Gelato Vs Printful: Which POD Company is Better? 2024 Update

Gelato and Printful - two reputable global print-on-demand companies, provide user-friendly platforms, reliable shipping, and a diverse product catalog. For most POD merchants, “Gelato vs Printful: which is a better choice for 2024?” is always hard to consider. This blog post will provide an ultimate comparison of key aspects to help you make the right decision. Let’s get started with Teeinblue now!

Gelato Vs Printful: A Quick Comparison

Both companies own their strengths and limitations, making it hard to consider the best to sell POD with. This quick comparison of their similarities, pros, and cons will give you a simple approach.

Gelato and Printful Similarities

Both Gelato and Printful are well-known suppliers in the print-on-demand (POD) market with years of experience. They both provide reliable services and easy-to-use platforms for print-on-demand sellers:

• Global reach: They have a lot of fulfillment centers in many countries, making it easy to sell your custom products to consumers worldwide.
• High-quality products: They have a wide range of customizable items including clothes, accessories, and home decor items.
• Regular product update: Both companies update their product catalogs to stay current with market trends, helping merchants stay ahead.
• E-commerce integrations: As a user of these platforms, you can easily connect and sell across multiple e-commerce platforms and marketplaces.
• Mobile app available: They develop apps with powerful features, making it easy to track order status and manage billings flexibly.
• Easy to use: You can custom and sell their products on your online stores without extensive technical knowledge.

Pros and Cons of Gelato

Consider some advantages and disadvantages of Gelato here!

Pros

• Expansive production network of over 32 countries, and 130+ production partners for cheaper, faster shipping.
• Emphasizes sustainability and offers choices for environmentally-safe printing.
• Eco-friendly product catalog with unique products such as apparel, wall art, photo books, custom calendars, etc.

Cons

• Fewer integrations than Printful, 6 compared with 20+ of Printful.
• Branding options are less diverse, limiting the ability to customize branded labels and packaging inserts.
• Less popular than Printful, with over 10 million orders compared with over 79 million items of Printful delivered to customers.
• A narrower product catalog, 100+ products compared to 340+ products of Printful.

Pros and Cons of Printful

Let's look at the benefits and drawbacks of Printful!

Pros

• Varied easy-to-use tools like built-in Design Maker, Mockup Generator, and Logo Maker.
• Larger product catalog than Gelato.
• Diverse printing methods, with embroidery options on some products.
• More e-commerce integrations than Gelato.
• Flexible pricing and discounts, giving you control over your profit margins.

Cons

• Limited focus on eco-friendly products, challenging to prioritize sustainability.
• Some quality products are relatively costly and there may be some hidden costs for premium photos or adding apparel labels.
• Expensive extra shipping fees based on weight and size of products.
• No option to choose your print location, which may affect the shipping time and cost.

It’s easier to find a product on Printful’s website with a search bar

1. Gelato Vs Printful Products

When comparing Gelato vs Printful products, there are three factors to consider: product range, product strengths, and product pricing.

Product Range

Printful has a larger and more diverse product catalog than Gelato. Printful offers 340+ products across different categories, such as apparel, shoes, accessories, home and living, and more. On the other hand, Gelato offers 100+ products, mainly focused on eco-friendly niche with wall art, photo books, apparel, and accessories (update February 2024).

Product Strengths

Gelato creates personalized products locally, using sustainable materials to reduce waste, emissions, delivery times, and costs. Some of the products that Gelato offers that Printful doesn’t focus on are photo books, wall art, calendars, notebooks, greeting cards, and stickers. It is a fantastic option for online sellers looking to provide their clients with sustainable and distinctive goods.

Printful is renowned for its high-quality merch including apparel (t-shirts, hoodies, leggings,...), accessories, home decor, etc. Some unique products from Printful are swimwear, sports bras, baby bodysuits, hats, pillows, and mousepads. These products can help Printful stand out from its competitors and attract more customers who are looking for unique and diverse print-on-demand products.

Product Pricing

Both companies offer products at many costs to meet the needs of different businesses. When comparing Gelato vs Printful prices, Gelato is generally more cost-effective for certain products and printing options. 

Gelato charges a fixed price for each product, while Printful charges a base price along with additional fees for printing and branding. Thus, the final price of the product may vary depending on the type of the item, the intricacy of the design, and the branding preferences.

2. Printing Technologies

Have you ever wondered about the differences between Gelato vs Printful’s printing methods and quality? Let’s delve into it.

When it comes to printing methods, Printful has more options than Gelato. Printful offers 5 different printing techniques: direct-to-garment (DTG), all-over-printing (AOP), sublimation, embroidery, and direct-to-film (DTF). On the other hand, Gelato only offers DTG and embroidery.

Embroidery printing has become one of the most trending methods to print-on-demand

Both Gelato and Printful receive high acclaim for their printing quality. These companies deliver sharp, accurate, and vibrant prints suitable for a wide range of creative and professional projects, making them reliable choices for print-on-demand services.

