sticker vendors
I made a spreadsheet of sticker vendors so you don't have to. And also ordered a bunch of sample packs, so you don't have to (and because I get very very into doing my research, and sample packs are very cheap).
I priced out 3"x3" holographic die-cut vinyl stickers from US-based sticker vendors at three price points: 100 (or nearest above 100), 200 (or nearest above 200), and 500. Free shipping referenced may require a minimum to kick in - I noted it down as free if the minimum was below the price point for 100 stickers.
I did this work because my previous vendor, DieCutStickers, had notable print issues in the last batch I bought from them, and I decided to look for a new vendor. Because of this, they will not be listed.
Got a recommendation not in this writeup? Feel free to let me know and I'll price them out and add them.
All sample packs ordered have been summarized and photographed with the exception of Sticker Bunnies, which has not arrived yet.
I think I have to make a weird art piece now with all these samples.
Exclusions
Three other vendors are mentioned but will not appear in summaries: Sticker Guy, Sticker Mule, and Sticky Brand.
- Sticker Guy looks awesome for simple stickers (1 or maybe 2 colors printed on solid color vinyl), but holographic stickers are listed as temporarily unavailable, so I couldn't get a price quote.
- Sticker Mule's CEO is a vocal Trump supporter.
- Sticky Brand has started using generative AI marketing (this is secondhand information as I don't use instagram). Also I had a pretty bad customer service experience.
I cannot promise that other makers do not have issues similar to Sticker Mule or Sticky Brand; this is just what I surfaced in my research.
Summaries
Quality summary
Sticker Ninja - wow! Thick, sturdy vinyl that feels amazing. Plus loads of pretty finishes - I'm really noodling on what I could do on "Prism Party." They're not the cheapest, but for sets of 100 they're not awful, so they're probably my vendor of choice unless I'm buying more bulk (and 100 is my most common amount). I've ordered some new holo hummingbirds from them as well as a design new to stickers, big pidge.
Also, they sent me a "queer joy is a revolution" sticker in the sample pack - that one actually went on my laptop. Also also, they seem like they have a great approach to work - they close their ordering on Sundays so they don't come in absolutely slammed on Mondays. I respect that a lot.
I was also impressed with StickerApp's variety of materials and product types, and their pricing is very competitive. If you want to save a little, they seem solid. Also, I just got the FediZineFest stickers through them, and they are fast.
Pricing summary
Death by Stickers stands out as by far the cheapest option for ~100 or maybe less, and still fairly competitive for ~200, though bumped out of the top slot by StickerGiant (however, worth noting that I couldn't get Death by Stickers samples). If you want bulk, Brick City Printing comes out ahead - and they are union!
If you want really small lots, maybe try Sticker Bunnies - their pricing model is a flat per-sticker rate regardless of order size. Be aware, however, that they only take orders via email, so it may be a bit more of an involved process than most.
It is of course worth it with many vendors to join their email list and wait for deals. These are the standard prices and do not account for sales or discounts.
Ease of peeling
Brick City Printing, StandOut Stickers, Sticker Junkie, StickerApp, and StickerGiant offer split backs.
Bend Print Co. offers split backs or peel tabs for an increased sticker price. Sticker Robot mentions split backs in their FAQ, but sticker options only support peel tabs, also for an increased price. Vinyl Disorder offers peel tabs for an increased price.
Sticker Ninja and StickerBros do not offer split backs.
Busy Beaver, Death by Stickers, and Sticker Bunnies do not specify.
Pricing tables
Price point 1: 100
Per 100 (unless noted otherwise).
| Vendor | Per sticker | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Death by Stickers | $0.81 | |
| Sticker Bunnies | $0.90 | |
| StickerApp | $0.98 | |
| Brick City Printing | $1.05 | |
| Sticker Ninja | $1.06 | |
| Busy Beaver | $1.07 | |
| StandOut Stickers | $1.09 | |
| StickerGiant | $1.10 | 125 |
| StickerBros | $1.18 | |
| Sticker Robot | $1.27 | |
| Bend Print Co. | $1.45 | |
| Vinyl Disorder | $1.61 | |
| Sticker Junkie | n/a | No quantity ~100 offered |
Price point 2: 200
Per 200 (unless noted otherwise).
