Whether you have a design ready to go or are just dreaming up a design for your custom merch, it’s never too early to think about which platform you want to fundraise on. With a growth of $4.6B–$6.08B, the custom apparel market is booming, and there’s never been a better time to consider starting a t-shirt fundraiser. In this detailed, side-by-side examination, we’ll go through the differences between Bonfire and Custom Ink to help you pick the best fundraising platform for your needs.
Bonfire is known for its audiences of nonprofits, schools, and creators. With its fundraising features and free-to-launch campaigns, there are key functional, cost, and usability distinctions between Bonfire and Custom Ink as fundraising merchandise platforms.
Purpose and Focus of Each Platform
While Bonfire and Custom Ink both offer custom merchandise printing and fulfillment, they differ in their core missions. Custom Ink primarily focuses on large bulk orders, while Bonfire focuses on campaign-run sales and also offers bulk/at-cost ordering. This enables fundraisers, creators, and communities to connect with their supporters in new ways.
Bonfire is built for fundraising, and our platform caters to nonprofits and community organizations. When you launch a campaign on Bonfire, we will send your funds directly to an organization of your choice.
Custom Ink is optimized for custom printing for one-time events, team outings, and promotional items, not for recurring fundraising campaigns.
| Feature | Bonfire | Custom Ink |
|---|---|---|
| Fundraising campaigns | ✅ | ✅ |
| Print on-demand campaigns | ✅ | ❌ |
| Online stores | ✅ | ✅ |
| Integrations | ✅ | ❌ |
| Upfront costs | ❌ | ❌ |
| Upcharges for extended sizes | ❌ | ✅ |
| Bulk discounts | ✅ | ✅ |
| Order minimums | ❌ | Depends on the product |
| Eco-friendly products | ✅ | ✅ |
| Group shipping | ✅ | ✅ |
| Global shipping | ✅ | ✅ (With print minimums) |
| Embroidery and specialty prints | ❌ | ✅ (With print minimums) |
| Custom design services | ✅ | ✅ |
Cost Structure and Fees
Bonfire does not charge any platform fees and is completely free to use. There are no startup, monthly, or subscription costs to start a campaign or keep a store open.
Custom Ink uses a pay-per-product pricing model, and costs can be higher due to minimum order requirements and design complexity. If you need your order sooner than the estimated date, a rush fee will be applied. For fundraising pages, a 2.9% credit card processing fee is deducted from supporter donations.
When it comes to base costs for products, Bonfire and Custom Ink are quite similar, so you’ll want to consider other factors such as quality, setup ease, and long-term goals when deciding between the two platforms.
Design Tools and Customization Features
When it comes to your t-shirt’s design, consider the type of design support you’re looking for. Are you working with a blank canvas and a great idea? Or do you have a design file that needs some extra care and love? Perhaps you have a ready-to-go masterpiece, but you’re unsure which file type you should upload it as for printing.
With Bonfire, we’ve got you covered every step of the way. Our Design Tool and templates help you design the perfect print for a t-shirt. If you already have a file and need some extra help, or if you’d like to use the services of our Design Team, Bonfire Studio offers you the chance to work with our expert designers to bring your idea to life. Whether you create your design with our free Design Tool, work with our designers in Bonfire Studio, or upload your own file, our team ensures every design file is ready for printing.
Custom Ink lets customers create a design in its Design Lab, where they can upload their own design or create one using their fonts and design elements. Customers can also choose a design from Custom Ink’s templates or receive design help from Custom Ink’s professional designers through their Design Services.
Fundraising Capabilities and Campaign Management
Bonfire is built specifically for fundraising, offering dedicated campaign pages with storytelling, direct donations to nonprofits, peer-to-peer sharing, and nonprofit-focused features like custom profiles and integrations.
Custom Ink primarily focuses on custom merchandise and group orders; while it offers a fundraising option, it does not provide the same level of built-in campaign tools, peer-to-peer fundraising, or cause-first automation.
Product Variety and Custom Merchandise Options
For our product catalog, we’ve selected the best merch options for you. Each item in our catalog has been carefully reviewed and identified as a product we believe you’d be proud to sell. We’ve also included a select number of niche items, such as eco-friendly products, hats, activewear, totes, and more, so your fundraiser can stand out.
Custom Ink’s catalog offers a much wider product range with 1000+ options. This includes apparel, hats, mugs, and more, which benefits those seeking broader product options but may compromise quality and printability.
Inventory and Order Requirements
When you hold inventory, you risk having an overflow of product, which can be expensive, bothersome, and wasteful. By holding your own inventory, you’re also responsible for product fulfillment and shipping.
