SPOD Print on Demand: Is it The Best Choice? (2024)

Are you looking to sell stuff online but not sure where to begin? Maybe you want to start a brand but avoid the risks and headaches of making, storing, and shipping products. Then SPOD is our top suggestion.

SPOD is a print-on-demand service that makes creating and selling custom products simple. With just some clicks, you can simply add a clothing section to your website featuring your unique designs.

This comprehensive guide will review SPOD in detailed features, pros and cons. We will show you how you can use this tool to sell unique items and grow your online business. 

What is SPOD Print on Demand?

SPOD (or Spreadshop Print On Demand), is one of the popular platforms that makes it easy to create and sell custom merchandise. Users can design and personalize a wide range of products, from clothing to accessories, using SPOD's simple online tools.

It lets you upload your own designs to print on a variety of products, or you can choose from over 50,000 free designs in SPOD’s library.

SPOD is a great choice for entrepreneurs, artists, and designers who want to earn income without managing inventory. This Print-On-Demand (POD) platform handles everything after a sale is made. Once you sell a product, SPOD takes care of manufacturing and shipping it directly to your customer.

This means you don’t have to deal with production or logistics. Any issues that come up during the process are handled by SPOD’s customer support team, known for being reliable and helpful. It’s a hassle-free solution for turning your designs into income.

How Does SPOD Print on Demand Work?

SPOD handles the entire process of printing, packing, and shipping your products after a sale is made. Here’s how it works:

• Step 1: Upload Your Designs: Start by adding your custom designs to SPOD’s products on your Shopify store. You can create a lot of products like clothing, accessories, and more.
• Step 2: Make Sales: Once your designs are live, customers can place orders through your online store.
• Step 3: Printing and Production: SPOD takes care of printing your design onto the product, ensuring high quality and precision.
• Step 4: Packaging and Shipping: The finished product is packed and shipped directly to your customers without any branding, helping you build your own brand.

With transparent pricing for products and shipping, SPOD makes it easy to start a print-on-demand business. As your sales grow, it can even become your main source of income!

Key Features of SPOD Print on Demand

SPOD Product Catalog and Print Quality

(Image Source: Spreadshop Product Catalog)

SPOD offers a medium-sized product catalog with around 200 items to choose from. While it doesn’t match the variety of platforms like Printify, which offers over 763 products, SPOD still provides plenty of print on demand products for sellers.

SPOD also features eco-friendly items made from sustainable materials, such as recycled polyester sweatshirts and organic cotton T-shirts. A key highlight is the wide range of colors available for many textile products, setting it apart from competitors with smaller catalogs. Additionally, SPOD supports multiple printing methods, such as screen printing, digital printing, and embroidery, depending on the item.

Popular SPOD product categories include:

• Apparel: Sustainable Apparel, T-Shirts & Polo Shirts, Hoodies & Sweatshirts, Zip Jackets & Outwear, Sportswear, Bottoms, Matching Sets, Apparel for Kids, Apparel for Babys
• Accessories: Holiday theme, Sustainable Accessories, Bags & Backpacks, Caps & Hats, Accessories for Kids & Babys, Socks
• Home & Living: Mugs & Drinkware, Sticker & Magnets, Poster & Wallart, Home Textiles, Aprons, Cuddle Toys, Holiday Decoration & Gifts

About the printing quality, SPOD and its parent company, Spreadshirt, have completed over 5 million orders with less than a 1% return rate, reflecting excellent quality. While rare, issues can occur. If a consumer receives a defective product, you can report it to SPOD with a photo and order ID. If confirmed, they’ll provide a replacement or refund, ensuring customer satisfaction. 

Furthermore, SPOD also lets sellers order samples at a 20% discount, making it a great way to check the quality of their products and printing before selling to customers.

For beginners, SPOD’s range and 20+ years of experience, backed by Spreadshirt, make it a reliable choice with quality products at reasonable prices.

SPOD Customization & Design Capabilities

Designing custom products with SPOD is straightforward, thanks to its user-friendly design tools. The platform allows you to upload your own artwork, add text, and customize products using a simple drag-and-drop editor.

SPOD supports various file formats for uploading designs, providing more flexibility than many competitors including: 

• JPG
• PNG
• Adobe Illustrator files
• and CDR vector files

However, SPOD’s maximum file size for uploads is limited to 10MB, which may feel restrictive compared to some platforms with larger file allowances.

