Shopify vs Printify: Which Will Bring You More Sales in 2025?

Thinking about starting a print-on-demand business in 2025? 

Or maybe you’ve already got a Shopify store running and you’re wondering if Printify is worth adding into the mix. 

Here’s the thing: Shopify vs Printify isn’t exactly an ‘either/or’ platform. I get why this feels confusing, though. If you’re new to POD, it looks like you have to choose one.

As a Shopify expert, I’ve worked with plenty of US-based Shopify merchants who tried to choose between the two, and most ended up asking me the same thing: 

Which one will actually increase sales in my POD business? 

In this article, that’s exactly what I’m going to unpack. From features to pricing and everything in between, let’s get into the Printify vs Shopify debate. 

Shopify vs Pritnify: Quick Comparison Between the Two

What Shopify Brings to Your POD Business?

Shopify is the ecommerce platform with which you can completely control your POD business. 

It provides the tools to set up your storefront, manage products, process payments, and track sales performance. 

With Shopify, you can customize your store’s design, run marketing campaigns, and access analytics that help you understand customer behavior. 

What Printify Brings to Your POD Business?

Printify handles the fulfillment side of your print-on-demand business. 

You can design products, list them in your online store, and once a customer places an order, Printify takes care of printing, packing, and shipping. 

This removes the need for holding inventory or dealing with logistics. Printify makes it possible to test product ideas quickly, reduce upfront costs, and scale your business without storage or manufacturing challenges.

This is just a brief for both platforms. Let’s now understand the features of both platforms in terms of print-on-demand business. 

Print-on-demand With Shopify: Main Features

Fast Store Setup

With Shopify, you can launch a storefront quickly using Shopify’s AI website builder. Merchants can then refine it easily with Shopify themes and apps. 

Direct POD integrations (including Printify)

You can connect Shopify to my preferred POD Shopify apps. Shopify officially lists 200+ POD integrations, including Printify, Printful, and Gelato. 

High-converting Checkout

Shopify Checkout powers 12% of the US Ecommerce business. It is optimized for conversions. Shopify cites a 15% higher conversion with its checkout, which matters when you are running a POD business. 

Reliable performance

Shopify boasts a 99.9% uptime, ensuring campaigns, drops, and influencer pushes run uninterrupted during peak traffic. 

For U.S. buyers, a fast and stable store reduces bounce and support tickets. You can also plan promotions with more confidence because the platform is built to handle spikes. 

Global fulfillment flexibility (through suppliers)

Shopify’s ecosystem includes suppliers with wide facility coverage, so orders ship from locations closer to each customer. 

That can reduce shipping time and costs, improve post-purchase experience and repeat purchase rates. 

You can choose POD suppliers based on target regions and performance data as you scale.

Now let’s see what Printify brings to your POD business. 

Print-on-demand With Prinify: Main Features

Large Product Catalog

You can choose from 1,300+ products across apparel, home decor, drinkware, and pet products, which lets you test niches without inventory risk. 

This depth helps you build a broader catalog without taking on storage or production overhead.

Built-in Creation Tools

You get a Product Creator, Mockup Generator, and an AI Image Generator. This way, you can design, preview, and publish products without extra software. 

Direct Integrations With Sales Channels

Printify connects to Shopify and other major channels like Etsy and Amazon, so listings and orders sync with your storefront. 

Proven Volume at Scale

Printify reports 60M+ orders completed, which signals a mature production and logistics footprint. That matters when you are planning for seasonal spikes or influencer traffic. 

Going with Shopify comes with many pros and cons. Let’s understand them in detail.

Shopify for POD: Pros and Cons

Pros

Faster product validation
You can publish new POD designs within hours, because the platform setup is straightforward. At this speed, you can test which products resonate with buyers before committing marketing dollars at scale.

Higher ROAS potential
Shopify’s optimized checkout and built-in conversion tools increase the likelihood that paid clicks actually turn into sales.

