Spreadshop and Spreadshirt are both owned by Spread Group, but they cater to very different seller needs.
One acts as a storefront builder, the other as a print-on-demand marketplace. So, which one should you choose?
We’ve spent hours analyzing these two platforms across key areas like branding, pricing, SEO control, and profit margins to help you decide.
The result? Spreadshop is the stronger choice if you’re looking to build a branded ecommerce store and keep full control over your products and customers.
Spreadshop vs Spreadshirt: Quick Verdict
Spreadshop – Best overall, ideal for building a branded ecommerce store
Spreadshirt – Best for passive income and low-effort selling through a marketplace
In this review, I’ll compare Spreadshop and Spreadshirt side by side on pricing, profit margins, branding control, marketing features, and more.
Quick Comparison: Spreadshop vs Spreadshirt
Here’s a snapshot of the key differences between Spreadshop and Spreadshirt:
| Feature | Spreadshop | Spreadshirt |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Type | Standalone storefront | Marketplace |
| Branding Control | Full | Limited |
| SEO Capabilities | Full control | None |
| Profit Margins | Set your own | Commission-based |
| Marketing Tools | Built-in | Limited |
| Traffic Source | You drive traffic | Spreadshirt drives traffic |
| Best For | Creators, entrepreneurs | Designers, hobbyists |
| Cost | Free | Free |
Best for Pricing: Spreadshop
Best for Pricing: Spreadshop
Both Spreadshop and Spreadshirt are free to use.
There are no monthly fees, subscription costs, or upfront payments. Instead, they both make money by deducting the base cost of a product from the final sale price. You earn what’s left.
That said, the way profits are calculated is where these two platforms start to diverge—and Spreadshop gives you more flexibility.
Spreadshop’s pricing model:
- You set the retail price.
- Spreadshop deducts the base cost (e.g. $13 for a basic tee).
- You keep the profit (e.g. if you price it at $22.99, you earn $9.99).
- You can adjust margins depending on your traffic, ad costs, or promotions.
Spreadshirt’s pricing model:
- Spreadshirt sets the retail price.
- You apply a flat design commission (usually $3.50–$5.00).
- You earn only that fixed amount, no matter what the product sells for.
- You can’t adjust base prices or margins based on your own strategy.
While both are technically free to use, Spreadshop offers better long-term earning potential.
Its flexible pricing lets you grow your business, control profits, and scale based on your strategy.
The Winner
Spreadshop offers more flexible and scalable pricing. If you’re serious about turning a profit and building a brand, this model works better.
Best for Selling Products: Spreadshop
If you’re planning to build a serious ecommerce business, Spreadshop gives you the tools to do that.
It functions like a traditional storefront builder where you control the look and feel of your site and own the customer relationship.
Sales Features Comparison:
| Feature | Spreadshop | Spreadshirt |
|---|---|---|
| Custom Storefront | Yes | No |
| Discount Codes | Yes | No |
| Product Categorization | Yes | Limited |
| Upsells & Bundling | No | No |
| SEO Settings | Yes | No |
| Abandoned Cart Tools | No | No |
Spreadshop offers direct integrations with:
- YouTube Merch Shelf
- Facebook & Instagram Shops
- Google Analytics & Facebook Pixel
While Spreadshirt handles the fulfillment and customer service for its marketplace, you can’t build a sales funnel, retarget customers, or optimize listings with SEO.
The Winner
Spreadshop is better for anyone selling actively. You can promote products, track customer behavior, and build a brand—things Spreadshirt doesn’t support.
Best for Profit Margins: Spreadshop
When comparing the earnings potential, the numbers clearly favor Spreadshop. You’re allowed to set your own prices, making it easier to scale profits and cover marketing costs.
Example Comparison
Selling a T-shirt:
| Spreadshop | Spreadshirt | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Cost | $13.00 | $13.00 |
| Retail Price | $22.99 (you set this) | $19.99 (Spreadshirt sets this) |
| Commission | N/A | $3.00–$5.00 |
| Profit | $9.99 | $3.00–$5.00 |
Spreadshirt limits your earnings to a flat design commission, regardless of how well your design performs. That’s fine for passive income, but it caps your revenue.
Spreadshop lets you run sales, price high-ticket items, and earn based on your own strategy.
The Winner
Spreadshop wins by a large margin on profitability. It offers flexibility to price and scale profitably.
