How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- Custom Ink and RushOrderTees suit one off group orders for teams, events, and companies, with design help and no or low minimums.
- Printful and Printify run print on demand for online sellers, so you pay per item sold and hold no stock.
- Per shirt prices swing hard with quantity: a basic tee that costs 10 to 14 dollars at 25 pieces can fall to 4 to 6 dollars at 500 pieces.
- Always price the full order, including extra print locations, premium blanks, and shipping, since the headline per shirt rate hides most of the spread.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Custom Ink | Group orders with design help | See website | No |
 RushOrderTees | Fast bulk orders, no minimums | $10.41 per shirt | No |
 Printful | Print on demand with quality control | $9.25 per item | Yes |
 Printify | Cheapest print on demand network | See website | Yes |
 Broken Arrow Wear | Low per shirt bulk pricing | $8.69 per shirt | No |
 ooShirts | Budget orders with price guarantee | $9.27 per shirt | No |
 UberPrints | Small runs and quick turnaround | $8.29 per shirt | No |
 Vistaprint | Apparel plus matching print goods | See website | No |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
The best custom apparel companies
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
What we like- Custom Ink is the default US choice for group orders, with a deep catalogue of shirts, hoodies, workwear, and uniforms, an online design lab, and human design help included. It handles group ordering well, collecting sizes and payments from your team through order links, which removes the spreadsheet work from whoever organises the order. Fundraising campaigns are built in, so schools and charities can sell apparel without handling stock or payments.
Watch out for- Per shirt prices sit at the higher end at low quantities, and a single custom shirt is the dearest way to buy on this list. Pricing needs a design and quantity before you see a firm number, which is why this guide lists see website. Print quality is good but the model is convenience first, so merch brands chasing retail grade prints may prefer a dedicated printer.
Starting price$10.41 per shirt
Free planNo
What we like- RushOrderTees built its name on turnaround, with rush production options and no minimum order across much of the catalogue. Current examples price a classic cotton tee at about 10.41 dollars per shirt at 50 units, with free design tools and no setup fees. It covers screen printing, embroidery, and direct to film, so one order can mix printed tees and embroidered polos.
Watch out for- Rush speed costs more, and the fastest options carry premium fees on top of the garment price. Direct to garment choice is more limited than at print on demand specialists. Like every bulk printer, the per shirt figure you see depends on colours, locations, and blank, so the quote at checkout is the real price.
#3Printful
Best for: Print on demand with quality control4.4/5 on
G2 (181 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit printful.com
Starting price$9.25 per item
Free planYes
What we like- Printful prints and ships each order under your brand, connecting to Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, and other stores, with no stock and no minimums. Base prices start around 9.25 dollars per item in the US, and volume discounts reach past 30 percent at high unit counts for bulk orders. It runs its own facilities, which keeps print quality and packing more consistent than marketplace networks, and its design maker and mockup tools are free.
Watch out for- Base prices are higher than Printify on many items, so margins on low price products get thin after shipping. Per item shipping, about 4.95 dollars for a first item, eats into cheap products. It is a fulfilment partner, not a marketing channel, so traffic to your store is still your problem.
#4Printify
Best for: Cheapest print on demand network4.6/5 on
G2 (57 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit printify.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planYes
What we like- Printify routes your orders to a network of print providers in several countries, and competition between providers keeps base prices low, with many tees starting near 7 dollars before shipping. Local production in the customer's region shortens delivery times and cuts shipping cost. The free plan covers up to five stores, and the paid Premium plan discounts product prices for higher volume sellers.
Watch out for- Quality varies between providers because Printify does not print the items itself, so ordering samples is essential before you sell. Prices differ per provider for the same product, which is why this guide lists see website rather than one figure. Support sits between you and the printer, which can slow down problem orders.
Starting price$8.69 per shirt
Free planNo
What we like- Broken Arrow Wear prices aggressively on bulk screen printing, with current examples from about 8.69 dollars per shirt on a Gildan 5000 at 36 or more pieces, and free standard shipping on qualifying orders. It offers screen printing and direct to garment with online design tools, and its published per style pricing makes comparison shopping easier than quote only printers. Fundraising and team stores are supported for groups that resell.
Watch out for- The best prices need quantity, so small runs lose the cost edge that puts it on this list. The catalogue leans toward standard blanks rather than fashion forward garments. Turnaround is solid rather than the fastest here, so deadline orders should confirm dates before paying.
