Staples vs GotPrint Compared, and the Alternative That Beats Both
Staples wins on walk-in convenience and same-day pickup, and GotPrint wins on rock-bottom online pricing. Neither wins on both. 4OVER4.COM covers both strengths in one place, with 1,000+ products, 60+ stocks and finishes, and a 110% price match on any verified quote.
Head to head
Staples and GotPrint, feature by feature
| Feature |  Staples |  GotPrint |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Retail pricing, you pay for the walk-in convenience | Among the lowest online prices on standard products |
| Product range | Print and copy counter plus office supplies | A broad budget catalog of cards, flyers, and marketing prints |
| Paper and finish range | A short menu of standard stocks at the counter | Standard stocks and coatings, with fewer premium options |
| Minimums | Very low, single copies possible in store | Low minimums on trade-style volume runs |
| Shipping | Same-day pickup at local stores | Economy shipping tiers, slower on the cheapest options |
| Design tools | Basic templates in store and online | Simple online tools and free templates |
| Support | In-person help at the counter, quality varies by store | Lean online support that keeps overhead low |
These two sit at opposite ends of the printing market. Staples sells convenience, a counter you can drive to when the job is due today. GotPrint sells price, commercial press runs at budget rates if you can wait for shipping. The table above sticks to what each company is known for, so you can match the printer to what the job actually needs.
Where each one wins
A fair read on both printers
Where Staples wins
Staples wins the moment same-day beats same-quality. With stores in nearly every town, you can send a file before lunch and collect documents, flyers, or a mounted poster that afternoon, and there is genuine value in handing a panicked job to a person behind a counter. For one-off copies, presentation decks, and last-minute office runs, that walk-in convenience is hard to top.
Where GotPrint wins
GotPrint wins on the invoice. Its whole model is stripped-down online printing at some of the lowest prices in the market, and on standard business cards, flyers, and postcards the per-piece cost undercuts a retail counter by a wide margin. Options stay basic and the cheapest shipping tiers are slow, but if budget is the only line that matters, GotPrint is genuinely hard to beat on sticker price.
The third option
4OVER4.COM against both, side by side
| Feature | Staples | GotPrint |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product catalog | Print counter basics plus office supplies | A broad budget print catalog | 1,000+ printing products |
| Paper stocks and finishes | A short standard menu | Standard stocks, fewer premium options | 60+ stocks and finishes, up to 32pt |
| Price match | No | No | Yes, 110% price match |
| Loyalty rewards | Store rewards on supplies | No | Coins earned on every order |
| Free proof | Not standard | Not standard | Free proof on every order |
| Same-day options | Yes, in-store pickup | No | Yes, order by 12pm ET |
| Non-profit discount | No | No | 25% OFF for life |
The Staples vs GotPrint choice trades speed against price, and 4OVER4.COM removes the trade. It has printed for 150,000+ businesses since 1999 on 60+ stocks and finishes across a 1,000+ product catalog, at online pricing backed by the 110% price-match guarantee, which matches any verified quote and beats it by an extra 10%, so GotPrint-level pricing comes with far more options. Every order includes a free proof before press, earns loyalty Coins, and gives non-profits 25% off for life. Need it fast? Same-day options run on select products when you order by 12pm ET, with a 99.8% on-time delivery rate.
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Legal Disclaimer
Gold Standard guarantees apply to all standard orders placed through 4over4.com. Price match requires verifiable proof of a competitor's published price for an equivalent product with matching specifications and turnaround time. Satisfaction guarantee covers manufacturing defects and print quality issues. Contact support with order number and documentation. On-time delivery rate based on tracked orders 1999 to 2026. Individual results may vary based on shipping carrier performance.
Straight answers
Common Questions
Pricing, speed, paper and product range, answered straight. Browse every printing question on our FAQs hub.
Is GotPrint better than Staples for printing?
For marketing runs, usually yes. GotPrint runs orders on commercial presses at some of the lowest online prices, so 500 flyers or 1,000 business cards cost far less than a retail counter. Staples still wins when you need one document or a single poster today, because same-day pickup is its core strength. Match the printer to the job and both make sense.
Is GotPrint really that cheap?
GotPrint built its reputation on low prices, and on standard products it is often among the cheapest options online. The trade-off is a leaner experience, with basic options, economy shipping on the cheapest tiers, and fewer premium stocks and finishes. If the piece just needs to exist at the lowest cost, it delivers. If the piece needs to impress, look further.
Is there a better alternative to both Staples and GotPrint?
Yes. 4OVER4.COM prints at online rates and backs them with a written promise to beat any verified competitor quote by an extra 10%, so you keep the budget advantage. You also earn loyalty Coins on every order and non-profits get 25% off for life. Compare the Staples alternative and the GotPrint alternative breakdowns for the details.
Who prints better business cards, Staples or GotPrint?
GotPrint gives you more card for the money than a retail counter, on standard stocks. 4OVER4.COM goes further with premium 16pt cards that include free UV coating at a lower per-card price, plus 60+ stocks and finishes like Silk Laminated and Ultra Thick 32pt when the card itself has to sell you.
Can I get same-day printing without using Staples?
Yes. 4OVER4.COM offers same-day options on select products when you order by 12pm ET, backed by a 99.8% on-time delivery rate. GotPrint has no same-day option, so this is the way to keep low online pricing without losing the speed that pushes people to a retail store.
Where should I print posters and banners?
Staples covers a quick single poster, and GotPrint covers budget signage. For pieces that represent your brand, 4OVER4.COM prints large-format posters with photo quality on premium paper and 13oz scrim vinyl banners with free grommets and same-day options, so the finished piece earns its spot on the wall.
