Anna Navolokova, Marketing Manager in Multi-Programming Solutions • 9 min read
When seeking a potentially lucrative business that is easy to launch and manage online, many people compare affiliate marketing with print on demand. These two options can be handled right from the comfort of their homes or on the go via mobile phones. In any case, you don’t need to buy any physical stuff, visit offices, or work for other owners. You can choose a preferred option to earn money or even combine both for better results. Anyway, you should first learn how each of them works.
In this article, we’ll explore what affiliate marketing is, how to do it, and how the POD niche can help enthusiasts in building a personal brand.
Getting Started: Setup & Requirements
Monetizing your online presence in 2026
Platform Dependency & Risk Management
Automation & Integration with Podza
When POD Makes Sense: Examples and Scenarios
Conclusion: Which Model Is Right for You?
While both business types offer low barriers to entering a profitable e-commerce market, they differ in terms of ownership, logistics, management, and potential. Understanding these key differences is crucial when selecting a suitable model to generate revenue.
Let’s consider the simplest option - you don’t own any inventory. In this case, you create a design (or hire an artist to do it) and find a reliable POD service to customize goods for you. Then you launch an online store, add mockups, and promote an e-commerce business. When a customer places an order and pays for it, you delegate fulfillment to a supplier, who prints and ships on your behalf. Your role is design, advertisement, and client acquisition. The POD provider handles the rest.
According to the latest affiliate marketing statistics, the global industry is valued at over $17 billion, with an annual revenue growth rate of 10%. Around 81% of brands are involved in partnering campaigns at an accessible fee to increase their recognition and help other participants establish a passive source of income.
Here’s how the model works. You join a special program, such as Amazon Associates, receive a link, and include it in your blog articles, YouTube videos, or Instagram reels. This way, you advertise other companies' assortment (or services) via your own content and receive payments every time a visitor clicks a link or makes a purchase.
When deciding which model to choose - POD dropshipping or affiliate marketing - consider that the latter doesn’t give ownership of items or impressions from receiving them. You just help to advertise partners’ services or assortment for a reward. If someone buys their staff, you also have no involvement with the delivery.
In print on demand, unlike an affiliate program, you own the brand, but production and shipment are your supplier’s responsibility. You can partially impact the unpacking experience (e.g., add cards, logos, etc., if the printing service allows it), but any complaints will still be directed to you (not the actual sender).
Best AI image generator for Print on Demand
Joining affiliate campaigns can be as low as $0, but serious platforms may invest in SEO, ads, and other marketing tools, which leads to one-time or recurring commissions.
On the other hand, to launch a POD business, you’ll need to pay for a domain, hosting, and website building, or apply for a Shopify subscription. You’ll also spend money on personal brand development and design creation, in case you have no skills to do it on your own.
Digital affiliate marketing leans towards mastering content creation, whereas POD focuses on e-commerce setups. Thus, to maximize the benefits of promoting other brands’ products, you should explore SEO and possess analytical skills.
To start a successful POD brand, you should learn how to create a store, develop trendy designs for your audience, leverage AI in your work, and integrate automated software like Podza.
Generally, utilizing affiliate marketing advertising strategies helps you delve into the business more quickly. You may start promoting links within an hour after approval. In turn, POD requires more time to select a niche, print on demand products to sell, develop designs, set up a web store, and so on.
In affiliate marketing, you don’t have access to clients’ information, which may become one of the significant cons for entrepreneurs who appreciate direct communication. However, when owning a POD store, you can connect with customers without intermediaries, collect their email addresses, and contact details for further notifications and retention purposes.
When organizing a POD business, entrepreneurs can add branding to packaging and labeling, customize emails, and website themes. Such measures help create recognition and build loyalty.
Individuals participating in digital marketing campaigns as affiliates can’t brand the product they promote. They may only add a personal touch to their own blogs and content platforms to engage the audience.
When advertising other companies’ goods, loyalty attaches to them, not the promoter. Your job is only to encourage people to make new clicks. POD store owners, in turn, can directly impact customers’ relationships and engagement through the brand refresh, discounts, personalized offerings (e.g., DIY clothes), and other perks.
How To Set Up a Print on Demand Pop-Up Shop
This year, both POD business and affiliate marketing remain strong. There are several ways you can capitalize on them, thereby strengthening an online presence. One of the best ways to start generating additional income is by entering revenue-sharing platforms, like YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Medium, or Twitter. All you need to do is post a video related to your occupation, apply for AdSense, and get paid for views. Moreover, these websites are great tools to promote your business in 2026 and build a strong community.
Another suitable option is creating a subscription-based model on your website. Paid plans can offer additional value to your clients, such as access to premium support, exclusive custom items, or helpful content.
As for the benefits of affiliate marketing for online retailers, many brands consider it a vital component of their business plan templates. It's low-risk, scalable, and can bring high rewards. Regardless of your niche, you can find related items or services to advance and earn money from them - your revenue potential increases in proportion to the number of followers you have.
How to Make Money with Hat Brand Business
Let’s compare the possible challenges of print on demand vs. affiliate marketing. Suppose your Etsy store gets banned or a partnering services stop paying commissions without warning. In both cases, you’ll lose time and profit. That’s why neither business model should rely on a single source of revenue.
Thus, POD entrepreneurs should consider diversification across other selling platforms and marketplaces, including Shopify, eBay, WooCommerce, and others. In turn, promoters should partner with multiple brands to avoid unpleasant surprises if one of the channels shuts down.
Building a separate customer email list may help you maintain connections with clients even if something goes wrong. In this case, you’ll be able to restore your business via cross-channel marketing campaigns (messages, social media, website, etc.) and return a stable profit.
Now that you understand how to do affiliate marketing, it seems almost “hands-off” with its simplified revenue algorithms and content generation (for example, with the help of AI tools). Still, the POD business also has areas where routine workflows can be streamlined. With integrations like PodZa, specifically designed for a print on demand platform, you can automate order forwarding, distribution, and tracking, thereby reducing manual work and increasing accuracy.
The software effortlessly connects with your Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy, and other online stores, ensuring a smooth and fast management of your multichannel sales.
Starting a POD business can lead to success in many cases. This model becomes an additional source of income for experienced entrepreneurs who have already built their names in a particular niche or grows into the primary source of income over time. It all depends on your goals and preferences.
POD also makes sense for individuals seeking an easy and cost-effective way to enter the e-commerce market. Suppose you don’t have enough budget to invest in business development (or simply don’t want to risk it), partner with printing services, and profit on margins from an intermediary deal. Just learn to promote your print on demand store and attract buyers, while a POD company works on production and shipping orders on your behalf.
POD works well for talented people who want to try self-publishing or monetize their masterpieces without handling the fulfillment process, as well as for YouTubers, streamers, or influencers with a loyal customer base who decide to sell branded merchandise.
How to Build a Platform Like Printful
One of the main benefits of affiliate marketing is a quick and low-risk entry into e-commerce. If you prefer not to handle responsibilities or communicate with customers and are skilled at generating entertaining content, consider this business model to earn some extra income.
POD will be perfect for those people interested in long-term perspectives. If you have a talent for creating art or want to bring unique ideas to life, build an online store and find a printing provider. This niche is an excellent environment for individuals seeking to establish their own brand and scale over time.
REQUEST A FREE DEMO