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Teespring vs. Shopify: Which is Better for Your POD Business?
Print-on-demand (POD) is a fruitful business model that many seasoned and greenhorn entrepreneurs have tapped into. While having trademarked products and distinct branding are imperative, the journey begins from the moment merchants lock in their host platform of choice. Among the strongest contenders, Teespring and Shopify rise above as the two most well-known options. So, which one is the better match for your POD business? This guide from GemPages will give you the ultimate answer.
Get to Know Teespring and Shopify
What is Teespring?
Establish the POD business quickly and hassle-free with Teespring.
Teespring, AKA Spring after the company’s rebrand in 2021, is a platform that empowers Print-on-demand (POD) business owners from launching to managing their stores in the long run. With no upfront cost required, Teespring has become many aspiring entrepreneurs’ top choice over the years in the POD industry.
Beginning as a POD provider where t-shirts and hoodies were the main products, Teespring listened to its users and expanded its territory to include home goods like mugs, phone cases, cushions, etc. The company’s system is straightforward and virtually risk-free, enabling sellers at all stages to enter the market without friction. Users can either upload their original designs or pick from Teespring’s free design collections to start selling immediately. Apart from the basic features of a standard Teespring-hosted website, merchants are free to take advantage of the platform’s marketing integration with major social media goldmines like Instagram and Facebook to vault up their brands. For a POD provider, Teespring is certainly a household name.
What is Shopify?
Shopify stands as one of the most reputable platforms that embrace eCommerce businesses of all sizes.
After nearly 20 years in the biz, Shopify has deservingly achieved its position as one of the top dogs in the eCommerce scene. The company’s ultimate goal is to offer eCommerce solutions for entrepreneurs across various industries via a foolproof interface. Every facet of online store management you can think of, Shopify will have it in store.
One of the highlighted features of Shopify is its unequivocal support of Print-on-demand businesses, which is evident in its seamless integration with numerous third-party software such as Printful and Printify. Having Shopify as a host platform alongside a trusty POD provider of your choice, the digital store of your dreams can be launched in a matter of days.
When it comes to marketing, Shopify is also crowned as the GOAT. Its built-in tools are excellent in helping you craft robust and successful marketing campaigns, consequently garnering organic visitors and broadening your network. For all these reasons, it is no surprise that a majority of POD hustlers have opted to pick Shopify as a reliable partner in their business ventures.
More from GemPages: 11 Best Selling Print-on-Demand Products in 2024
How do Teespring and Shopify Work with Your POD Business?
Setting up a POD business is no simple task, as it requires a proper business plan and aided features on your platform of choice.
How does Teespring work? How does one get started with Shopify? Although initially offering the same service, the differences in the process of setting up your store are notable in regard to Teespring vs. Shopify. Let’s go over both of them below.
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Teespring |
Shopify |
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Step 1: Create an account. Step 2: Decide the products you want to sell (e.g. t-shirts, mugs, posters). Step 3: Use Teespring’s online design tool to create a new design or upload your own artwork. Step 4: Set pricing and launch your store. Step 5: Place your order and let Teespring handle the logistics. Step 6: Promote your products on social media for more engagement. |
Step 1: Create an account and sign up for a Shopify plan. Step 2: Pick a POD provider that has integration with Shopify, such as Printify or Printful. Step 3: Upload your design and compile a list of chosen products to sell. Step 4: Set your store and add a product page with all your designs. Step 5: Set the price and launch your store. Step 6: Utilize Shopify's built-in marketing tools to advertise your products. |
While the two processes share both similarities and differences, Shopify provides sellers with more advanced tools, whereas Teespring is considered a compact, all-in-one solution.
An Overall Platform Review of Teespring and Shopify
Now, we will go into the nitty-gritty of both of these platforms. Is Teespring legit? Is Shopify the most suited for your brand’s goals? We think you will be able to draw a definite conclusion after this chapter.
Pricing
- Teespring
Teespring prides itself on having zero upfront costs, meaning it is Free.99 to start your business venture with this platform. Its online design tool is also free of charge, so you can go ahead and take full advantage of this feature.
So, how does Teespring make money then? The answer is simple: it will take a percentage of sales revenue from each of your products. This is also known as the baseline costs, which are automatically set when you start selling. To make profits, the rule of thumb is to set your prices higher than these baseline costs.
- Shopify
Choose a Shopify plan that matches your brand the best in regard to price and needed features.
Opening up a POD storefront with Shopify is similar to any other business model, be it white labeling or dropshipping: you are asked to pick a plan. The platform encloses all the features and add-on tools you will receive in each plan, as well as a breakdown to give you insights into which one is the most efficient for your business. If the prices seem intimidating to you as a first-time entrepreneur, going with Shopy’s free trial and paying as little as $1 per month is a reasonable call.
Our verdict: Teespring takes the cake in this category since starting with no cost and low risk is a brilliant approach to recruit a wider range of aspiring sellers, especially ones with a limited budget.
Learn more: Start Your Online Business with Shopify–Only $1 [2024 plan]
Usability
- Teespring
Jump from one section to another quickly with Teespring’s intuitive layout.
