Teespring vs Bonfire: Which Print-on-Demand Platform is Better?

If you’re looking to start a print-on-demand business, you may have come across two popular platforms: Teespring and Bonfire.

Both platforms offer a way to design and sell custom products without the need for inventory or upfront costs.

However, which platform is the best fit for you depends on a variety of factors, including pricing, features, quality, and customer support.

In this article, we’ll compare Teespring and Bonfire based on these criteria and more, so you can make an informed decision about which platform to use.

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced seller, this article will provide valuable insights and information to help you choose the right platform for your needs.

But first, let’s take a closer look at Teespring and Bonfire.

Teespring is a print-on-demand platform that allows creators to design and sell custom apparel, accessories, and home decor products.

With Teespring, you can create your own designs using their advanced design tools or use existing templates to quickly create products.

Teespring also offers integrations with other platforms like YouTube and Twitch, which can be useful for creators who have a large following on these platforms.

Bonfire, on the other hand, is a simpler platform that focuses on custom t-shirts and apparel.

Which offers a variety of templates and design tools to help you create your products, and their pricing model is straightforward: there are no additional fees on top of the base cost per product.

It is known for its high-quality products and good customer support, making it a popular choice for beginners and those looking for a simple platform.

Now that you have an overview of Teespring and Bonfire, let’s dive into the comparison criteria to see how they stack up against each other.

Comparison Criteria

To compare Teespring and Bonfire, we’ll use the following criteria:

Pricing – How much does each platform charge per product, and are there any additional fees?
Features – What features do each platform offer, and how do they differ from each other?
Quality – What is the quality of the products offered by each platform, and how do they compare to each other?
Customer support – What level of customer support does each platform offer, and how does it affect the user experience?
User experience – What is the overall user experience like on each platform, and how easy is it to design and sell products?

By comparing these criteria, we’ll be able to provide a comprehensive overview of the strengths and weaknesses of each platform, and help you make an informed decision about which platform to use for your print-on-demand business.

In the following sections, we’ll take a closer look at each of these criteria and compare Teespring and Bonfire in detail.

Features

Features are an important consideration when choosing a print-on-demand platform. Both Teespring and Bonfire offer a range of features to help you design and sell your products, but they differ in the specifics.

Let’s take a closer look at what each platform offers:

Teespring Features:

Advanced design tools: Teespring offers a variety of design tools, including a product mockup generator, text tools, and image editing tools.
Product selection: Teespring offers a wide variety of products to choose from, including t-shirts, hoodies, tank tops, phone cases, and more.
Integrations: Teespring offers integrations with other platforms like YouTube and Twitch, which can be useful for creators who have a large following on these platforms.
Marketing tools: Teespring offers tools to help you promote your products, including a social media sharing feature and a product listing optimizer.
Analytics: Teespring provides analytics tools to help you track sales, revenue, and other metrics.

Bonfire Features:

Easy-to-use design tools: Bonfire offers a variety of templates and design tools to help you create your products, including a text editor and image editor.
Product selection: Bonfire primarily focuses on t-shirts and apparel, although they do offer some additional products like hats and tote bags.
Fundraising tools: Bonfire offers tools to help you raise money for a cause or charity, including the ability to set a goal and track progress towards that goal.
Shipping options: Bonfire offers both domestic and international shipping, with a variety of shipping speeds to choose from.
Bulk ordering: Bonfire allows you to order products in bulk, which can be useful for events or promotions.

As you can see, Teespring offers a wider variety of features than Bonfire, particularly in the areas of design tools and integrations. However, Bonfire’s focus on fundraising and easy-to-use design tools may make it a better fit for some users.

In the next section, we’ll compare Teespring and Bonfire based on pricing.

Pricing

Pricing is an important consideration when choosing a print-on-demand platform. Let’s take a closer look at how Teespring and Bonfire compare:

Teespring Pricing:

Base cost per product: The base cost per product on Teespring varies depending on the product type, but is generally around $10-15 for apparel products.
Profit margin: You can set your own profit margin on top of the base cost per product, which determines the price that customers pay.
Additional fees: Teespring charges additional fees for certain services, such as listing your products on the Teespring Marketplace or using their paid advertising tools.

