Spreadshirt
Leipzig-based print on demand with free hosted Spreadshop storefronts
Key data
| Company | sprd.net AG |
|---|---|
| Category | Print-on-Demand Platforms |
| Headquarters | Leipzig, Germany |
| Founded | Not stated |
| EU Presence | Yes - Germany (EU) |
| Data Location | not stated on the pages we read |
| Open Source | No |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes |
| Self-Hosting | No |
| Main Features | Hosted Spreadshop, 200+ products, base margin model, partner app, regional shops in many countries |
| Pricing | Spreadshop is described as always free; the seller earns a Base Margin per sale and possibly a Performance Bonus |
| Best For | Creators who want a hosted shop and no store setup |
| Replaces | Printful |
Our review
For European Spreadshops, the contractual partner is sprd.net AG, according to the legal information on spreadshop.com. The imprint on spreadshirt.net names the company at Gießerstraße 27, 04229 Leipzig, Amtsgericht Leipzig HRB 22478, with Frank Bartelt as chairman of the board and Lukasz Gadowski as chairman of the supervisory board.
The model differs from Printful. A seller does not need an own store: Spreadshirt hosts a Spreadshop, prints and ships orders, and pays the seller a margin. Customers in North America and Oceania are served by Spreadshirt, Inc. in Pittsburgh instead.
How does the Spreadshirt partner model pay out?
Spreadshop's sell page says the shop is always free and that sellers never pay for products or the shop. The seller sets the profit margin on top of a base price that Spreadshirt keeps.
The partner terms define compensation as Base Margin plus a possible Performance Bonus, minus discounts and statutory VAT. A sample on the sell page shows a $12.00 base price and an $11.00 profit.
What does Spreadshirt offer in products and regions?
The spreadshirt.net page invites designers to sell on 200+ products and promises easy returns within 30 days. The region picker lists more than fifteen European countries plus the USA, Canada and Australia.
The terms for customers and the partner terms are published on the sites, and the privacy policy names sprd.net AG and an external data protection officer.
Where does Spreadshirt trail Printful?
Spreadshirt is a hosted storefront first. Sellers who already run Shopify or Etsy shops will find the connector side under Spod instead, with a separate contracting company.
The pages we read give no store builder feature list, so design freedom and checkout control are unverified.
Known limits
The model is a hosted shop with Spreadshirt as seller of record, so brand and checkout control are lower than with an own store. Real pricing depends on the base price of each product and is not listed in text on the pages we read. A US company, Spreadshirt, Inc., serves North America and Oceania.
Who Spreadshirt fits
Creators and communities who want a shop without a Shopify subscription. Sellers with an existing store should look at Spod or Gelato.
Strengths and weaknesses
Pros
- German AG with register number in the imprint
- Free shop with no product purchase needed
- 200+ products
- 30-day returns for customers
- Localised shops in many European countries
Cons
- Lower brand control than an own store
- Margin model needs a look at each base price
- US company serves North America
- No integration list for external stores
Pros and Cons
Pros
- German AG with register number in the imprint
- Free shop with no product purchase needed
- 200+ products
- 30-day returns for customers
- Localised shops in many European countries
Cons
- Lower brand control than an own store
- Margin model needs a look at each base price
- US company serves North America
- No integration list for external stores
Alternatives to Spreadshirt
Further European print-on-demand platforms to compare:
See all European print-on-demand platforms or compare them directly against Printful on our alternatives page.
FAQ
sprd.net AG, Gießerstraße 27, 04229 Leipzig, is the contractual partner for European Spreadshops and is named in the imprint with commercial register Amtsgericht Leipzig HRB 22478.
Spreadshop's sell page says the shop is always free and that sellers never pay for products or the shop. The seller earns a margin per sale defined in the partner terms.
The Spreadshirt pages we read describe hosted shops. Store connections run through the Spreadconnect service, which has a different contracting company, Spreadshirt Print On Demand GmbH.