Together, these apps cover the two core parts of a POD store: selling products without holding inventory and giving shoppers the option to personalize what they buy.
Types of Apps Needed to Start a POD Business
A Shopify POD store usually needs two app types.
First, a POD fulfillment app to create products, route orders, and handle printing, packing, shipping, and fulfillment after each sale. Shopify describes POD as a model where products are made only after someone buys them, with a third-party service handling production and shipping.
Second, use a product customizer app if you sell personalized products. It collects customer inputs like names, file uploads, variants, add-ons, and gift options before checkout.
Many POD stores use both: one app to fulfill the product, and one app to collect the customer’s custom choices.
Quick Comparison: Which One Fits Your Store?
If you do not want to read the full breakdown, this table gives you a fast way to compare each app. Use it to decide whether your Shopify store needs a POD fulfillment app, a product customizer app, or both.
POD Fulfillment Apps
|
App |
Best for |
Product focus |
Fulfillment fit |
Pricing |
Limitation |
|
Printful |
Branded fulfillment |
Apparel + lifestyle products |
In-house/partner fulfillment |
Free; Growth $24.99/mo |
No manual fulfillment-center choice |
|
Printify |
Margin control |
Largest catalog variety |
Provider marketplace |
Free; Premium $39/mo |
Provider quality varies |
|
Gelato |
Global selling |
Local-production products |
140+ hubs in 32 countries |
Free; Gelato+ $29.99/mo |
Catalog is less broad than Printify |
|
Apliiq |
Apparel brands |
Clothing + branding |
U.S.-sourced fulfillment |
Free; VIP $39.99/mo |
Weak fit for non-apparel stores |
Product Customizer Apps
|
App |
Focus |
Best for |
Pricing |
Limitation |
|
Globo |
Fields, swatches, logic, uploads |
Popular custom options app |
Free, paid from $9.90/mo |
Live preview needs the Advanced plan |
|
WowOptions |
Option sets, add-ons, uploads, analytics |
Enterprise-ready, Complete customization setup |
Free, paid from $9.99/mo |
Newer app with limited review history |
|
Avis |
Live preview + advanced options |
Live preview + complex options |
Free, paid from $12/mo |
Live preview requires the Advanced plan |
How I Choose the Best Apps for a Print-on-Demand Business
I don’t choose Shopify POD apps only by rating or popularity. I look at whether the app solves a real business problem for a POD store.
For fulfillment apps, I check product catalog, print quality control, production locations, shipping reach, Shopify integration, order automation, pricing transparency, and merchant reviews. A POD app is only useful if it can deliver the right product at the right margin without creating fulfillment problems.
For product customizer apps, I focus on option types, conditional logic, file upload limits, add-on pricing, live preview, performance, ease of setup, support quality, and whether the app can handle real personalization workflows, not just display extra fields.
I also give more weight to apps with clear pricing, strong recent reviews, active support, useful free trials or free plans, and Shopify trust signals such as the Built for Shopify badge, where available.
7 Best Shopify Apps to Start a Print on Demand Business
A strong POD store needs more than a fulfillment app. This list includes both print-on-demand apps and custom option apps, so you can create products, collect customer choices, and fulfill orders more smoothly.
Best POD Fulfillment Apps for Shopify
These apps handle the core POD workflow: product creation, supplier connection, printing, fulfillment, and shipping without holding inventory.
#1. Printful — Established All-in-One POD Fulfillment App
Printful helps Shopify sellers create products, sync orders, and outsource printing, packing, and shipping. It is a strong fit for stores that want broad product options, design tools, and branded fulfillment in one workflow.
My experience: Printful works best when the goal is a simple, dependable POD setup with automatic Shopify order syncing and customer-facing branding options.
Best for: Shopify stores that want an all-in-one POD app for product creation, global fulfillment, shipping, and branded customer experience.
Key features
|
Features |
Details |
|
Catalog focus |
Apparel, embroidery products, wall art, blankets, bags, drinkware, accessories, home products, and eco-friendly options |
|
Fulfillment |
Printful prints, packs, and ships customer orders after they are placed |
|
Shopify integration |
Works with Shopify Admin, Checkout, and automatic order fulfillment through integrations |
|
Shipping coverage |
Global fulfillment and shipping, with in-house fulfillment centers in North America and Europe, plus partner facilities |
|
Branding |
White-label packaging, custom packing slips, logo on labels, pack-ins, custom packaging, and branding presets |
|
Sustainability options |
Eco-friendly collection with apparel made from at least 70% organic or recycled materials |
Pricing: Free to install. Printful charges when an order is placed, including product, printing, shipping, taxes where applicable, and embroidery digitization fees when relevant. Printful also offers a paid Growth plan at $24.99/month.