Bonfire Pricing:

Base cost per product: The base cost per product on Bonfire varies depending on the product type, but is generally around $10-15 for t-shirts.
Profit margin: You can set your own profit margin on top of the base cost per product, which determines the price that customers pay.
Additional fees: Bonfire does not charge any additional fees on top of the base cost per product.

As you can see, Teespring and Bonfire have similar pricing structures in terms of base cost per product and profit margin. However, Teespring charges additional fees for certain services, whereas Bonfire does not. This can make Bonfire a more cost-effective option for some sellers.

In the next section, we’ll compare Teespring and Bonfire based on product quality.

Product Quality

Product quality is another important consideration when choosing a print-on-demand platform. Let’s take a closer look at the product quality offered by Teespring and Bonfire:

Teespring Product Quality:

Apparel: Teespring uses a variety of suppliers to produce their apparel products, which can result in varying levels of quality.
Printing: Teespring uses a combination of direct-to-garment (DTG) printing and screen printing, depending on the product and design.
Customer reviews: Teespring has mixed reviews when it comes to product quality, with some customers reporting issues with sizing, printing, or fabric quality.

Bonfire Product Quality:

Apparel: Bonfire uses high-quality, ethically-sourced materials for their apparel products.
Printing: Bonfire uses direct-to-garment (DTG) printing for all of their products, resulting in high-quality prints.
Customer reviews: Bonfire has generally positive reviews when it comes to product quality, with many customers praising the softness and durability of their apparel products.

As you can see, Bonfire has a stronger focus on product quality than Teespring, using high-quality materials and DTG printing for all of their products. Teespring’s product quality can vary depending on the supplier and printing method used.

In the next section, we’ll compare Teespring and Bonfire based on customer support.

Customer Support

Customer support is an important consideration when choosing a print-on-demand platform, as you want to be able to quickly resolve any issues that may arise. Let’s take a closer look at the customer support offered by Teespring and Bonfire:

Teespring Customer Support:

Email support: Teespring offers email support, with a response time of 24-48 hours.
Help center: Teespring has a comprehensive help center that covers a wide range of topics and issues.
Community forum: Teespring has an active community forum where sellers can ask questions and connect with other sellers.

Bonfire Customer Support:

Email support: Bonfire offers email support, with a response time of 24-48 hours.
Phone support: Bonfire offers phone support during business hours.
Help center: Bonfire has a comprehensive help center that covers a wide range of topics and issues.

As you can see, Bonfire offers a more comprehensive customer support experience than Teespring, with phone support and a similarly robust help center. However, both platforms offer email support and resources to help sellers navigate their platform.

In the next section, we’ll compare Teespring and Bonfire based on platform features.

Platform Features

The platform features offered by a print-on-demand platform can make a big difference in the user experience for both sellers and buyers. Let’s take a closer look at the platform features offered by Teespring and Bonfire:

Teespring Platform Features:

Product design tool: Teespring has a product design tool that allows sellers to easily create and customize their products.
Marketing tools: Teespring offers a range of marketing tools, including social media sharing, email campaigns, and paid advertising.
Integration with other platforms: Teespring integrates with several other platforms, including YouTube and Twitch.

Bonfire Platform Features:

Product design tool: Bonfire has a product design tool that allows sellers to easily create and customize their products.
Fundraising campaigns: Bonfire offers the ability to run fundraising campaigns for causes and organizations.
Integration with other platforms: Bonfire integrates with several other platforms, including Shopify and WooCommerce.

As you can see, Teespring and Bonfire offer similar platform features, including a product design tool and integration with other platforms. However, Teespring has a stronger focus on marketing tools, while Bonfire offers the ability to run fundraising campaigns.

Design and Customization Options:

When it comes to creating custom products, design and customization options are crucial. Let’s take a look at the design tools available on Teespring and Bonfire.

