Curious about which Print On Demand supplier is the best for your business in 2023? CafePress and Zazzle are two of the most popular services to sell designs of unique products. In this article, we’ll compare CafePress vs Zazzle as the popular POD companies. We’ll look at a comparison of pricing, branding, and shipping services.
So, let’s get those reading glasses on and look at what these competitors offer!
Overview: CafePress vs. Zazzle
CafePress and Zazzle provide a variety of customizable products. These include t-shirts, coffee mugs, magnets, and invitations that can be printed according to the user’s preferences.
What is CafePress?
CafePress is one of the most popular print-on-demand websites. It lets users create a wide range of customized products like t-shirts, cups, and apparel. With CafePress, you can upload your text and designs or use pre-made ones to personalize items for yourself or customers.
The website lets you select from dozens of product categories. They also provide customization options, like style, size, and color.
CafePress also gives you access to their design templates. These can be used with ease if creativity isn’t your strong point!
Custom orders are an option throughout various CafePress Partner stores. So it’s easy for buyers to get what they want.
CafePress’s pros
- CafePress lets users easily create and sell products on their website without coding or technical knowledge.
- CafePress offers lower shipping costs than others. It gives drop shippers an affordable option for selling their designs worldwide.
- Their fast fulfillment time is about three to seven business days. So orders are delivered quickly and accurately to customers all around the world.
- Through the fan portal feature, brands and franchises can also gain access to push tailored content from influencers directly onto the user’s storefront page. They use multiple tracking codes similar to Google Analytics or Facebook pixel integrations. These help track campaigns better and, more precisely, target potential customers through social media outlets like Twitter, Tumblr, etc.
- CafePress also accepts custom orders with higher price points depending on order complexity. It provides a unique opportunity for more profitable margins than standard marketplaces where base prices cannot be raised easily (like eBay or Etsy).
- There are simple setup procedures in both the design process and upload speed. It will provide faster time-to-market for many small businesses with limited manpower resources when setting up ecommerce stores based on individual needs.
CafePress’s cons
- CafePress’s website may have limitations for customizable options when compared to Zazzle. So, it might not be easy to make fully personalized products.
- CafePress’s website may have a lower ranking in terms of free traffic analysis when compared to competitors like Zazzle. A better ranking would have enabled customers to find the accessories and apparel they are looking for quickly.
- The company offers fewer personalization options than its competitor, Zazzle. So, it’s harder for customers to customize the product with fewer online design features.
- CafePress’s lower website ranking means other companies and services gain more attention from potential buyers worldwide.
What is Zazzle?
Zazzle is one of the leading print-on-demand websites in the market, competing with CafePress. It was founded in 2005 and provides customizable products that have gained recognition among artists, designers, and franchises.
Zazzle also provides a wide range of products like t-shirts, apparel, coffee cups, home decor, etc. They also offer access to their ecommerce platform. You can use Zazzle to create custom designs for customers or sell existing artwork or photos.
They also offer a Zazzle Associate Program. It lets users make money by selling their designs online through the Zazzle marketplace while receiving a commission from any sales.
Zazzle’s pros
- Zazzle’s customization options are a massive advantage over CafePress.
- With customizable products, users can create unique designs that stand out.
- Unlike CafePress, Zazzle provides options for pre-printed shirts and customized ones.
- Traffic analysis ranks Zazzle above CafePress when it comes to the marketplace category.
- Dropshippers have access to powerful tools and features. These features let them easily customize their items and easily reach customers worldwide. Even with international shipping available at an extra cost!
- Brands and franchises can set up their fan portals. They’ll have complete control over all aspects of design, pricing, branding rights, and other essential details related to product production and selling via the online platform provided by Zazzle.
Zazzle’s cons
- Zazzle has a much higher base price for each item. So, it eats into the profit margins of dropshippers who choose to sell products through the platform.
- Zazzle has less customer support than CafePress. It can be a setback if there are issues with orders or setting up shops on the website.
- Zazzle takes more considerable fees on sales compared to CafePress. So, profit margins are much tighter for sellers because they can eat up potential earnings quickly.
- Unlike CafePress, international shipping options from Zazzle are minimal. Customs fees and taxes may add unexpected costs that further strained profits.
- Customization options on Zazzle have more flexibility in terms of creating unique designs. But print quality varies greatly depending on user input. So, there’s a greater risk of receiving low-resolution prints or incorrect colors when using this service compared to other providers like CafePress.
