Last Updated on June 13, 2023 by Ewen Finser
Vistaprint is one of the best-known companies for business print and promotional products. This was the first website that I discovered when I made my first business cards. I was shocked at how easy it was to use Vistaprint and its affordability. That’s why I still use Vistaprint to this day.
However, I always like trying new businesses. I’m printing out new business cards and bookmarks to promote my books, and I’m investing in more promotional products. I’ve been researching some Vistaprint alternatives, and Uprinting is one of the top competitors that popped up. But which company should you choose? Read my Vistaprint vs Uprinting compared guide for more information.
Bottom Line Upfront
I recommend Vistaprint over Uprinting. Vistaprint’s editor is more user-friendly and customizable than Uprinting, and you’ll receive better-quality products. I haven’t tried any of their promotional products, but I’ve ordered several printed items from them.
I had to add content on both sides of my bookmarks, which I thought was odd. Otherwise, I’ve had nothing but good experiences with Vistaprint. While Uprinting is cheaper, their products are standard, and you don’t receive as many stylish options as Vistaprint.
Vistaprint helps small businesses to market themselves effectively. Create and order printed marketing materials, business signs, and promotional products. You can also get your free website with Vista x Wix – the best website builder in the business, for whatever your business is.
Main Differences Between VistaPrint vs Uprinting
The main differences between VistaPrint vs Uprinting are:
- Vistaprint is a more popular all-around solution, whereas Uprinting is best for marketing materials
- Uprinting has more flexibility with its editor, whereas Vistaprint is very stringent
- Uprinting has more paper decor options, whereas Vistaprint has more material options
- Vistaprint offers more promotional products, whereas Uprinting is better for paper products
- Uprinting is American, whereas Vistaprint is Dutch
- Vistaprint has a more advanced photo and text editor, whereas Uprinting offers a massive photo gallery you can use
- Vistaprint has a more comprehensive custom design service, whereas Uprinting requires you to contact a designer
Vistaprint
Pros
- Affordable
- Reputable brand
- Various payment options
- Sustainable business
- All-in-one solution
- Solutions for small businesses
- Easy to design your products
- Can brand nearly anything
Cons
- Minimal customization on certain products
Features
Vistaprint offers nearly any promotional or marketing product your business could need–from business cards to pens. To customize and brand your products, you can use Vistaprint’s mobile-friendly editor. You can either upload your own design, which I did or use their editor to create your own design. Vistaprint also offers templates and pre-made images to get you started, which I recommend if you don’t know what you want.
Vistaprint also offers design services; you can use this service to create a website or even hire a professional to design your business cards.
Bottom line: Vistaprint is an effective all-in-one business promotional solution. You can customize and brand your products using their mobile-friendly builder or hire one of their designers. I recommend using their pre-made templates or stock photos if you’re unsure what you want.
Pricing
Vistaprint’s products are priced well and are around the same as most competitors. You’ll pay $18 for a pack of 100 business cards, which definitely fit my newly published writer budget around ten years ago.
Vistaprint is also great because you’ll pay less when you buy in bulk. For example, a pack of 500 business cards will cost $26, which means each card only costs six cents! Their other promo items are more affordable than the competition. For example, one promo shirt costs around $12, depending on your selected shirt.
Bottom line: Vistaprint is an affordable solution for your printed and promo business merch, especially if you buy in bulk.
Ease of Use
When I first used Vistaprint as a 20-year-old newbie writer, I was shocked at how easy it was to use. Their design tool is very user-friendly.
You first set the standards for your business card, such as the shape and size. Then, you can upload your design or use one of their pre-made templates. From here, you can customize the images and text. I love how anyone can use this backend, regardless if you have design skills or not.
There are some downsides to its design tool. For example, I had to create a dual-sided bookmark, which I thought was strange. Otherwise, I’m very pleased with everything I got from Vistaprint.
Bottom line: Besides the weird dual-sided bookmark requirement, Vistaprint’s design tool is easy to use. You can create, brand, and customize all print materials with ease–even if you’re not a designer.
Quality
Let’s put it this way–I printed my first Vistaprint business cards ten years ago, and I still have them! Well, I have some. Most I handed out, obviously. I just moved, and I was still shocked to find some of those business cards in perfect shape!
I’ve used other print companies, and I still think Vistaprint offers the best quality print products. Their design tools are phenomenal, and their paper is always good quality.
This applies to all of the products I used–I have business cards, postcards, bookmarks, and posters from Vistaprint. Keep in mind that I haven’t printed the promo products, like t-shirts and mugs, but I do want to try them!
Bottom line: Vistaprint is one of the best quality business promotional brands. They use excellent quality materials, and their advanced design tools will make your products look superb. This applies to all of the printed products I have, and I want to try their promotional products next.
Vistaprint helps small businesses to market themselves effectively. Create and order printed marketing materials, business signs, and promotional products. You can also get your free website with Vista x Wix – the best website builder in the business, for whatever your business is.
Uprinting
Uprinting is one of Vistaprint’s biggest competitors. Like Vistaprint, Uprinting offers a combination of printed products, marketing materials, and promotional items. They stand out in more ways; for example, Uprinting offers canvas prints and more for artists.
Pros
- Offers personal and business items
- A ton of product options
- Customizable
- Simple editor
- Affordable
Cons
- I can’t find anything about recycling or sustainability
- Not the best support
- Quality is lacking
- Slow shipping
Features
Like Vistaprint, Uprinting offers products for marketing, print, promotion, and more. They also offer some of the most in-demand promotional products, such as pens.
