Disclosure first: ValidGrad sells replica diplomas and transcripts. We are one of the four services compared below, so this is a vendor’s comparison, not a review. There are no star ratings here and no claim that anyone tested anything. Everything in the tables is what each company publishes on its own website, quoted with the page it came from and the date it was checked: September 13, 2026.
On published prices, SameDayDiplomas is the cheapest entry point ($69 for a high school diploma, $129 for a college diploma) and DiplomaCompany the most expensive for a college document ($212). The bigger differences are not the headline prices: whether a proof is included or sold as an add-on, what a document matched to a specific school costs, and what the seller promises if the document arrives wrong. One more thing no seller’s own page tells you is that two of the four sites below are run by the same company.
Who actually sells these documents
Doc Printers, which describes itself as a document printing business based in Richmond, Virginia operating since 2001, lists its “family of sites” as PhonyDiploma.com, Realisticdiplomas.com, SameDayDiplomas.com and HeyCongrats.com. Two of the four services compared here therefore share an owner, which explains why their policies read alike (both allow 90 days to report a misprint) and why SameDayDiplomas’ published refund policy gives an @docprinters.com support address. If you are price-shopping across those two sites believing you are getting competing quotes, you are not.
DiplomaCompany states on its guarantee page that it has been producing replica documents since 2007. ValidGrad operates the builder, designers and printing behind this site. Anyone comparing sellers should start by asking who is behind the brand, because in this market several storefronts often lead back to one production shop.
Published prices, checked September 13, 2026
These are entry prices for stock designs, a layout from the seller’s own library with your details typeset into it. Prices move, and the page each figure was read from is listed under Sources.
| Service | High school diploma | College diploma | High school diploma and transcript | College diploma and transcript |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ValidGrad | $119.99 (list $139.99) | $119.99 (list $139.99) | $219.99 (list $279.98) | $219.99 (list $279.98) |
| DiplomaCompany | $99.00 | $212.00 | $159.00 | $379.00 |
| PhonyDiploma | from $79 | from $139 (house design) | category listed from $79 | category listed from $200 |
| SameDayDiplomas | $69.00 | $129.00 | $149.00 | $259.00 |
PhonyDiploma publishes starting prices by category instead of a price per product on the pages checked, so its cells read “from.” DiplomaCompany lists a college transcript on its own at $179.99, so its $379.00 set is the cheaper route if you need both documents.
Matching a specific school’s document is a separate tier at every seller, and the gap between the two tiers is large:
| Service | What the matched tier is | Published price |
|---|---|---|
| ValidGrad | Custom order, with a dedicated designer building the document from your reference, a digital proof and unlimited revisions before printing | $313.99 diploma (list $374.99), $442.99 transcript (list $503.99), $623.99 for both (list $878.98) |
| DiplomaCompany | Matched from its own archive, and the company says it carries over 4,000 original high school layouts | No separate match price published on the pages checked |
| PhonyDiploma | Matched to an original school design, or rebuilt from a scan or photo you send | From $199 matched to the school design, from $250 rebuilt from your scan, and transcripts from $450 |
| SameDayDiplomas | Matched to a real school’s document | $185–$205 high school diploma, and $550–$600 for a college diploma and matching transcripts |
Read the add-ons before comparing headline prices. At SameDayDiplomas a proof is a paid extra, $20 for an emailed proof to approve and $40 with a photograph of the finished print. A mailed hard copy adds $10 on top of the digital file, an embossed or metallic seal upgrade is $50, and a diploma cover is $20 to $35. A $69 diploma with a proof, a seal upgrade and a mailed copy is a $149 order. DiplomaCompany includes a proof at no charge on every order. ValidGrad includes the PDF with every order and shows the document in the builder before payment.
What to check before ordering from anyone
A proof before anything prints
A proof is a digital mock-up of the finished layout, covering name, dates, seals and signatures, sent for approval before printing. It is the single cheapest way to avoid a reprint, and the four sellers treat it very differently. DiplomaCompany sends one free, typically within one to two hours of the order, and states that if you reject it and the problem cannot be fixed, the card authorization is voided. SameDayDiplomas sells proofing as an add-on. PhonyDiploma offers proof and final digital copies by email. ValidGrad’s builder previews the document as you type, and the custom tier includes a proof with unlimited revisions.
Paper
Paper weight is the specification that separates a document that hangs well from one that reads as a printout, and it is measurable, unlike “premium quality.” DiplomaCompany publishes an actual table, listing stock from 24 lb (90 gsm) to 65 lb (175 gsm), with US high school diplomas typically in the 28–32 lb range and college documents in the 32–65 lb range with a linen or cotton-fiber texture. Ask any seller for the weight in pounds or gsm and the finish. A seller that answers with an adjective has told you nothing. Our guide to what paper diplomas are printed on covers what schools themselves use.
Seals, foil and raised text
An embossed or foil seal is produced with a die and a press, not a printer, which is why every seller in this comparison charges for seal upgrades or lists them as a feature rather than assuming them. Raised lettering is a separate process again. These are the details that decide whether a framed document looks right from three feet away, and they are worth more attention than the base price. What the diploma seal does explains how schools use them, and real versus replica diplomas shows where the differences are visible.
Turnaround, against what your school charges
Published windows, September 13, 2026: DiplomaCompany ships within 24 business hours of proof approval with standard US delivery in three to five business days, and offers a same-day digital PDF. SameDayDiplomas defines “same day” precisely, with digital copies ordered before 1:00 p.m. Eastern and print copies mailed the same day if ordered before noon Eastern. ValidGrad delivers the digital file immediately and ships physical documents in five to seven business days, or two to four with priority. PhonyDiploma publishes free US shipping over $150 instead of a production window on the pages checked.
