Print on demand for Shopify is a two-part system: Shopify runs the storefront, checkout, and payments, and a separate print on demand app connects to handle production and shipping. Searchers typing "print on demand shopify" are usually trying to figure out how that connection works and what it actually costs once both pieces are running. This guide breaks down the mechanics, the real monthly cost, and a simpler all-in-one alternative that skips the two-system setup entirely.
Shopify itself does not print, pack, or ship a physical product. It is a storefront and checkout platform. A seller running apparel on Shopify installs a separate print on demand app from the Shopify App Store, connects it to their store, and that app syncs product listings, receives the order, prints it, and ships it. Two systems, two dashboards, two support relationships if something goes wrong with an order.
| Cost item | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Shopify subscription | Around $29-39/mo on entry plans, more on higher tiers |
| Payment processing | Standard card processing rate, higher if not using the built-in payment gateway |
| Theme and apps | $0-100/mo depending on how many extra apps are installed |
| Print on demand app | Free to install, then per-piece production cost plus shipping charged at checkout |
None of these numbers are fixed. They stack, and a seller only sees the full total after a few months of invoices from separate places.
Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.Three situations where the two-system route is worth the extra setup:
Bear Grips Pro Shops bundles the storefront and the production into a single system. The catalog runs 63 apparel products (tees from $19.88 VIP base, hoodies from $36.88, hats from $25.86), with free US shipping built into the base price rather than added at checkout. Plans run $0/mo (3 live products), $59/mo Self-Service VIP (200 products, lowest base prices), or $105/mo Done-For-You VIP (250 products, full white-glove design and shop build). There is no theme to buy, no separate app to connect, and no minimum order on any product.
A quick test: if the answer to "do I need to sell anything besides apparel" is no, and the seller wants to be live the same day a design is ready, an all-in-one storefront is the faster and cheaper path. If the business already spans multiple product categories or requires deep custom storefront design, Shopify plus a connected app is the more flexible route, at the cost of managing two systems instead of one.
One storefront, one dashboard, production and shipping built in. Free plan to start, no minimums.
Start FreeNo. Shopify handles the storefront, checkout, and payments. A separate connected app or platform handles printing and shipping.
Usually yes, once the Shopify subscription, payment processing, and app costs are added together. An all-in-one storefront like Bear Grips Pro Shops folds those into one plan starting at $0/mo.
On Shopify, yes, that is one of its strengths. Bear Grips Pro Shops is apparel-focused across a 63-product catalog.
An all-in-one storefront can be live the same day a design is uploaded. Shopify plus a connected app usually takes longer because of theme setup, app configuration, and payment setup across two systems.
Bear Grips Pro Shops