The 5 Finest Label Printing Software program I Examined and Advocate

Having led a nonprofit devoted to sending sanitary pads to areas going through shortage, I’ve personally navigated the challenges of managing shipments and making certain every parcel reaches its vacation spot with the precise info.

Operating such an initiative typically required me to make use of the finest label printing software program, and belief me, it’s not as simple because it appears. From getting the precise sizes to making sure the labels stick correctly, there’s a number of behind-the-scenes work that goes into it. The method can turn into much more overwhelming once you’re counting on outdated or inefficient instruments. The improper software program can result in errors, wasted time, and a number of frustration.

That is why discovering the precise label printing resolution is essential. By streamlining your complete course of, you may scale back handbook effort and have peace of thoughts that each label is printed exactly.

My high 5 finest label printing software program suggestions for 2025

With so many choices accessible, I understand how overwhelming it may be to search out the precise one. That’s why I’ve compiled an inventory of the perfect label printing software program instruments for 2025 that can assist you select the one that most closely fits your wants and makes your labeling duties hassle-free.

These instruments aren’t only for nonprofits. Companies can use them for product delivery, colleges for occasion provides, and people for organizing private shipments.

Regardless of the trade, the precise label printing software program could make the duty simpler and extra environment friendly.

What I search for in the perfect label printing software program

When testing the perfect label printing software program, I concentrate on the next key options to make sure it meets the wants of companies that require environment friendly, high-quality label creation and printing:

• Label design flexibility: I assess whether or not the software program affords a variety of design choices, permitting customers to create labels of varied shapes, sizes, and layouts. The software program ought to assist customized dimensions and templates for various label codecs (e.g., delivery labels, product labels, barcode labels, and packaging). It also needs to permit for superior design customization, together with font kinds, colour schemes, borders, and alignment instruments to create professional-looking labels.
• Barcode and QR code era: I verify whether or not the software program contains built-in instruments to generate barcodes and QR codes. The flexibility to simply create completely different barcode sorts (e.g., UPC, EAN, Code 128) and customise their dimension, density, and alignment is important. For companies that require product monitoring or stock administration, having sturdy barcode and QR code era options ensures correct, scannable labels. I additionally have a look at whether or not the software program permits for straightforward testing of barcode high quality earlier than printing.
• Integration with databases and spreadsheets: The very best label printing software program ought to be capable to combine with databases, spreadsheets, and different software program programs to streamline the label era course of. I assess whether or not the instrument helps importing knowledge from CSV information, Excel spreadsheets, or stay databases. This function is especially helpful for printing giant batches of labels with distinctive knowledge, resembling product names, costs, or delivery addresses. I verify if the software program affords mail merge-like performance to automate the inhabitants of labels with dynamic knowledge.
• Assist for various printing strategies: I consider whether or not the software program is appropriate with numerous label printers, together with desktop, industrial, and cell printers. It ought to assist each thermal switch and direct thermal printing strategies. Moreover, the software program ought to permit customers to regulate print settings resembling print velocity, decision, and label alignment to optimize high quality and effectivity primarily based on the kind of printer getting used.
• Template library: I assess whether or not the software program affords a wealthy library of pre-designed templates and layouts to hurry up the label creation course of. Templates needs to be accessible for numerous industries, together with retail, logistics, meals and beverage, and healthcare. This function is very useful for customers who must create normal labels rapidly with out ranging from scratch. I additionally verify if customers can save their customized designs as templates for future use.
• Batch printing: The software program ought to assist batch printing, which is essential for companies that must print giant portions of labels directly. I assess whether or not the instrument permits customers to handle print jobs effectively by queuing a number of label designs or printing in bulk primarily based on dynamic knowledge. Printing lots of or 1000’s of labels with minimal intervention is important for streamlining operations, particularly in high-volume environments.
• Integration with stock and delivery programs: I verify if the label printing software program integrates with in style stock administration, delivery, and e-commerce platforms (e.g., Shopify, Amazon, UPS, and FedEx). This integration permits companies to routinely generate delivery labels and observe and optimize stock with out manually coming into knowledge. It streamlines order success and ensures consistency between order knowledge and the printed labels.