#2. Printify — Best for Supplier Choice and Catalog Variety
Printify connects Shopify stores with multiple print providers, so merchants can compare product cost, location, ratings, and shipping before choosing a supplier.
My experience: I’d use Printify when margins matter. Its large catalog and provider marketplace make it easier to test suppliers and find the best fit for each product.
Best for: Shopify stores that want more product variety, supplier flexibility, and control over production costs.
Key features
|
Features |
Details |
|
Catalog focus |
1,300+ products, including apparel, accessories, bags, home decor, drinkware, pet products, baby products, sports products, automotive products, and more |
|
Fulfillment |
Orders are automatically imported and sent to the selected print provider based on approval settings |
|
Shopify integration |
Connects with Shopify, publishes products, imports orders, and updates tracking information automatically |
|
Shipping coverage |
Global print provider network with worldwide shipping options |
|
Branding |
Packaging inserts, gift messages, neck labels, sleeve prints, and other provider-supported branding options |
|
Pricing control |
Let's merchants compare print providers by production cost, location, shipping, and ratings |
Pricing: Free plan available at $0/month. Printify Premium starts at $39/month when billed monthly, or $24.99/month when billed yearly, and includes up to 33% product discounts. Enterprise pricing is custom for high-volume merchants. Production and shipping costs apply per order.
#3. Apliiq — Best for Branded Apparel Stores
Apliiq is built more around apparel branding than general POD variety. It helps Shopify sellers create custom clothing with print, embroidery, private labels, patches, and other retail-ready branding options.
My experience: Apliiq works best when the product needs to feel like a real clothing brand, not just a printed blank. It is not the broadest POD catalog, but it is one of the better fits for sellers focused on apparel identity.
Best for: Shopify stores building streetwear, clothing lines, merch brands, or apparel-first POD businesses.
Key features
|
Features |
Details |
|
Catalog focus |
Clothing, accessories, bags and luggage, sports products, business and office items |
|
Fulfillment |
Automates product creation, ordering, and fulfillment after sales |
|
Shopify integration |
Connects with Shopify and supports automated POD fulfillment workflows |
|
Shipping coverage |
Fulfillment is sourced from the United States |
|
Branding |
Private labels, neck prints, woven labels, sewn patches, embroidery, and retail-ready apparel branding |
|
Support |
USA-based human support with apparel-focused expertise |
Pricing: Free to install. You only pay for orders Apliiq fulfills. Apliiq also offers a VIP plan at $39.99/month or $431.89/year, which includes 20% discounts on products and services, plus product sourcing requests.
#4. Gelato — Best for Local Production and Global Selling
Gelato focuses on local production, which means orders are routed to production partners closer to the customer when possible. This makes it a strong option for Shopify sellers who care about global reach, faster delivery, and a lower shipping footprint.
My experience: Gelato makes the most sense when the customer base is international. Its local production model feels more modern than a single-location fulfillment setup, especially for stores selling across multiple regions.
Best for: Shopify stores that want local production, worldwide selling, and a more sustainability-focused POD workflow.
Key features
|
Features |
Details |
|
Catalog focus |
Clothing, wall art, drinkware, stationery, photo books, calendars, cards, accessories, home decor, and selected eco-friendly products |
|
Fulfillment |
Products are printed only after an order is placed, so sellers do not need inventory |
|
Shopify integration |
Connects with Shopify and supports automated product, order, and fulfillment workflows |
|
Shipping coverage |
140+ production hubs in 32 countries, with local production across six continents |
|
Branding |
Branded packaging inserts and personalized packaging labels available through Gelato+ |
|
Sustainability angle |
Local production helps reduce shipping distance, delivery time, waste, and carbon emissions |
Pricing: Gelato is free to use, with no minimum orders or leftover stock. Sellers pay for product production and shipping when orders are placed. Gelato+ costs $29.99/month or $19.99/month annually, while Gelato+ Gold costs $129/month or $107.08/month annually.
Best Shopify Apps for Adding Custom Options
These apps help you sell personalized products by adding text fields, file uploads, add-ons, gift options, and other choices beyond basic Shopify variants.
