ArtByBearded Merch Designer 3D vs The Forge Customizer
Two Shopify apps, side by side: detected stores, momentum, reviews, plans, listed features and who runs each. Store counts as of Nov 4, 2026.
The short answer
- Paid plans start at $29/month for ArtByBearded Merch Designer 3D and $19/month for The Forge Customizer.
Head to head
Pro
- · 3D cap designer with 9 models
- · English and Swedish storefront
- · Text and logo embroidery
- · Unlimited quote requests
Free
- · 3 catalogs
- · Builder on 1 product + 1 Static product
- · Fees, backorders and hat SKUs
- · Orders tab and production board
- · Production files for every order
Core
- · Auto-create a listing for each design
- · Builders by product, tag or collection
- · Everything in Free
- · Library builders: shop all your designs
- · Store-wide builders
- · Unlimited catalogs
Coverage counts what each App Store listing names. Every feature, checked off app by app, is in Shoplist.
See every featureSelling custom caps usually means long email threads. Merch Designer 3D adds a 3D designer to your online store. Customers choose a cap model and colours for every part, pick the closure, and add embroidered text or a logo to the front, sides or back. They then send a quote request with quantity, a preview image and a design file. You see every request in the app and also receive it by email.
Sell custom patch hats, or patches on their own, without the back and forth. Shoppers pick a hat, shape, material and size, then upload a logo, type text or choose one of your designs, and see it on the hat before they buy. Engraved artwork is traced to vector automatically. Every order arrives in your Orders tab and production board with a file ready for your laser or printer.
- Real 3D caps: baseball, trucker, flat brim, dad hat and performance models
- Text and logo embroidery on front, sides and back with a live 3D preview
- Quote requests with colours, quantity, preview image and design file
- Patch builder on your product pages: upload, text, or pick your designs
- Sell patch hats or patches on their own, laser engraved or UV printed
- Production-ready SVG for every order, with cut line and edge finish
- Turn your designs into SEO product listings, photos made for you
All the numbers
Every figure, side by side
A green dot marks the app ahead on a measured figure. Estimates, gaps and apps that leave no storefront trace never take the lead.
Adoption
| Measure | ||
|---|---|---|
| Detected stores | Not published | Not published |
| Net store change, 28 days | 0 | 0 |
| Stores added, 28 days | Not enough data | Not enough data |
| Big-brand share | Not enough data | Not enough data |
| Top store categories | Not published | Not published |
| Top store countries | Not published | Not published |
Reviews
| Measure | ||
|---|---|---|
| App Store rating | Not published | Not published |
| App Store reviews | Not published | Not published |
| New reviews, 28 days | Not enough data | Not enough data |
| Reviewers a year or more in | Not enough data | Not enough data |
Pricing
| Measure | ||
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Not listed | Not listed |
| Lowest paid monthly plan | $29/month | $19/month(ahead) |
| Longest free trial | 14 days | 7 days |
| Plans listed | 1 | 2 |
Listing
| Measure | ||
|---|---|---|
| Shopify category rank | Not enough data | Not enough data |
| Shopify App Charts | Not on this week’s charts | Not on this week’s charts |
| Built for Shopify | No | No |
| Launched | Nov 4, 2026 | Nov 3, 2026 |
| Languages | 2 | 1 |
| Developer | ArtByBearded AB | Maker Foundry |
FAQ
ArtByBearded Merch Designer 3D and The Forge Customizer: common questions
- Is ArtByBearded Merch Designer 3D or The Forge Customizer cheaper?
- Paid plans start at $29/month for ArtByBearded Merch Designer 3D and $19/month for The Forge Customizer. Shoplist compares base prices only between monthly plans in the same currency; usage charges and annual plans vary, so check each plan’s limits.
- Where does this comparison’s data come from?
- Shoplist crawls Shopify storefronts to detect which apps each store runs, and reads each app’s Shopify App Store listing for reviews, pricing, features and integrations. Store counts are as of Nov 4, 2026; estimated figures are labeled.
How Shoplist compares apps
Store counts come from Shoplist’s crawl of Shopify storefronts, which detects the apps each store runs; they are as of Nov 4, 2026. Reviews, ratings, plans, features and integrations come from each app’s Shopify App Store listing. 28-day figures are labeled when estimated, and a figure that is missing or estimated never decides who leads. Read the methodology.