That helps you keep your cost per acquisition sustainable when you run Facebook, TikTok, or Google Ads.

You own the audience
Unlike marketplaces, you can keep the customer database inside Shopify. That way, you can easily send email campaigns, retarget with ads, and run loyalty programs to targeted customers. 

Cons

Costs hit margins
Monthly subscriptions, payment processing fees, and optional apps all eat into POD profit margins. For lower-ticket items like mugs or t-shirts, these costs can quickly reduce profitability. 

Learning curve for customization
Getting a store live is quick, but customizing design, sections, or advanced funnels often requires technical knowledge. 

Payment setup choices matter
If you don’t use Shopify Payments, you need to pay extra transaction fees on top of normal card processing. 

Printify for POD: Pros and Cons

Pros

Low barrier to entry
You can sign up for free, design unlimited products, and connect up to five stores on a single account. 

This makes it easy to start testing ideas without upfront investment, which is key when validating POD designs on a budget.

Global provider network
Printify connects you with 140+ production facilities across 209 countries, including options in the U.S. You can choose providers closer to my target customers, which reduces delivery times and shipping costs. 

Cons

Limited control after handoff
Once an order is routed to a supplier, I don’t control production timelines or shipping updates beyond what’s reported. If delays occur, I’m still responsible for keeping customers informed.

Customer experience risks
Since Printify doesn’t own the production facilities, you are at risk if a supplier goes out of stock or makes a production error. 

Customers will blame your brand, not the backend supplier, so you have to manage support carefully.

As I said earlier Shopify vs Printify debate is not just about comparison. Connecting Printify to Shopify is a straightforward process. Here’s how you do it.

How to Link Printify to Shopify?

To connect Printify to Shopify, you can easily install the Printify app from the Shopify App Store. 

Once the app is installed, you’ll log in to your Printify account and authorize the connection to your Shopify store. 

This integration allows you to sync products directly from Printify’s catalog to your Shopify store, eliminating the need for manual uploads. 

From there, you can manage your products, orders, and fulfillment directly within Shopify, streamlining the entire POD process.

Wrapping Up – Shopify vs Printify: The Comparison

Feature	Shopify	Printify
Primary Function	An ecommerce platform for building and managing online stores.	Print-on-demand service for creating and selling custom products without holding inventory.
Pricing	Shopify pricing: Basic ($29/month) Shopify ($79/month) Advanced ($299/month)	Printify pricing: Free plan available Premium plan at $24.99/month
Transaction Fees	0%–2% depending on the plan and payment gateway used.	No transaction fees; charges per product sold plus shipping.
Product Catalog	Offers a wide range of products; merchants source and manage inventory independently.	Access to 1,300+ customizable products through a network of print providers.
Fulfillment	Merchants handle fulfillment or integrate with third-party services.	Printify handles printing, packing, and shipping directly to customers.
Integrations	Integrates with various sales channels, including social media platforms and marketplaces.	Integrates with Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, and other eCommerce platforms.
Customization Tools	Provides tools for store design, product customization, and marketing.	Offers a mockup generator and design tools for creating custom products.

Shopify vs Printify FAQs

1. How to link Printify to Shopify?

To link Printify to Shopify, install the Printify app from the Shopify App Store, then log in to your Printify account and connect it to your store.

2. Does Printify cost anything?

Printify offers a free plan with access to their full catalog, but you can upgrade to the Premium plan for $24.99/month (billed annually) to unlock discounts on products.

3. Do I need Shopify if I have Printify?

If you need to run your online store and manage customer transactions, you need both. Printify only handles the printing, packing, and shipping of POD products.

4. What’s better, Printify or Shopify?

Shopify is essential for running your online store and handling sales, while Printify is a fulfillment partner for POD products. Both work together to streamline the process of creating and selling custom products online.

5. Are Shopify and Printify the same?

No, Shopify is an ecommerce platform for building and managing an online store, while Printify is a print-on-demand service for producing and fulfilling custom products.