Growing an audience
Running the business
Both cover merch & print on demand. Here is what separates them on price, billing, what you can take with you, and coverage.
| Blurb | Spreadshop | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $3.99 | Free |
| Pricing model | One-time purchase | Free |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Billing | One-time purchase | Not stated |
| Free trial | Not stated | Not stated |
| API | Yes | Not stated |
| Data export | Not stated | Not stated |
| Their cut | Not stated | Not stated |
| Runs on | Web, macOS, Windows | Web |
| Covers | Self-Publishing, Merch & Print on Demand | Merch & Print on Demand |
| Works with | Nothing in particular | Nothing in particular |
| Founded | Not listed | Not listed |
| Reader rating | No reviews yet | No reviews yet |
| Live deals | None right now | None right now |
Print books and magazines one copy at a time
Blurb prints a single copy as readily as a hundred, which is what makes a photo book, a zine or a portfolio possible without an inventory. Layout happens in its own tools or in InDesign through a plugin. Paper stock and trim size move the unit price a long way, so the calculator is worth opening before the design is finished.
Our note
Paper stock moves the price further than page count does, with the same photo book running from $32 to $70. Work out the real cost at the binding you want before setting it against Lulu. The $12 headline is the cheapest possible configuration.
Only on this side
A print on demand shop that costs nothing
Spreadshop opens a merchandise shop with no fee at either end: Spreadshirt prints and ships, and you keep whatever you set above the base price of each item. Because there is no subscription, a shop that sells nothing for six months costs nothing to leave open. The trade is that the storefront and the product range are theirs, so it is less yours than a shop you build.
Our note
The trade you are making is control: the storefront, the checkout and the product range are theirs, and your brand sits inside their frame. Accept that for a first merchandise run and revisit it if anything actually sells.
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.