Starting price$9.27 per shirt
Free planNo
What we like- OoShirts competes on price, with per shirt examples starting around 9.27 dollars, no minimum order, free standard shipping, and a low price guarantee that promises to beat comparable quotes. An instant pricing calculator shows the effect of quantity, colours, and garment choice as you design. For schools, camps, and budget driven groups, it is often the cheapest delivered quote on standard blanks.
Watch out for- The catalogue and garment range are narrower than Custom Ink or RushOrderTees. Design tools are functional rather than polished, and art help is thinner. As with all budget printers, order a sample or check recent reviews for print quality on the exact garment you plan to buy.
Starting price$8.29 per shirt
Free planNo
What we like- UberPrints offers screen printing and digital printing with low minimums and fast standard turnaround, and current examples price a basic tee near 8.29 dollars per shirt at 50 units. Its design studio is simple enough for first time buyers, and it covers the standard group order range from tees to hoodies and workwear. Pricing is shown early in the design flow, which suits buyers comparing several printers at once.
Watch out for- UberPrints is a smaller operation than the national leaders, so very large or complex uniform programmes fit better elsewhere. Embroidery and specialty print options are more limited than at full service shops. Per shirt prices on tiny orders rise quickly once shipping is added.
#8Vistaprint
Best for: Apparel plus matching print goods4.2/5 on
G2 (429 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit vistaprint.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
What we like- Vistaprint sells custom tees alongside business cards, banners, stickers, and packaging, so a small business can brand everything in one order and one design system. There is no minimum on digitally printed apparel, and frequent promotions cut list prices, with tees commonly listed in the 6 to 20 dollar range before offers. Its editor is simple, and reordering past designs is fast.
Watch out for- Apparel is one category among many at Vistaprint, so garment choice and print methods are narrower than at apparel specialists. Quality targets small business and event use rather than retail merch standards. List prices move with promotions, which is why this guide lists see website.
How we chose
We compared these companies on the two buying models in this category: one off group orders and print on demand fulfilment. For each we checked published per garment prices at realistic quantities, minimum orders, print methods, design tools, and shipping behaviour. We favoured companies that publish prices or live calculators over quote only printers, and we excluded overseas factory sourcing and blank wholesalers, since this guide covers companies that print and deliver finished apparel to US buyers.
How to choose the right custom apparel company
First decide which purchase you are making. For a one time group order, Custom Ink, RushOrderTees, Broken Arrow Wear, and ooShirts compete on the delivered price of your exact design, so get the same garment, colours, and quantity quoted at two or three of them; the spread on identical orders is often wider than people expect. For selling apparel online, choose between Printful for consistency and Printify for price, and order samples of your own products before you list them, since you are selling a garment you may never have touched.
Then sweat the details that move the bill: every extra print colour and location adds cost in screen printing, premium blanks can double the garment price, and rush fees stack on deadline orders. Ask what the price includes, since some quotes bundle setup and shipping and others add both at checkout. If the order is for resale or fundraising, confirm who handles defects and reprints, and keep the final artwork files, since moving printers later is far easier with print ready files in hand. Prices in this guide are current published examples and change with promotions and season, so confirm the full order total before you pay.
Frequently asked questions
How much do custom t-shirts cost in bulk?
For a basic cotton tee with a one or two colour print, current industry ranges run about 9 to 14 dollars per shirt at 25 to 50 pieces, 6 to 10 dollars at 100 to 250 pieces, and 4 to 6 dollars at 500 or more. Premium blanks, extra print locations, and embroidery raise the price at every tier. Print on demand removes the bulk discount entirely but also removes the stock risk.
What is the difference between screen printing and print on demand?
Screen printing sets up a screen per colour and prints a batch, which makes it cheap per shirt at volume and poor value for one item. Print on demand prints each piece as it is ordered, usually digitally, so there are no minimums and no stock, but every shirt costs roughly the same whether you sell one or one thousand.
Which company is best for a one time team or event order?
Custom Ink is the safest default for group orders, thanks to its design help and group size collection tools. RushOrderTees fits deadline orders, and ooShirts or Broken Arrow Wear often win on price for standard blanks at quantity. Quote the same design at two of them before you decide.
Can I sell custom apparel without holding stock?
Yes, that is the print on demand model. Printful and Printify connect to your online store, print each order, and ship it to your customer under your brand. You pay the base product price plus shipping per order and keep the margin above it, and you should sample every product yourself before listing it.
Why do quotes for the same shirts differ so much between companies?
Because the quote hides different things: the blank garment, setup fees, shipping, rush charges, and how many print colours and locations are counted. Two quotes are only comparable when the garment, design, quantity, and delivery date all match, which is why this guide pushes you to price the full order rather than the headline per shirt rate.
Sources we checked (0)
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.