Printful alternative for small businesses and startups

Printful is a print-on-demand service for people selling shirts online, printing one item at a time as orders come in from a connected store. Merch to Order is a smaller, simpler printer for people who need a batch of shirts for a business, a launch or a team. There is no minimum, every order gets a free digital proof before printing, shipping is free over $150, and every box has a tracking number.

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Printful is a trademark of its owner. Merch to Order is not affiliated with or endorsed by Printful. Competitor details are from their public website as of September 2026 and may change; check their site for current terms.

What will it cost?

Garment

How many

Or type a number

$11.45 a shirt

$274.80 for 24, shipping free

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What does Printful do well?

Printful does 4 things well, and none of them are small. Credit where it is due.

Integrations with Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce and other storefronts, so a sale in your shop is printed and shipped automatically.
No inventory: each shirt is printed after a customer buys it, so you never hold stock.
Product mockup generators and a large catalog of garments for a storefront.
Fulfillment in several countries, useful if your buyers are spread out.

How is Merch to Order different from Printful?

Merch to Order differs from Printful in 4 ways: selling shirts versus buying shirts; per-unit pricing that falls with quantity; a proof you approve versus automatic fulfilment; screen printing for bulk, dtg for small runs. Our side comes from our price tables; their side is from their public site as of September 2026.

Selling shirts versus buying shirts

Printful exists to fulfil a storefront: one order, one shirt, shipped to one customer. Merch to Order exists to fill a box: 30 staff shirts in mixed sizes to one address, with the price dropping at 12, 24, 50, 100 and 250. If you want to sell merch to the public with no inventory, Printful is the right tool. If you want 50 shirts for your team, it is the wrong shape.

Per-unit pricing that falls with quantity

Print-on-demand prices are per item and do not usually fall much with quantity, because every unit is printed on its own. Merch to Order switches to screen printing at 24 shirts, which is why a Classic Cotton Tee is $19.95 for one and $11.45 each at 24, then $7.45 at 250+. For a team order the gap is large; for a single shirt the two are closer.

A proof you approve versus automatic fulfilment

Printful is designed to run without you: a customer buys, a printer prints. There is normally no per-order human proof, so mistakes in the template ship to your buyer. Merch to Order emails a digital proof of every print side within 24 hours and prints nothing until you approve it. That is slower by a day and much safer for a company logo.

Screen printing for bulk, DTG for small runs

Printful prints direct-to-garment and similar digital methods, which suits photos and single items. Merch to Order uses direct-to-garment under 24 shirts and screen printing at 24 and above, with Pantone matching on screen-printed runs. A back print is $3.50 a shirt at 24+.

Merch to Order vs Printful: side by side

Our column is the same on every comparison page because it is generated from the pricing data. Their column is from their public site as of September 2026 and may have changed, so check it for current terms.

Feature	Merch to Order	Printful
Minimum order	None. One shirt is $19.95; the price drops at 12, 24, 50, 100 and 250.	No minimum; the model is one item per order.
Published pricing	Every garment at every quantity is on the pricing page. $11.45 a Classic Cotton Tee at 24, $7.45 at 250+.	Per-item prices are published in their catalog; little or no bulk discount.
Proof before printing	Always. A digital proof of every print side within 24 hours, nothing printed until you approve it.	Automatic fulfilment from your template; ask them about sample orders instead.
Front and back print	Yes. A back print adds $3.50 a shirt at 24+, shown live in the studio.	Yes, each print area priced separately.
Turnaround	7-12 business days door to door standard, 5 business days door to door rush.	Production time per item plus shipping to each buyer, published on their site.
Free shipping	Free standard shipping on orders over $150.	Shipping is charged per order to each customer.
Account and reorders	Every design is saved. Open a past order, click Reorder, adjust sizes. Invoices and purchase orders on request.	Products live in your connected store; reorders are your customers' purchases.
Best for	Buying a batch of shirts for your team, event or launch, delivered to one address.	Selling merch through a store with no inventory or upfront cost.

Pick Printful if

→You are opening a merch store and want each sale printed and shipped automatically.
→You do not want to hold any inventory or pay for shirts before customers buy them.
→Your buyers are in several countries and you want fulfilment near them.

Pick Merch to Order if

→You need a box of shirts for a team, launch or event, and $11.45 a shirt at 24 beats a per-item print-on-demand price.
→You want a person to check your logo and send a proof within 24 hours before anything prints.
→You want one shipment with tracking to one address, free over $150.

What does a typical order cost at Merch to Order?

A Classic Cotton Tee with a one-side print is $11.45 a shirt at 24 and $8.25 at 100, with standard ink colors included and no setup fee. Shipping is free over $150, and a proof arrives within 24 hours. Every garment is on the pricing page (see custom t-shirt pricing), and the price calculator gives a total for any quantity without an email address. Get the same shirt quoted at Printful and compare the two totals.

Printful vs Merch to Order questions

Is Merch to Order cheaper than Printful?

Sometimes, and you can check in two minutes. For orders of 24 or more our published price is $11.45 a Classic Cotton Tee with a one-side print, $9.45 at 50, and $7.45 at 250+; a back print adds $3.50 a shirt at 24+. Printful prices depend on the garment, ink colors and quantity you enter, so get their live quote for the same shirt and compare the two totals including shipping. We do not quote their prices here because they change.

Can I use Printful to order 50 shirts for my staff?

You can, but each shirt is priced and shipped as an individual print-on-demand item, so there is little bulk saving. Merch to Order prints 50 Classic Cotton Tees at $9.45 each with a one-side print, screen printed, delivered in one box with a tracking number.

Does Merch to Order connect to Shopify or Etsy?

No. We are not a print-on-demand fulfilment service. We print batches you order for your own team, event or customers, and ship them to you or to an address you choose.

Is print-on-demand quality different from bulk printing?

Print-on-demand is direct-to-garment, which is what we use under 24 shirts too. At 24 and above we screen print, which gives thicker, brighter ink and lets us Pantone match brand colors. See our printing methods page for the full comparison.

Can I order one shirt from Merch to Order like I would from Printful?

Yes. There is no minimum. A single Classic Cotton Tee is $19.95 with a one-side print, and you still get a proof within 24 hours and a tracking number.