Home · Compare · MAD Monkey vs Printavo

MAD Monkey vs Printavo: software is half the job. We do the other half too.

Printavo sells you software and still expects you to find a printer and a marketing team. MAD is the actual print shop, the software, AND the marketing -- one Dallas vendor end-to-end.

Dallas-local · DFW HQ 20+ yrs · print + marketing AI-native · Claude-powered
Why switch

Three reasons buyers leave Printavo for MAD

1. We are an actual print shop -- and we run the software.

Printavo(R) is shop-management software. You still have to BE a print shop to use it. MAD is both: a 20+ year DFW print shop with DTF, screen printing, banners, signs, apparel, and promo -- with software that runs the shop and a marketing team that brings in the orders.

2. No per-user creep.

Printavo Standard caps you at 5 users; Growth at 10; Enterprise at 20. Adding seats above your tier means upgrading the whole plan. MAD does not bill on seats -- bring your whole crew, including casuals and freelancers, on the same flat subscription.

3. Marketing is bundled. Printavo does not even pretend.

Printavo helps you quote, schedule, and invoice. It does not get you customers. MAD bundles SEO, ads, reputation, listings, AIBV, and print marketing collateral -- so the jobs going through your shop are jobs we helped you win.

Feature-by-feature

Full side-by-side comparison

All claims about Printavo(R) are sourced from their public pricing page as of June 2026. Verify any value linked.

FeatureMAD Monkey MediaPrintavo
Shop management
Quotes + invoicingIncludedIncluded
Production scheduling + calendarIncludedIncluded (drag-and-drop calendar)
Customer database (CRM)Included + marketing automationIncluded (CRM-lite)
Online proof approvalsIncludedIncluded
User capUnlimited team seats5 / 10 / 20 by tier
Actual printing
In-house print productionYes -- DFW shop (DTF, screen, banners, signs, apparel, promo)Not offered -- you bring your own production
Same-week turnaroundYes -- pickup or ship from DallasDepends on your shop
Apparel + promo sourcingDirect vendor integrationsCatalog integration with SanMar / S&S / alphabroder
Sample fulfillment for salesYes -- free for active customersNot applicable (software only)
Marketing and demand gen
SEO content + technical SEOMAD SEO AI ships content + on-page fixesNot offered
Google Ads / Meta Ads managementManaged by our DFW teamNot offered
Reputation managementReview requests + monitoring bundledNot offered
Google Business ProfileListings + GBP fully managedNot offered
AI brand visibility (AIBV)MAD AIBV tracks brand in ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, GeminiNot offered
Customer experience
Customer-facing online storeLumise + Woo, fully managedMerch (their online stores product, separate spec)
Branded customer portalYes -- your brandYes
Online paymentsStripe / Square / ACHStripe integration
Pricing structure
Per-user fees beyond tierNoneTier upgrade required to add users
Setup / onboarding feeFree with annualFree, but expect implementation hours
Contract lengthMonth-to-month or annualMonth-to-month
Bundled marketing servicesYes -- alwaysNo
Pricing

What you actually pay, side by side

Printavo

Shop-management software (quotes, scheduling, invoicing)

  • Up to 5 users on Standard
  • You still need a print shop
  • You still need a marketing team
  • Merch (online stores) is a separate product spec
  • Implementation hours typically required

MAD Monkey Media

Software + print shop + marketing, one bill

  • Unlimited team seats
  • In-house DFW print production (DTF, screen, banners, signs, apparel)
  • Quotes, scheduling, invoicing, customer portal
  • SEO, ads, reputation, listings, AIBV all bundled
  • Lumise + Woo online store managed for you
  • Free migration off Printavo
A typical 8-person print shop saves $4,000-$12,000/year
Customer story

A typical Printavo switch looks like this

We were on Printavo Growth, paying $269 just for the software, hitting the user cap, and then writing a separate $1,800/mo check to a marketing agency. MAD ate all of that for one monthly bill -- and they actually print our overflow when our shop is jammed.
Switching

How we move you off Printavo in 5 steps

Free migration with every annual subscription. Our team handles the export, mapping, and go-live so you keep working through the switch.

1

Discovery call

30-min audit of your Printavo tier, user count, active jobs, and current marketing spend.

2

Export your jobs

Pull contacts, open quotes, in-flight jobs, and customer history from Printavo native export.

3

Set up your shop

We stand up your MAD shop dashboard, import your catalog, mirror your pricing rules.

4

Parallel week

Both systems run for 5 business days. Finish open Printavo jobs there; start new jobs in MAD.

5

Cut over

Cancel Printavo, marketing services kick on, MAD stays on call for 30 days.

Independent reviews

What buyers say on third-party sites

Snapshot from public review sites. Verify the live ratings at the linked sources.

"Solid scheduling and quoting. Pricing tiers force upgrades faster than expected."
"Great calendar, weak CRM. You will still need marketing tools."
"Helps run the shop you already have; does nothing to get you customers."
FAQ

Common questions before switching

Is MAD actually a print shop or just software?

Both. MAD Monkey Media has been a Dallas print shop for 20+ years running DTF, screen printing, large format banners and signs, apparel decoration, and promo. The software runs the shop; the bundle includes us doing the printing if you want it (you can also keep your own production -- the software works either way).

Do I have to stop using my own production equipment?

No. Use MAD shop-management software with your in-house production exactly like Printavo. The bundled print-fulfillment angle is an option -- great for overflow, oversized jobs, or services you do not offer (DTF, signs, banners).

What about my Printavo Merch online store?

We replace it with a Lumise + WooCommerce store on WordPress -- managed for you, faster, more customizable, and SEO-friendlier (since WP outranks SaaS subdomains). Migration of products + brand is included.

How long does migration take?

Most shops cut over in 10-14 days. Parallel-mode for one business week ensures no open job gets dropped during the switch.

Will my staff have to relearn everything?

The MAD shop dashboard mirrors Printavo conventions where possible (kanban-style job board, color-coded statuses, quote-to-invoice flow). We run a 90-min training session for your team and stay on call for 30 days post go-live.

Can MAD actually generate leads for my shop?

Yes -- that is the bundle. We run SEO content targeting your service area, manage Google Ads + Meta Ads, build your Google Business Profile, send review requests, and track your brand visibility in AI search (AIBV). Print shops typically see lead volume double within 90 days when marketing is actively managed instead of neglected.

What about per-user fees and team seats?

No seat tax. Bring your whole team, including casuals and freelancers, on the same flat subscription. Printavo Standard caps at 5 users; Growth at 10; Enterprise at 20. MAD does not cap.

Do you integrate with apparel vendors like SanMar?

Yes. We pull live pricing and inventory from SanMar, S&S Activewear, alphabroder, and other major decorator vendors so quoting is instant and accurate.

What if I want to keep my current marketing agency?

You can. MAD offers shop-management standalone if you only need the software side. The bundle math just gets stronger when you let us replace the outside marketing spend too.

What happens to my data if I leave MAD?

Full export of contacts, jobs, quotes, invoices, and customer history in standard formats (CSV, JSON). WP store data is yours -- you can keep the WordPress site running on your own host. No proprietary lock-in.

Stop paying for software AND a printer AND an agency.

Book a 20-minute call. Bring your last Printavo(R) invoice and your current marketing spend; we will show the bundled MAD bill side-by-side, live.

Book your Dallas-local strategy call