Understanding Dropshipping vs Print-on-Demand

When I got into writing on dropshipping & print-on-demand, figuring them out took time. But it’s not that hard.

Print-on-demand & dropshipping both are ways to send stuff to customers. They’re used by lots of businesses. No need to store items. No big money to start. Works fine for small shops or big ones.

So, what really sets them apart? It’s about how much you want to shape the products. Also how much you want to handle customer stuff with your brand. But there’s more. Picking the right one means thinking about a lot of things.

This write-up helps you find out the big & small ways running a dropshipping shop differs from doing a print-on-demand setup.

What is print-on-demand?

Print-on-demand (POD) is a way to fulfill orders. It’s also a way to run a shop. Stuff gets printed after someone buys it. So shop owners can sell custom things like t-shirts, mugs, posters, bags, Footwear & more. No stock needed. No order limits. Once you get a sale, your print-on-demand supplier picks the item, prints it, boxes it, then sends it to the buyer.

Some of the stuff you can make & sell with POD looks like this:

Footwear
Bags
Clothing: T-shirts, hoodies & sweatshirts, pants
Accessories: hats, footwear, bags
Wall art: posters, canvases, flags
Home decor: towels, blankets
Drinkware: mugs, water bottles
Tech accessories: phone cases, AirPod cases
Stationery items: notebooks, greeting cards, stickers
Pet accessories: pet bowls, bandanas

What is dropshipping?

Dropshipping means ways to send stuff to customers. It’s also a kind of business. Stores can sell things but don’t need to keep them. A third-party supplier takes care of that.

Most times, you’re selling pre-made things. No edits. Once a customer buys, the dropshipper grabs the item from storage, puts it in a box & ships it right to the customer, all under your brand name.

Here’s a few common items you can offer with dropshipping:

Toys
Electronics
Accessories
Health & beauty products
Office supplies
Tools

You can check more product types good for dropshipping in the post Profitable Dropshipping Niches: How to Find Them + Top Picks.

Product selection

Using dropshipping or print-on-demand, you can show lots of items. No need to keep anything in a warehouse. That lets you try many ideas, but you should still think about your market & goals.

Say you want to launch a clothing brand. You might want to use fresh styles or designs for special times. Since you don’t buy in bulk, you can test many different looks using these models.

Print-on-demand

POD works better if you’ve got fresh ideas. A big part of it is making cool designs people want on shirts, mugs, pillows. If you know the trends & what buyers enjoy, your store might do well.

You can change up designs a lot with POD. You make stuff that feels personal. That adds more value. Plus, jumping on new styles is simple.

Dropshipping

Dropshipping gives access to way more product types. Could be tech, makeup, or kitchen gear. It’s flexible. You can try different markets with no need to store anything.

But lots of dropship shops try to keep prices low. That makes people think the stuff is cheap. On the flip side, POD gives you the chance to sell special custom things, which seem higher in quality.

Still, not every dropshipping item is low-cost junk. You should pick a good supplier. One that shows you full product details. What it’s made from. Where it’s made. Also, order samples. Helps you judge the real quality.

Marketing and branding

Selling good stuff is key if you want people to notice your online store. But branding matters too. It’s about how your brand looks, feels, & what people think when they buy from you. That’s branding. So, how is it not the same in dropshipping vs POD?

Print-on-demand

POD lets you change up products easy. Every item is made when someone buys it. You can put your own look on things, focused just for your niche.

Also, POD gives more room to add your brand in these ways:

Exclusive designs
Custom labels
Inside labels
Outside labels

So basically, print-on-demand helps you shape your brand better. Your store becomes more unique.

You also get to follow trends fast. If you sell on your site, or a big platform, or even on social apps, you can test new ideas. Try out products. No stress.

Dropshipping

Branding’s a bit tricky with dropshipping. The items are mostly the same ones others also sell. Unlike POD, where your art adds value, dropshipping needs good marketing, better messaging, & strong customer care to get noticed.

Some suppliers do offer extras, like custom packs or inserts (notes, thank-you cards, discount coupons, free stickers or little postcards). But the item itself? Same as others.

You could run a store from your own website, or a big online marketplace, or even post your items on social sites. Dropshipping or POD both can work. You just need a supplier that links with the platform you pick.

Look at TikTok—20.6% of social buyers shop straight from it. Also, 67% of users said they get the urge to buy stuff while scrolling, even when they weren’t planning to.