Teespring Design Tools:

Teespring offers a wide range of design tools to help creators bring their ideas to life. Some of the features and options available include:

A drag-and-drop design editor that makes it easy to add text, graphics, and images to products
Over 50 fonts to choose from
The ability to upload custom images and designs
Options to add product-specific designs, such as front and back designs for t-shirts
The ability to adjust design placement, size, and color
Templates to help creators get started with their designs

Overall, Teespring’s design tools offer a lot of flexibility and customization options, making it a great choice for creators who want to create unique and eye-catching products.

Bonfire Design Tools:

Bonfire also offers a range of design tools to help creators bring their visions to life. Some of the features and options available include:

A user-friendly design editor that allows creators to upload their own designs or use pre-made templates
Options to add text and graphics to products
A library of over 400 design elements, including clipart and illustrations
The ability to adjust design placement, size, and color
A built-in image editor that allows creators to crop, resize, and adjust the colors of their designs

While Bonfire’s design tools are not as robust as Teespring’s, they still offer enough flexibility to create customized products.

Ease of Use and Quality of Design Tools:

Both Teespring and Bonfire’s design tools are user-friendly and easy to use, but Teespring’s tools offer a wider range of options and more advanced customization features.

In terms of design quality, both platforms offer high-quality printing and design options, ensuring that the final product looks great.

Overall, Teespring and Bonfire both offer strong design and customization tools, but Teespring edges out Bonfire in terms of the number of options and features available.

Below table provides the summary for Teespring vs Bonfire:

Criteria	Teespring	Bonfire
Features	Offers a wider variety of features, including advanced design tools, product selection, integrations, marketing tools, and analytics.	Offers fewer features than Teespring, with a focus on easy-to-use design tools, fundraising tools, shipping options, and bulk ordering.
Pricing	Base cost per product is similar to Bonfire, but charges additional fees for certain services.	Base cost per product is similar to Teespring, but does not charge any additional fees.
Product Quality	Quality can vary depending on the supplier and printing method used.	Offers high-quality, ethically-sourced materials for their apparel products and uses direct-to-garment (DTG) printing for all of their products.
Customer Support	Offers email support and a comprehensive help center, but no phone support.	Offers email support, phone support during business hours, and a comprehensive help center.
Platform Features	Offers a product design tool, marketing tools, and integration with other platforms.	Offers a product design tool, fundraising campaigns, and integration with other platforms.
Design and Customization Options	Offers advanced design tools, over 50 fonts, custom image uploads, product-specific designs, design placement, size, and color adjustments, and templates.	Offers a user-friendly design editor, the ability to upload custom designs or use pre-made templates, text and graphics options, a library of design elements, design placement, size, and color adjustments, and a built-in image editor.
Ease of Use and Quality of Design Tools	Teespring’s tools offer a wider range of options and more advanced customization features. Both platforms offer high-quality printing and design options.	Bonfire’s tools are user-friendly but offer fewer options than Teespring. Both platforms offer high-quality printing and design options.

Conclusion: Teespring Vs Bonfire

Both Teespring and Bonfire offer a way for creators to design and sell custom products without the need for inventory or upfront costs. However, the best platform for you depends on your specific needs and priorities.

Teespring offers a wider variety of features, including advanced design tools, product selection, integrations, marketing tools, and analytics. However, it can be more expensive than Bonfire, with additional fees for certain services. Product quality can also vary depending on the supplier and printing method used.

On the other hand, Bonfire is a simpler platform that focuses on easy-to-use design tools, fundraising tools, shipping options, and bulk ordering. It offers high-quality, ethically-sourced materials for their apparel products and uses direct-to-garment (DTG) printing for all of their products. Bonfire also provides excellent customer support, including email support, phone support during business hours, and a comprehensive help center.

In terms of design and customization options, Teespring’s tools offer a wider range of options and more advanced customization features, while Bonfire’s tools are user-friendly but offer fewer options than Teespring. Both platforms offer high-quality printing and design options.

Ultimately, the choice between Teespring and Bonfire depends on your specific needs and priorities. Consider factors such as pricing, features, quality, customer support, and design and customization options when making your decision.