Compare that with the real thing before you order a replica. An official replacement from the issuing school is the document that actually proves anything, and our replacement diploma wait times guide collects what registrars charge and how long they take. If the original is obtainable, order it.
What happens if it arrives wrong
This is where the published terms diverge most. SameDayDiplomas refunds in full before design work starts, keeps a 50% design fee if you cancel after design but before shipping, does not refund custom printed documents after shipping, and reprints free for a misprint or defect reported within 90 days. PhonyDiploma states it will not issue a refund for its own spelling or content mistake but will replace and reship the document, that a mistake you made requires a paid reprint, and that misprints must be reported within 90 days. DiplomaCompany publishes a 90-day satisfaction guarantee. ValidGrad’s FAQ points customers to the preview before purchase and charges a $30 shipping fee for changes requested after an order ships. Custom orders include a free replacement with shipping covered by the customer.
What the seller says about legal use
Read the disclaimer before the product page. SameDayDiplomas states its documents are for “replacement, restoration of a lost or damaged document, extra copy for home or office, novelty (fun), props for movies and commercials, or your records only” and that it does not make them to be used to misrepresent anyone. DiplomaCompany states its documents are produced for personal display, entertainment and novelty purposes and not for misrepresenting qualifications to an employer. ValidGrad’s terms state that you may not use the software to falsify documents, create fraudulent documents or otherwise misrepresent any person or entity. A seller that will not say this plainly is telling you something.
Red flags
- “Verifiable,” “registered with the school,” or “passes a background check.” No printed document passes a records check, because the check does not examine the paper. It asks the school or its records service. A site promising otherwise is selling fraud, usually attached to a diploma-mill scheme. How employers verify degrees walks through the actual process.
- Marketing aimed at job applications. Copy about using the document to get hired, or to satisfy an employer asking for proof of education, describes a crime rather than a product. The line between a legal novelty and fraud is set out in our overview of what a fake diploma is and is not, and the consequences in can you go to jail for lying about graduating high school.
- Template generators and diploma-maker software promising authenticity. A downloadable template or a browser generator produces a design file. It cannot produce 32 lb linen stock, a die-struck foil seal or raised lettering, which is precisely what a framed document is judged on, and home printing gets you a flat inkjet copy. Printing your diploma at home covers what that route can and cannot do.
- No published price, no address and no refund policy. Every seller in the tables above publishes prices and terms. A quote-only site with no company details and no stated policy gives you nothing to hold it to.
- Stock photos of documents instead of samples. Ask for a sample of the exact layout. A seller that will not show its own work, or that shows images carrying another company’s watermark, is not printing what it is advertising.
How ValidGrad’s maker works
ValidGrad’s documents are replicas made for display: a wall copy, a replacement for a lost original, a gift, a prop. They are not issued by a school, they certify nothing, and they must never be used to claim a credential or to answer a verification request. Our terms state that you may not use the software to falsify documents or misrepresent any person or entity, and that restriction is the condition of sale.
The builder works in one pass: choose the document, enter the details, and the preview updates as you type, so you approve the layout before paying instead of after. A PDF is delivered immediately and the printed document follows. How to use the diploma maker is the step-by-step version. Start with the replica high school diploma or the replica college diploma, and current pricing for every document is on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a replica diploma cost?
On the four sites checked on September 13, 2026, a stock-design high school diploma runs $69 to $119.99 and a college diploma $129 to $212. A document matched to a specific school runs $185 to $313.99, and a matched diploma-and-transcript pair $442.99 to $600. Add-ons change these numbers, because proofing, seal upgrades, covers and mailed copies are priced separately at some sellers and included at others.
Which service is cheapest?
On published stock prices, SameDayDiplomas: $69 for a high school diploma and $129 for a college diploma. It is not the cheapest once a proof ($20), a mailed copy ($10) and a seal upgrade ($50) are added, and it is the same company as PhonyDiploma, so ordering from both to compare does not diversify anything.
Can I make my own diploma?
You can lay one out in any design tool and print it. What you cannot reproduce at home is the material: heavy textured stock in the right size, a die-struck or foil seal, raised lettering. Those are the features people notice on a wall, and they are the reason printed replicas exist as a product at all.
Can employers detect fake diplomas?
Verification does not inspect the document. An employer or screening firm contacts the school or a records service such as the National Student Clearinghouse and asks whether the degree was awarded. A replica does not appear in those records and is not intended to.
Are these services legal?
Buying, owning and displaying a novelty replica is legal in the United States. Presenting one as a genuine credential, to an employer, a school, a licensing board or a government agency, is fraud. Every seller in this comparison states that restriction in its own terms, and novelty diplomas and transcripts sets out where the line falls.
Sources
- ValidGrad: pricing, FAQ, custom diploma, terms. Checked September 13, 2026.
- Doc Printers, docprinters.com (company location, year founded, family of sites). Checked September 13, 2026.
- SameDayDiplomas: high school diploma, college diploma, high school diploma and transcript set, matched high school diploma, proof review add-on, refund policy, disclaimer. Checked September 13, 2026.
- PhonyDiploma: home page, USA college and university diplomas, terms and conditions. Checked September 13, 2026.
- DiplomaCompany: high school documents, USA college documents, proofing, 90-day guarantee, paper, home page. Checked September 13, 2026.