Printify vs ShineOn: Which Print-on-Demand Platform Really Puts More Money in Your Pocket?

If you’re serious about print-on-demand (POD) you’ve probably heard of Printify and ShineOn.

Both allow you to sell custom products without holding inventory—but the question is which one really makes you more money?

I’ve been in eCommerce and print-on-demand for over 10 years, working with hundreds of sellers, testing both platforms and here’s the real deal:

Printify is good if you want variety. You can sell T-shirts, hoodies, mugs and more. But the profit margins? Thin because of competition.
ShineOn is a high-profit machine. They focus on personalized jewelry and gifts—products that sell for $50+ per piece meaning much higher profits.

So, which one is right for you? Let’s dive in.

What is Printify?

Printify is a print-on-demand network that connects sellers with over 100 print providers worldwide. Instead of printing products yourself, you upload your designs, choose a supplier and Printify handles printing and shipping for you.

The biggest advantage of Printify is variety. You can sell T-shirts, hoodies, phone cases, mugs, posters, tote bags and more.

This is good if you want to test different product categories and sell worldwide.

However, because Printify uses third-party suppliers, shipping times and product quality can be inconsistent. Some suppliers offer U.S. shipping while others take weeks to fulfill orders.

This can lead to customer complaints and refunds especially during peak seasons.

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What can you sell on Printify?

Printify has one of the biggest product catalogs in the print-on-demand space. Here are some of the top selling items:

Apparel: T-shirts, hoodies, leggings, tank tops
Accessories: Phone cases, tote bags, jewelry, socks
Home Goods: Mugs, posters, wall art, blankets, pillows
Eco-Friendly Products: Recycled tote bags, organic T-shirts, bamboo phone cases

Because of the variety Printify is good for general stores and niche brands who want to sell different types of products without holding inventory.

Printify Pros

Huge product range (800+ items to choose from)
Works with multiple platforms (Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, eBay, Walmart)
Competitive pricing if you use Printify Premium ($29/month for discounts)

Printify Cons

Thin margins—too much competition in T-shirts & mugs
Slow shipping—depending on the supplier (sometimes 2-3 weeks)
Quality varies—different suppliers, different results

What is ShineOn?

ShineOn is not your average POD platform. Instead of generic T-shirts, ShineOn focuses on high-ticket jewelry and gift products.

Their products aren’t just printed—they’re customizable with engravings and personalized message cards.

Think about it: jewelry is a gift purchase. People buy it for anniversaries, birthdays, Mother’s Day, Christmas and Valentine’s Day. This means higher emotional value and willingness to pay more. While T-shirts have low margins, ShineOn sellers make $30-$50 per item.

Another big plus? U.S. fulfillment. Unlike Printify where some suppliers ship from China, ShineOn has U.S. based fulfillment centers so orders arrive within 2-5 days.

Faster shipping = fewer refunds and more repeat buyers.

MORE: Printful vs Printify

What Can You Sell on ShineOn?

ShineOn’s product catalog is smaller than Printify’s but every item is high-value and personalized.

Jewelry: Necklaces, bracelets, pendants
Watches: High-quality men’s and women’s watches
Gift Packaging: Custom message cards, premium gift boxes
Personalized Engravings: Customers can engrave names, dates or messages on products

Since most people buy these items as gifts they have higher perceived value—so you can charge more without resistance.

ShineOn Pros

High profit margins—$30-$50 per sale
U.S. shipping (2-5 days)
Premium branding—custom packaging & message cards

ShineOn Cons

Smaller product range (only jewelry & gifts)
Limited integrations (Shopify & Etsy only)
More work required—emotional storytelling sells best

Pricing: Which Platform Gives You Better Profit Margins?

Pricing is one of the biggest factors when choosing a print-on-demand platform. If your costs are too high, your profit margins shrink, making it harder to scale.

The key question is: Which platform lets you keep more money per sale?

Printify Pricing: What You Need to Know

Printify offers three pricing plans, each affecting how much you pay for products:

Free Plan – No monthly fee, but you pay full price for products.
Premium Plan ($29/month) – Get up to 20% off product costs, which significantly boosts margins.
Enterprise Plan (Custom Pricing) – For high-volume sellers needing bulk discounts and dedicated support.

If you’re on the Free Plan, your product costs are higher, meaning lower profit margins. For example, a Bella+Canvas 3001 T-shirt costs $10.87 on the Free Plan but $8.69 on the Premium Plan. That’s $2.18 extra profit per sale.

