Printful vs Bonfire vs Spreadshirt: Which is the POD MVP?

Let’s face it, creators and entrepreneurs thinking of getting involved the with Print on Demand (POD) business model are spoiled for choice these days.

There are countless great platforms and vendors to choose from – and it’s no wonder. After the POD market is currently growing at a CAGR of 25.8%.

Although I’ve personally tried and tested somewhere around 100 different POD platforms in the past, companies like Printful, Bonfire, and Spreadshirt still stand out.

Printful, for me, is one of the best print-on-demand solutions all-around (alongside Printify and Gelato), based on its exceptional commitment to product quality, its wide range of integrations, and its great design tools.

However, Spreadshirt and Bonfire are amazing for specific types of sellers.

Not sure which option is best for you? Here’s my honest, hands-on comparison of all three solutions.

Quick Verdict: Pros and Cons

Too busy to read this full comparison? No problem – here’s the TL;DR version:

• Printful is the best option if you’re looking for a huge selection of consistently high-quality products, options to sell through various channels, and great design tools.
• Bonfire is ideal if you’re looking for a POD service and fundraising platform in one, with peer-to-peer funding solutions and unique YouTube Merch selling options.
• Spreadshirt is perfect for beginners and smaller sellers, looking to sell products quickly on an integrated marketplace.

The Pros and Cons

Printful Pros and Cons

Bonfire Pros and Cons

Spreadshirt Pros and Cons

Printful vs Bonfire vs Spreadshirt: The Core Features

Printful, Bonfire, and Spreadshirt have a lot of similarities. They’re all print-on-demand solutions that allow companies to choose, customize, and sell products online. They also all offer global fulfillment services, and allow companies to get started for free.

However, after using all of these platforms, I can say they target very different groups.

Printful is an all-in-one solution that makes it easy to sell your custom products through existing sales channels – like ecommerce platforms and marketplaces – although US merchants can create one-page quick stores.

Spreadshirt, on the other hand, encourages users to list their custom products on an existing marketplace – although some integrations are supported through the SPOD app.

Bonfire is a niche solution that allows users to create a simple merch store, or sell through YouTube Merch. It also gives individuals, artists, and non-profits access to fundraising tools.

Let’s take a closer look at what separates these solutions.

MORE:

• Read our Printful Review.
• Read our Spreadshirt review.

Product Variety and Customization Options

If you’re looking for variety and quality – I’d recommend using Printful. There are over 368 customizable products to choose from on the platform, from common options like T-shirts and sweaters, to shoes, and home décor.

You can even experiment with different customization options, like embroidery, and all-over print. Plus, Printful offers some great eco-friendly products too.

That’s handy if – like me, you’ve noticed a growing demand among consumers for sustainable products. I also think Printful’s design tools are the best out of the three.

There are various free resources you can use, like graphics and fonts, and a brilliant mock-up generator. Plus, Printful has an “AI Upscaler” to improve the quality of the images you use.

Spreadshirt also offers a great selection of products – though it’s mostly focused on apparel and accessories, like shirts and bags.

It does have some great “unique” items available though, like cuddly toys – and it supports embroidery, DTG, and DTF printing.

Overall, Bonfire offers the fewest products, but you’ll still get popular options like t-shirts and bags. I couldn’t find many different printing options, but it’s worth noting you can access specialist “design services” from Bonfire if you’re struggling to create unique products.

That’s something that Printful can offer too – but with Spreadshirt, you’re on your own.

Profitability and Product Quality

I mentioned above that one of the main reasons I recommend Printful to POD vendors, is that it excels at delivering consistently high-quality products. In fact, Printful has a 4.7 out of 5 star rating on TrustPilot – thanks to its commitment to excellent quality.

Printful sources high-quality materials from suppliers, and uses the latest printing tech to ensure they’re always exceeding customer expectations.

Bonfire – though lesser-known than Printful, has a pretty great reputation for quality too. Based on the reviews I’ve read, Bonfire’s products are known for being durable, and comfortable, and the print quality is excellent.

That’s probably because the company manually reviews each product before shipping it.

While Spreadshirt has earned some good reviews for product quality, I’ve noticed a lot of customers say that the items they receive from that vendor can be “hit or miss.”

