Although I often pick Printify and Printful as my top choices for print on demand platforms, CustomCat has really begun grabbing my attention lately.
This company has had a great reputation in the POD market for a while now, thanks to its versatile printing options, great range of products, and it’s ultra-fast production times (as little as 3 days in the US).
However, it has become a far more enticing competitor lately, thanks to a new influx of unique products (like vegan leather patch hats), and its impressive tools for tracking orders and sales.
But is CustomCat the right platform for you? I took a behind-the-scenes look to help you decide.
CustomCat Quick Verdict, Pros and Cons
CustomCat may not offer as many products as alternatives like Printify, integrate with as many sales channels as Printful, or allow you to build a custom store front in seconds, but it has some unique benefits.
It’s an excellent option if you’re looking for budget-friendly products, fast order fulfillment, and an ultra-convenient selling experience.
CustomCat Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Excellent range of products (with some unique options)
- Budget-friendly product pricing and shipping
- Fast production and delivery times (in the US)
- Great customer service (with phone support included)
- User-friendly platform for beginners
- Innovative printing options (like Digisoft and embroidery)
Cons:
- Fewer product options than some alternatives
- Limited sales channel integrations
- Shipping times can be longer outside of the US
What is CustomCat? The Overview
As the name might suggest, CustomCat is a print-on-demand company that allows creators to customize a range of unique products and sell them to customers worldwide.
The company offers global order fulfillment services, shipping about 40,000 products every day.
It’s similar to Printful in a lot of ways, as CustomCat handles order production in-house, rather than connecting you with third-party printing partners (like Printify does).
It also offers all the features you’d expect from a POD platform, like convenient design tools, and a dashboard where you can track orders, and sales volumes.
However, where Printful offers extra benefits like its Quick Stores creator and more integrations with third-party sales channels, I think CustomCat stands out in it’s own, distinct way.
CustomCat specializes in next-level printing services (like Digisoft), exceptional customer service, and unique products, like indoor doormats and enamel mugs.
CustomCat Products and Customization Options
Compared to some market-leading POD companies, CustomCat has a slightly smaller product collection. You can customize around 300 items (compared to Printify’s 950+ product options). However, you still get plenty of options to choose from, such as:
- Apparel: T-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, hats, jackets, polo shirts, button-up shirts, tank tops, athletic apparel, pants, and children’s clothing.
- Houseware: Pillows, mugs and drinkware, blankets, ornaments, towels, and wall art.
- Accessories: Bags, footwear, aprons, and luggage tags.
The company is always upgrading its product collection too, adding new things like indoor doormats, and hats with vegan leather patches. What I think really sets CustomCat apart from some alternatives, however, is its customization options.
Most of the POD companies I’ve worked with before offer standard options like DTG and DTF. However, CustomCat uses next-generation Digisoft printing, which essentially combines all the best features of Direct-to-Garment, and Direct-to-Film printing processes.
This printing method gives you incredibly vivid, high-resolution and durable prints, for a relatively low cost. Plus, you can also choose from embroidery, all-over-print, and dye sublimation.
Product Quality, Production, and Delivery Times
Since CustomCat uses the latest cutting-edge technology to customize your products, you can expect pretty amazing product quality for the most part.
I checked out some reviews from other customers on the Shopify app store, (where CustomCat has a 4.2 out of 5 star rating), and people constantly rave about the quality of the Digisoft printing services.
Of course, your print quality can still vary depending on the printing method you choose, the product, and the quality of the file you upload.
I’d definitely recommend ordering samples just in case, but unfortunately, CustomCat doesn’t offer a discount on sample orders. However, it does promise to replace any items that are returned due to manufacturing defaults for free.
A major plus for CustomCat, in my opinion, is that they can produce and deliver your products with incredible speed – if your customers are in the United States.
CustomCat can produce most products within 3 business days or less, and they can deliver those products to US customers in another 3 days.
The company even offers 2-day and overnight shipping for certain products. If you’re shipping internationally, however, your customers might have to wait a little longer.
Delivery times can range up to 28 days for some regions, so keep that in mind if you’re running a global brand.
On the plus side, CustomCat is very transparent about the price of its shipping services. You can find a complete list of typical shipping rates on its website here.
Sales Channels and Integrations
One of the things that would probably deter me from recommending CustomCat to some retailers, is that the platform doesn’t integrate with many sales channels.
You can connect the platform directly with Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and Etsy, but that’s it.
Compared to something like Printful, which gives you over 20 sales channels to choose from, this can seem a little restrictive.
Plus, there’s no option to create your own “pop-up” storefront like you can with tools like Printify. Still, you can access CustomCat’s API, to connect it with other applications – if you have the developer knowledge required.
You can also submit bulk orders manually with CSV files, which is something certain other providers don’t offer – so you’re not totally out of luck if you’re using a different sales channel.
Ease of Use and Customer Support
I was able to create an account for CustomCat (using my Google login), connect a Shopify store, and start creating products in a couple of minutes.
Although the dashboard isn’t as “pretty” as some of the other options I’ve seen, it’s still very clean, straightforward and intuitive.
You’ll have no trouble sorting through the product library and keeping track of your orders. Plus, you can even access tools that allow you to run A/B sales campaigns, to help you boost your revenue.
The design tools are straightforward enough, allowing you to upload images to the products you want to customize and experiment with different colors, fonts, and a handful of graphics. However, there are no AI tools for generating images, and the free graphics are pretty basic in my opinion. You also will be restricted in how much you can alter and scale your designs.
The mockup generator isn’t perfect either, as it can’t create “lifestyle” images that show people actually wearing your products.
On the plus side, you can add product descriptions, sizing options, unique titles, and pricing details to your products within the design tool, which saves you time when you’re adding new products to your store.
Customer Support
Customer support is one area where I think CustomCat really shines. Although the company doesn’t promise 24/7 service like some of its competitors, it does offer a phone option to companies in the US and Vietnam. That’s something you’ll struggle to find with most POD leaders.
They also have a great reputation for responding quickly to customer requests via live chat and email, but you might need to wait a while if you’re messaging them outside of business hours.
CustomCat also offers a range of great knowledgebase resources, like selling guides, FAQ pages, design guides, and blogs.
Their content collection is regularly updated with new articles featuring plenty of screenshots, GIFs, and videos too.
CustomCat Plans and Pricing
As I mentioned above, one good thing about CustomCat is that its products, and shipping options are pretty affordable.
For instance, a standard men’s t-shirt could cost you as little as $5.50, depending on your printing requirements and shipping can cost just $3.99 (which is about the standard rate).
Like most POD vendors, CustomCat also allows users to create an account for free, and you’ll gain access to all of the features and products the platform offers on this plan.
The company also offers volume discounts if you buy items in bulk, which is nice.
If you do decide you want to upgrade, there is one paid plan available: CustomCat Pro, for $25 per month if you pay annually, or $30 per month paid monthly. This subscription plan gives you 20-40% off all of the products in CustomCat’s entire catalog.
CustomCat Review: The Verdict
So, is CustomCat the right option for your business? If you’re looking for a straightforward experience, affordable pricing, and fast production times, the answer might be yes.
CustomCat is a highly reliable POD vendor, with an excellent reputation.
However, if you’re looking for a wider range of sales channels, more product options, and 24/7 service, you might want to consider an alternative like Printful or Printify.
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