Bonfire operates on a print-on-demand model with no inventory required and no minimum order, making it ideal for risk-free fundraising. We also handle fulfillment of all your orders. When a customer places an order, we process, print, and ship it so you can focus on your fundraising efforts.
Depending on the product and size of the campaign, Custom Ink may require minimum orders. This can make it difficult to manage inventory needs and may cause an overflow of product.
Print on Demand (POD): A method where items are printed only after a customer places an order, eliminating inventory risk.
Turnaround Time and Shipping Options
When it comes to custom apparel, products can take a bit longer to arrive compared to typical retailers. For both platforms, the order’s arrival date will rely on production times. With Bonfire, standard production time is between 2 and 7 business days, whereas Custom Ink’s standard production is between 4 and 14, depending on print type. You can expect to receive your Bonfire order 7-14 business days after the campaign ends, and 14-30 days with CustomInk.
Bonfire ships all campaign orders domestically and internationally, including to 30+ countries. CustomInk primarily delivers in North America, with international delivery available to most countries with a minimum order of six items. It’s important to keep in mind that international orders from both Bonfire and CustomInk may be subject to customs fees.
Customer Support Availability and Quality
Reliable customer support is crucial for your community and supporters. When you sell on Bonfire, you have access to our customer support team, who are ready and dedicated to assist you and your supporters with any questions or support you need. We offer a generous 90-Day return policy, so you can feel confident in your Bonfire order.
Custom Ink offers dedicated customer support through email, live chat, and phone most days and hours of the week. Items can be returned within 15 days of receiving the order for a full refund.
Overall Usability and User Experience
Bonfire’s streamlined onboarding and campaign building are optimized for nonprofits and first-time fundraisers, making campaign setup simple and easy. Our site is built to support your fundraising needs and offers an aesthetic, user-friendly platform for your campaign. We also offer simple yet stylish Storefronts where you can list all your campaigns in one place. Our Design Tool will walk you through 4 simple steps to get your campaign or custom order up and running.
Custom Ink offers flexible product configuration and a familiar order flow, which is ideal for more advanced users, but it lacks integrated fundraising management tools. While the onboarding process is simple, some fundraisers may find the website’s flow and design difficult to follow.
Which Platform Is Best for Different Fundraising Needs?
Bonfire and Custom Ink both offer a range of services and merch options for your fundraiser. The ‘best’ choice truly boils down to your preferences and what’s important to you.
Nonprofits seeking minimal risk and built-in donations benefit most from Bonfire’s model, which is why those looking to run repeat campaigns, send funds directly to a nonprofit, or build a community around their cause should choose Bonfire. Choose Custom Ink if you’re ordering custom merch for one-time events or a very specific product from their extensive catalog.
At the end of the day, consider your primary goal. If event swag is all you need, Custom Ink can meet your needs. If you’re looking for more consistent fundraising, community building, and platform integrations, Bonfire is the way to go.
Sell & order your custom merch on Bonfire
100% free. Easy setup. No inventory required
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the common fees to expect on fundraising merchandise platforms?
Most platforms charge a processing fee on donations or per-product sales. Bonfire is completely free to use and has no platform or service fees. For additional donations added to an order at checkout, fees are 8% and reduced to 3.5% for verified nonprofits.
Do these platforms require minimum orders or upfront costs?
Bonfire does not require any minimum order or upfront costs to launch a fundraising campaign. Custom Ink may require an order minimum based on the item ordered or the shipping address.
How customizable are the merchandise and campaign pages?
Both platforms allow logo and artwork uploads. Bonfire’s campaign page customization options are simple, yet aesthetic, and primarily focused on storytelling for your cause.
How are funds distributed after a campaign ends?
On Bonfire, proceeds from campaigns are sent directly to the organizer or verified nonprofit after fees are deducted. For Custom Ink, you can choose to have the funds sent to you, or directly to the beneficiary.
Can I combine Bonfire online sales with a Custom Ink bulk reorder?
Yes, many creators use a hybrid approach, using both platforms to their advantage.
Which platform offers better eco-friendly shirt options?
Bonfire currently lists more organic and recycled blends, while CustomInk stocks some sustainable lines but focuses primarily on conventional cotton.
How much profit can a creator keep per shirt on each platform?
Profit varies by sale price, but creators often keep $9–$14 per shirt on Bonfire and $4–$8 per shirt on CustomInk after bulk discounts.
Does Bonfire offer bulk discounts similar to Custom Ink?
Bonfire’s model centers on print-on-demand with no bulk tiers, but the more you sell, the lower your base cost will be. This increases the profit margin on a sale. Custom Ink also reduces pricing as quantity increases.
Written by: Katie Davis
Illustrated by: Tess Miller
