Makers2MakersPrintful alternatives for custom and personalized products
Printful is a print-on-demand company: you pick a blank product, add a design, and the company prints and ships it when an order arrives. That works well for designs that can be printed. It is a poor fit when the product itself has to be made by a person, like an engraved cutting board, a leather item or an embroidered piece. This page covers what to look at instead.
What print on demand does well
- No inventory and no upfront cost: nothing is made until a customer orders.
- A large catalog of standard blanks, such as shirts, mugs, posters and bags.
- Fast to set up if your product is a design on a standard item.
Where it falls short for custom craft work
- You choose from the catalog. If your item is not in it, you cannot sell it this way.
- Engraving, hand finishing and custom materials are usually not offered, so your product can look like everyone else’s.
- You have limited say over who produces the order or how it is finished.
Your options
- Another print-on-demand platform. Same model with a different catalog. Quality can differ between providers.
- Bring production in-house. You control quality, but you also need the equipment, the space and the time.
- Hand orders to independent makers. You keep the store and the customer; a maker produces and ships the order. This is the model Makers2Makers is built around.
How handing an order to a maker works on Makers2Makers
- Connect your store once (Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, Wix, Square, eBay, Amazon, TikTok Shop, BigCommerce, Squarespace, Walmart or Magento). Orders come in on their own.
- Assign an order to a maker you already know, or open it to bids and compare price, shipping and past ratings.
- Files and personalization details travel with the order, and you can approve a file before production starts.
- The maker makes it and ships it. You buy the shipping label in the app at live carrier rates.
- Makers are paid every Friday once the carrier has scanned the package.
What it costs
Joining is free for sellers and makers, and there is no subscription. When an order is routed to a maker, the seller pays 5% + $0.30 on top of the maker’s price and the maker pays 5% + $0.30 from their payout. Nothing is charged until an order is made. Sellers pay for the shipping label.
How to choose
- Can the product be printed on a standard blank? If yes, print on demand is usually the simplest.
- Does it need engraving, embroidery, wood, leather or hand finishing? Then look for makers.
- Do you want to pick who makes your product and see ratings? Choose a model where you can assign or compare makers.
- Try one order first. A sample order costs little and shows you the real result before a customer’s order depends on it.
Common questions
Is Makers2Makers a print-on-demand service?
No. Makers2Makers connects sellers with independent makers who make and ship the orders. Makers choose the products they offer and set their prices and turnaround.
Do I need a subscription?
No. Joining is free. There is a small fee per order: 5% + $0.30 on each side.
Can I try it with one order?
Yes. There is no contract and no minimum. A sample order can go straight to you so you can see the result first.
Joining is free, with no subscription and no minimum. You pay 5% + $0.30 per order, and so does the maker.
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Makers2Makers is a competing option, so read this as one point of view. Descriptions of other companies are general, and their products and terms change, so check each company’s current details before you decide.