05. Globo Product Options, Variant — Established Custom Options App
Globo is a mature product-options app that supports common custom field needs such as text boxes, swatches, dropdowns, file uploads, pricing add-ons, and conditional logic.
My experience: I’d choose Globo when reliability matters more than experimenting with a newer app. It is a safer mainstream option for stores that need strong feature coverage, flexible product options, and a proven app history.
Best for: Shopify merchants who want a tested product options app with free and paid plans.
Key features
|
Features |
Details |
|
Option types |
15 option types on the free plan, 20 on Premium, 30+ on Advanced |
|
Pricing add-ons |
Available on Premium plan |
|
Conditional logic |
Supports Globo option logic and Shopify variant-based logic |
|
File uploads |
Up to 20MB on Premium, up to 100MB/file on Advanced |
|
Store management |
Import/export options, multi-language support, cart editing on Advanced |
Pricing: Free plan available. Paid plans start at $9.90/month, with higher pricing for Advanced and Shopify Plus stores.
#6. WowOptions — Complete Custom Options Solution
WowOptions is built for Shopify merchants who need more than basic product fields. It supports advanced customization needs such as option sets, conditional logic, file uploads, swatches, add-on pricing, analytics, upsells, and live preview.
My experience: I’d choose WowOptions when I want a more complete customization setup in one app. It feels better suited for serious merchants who sell personalized products at scale and need flexible option control without depending on multiple smaller tools.
Best for: Shopify stores that need a complete product options app for personalization, add-ons, uploads, and advanced option logic.
Key features
|
Features |
Details |
|
Option types |
15 on Free, 20 on Pro, 25+ on Advanced |
|
Option sets |
30 option sets are free, and unlimited option sets are on paid plans |
|
Conditional logic |
Basic logic on Free, advanced logic on Pro, and higher |
|
File uploads |
15 files, 10MB each on Pro; 25 files, 20MB each on Advanced; unlimited uploads on Enterprise |
|
Store management |
Import/export, duplicate tool, swatches, quantity selector, analytics, upsells, live preview, 1:1 video support on Enterprise |
Pricing: Free plan available. Paid plans start at $9.99/month, with Advanced at $19.99/month and Enterprise at $49.99/month.
#7. Avis Product Options, Variants — Best for Live Preview Personalization
Avis Product Options is a feature-rich product-options app for custom fields, live preview, add-on pricing, bundles, file uploads, conditional logic, and product personalization.
My experience: I’d choose Avis when the product page needs a more visual personalization flow. It is especially useful for stores where customers need to preview custom text, images, or design inputs before buying.
Best for: Shopify merchants selling personalized products that need live preview, advanced option types, and stronger customization control.
Key features
|
Features |
Details |
|
Option types |
23 on Free, 30+ on Pro, 35+ on Advanced |
|
Templates |
5 pre-built templates on Free, 24 templates on Pro |
|
Live preview |
Product personalizer with live preview on Advanced |
|
Pricing tools |
Price add-ons, dynamic pricing, bundle variants, variant upcharges |
|
Store management |
Bulk apply, POS integration, edit options in cart, multi-file upload, import/export, product grouping |
Pricing: Free plan available. Paid plans start at $12/month, with higher pricing for Advanced, Premium, and Shopify Plus stores.
FAQs About the Best Shopify Apps for Print on Demand Business
These are the common questions that usually come up when choosing the best print-on-demand apps for a Shopify store.
What is the best print-on-demand app for Shopify?
Can I use both a POD app and a customizer app together?
Which POD app is best for beginners?
Which Shopify product customizer app is best for beginners?
Can I offer personalized products with print-on-demand?
Do product options apps affect conversion rates?
Final Recommendation
The best Shopify POD setup depends on two needs: fulfillment and personalization. For fulfillment:
-
Printful suits sellers who want an established app with broad product support.
-
Printify offers supplier flexibility
-
Gelato supports global selling through 140+ production hubs in 32 countries, and
-
Apliiq is strongest for apparel branding.
For customization, choose Globo Product Options for a proven Built for Shopify app, WowOptions for an enterprise-ready complete solution with templates and easier setup, or Avis Product Options for live preview and dynamic pricing.
Pick one POD fulfillment app, pair it with one custom product options app. Test the full buying flow on one product before building a larger catalog.