Printful vs Printed Mint: Which Print-On-Demand App Should You Use in 2026?

When comparing the top print-on-demand tools on the market, Printful and Printed Mint show up time and time again — but which one came out on top in our 2025 hands-on testing?

After over 300 hours of research across product quality, integrations, fulfillment speed, and branding tools, I’ve got a clear winner depending on your business model.

Printful vs Printed Mint: Quick Verdict

• Printful – Best for scaling ecommerce businesses and multi-channel sellers

• Printed Mint – Best for boutique brands and gift shops that rely on premium unboxing

In this review, I’ll break down how Printful and Printed Mint compare across the key features that really matter — including product catalogs, shipping speed, integrations, branding capabilities, and overall fit for different types of ecommerce stores.

💡 Key Takeaways:

• Printful supports over 330 products, integrates with 20+ ecommerce platforms, and offers API + automation tools.

• Printed Mint offers curated giftable products with deluxe custom packaging included — ideal for Etsy-style brands.

• Printful has a Growth plan that reduces fulfilment costs after $12K in annual sales or $24.99/month.

• Printed Mint ships only from the US (Phoenix, AZ), but provides Express Production for 1–2 day turnarounds.

• Printful supports international shipping + fulfillment from the US, EU, and beyond.

• Printed Mint stands out for its emotional branding features, like ribbon, crinkle paper, and handwritten notes.

A Quick Comparison of Printful vs Printed Mint

Here’s how both print-on-demand platforms stack up at a glance:

Product Range: Broad Variety vs Curated Boutique

Printful: Best for Scaling Across Niches and Categories

Printful offers one of the most extensive catalogs in the print-on-demand industry, with over 330 product SKUs spanning apparel, accessories, wall art, mugs, bags, and home decor. That kind of range is a huge advantage for sellers planning to test different product types, identify their bestsellers, and quickly scale what works without switching vendors.

Here’s what sets Printful apart in terms of catalog scope:

• Access to apparel, drinkware, accessories, and home goods from a single dashboard.

• Wide selection of colours, sizes, and product types to fit diverse brand aesthetics.

• Frequent additions of trending products (e.g., eco-friendly tote bags, new styles).

This makes Printful a natural choice for creators and businesses that want flexibility to expand into new categories over time.

Printed Mint: Ideal for Gift-Focused and Aesthetic Brands

Printed Mint also offers a substantial range of over 300 SKUs, but the experience is more curated and aesthetic-focused. The product catalog leans heavily into gift-ready items like:

• Custom candles, pillowcases, and kitchen towels.

• Branded packaging-ready drinkware.

• Home + office products like notepads, art prints, and stationery sets.

If your brand strategy is about emotion, gifting, or lifestyle — Printed Mint is intentionally built to support that. It shines when customers are buying gifts and expect an unboxing experience that reflects thoughtful presentation.

Key Differences in Catalog Style

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Branding and Unboxing Experience: Add-On vs Built-In

Printful: Custom Branding When You Need It

Printful allows sellers to customise branding through several add-ons, including:

• Custom inside neck labels.

• Branded packing slips.

• Personalised inserts and logo placements.

These are optional upgrades — which means you can start lean, and only add these features when your sales volume justifies the cost.

That’s a good model for growth-stage sellers, but it does mean you’ll need to proactively manage your brand presentation as you scale.

Printed Mint: Packaging Is the Main Feature

Printed Mint treats packaging like a first-class feature — not an afterthought. Their “Deluxe Packaging” option includes:

• Branded full-color exterior labels.

• Ribbon or crinkle paper inside the box.

• Branded packing slips and marketing card inserts.

• Optional handwritten notes for a personal touch.

This creates a dramatically more premium unboxing experience — one that helps sellers differentiate based on brand emotion and perceived value.

Who Wins on Brand Feel?

If your store thrives on brand experience and customer delight — Printed Mint gives you more out of the box, without cobbling together extras.

Fulfillment and Shipping: Global Footprint vs US Consistency

Printful: Built for International Scale

Printful operates multiple fulfillment centers across the globe, including facilities in:

• USA (East and West Coast)

• Canada

• Europe (Spain and Latvia)

• Mexico and Japan

This global network means your orders are routed to the closest facility, reducing both shipping time and international tax exposure. It’s a major advantage for any store with a significant non-US customer base.

Printed Mint: Consistency from a Single Fulfillment Hub

Printed Mint fulfills and ships all orders from its warehouse in Phoenix, Arizona. While that means less global routing, it does offer consistent output — ideal for US-based sellers who want predictable lead times and consistent shipping costs.

Standard production times are 2–4+ business days. For larger orders or bulk requests, the lead time can stretch to 7–10 business days. Express Production (1–2 days) is available on eligible products for a premium fee.

Fulfillment Comparison

For international sellers, Printful’s reach matters. For boutique US stores, Printed Mint’s consistent output can be a strategic advantage.

Pricing, Margins, and the Cost of Scaling

Printful: Transparent Pricing with Growth Tiers

Printful uses a straightforward model: product base cost + printing + shipping. Optional branding or packaging features cost extra. They also offer a Growth Plan, which gives you discounts on base costs once your store reaches $12,000/year in sales. Otherwise, you can pay $24.99/month to access the same benefits earlier.

This makes Printful particularly appealing for sellers scaling up or already moving a decent volume of product.

Printed Mint: Premium Packaging, Higher Product Cost

Printed Mint tends to be more expensive on a per-item basis, but the cost often reflects the added value of packaging and presentation. Most sellers using Printed Mint charge higher retail prices — because their customers perceive more value.

For example:

• A candle from Printful might cost $14.95 + shipping with basic packaging.

• A similar candle from Printed Mint might cost $16.50 but arrive in custom gift packaging with ribbon and inserts.

This difference in perceived value allows you to maintain competitive margins, even at a higher base cost.

Pricing Comparison

To make the right decision, run a margin model for your top 10 products, comparing pricing scenarios side-by-side.

Integrations, APIs, and Workflow Automation

Printful: Full-Stack Integration Across Platforms

Printful has one of the most robust integration ecosystems in the print-on-demand market. Supported platforms include:

• Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, BigCommerce

• Amazon, eBay, Walmart Marketplace

• TikTok Shop and Facebook Shops

Printful also provides:

• A public API with full developer documentation.

• Zapier integrations for workflow automation.

• Webhooks and inventory sync options.

This makes Printful extremely attractive for developers, marketing teams, and ecommerce operations that require backend automation and cross-platform publishing.

Printed Mint: Etsy and Shopify-Focused

Printed Mint officially supports integration with:

• Etsy

• Shopify

They also mention working with other platforms, but there’s no API access or automation tools listed in their documentation. This makes Printed Mint best for sellers focused on manual or semi-manual workflows — which is fine for smaller catalogs or boutique operations.

Integration Comparison

If you plan to scale through automation, go with Printful. If you plan to manage a tight operation and value simplicity, Printed Mint may be enough.

Final Verdict: Who Should Choose What?

The best POD service depends on your business model, customer base, and workflow.

Choose Printful if you:

• Need a large product catalog across categories.

• Are building for international sales or global shipping.

• Want deep platform integrations (including an API).

• Expect to scale volume and automate operations.

• Value flexibility in branding and packaging as add-ons.

Choose Printed Mint if you:

• Sell primarily to US customers.

• Prioritize aesthetic packaging and unboxing experience.

• Sell products that are bought as gifts (candles, drinkware, home decor).

• Rely on Shopify or Etsy without complex automation needs.

• Want packaging options that help justify higher pricing.