SPOD also offers a built-in library of design assets, such as icons, shapes, and backgrounds, featuring an impressive collection of around 50,000 free assets. This makes it a great choice for those who want a wide variety of ready-to-use graphics for their designs.

While SPOD provides a catalog of free designs to use, these designs often resemble basic clipart and may not suit all needs.

One example is a quick design created using the tool: a skull image from SPOD's catalog with space to add text. However, the customizer doesn’t allow sellers to limit customer options. Buyers can change products, add images, adjust text sizes, fonts, and colors. While these features offer flexibility, they might overwhelm customers and impact conversion rates.

The tool has potential, but its current level of customization may not be ideal for every store. To make it work, sellers may need to provide clear instructions for customers or rely on their patience to navigate the options effectively.

Product Branding and Packaging

Since SPOD is white label, it doesn’t put its branding on your products, helping you create your own unique brand. Even the packing and shipping are brand-free. You can even build and run your website without any mention of SPOD, giving you complete control over your business.

But when it comes to making your own branding with SPOD, the options are quite basic. You can add your own logo to the sleeves of clothing products and use colors that match your brand guidelines, helping to create a consistent look for your store.

However, SPOD doesn’t allow for branding on product packaging. All items are shipped in plain, white-label packaging such as mailers, boxes, or packing tubes, without any customization options. While this maintains a clean and neutral presentation, it doesn’t provide the opportunity to reinforce your brand through packaging.

💡 Quick Tip: Build an amazing store with EComposer for your POD products. Post your story, adorable pictures, and behind-the-scenes glimpses online to make it relatable and engaging.

SPOD Production, Shipping, and Fulfillment

SPOD stands out for its quick production times, with over 95% of orders being ready to ship within 48 hours, which is faster than many other print-on-demand services.

When it comes to shipping costs, SPOD charges based on the value of your products and shipping rates vary depending on the destination. While SPOD is cheaper for certain items, like sweatshirts, the shipping price can increase for higher-value products. For example, a $30 sweatshirt can cost $9.87 to ship to the US.

SPOD also offers fast international shipping thanks to its factories in Europe. If your main market is in Europe, make sure to choose the European option when setting up the app.

SPOD provides three shipping options for your customers:

• Standard Shipping
• Premium Shipping
• Express Shipping

Standard Shipping is the default, but you can enable 'Premium' and 'Express' shipping, which allow quicker delivery for your customers, though these services come at a higher cost. You can also use SPOD’s Shipping Calculator to estimate shipping costs easily.

If a package goes missing, SPOD allows you to file a claim within 30 days of the expected delivery date.

However, international shipping with SPOD can be complicated. Sellers must choose between printing orders in the US or EU, and if you want to sell in both regions, you’d need to create separate stores and manage duplicated products. This makes international selling with SPOD difficult.

On the other hand, SPOD’s quicker production time and shipping options are beneficial for those looking for faster delivery within certain regions.

SPOD Integrations

Wondering if SPOD can connect to your online store? The good news is that it should be easy to integrate with your platform. However, there are a few things to keep in mind.

SPOD has fewer direct integrations with eCommerce platforms compared to other print-on-demand services. It currently supports just four online store builders:

• Shopify
• WooCommerce
• Magento
• Squarespace

However, if you want to sell on online marketplaces like Etsy, eBay, or Amazon, you can connect SPOD to these platforms using a tool called Order Desk. This integration adds around 50 additional marketplaces but comes with additional costs. The fees for using Order Desk range from $20 per month (with extra transaction fees) to $125 per month, depending on the plan.

(Image Source: Order Desk Pricing)

If you're using other platforms, SPOD also offers integration via its API. The downside is that using the API can be tricky if you're not tech-savvy. In that case, you might need to hire a developer to set it up for you.

Overall, while SPOD offers fewer integrations, particularly for eCommerce marketplaces, it remains a solid option for store owners using Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, or Squarespace.

SPOD Customer Service and Support

Since SPOD is owned by the large company Spreadshirt, it benefits from strong customer support. SPOD’s support team is made up of real people, not chatbots, so your inquiries will be answered promptly.

SPOD offers several ways to contact its customer support team. You can reach them through either email or phone, which is a big plus since many eCommerce tools don’t provide phone support.