One good thing about Spreadshirt is that the products are a little cheaper than those you’d get from Bonfire, so you might be able to achieve higher profit margins.

Printful used to be a far more expensive option for POD vendors, but it recently cut its base product costs (and introduced some upgrades to its premium plans, with extra discounts), which means it’s exceptional value for money today.

To put it into perspective, a unisex t-shirt would cost you about:

• $16.99 from Spreadshirt
• $14.10 from Printful
• $17.02 from Bonfire

Printful vs Bonfire vs Spreadshirt: Sales Channels

One of the biggest differences between Printful, Bonfire, and Spreadshirt, is how and where you sell your products with each platform.

Bonfire is pretty basic, allowing companies to sell through a simple “merch store” or YouTube merch. You can’t really do much with your merch store to create a memorable brand – but you do get tools for “fundraising” if you’re a content creator or non-profit.

The main way to sell products through Spreadshirt is with its pre-existing marketplace. Every creator can build a simple storefront where they can promote their products alongside other merchants.

It’s great for getting immediate access to customers, and reducing the amount you’ll spend on ecommerce platforms – but there is a lot of competition to fight against.

If you want to use other sales channels, you’ll need a specific app – like “SpreadConnect” for Shopify.

Printful gives users the widest range of selling channels. Printful doesn’t have its own marketplace, but it does integrate with other marketplace platforms like Ebay and Amazon.

It also integrates with dozens of ecommerce platforms (like Shopify or Squarespace), and social media channels.

Plus, you can create a “quick store” to sell your products for free through Printful too – although this option is only available to US merchants for now.

Ultimately, if you want more flexibility when it comes to where you sell products, Printful is the best pick.

Ease of Use and Customer Support

One thing I love about print on demand is that virtually every POD platform is easy to use. All of the three platforms mentioned here are straightforward and intuitive.

However, I do think Printful has slightly more “user-friendly” design tools. If you’re looking for a platform that makes it easier to get started quickly, however, Spreadshirt or Bonfire might be better.

Neither of these tools require you to integrate the platform with an ecommerce storefront, so you can basically start creating and selling instantly.

If you’re not based in the US, you need to integrate Printful with another sales channel, which can take a little more time and effort.

On the plus side, all three platforms make it very easy to launch your business. You can create an account with each solution for free, and access onboarding guides, checklists, and self-help resources as you build your brand.

Bonfire does offer better customer service overall, however. Customers can connect with Bonfire’s team through live chat, email, and phone – although opening hours vary.

With Printful, you can only get support through email and chat (though support is available 24/7).

Spreadshirt only offers email-based customer support, so you’re likely to spend a little longer waiting for a response – particularly during busy periods.

Printful vs Bonfire vs Spreadshirt: Pricing

I mentioned above that Printful, Bonfire, and Spreadshirt all have free plans – you can get started with all three platforms, and pay only for the base cost of your products.

As noted, Printful’s products used to be a lot more expensive – but now they offer better value for money. Notably, Bonfire also takes an 8% fee from each transaction (which can quickly eat into your profits).

All three companies offer bonus services that you’ll need to pay extra for (like design support), but Printful is the only company with a “premium plan” option. The “Growth” plan is available to access for free if you earn more than $12k in sales per year – or it costs $24.99 per month.

This is a brilliant plan for scaling companies in my opinion, offering access to additional branding services, priority support, unlimited stores for each account, and fixed discounts on all kinds of products.

The fact that you can access it for free as your business grows makes Printful even more appealing – especially for established companies.

Printful vs Bonfire vs Spreadshirt: The Verdict

Printful, Bonfire, or Spreadshirt: Which platform should you choose.

Overall, I’d definitely say Printful is the best. It offers access to more high-quality products, better design tools, a wider range of sales channels, and that incredible “premium” plan option.

Still, Bonfire could be a good pick if you’re looking for fundraising services, easy selling options, and exceptional customer support.

I’d only recommend Spreadshirt to merchants in search of a fast and convenient way to start selling products online – thanks to its existing marketplace. The chances are as your business grows, you’ll want to consider switching to another provider.

Of course, you can always consider using all three platforms at once (you can create an account for free on all of them), so you can decide for yourself what works best for you.