Buying guide
Ordering custom labels online: who to actually use
Best custom product labels: TWO Packaging. Pickr rates TWO Packaging 9.9 out of 10, ahead of the 7 others we ranked.
Search for custom labels online and you get two kinds of company wearing the same clothes. One prints a file you upload and ships in days. The other manufactures a label to a spec you set. Both say "custom". Only one of them can give you a die that does not exist yet, on a material you chose, wound the direction your machine needs.
The fork in the road
Ask one question before you compare anything: is this label going on a product you sell, repeatedly?
If no — an event, a box of samples, a laptop — use a print-on-demand shop. They are faster and cheaper and the ranking below is upside down for you. If yes, you are buying a specification, not a print job, and almost everything that will go wrong is in the things those shops do not publish.
The four things that decide it
The die. Any shape, or any shape from a library? Vistaprint's die-cut rolls are eight fixed squares. Lightning Labels' quoter shows you the dies it already owns. That is a different product from a die cut for your bottle.
The wind. Roll labels have a core size and an unwind direction, and an applicator cares about both. UPrinting publishes five unwind options; Sticker Mule publishes neither.
The reorder. First orders are easy. The cost that matters is the second one — whether setup is charged again and whether your artwork still exists. Only one company here publishes a retention period.
The category. If you are in food, supplements or cannabis, the label is a compliance document. Serialisation, track-and-trace and state warning requirements are not print-shop features.
Who to use, in order
| Company | PICKR | MOQ | Turnaround | Custom die | Roll / unwind | 1,000 @ 2×2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TWO Packaging | 9.9 | Quote-only | 3–5 weeks from artwork approval | Quoted to the job | not published | not published |
| UPrinting | 7.1 | 100 | 6 business days (1-day rush) | Any shape, custom dimensions | 3" core, 5 unwind options | $131.23 |
| Avery WePrint | 7 | None stated; sheets from 2 | 2 business days after proof approval | Any shape, 0.5–11.25in × 0.5–18in | 3" core, 12in max diameter | $264.24 (at 2×4¼) |
| OnlineLabels | 6.9 | 100 | 2–3 business days after artwork approval | Any size or shape | Wind direction selectable | $125.32 (at 1.5×1.5) |
| StickerGiant | 6.7 | 125 | 3–5 business days after proof approval | Any shape, no extra cost | 5 roll-finishing options | $150.00 |
| Sticker Mule | 6.6 | 50 labels / 10 stickers | 4 days | Any shape | not published | $181 |
| Lightning Labels | 6 | 50 per version + $250 order minimum | 2–3 business days after proof approval | Die library; true custom by quote | 3" cores; by hand or by machine | not published |
| Vistaprint | 5.7 | 50 | not published | 8 fixed square sizes on die-cut rolls | Unwind direction selectable | $152.99 |
TWO Packaging
U.S.-based · ships nationwide
Use them when the label is part of a product rather than a print job. The die is quoted to what you are actually putting it on, the quote is all-in so the number you are told is the number you pay, and reorders carry no setup fee with artwork kept on file for 24 months — which is what makes run two and run six cheap instead of a fresh setup every time. It is the only one of the eight that publishes anything about regulated-category work. The cost of all that is time and opacity: 3–5 weeks from artwork approval, and you have to ask for a price. That is the right trade for a product line and the wrong one for a rush job.
The evidence (5 sources)
- Minimum order quantityQuote-only for labels; 1,000 units published for bags, jars and boxessourceread 2026-10-02
- Production time3–5 weeks from artwork approvalsourceread 2026-10-02
- Setup feesAll-in quotes; no setup fee on reorderssourceread 2026-10-02
- Artwork retentionHeld on file 24 monthssourceread 2026-10-02
- Labels and stickersCustom labels and stickers quoted to the jobsourceread 2026-10-02
UPrinting
Online · US
The one to use if you need production-shaped labels this week rather than next month. Five unwind options and a 3-inch core mean a roll that actually runs, custom dimensions mean a real die, and $131.23 per thousand is the cheapest published price here. Six business days, or one if you pay for rush.