However, SPOD’s support is only available Monday to Friday during specific hours:

• United States: 8am – 7pm EST
• Europe: 9am – 6pm CET

Another point needed to be noticed is that SPOD will not be directly involved with your customers. You’ll be responsible for customer support on your end, and then you can reach out to SPOD’s support team for assistance.

One important thing to note is that you can only contact the customer support team in the region your SPOD account is registered in. For example, if your store is registered in the US, you can’t reach the European support team, and vice versa.

SPOD also offers self-service help centers, where you can find guidance on product creation, setting up integrations, and managing your account.

SPOD Pricing 

Let’s talk about costs. SPOD is completely free to use—there are no setup fees, hidden charges, or paid features. SPOD only earns money when you make a sale since they only spend resources on confirmed orders.

Each product on SPOD has a base price, which is shown on the design page. This is the amount SPOD will charge you, so consider this when setting your product prices. Compared to other print-on-demand (POD) platforms, SPOD’s product prices are average—not the cheapest or the most expensive.

SPOD uses a "batch authorization payment system." This means SPOD charges your card once you hit either 30 orders or $300 in order value. If neither threshold is met within six hours, SPOD will process a payment for the current number of orders. You can find more details on their website.

SPOD supports payments in specific currencies:

• Actively supported: USD ($)
• Passively supported: Currencies like CAD, EUR, GBP, AUD, and others.
• Unsupported: Currencies without exchange rates or localized pricing.

When it comes to taxes, SPOD complies with U.S. sales tax laws. Sales tax is charged for goods delivered in states where SPOD is registered, and the rates vary by location. Taxes are added to the product cost and shown on the invoice to you, the merchant—not to your customers. In some states, you may be able to provide SPOD with a tax exemption form to avoid being charged sales tax.

Since tax laws differ by state and country, it’s important to research what applies to your business. 

The Pros and Cons of SPOD

SPOD offers a growing range of clothing made with organic cotton, which you can easily filter for when browsing their catalog.

1. Pros

Each Print On Demand provider has its own special features that set it apart from others. It's important to understand the benefits of Gooten so you can make the best choice for your needs.

• High order volume: With over 50,000 items produced daily, SPOD has excellent purchasing power, resulting in competitive prices and great product quality.
• Fast shipping: Orders are fulfilled within 48 hours, and half are shipped in less than 24 hours.
• Pay-as-you-go model: You’re only charged when you make a sale, which helps maintain better cash flow.
• Sustainability focus: SPOD uses water-saving production methods, cruelty-free inks, and plastic-free packaging, standing apart from fast fashion practices.

2. Cons

Like any company, SPOD has some drawbacks you should consider before choosing them as your provider. Here are the main disadvantages:

• Stock issues: Popular items can be sold out quickly, with no clear timeline for restocking.
• Technical glitches: Sometimes products disappear from the app but still remain visible in your store.
• Occasional errors: While SPOD has a 99.3% customer satisfaction rate and strict quality controls, rare misprints or delays can still happen.

Others also read

How To Start a Print-On-Demand Business 

Guide To Sell Print On Demand Hats For Profits 

21+ Successful Print On Demand Websites To Learn From

Real reviews from customers

(Image Source: Gooten app on Shopify)

SPOD has an overall rating of 4.2/5.0 on Shopify. Here's a simplified summary of the feedback:

Positive Feedback:

• Ease of Use: The majority of users appreciate how straightforward it is to create products and set up listings for drop shipping. The platform’s "create your own" feature has been praised for helping businesses attract more website traffic.
• Fast Production & Shipping: SPOD stands out with its quick production times, with most orders shipped within 48 hours or even the next business day. Users are impressed with the reliability and quality of their items.
• Responsive Support: While some encountered issues, others found SPOD’s customer support team to be understanding, quick to respond, and helpful in resolving problems, which boosted their confidence in the service.

Negative Feedback:

• Inconsistent Service: Some users reported slow shipping, unfulfilled orders, and difficulty contacting support. It could sometimes happen for long delays or non-responses from customer service.
• Quality & Inventory Issues: Problems like incorrect or low-quality items, inventory shortages, and price increases were significant concerns. Some of the users were frustrated by a lack of communication, especially regarding sudden changes like facility closures or price hikes.
• International Shipping Problems: International orders were claimed for lack of tracking, lost shipments, and no refunds, leading to customer dissatisfaction.

