The best print on demand platforms for clothing brands, ranked
By Jean Luc Poitier, SEO and growth marketing strategist · Tapstitch Reviews · Updated October 5, 2026 · Prices and ratings checked October 5, 2026
Disclosure: we earn a commission if you sign up for Tapstitch through our links; it doesn't change the ranking criteria, which are blank weight and quality as reviewers describe it, total cost per finished garment, branding options, delivery, and like-for-like review data. We earn nothing from Printful, Printify, or Gelato.
Our print on demand ranking for fashion brands
For a clothing or streetwear brand, Tapstitch ranks first on heavyweight blanks, blank cost, and branding extras, with real caveats on sizing, shipping from China, and support. Printful is second for consistency, embroidery, and US fulfillment at a higher price. Printify is third for the lowest prices, with quality that depends on the provider. Gelato is fourth: it fits sellers whose range is mostly print products.
The 4 best print on demand platforms for clothing
1. Tapstitch
Best for fashion and streetwear brandsWho it's for: Brands selling heavyweight tees, hoodies, and streetwear cuts under their own label, who want a low cost per blank.
Tapstitch sells only apparel, from its own catalog of 1,244 products, including 414 T-shirt styles, 111 hoodies, and 73 denim pieces. Weights run from 180 gsm to 430 gsm. Reviewers praise the heavy blanks, the print quality, the design tool, and the price.
Sample prices (1 to 5 pieces): Essential Cotton T-Shirt, 260 gsm, $5.99; Essential Heavyweight Hoodie, 430 gsm, $22.99. Each printed side adds $2.99 from international fulfillment or $3.49 from US fulfillment. Custom neck labels, hang tags, and insert cards are available, and parcels carry no Tapstitch branding. The account is free with no minimum order.
Ratings: Trustpilot 4.3 from 544 reviews; Shopify App Store 4.9 from 124.
Caveats: sizing runs small, often by a size or more. Most styles ship from China (59 of 1,244 can ship from Los Angeles). Support is the lowest-scoring theme in its reviews, there is no all-over print and no embroidery on most items, and its BBB rating is F with 4 closed complaints in 3 years.
See Tapstitch pricing2. Printful
Best for consistency, embroidery, and all-over printWho it's for: Brands that need embroidery, all-over print, or fast US delivery, and can price for a higher base cost.
Printful prints DTG, DTF, embroidery, and all-over print, and sells inside labels ($0.99) and outside labels ($2.49).
Sample prices (one front print included): Bella + Canvas 3001 tee from $11.92; Comfort Colors 1717 heavyweight tee from $15.60; Bella + Canvas 4719 oversized heavyweight hoodie from $37.23. A back print adds $5.95. US T-shirt shipping is $4.95 for the first item. The Growth plan ($24.99 a month, free once sales reach $12K a year) takes up to 33% off products.
Ratings: Trustpilot 4.2 from 7,908 reviews; Shopify App Store 4.8 from 3,903.
Caveats: the highest cost per garment of the four, so margins are tight. Recent reviewers mention shipping delays and crooked prints.
3. Printify
Best for the lowest price across a large networkWho it's for: Sellers who want standard blanks at the lowest price and are willing to test print providers.
Printify sends each order to a print provider in its network. Its auto-selected Printify Choice option picks one for you.
Sample prices: Bella+Canvas 3001 tee from $11.29 ($9.04 with Premium); Comfort Colors 1717 tee from $12.65 ($10.93 with Premium); Gildan 18500 hoodie from $21.58 ($15.89 with Premium). Shipping from $3.99 for the tee. Premium costs $39 a month, or $24.99 a month billed yearly. Branded inserts and neck labels are listed on the 3001.
Ratings: Trustpilot 4.5 from 7,665 reviews; Shopify App Store 4.7 from 4,338.
Caveats: quality varies by print provider, orders with several items can ship from separate providers, and the lowest prices need the Premium plan.
4. Gelato
Best for non-apparel and local productionWho it's for: Sellers whose range is mostly wall art, photo books, cards, or mugs, with some apparel on the side.
Gelato sends orders to local print partners in many countries. Its pricing page lists framed posters, canvas, posters, T-shirts, hoodies, calendars, photo books, cards, mugs, phone cases, and tote bags, so apparel is one part of a wider print catalog.
Sample prices: not published in a form we could verify. Gelato's site blocked our checks on October 5, 2026.
Ratings: Trustpilot 4.2 from 3,387 reviews; Shopify App Store 4.8 from 1,018.
Caveats: our 50-review pull holds little about apparel quality, so we rank it last for clothing. Unprompted reviewers describe orders stuck "in production" (in one case T-shirts waiting on a local printer's stock), slow support, damaged packaging, and blocked Etsy orders.
