If you're launching a print-on-demand (POD) business, choosing the right ecommerce platform is one of the most important early decisions you'll make. Both Shopify and Wix offer powerful tools to build and run an online store—but they cater to different types of sellers.
So when it comes to scaling a POD brand, which platform gives you the edge?
Platform Strengths for Print-on-Demand
| Feature | Shopify | Wix |
|---|---|---|
| POD Integrations | Native support for Printful, Printify, SPOD, Gelato, QPMN | Supports Printful, Modalyst |
| Ecommerce Focus | ✅ Built specifically for selling products online | ➖ Website-first, ecommerce second |
| Multichannel Selling | ✅ Sell on TikTok, Instagram, Amazon, eBay | ➖ Limited channel support |
| Inventory Management | ✅ Unlimited products & 10+ locations | ➖ Capped at 50,000 products |
| App Ecosystem | ✅ 8,000+ apps | ➖ ~800 apps |
| Automation | ✅ Shopify Flow (automated workflows) | ➖ Manual task setup |
Shopify is purpose-built for ecommerce. It provides deep inventory control, multichannel sales, and native integration with top POD platforms like Printful and Printify. This is especially valuable for high-volume sellers or brands that plan to expand.
Wix, on the other hand, is ideal for creatives and solopreneurs who want full control over design. It’s easier to use but lacks some of the backend muscle that growing POD shops need.
QPMN Tip: If you’re using QPMN’s Shopify integration, you can instantly sync your custom products—like custom tarot cards or jigsaw puzzles—with your store and start selling worldwide.
Shopify vs Wix for POD Store Design – Which Is Easier to Build?
Shopify is purpose-built for ecommerce. It provides deep inventory control, multichannel sales, and native integration with top POD platforms like Printful and Printify. This is especially valuable for high-volume sellers or brands that plan to expand.
Wix, on the other hand, is ideal for creatives and solopreneurs who want full control over design. It’s easier to use but lacks some of the backend muscle that growing POD shops need.
QPMN Tip: If you’re using QPMN’s Shopify integration, you can instantly sync your custom products—like custom tarot cards or jigsaw puzzles—with your store and start selling worldwide.
Templates & Themes
| Feature | Wix | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Template Count | 900+ | 200+ |
| Ecommerce-Optimized Templates | Moderate | High |
| Mobile-Responsiveness | ✅ | ✅ |
| Free Templates | All | 13 |
| Paid Templates | None | $100–$500 (one-time fee) |
| AI Theme Builder | ✅ Advanced | ✅ Basic |
Wix offers an impressive 900+ templates, giving you unmatched variety, especially in lifestyle, creative, and niche markets. All templates are free, and its AI-powered theme assistant (and new AI tool Astro) helps generate a tailored design based on your business type.
Shopify, on the other hand, delivers fewer but more conversion-focused templates. While only 13 are free, each template is built for ecommerce—optimized for showcasing products, highlighting reviews, and boosting add-to-cart rates. Shopify recently rolled out an AI store setup tool, but it’s less flexible compared to Wix’s drag-and-drop approach.
If your brand involves visual-heavy products such as custom oracle cards or photo puzzles, Wix’s design freedom can help you showcase creativity. But Shopify’s templates are better tuned for converting browsers into buyers.
Editor Experience
Wix: Drag-and-Drop Freedom
With Wix, you can place elements anywhere on the page. Want to experiment with a floating “Buy Now” button or a gallery of your custom card decks? Done. Wix also lets you animate elements, embed video, or use scroll effects—great for storytelling.
Wix is perfect for:
- Artists, creators, or designers who prioritize aesthetics
- Entrepreneurs who want full visual control without code
- Brands selling 1–20 POD products
Shopify: Structured Sections for Selling
Shopify uses a section-based editor, where each page is built from stacked content blocks. While this limits design freedom, it also streamlines the process. You don’t need to worry about mobile optimization or layout consistency—Shopify takes care of it.
