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E-Commerce · head to head

3dcart vs Printful

3dcart logo

3dcart

E-Commerce

All-in-one ecommerce platform for online retailers

From
$19/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Printful logo

Printful

E-Commerce

Print on demand dropshipping service

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Printful has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 3dcart limited scalability compared to enterprise e-commerce platforms; Printful the Growth plan is $24.99 a month and only becomes free once a store reaches $12,000 a year in sales
  • They diverge on capability: 3dcart covers Store builder, Printful covers Print on demand.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which 3dcart and Printful actually diverge.

Attributes where 3dcart and Printful differ
Attribute3dcartPrintful
Starting price$19/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
Free tierNoYes
Founded19972013

Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (E-Commerce).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in 3dcart

  • Store builder
  • Unlimited products
  • Shopping cart
  • Payment processing
  • Inventory management
  • Email marketing
  • SEO optimization
  • Mobile responsive

Only in Printful

  • Print on demand
  • Custom products
  • Dropshipping
  • Automated fulfillment
  • Quality control
  • Inventory sync
  • Bulk orders
  • Designer tool

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

3dcart

  • Building multi-channel stores across Facebook, eBay, Amazon in parallelnot Printful
  • Recovering abandoned shopping carts with automated email sequencesnot Printful
  • Calculating real-time shipping costs and integrating carrier APIsnot Printful
  • Protecting payment processing with VISA PCI certificationnot Printful

Printful

  • Print on demand fulfilment for apparel and merchandisenot 3dcart
  • Attaching a fulfilment backend to an existing online storenot 3dcart

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

3dcart

  • Limited scalability compared to enterprise e-commerce platforms
  • Payment processing tied to Shift4 Payments after acquisition
  • Fewer advanced marketing and analytics features than competitors

Printful

  • The Growth plan is $24.99 a month and only becomes free once a store reaches $12,000 a year in sales
  • Product discounts of up to 33% are tied to that paid plan, so the lowest unit costs are unavailable to small sellers
  • The free plan allows one sample order a month, capped at 3 items
  • Shipping and taxes are calculated separately from the quoted product price

Pricing, plan by plan

3dcart

$19/month
  • Starter$19/month
    • Unlimited products
    • Basic templates
    • Email support

Printful

Free
  • Free PlanFree
    • Access to 548 custom products
    • Unlimited stores
    • 10 Quick Stores
  • Growth Plan$24.99/month
    • All Free features
    • Up to 33% off product pricing
    • 9% off branding
  • Growth Plan (Alternative)Free
    • Free at $12K/year in sales
  • Enterprise Plan$null/month
    • All Growth features
    • Dedicated Success Manager
    • Custom solutions

Which should you pick?

Choose 3dcart if

  • You need store builder.
  • You also want unlimited products.
3dcart review

Choose Printful if

  • You need print on demand.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want custom products.
Printful review

Questions people ask

Is 3dcart or Printful better?
Neither clearly leads. 3dcart starts at $19/month and Printful at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, 3dcart or Printful?
Printful has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $19/month for 3dcart and Free for Printful.
Does 3dcart or Printful run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Printful for free?
Yes. Printful has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. 3dcart starts at $19/month.
What is 3dcart best used for?
3dcart is most often used for building multi-channel stores across facebook, ebay, amazon in parallel, recovering abandoned shopping carts with automated email sequences, calculating real-time shipping costs and integrating carrier apis, protecting payment processing with visa pci certification. Of those, building multi-channel stores across facebook, ebay, amazon in parallel and recovering abandoned shopping carts with automated email sequences are not what Printful is typically brought in for.
What can 3dcart do that Printful cannot?
3dcart covers Store builder, Unlimited products, Shopping cart, Payment processing. Printful covers Print on demand, Custom products, Dropshipping, Automated fulfillment.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

3dcart: What is the starting price for 3dcart?

3dcart (now Shift4Shop) starts at $19/month with no setup fees, transaction fees, or hidden fees.

Source
Printful: Does Printful have a free plan?

Yes, Printful offers a free plan with access to 548 custom products, unlimited stores, 10 Quick Stores, free design tools, and 24/7 support. Subscribers get 20% off sample orders.

Source
3dcart: Does 3dcart include hosting?

Yes. 3dcart includes web hosting, domain support, and built-in website building tools with no separate hosting costs.

Source
Printful: How much does Printful's Growth plan cost?

Printful's Growth plan costs $24.99 per month, or is free if you reach $12,000 in annual sales. It includes up to 33% off product pricing, 9% off branding, and 25% off sample orders.

Source
3dcart: What happened to 3dcart?

Shift4 Payments acquired 3dcart in November 2020. The platform is now operated under the name Shift4Shop but maintains the same core functionality and pricing.

Source
Printful: Does Printful charge for shipping and taxes?

Yes, product pricing includes the blank item, one design placement, and fulfillment. Shipping varies by product type, order size, and destination. Taxes are based on customer location. Additional charges apply for extra print placements ($0.99-$2.49 per label), embroidery digitization ($2.95-$6.50), and premium images ($1 per use).

Source
3dcart: Does 3dcart offer free templates?

Yes. 3dcart provides dozens of professionally designed, industry-specific templates that are mobile-friendly, SEO optimized, and highly customizable.

Source
3dcart: What payment methods does 3dcart support?

3dcart integrates with multiple payment gateways including Shift4 Payments, Stripe, PayPal, and other major payment processors.

Source
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