Print Quality of Print-on-Demand Companies
Let’s look closer at evaluating CafePress’s and Zazzle’s print quality. Keep in mind the resolution rate, color accuracy, and sharpness.
Evaluation of CafePress’s print quality
CafePress offers various customizable products, from apparel to home décor and accessories. If we talk about the quality of the products, the site enjoys high customer satisfaction due to its superior-quality print results.
They use a professional printing process that delivers clean, clear graphics with accurate colors that hold up over time.
Their prints are also guaranteed for any misprints or damage. So customers can relax knowing they’re receiving the product they were expecting!
CafePress also provides durable fabrics and custom t-shirts that don’t wear out quickly. Even when washed multiple times! The clarity and accuracy of their prints stand out against other print-on-demand websites. This makes them an excellent choice for creating custom merchandise in 2023.
Evaluation of Zazzle’s print quality
Zazzle prides itself on providing its customers with prints that are true to their original designs. They’re also adjustable for color accuracy, clarity, and sharpness.
There are dozens of printing materials ranging from canvas to mugs and t-shirts available for customization. The platform lets designers upload artwork elements with confidence. That’s because items will be printed on demand in remarkable clarity!
Zazzle also offers a feature that analyzes uploaded images for resolution quality. This ensures low-resolution ones don’t make it into the final product. This means customers can have complete trust in receiving a clear print result that accurately represents what they had designed or ordered digitally!
What’s more, these products tend to be long-lasting. This is because of the industry standard Giclée printing process (phenomenal archival grade) used by Zazzle when producing art pieces like posters and canvases on behalf of its users. It is considered one of the best platforms for designers and artists.
Branding Services for Dropshipping
CafePress, being a print-on-demand platform, provides a variety of branding services. Let’s dive into the details!
CafePress’s branding services
CafePress offers a range of unique branding solutions for dropshippers looking to create their store.
With its custom design option, you can customize your store’s look and feel with one click by adding logos, product descriptions, and images. Plus, customers can use CafePress’s tools to promote and custom-design their products online through social media integration and email marketing campaigns.
They also provide hosting for your store. This includes maintenance services like site security upgrades and tech help. It is one of the best options for a simple and fast setup.
Customers can order in bulk or have an item dropped shipped without additional costs on most items sold on their website.
This combination of services eliminates the need for costly coding or setup fees. So, customers have more flexibility when it comes time to start selling customized apparel with easy customization options at competitive prices compared to other print-on-demand companies that don’t have these features.
Zazzle’s branding services
Zazzle allows dropshippers to fully customize their products and create unique items that stand out.
You can select something from any of Zazzle’s thousands of art designs or upload their artwork to be printed on a wide variety of items, like t-shirts, mugs, phone cases, and accessories. You can also add text to products to personalize them even further.
With Zazzle’s Fan Portal feature, you can customize merchandise associated with a specific brand or franchise. Even Sesame Street!
Plus, dropshippers have access to exclusive print supplier services. This is done through unique partnerships with Silicon Valley’s hottest companies like CafePress and Redbubble! They can use either Dropbox or Google Documents for easy website management.
But that’s not all. Zazzle also has an associate program that lets qualifying artists and designers sell multiple versions/variations of their designs. They have a bulk purchase discount and raise base prices. This gives sellers more freedom in setting the minimum selling price for their item (as opposed to fixed pricing).
All these features make it easier than ever before for anyone wanting to become an entrepreneur and transform ideas into something tangible. They offer personalized apparel without investing in physical product inventory or giving in to high advertising costs!
Order Fulfillment and Shipping
Now, let’s look at the order fulfillment time for CafePress and Zazzle, as well as other essential things.
Comparison of order fulfillment time
Order fulfillment time is crucial for dropshippers.
It determines how quickly your customers receive their orders. This can significantly impact their satisfaction and your reputation. Here’s a comparison of the order fulfillment time for Zazzle and Cafepress.
| Company | Order Fulfillment Time |
| Cafepress | Cafepress typically fulfills an order within 1-2 business days. However, during peak seasons, the fulfillment time can extend up to 5-7 business days. |
| Zazzle | Zazzle has a variable order fulfillment time. For most basic print-on-demand products, it ranges from 1 to 3 business days. But for specialty items or during busy times, it can take up to 7-10 business days. |
Remember, the faster you can get your products to your customers, the better!
With this table in mind, dropshippers can better judge which platform aligns with their business strategy and customer expectations. Both Zazzle and Cafepress have a reasonably fast turnaround time under normal circumstances. It is beneficial for any POD business.
