Does Print on Demand Cost Money in 2025? (Total Cost Exposed)

Print on demand is one of the easiest ways to start an online business in 2025, but it’s not free.

In this guide, let’s break down how much print-on-demand really costs in 2025, whether it’s profitable, and how to track those costs effectively.

Does Print on Demand Cost Money?

POD is a lower-risk eCommerce model but running it requires the amount of capital. In POD, sellers don’t pay for products until a customer places an order but that simply means: Sellers don’t pay COGS upfront rather than removing it forever.

In practice, POD sellers must budget for several key areas: platform fees for store management, COGS for product production, design costs for professional, unique artwork, shipping fees to deliver products, ad spend to drive traffic, and other costs such as domains, fulfillment apps, and transaction fees.

So, while POD is lower-risk and cheaper than traditional retail, it still costs merchants capital to start and make sales.

How Much Does POD Really Cost?

For a small POD store selling 50–100 units in its first month, merchants should realistically budget around $1,500–$2,000 to cover product cost, design, ads, shipping, platform fees, and other essential costs.

Let’s take a closer look at each expense you should budget for.

How Much Does Platform Fee Cost in POD?

Overall, platform fees range roughly from $17 to $299 per month. Ecommerce platforms such as Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Wix, etc provide the technology needed to build, operate, and manage a POD store. Every platform comes with its own pricing model, features, and integrations, so understanding these differences helps you decide which one fits your goals and budget best.

Here’s a breakdown of the most popular ones in 2025:

Shopify is the most popular choice among print-on-demand sellers for its ease of use and strong integration with top POD apps like Printify, Printful, and Gelato. It offers the Basic plan that costs $19/month, suitable for small stores just starting out.

WooCommerce, on the other hand, is a free WordPress plugin that turns any WordPress website into an online store. While the plugin itself costs nothing, sellers still need to pay for web hosting, which usually ranges from $200 to $20,000 per year.

BigCommerce is designed for higher-volume stores and enterprise-level businesses. The Standard plan costs $29/month, while the Plus plan is $79/month.

Wix offers an affordable and beginner-friendly way to launch a POD store with visual drag-and-drop design tools. Plans start from $17/month for Light Plan.

Squarespace appeals to artists, designers, and authors building a brand-driven POD store. The basic plan costs $16/month while the core plan is $23/month.

For most new print-on-demand sellers, Shopify’s Basic plan strikes the best balance between affordability, ease of use, and scalability.

How Much Does Design Cost in POD?

Design costs in POD can be as low as $10 per month if you use DIY tools, or climb to $500–$1,000 per month when hiring freelance designers for high-quality, unique designs.

In print-on-demand (POD), design is the core of your product and the main reason customers will choose your store over others. If you’re not an artist or designer, you’ll need to invest in design to ensure your products look worth paying for it.

How Much Does COGS Cost in POD?

At an average supplier cost, a store selling 1,000 T-shirts per month should budget roughly $400–$1,500 for COGS. COGS is one of the biggest costs in POD that covers the blank product plus the printing or embroidery service.

However, it’s the variable cost because pricing depends heavily on the supplier, fulfillment location, and discounts from premium plans. Sellers need to estimate it based on this COGS formula: 

Below are some supplier base cost across major POD products in 2025:  

How Much Does Shipping Cost in POD?

POD sellers shipping 50–100 products each month should budget approximately $200–$600 for shipping costs. 

Shipping is the third-largest operational cost and, like product costs, it varies depending on the supplier, the shipping destination, product size, and the carrier used. 

See below for average 2025 shipping rates by product.

Most print providers ship through global carriers like USPS, UK Royal Mail, Canada Post, Australia Post, UPS, and FedEx, each offering different pricing tiers based on speed and distance.

How Much Does Ad Spend Costs in POD?

Most sellers allocate $500–$1,000 per month for product testing, while seasoned operators may spend $2,500–$20,000 before finding a high-performing product. 

Scaling a winning product typically demands $5,000–$10,000 per month on social platforms, with extra spend on Google Shopping for premium-priced items.

For new POD stores, paid ads are the primary cost driver. Although organic traffic can contribute, initial sales are heavily dependent on advertising. 

What are Other Costs and How Much Do They Take? 

Domain: ~$15/year

A domain is your store’s online address, usually ranging from $8 to $20 per year. Popular registrars and platforms include:

Payment Gateway Fee: ~$50–$105/month

A payment gateway allows your POD store to accept non-cash payments from customers, such as credit cards, debit cards, or digital wallets. 

The cost depends on the provider, typically as a percentage of the transaction plus a fixed fee per sale. For example, on a $25 T-shirt sale:

So, for a small store selling 50–100 T-shirts monthly, payment gateway fees will cost roughly $50–$105 per month. 

POD Fulfillment App: ~$26–$30/month

A print-on-demand (POD) app is software that connects your online store with suppliers to automate product fulfillment, printing, and shipping. The cost of using a POD app varies depending on the platform:

For a small store selling 50–100 products per month, this cost translates to about $26–$30 monthly, which is relatively low compared to other operational costs like ad spend, COGS, or shipping, yet essential to keep your store running efficiently and professionally.

So, how much does it realistically cost to run a POD store in the first month? 

By adding all this up, the average starting cost is roughly $1,500–$2000 for a small POD store with 50-100 units sold per month. 

Is Print on Demand Profitable?

Print-on-demand (POD) can absolutely be profitable—and the market itself shows why. According to MarketWatch, the global POD market is projected to surpass $39 billion by 2033, fueled by independent creators, artists, artisans, and e-commerce brands selling customized products ranging from apparel to home goods.

Across most products, a healthy margin ranges from 20–40%, depending on product type, supplier costs, and pricing strategy. 

That said, the key to success isn’t chasing unrealistically high margins; it’s about understanding the profitability of each product and designing a catalog that balances high-demand POD items with higher-margin offerings.

Monitor POD Costs in Real Time 

A complete view of costs is the foundation of profitability. It separates stores that just make sales from those that are actually profitable after all costs. 

This is where TrueProfit, the #1 net profit analytics app for Shopify, comes in. Thanks to its seamless integration across  Printful, Printify, Gelato, and other POD platforms, TrueProfit automatically track every key expenses—like product cost, shipping, ad spend, design, platform fees, etc—expose the precise breakdown of your true cost, so it can ensure the most accurate net profit picture possible.

With TrueProfit, Shopify POD sellers can:

By revealing net profit per order, profit on ad spend, and product-level insight, TrueProfit gives POD sellers the unmatched edge in cost management, where they clearly see the high-return spending vs. the true financial loss.

Leah Tran

Leah Tran is a Content Specialist at TrueProfit, where she crafts SEO-driven and data-backed content to help eCommerce merchants understand their true profitability. With a strong background in content writing, research, and editorial content, she focuses on making complex financial and business concepts clear, engaging, and actionable for Shopify merchants.

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