Overall Impression:

SPOD receives high praise for its ease of use, quick production times, and sustainable practices. However, some situations might happen, users highlighted challenges with customer support, inventory, and unexpected operational changes. SPOD is a strong choice for those prioritizing speed and simplicity but may require caution for large-scale or international businesses.

How Does SPOD Compare to Competitors?

1. Printify

Printify is a strong competitor to SPOD, especially when it comes to the size of its product catalog. It offers access to over 900 customizable products, giving merchants plenty of options to choose from.

Unlike SPOD, Printify partners with a wide network of third-party printing companies to handle orders. This setup can sometimes result in faster shipping for customers and lower costs for merchants, making it an attractive option for many businesses.

Key Features:

• Large variety of customizable products at affordable prices
• Easily upload your designs in just a few steps
• No upfront costs, so there's no financial risk
• Simple and quick process to create new products
• Printing and shipping services available worldwide

Pricing: 

• Free plan available
• Premium: $29/month
• Custom pricing 

Pros:

• Offers flexible plans, including free and paid options, suitable for beginners and large businesses.
• Access to a huge catalog of 900+ print-on-demand products.
• Affordable product pricing helps increase profit margins.
• Ships globally with clear and upfront shipping rates.
• User-friendly platform for designing, adding products, and managing orders.
• Easily integrates with over 10 online platforms and marketplaces.

Cons:

• Product quality can vary depending on the print provider.
• Delivery can be slower and more expensive due to reliance on third-party providers.
• No phone support, which can delay getting help.
• Limited options for adding your branding to packages and products.

2. Apliiq

Apliiq is a print-on-demand service focused on high-quality apparel. Similar to SPOD, it provides many customization options, such as branded labels, clothing tags, and embroidered patches. What sets Apliiq POD apart is its unique customization features, like designing the inside lining of hoodies or adding pockets and patches to clothing.

Ideal for those starting a fashion brand that prioritizes design and quality, Apliiq offers perks like wholesale discounts, quality checks, and custom woven labels to enhance your products.

Key Features:

• Their experienced team is ready to support you with apparel needs.
• Your brand takes center stage—no generic tags included.
• The app takes care of all order fulfillment tasks.
• Enjoy vibrant, durable screen prints for your designs on demand.

Pricing: Apliiq is free to sign up, and you can try right away. Product prices vary.

Pros:

• Offers high-quality apparel that helps brands stand out.
• Unique customization features like custom labels and branding help create a professional, consistent brand image.
• A lot of apparel and accessories, suitable for different customer needs.
• Focuses on fashion-forward designs, particularly appealing to a younger, trend-conscious audience.
• Provides eco-friendly options, such as organic cotton and recycled materials.
• Custom embroidery and applique options allow for extra details.

Cons:

• Some users report delays and inconsistent shipping times.
• Premium quality comes with higher costs, which may not be affordable for the smaller businesses with limited budgets.

3. Society6 

Society6 is an eCommerce platform where artists can display their designs on various products and earn money whenever someone buys their work. Like SPOD, every sale benefits the artist, but Society6 mainly focuses on home décor. 

You don’t have to be an artist to sell on Society6, as it offers programs for wholesalers and traders to access a variety of designs from independent artists.

Key Features:

• A curated marketplace with high-quality prints on products like clothing, furniture, and tech accessories
• An artist studio to upload and manage your designs
• Free storefront to showcase your artwork
• International shipping available

Pricing: 

• Free plan: Artists earn 10% of their net sales
• Basic: $4.99/month

• Pro: $12.99/month

Pros:

• Connect artists to a global customer base without heavy marketing.
• The platform takes care of fulfillment, artists can focus on creating and designing.
• Artists can sell their designs on a lot of products, from art prints and home decor to clothing and accessories, appealing to many different tastes.
• Website is easy to use for artists to upload their work and manage their online store.

Cons:

• Artists don't have access to customer contact information to build relationships.
• Little insight and data into how shops are performing
• Certain product categories can become crowded, causing high competition.
• Some users have reported the issues with product quality and shipping times, which could hurt an artist’s reputation.