The checklist under comprises real person evaluations from our greatest label printing software program class web page. To qualify for inclusion within the class, a product should:

• Embrace templates for numerous sorts of labels (e.g., delivery, stock)
• Permit non-technical customers to design and print labels
• Present options to categorize labels and modify them by batch
• Ship WYSIWYG label designers with choices to tug and drop
• Assist a number of languages and various kinds of barcodes
• Adjust to rules or trade requirements resembling GS1-128

This knowledge has been pulled from G2 in 2025. Some evaluations have been edited for readability.

After testing Avery Design & Print, I discovered it to be a extremely handy instrument for creating and printing Avery labels, stickers, and different customizable designs.

One of many greatest benefits was how easy it was to format every part for printing on Avery stickers. I did not should spend time adjusting margins or worrying about alignment—every part match completely proper from the beginning. This made your complete course of easy and saved me a number of time.

Establishing the software program was simply as simple. Downloading and putting in Avery Design & Print took just a few minutes, and I might leap straight into my undertaking with none pointless steps or problems.  There was no steep studying curve, and the intuitive workflow allowed me to start out instantly.

One other function I appreciated was the flexibility to retailer Avery templates and designs for future use. This was particularly helpful after I wanted to make minor tweaks or reprint a design with out ranging from scratch. Having my earlier templates available made redesigning fast and hassle-free.

Nevertheless, just a few drawbacks stood out. The person interface might use some enhancements when it comes to UX design. Whereas practical, sure components felt outdated, and navigating via the instrument wasn’t as seamless as I might have favored.

Additionally, the free templates have been considerably restrictive, significantly relating to font sizes and design flexibility. I discovered myself restricted when it comes to artistic freedom, which was irritating after I wished to experiment with completely different kinds.

Lastly, switching between options typically felt sluggish, which interrupted my workflow. It wasn’t a dealbreaker, however the occasional gradual response did make the expertise really feel much less fluid.

What I dislike about Avery Design & Print:

• The person interface felt considerably outdated and may benefit from a extra trendy UX design. Whereas practical, navigating via the instrument wasn’t as seamless as I had hoped, making some duties really feel clunky.
• The free templates have been restrictive, significantly in font sizes and design flexibility. I discovered it irritating after I wished to experiment with completely different kinds however was restricted by the instrument’s built-in constraints.

What G2 customers dislike about Avery Design & Print:

“In comparison with skilled design software program, Avery Design & Print would possibly supply fewer superior modifying instruments. This could possibly be a disadvantage for customers needing particular design components.”

– Avery Design & Print Evaluate, Med A.

I used to be impressed by Label LIVE’s highly effective batch printing, which allowed me to effortlessly automate order printouts and label era. The method was extremely environment friendly—by merely dumping a accurately formatted CSV or XML file right into a monitored folder, Label LIVE took care of the remaining. This saved me an incredible period of time and streamlined my workflow considerably.

One other facet I appreciated was the What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) designer interface, which supplied a seamless printing expertise throughout completely different printers. I even examined it on an 80mm printer, and the outcomes have been surprisingly crisp and well-aligned.

One other robust level was the software program’s deep integration with programming logic, as I might dynamically present or conceal components primarily based on situations. Moreover, the flexibility to combine straight with spreadsheets utilizing variables made it simple to automate and customise label era with out handbook intervention.

Nevertheless, there have been just a few downsides. The error messages could possibly be extra user-friendly and descriptive, as I typically discovered myself troubleshooting points via trial and error. A extra detailed rationalization of the issues would have saved me appreciable time.

Moreover, the print preview function didn’t work as anticipated—even when my label printer was listed and chosen because the default. The software program nonetheless reported that no printer was discovered. This was irritating, as I needed to undergo additional steps simply to confirm how the label would look earlier than printing.

Lastly, fine-tuning label sizes for particular printers required extra effort than I anticipated, which made the preliminary setup a bit tedious.