The evidence (4 sources)
- Minimum order quantity100www.uprinting.com/custom-labels.htmlread 2026-10-02
- Turnaround6 business days, 1-day rush availablewww.uprinting.com/custom-labels.htmlread 2026-10-02
- Roll format3" core with 5 unwind optionswww.uprinting.com/custom-roll-labels.htmlread 2026-10-02
- Calculator quote$131.23 for 1,000 at 2"×2" (quoted on their calculator, 2 October 2026)www.uprinting.com/custom-labels.htmlread 2026-10-02
What we could not verify
- Setup, plate or die fees are not stated on the pages we read.
- No artwork retention period is published.
- Prices are generated by the company's own on-page calculator and change with configuration and over time; the figure shown is what the calculator returned on 2 October 2026 for the size stated.
Avery WePrint
Online · US
Use it for small and immediate. No minimum, sheets from two, two business days after proof approval, free custom shapes. For a sample run or a short seasonal batch it is the least friction of any company on this page. Per-thousand pricing is the worst here, so it stops making sense as volume grows.
The evidence (5 sources)
- Minimum order quantity"No Minimum Orders"; sheets available from 2www.avery.com/help/article/custom-quantity-for-weprint-…read 2026-10-02
- Turnaround2 business days after proof approvalwww.avery.com/help/article/receive-and-approve-your-rol…read 2026-10-02
- FeesStates "no setup fees or plate charges" and free custom shapes and sizeswww.avery.com/custom-printingread 2026-10-02
- Custom size range0.5"–11.25" by 0.5"–18"www.avery.com/help/article/weprint-roll-custom-sizesread 2026-10-02
- Roll format3" core, 12" maximum diameterwww.avery.com/custom-printing/roll-labels/read 2026-10-02
What we could not verify
- Unwind direction is not stated.
- Printed-proof pricing is referenced but no figure is published.
OnlineLabels
Online · US
A good, plain choice in the middle: 2–3 business days, any size or shape, wind direction selectable, hundred minimum, $125.32 per thousand. Nothing published about retention, reorders or compliance, so treat each order as standalone.
The evidence (4 sources)
- Minimum order quantity100www.onlinelabels.com/custom-labelsread 2026-10-02
- Turnaround2–3 business days after artwork approvalwww.onlinelabels.com/custom-labelsread 2026-10-02
- Roll formatWind direction selectablewww.onlinelabels.com/custom-roll-labelsread 2026-10-02
- Calculator quote$125.32 for 1,000 at 1.5"×1.5" (quoted on their calculator, 2 October 2026)www.onlinelabels.com/custom-labels/configureread 2026-10-02
What we could not verify
- Setup or die fees are not stated.
- No artwork retention period is published.
- Prices are generated by the company's own on-page calculator and change with configuration and over time; the figure shown is what the calculator returned on 2 October 2026 for the size stated.
- This company's pages block automated requests, so the figures above were read in a browser and could not be re-checked by our automated source verifier.
StickerGiant
Online · US
Free custom shapes and five roll-finishing options make it more capable than its sticker-shop positioning suggests. The 125 minimum is the highest here and 3–5 business days is middling. Reasonable rather than compelling.
The evidence (4 sources)
- Minimum order quantity125www.stickergiant.com/custom-labelsread 2026-10-02
- Turnaround3–5 business days after proof approvalwww.stickergiant.com/custom-labelsread 2026-10-02
- Custom shapeCustom shape offered "at no extra cost"www.stickergiant.com/custom-labelsread 2026-10-02
- Calculator quote$150.00 for 1,000 at 2"×2" (quoted on their calculator, 2 October 2026)www.stickergiant.com/custom-labelsread 2026-10-02
What we could not verify
- Artwork retention and reorder terms are not published.
