandise to select from, boasting over 340 customizable gadgets. CustomCat provides barely over 300 gadgets, however it’s always including new choices to the combination, just like the vegan leather-based patch hats talked about above. Each corporations supply comparable worthwhile choices like customized attire, equipment, and residential décor.

In addition they each supply a spread of eco-friendly and sustainable merchandise. The place Printful has the largest edge, in my view, is in its customization choices. CustomCat provides Digisoft, embroidery, and dye sublimation. Printful provides all of these, in addition to DTF, and all-over printing.

I do assume the Digisoft choice from CustomCat is superb, combining the advantages of DTF and DTG. Nonetheless, Printful’s design instruments are a bit of higher in my expertise. Whereas CustomCat’s design instruments are very straightforward to make use of, Printful has some distinctive options, like AI options to upscale your photos, and a variety of customizable inventory photos and graphics to make use of.

It’s a troublesome name, however Printful is barely higher for product choices and customization in my view.

Product High quality and Manufacturing Time

Printful undoubtedly takes the lead by way of product high quality. That doesn’t imply you’ll get poor high quality from CustomCat (actually, they’ve a superb popularity for wonderful printing). Nonetheless, Printful makes use of greater high quality supplies, inks, and equipment. The corporate is thought worldwide for delivering a few of the finest prints within the POD market, with a 99% buyer satisfaction fee.

One factor CustomCat does do barely higher, is promise prospects a 100% free alternative for any merchandise they’re sad with, because of manufacturing faults. Moreover, as a result of Printful makes use of extra luxurious supplies in its merchandise, the bottom value of its merchandise are sometimes barely greater, making it more durable to earn a constant revenue with this platform.

Plus, CustomCat outperforms Printful in manufacturing time. Printful wants round 2-5 enterprise days to finish an order, whereas CustomCat can end orders in 3 days or much less.

Achievement and Gross sales Channels

Each CustomCat and Printful supply international success, though CustomCat does supply quicker transport instances to US prospects (although I did discover worldwide success is a little more variable). On common, in case your prospects are within the US, they will obtain their orders in 3 days. Alternatively, Printful’s supply instances can vary from 5 to 10 days.

For those who’re transport internationally, prospects can wait as much as 28 days from a supply from CustomCat, or as much as 20 days for Printful. So, I’d advocate contemplating whether or not most of your prospects are native, or worldwide, earlier than making your selection.

Notably, Printful does supply a wider vary of gross sales channels than CustomCat. There are greater than 20 ecommerce companions, marketplaces, and social media channels to select from with Printful, together with all my favorites, like Shopify, Etsy, and Amazon. CustomCat solely integrates instantly with 4 companions, Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and Etsy.

Each corporations supply an API, however Printful additionally provides the choice to create your personal customized “Fast Retailer”, so you possibly can promote on-line by way of a customized hyperlink and fundamental storefront.

This storefront could be very easy, and you may’t customise it a lot. Plus, it’s solely presently obtainable to US sellers with solely US-based prospects – however it’s a pleasant choice for rookies within the POD market.

Greatest for Ease of Use and Buyer Help: Printful

Printful wins for buyer help. Whereas CustomCat provides telephone help and is responsive throughout enterprise hours, Printful’s 24/7 availability is a serious benefit. As somebody who’s extensively used each platforms, I discover Printful’s fixed help essential for international operations. Each have nice self-help sources, however Printful’s round the clock help offers it the sting for sellers needing help at any hour.

I discover Printful barely extra user-friendly general. Its design instruments are extra intuitive, and the dashboard is cleaner, which I recognize as a frequent consumer.

Whereas CustomCat is not far behind and provides sturdy advertising and marketing and reporting instruments, Printful’s streamlined interface makes it my prime choose for ease of use, particularly for newcomers to print-on-demand companies.

I didn’t have any bother experimenting with Printful or CustomCat when conducting this assessment. They’re each extraordinarily easy-to-use platforms, supreme for rookies. Printful’s design instruments are a bit extra intuitive, and the dashboard is a bit of cleaner.

Nonetheless, CustomCat has barely extra sturdy instruments for advertising and marketing and monitoring studies.

When it comes to buyer help, each corporations have some nice self-help sources. I’ve spent hours searching via their blogs, FAQs, and guides.

Nonetheless, CustomCat is extra responsive should you want direct help, as they provide a direct telephone line to sure sellers (within the US and Vietnam), whereas Printful doesn’t. Each corporations do supply e mail and stay chat help, nonetheless.

I ought to notice although, CustomCat solely provides help from 8am to six:30pm EST, whereas Printful guarantees 24/7 help.

Greatest for Pricing: Printful

I’ve evaluated each platforms intently, and I am selecting Printful because the winner for pricing. Whereas their base costs are typically greater, I discover Printful’s Development membership provides worthwhile reductions that may offset this, particularly for companies scaling up. The 20% off pattern orders is a standout function for me, permitting for cost-effective product testing.

For sellers incomes over $12k yearly, the free entry to those reductions is especially interesting. In my expertise, Printful’s pricing construction, although initially seeming costlier, can present higher long-term worth for rising companies trying to stability high quality with value.

Like most of the POD options I’ve tried, each CustomCat and Printful supply a free plan, which offer you entry to all of the options it’s worthwhile to launch your on-line retailer. Nonetheless, you possibly can select to improve to a paid account with each platforms.

CustomCat Professional, for $25 (yearly) or $30 per 30 days, offers you 20-40% off all the firm’s commonplace wholesale costs, making it a terrific choice for large-scale sellers. Printful’s Development membership, obtainable without spending a dime to customers incomes greater than $12k per yr, or for $24.99 per 30 days provides entry to numerous reductions, like as much as 30% off sure merchandise, 7% off branding, and so forth.

There’s additionally a Marketing strategy, which is just obtainable to corporations incomes greater than $60k per yr, however comes with additional reductions. Nonetheless, Printful’s merchandise are usually costlier than these on CustomCat. As an illustration, should you needed to order a males’s t-shirt from CustomCat, you’d pay between $5.50 and $29.95 relying on the product options.

With CustomCat, the identical sorts of shirts would value between $6.95 and $29.95, so that you may wrestle to attain the identical revenue margin. One benefit of Printful is that it provides 20% off pattern orders – however CustomCat doesn’t.

Try Printful

CustomCat vs Printful: The Verdict

In the end, Printful is my favourite choice for corporations that need to promote a variety of extremely customizable merchandise worldwide. The corporate provides superior product high quality, implausible design instruments, and entry to a wider vary of integrations.

Nonetheless, CustomCat could also be a barely cheaper choice (based mostly on core product prices), and it does supply quicker turnaround instances for US prospects. The precise choice for you’ll rely in your expectations and enterprise objectives, however each platforms are nice for POD sellers.