| Vendor | Per sticker | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| StickerGiant | $0.73 | 250 |
| StickerApp | $0.77 | |
| Death by Stickers | $0.80 | |
| StandOut Stickers | $0.80 | |
| StickerBros | $0.84 | |
| Sticker Robot | $0.85 | 250 |
| Bend Print Co. | $0.88 | 250 |
| Sticker Bunnies | $0.90 | |
| Brick City Printing | $0.93 | |
| Vinyl Disorder | $0.94 | 250 |
| Sticker Ninja | $0.97 | |
| Sticker Junkie | $1.07 | |
| Busy Beaver | n/a | No quantity between 100 and 500 offered |
Price point 3: 500
| Vendor | Per sticker |
|---|---|
| Brick City Printing | $0.49 |
| StickerGiant | $0.54 |
| StandOut Stickers | $0.55 |
| StickerApp | $0.56 |
| Sticker Ninja | $0.59 |
| StickerBros | $0.60 |
| Busy Beaver | $0.63 |
| Bend Print Co. | $0.65 |
| Sticker Robot | $0.65 |
| Sticker Junkie | $0.72 |
| Death by Stickers | $0.72 |
| Vinyl Disorder | $0.81 |
| Sticker Bunnies | $0.90 |
Vendors
Bend Print Co.
- 100 for $145.00 - $1.45/sticker
- 250 for $220.00 - $0.88/sticker
- 500 for $325.00 - $0.65/sticker
- Free shipping
- Split backs (or peel tabs) for additional cost
These are pretty thin. I'm really not sure if vinyl thickness correlates to quality, tbh, but they don't feel particularly sturdy. Still, I like the variety of fun vinyls.
(Sorry about the weird crop, I realized after I took this picture that I wanted a landscape picture not a portrait one. By then I had already peeled and stuck one of them.)
Brick City Printing
Union made!
- 100 for $105.00 - $1.05/sticker
- 200 for $186.00 - $$0.93/sticker
- 500 for $245.00 - $0.49/sticker
- Free shipping
- Split backs
They don't have a ton of options - seems like just white or holo vinyl - but their quality is good! The stickers feel decently sturdy.
Busy Beaver
- 100 for $107.00 - $1.07/sticker
- No quantity between 100 and 500 offered
- 500 for $315.00 - $0.63/sticker
- Free shipping
- Couldn't find information regarding split backs
Apparently you have to call Busy Beaver... on the phone... to get samples. Nah. Not worth.
Death by Stickers
- 100 for $81.00 - $0.81/sticker
- 200 for $160.00 - $0.80/sticker
- 500 for $361.25 - $0.72/sticker
- Free shipping for orders over $100.00
- Couldn't find information regarding split backs
Death by Stickers offers sample packs, but they're sold out currently.
StandOut Stickers
- 100 for $109.00 - $1.09/sticker
- 200 for $160.00 - $0.80/sticker
- 500 for $272.50 - $0.55/sticker
- $10.00 for template help - they looked to have pretty stringent art requirements
- Free shipping
- Split backs
StandOut Stickers doesn't offer samples as far as I could find.
Sticker Bunnies
Sticker Bunnies prices by sticker size and material - not quantity. 3"x3" holo die cut stickers are $0.90 per sticker - no bulk pricing. They also only accept orders via email (other than sample packs).
I am waiting on a Sticker Bunnies sample pack at current. I have no ETA yet.
Sticker Guy
I did not price out Sticker Guy as I could not find pricing information for holographic stickers. I did find one table that listed holo stickers as temporarily unavailable. Still, they look like a great option for simpler sticker needs.
Sticker Junkie
- No quantity ~100 offered
- 200 for $214.00 - $1.07/sticker
- 500 for $360.00 - $0.72/sticker
- Free shipping
- Split backs
These feel pretty quality. They're not too flimsy, and the colors are vibrant. The split backs make them easy to peel.
Sticker Mule
Sticker Ninja
- 100 for $105.81 - $1.06/sticker
- 200 for $193.33 - $0.97/sticker
- 500 for $293.91 - $0.59/sticker
- Free shipping
- No split backs
Sticker Ninja has an amazing amount of variety when it comes to glitter, shimmer, mirror finish, and more - not just your standard holographic. I stuck one to my laptop, and while I can't vouch for longevity at this time, it feels quality - nice sturdy vinyl.