It’s ideal for:
- Sellers focused on optimizing conversion rates
- Businesses scaling rapidly with 50+ SKUs
- Those using third-party apps (like QPMN’s Shopify integration)
Branding & Customization
Wix shines when you want to express brand personality. You can define every pixel of your storefront, making it perfect for lifestyle brands, spiritual shops, or art-based POD businesses.
Shopify, while more structured, helps you build a professional, trustworthy brand with features like:
- Custom checkout pages
- Integrated reviews
- Product upsells and bundles
- Localized selling tools for international POD brands
Verdict: Wix for Creative Freedom, Shopify for Sales Focus
| Need | Platform |
|---|---|
| Total design control | Wix |
| Fast launch with conversion-ready templates | Shopify |
| Showcase visual POD products | Wix |
| Maximize sales & manage large product catalogs | Shopify |
Want to create your own branded POD store? Start designing with QPMN’s free POD Design Tool and sync your products to Shopify or Wix in a few clicks.
Store Design & User Experience – Which Builder Wins?
When selling custom products like tarot cards, puzzles, or t-shirts, first impressions matter. Your website has to look professional, load fast, and guide visitors from product discovery to checkout without friction.
So how do Shopify and Wix compare when it comes to design flexibility, ease of use, and brand-building potential?
Templates & Themes
| Feature | Wix | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Template Count | 900+ | 200+ |
| Ecommerce-Optimized Templates | Moderate | High |
| Mobile-Responsiveness | ✅ | ✅ |
| Free Templates | All | 13 |
| Paid Templates | None | $100–$500 (one-time fee) |
| AI Theme Builder | ✅ Advanced | ✅ Basic |
Wix offers an impressive 900+ templates, giving you unmatched variety, especially in lifestyle, creative, and niche markets. All templates are free, and its AI-powered theme assistant (and new AI tool Astro) helps generate a tailored design based on your business type.
Shopify, on the other hand, delivers fewer but more conversion-focused templates. While only 13 are free, each template is built for ecommerce—optimized for showcasing products, highlighting reviews, and boosting add-to-cart rates. Shopify recently rolled out an AI store setup tool, but it’s less flexible compared to Wix’s drag-and-drop approach.
If your brand involves visual-heavy products such as custom oracle cards or photo puzzles, Wix’s design freedom can help you showcase creativity. But Shopify’s templates are better tuned for converting browsers into buyers.
Editor Experience
Wix: Drag-and-Drop Freedom
With Wix, you can place elements anywhere on the page. Want to experiment with a floating “Buy Now” button or a gallery of your custom card decks? Done. Wix also lets you animate elements, embed video, or use scroll effects—great for storytelling.
Wix is perfect for:
- Artists, creators, or designers who prioritize aesthetics
- Entrepreneurs who want full visual control without code
- Brands selling 1–20 POD products
Shopify: Structured Sections for Selling
Shopify uses a section-based editor, where each page is built from stacked content blocks. While this limits design freedom, it also streamlines the process. You don’t need to worry about mobile optimization or layout consistency—Shopify takes care of it.
It’s ideal for:
- Sellers focused on optimizing conversion rates
- Businesses scaling rapidly with 50+ SKUs
- Those using third-party apps (like QPMN’s Shopify integration)
Branding & Customization
Wix shines when you want to express brand personality. You can define every pixel of your storefront, making it perfect for lifestyle brands, spiritual shops, or art-based POD businesses.
Shopify, while more structured, helps you build a professional, trustworthy brand with features like:
- Custom checkout pages
- Integrated reviews
- Product upsells and bundles
- Localized selling tools for international POD brands
Verdict: Wix for Creative Freedom, Shopify for Sales Focus
| Need | Platform |
|---|---|
| Total design control | Wix |
| Fast launch with conversion-ready templates | Shopify |
| Showcase visual POD products | Wix |
| Maximize sales & manage large product catalogs | Shopify |
Want to create your own branded POD store? Start designing with QPMN’s free POD Design Tool and sync your products to Shopify or Wix in a few clicks.
