How Much Does It Cost to Start a T-Shirt Business Online – USA & Top-Tier Guide

Wondering how much money it would actually require starting a t-shirt business? Let us break it down for you. In the United States, a print-on-demand will cost between $400 and $700 upfront (which includes your web address, design software, a few test shirts, and your initial amount of marketing) to get started.

After that, expect to spend $50 to $300 or more each month for your website host, apps, and some basic advertising—all without worrying about storing boxes of unsold inventory.

Now, in case you would prefer to do it all yourself with your own machines, prepare to spend between $4,500 up to as much as $30,000 or more. The amount depends on what printing process you choose, the amount of space you have and how large you want to be.

Here’s something interesting: back in 2022, the POD sector in America hit roughly $1.89 billion in value, and experts say it’s climbing about 24% every year.

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The real question you need to answer isn’t just about the dollar amount—it’s about finding the approach that matches your comfort level with risk, how much cash you have available, and where you see this going. 

This guide walks through different cost structures, website options, the math behind each shirt sale, and realistic spending plans to help you make smart choices as you start your t-shirt venture.

Must-Know Cost Models to Start a T-Shirt Business Online at a Glance

There are three primary strategies for starting an online t-shirt business: Print-on-Demand (POD), operating your own printing business (DTG/DTF/Screen/Heat-Press), and purchasing in bulk through Wholesale/Private Label options. All of them have their own initial costs, recurring payments, and profit prospects.

Print-on-Demand (POD)

In POD, you post your art on the Internet, after which a printing and delivery business does the printing and shipping as soon as someone makes a purchase. You just pay money to get you the blank shirt, the printing work and the postage once the sale is made-in other words, you are not left with stock you can not sell.

• Your online store subscription (think Shopify) and getting it running
• The blank garment plus printing plus delivery (through services like Printful/Printify)
• Software subscriptions or connection tools (for creating mockups, automating tasks)
• Promotion and outreach expenses to get eyes on your products

You start with less money down but pay more for each individual piece, which squeezes your profit compared to ordering hundreds at once. Research shows POD shirts typically cost between $6 and $10 per unit, depending on what quality level and printing technique you choose. 

In-House Printing (DTG / DTF / Screen / Heat-Press)

This path involves self-purchase (or renting) of the machines, buying blank shirts in dozens or hundreds, arranging production, warehouse, and dispatch of orders. Your costs look like:

• The actual printing machines (DTG units, screen printing setups, heat presses)
• Supplies like ink, transfer films, screens, upkeep expenses
• Blank shirts bought in quantity, plus somewhere to keep them
• Power bills, workers, shipping arrangements

You’re putting way more cash in upfront, but once you cover those fixed expenses, each shirt costs you less to make. Plus you get total say over how things look, feel, and get packaged.

Wholesale / Private Label (Bulk)

In this case you are placing orders of already-printed shirts (or semi-finished with your tags) with a manufacturer, possibly do some finishing branding, and either stock them in your own garage or hire a third-party warehouse. You’re paying for. You’re paying for:

• Required minimum quantities (MOQs) of blank or finished products
• Your logo and labels
• Warehouse space (third-party logistics)
• Managing returns and swaps

Better profit margins once you hit volume, but there’s real risk since you need to actually sell through that inventory. Requires more capital and solid logistics knowledge. Makes sense for clothing brands planning serious growth.

Platform & Marketplace Fees (Top-Tier Countries)

When planning on how to spend your initial investment and monthly expenses, do not forget to include what the platforms themselves charge. Quick overview:

Note: The exact amount you pay shifts based on where you are, what plan tier you pick, delivery charges, and whatever extra tools you sign up for.

Per-Unit Cost & Profit Math (USA Example)

Getting clear on what each shirt actually costs you and how much profit you pocket helps you figure out if this makes financial sense.