4. Spring (now Teespring)

Spring is a print-on-demand service designed specifically for social media content creators. It offers integrations with platforms like Instagram, Twitch, Linktree, OnlyFans, and YouTube, making it a great choice for creators who have a dedicated audience and want to sell products directly to their followers.

Key Features:

• Large selection of customizable products
• Easy integration with popular social media platforms: Tiktok, Instagram, Youtube.
• Simple, user-friendly design tool for uploading artwork and customizing items.
• Worldwide shipping with reliable delivery.

Pricing: Like other platforms, Spring Print on demand offers a free to use plan, pricing will be based on product pricing and shipping cost.

Pros:

• Free to use with no upfront costs or subscription fees.
• Allows sellers to build their online store directly on the platform.
• Supports selling digital products, providing more ways to earn revenue.
• Integration with popular platforms, ideal for content creators targeting their fanbases.
• Some products offer rush shipping options, helping improve delivery times and customer satisfaction.

Cons:

• Product prices are higher compared to other platforms
• Limited mockup tools for creating detailed product images.
• Does not offer discounted samples for sellers to test products before selling.
• Customer support is not as comprehensive and may not be available 24/7.
• Fewer options for branded packaging compared to other platforms.

5. Teelaunch

Teelaunch, with 75 years of experience, is a major print-on-demand platform and a good alternative to Gelato. It has production centers in the US, UK, Australia, and the EU, which helps speed up shipping.

Though its name might suggest it only sells T-shirts, Teelaunch POD offers many products, such as kitchenware, home items, and jewelry. Teelaunch is great for small businesses looking for low-cost products and variety. It's also ideal for selling company merchandise like business cards, notebooks, mouse pads, and sweatshirts.

Key Features:

• Over 300 products, including color options for some like apparel.
• Online design tool and templates for creating designs with print guidelines.
• Real-time order tracking.
• Easy connection with platforms like TikTok, Etsy, Shopify, and WooCommerce.

Pricing: No subscription fees; sellers set their own prices, and Teelaunch takes the base cost and shipping fees after each sale.

Pros:

• You can customize your own branded clothing.
• Teelaunch offers affordable prices for print-on-demand products.
• Registering and using the app is easy.
• There is a huge amount of products to choose from.
• The automated profit calculator makes it easier to set prices and manage print orders.

Cons:

• Teelaunch’s self-help resources are limited, and the website can be hard to navigate.
• It can take some time to learn how to use the platform.
• The design tool is more basic compared to others, only allowing PNG files and no text options.
• You can’t order samples to test products before selling.

Final Verdict – Is SPOD the best POD Supplier?

Overall, SPOD is an excellent choice for anyone looking to build and sell custom products without complications. Their print-on-demand service handles all the logistics, so you can focus on growing your own business and marketing your products. SPOD offers fast production times, affordable shipping, and a user-friendly customization tool, making it easy to create and publish your designs.

SPOD also provides valuable support to help you grow your business, including access to over 50,000 free designs, competitive pricing for better profit margins, and a lot of products to choose from. Plus, you can offer your customers a customizer tool to personalize products, which can increase customer engagement and sales.

With low order return rates and the ability to order samples at discounted prices, SPOD ensures high-quality products that customers love. Plus, they offer fast, reliable shipping, which enhances the overall customer experience.

With competitive pricing, fast shipping, and excellent customer service, SPOD is a great fit for anyone looking to start or grow a print-on-demand business.

FAQs

1. Can I use SPOD to sell my products globally?

Yes, SPOD allows you to sell your products worldwide. With facilities in both the US and EU, they can help you reach customers in various countries and ship orders efficiently.

2. Is SPOD free to sell on?

Yes, SPOD is free to install and use. You only pay for production and order fulfillment once you make a sale, so there are no upfront costs.

3. How to make money with SPOD?

To make money with SPOD, you can create and sell custom products. You set your retail price higher than SPOD’s base cost, and the difference is your profit whenever a sale happens.

4. Where is SPOD print on demand located?

SPOD has production facilities in the US (Henderson, Nevada, and Greensburg, Pennsylvania) and Europe (Leipzig, Germany; Krupka, Czech Republic; and Legnica, Poland) to handle fulfillment and shipping efficiently.

5. What languages does SPOD support?

SPOD supports multiple languages to serve a wide range of customers. While the exact languages may vary, they focus on major languages in their target markets to improve user experience and accessibility.