What I dislike about Label LIVE:

• The error messages weren’t descriptive sufficient, forcing me to troubleshoot points via trial and error. A clearer rationalization of issues would have saved me appreciable time and frustration.
• The print preview function didn’t at all times acknowledge my chosen default printer. Regardless of being listed, the software program reported that no printer was discovered, requiring additional steps to confirm label formatting earlier than printing.

What G2 customers dislike about Label LIVE:

“Label creation could possibly be quicker. When printing greater than 100 completely different labels, the method can take as much as 10 minutes, which might be time-consuming.”

– Label LIVE Evaluate, Tommy Y.

After testing BarTender, I discovered it to be a sturdy and versatile barcode label printing software program. It’s broadly used for creating and printing barcodes, RFID tags, and extra

Considered one of its greatest strengths is the availability of pre-built templates, which considerably sped up the design course of. As a substitute of ranging from scratch, I might select from numerous templates and customise them to suit my wants. This was particularly useful when working underneath tight deadlines, as I might rapidly tweak present designs moderately than constructing every part from the bottom up.

Moreover, BarTender’s means to pull variable knowledge from exterior databases or Excel added a strong automation layer. This function allowed me to create dynamic labels with out manually inputting info, which is a big benefit for companies dealing with large-scale labeling.

Nevertheless, regardless of these benefits, deployment and person entry management have been obscure. The tenderware lacks clear documentation on limiting person permissions, making it difficult to handle entry for various staff members. I needed to experiment fairly a bit earlier than determining one of the best ways to regulate person settings, which was irritating.

One other main draw back is the steep studying curve. Whereas BarTender affords spectacular performance, getting snug with all of its options took appreciable time. YouTube tutorials can be found, however they’re very common and don’t go into sufficient depth to handle extra particular points. A extra structured and detailed assist system would have made the educational course of a lot smoother.

What I dislike about BarTender:

• The shortage of clear documentation for managing person permissions made deployment and entry management complicated. I needed to experiment extensively earlier than discovering an efficient option to management person settings, which was time-consuming.
• BarTender has a steep studying curve regardless of its highly effective options. The accessible YouTube tutorials have been too common and didn’t present the depth wanted for extra particular points, making the educational course of tougher than it needs to be.

What G2 customers dislike about BarTender:

“It’s difficult to grasp the deployment course of, product limitations, and learn how to set person restrictions, making it troublesome for finish customers to navigate.”

– BarTender Evaluate, Larry M.

I discovered MarkMagic to be extremely customizable. The flexibility to export and import completely different codecs made it extraordinarily versatile, permitting me to work with numerous file sorts seamlessly. This flexibility was significantly helpful when coping with a number of labeling necessities throughout completely different platforms.

One other main plus was the truth that MarkMagic runs completely within the browser, eliminating the necessity for software program set up. This made it extremely handy to entry from any gadget with out worrying about system compatibility or updates. Moreover, the graphical person interface (GUI) was simple to study, making the onboarding course of easy and intuitive.

I additionally appreciated how effortlessly MarkMagic built-in with present programs, permitting for fast implementation with out requiring main changes. Its cloud-based nature was one other large profit for me, because it ensured accessibility from anyplace whereas lowering the necessity for native storage or upkeep.

Nevertheless, the person interface could possibly be modernized to enhance the general person expertise. Some components felt outdated, and a extra polished design would improve navigation and value.

One specific problem I encountered was with textual content formatting in J-Magic, which felt a bit clunky. Adjusting textual content kinds and placements wasn’t as easy as I might have favored, requiring extra handbook tweaking than anticipated.

Moreover, I faced challenges in correctly formatting photographs to be used on kinds, which typically required additional effort to make sure right alignment and determination.

What I dislike about MarkMagic:

• The person interface may benefit from modernization. Some components felt outdated, and a extra polished design would enhance navigation and general usability.
• I encountered challenges with textual content formatting in J-Magic, which was not as easy as anticipated. Adjusting textual content kinds and placements required extra handbook effort than anticipated.

What G2 customers dislike about MarkMagic:

“I’ve encountered challenges with MarkMagic when utilizing two-dimensional (2D) barcodes, as they take considerably longer to generate in comparison with one-dimensional (1D) linear barcodes. Moreover, formatting photographs accurately to be used on kinds has been problematic.”