If you sell just 15 shirts a month, the Premium Plan pays for itself—anything above that is pure extra profit.

ShineOn Pricing: How It Works

Unlike Printify, ShineOn doesn’t charge a monthly fee—it’s completely free to use. You only pay for the product after a sale is made.

Here’s how the pricing model works:

Base cost of a ShineOn necklace: Around $20.
Average selling price: $50-$70.
Profit per sale: $30-$50.

Since ShineOn specializes in high-value jewelry, customers are willing to pay premium prices—meaning higher profit margins per sale compared to low-ticket items like T-shirts or mugs.

Cost Comparison: Printify vs ShineOn

Let’s break down the actual costs and profits:

Product	Avg. Sale Price	Cost (Free Plan)	Cost (Printify Premium)	ShineOn Cost	Profit Margin (Free Plan)	Profit Margin (Premium Plan)	ShineOn Profit
T-Shirt (Bella+Canvas 3001)	$25	$10.87	$8.69	N/A	$14.13	$16.31	N/A
Hoodie (Gildan 18500)	$45	$22.03	$16.21	N/A	$22.97	$28.79	N/A
Necklace (ShineOn)	$60	N/A	N/A	$20	N/A	N/A	$40

Which One Makes You More Money?

💰 ShineOn has higher margins. With Printify, you’re fighting for $10-$20 per sale. With ShineOn, you can make $30-$50 per sale—on one product.

📦 Printify requires volume. If you’re selling T-shirts, you need to sell 3X more units to match ShineOn’s profits.

🚀 ShineOn has lower upfront costs. No need to pay for a Premium Plan—your costs are locked in, and you only pay when you make a sale.

If you want consistent small profits with a variety of products, Printify is solid. But if you want to maximize profit per sale with high-ticket products, ShineOn wins.

Profit Margins: Which One Makes More Money?

If you’re in eCommerce to make the most profit, ShineOn wins hands down.

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Printify’s margins are low because of too much competition. Everyone starts with T-shirts and hoodies so prices get pushed down.
ShineOn sellers charge $50+ for a necklace because it’s an emotional purchase not a commodity.

Real Profit Breakdown

Product	Avg. Sale Price	Cost	Profit Margin
Printify T-Shirt	$25	$10	$15
ShineOn Necklace	$60	$20	$40

With ShineOn you only need 100 sales to make $4,000. With Printify you’d need to sell 266 T-shirts to hit that number.

Shipping & Fulfillment: Who Delivers Faster?

Shipping speed directly affects customer satisfaction, refunds, and conversions. If your shipping times are too long, expect bad reviews and refund requests.

Printify Shipping: Global Reach, More Flexibility

Printify connects you with over 100 print providers worldwide, meaning shipping times vary based on the supplier you choose. Some U.S.-based suppliers offer delivery within 5-7 business days, while international providers can take 2-3 weeks.

Multiple fulfillment locations = faster delivery for international customers
More supplier options = flexibility in choosing cost vs. speed
Cheaper shipping costs compared to ShineOn for non-U.S. orders

The key benefit? If you sell internationally, Printify is better. You can pick suppliers closer to your audience, cutting down shipping time and costs.

ShineOn Shipping: Fast, But U.S.-Focused

ShineOn has its own U.S.-based fulfillment centers, ensuring consistent shipping speeds (2-5 days in the U.S.).

Fastest option for U.S. buyers
More reliable fulfillment since ShineOn controls the process
Limited international reach (non-U.S. shipping takes much longer)

If your target audience is mainly in the U.S., ShineOn is great, but if you need global shipping, Printify is the clear winner.

Winner: Printify 🏆

With more global suppliers and lower international shipping costs, Printify gives sellers more flexibility in how they fulfill orders.

Customer Support & Seller Resources: Who Helps Sellers More?

If something goes wrong—delayed orders, quality issues, lost packages—having reliable customer support is a game-changer.

Printify Support: Decentralized but Improving

Since Printify works with third-party suppliers, customer support depends on who printed and shipped the product. This can make problem resolution slower, but Printify has improved its customer service response times.

✅ Live chat support for quicker responses
✅ Direct supplier communication = faster issue resolution if you choose reliable partners
✅ Growing Printify Seller Community for troubleshooting

ShineOn Support: Direct, Hands-On Assistance

Since ShineOn handles all printing and fulfillment in-house, their support team has full control over problem resolution.

