While there are certainly better ways to exchange contact information, business cards will forever be part of the business world. They're a fact of life. (Though business card files are, thankfully, being replaced by more manageable scanned digital business cards.)

Unfortunately, they can also be quite expensive. Using a traditional printing service is a pain, and printing them yourself never gets the best results.

So, we've collected some of the best places to get cheap business cards online. Design your custom business card online or upload your own file, hit Print, and you'll have your cards in a matter of days.

1. GotPrint: $8.50 for 500

At this price, you're likely to get inconsistent results. You should know that going in. GotPrint's reviews aren't the best. (Though the 100% satisfaction guarantee might give you some added confidence.)

That being said, it's really tough to beat this price. GotPrint's most basic cheap business cards, which include 14 pt. paperstock, either uncoated or with a high-gloss UV finish, are $8.50 for 500. That's less than $0.01 each!

To print on both sides of the card, you're looking at $19.88, which is still less than you'll pay for single-sided cards elsewhere.

2. Vistaprint: $9.99 for 500

If you've ever ordered prints online, you probably know about Vistaprint. They're one of the most popular, reliable, and affordable printers out there. And business cards are no exception.

They're not the highest-quality business cards you can get. But with Vistaprint's constantly rotating set of coupons, you can usually find a great deal on some basic cards.

At the time of this writing, for example, you can get 500 basic business cards for $9.99 (with the current offer). That's about $0.02 each. Even without the coupon, you're only looking at $20.00, which still isn't too bad.

Of course, you can get nicer finishes, fancier corners, and better paper stock, but that'll cost you extra. Upgrading to premium paper stock will bring the cost up to $17.99.

Get Your Business Cards From Vistaprint

3. Staples: $14.99 for 500

Not every service on this list is an online-only print shop. Staples, long known for their brick-and-mortar office supply stores, actually has very competitive rates for cheap business cards.

And their pricing structure is simple. For basic cards, you pay $14.99 for 500 (about $0.03 each). A glossy finish is another $5, as is backside printing.

You can also pick them up in-store, which is nice if you don't want to wait for shipping. They're not the cheapest, but you can expect consistent quality and good service. And you can get your prints when you're away from home, which is nice.

Order Your Business Cards From Staples, Now

4. PrintPlace: $17.00 for 500

Like GotPrint, PrintPlace doesn't have the best reviews for quality. But at just over $0.03 each, you're getting some very cheap business cards. So you have to make some compromises.

$17.00 will get you 500 business cards on 14 pt. cardstock, with printing and gloss coating on one side. You can add gloss to the other side for $0.05, or get two-sided cards for $23, which is still a good deal.

Of course, there are plenty of other options for finishes and cardstocks, as well.

5. Uprinting: $20.63 for 500

We're getting into the higher end of the cheap business cards here, but you'll still only pay about $0.04 per card.

At $20.63 for 500, you'll get 14 pt. cardstock and a gloss finish. Matte finish comes out to $25.46 per 500, which is still a pretty good deal.

Uprinting also offers a variety of business card shapes, including the very cool leaf-shaped card. They're not as creative as some of the more outlandishly creative business card options out there, but they'll still get you a lot of attention.

6. Printrunner: $21.80 for 500

This printing company gets decent reviews, and at just over 4¢ per card, they still offer a great deal.

$21.80 will get you 500 cards on 14 pt. cardstock with a glossy finish. Matte finish will cost you a bit extra, as will using slightly heavier paper. You can also get lighter 13 pt. paper that's made from recycled materials, which is a nice way to be a bit more eco-friendly. Though you will have to pay more.

Printrunner also offers a free file check to help avoid any facepalm-inducing errors after submission.

7. Overnight Prints: $24.81 for 500

While their reputation isn't quite as good as Vistaprint's, Overnight Prints do have quite a few good reviews. And true to their name, they offer some very fast shipping options.

Overnight's standard paper is 15 pt, so it's slightly heavier than the basic options on the other sites. And this price is for a matte finish. If you want a gloss finish, it'll be an extra $1 per 100 cards.

There are lots of other options, including texture files, sandwich-style cards, spot UV coating, and soft touch laminate. Check out Overnight's site for pricing details on each.

Is It Cheaper Than Printing Your Own?

Some of these business cards are pretty cheap, but will it actually save you money over printing your own?

Consider and compare to the cost of Avery's matte business card paper (which isn't expensive but isn't exactly cheap) plus the cost of ink affordable (which can be very expensive).

The cheapest business cards you can get online WILL definitely save you money over printing your own. They'll save you a lot of effort, too, which is definitely worth something.

However, you're likely to get more consistent results from printing your own, especially if you have a nice printer and use photo-quality ink. If you're trying to reduce the chances that you'll get some colors that are off or smudges here and there, printing your own might be the best way to go.

And because you can design your own business cards with Microsoft Word templates, you can experiment with your designs before committing to one. If you're more graphically inclined, you can also design your own business cards in Adobe Illustrator.