However, there are still some complaints from customers. It is best to place test orders to get the exact look.

💡 You may also like: 7 Core Differences Between CustomCat Vs Printful

3. Fulfillment and Shipping Services

Gelato as well as Printful are highly effective in fulfilling orders and sending them all across the world. With their efficient order processing and strategic production facilities, they make sure your package arrives quickly and reliably.

Check out the detailed comparison table for key aspects of their services, including production time, delivery time, and additional features to make an informed decision based on your needs and preferences.

Gelato can bring a faster delivery than Printful for most products. It has more fulfillment centers and printing partners and can fulfill orders quickly. Especially, this company will be a perfect choice when you sell to Asian consumers thanks to its large network in this area.

Tips: Each product information page often includes production and shipping details. Remember to read them carefully before picking one.

4. Integrations & Tools

You can use their design makers, mockup generators, and integrate with various platforms and marketplaces. In comparison, Printful provides more tools and apps compared to Gelato.

Here are outstanding Gelato integrations and tools:

• E-commerce integrations: Quickly connect to stores on Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, Squarespace, Wix, and BigCommerce.
• API integration: Connect online stores to global print networks through secure API access for print-on-demand solutions.
• Mockup generator: Create product images to preview designs on different products, colors, and sizes.

Printful also provides various integrations and tools:

• 24 integrations: Besides the same connection as Gelato, it also enables to sell on Adobe Commerce, Prestashop, Amazon, TikTok Shop, and more.
• API integration: Connect the online store to Printful's network, like Teeinblue x Printful, for a seamless selling process.
• Design Maker: Easily create engaging artwork through robust built-in tools for clipart, fonts; ready-to-use designs, and a premium photo library.
• Mockup Generator: Use existing eye-catching mockup stock or customizable mockup options to showcase products in a visually appealing manner.
• Printful app: Free to manage products, inventory, and tracking orders on desktop dashboard and mobile.
• Logo maker: Create and customize your logo for your brand or store by choosing from hundreds of icons, fonts, and colors, or uploading your own.
• Sample order tool: Test product quality with discounted samples and free shipping for one monthly order.
• Profit calculator: Calculate your retail price to ensure profit.

5. Pricing Plans

Gelato and Printful have different pricing models for their services. Gelato offers monthly and bulk discounts, and also lower shipping costs and taxes than Printful. If you're looking for a more affordable print-on-demand service, Gelato is better.

Gelato offers four pricing plans with unique features and benefits.

• Gelato Free is best for starters. You can also access its basic tools, including design editor, mockup generator, and order portal
• Gelato+ ($24/month): best for creating personalized designs. You can access premium mockups, stock images, fonts, live shipping rates, etc.
• Gelato+ Gold ($119/month): suitable for the scaling period of your business with special shipping discounts, early access to new products, and exclusive discounts.
• Gelato Platinum (a bespoke pricing model) for high-growth sellers who want to access custom order fulfillment, warehousing services, and creative services.

Subscription plans of Gelato

Here are some of the key features and advantages of each Printful plan:

• Printful Free: for starters. You can access Printful’s services, including e-commerce integrations, design maker, mockup generator, logo maker, and white-label packing slip.
• Printful Growth ($24.99/month): It helps to save 30% on DTG products, up to 7% on branding custom, and more.
• Printful Enterprise: for large businesses seeking exclusive services and perks with a dedicated account manager.

Pricing plans of Printful

6. Customer Support

Gelato vs Printful customer support is quite helpful. However, Gelato may have a slight advantage over Printful in terms of availability and response time.

Here is a comparison table of their customer support features: 

Some reviews say that they meet inconsistent support from both companies. It's best to test out a new company's services during their low seasons. This way, you can get a better understanding of their services before making them your main partner.

7. Customer Reviews

Let’s walk through the most popular review platforms to see what customers think about these two companies:

From the table, Printful is more popular with more reviews, but Gelato has a slight advantage in overall score, support quality, eco-friendliness, and global network. Printful offers more products, integrations, and branding options.

Note: It's important to keep in mind that the best option for you may vary depending on your individual needs and preferences!

Gelato or Printful: Which is Better?

By considering the strengths of each company, you can easily answer yourself for “Gelato vs Printful: Which is better to choose?”

Gelato is a great option for stores that care about sustainability and affordability. It uses eco-friendly practices and materials to reduce the environmental impact of printing and shipping.

Printful is a good choice for both beginners and enterprises. It is a reliable print-on-demand platform with a wide range of high-quality products, customizations, integrations, branding options, and seamless tools.

Hope this article provides information to help you decide which to choose: Gelato vs Printful. Don’t forget to join the Teeinblue Global Community right away to obtain more insightful knowledge about print-on-demand personalization.

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