Sam McCraw
If you’re a print-on-demand seller or a designer you might be looking for the best ways to showcase your designs on mugs or create images of your designs in real-life environments.
The good news is that there are mug mockup generators that can make the process of creating appealing images with your designs much easier. However, not all the mug mockup generators available online are worth your time.
Lucky for you we’ve tried out all the major ones and put together a list of the best ones to make it easy for you.
Use the links below to jump to a specific mockup generator:
- Placeit
- Smart Mockups
- Media Modifier
- Renderforest
- Artboard Studio
- Vexels
- Printify
- Printful
- MockupsJar
How we tested the tools
To properly review each mug mockup generator we scored them in four main categories:
- The volume of mockup templates
- Tool usability and features
- Quality of the final images
- Overall value for money
To have a fair comparison of the different tools we used the same design with every mug mockup generator:
Mockup Generators
If you’ve never heard of or used a mug mockup generator before, here’s a quick explanation.
It’s simply an online tool that lets you quickly and easily place one of your designs onto an existing image. There are plenty of different types of mockup generators including t-shirt mockup generators, book mockup generators, and even billboard mockup generators.
Most online mug mockup generators are incredibly easy to use but the only downside is that you lose out on some of the customization options you would get if you used a tool like Adobe Photoshop.
However, there are plenty of tools providing quality mockup templates (such as all the ones in this list) and they’re constantly improving, so you’re bound to find some quality mockups that have what you’re looking for.
#1 Placeit Mockup Generator
First up we have Placeit which is an online design tool that lets you easily create a whole bunch of designs including merch designs, logos, videos, and so much more. Their most popular product feature is their mockup generator.
They have a huge range of mug mockup templates (over 1,200 at the time of writing) so if you’re after a varied range of cup and mug mockups you should definitely look at their library.
Whatever you’re after e.g. images of coffee mugs by themselves, or someone holding a mug, or mugs next to food, etc. you’re going to find it on Placeit. You can even filter the templates by gender, ethnicity, age, etc. if you have specific models in mind.
Customizing the templates is incredibly quick and easy too, and if you get a Placeit subscription you can download as many as you want at a really affordable price.
Placeit even offers some free templates too, so if you’re on a tight budget there’s something for you too.
Mug mockup we made with Placeit:
Pricing:
- Some free templates
- Individual mockup: $7.95
- Monthly subscription with unlimited downloads: $14.95
- Annual subscription with unlimited downloads: $89.95
#2 Smart Mockups
In second place we have Smart Mockups which is a tool solely focused on helping users create awesome mockups. Their mockup generator is extremely easy to use and has some nice features.
They offer a good range of high-quality templates, including some free mug mockups too but where they fall short in comparison to Placeit in the number of mug mockups they offer – currently around 450.
However, if you have your own mug photos, you can utilize Smart Mockups custom mockups feature which allows you to create your own mockups with images you upload.
Smart Mockups also has an integration with Canva. So, if you’re a Canva user you can easily transfer your mug designs from there into your Smart Mockups account. It’s a very useful feature!
Mug mockup we made with Smart Mockups:
Pricing:
- Some free templates
- $14, $24, or $84 monthly subscription (tiered options) all with unlimited downloads
- $108, $228, or $828 annual subscription (tiered options) all with unlimited downloads
#3 Media Modifier
Like Placeit, Media Modifier is an online design that templates for social media, t-shirt designs, and a lot more but their mockup generator is their most widely used feature.
They have a solid range of mug mockups available on the platform, currently around 85 templates – most of which are good quality and have varied scenes for you to choose from.
Customizing the mug mockup templates is very easy, you can have your mug mockup ready to go in a matter of seconds.
Media Modifier also allows you to download your mockup file as a PSD. So, if you have some knowledge of Photoshop that might interest you.
Mug mockup we made with Media Modifier:
Pricing:
- Free (images have a watermark)
- $19: Monthly subscription with unlimited downloads
- $108: Annual subscription with unlimited downloads
#4 Renderforest Mockup Generator
Renderforest is another online design tool that has a variety of tools including their own mockup generator which has just over 30 mug mockup templates that you can utilize.
They also have some ‘mockup packs’ to make it easy for you to find similar groups of mockups, including the Cafe branding and packaging mockups set.
Their mug mockups have a unique look to them, and all of the images are just with objects (there are no people in the images) so if that’s the kind of mockup images you’re after you should check out their range.
A feature of their mug mockup generator that we like is that they show you how your design looks on similar mockups when you are customizing a template. So, if you like how your design looks on another template you can easily select that one.
