Spreadshop

Spreadshop is a free, hosted print-on-demand shop builder for creators, streamers, bands, clubs and businesses who want to sell their own merch without holding stock. The seller opens a shop, drags designs onto T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, caps and hundreds of other products, sets a margin on each, and Spreadshop prints, packs and ships every order and handles customer service and returns. It comes out of Spreadshirt: the company's own YouTube guide says "You might have known us by the name 'Spreadshirt'", and its pages claim more than 20 years of print-on-demand experience. The US site says orders are printed in the USA, while the German and EU sites point to production in Germany and elsewhere in Europe.

What a seller gets

The core promise is a storefront that costs nothing. Spreadshop's FAQ says it "is and always will be free of charge", with zero costs or fees for setting up and running the shop, and the German page adds no minimum order quantities and no subscription fees. The shop comes with a template the seller can customize, a mobile-first design, and integrated e-commerce features, so there is no separate shop system to pay for.

Designing happens in the Customization Tool: upload artwork, drag it onto a product, choose the placement and colors, and apply the same design to more products in one click. Once the shop is live, the German page says, everything runs automatically: orders do not need to be forwarded or checked by hand. Spreadshop then prints on demand, ships straight to the buyer, and deals with payment processing, customer inquiries and returns.

Sellers are paid monthly for the products they sell, and the FAQ says to connect a credit card or a PayPal account for payouts. Samples are possible: a seller can order their own products at base price in the shop, to check quality or to photograph for social media.

Spreadshirt also runs Spreadconnect, a separate service for sellers who already have their own online store.

How pricing and margins work

Every product carries a fixed base price covering the product and print, and the seller decides the retail price; the difference is the seller's margin. The US print-on-demand page publishes averages for its bestsellers:

• T-shirts: average base price $17, selling price $25-$30, profit margin $8-$13.
• Hoodies and sweatshirts: average base price $28, selling price $40-$45, profit margin $12-$17.
• Mugs: average base price $13, selling price $18-$20, profit margin $5-$7.
• Tote bags: average base price $17, selling price $23-$27, profit margin $6-$10.
• Hats: average base price $18, selling price $25-$30, profit margin $7-$12.

On the EU products page, prices appear in euros as product plus one print, for example 20,99 € for the Organic T-Shirt. Spreadshop's YouTube guide adds a volume reward: the company says it reduces the base price in seven successive sales tiers when a shop makes enough sales in a month.

Promotions are a large part of the offer. The FAQ says new discount promotions run every month, which sellers can schedule, and that Spreadshop supplies social media templates to promote them. The guide names free-shipping and 15% off campaigns, and the design guide mentions a limited-time 15% discount for new shop owners to help land a first sale.

Products and print methods

Product counts differ by site. The US pages say 300+ products, while the EU and German pages say more than 350, from T-shirts and hoodies to lifestyle items and accessories. The EU catalog's categories run through T-shirts and polos, hoodies and sweatshirts, jackets, bottoms, kids' and baby apparel, bags and backpacks, caps, hats and scarves, socks, sportswear, workwear and corporate clothing, mugs and drinkware, stickers and magnets, posters and wall art, pillows, aprons and cuddle toys, with filters for sizes up to 5XL, plus size and organic products.

The US print-on-demand page lists its methods as digital direct printing, multiple print areas, embroidery (best for caps and hoodies), stickers and magnets, and thermosublimation for mugs and water bottles. The German FAQ names digital printing, transfer printing and embroidery for textiles.

Embroidery needs a special file. Spreadshop's Embroidery Service converts a vector design (EPS, SVG or AI, up to 10 MB) into an embroidery file for $19.99 per file. Creating the file usually takes 3-5 business days, followed by 3-7 business days of testing, after which it appears in the seller's Partner Area. Designs may use up to 4 thread colors from the palette, lines must be at least 2 mm thick, and the maximum area is 3.1 x 2 in (8 x 5 cm). Embroidery is currently offered on caps and beanies, aprons, select hoodies, jackets, T-shirts, polos and pants.

For print files, the design guide recommends a PNG with a transparent background at 300 DPI, around 4500 × 5400 pixels.

Production and shipping

The US site says "All orders ship direct from our Las Vegas production facility" and promises a 48 hour turnaround, with quality checks on each item. The German page says production runs in fulfillment centers in Germany, Europe or the USA, usually within 48 hours, followed by regular delivery depending on the destination country. The business page counts 4 global production facilities. The EU site says Spreadshop packs and ships worldwide.

On materials, the German page cites vegan, non-toxic inks, paperless production, a large range of organic cotton textiles and selected products with the OEKO-TEX standard.

YouTube and social selling

Selling to a video audience is where Spreadshop puts most of its marketing. The EU YouTube page calls it one of the only official shopping platforms partnered with YouTube in North America, and says a channel with 500+ subscribers qualifies for YouTube Shopping, set up in YouTube Studio under Earn and Shopping by adding Spreadshop. Channels below that can still link the shop in video descriptions and the channel header. The company's guide claims "Spreadshop has been the number one choice for youtuber merch." The German page names creators on YouTube, Twitch and Instagram, streamers on Kick, bands, clubs and NGOs, coaches and startups as its audience.

For businesses and agencies

A business track offers a discovery call, a demo of shop integrations, an assortment guide, sample testing and a design workshop with the in-house design team, reachable at business@spreadshop.com. Named partners include Zoo Leipzig, Plastic Fischer, Machn Festival and the Cold War Museum Berlin.

Who it suits

Spreadshop suits creators who want a free, ready-made merch shop and no operations at all: YouTubers and streamers above all, but also bands, clubs and small brands. Published average base prices make margins easy to plan, and the monthly tiers and promotions reward growing shops. Sellers who want full control of their own store and checkout will find the shop-first model narrower, and embroidery carries a one-time file fee.