International shipping options
CafePress and Zazzle have established themselves as strong contenders in international fulfillment services for those looking to ship their products abroad.
With orders typically fulfilled within a week or less, CafePress offers a speedy turnaround time, global coverage, easy tracking, and guaranteed delivery.
If speed is really of the essence, then Zazzle may be your best choice. They can ship orders quicker than their rivals via partner shipping providers worldwide. They also provide competitively low shipping costs compared to print-on-demand suppliers like Printful.
CafePress limits standardized product production internationally. But Zazzle even lets users customize apparel outside of the US with no additional cost or setup fees! It’s perfect for someone trying to launch an international dropshipping business!
Zazzle is an excellent solution for delivering items abroad quickly and cost-effectively without sacrificing quality.
Estimated delivery time for CafePress and Zazzlecost-effectively
These two popular print-on-demand companies have different shipping options, delivery times, and pricing models.
The estimated delivery times for orders from the CafePress shop and Zazzle website may vary depending on several factors. It includes the location of one of your products in transit and the chosen shipping method by the customer.
Customers should check each website’s information on shipping for specific details regarding expected delivery dates. Business days are considered Monday through Friday at both CafePress and Zazzle. CafePress and Zazzle strive to fulfill orders quickly while maintaining quality standards to maintain customer satisfaction.
Integrations and Better Customer Support
CafePress and Zazzle provide a wide range of integrations and services for their customers, along with robust customer service. Read on to learn more about these services.
Comparison of integrations
CafePress and Zazzle offer integrations allowing users to upload designs or artwork and manage orders directly from their websites.
CafePress provides a Printful integration, letting users create custom apparel using their designs. It’s also for shop mirroring. So customers can view your products in the language of their choice.
It needs some technical knowledge regarding user-friendliness, like FTP uploading and cPanel configuration. But luckily, Zazzle has a more effortless integration experience. It is with complete API programming that keeps up with web standards, including AJAX technology and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). Therefore, users can customize visuals and functionality on the website effortlessly without needing coding knowledge.
Plus, they have more detailed product setup options compared to CafePress. So, dropshippers can automatically add product variations. It includes size and color variations. So Zazzle offers the creation of customizable stores on any platform or marketplace.
Evaluation of customer support for CafePress and Zazzle
CafePress and Zazzle both offer customer services and support. So creators can access help designing products, business advice, troubleshooting, or resolving technical problems.
CafePress provides live chat on its website and an active online community where dropshippers can get assistance from fellow users. They also have standard support services like FAQs and answer forums available 24/7 for convenient contact options.
Zazzle offers customers a comprehensive platform that includes educational resources. These include guides on creating designs and using printing services through tutorials and videos.
A vast range of content covers many topics that drop shippers may encounter when creating items for sale. They also have premium telephone customer service lines in English-speaking countries (including the USA & UK) ready to address more challenging problems.
Conclusion
Choosing the best print-on-demand website for your business in 2023 can be challenging. Both CafePress and Zazzle offer great options—but each has strengths and weaknesses!
Regarding pricing, CafePress offers more affordable plans and higher profit margins than Zazzle. Their order fulfillment and shipping speeds are also faster.
But when it comes to customization options and print quality, Zazzle usually offers better results. That’s because they have advanced printing technology! But CafePress’s branding services might benefit certain companies more, like those who want to create strong customer relationships using promotional products like clothing or mugs.
Lastly, CafePress integrates better with other e-commerce platforms. On the other hand, Zazzle has detailed guides that many dropshippers may find useful when setting up an online shop on their platform.
Ultimately, the choice between CafePress or Zazzle should come down to the features most important for your business needs!
FAQs about Cafepress vs Zazzle
What is a Print On Demand website?
A Print On Demand website is an online service. It lets customers upload their designs and have them printed onto products like t-shirts, mugs, bags, and more.
What are the differences between Cafepress and Zazzle?
Cafepress has more product categories than Zazzle. There are models available for customization. But Zazzle offers higher quality printing on different fabric types at a higher cost.
How long does it take to process an order placed on either website?
The standard shipping time for custom orders typically takes 3-5 business days for processing at both Cafepress and Zazzle before they are out for shipping to customer addresses.
Which Print On Demand website is best suited for 2023?
The ultimate choice depends on individual needs. But overall, Cafepress may offer better value with its low price and wide selection of product options.