Best for Customization and Branding: Spreadshop
If your goal is to run an online store with its own identity—colors, logo, tone, domain—Spreadshop is the better option.
Spreadshirt is a closed marketplace, so customization is minimal.
Spreadshop branding tools include:
- Logo upload
- Custom domain
- Brand colors
- Navigation menus
- Store policy pages
- About page and contact info
You can design a store that matches your brand—whether you’re a fitness brand, streetwear label, or content creator.
Spreadshirt, by contrast, only gives you a “profile page” within their marketplace. Your store is nested inside their site, and your designs appear alongside competitors’.
The Winner
Spreadshop gives you control over brand presentation and customer journey. Ideal for creators and ecommerce sellers who want to look professional.
Best for SEO and Content Marketing: Spreadshop
Search engine optimization is crucial if you’re planning to drive organic traffic to your store. Spreadshop gives you control over SEO elements—Spreadshirt does not.
Spreadshop SEO features:
- Custom URLs
- Page titles and meta descriptions
- H1 and H2 header tags
- Clean product URLs
- Alt text for product images
You can build a long-term traffic strategy with blog content, SEO landing pages, and on-page optimization.
Spreadshirt doesn’t allow for this—your designs are buried in the marketplace with limited control over how they appear in Google Search.
The Winner
Spreadshop provides SEO freedom. You can optimize pages, products, and categories to rank for relevant terms.
Best for Marketing Tools: Spreadshop
Spreadshop has built-in tools that help you generate traffic and convert visitors. These tools are missing from Spreadshirt entirely.
Spreadshop includes:
- Promo code system
- Product feed integration for Facebook and Instagram
- Pixel tracking for ads
- Email signup forms
- Custom callouts and announcements
While Spreadshirt relies on its marketplace to drive exposure, it doesn’t give you tools to grow your own audience.
That works if you’re relying on marketplace visibility, but not if you want repeat customers or control over your list.
The Winner
Spreadshop is far better for marketing, promotions, and building a repeat buyer base.
Best for Ease of Use: Spreadshirt
If you’re new to print-on-demand and just want to upload some designs, Spreadshirt is easier.
It’s built for beginners who don’t want to manage a storefront, worry about traffic, or deal with customer service.
Spreadshirt:
- No setup needed
- Upload designs and apply them to products
- Products go live on the marketplace automatically
- Spreadshirt handles sales and fulfillment
Spreadshop, while not complex, does take more time to set up. You’ll need to build your store, set pricing, customize the layout, and bring your own visitors.
If you’re building a real brand, the setup is worth it—but it’s not quite plug-and-play.
The Winner
Spreadshirt is easier for beginners. No setup or branding work required.
Best for Customer Ownership: Spreadshop
Owning the customer relationship is important if you want to build long-term revenue. Spreadshop gives you this. Spreadshirt doesn’t.
With Spreadshop, you control:
- Checkout experience
- Customer communication
- Branding throughout the journey
- Email collection (via integrations)
With Spreadshirt, the customer belongs to the marketplace. You don’t get their info, you can’t retarget them, and you don’t control how or when they buy again.
The Winner
Spreadshop gives you full ownership of the customer lifecycle.
Best for Creators and Influencers: Spreadshop
For creators, Spreadshop offers specific integrations that make it easy to monetize your audience.
Spreadshop supports:
- YouTube Merch Shelf
- Facebook and Instagram Shops
- Social media integration for product sharing
- Analytics to track campaign results
Spreadshirt doesn’t offer these options because it’s not built around creator-led selling.
If you have a community or following, Spreadshop helps you turn that audience into sales.
The Winner
Spreadshop is the obvious choice for creators and influencers looking to monetize their brand.
Final Verdict: Which Should You Use?
| Use Case | Platform |
|---|---|
| Building a brand | Spreadshop |
| Selling passively | Spreadshirt |
| Maximizing profit | Spreadshop |
| Fast setup | Spreadshirt |
| Owning the customer | Spreadshop |
| Running ads and SEO | Spreadshop |
| Casual testing | Spreadshirt |
If you’re building a long-term business or ecommerce brand, Spreadshop is clearly the better option.
It gives you more control, higher profit potential, and full access to your customers and store data.
If you’re just testing ideas or looking for a passive income stream without much effort, Spreadshirt will get you started faster.
But it comes at the cost of control and growth potential.