Sticker Robot
- 100 for $127.00 - $1.27/sticker
- 250 for $212.00 - $0.85/sticker
- 500 for $327.00 - $0.65/sticker
- Free shipping
- FAQ says split backs can be added, but I didn't see this option; peel tabs can be added for additional cost
Sticker Robot does both silkscreen and digital stickers. The silkscreen ones seem really nice, but the digital holo stickers are what I priced out and looked at. They seem decent, but nothing outstanding - I'm kinda guessing the silkscreen ones might be more standout. Silkscreen stickers offer printed backs as well. One of the samples is a "business card sticker" which is kinda neat.
In the picture, silkscreen stickers are on the left and digital on the right.
StickerApp
- 100 for $98.00 - $0.98/sticker
- 200 for $153.00 - $0.77/sticker
- 500 for $280.00 - $0.56/sticker
- Free shipping
- Split backs
I'm pretty impressed by the variety here, though the stickers that aren't specifically their "heavy duty" material feel a smidge flimsy. Their special finishes are fun and varied. They also offer a business card sticker option - though I personally wouldn't want a business card that thin...
They have several sample packs - sticker materials (image 1, left; image 2), label materials (image 1, right), and product types (image 3).
StickerBros
- 100 for $118.00 - $1.18/sticker
- 200 for $168.00 - $0.84/sticker
- 500 for $300.00 - $0.60/sticker
- Free shipping
- No split backs
I am decently impressed with the quality of StickerBros, and particularly with their embossed and heavy duty embossed stickers. I haven't seen embossed stickers in any of the other sample packs! Despite not having split backs, I found them pretty easy to peel because there is an ever-so-slightly larger edge of backing paper surrounding the sticker than some others.
However, they were really slow to get my sample pack out. The shipping label was created more than 2 weeks before the package was delivered to USPS. Sample packs don't require any printing time, so I'm not sure why there was such a delay.
StickerGiant
- 125 for $137.50 - $1.10/sticker
- 250 for $182.50 - $0.73/sticker
- 500 for $270.00 - $0.54/sticker
- Free shipping
- Split backs
StickerGiant has a very comprehensive and informative sample pack showcasing a wide variety of materials ranging from the holo die cuts I priced out to kraft paper labels. They also include color samples on their materials for reference.
Sticky Brand
Sticky Brand has apparently gone pretty hard in on generative AI marketing. I priced them out (and ordered some stickers due to a deep discount*) before learning this, so I'm noting prices down for reference, but I don't recommend them.
- 100 for $118.13 - $1.18/sticker
- 250 for $236.25 - $0.95/sticker
- 500 for $393.75 - $0.79/sticker
- USPS ground shipping rates or thereabouts
- Couldn't find information regarding split backs
*Or well, I thought I ordered stickers. Here's what happened:
I ordered a sample pack. I saw the discount on 100 holo stickers, realized I should have gone for that, and put in to cancel my sample pack, then ordered the 100 holo PLUS sample pack so I wasn't paying shipping twice. They then canceled my second order, of the 100 holo and sample pack, rather than my first. And now it's been 2 or 3 weeks and I still don't have a sample pack, because order 1 is seemingly stuck in printing. Their customer service sucks, too - I have been talking to them about this and they have gotten details wrong, failed to read the information I am giving them, and now have canceled my sample order without me asking for that. So, no samples, screw them, will not be putting in a new order.
Vinyl Disorder
- 100 for $161.22 - $1.61/sticker
- 250 for $236.25 - $0.94/sticker
- 500 for $406.35 - $0.81/sticker
- $5.00-$6.00 for shipping orders under $250.00; free shipping over $250.00 cannot be combined with other discounts
- Peel tabs for 25% extra
These are decent, but the price is a real deterrant. I think if you're getting more basic stickers their pricing might be more competitive - they are clear that holo and other premium materials are marked up 150% - but without doing those pricing tables I can't be sure. That said, I think their "cracked ice holo" is pretty cool.
