Compare print on demand services for Australian merchants. See per-item base costs, AU shipping, fulfilment speed, platform integrations, and margins side by side.
Printful | Prodigi | Printify | Gelato | OGO | DropShirt | Gooten | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fulfilment cost /mo | $1,059/moBest margin | $1,102/mo | $1,203/mo | $1,254/mo | $1,300/mo | $1,418/mo | $1,518/mo |
| Cost per unit | $21.17 | $22.03 | $24.05 | $25.08 | $26.00 | $28.35 | $30.36 |
| Margin per unit | $48.83 | $47.97 | $45.95 | $44.92 | $44.00 | $41.65 | $39.64 |
| Profit /mo | $2,442 | $2,399 | $2,298 | $2,246 | $2,200 | $2,083 | $1,982 |
| Costs & margins | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base cost (t-shirt) | $10 | $13.03 | $13.56 | $17 | $17.00 | $18.35 | $14 |
| AU shipping | $11 | $9.00 | $10.49 | $8 | $9.00 | $10.00 | $17 |
| Membership /mo | $35/mo (Growth) | Free | $35/mo (Premium, annual) | $33/mo (Gelato+) | Free | Free | Free |
| Membership saving | Up to 20% off | None | Up to 30% off | Up to 25% off | None | None | None |
| Sample discount | 20% to 25% off | At cost | Standard pricing | 30% off first order (48h) | Not advertised | Not advertised | Sample credit (VIM) |
| AU fulfilment & delivery | |||||||
| Prints in Australia | Yes (Brisbane, Melbourne) | Yes (AU lab) | Yes (via partners) | Yes (local partners) | Yes (Melbourne) | Yes (metro) | Partial (mostly overseas) |
| AU delivery | 2 to 5 days | 2 to 5 days | 3 to 7 days | 2 to 5 days | 2 to 7 days | 1 to 5 days (Express 1 to 2) | 10 to 20 days |
| Express delivery | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Global delivery | Yes (US, EU, AU facilities) | Yes (50+ labs, 10+ countries) | Yes (global print network) | Yes (local production, 32+ countries) | Yes (ships worldwide from AU) | Yes (ships worldwide from AU) | Yes (ships 160+ countries) |
| Global delivery time | 5 to 12 days | 5 to 15 days | 5 to 15 days | 5 to 12 days | 10 to 25 days | 10 to 25 days | 10 to 20 days |
| Integrations & tools | |||||||
| Platforms | Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, Etsy, BigCommerce, eBay | Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, BigCommerce | Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, Etsy, eBay, BigCommerce | Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, BigCommerce | Shopify | Shopify | Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, BigCommerce |
| Catalog size | 370+ | 200+ (art focus) | 1,300+ | 250+ | AS Colour + Sportage range | AS Colour, Gildan range | 500+ |
| Mockup generator | Yes | Yes | Yes (AI mockups) | Yes (AI mockups) | Basic | Basic | Yes (basic) |
| API access | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No (Shopify app only) | Via dashboard | Yes |
| Branding | Inside labels, pack-in inserts, branded packaging | Limited | Neck labels, pack-in inserts | Labels, inserts (Gelato+) | In development | White-label dispatch | Neck labels |
| Returns / misprints | Free reprint or refund on Printful errors (30 days) | Free reprint on defects | Free reprint or refund on defects (30 days) | Free replacement on defects (30 days) | Defects replaced (Australian Consumer Law) | Defects replaced (Australian Consumer Law) | Free reprint on defects (4 weeks) |
| Ratings | |||||||
| Rating | 4.8Shopify App Store (2,251) | 4.0Shopify App Store (58) | 4.7Shopify App Store | 4.8Shopify App Store (738) | 2.4Shopify App Store (7) | Not yet rated | 4.2Shopify App Store (140) |
Estimates use the benchmark t-shirt base cost plus AU shipping times your monthly orders. The cheapest fulfilment cost is also the best margin, since you set one selling price. Turn on the membership toggle to apply each paid membership discount and add its monthly fee. Some per-item base costs are dashboard-only and shown as indicative.
A few things to know before you switch.
Print on demand has no monthly fee to start. You pay a fixed base cost per item plus shipping, and keep everything you charge above that. A standard t-shirt costs roughly $10 to $18 AUD per item depending on the provider and blank, plus about $9 to $11 AUD to ship the first item to an Australian customer. Some providers offer an optional paid membership (around $33 to $35 AUD/mo) that discounts the per-item base cost.
Printful (partner facilities in Brisbane and Melbourne), Gelato (local production partners), Prodigi (an Australian lab), OGO (Melbourne), and DropShirt (Australian metro) all print Australian orders domestically, so delivery is fast. Printify routes orders to Australian print partners such as The Print Bar. Gooten fulfils most Australian orders from overseas, so its delivery is slower.
Unlike a marketplace, a print on demand service does not take a percentage of your sale. You pay a fixed base cost per item plus shipping, you set your own retail price, and you keep the full difference as margin. Because you set one selling price across providers, the service with the lowest per-item cost also gives you the best margin.
Printful is the quality and branding leader, with Australian partner facilities and the broadest custom branding (inside labels, pack-in inserts, custom packaging), at a slightly higher base cost. Printify has the largest catalog (1,300+ products) and a network of Australian print partners, with base costs that vary by the print provider you choose. Printful suits brand-led stores; Printify suits the widest product range and flexible pricing.
No. Every provider here can be used on a free plan, paying only the per-item base cost plus shipping. Printful (Growth), Printify (Premium), and Gelato (Gelato+) sell an optional membership of around $33 to $35 AUD/mo that cuts per-item base costs by roughly 20 to 30 percent, which pays off once your monthly order volume is high enough. OGO, DropShirt, Prodigi, and Gooten have no membership.
Printify, Printful, and Gelato integrate with Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, and Etsy. Gooten and Prodigi cover Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy, and BigCommerce. OGO and DropShirt are Shopify-focused. Use the platform filter on the comparison table to show only the services that connect to your store.
When a provider prints in Australia, delivery is typically 2 to 7 business days, and DropShirt offers an Express option that can arrive in 1 to 2 days. Services that fulfil from overseas, such as Gooten for most orders, take roughly 10 to 20 business days. Local printing is the single biggest factor in delivery speed.
Branding options vary. Printful offers the most, including inside neck labels, pack-in inserts, and custom packaging. Printify and Gelato support neck labels and inserts (Gelato on its membership). Gooten offers neck labels. DropShirt dispatches white-label, and OGO branding is still in development. If unboxing and brand experience matter, Printful is the strongest choice.
Our team can help you weigh per-item cost, Australian fulfilment speed, branding options, and platform fit so you keep the best margin on every sale.