Print on demand for clothing compared
| Compared on | Tapstitch | Printful / Printify / Gelato |
|---|---|---|
| Basic tee (blank or base price) | $2.99 (180 gsm) to $5.99 (260 gsm), plus $2.99 per printed side | Printful $11.92 (3001, one print) / Printify $11.29, $9.04 with Premium (3001) / Gelato not published |
| Hoodie | $10.99 (300 gsm) to $22.99 (430 gsm), plus printing | Printful $22.63 (Gildan 18500) / Printify $21.58, $15.89 with Premium / Gelato not published |
| US shipping, first tee | $4.44 (US fulfillment) or $4.96 (from China) | Printful $4.95 / Printify from $3.99 / Gelato not published |
| Paid plan | None | Printful Growth $24.99/mo / Printify Premium $39/mo / Gelato not published |
| Labels and branding | Neck labels, hang tags, insert cards | Printful labels $0.99 to $2.49 / Printify inserts and neck labels on some products / Gelato not verified |
| Embroidery and all-over print | Embroidery on some items; no all-over print | Printful both / Printify not verified / Gelato not verified |
| Trustpilot overall | 4.3 (544) | Printful 4.2 (7,908) / Printify 4.5 (7,665) / Gelato 4.2 (3,387) |
| Shopify App Store | 4.9 (124) | Printful 4.8 (3,903) / Printify 4.7 (4,338) / Gelato 4.8 (1,018) |
Figures checked against each company's published pages and review-platform listings as of 2026-10-05. “Not published” means the company does not publish that figure.
Recent Trustpilot reviews for each platform, like for like
Overall Trustpilot scores mostly reflect how hard a company invites customers to review. Trustpilot labels each review as invited or unprompted, so we compare the two groups separately, from pulls dated October 5, 2026.
- Tapstitch (since September 1, 2026): invited 4.93 (n=42), unprompted 2.44 (n=9)
- Printful (September 11 to October 3): invited 4.89 (n=37), unprompted 1.15 (n=13)
- Printify (September 12 to October 4): invited 4.76 (n=41), unprompted 1.0 (n=9)
- Gelato (September 2 to October 4): invited 4.97 (n=33), unprompted 1.47 (n=17)
Invited reviews are close to a four-way tie. Tapstitch's unprompted average is the highest, but every unprompted sample here is small (9 to 17 reviews), so we treat it as a weak signal. Our full Tapstitch figures are on the review statistics and Trustpilot reviews pages.
How we ranked these print on demand platforms
- Blank weight and quality: gsm and fabric from each product page, and what reviewers say about garment and print quality.
- Total cost per finished garment: blank plus printing, from each company's own pages on October 5, 2026. Where a figure isn't published, we say so.
- Branding: labels, hang tags, inserts, and unbranded shipping, which matter for a fashion brand.
- Delivery: where orders ship from and what reviewers report about delays.
- Like-for-like reviews: invited and unprompted Trustpilot reviews from the same weeks, plus Shopify App Store scores.
Full details are on our methodology page. If you are starting out, read how to start a clothing brand with no inventory and whether Tapstitch is free.
Which print on demand platform fits your clothing brand
If you sell heavyweight streetwear under your own label and want the lowest blank cost, start with Tapstitch, order a sample in your usual size and one up, and check Tapstitch pricing. If you need embroidery, all-over print, or US fulfillment, Printful is the safer choice. Compare the others on Tapstitch alternatives.
See Tapstitch pricingBest print on demand for clothing FAQ
What is the best print on demand platform for clothing?+
For fashion and streetwear brands, we rank Tapstitch first: heavyweight blanks up to 430 gsm, a 260 gsm tee at $5.99 before printing, and custom labels and hang tags. Its sizing runs small and most styles ship from China. Printful is second for consistency, embroidery, and US fulfillment at a higher cost; Printify third for low prices; Gelato fourth, as a better fit for non-apparel.
Which print on demand is best for premium or heavyweight apparel?+
Tapstitch has the widest heavyweight range of the four at the lowest blank price: 260 gsm to 430 gsm tees and hoodies from $5.99 to $22.99. Printful sells heavyweight blanks too (a Comfort Colors 1717 tee from $15.60, a 10 oz Bella + Canvas 4719 hoodie from $37.23) and adds embroidery and all-over print.
Which print on demand platform lets me add my own labels?+
Tapstitch offers custom neck labels, hang tags, and insert cards. Printful sells inside labels for $0.99 and outside labels for $2.49. Printify lists branded inserts and neck labels on some products. We could not verify Gelato's branding options.
Is Tapstitch cheaper than Printful and Printify?+
Per blank, yes on the products we checked. A 260 gsm Tapstitch tee is $5.99 plus $2.99 per printed side, while a Bella + Canvas 3001 tee with one print starts at $11.92 on Printful and $11.29 on Printify. Shipping from China costs more and takes longer than US fulfillment, so compare the total per order.
Do you earn money from this ranking?+
We earn a commission if you sign up for Tapstitch through our links. We earn nothing from Printful, Printify, or Gelato. The ranking criteria are blank weight and quality from reviews, total cost per finished garment, branding options, delivery, and like-for-like review data.