Mug mockup we made with Renderforest:
Pricing:
- Free mockups (with watermark)
- $3.99: Individual mockup
- $19.99 – $59.99: Monthly subscription plans with unlimited downloads
- $83.88 – $599.88: Annual subscription plans with unlimited downloads
#5 Artboard Studio
If you’re a bit more control and customization options than most mockup generators give you then Artboard Studio could be just what you’re looking for.
It’s quite similar to more advanced design software like Photoshop in that your designs have layers and it’s possible to select and modify most aspects of the designs. It gives you far more control than any other tool in this list.
You can choose mug mockup templates to form your mockup design (Artboard Studio has just over 10 templates at the time of writing) or you can even create designs from a blank canvas using their design elements.
If you’re looking to avoid complex mockup tools then Artboard Studio probably won’t be for you, and they also have far fewer templates than the other tools listed so far. However, it’s still a great mockup tool and perfect for those with an eye for the finer details.
Mug mockup we made with Artboard Studio:
Pricing:
- Some free templates
- $15 per month for an unlimited subscription
#6 Vexels Mockup Generator
Vexels recently released their very own online mockup generator which, like most of its competitors, is incredibly quick and easy to use.
They have a fairly small selection of mockup templates compared to some of the other tools in this list, and this is also the case with their mug mockups – there are currently 7 available to utilize. What’s there is good quality though.
They do a good range of mug mockups in PSD format though, so if you have some experience with Photoshop you should check out their PSD library.
Similar to Renderforest, when you edit a mockup there are related mockups in the sidebar of the editor which display your design too, and you can select another template if you like how your design looks on it.
Mug mockup we made with Vexels:
Pricing:
- $9.99 – $89.99: Monthly subscription plans
- $90 – $816: Annual subscription plans
#7 Printful
If you’re using Printful for your print-on-demand store then you should take advantage of their free mockup generator. With their tool, you get can print files and mockups all within the same platform.
They have a decent-sized selection of mugs that you can sell and each product comes with a few mockups of that product that you can use to showcase your designs and market your products.
The mockup generator itself is easy to use and has all the customization options you’d expect such as the ability to add your own design, place it, resize it, and also choose the color.
The main issue with Printful’s mockups is the number (you don’t get too many options) and also the fact that many of the other sellers using Printful will be using the same ones. So keep that in mind!
Mug mockup we made with Printful:
Pricing:
- 100% free
#8 Printify
Like Printful, Printify is a print-on-demand platform that allows you to create an online store and sell products whilst they handle all product fulfillment.
They also have their own free mockup generator which you can utilize as a Printify user.
It’s very easy to use, you simply select a mug that you want to sell in your store, add your design, adjust the placement, select the color (if possible), and then you’re good to go.
They give you a few mug mockup versions of your design. All of these images can be used in your store or to promote your designs and products.
If you’re after more unique images and mockups then we recommend looking elsewhere, however, if you’re okay with fairly standard images, and especially if you’re a Printify user then you should take advantage of their free tool.
Mug mockup we made with Printify:
Pricing:
- 100% free
#9 MockupsJar
When it comes to premium mockup generators MockupsJar isn’t among the strongest. The interface and user flow aren’t the best, and it can be a little bit confusing at times.
However, there are some quality mug mockup templates available on the platform. Currently, they have 10 mug and cup mockups you can utilize for your designs.
You can also try the tool completely for free with your first 20 downloads of premium templates being 100% free, making a decent option as a free mockup generator.
After your first 20 downloads, you’ll either have to subscribe to get access to full resolution mug mockups or be content with low-resolution images (640 x 480 px).
If you’re looking for a premium mockup generator we’d recommend looking elsewhere at the moment.
Mug mockup we made with MockupsJar:
Pricing:
- Free plan
- Personal plan: €5 per month or €25 per year
Related articles
- Best mockup generators
- T-shirt mockup generators
- Book mockup generators
- Hoodie mockup generators
- Hat Mockup generators
- Sticker mockup generators
- Tote bag mockup generators
- Phone case mockup generators
- Embroidery mockup generators
- Video mockup generators
- How to create mockups without Photoshop
- How to create mockups with Canva
- How to create a t-shirt mockup
Wrapping things up
So there you have 9 tried and tested mug mockup generators.
These online mug mockup generators make it incredibly easy to showcase your mug designs easily and quickly.
We hope this guide was helpful to you!
Oh, and if you have any questions, comments, or have suggestions for other awesome mug mockup generators, leave a comment below!
