Teelaunch vs Scalable Press: Which is Better for Print on Demand?

Thinking of starting your own business with print on demand? First, you’re going to need the right print on demand service. Teelaunch and Scalable Press are two popular options, but they take a very different approach to supporting vendors.

Although neither of these tools rank among my favorite print on demand services, they both have benefits to consider, particularly for beginners, and companies that are interested in selling apparel products at scale.

I took a deep dive into both services, to help you determine which solution is best for your needs, focusing on factors like product options, product quality, ease of use, and customer service.

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Teelaunch or Scalable Press? The Quick Answer

I think Teelaunch is a slightly better option for most print on demand vendors, because it gives you access to a wider variety of unique products to customize, and a more user-friendly experience.

However, Scalable Press does excel at delivering stronger customer service, and it offers a wide range of printing options, including embroidery. It also seems to be a little more effective at delivering fast fulfillment times, in certain regions.

Teelaunch Pros and Cons

Scalable Press Pros and Cons

Teelaunch vs Scalable Press: Overview

Teelaunch and Scalable Press might both support print on demand, but they’re very different resources for modern merchants.

Teelaunch gives you access to a worldwide print-on-demand network, and countless different products you can customize, from apparel and accessories, to jewelry and kitchenware. It also integrates directly with various ecommerce platforms and social media channels.

If you’re looking for product variety and simplicity, Teelaunch is the better choice. Scalable Press basically gives merchants a “supplier network” they can use to order thousands of different print on demand products from manufacturers around the world.

Notably though, the “thousands of products” all fall into one category: apparel. There are no unique home décor options like you’d get with Teelaunch.

However, you do get some interesting customization options. Let’s look at the core benefits and features of these solutions side by side.

Product Options and Customization

Scalable Press might promise merchants access to “thousands of products”, but it gives you a lot less variety than Teelaunch.

All of the platforms product options are divided into just four categories: Unisex, Youth, Accessories, and Ladies.

The good news is you can find products made by well-known brands, like Adidas Golf, on this platform, and experiment with DTG, screen printing, sublimation, poster printing, and embroidery.

Teelaunch doesn’t offer as many printing options (or branded items), but there are more unique products available, like fridge magnets, and LED Signs.

Both companies allow you to customize your products with your own images, text, and other elements. I think Teelaunch’s design tools are a little easier to use, with access to graphics libraries and templates to get you started.

However, neither of these companies blew me away from a design perspective. You’ll get much better customization tools from companies like Printify.

Additionally, neither company offers any real “branding” options, like customizable packaging, or labels, to really make your products stand out.

Product Pricing and Quality

If you’re looking for extremely low base product costs, both Teelaunch and Scalable Press are good picks – but Scalable Press could be cheaper if you’re buying in bulk.

Depending on your order volume, you can purchase a standard shirt with a DTG print for as little as $6.80.

A similar shirt from Teelaunch will cost about $11, which is still competitive – particularly compared to the prices you’ll get from competitors like Printful. The trouble is, neither company has a particularly strong reputation for product quality.

On TrustPilot, where TeeLaunch has a rating of 2.9 out of 5 stars, a lot of customers mention inconsistent t-shirt quality, and printing errors.

Scalable Press has a slightly stronger reputation, earning 4.1 out of 5 stars on TrustPilot, but plenty of customers still mention that printing quality can be a problem.

Since Scalable Press uses a DPI of around 200 (rather than the competition average of 400 DPI), images won’t always look crisp and clean.

Order Fulfillment and Shipping Times

Fast order fulfillment and shipping times are always a priority for print on demand sellers. The quicker your orders reach customers, the happier they’re going to be with your company.

However, I do like to remind merchants that POD fulfillment will always take longer than dropshipping. After all, manufacturers aren’t just shipping pre-made goods, they’re customizing them too.

Teelaunch says it can create products in around two days, but the support team mentions that fulfillment could take up to seven days.

Shipping times are pretty variable too. In the US, products can reach customers within five days, but international shipping can take up to 21 days.

Scalable Press seems to be a little more efficient with shipping and delivery. Order fulfillment typically takes between two to three days.

However, delivery times can range from between ten to thirty days, for international shipments. It’s also worth noting that although Scalable Press offers global fulfillment, they don’t have fulfillment centers everywhere.

For instance, there isn’t one in Europe, which may mean deliveries take longer here.

Integrations and Sales Channels

As I mentioned above, Teelaunch and Scalable Press are both pretty flexible in terms of channels you can sell through.

However, Teelaunch makes it easier to connect with platforms, through seamless integrations with Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, and various social media channels

Scalable Press requires companies to use an open API to create their own connections between sales channels.

This means you might need a little more technical knowledge to work with Scalable Press, particularly if you want to sell through multiple channels at once.

Teelaunch does have an API option too, although you don’t need to use it if you’re already using one of the platforms the solution integrates with as standard.

Neither platform offers access to a marketplace for direct selling to an existing audience. You also can’t create a simples tore on these platforms like you can with Printify and Printful.

Teelaunch vs Scalable Press: Pricing and Fees

The good news for most merchants, is that you don’t actually have to pay anything to use Teelaunch or Scalable Press.

Like most of the POD services I’ve reviewed, they both offer access to completely free accounts. All you need to pay for is the base cost of the products (which is a little cheaper on Scalable Press), and shipping, if you don’t want to pass that fee to your customers.

There may be some additional fees to consider, however, such as the price of paying for your own ecommerce platform, and extra services, like design support from freelancers.

I’d probably recommend working with an expert if you want to use the APIs offered by both platforms too.

On the plus side, you get the freedom to set your own prices for your products with both of these companies (something that’s not always an option with POD marketplaces).

So you do get full control over your profit margins.

Ease of Use and Customer Support

Finally, let’s compare ease of use and customer support. First, while I think both of these solutions are pretty straightforward, Teelaunch has an edge in terms of simplicity. It’s easier to select products, customize them with the built-in design tools, and integrate your sales channels.

Scalable Press has a slightly higher learning curve. Plus, you can’t just create an account when you want to get started. You need to “request” access to the supplier network, which means spending more time waiting around for a response.

From a customer support perspective, both companies offer similar solutions, focusing mainly on email-based support. Teelaunch doesn’t have the best reputation to responding to queries quickly, although the support team available through the Shopify app store seems to be a little better.

Although Scalable Press doesn’t offer any additional customer support channels, it seems to be a lot faster at responding to issues, and delivering genuine insights.

I think both of these companies could benefit from offering access to more self-help resources, however. I couldn’t find anything on Scalable Press’s website in the way of guides and FAQs.

Teelaunch does have a resource page that links you to other valuable sites and podcasts, but that’s about it. Ideally, I’d like to see more videos, guides, and educational resources from both teams.

Teelaunch vs Scalable Press: The Verdict

I’ve tested dozens of print on demand services and platforms over the years, and ultimately, neither Scalable Press nor Teelaunch stand out as one of my favorite options.

Although they’re both relatively simple to use, and offer access to convenient global fulfillment options, they each have limitations.

Teelaunch does offer more unique products than Scalable Press, and gives users a simpler experience with their pre-built integrations, and straightforward design tools.

However, the company doesn’t have the best reputation for product quality or customer service.

Scalable Press is great at delivering affordable products to merchants, and excels at fast fulfillment times, but it gives you limited product variety, and very little support with design. Both companies don’t have the best branding options either.

If you really want to choose between these two platforms, I’d recommend Teelaunch for people who are just starting out, want a simple design process, and need a range of unique products.

Scalable Press is better for companies looking at bulk orders in the fashion industry, who prioritize faster customer service and fulfillment.