Interface-wise, Teespring boasts a minimalist appearance. Users will have no difficulty navigating around the app with a simplified collapsible menu and separated sections. Even if you are a novice seller, it won’t be time-consuming to have the platform figured out.
- Shopify
Shopify possesses the same layout as Teespring and has a more advanced flair.
While embodying a similar look, Shopify’s features are neatly tucked behind the drop-down menus. It seems more intricate, with many innovative tools that help you launch a full-fledged store ASAP. While complex, the platform still did a great job of organizing all the features to give users a pleasing interface. That said, some might feel a bit overwhelmed while trying to navigate at first.
Our verdict: for the general public, less is more. This is why Teespring takes the win in this category.
Store Templates
- Teespring
Stores that are based on Teespring often share a uniform look, with product listings being the top priority. Since web design is not an eminent component, the design freedom is pretty limited, including the store templates and themes.
- Shopify
Adorn your store with these multicolored themes from Shopify.
The topic around Shopify themes is immense, making this platform a gold mine for store owners who want to obtain a unique look. With free and premium themes available, POD merchants are able to stand out among the crowd with exclusive branding and a professional digital storefront. Moreover, third-party apps like GemPages provide a vast collection of additional themes and templates for your store.
Our verdict: with its versatile options, Shopify is better than Teespring in the templates and themes department.
More details on Shopify themes here: Shopify Customization: How to Build Custom Shopify Pages That Sell?
Product Offerings
- Teespring
Teespring’s whole shtick revolves around the world of POD products, thus, its product offerings are apparel, home goods, decor pieces, accessories, and other easily customizable items. By simplifying its product collections and approach, merchants won’t get overwhelmed cherry-picking products or trying to find a branding direction.
- Shopify
Shopify’s product offerings are not limited to a specific list, as users can make use of external POD providers whose catalogs are more diverse. While apparel and home goods are still the bread and butter, pet products or drinkware are also gaining popularity.
Our verdict: for more diverse options, Shopify wins. Sometimes all it takes in the POD industry is to have a more enticing catalog than your competitor’s.
Built-in Features
- Teespring
The platform’s offered features are made for one single business model: print-on-demand. Thus, expect design-focused tools that help you churn out new graphics, manage product fulfillment, and social media sharing options to advertise your products. Teespring’s built-in features aim to assist you in showcasing your custom items, rather than building a flashy website.
- Shopify
Shopify is the mothership that houses a plethora of different business models, hence its comprehensive catalog of built-in features. The platform offers tools that zhuzh up one’s website, organize inventory, streamline the payment process, and so on. The official app store is also home to various third-party apps that fit all of your needs to complement your brand.
Our verdict: it’s a tie! If your focus is building a successful POD business, using Teespring is more sufficient. On the other hand, if you plan on expanding your brand further, Shopify is the way to go.
Third-party Apps
- Teespring
Teespring is designed to give your store the boost it needs while building a solid POD business, so it’s understandable to be met with third-party options where making sales and marketing stay at the core. An exclusive integration that Teespring sellers can capitalize on is Social Media Selling - a feature where one’s products can be sold directly through common social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram.
- Shopify
Numerous POD apps for your consideration are available on the Shopify App Store.
As mentioned, there is no ceiling when one seeks third-party apps on Shopify. The platform taunts a vast collection of apps that support your POD business, from product design to website analytics. Some recognizable names are Printify, Printful, and Gooten - all can be downloaded from the Shopify App Store.
Our verdict: Shopify beats Teespring in this category with its intensive third-party apps collection that covers every facet of one’s business.
Customer Support
- Teespring
Teespring’s support system is primarily via email, where you can shoot its customer service team a message. If the issue is trivial or common, it’s likely to be found in the help center and FAQ web page.
- Shopify
There is no coincidence that Shopify has been favored by many business owners, small and big. Its customer support is one of the first rates in the game, with prominent features being 24/7 live chat, email, and phone number, following an extensive library of available resources and an active community forum. Should your store run into any issue, it’s bound to be resolved promptly.
Our verdict: Shopify takes the extra brownie points over Teespring when it comes to customer support.
Brand Scalability
- Teespring
It’s easy to start with Teespring, but the task becomes more challenging when scalability is in the discussion. With an apparent lack of advanced customization options and marketing tools, it is harder for merchants to scale up and build a more established brand.
- Shopify
One quick search will yield you results of the giants who are operating on Shopify, or up-and-coming brands who have managed to scale using this versatile platform. Thanks to its features and integrations, POD sellers are welcome to achieve high scalability and brand longevity.
Our verdict: Shopify is superior for users who are looking to scale up their brands, as compared to Teespring’s rather narrow opportunities.
The Final Verdict
After carefully assessing both platforms with the POD business model in mind, we at GemPages have to give the crown to Shopify for its diverse features, user-friendliness, and overall top-notch offerings. While Shopify came out victorious, it is not to say that Teespring is inferior. Depending on your needs, Teespring would be a solid starting point or even a long-term partner. If you have not given these two excellent platforms a try, this is a sign to start leveling up your POD empire by testing the waters today!
FAQ about Teespring vs. Shopify