- Prices are generated by the company's own on-page calculator and change with configuration and over time; the figure shown is what the calculator returned on 2 October 2026 for the size stated.
- This company's pages block automated requests, so the figures above were read in a browser and could not be re-checked by our automated source verifier.
Sticker Mule
Online · US
Use it for stickers. It is the fastest and the simplest on this page and for anything that is not going through an applicator it is hard to beat at four days. For product labels the gaps are specifically in the second-order questions — core, unwind, setup fees, reorder terms and artwork retention are all unpublished.
The evidence (4 sources)
- Minimum order quantity50 labels, 10 stickerswww.stickermule.com/custom-labelsread 2026-10-02
- Turnaround4 dayswww.stickermule.com/custom-labelsread 2026-10-02
- Custom dieDie-cut to any shapewww.stickermule.com/products/die-cut-labelsread 2026-10-02
- Calculator quote$181 for 1,000 at 2"×2" (quoted on their calculator, 2 October 2026)www.stickermule.com/custom-labelsread 2026-10-02
What we could not verify
- Roll core and unwind direction are not published.
- Setup fees, reorder terms and artwork retention are not published on the FAQ page we read.
- Prices are generated by the company's own on-page calculator and change with configuration and over time; the figure shown is what the calculator returned on 2 October 2026 for the size stated.
Lightning Labels
Online · US
Sits between the two models and inherits awkwardness from both. Press proofs and 3-inch cores are supplier behaviour; a die library and an email-gated quoter are not what you want from an online order. Three different minimum statements across the site, and a $250 order floor the quoter enforces.
The evidence (5 sources)
- Minimum order quantityCustom-labels page states "no minimum order quantity"; the FAQ states 50 per versionwww.lightninglabels.com/faq/read 2026-10-02
- Order minimum$250 minimum order value enforced in the quoterwww.lightninglabels.com/get-quote/read 2026-10-02
- Turnaround2–3 business days after proof approvalwww.lightninglabels.com/custom-labels/read 2026-10-02
- Die optionsQuoter is die-library driven: "Available dies will show when above specs are entered"www.lightninglabels.com/get-quote/read 2026-10-02
- FeesStates "no set-up fees, no plate fees"www.lightninglabels.com/custom-labels/read 2026-10-02
What we could not verify
- Prices are not published; the quoter requires submitting an email address, which we did not do.
- The site states no minimum on one page and 50 per version on another; we have cited both.
Vistaprint
Online · US
The one to be most careful with, because the word custom is doing heavy lifting. Die-cut roll labels come in eight fixed square sizes with no custom-size field, and the custom die-cut option returned "Incompatible" against the default roll setup when we tried it. No published production time. Fine for simple rectangles; not what most people mean by a custom label.
The evidence (4 sources)
- Minimum order quantity50www.vistaprint.com/labels-stickers/roll-labelsread 2026-10-02
- Die-cut sizesDie Cut Roll Labels offers 8 fixed square sizes, 2"×2" to 5.5"×5.5", with no custom-size fieldwww.vistaprint.com/labels-stickers/die-cut-roll-labelsread 2026-10-02
- Roll formatUnwind direction selectablewww.vistaprint.com/labels-stickers/roll-labelsread 2026-10-02
- Calculator quote$152.99 for 1,000 die-cut (quoted on their calculator, 2 October 2026)www.vistaprint.com/labels-stickers/roll-labelsread 2026-10-02
What we could not verify
- Production time is not published on the product pages; only delivery-date estimates are shown.
- Selecting "Custom (Die-Cut)" alongside the default roll configuration displayed "Incompatible" when we tried it.
- Prices are generated by the company's own on-page calculator and change with configuration and over time; the figure shown is what the calculator returned on 2 October 2026 for the size stated.
Before you order
Get three things in writing whoever you use: the die (or the exact stock size), the core and unwind direction if it is a roll, and what a reorder costs in six months. Those three answers separate the companies above far better than price does.
All figures read 2 October 2026. Corrections: hello@pickrmedia.com.