Shopify vs Wix POD Pricing – Which Has Better Profit Margins?
When you’re running a print-on-demand business, every dollar counts. Between product base costs, shipping, design, and marketing, your platform's pricing structure can make or break your margins.
So let’s break down the real cost of using Shopify vs Wix—including transaction fees, payment options, and how these platforms affect your POD profit margins.
Monthly Pricing Breakdown
| Plan | Wix | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $29/month (Core Plan) | $29/month (Basic Plan) |
| Free Plan | (limited features, ads) | (3-day free trial only) |
| Discount Offers | 10% off with code “TAKE10” | 3 months at $1/month on select plans |
| Higher Tier Options | $36–$159/month | $79–$299/month |
Wix appears cheaper at first glance, especially with the “TAKE10” coupon. But to unlock ecommerce essentials like abandoned cart recovery or multi-currency selling, you'll eventually need to upgrade.
Shopify provides full ecommerce functionality from the Basic plan, making it more cost-effective for serious sellers. You can also start with Shopify’s Starter plan ($5/month) to sell via social media if you're not ready to build a full storefront.
If you're using QPMN’s Shopify integration, even the Basic or Starter plan gives you access to essential POD features—including syncing custom products like playing cards or mugs.
Transaction & Processing Fees
Both platforms offer native payment gateways—Shopify Payments and Wix Payments—letting you avoid third-party transaction fees. However, there are still processing fees to consider.
| Fee Type | Wix | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction Fees | (if using Wix Payments) | (if using Shopify Payments) |
| Processing Fees | 2.9% + $0.30 | 2.9% + $0.30 (drops to 2.5% on Advanced) |
| Third-Party Fees | (if not using Wix Payments) | (if not using Shopify Payments) |
If you’re selling low-cost POD products like button pins or small decks, these fees stack up fast. Shopify’s ability to reduce fees on higher plans can increase your profit margin as you scale.
POD Profit Margins: What to Consider
Let’s say you’re selling a custom tarot deck for $35:
| Cost Breakdown | Wix | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Product (via QPMN) | $12 | $12 |
| Platform Fee (monthly) | $29 | $29 |
| Processing Fee | ~$1.31 | ~$1.31 |
| Profit per sale | ~$21.69 | ~$21.69 |
Now imagine scaling to 100 orders/month. If Shopify saves you $0.40 per order on higher plans, that’s $40/month extra profit—enough to cover app upgrades or design tools.
Use QPMN’s FlexiBulk Saving to combine multiple designs in one order and boost your margins even further—especially when scaling your Shopify store.
Verdict: Wix Wins for Beginners, Shopify Wins for Scaling
| Scenario | Best Platform |
|---|---|
| Testing a product idea with low volume | Wix |
| Selling on a budget with minimal setup | Wix |
| Building a brand with long-term growth | Shopify |
| Optimizing profits through automation & integrations | Shopify |
POD-Specific Features – Fulfillment, Apps & Automation
When it comes to running a print-on-demand (POD) business, your ecommerce platform needs to do more than just look good. It should seamlessly connect with your suppliers, automate your fulfillment process, and help you test and launch new products with minimal friction.
Let’s see how Shopify and Wix handle the real backend work of POD selling—and how platforms like QPMN fit into the equation.
POD Integrations & Fulfillment
| Feature | Shopify | Wix |
|---|---|---|
| Direct POD Integrations | ✅ Printful, Printify, SPOD, Gooten, Gelato, QPMN | ✅ Printful, Modalyst |
| API Access | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes (limited) |
| Global Fulfillment Support | ✅ Strong | ➖ Moderate |
| Warehouse Fulfillment | ✅ (via QPMN, ShipBob, etc.) | ➖ Less robust |
Shopify clearly leads in POD integrations. It connects with dozens of fulfillment providers, including QPMN’s Shopify integration—allowing you to sync and sell everything from custom playing cards and dice to jigsaw puzzles.