• Base cost (DTG through a supplier): roughly $9–$14 per shirt. 
• Shipping (within the country): $3–$5
• Platform cut: 2.9% + $0.30 every time someone pays
• Selling price: usually $22–$28
• Profit ≈ $3–$8 each tee (margin ~35–45%)

Screen Printing (Bulk)

• Setup cost: screens, inks, and heat dryer: $300-$1,000 to start small. 
• Cost per shirt drops as you make more: around $11 at 50 pieces, down to roughly $6 at 250 pieces.

The numbers paint a clear picture: making more + owning the equipment = spending less per shirt. But you’re taking on more risk and need more money upfront.

One-Time vs Monthly Budget (Tier-1 Countries)

When getting your business off the ground, it makes sense to separate what you pay once from what you’ll pay every month.

One-Time Costs

This covers buying your web address, purchasing or building your site design, creating brand visuals and logo, ordering sample shirts and taking product photos. Think of these as building the foundation before you open for business and start promoting.

Monthly Costs

This includes your Shopify or similar platform subscription, app charges (email software, text messaging tools, tracking analytics), Printify Premium ($29/mo) if that’s your choice, regular advertising spend (Facebook/Instagram), money for influencer partnerships or sending free samples. 

Planning to do pop-up shops or sell in person? You might need point-of-sale equipment too.

Equipment Budgets to Start a T-Shirt Business Online

Choosing to print everything yourself in the USA? Here’s what different equipment typically runs you:

Country-Level Comparison (USD)

What you’ll spend varies by location (shipping rates, import taxes, platform charges, labor expenses). Here’s a simplified breakdown.

These are rough estimates – you will have to calculate the exact local prices in terms of your local delivery prices, exchange rates, duties, etc.

Marketing & Launch Spend to Start a T-Shirt Business Online (Top-Tier Countries)

Launching and developing your t-shirt brand will require you to put money aside to use in various marketing strategies. The following is an approximate monthly expenditure budget.

These budgets match what others in the industry typically spend and should increase as your sales grow.

POD Providers & Tools (Cost Overview)

Quick look at major POD services and what they charge.

Smart move: order test shirts (check quality, delivery speed) before you commit to big volume.

Sample Budgets You Can Copy (USD)

Ready-to-use budget examples you can modify for your situation.

Mini Calculator (Profit Formula)

Here’s the simple math for understanding profitability.

• Profit = Selling Price – (Base + Printing + Shipping + Fees)
• Break-even Units = Monthly Fixed Cost ÷ Profit per Unit

Example: say your fixed expenses (platform plus apps plus advertising) total $200 each month and you make $5 profit on each shirt—you need to sell 40 shirts monthly just to break even.

Common Cost Mistakes (Quick Fixes)

Typical traps people fall into and how to dodge them:

• Ignoring shipping weight brackets: cheaper tees + heavy shipping = eroded margin.
• Under-pricing after discount codes: you may sell lots but lose money per unit.
• No budget for refunds or RTO replacements: returns eat margin fast.
• Buying equipment before validating your designs or market: high risk if demand doesn’t materialise.

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Need Help Launching Your Shopify T-Shirt Brand?

At CartCoders, we specialise in helping entrepreneurs launch and scale their T-shirt brands on Shopify. We handle everything from theme setup, POD integration (with Printify and Printful), design workflow automation and marketing automation. 

Whether you’re testing your first POD tee or building a full-scale print brand, we tailor the approach to your budget and growth stage. Let us turn your t-shirt idea into an income stream.

Conclusion

This can cost you as low as $400 (POD approach) or as high as over $30000+ (self-printing setup) to start off an online t-shirt shop. 

The ultimate number is then dependent on the kind of business model that you choose, the amount of risk that you are willing to bear, the size that you want to grow to, and the level of control that you desire. 

Begin small, test whether people actually want your designs, work with Shopify and reliable POD partners, then grow bigger once you’ve proven there’s demand.

At CartCoders, we are ready to help you launch the right model for your budget, build your brand and automate operations so you can focus on growth.

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