Comparison
BadgeBadger vs IDCreator
Both let you design ID badges in a browser. The difference is what happens when you press “Print.” IDCreator charges per card and ships it; BadgeBadger is a flat $29/month and you print on your own card printer.
The 100-employee math
| 100 employees, 1 reprint per year per person | IDCreator | BadgeBadger |
|---|---|---|
| Base card price | $8.00 / card | No per-card fee (you buy blank cards and ribbon) |
| Slot punch | + $0.35 / card | Built-in (any printer that supports it) |
| Bulk discount | ~35% at 100+ cards | N/A, flat rate |
| Annual cards (100 fresh + 20 reprints) | 120 × $8.35 × 0.65 ≈ $651 | Unlimited reprints |
| Shipping | 3-7 business days per batch | None, you print on demand |
| Subscription | None | Solo plan, billed yearly: $290 / yr |
| Net annual cost | ~$651 if everything goes right | $290 + blank cards and ribbon, plus a printer if you don’t have one (~$1,200 one-time) |
If you’d need to buy a card printer, IDCreator costs less for a roster this size: at 120 cards a year, the printer takes a few years to pay for itself. If you already own one, or you print a few hundred cards a year (seasonal hires, summer camps, lost cards), BadgeBadger costs less from the first year.
Feature comparison
| Feature | IDCreator | BadgeBadger |
|---|---|---|
| Design tool | In-browser editor, drag/drop | In-browser editor, drag/drop, smart guides, mini-map |
| Ships printed cards to you | You print from your own card printer (or mail to a service) | |
| Pay-per-card tax | $8+/card after design | None, flat rate |
| Reprints (lost card, name change) | $8/card every time | Free, instantly |
| Kiosk mode (self-serve issuance) | No | Built-in /kiosk surface |
| Print from a phone | No | Yes, remote print to any paired workstation |
| REST API + webhooks | No | Yes: sync employees, get badge.printed events |
| CSV import | Yes | Yes, with column mapping |
| Card encoding (magstripe, prox, MIFARE) | Some | Roadmap |
| Hardware required | None | Card printer (~$1,200 for an entry-level model) |
| SOC 2 | Marketed | Not started |
| FERPA-friendly DPA | Unclear | Template at /legal/dpa |
When IDCreator is the right choice
- You print fewer than ~30 cards a year and never reprint.
- You don’t want to own a card printer or ribbons or consumables. The cost of those for low volume is real.
- Your design changes once a year and you can wait 3 to 7 days for each batch.
When BadgeBadger is the right choice
- You print > 50 cards a year. Per-card pricing adds up; flat-rate pays for itself.
- Turnover is the norm. Summer camps, K-12, amusement parks and gyms need same-day issuance, not a shipping wait.
- You want an API. Sync from your HRIS, fire webhooks downstream, hook into the printer from a phone.
- You already have a printer. Or you print enough that buying one pays off: at a few hundred cards a year, it pays for itself in the first year.
Try BadgeBadger
The free trial prints 10 cards, enough to know if it fits.