If you're scaling globally, Shopify’s native multi-currency and shipping features, combined with QPMN’s worldwide fulfillment options, make it a no-brainer for serious POD sellers.
Wix, while improving, still lags behind. You can connect to Printful and a few others, but the integration isn’t as deep or diverse. It’s great for simple stores—but limited if you're managing a catalog of 50+ SKUs or want to scale internationally.
Automation & Workflow Management
| Feature | Shopify | Wix |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced Automation | ✅ Shopify Flow | ➖ Basic automations only |
| Abandoned Cart Recovery | ✅ All plans | ✅ Premium plans only |
| Order Routing | ✅ Rule-based | ➖ Manual |
| Custom Product Syncing | ✅ Via QPMN Shopify App | ✅ via QPMN API |
Shopify is built for automation. With tools like Shopify Flow, you can:
- Automatically tag high-value customers
- Route orders to the right fulfillment partner
- Trigger emails based on customer behavior
- Track inventory across multiple locations
This is crucial when using a POD provider like QPMN. You can build a workflow where a customer places an order for a custom poker chip set, and Shopify immediately pushes the order to QPMN, triggers a shipping confirmation, and logs the transaction in your dashboard—all without lifting a finger.
Wix, by contrast, offers only basic automation. You can set up auto-emails or form responses, but you’ll often need third-party apps or manual workarounds for anything more complex.
App Market & Scalability
| Feature | Shopify | Wix |
|---|---|---|
| POD-Compatible Apps | ✅ 8,000+ | ➖ ~800 |
| Product Customization | ✅ via apps like Zakeke, QPMN | ✅ via Wix native tools |
| Inventory Management | ✅ Unlimited | ➖ 50,000 product limit |
| Product Variants | ✅ Advanced | ➖ Limited variant options |
Localization & International Selling
Another area where Shopify outperforms is global reach. Shopify supports over 130 currencies, local tax rates, and multi-language storefronts by default.
Wix is catching up, but still has limited localization features, especially for POD sellers targeting international markets.
Verdict: Shopify Is Built for POD at Scale
| POD Functionality | Platform |
|---|---|
| Fast, global fulfillment | Shopify + QPMN |
| Advanced automation & workflows | Shopify |
| Easy product syncing | Both (via QPMN API) |
| Customization & design tools | Both |
| App integrations & scaling | Shopify |
Final Thoughts
Whether you choose Shopify or Wix, your success in POD depends on the tools and partners you use. QPMN offers a complete ecosystem—from product creation to global fulfillment—to help you build a lean, scalable, and creative ecommerce brand.
Ready to begin? Sign up for QPMN and launch your first POD product today.
Shopify vs Wix: POD FAQs Answered
Yes, both Shopify and Wix integrate with Printful, one of the most popular POD providers. However, Shopify offers deeper integration, better automation, and the ability to combine multiple POD services (like QPMN, Printify, and Gelato) within a single store for more flexibility.
See how to connect Shopify to QPMN
Shopify wins for global selling. It supports:
- 130+ currencies
- Automatic tax calculations
- Multi-language storefronts
Yes—but only on premium Wix ecommerce plans. Shopify includes abandoned cart recovery on all paid plans, making it a better choice for maximizing conversions from the start.
Wix is generally easier for beginners. Its drag-and-drop editor and AI-powered setup make it simple to build a beautiful store quickly—ideal for artists, crafters, and solo entrepreneurs.
Shopify, while slightly more structured, is still beginner-friendly and much more powerful once you’re ready to scale.
Yes, but it requires some manual setup. You’ll need to:
- Export your product data
- Rebuild your site on Shopify
- Reconnect your POD integrations
Most POD apps are free to install, including QPMN, Printify, and Printful. You only pay when an order is placed. However, some platforms (like Shopify) may charge for advanced app features depending on your needs.
QPMN supports a wide range of products including, card decks, puzzles, t-shirt and more.