While their design platform isn’t as advanced as Vistaprint’s, you can still create high-quality products without design skills. Uprinting also offers design services but doesn’t offer much insight. You have to contact customer service to find out more information.
Unlike Vistaprint, I like how Uprinting offers more options for personal use, such as holiday items. I also love how they offer products for artists, such as canvas prints. If you’re unsure of your design, you can order a PDF proof for free. This is something that many competitors don’t include, which I think is a big bonus.
Bottom line: While Uprinting doesn’t have the most advanced editing platform, they offer all the promotional products you’ll need. Plus, they offer different items for personal use and even have solutions for artists. They also offer PDF proofs for free, something that other competitors don’t offer.
Pricing
Uprinting’s pricing is pretty standard. A set of 100 business cards costs around $17, which is slightly cheaper than Vistaprint. Still, the prices aren’t too far off, and Uprinting also decreases their prices when you order in bulk.
However, their prices increase with specialty products. For example, foil-accent cards on Vistaprint cost $36 for 500 cards, whereas Uprinting will charge a whopping $147 for the same quantity!
Bottom line: If you want standard marketing materials, Uprinting is slightly cheaper or in the same price range as most competitors. However, they inflate their prices with specialty print products.
Ease of Use
Uprinting’s designer is easy to use, but it isn’t as intuitive as Vistaprint’s. The editor is clunky and looks outdated. The navigation on the website is also strange; for example, “business cards” is under “marketing materials,” while Vistaprint has an entire menu section dedicated to business cards.
Some images look pixelated, so it’s difficult to know whether or not the quality is good. If you choose Uprinting, I suggest taking advantage of their PDF proofs so you can feel confident in your purchase.
Bottom line: While it’s easy to work Uprinting’s design tool, it’s clunky and looks outdated. The images also look pixelated, so I suggest users order the free PDF proofs before spending money. The website navigation is also odd. Compared to Uprinting, Vistaprint is far more intuitive and user-friendly.
Quality
I don’t think Uprinting has the same quality as Vistaprint. Then again, it’s hard to compare any brand to Vistaprint’s quality. I mean, my first business cards still look great after ten years! How many other brands can say the same thing?
This doesn’t mean Uprinting’s products are bad, they’re just standard. For example, they use good paper. Your business cards will be sturdy. But I will say that Uprinting lacks in some areas, such as creativity. Vistaprint offers more template, image, color, shape, size, and effect options than Uprinting.
While Uprinting is affordable, your printed materials will look pretty standard. Vistaprint’s printed products are more stylish, and you have more customization options, so your business cards will be of better quality.
Bottom line: Uprinting offers okay quality products, but they don’t offer the creativity and customization of Vistaprint’s products. If you want standard and affordable printed products, Uprinting will suffice. But Vistaprint’s products are far more stylish.
Alternatives
Did you realize that neither Uprinting nor Vistaprint is right for you? Here are some other alternatives to consider.
Moo
I ordered from Moo a few years ago. They’re overpriced, and their quality isn’t as good as Vistaprint’s. However, you have many customizations at your fingertips.
I also find Moo to be just as stylish as Vistaprint, making them a good alternative. I like Moo’s templates better than Vistaprint’s, and they also offer stock image options like Uprinting. However, their images are crisp, and you don’t need to worry about the quality.
Even though Moo is more expensive, I like how Moo is transparent about its price. You can head over to their FAQ to figure out their shipping prices. Both Vistaprint and Uprinting force you to design your products first before accessing shipping information.
GotPrint
GotPrint is one of the most affordable business print solutions, but you won’t sacrifice quality. GotPrint’s products are very customizable, and their entire platform is simple.
There are some downsides to this company. For example, they don’t have as good support as Vistaprint. However, they’re a good solution if you need a global and affordable print company.
Printfection
Printfection is the better solution if you want business swag. You can easily upload your logo or any other artwork to the promo items and customize your swag in different ways. If your business produces a lot of swag, you can manage all your products on their platform.
They operate on a dropshipping basis, so you don’t need to store any items. If you want to give away promotional items, you can order and print what you need.
I wish Printfection was more transparent on their website. You can’t find much company information unless you use their demo or pay for their services. I also only recommend Printfection if you regularly sell or give away swag. If you want to order promo items occasionally, I suggest using Vistaprint.
FAQs
Question: Why are These Services so Cheap?
Answer: Most of these businesses print in bulk, so they can price lower. These businesses also rely on automation, which cuts costs even more.
Question: Do Vistaprint and Uprinting offer the Best Quality?
Answer: I think Vistaprint’s products are of excellent quality. It boils down to the paper they use and the design tool, so those without design skills can still create great business print products.
I haven’t tried their promotional products, but all of their paper products are phenomenal. Uprinting is slightly cheaper and of okay quality, but Vistaprint is better.
Question: Who Owns Vistaprint?
Answer: Cimpress PLC owns Vistaprint. They’re an Irish publicly traded company.
Bottom Line
I suggest Vistaprint over Uprinting. Vistaprint is an all-in-one business print and promotional product solution. You can use their convenient editor to design all of your products. The tool is user-friendly enough for everyone to use, even if you have no design skills.
I’ve ordered various print products from them, which are all great quality. I found their bookmark editor odd since I had to add content to both sides.
Otherwise, I’ve had no problems with Vistaprint. Uprinting is slightly more affordable than Vistaprint, but their products are very basic. Vistaprint is still priced pretty low, and you receive excellent-quality print products.
Vistaprint helps small businesses to market themselves effectively. Create and order printed marketing materials, business signs, and promotional products. You can also get your free website with Vista x Wix – the best website builder in the business, for whatever your business is.