Gelato Print On Demand Review – The Best POD Choice For 2023?

Printful and Printify dominate the print-on-demand market, but is Gelato a good alternative?

I think so. So much so, that I have replaced Printful with Gelato in my Etsy store.

In this Gelato print on demand review, I go in to why I think Gelato is a worthy alternative and why you should consider them for your POD business.

They claim to be smarter, faster, and greener so let’s see if that’s true.

Use code ChrisJackson60 for 60% Off your first order (within 72 hrs of sign up)

How Does Gelato Print On Demand Work?

Gelato describes itself as a software company. They do not own any printers or own any fixed assets at all. Instead, they build software and partner with print-on-demand companies in a similar way to how Printify does.

Did You Know: Gelato has the largest (their claim) printing and logistics network in the world, with over 100 print partners spanning 33 countries enabling local production and delivery to millions of customers across the world.

The Gelato print network helps reduce carbon emissions with its efficient delivery model. And their advanced technology and 24/7 customer support, anyone can start creating custom products with Gelato’s print on demand service.

Gelato is a print on demand service that enables you to create and sell custom products. It operates a print network in 33 countries, that you get access to.

Simply sign up to Gelato print on demand, and connect it to your chosen ecommerce platform or marketplace. Choose the product you want to sell, upload your design, enter a few pieces of information and publish it to your store.

when you receive an order, Gelato will print and ship the item to your end customer. Its as simple as that.

Gelato Platform & Software

How you interact with Gelato will depend on which ecommerce platform or online market place you are using. Most tasks can be accessed from the Gelato dashboard.

If you are using Shopify you can install the Gelato App on shopify which enables your products, orders and order status to be synced automatically from your store and Gelato. If you are using Etsy you will need to connect your store to the POD supplier to achieve the same result. You can connect numerous stores across the numerous integrations that they offer.

They also enable you to complete manual orders for those selling on a platform that isn’t supported or selling without an online store.

The platform is simple to use and is similar to many other print providers. You choose your product, upload your design, adjust it and enter a few details. Then simply publish it to your platform of choice.

One feature I find very helpful is the ability to import orders for products that weren’t created on their dashboard. So if you use one of the many other POD industry suppliers, but the item goes out of stock, you can simply import the order, upload the design and have Gelato fulfill it instead.

I find the syncing of orders from Etsy to Gelato to be really quick. Quicker than Printify and Printful, which is not a big point but is reassuring.

Apparel Print Area

With apparel products, Gelato enables you to print your design on the front & back (like everyone else does) but also inner neck and outer neck (great for branding) and on either or both sleeves. This is great if you want your products to stand out in a crowded market.

Making Designs

Unlike many other software provided by POD suppliers, Gelato enables you to actually create designs within the platform. They provide graphics, text, and shapes to use to create designs, removing the need for additional software.

Product Personalization Tool

If you are a Gelato+ (see subscriptions below) subscriber you get access to a product personalization tool. If you run a eCommerce shop using, your customers will be able to make use of the Personalize Design button to launch an in-store editor to personalize their product directly during the purchase process. 

Customers on Etsy, WooCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, and BigCommerce can also create their very own personalized items. They will be able to access the editor for personalization via a link in an email after their order is submitted. Kindly note that the design editor might look slightly different when you are configuring your product in Gelato. You can read more about this workflow here.

Overall the platform is easy to use and offers more functionality than a large number of POD suppliers.

Gelato Product Catalog

The Gelato print on demand product catalog includes the following categories:

• Men’s clothing
• Women’s clothing
• Kids & baby clothing
• Tote Bags

Phone cases

5 Different phone case types are offered by Gelato all 5 are only offered for Samsung devices and iPhones

The Slim Case and Tough Case are fulfilled in Australia, Canada, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Whilst the Bio, Flexi, and Clear cases are fulfilled in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Germany, Singapore, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Mugs & Bottles

As with many of the largest print on demand companies, Gelato offers the standard white mug and color-changing mug. However, Gelato also offers a white porcelain slim mug and a 17oz Latte Mug which are not offered by many mainstream suppliers. The products are offered across 5 to 18 fulfillment centres globally.

Paper Based Products

Did You Know: Gelato owns Optimalprint, a photo-product business operating in 23 countries. Its orders are fulfilled by the same network Gelato gives you access to, so they really do eat their own dog food (use their own software and services).

Given the above, it is no surprise to see that Gelato offers a good range of paper-based & stationery products.

Products include:

• Calendars – fulfilled in 22 countries
• Photo books – Soft Cover and Hard Cover
• Cards (packs of 10)

Wall Art

One area that Gelato excels is in its Wall Art category. They offer posters, canvas prints, and wood prints which is a product where your design is printed onto wood so the grain shows through

Wall Paper

Yes, that’s right, print on demand wallpaper. I havent not seen this offered by any other mainstream POD company and selling this would definitely help your store stand out from the crown.

Stationery & Business

The stationary category includes the following, which is mainly aimed at businesses but could be an interesting addition to your print on demand store.