– MarkMagic Evaluate, Craig L.

Loftware Cloud is a extremely environment friendly and user-friendly labeling resolution, perfect for environments that demand fast label creation underneath strain. Its ease of use allowed me to design and print labels quickly, whilst a newbie, saving useful time I might have spent studying a brand new instrument. 

One of Loftware Cloud’s standout advantages is its scalability, making it a powerful match for organizations of all sizes. Whether or not you are printing easy labels or managing high-volume, complicated label manufacturing, the software program adapts simply to evolving enterprise wants. 

When it comes to designal, Loftware Cloud excels with numerous options that make label creation each artistic and practical. The drag-and-drop performance made it simple to design professional-quality labels, even with out superior graphic design expertise. Pre-defined templates have been extremely useful for streamlining the design course of, whereas the flexibility to save customized designs as templates ensured consistency throughout a number of initiatives. Including barcodes to labels was equally simple, requiring solely the number of the suitable barcode symbology—no technical experience was essential.

I used to be additionally impressed with the multi-printer configuration, which allowed for seamless printing throughout numerous places or groups. The flexibility to distribute the workload throughout a number of servers considerably enhanced the system’s efficiency, making certain that label printing remained easy and uninterrupted even throughout high-demand durations.

Nevertheless, Loftware Cloud does have some drawbacks that I encountered throughout my use. One problem was the occasional bugs that disrupted my workflow, making sure duties extra irritating. Particularly, I discovered that error messages weren’t at all times clear, making it troublesome to pinpoint the supply of the difficulty and troubleshoot successfully.

The configuration course of will also be considerably complicated. A number of steps are concerned, and for customers unfamiliar with the platform, it could take longer than anticipated to get every part arrange correctly.

Moreover, whereas I appreciated the flexibility to write in JavaScript for extra superior label customization, the script editor felt restricted. The small window and lack of a monospace font made it troublesome to work with and fewer user-friendly than I might have most popular. A extra intuitive scripting interface would have significantly improved the expertise.

Lastly, the dealing with of subject sizes within the label design was considerably inconsistent. Throughout the design course of, the fields appeared to take up extra horizontal house than they really did when printed. This discrepancy led to some misalignment points, requiring trial and error to make sure that the fields have been positioned accurately on the ultimate label.

What I dislike about Loftware Cloud:

• I encountered occasional bugs that disrupted my workflow, making sure duties extra irritating. The shortage of clear error messages made troubleshooting difficult, slowing the method.
• The configuration course of was extra complicated than I anticipated, with a number of steps concerned. This made setup take longer than anticipated, particularly for customers unfamiliar with the platform.

What G2 customers dislike about Loftware Cloud:

“Typically, labels don’t generate accurately primarily based on the serial quantity. There are additionally a number of bugs, resembling adjustments not making use of instantly and solely reflecting after logging out and logging again in.”

– Loftware Cloud Evaluate, Abhash Ok.

When selecting between CMYK or RGBF for label printing, it is best to print in CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black) mode, as that is the usual colour mannequin for printers. RGB (Crimson, Inexperienced, Blue) is good for digital screens however doesn’t translate precisely to print, affecting colour high quality.

5. Which is the perfect free label printing software program?

Label Reside is one of the finest free-label printing software program choices. It affords a easy, user-friendly interface with important options like barcode creation, template choice, and print preview. Discover different free label printing software program.

Might all of your labels stick the place they belong!! 

The very best label printing software program I examined affords numerous options to fulfill completely different enterprise wants, from ease of use and customization to highly effective integrations and high-volume printing capabilities.

However keep in mind, your necessities would possibly differ relying on the dimensions of your small business or the complexity of your labels, so it’s at all times a good suggestion to check out just a few choices earlier than deciding on one. 

And don’t overlook, whereas it’s essential to get the right label printed, it’s simply as necessary to position it on the precise field. As a result of, let’s face it, the very last thing you need is for that “fragile” label to finish up on a field filled with rubberbands as a substitute of glassware.

Design and customise labels like a professional with the finest graphic design software program.