✅ Faster issue resolution since ShineOn doesn’t rely on third-party suppliers
✅ Active seller community on Facebook with ShineOn team involvement
✅ Free training & selling guides for optimizing sales

ShineOn’s focus on seller success gives it an edge, but Printify is catching up with better supplier vetting and customer service improvements.

Winner: ShineOn 🏆

ShineOn’s centralized fulfillment means fewer supply chain issues and faster support. However, Printify is improving, and for experienced sellers who carefully pick suppliers, it’s not a deal-breaker.

Branding & Customization: Who Offers More Branding Options?

Strong branding increases customer loyalty and repeat purchases. A branded, memorable product experience makes a huge difference in eCommerce.

Printify Branding: More Customization Options

Printify allows sellers to customize their product labels, packaging, and inserts, depending on the supplier.

✅ Neck label printing available (with select suppliers)
✅ Branded packaging options (depends on supplier)
✅ More product variety = more ways to create a branded experience

While not all suppliers offer branding, Printify gives you way more options to find one that fits your branding needs.

ShineOn Branding: High-Value Presentation

ShineOn focuses on premium, gift-ready branding by default.

✅ Comes with premium packaging & custom message cards
✅ Engraving options make the product feel premium
❌ Limited branding flexibility—you can’t fully customize packaging like you can with Printify

If you want high-end, gift-style branding, ShineOn wins. But if you want more flexibility in branding across different product types, Printify is the better choice.

Winner: Printify 🏆

Printify’s broader supplier network means more branding opportunities across various products, whereas ShineOn is gift-focused but limited.

Product Quality & Customer Satisfaction: Which Platform Offers Better Quality?

Your business lives or dies by product quality. High-quality products = fewer refunds and better reviews.

Printify Quality: Supplier Dependent, But More Variety

Since Printify works with multiple suppliers, quality varies. Some suppliers produce high-end prints, while others may use cheaper materials.

✅ More supplier options = you can choose premium print providers
✅ Option to order samples and compare quality
✅ More product variety (apparel, accessories, home decor, etc.)

The downside? You need to manually pick the best suppliers, or risk inconsistent quality between orders.

ShineOn Quality: Consistently High but Limited

ShineOn controls its manufacturing, ensuring consistent quality across all orders.

✅ High-quality jewelry, engraving, and packaging
✅ No supplier inconsistency—same fulfillment center, same quality
❌ Limited product range (only jewelry & gifts)

If you want high-end jewelry and gifts, ShineOn is the better choice. But if you want more variety and control over suppliers, Printify wins.

Winner: Printify 🏆

Printify offers way more product variety and allows sellers to choose premium suppliers. If you pick the right supplier, quality is just as good—or better—than ShineOn.

Final Thoughts: Printify vs ShineOn (Who Wins Overall?)

Feature	Printify	ShineOn	Winner 🏆
Pricing Plans	Free, $29/month (Premium), Custom (Enterprise)	100% Free	ShineOn
Product Costs	Lower-cost products (T-shirts $8-12, hoodies $16-22)	Higher-cost products (jewelry $20+ per piece)	Printify
Profit Margins	$10-$20 per sale (depends on product & plan)	$30-$50 per sale (high-ticket items)	ShineOn
Shipping Speed	Varies by supplier (5-21 days), better for global sales	Fast U.S. shipping (2-5 days), slower worldwide	Printify
Customer Support	Supplier-dependent, improving, live chat support	Faster responses, in-house fulfillment, seller community	ShineOn
Branding Options	More supplier flexibility (custom labels, packaging, branding)	Premium packaging + custom message cards included	Printify
Product Quality	Varies by supplier, but more variety & customization	Consistent, high-end jewelry & gift presentation	Printify

Overall Winner: Printify 🏆

✅ Best for sellers who want product variety, global reach, and supplier flexibility
✅ More control over branding and fulfillment options
✅ Higher potential for international sales and expansion

ShineOn is still a fantastic platform—especially if you sell high-ticket jewelry and gifts. But Printify wins overall because it offers more flexibility, better global shipping, and a wider range of products.

Which One Should You Choose?

If you’re new to print-on-demand and want a easy way to get started, Printify is a good option for beginners. You can test different products and if you find a niche that works you can scale.

But if you want to maximize profit and build a business ShineOn is the better choice. Higher margins, faster shipping and premium branding options make it easier to sell and scale.