• Flyers
• Single fold brochures
• Multi-page brochures
• Roll fold brochures
• Accordion fold brochures
• Folders
• Letterheads
• Roll-ups

Apparel

Many print on demand sellers sell clothing in their online stores and therefore the quality and range of a supplier’s apparel products are key.

Gelato offer men’s, women and children’s clothing categories. The men’s and women’s range includes the following which should meet most people’s needs:

• T-shirts
• Tank Tops
• ¾ Sleeve shirts
• Long sleeve
• Hoodies
• Sweatshirts
• Organic
• Premium
• Sportswear

In the t-shirt, the category Gelato includes the Gildan 5000, Gildan 64000 (my fav), and the Bella & Canvas 3001. All three shirts come in enough colors (10,11,9 respectively) to suit most sellers’ needs, but fewer colors than those offered by Printify.

The Gildan 64000 for example can be printed in 11 countries meaning quicker delivery times, cheaper shipping, and lower carbon emissions.

Where I feel Gelato comes up short is in the colors they offer for sweatshirts & hoodies. Whilst their range includes the usual Gildan and AWDis Just Hoods brands, there are only 6 sweatshirt colors and 9 hoodie colors on offer. This may sound a lot but sell a significant number of Hot Chocolate (brown) and Forest Green hoodies and sweatshirts and neither is offered by Gelato.

For comparison purposes, Printify offers 36 different-colored hoodies and 37 colors of sweatshirts. AOP+ in the UK offer 42 different colors of sweatshirt and 49 colors of hoodies

Catalog Summary

If Gelato offers the colors of apparel products you are looking to sell, then their clothing range should be sufficient, albeit a bit on the plain jane side of things. However, their paper-based products and wall art categories are strong and the range of phone cases (5 different types) is solid too.

They are the only mainstream POD company I have seen that offers wallpaper. 

Use code ChrisJackson60 for 60% Off your first order (within 72 hrs of sign up)

Gelato Pricing

Example Pricing

To give an insight into Gelato pricing here are a couple of examples:

Gelato: A medium black Gildan 64000 delivered to a USA-based customer costs $9.51 plus $3.66 shipping.

For comparison, Printful charges $11.95 and $3.95 shipping & Printify charges around $8 and $6 shipping

Gelato: A medium black Gildan 18500 sweatshirt to a USA-based customer costs $16.75 plus $7.24 shipping

For comparison, Printful charges $11.95 and $3.95 shipping & Printify charges $18 and $7.99 shipping

The above examples show that Gelato pricing is competitive.

Gelato Subscriptions

Gelato is free to use but also offers paid subscriptions that are different from others in that they don’t just offer pricing discounts.

Gelato+ gives:

• 30% off shipping
• Premium Mockups
• Millions of stock images that can be used in designs
• Access to the product personalization tool
• And more

Gelato Gold gives:

• 50% off shipping
• Product migration assistance
• Automatically fulfill custom orders
• Dedicated custom success manager
• And more

Gelato Integrations

Gelato has a limited number of integrations but they integrate with the main platforms and offer both manual ordering and an API to link to your own site.

Gelato integrates with the following:

• Shopify
• Etsy
• Wix
• WooCommerce
• Squarespace
• BigCommerce
• API

Print Quality

Having purchased a number of sample orders as well as having sold a significant number of Gelato printed products, I must say I have been impressed with the consistency of the high print quality.

Support & Customer Service

On the Gelato site, there is a live chat feature to get swift support. There is also a help center that offers a large number of articles on the topics shown in the graphic below.

On the rare occasions I have had to contact them, they have responded quickly with answers to my queries.

Best Gelato Alternatives in 2023

The obvious Gelato alternatives are Printful and Printify, but you need to consider your requirements carefully. Check that the alternative sells the products and the variations you are looking for. Do they ship to your target market?

There is no point using a US-focused supplier when you are planning to only sell in the UK. If the UK is your target market you should consider Inkthreadable and AOP+

Use code ChrisJackson60 for 60% Off your first order (within 72 hrs of sign up)

Gelato Review Conclusion

Gelato is a very professional POD supplier with strong Etsy integration and Shopify app. Gelato’s products together with printing technologies mean you get high-quality print at a good price point. The global reach ensures cheaper and faster shipping times which is also greener as the products don’t need to be transported as far.

I strongly recommend you consider using Gelato if they sell the products you sell in your eCommerce store even if you only use them as a back-up to other suppliers.

Use code ChrisJackson60 for 60% Off your first order (within 72 hrs of sign up)

Gelato Review FAQ

Is Gelato compatible with Etsy?

Yes. You can integrate your Etsy store with Gelato so that they can fulfill your print on demand orders.

How do I integrate Gelato with Etsy?

Create a Gelato account on Gelato.com then from your dashboard click stores. Under Connect a New Store click Etsy and follow the simple instructions.

How Do I Use Gelato on Shopify?

Once you have a Shopify account and store created, click on Apps and search for Gelato. Once you have found the app, click install and follow the instructions to log in to your Gelato account.

Does Gelato integrate with ebay?

No, however as you can place orders manually on Gelato print on demand you could still use them to fulfill your POD orders.