Best Shipping Software

#1 Shipping Easy: Overall Best Value

When it comes to a software that does a lot with little investment, we recommend ShippingEasy. Pricing plans range from $0 to $99 a month depending on how many orders you want to ship, with a 30-day free trial. With this pricing in mind, ShippingEasy is one of the least expensive shipping software options out there.

Shipping Rate Discounts & Comparison

ShippingEasy offers multiple plans for shipping rate discounts, including access to USPS Commercial Plus (which is a heavy shipping discount program typically exclusive to higher volume stores). All paid plans have access to this program, saving you up to 46% on USPS shipping rates. Additionally, ShippingEasy offers an exclusive USPS discount program for paid users called Flat Rate Green, which will give you even more discounted rates regardless of shipping volume.

When it comes to shipping rate comparison, ShippingEasy has one of the simplest rate comparison dashboards of any shipping software. You’ll have access to competitive rates that you can compare in real-time from their supported shipping carriers. ShippingEasy supports 5 main shipping carriers: USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, and DHL Express.

Multi-channel Integration

ShippingEasy integrates with over 35 carts and seller marketplaces through its plug-and-play integration. Their software automatically syncs all of your channels, downloads order details, helps you assign shipping preferences, and sends any eCommerce channel you use real-time updates of shipping status, tracking numbers, rates, and delivery options. With automated batch processing and inventory counts updating across all channels, you won’t have to worry about doing any of this work manually. You can even easily process non-store orders, such as sales from markets or retail stores.

Shipping Labels and Fulfillment Features

When it comes to shipping labels, ShippingEasy gives you the ability to generate batches of multi-carrier labels directly in their app. You can quickly create and print (or email) labels with your custom logo and branding from your shipped orders list. Email notifications containing shipping information and tracking numbers are sent out as well. Returns are simple too, with 1 click returns sending a PDF to the customer using the original shipment settings. You can even use ShippingEasy for dropshipping; every plan lets you allow vendor or fulfillment partners to access orders, as well as set up automated rules to route orders to fulfillment.

Takeaway

ShippingEasy is the best value shipping software for a small business; they even offer a free plan for smaller merchants shipping less than 50 packages per month. One main drawback for you may be the low amount of shipping carriers that it supports, but the 5 that they do support are the biggest and most likely the ones you’ll be using. You also can’t ignore the huge amount of savings they offer and how much you can access with a free account. If you’re looking for an easy to use, inexpensive, and decently comprehensive shipping software solution, then try out ShippingEasy. For more details, read our ShippingEasy vs ShipStation comparison.

#2 ShipStation: Best for High Order Volume

If your store sells a much higher volume of orders, then ShipStation may be the shipping software choice for you. Pricing ranges from $9 to $159 a month, with a free 30-day trial; each pricing plan allows you to ship a certain number of orders a month, ranging from 50 to unlimited. ShipStation also has a mobile app that’s free for iOS and Android devices, which you can use to manage shipments on the go.

Shipping Rate Discounts and Comparisons

ShipStation, like other shipping software, also gives you access to USPS Commercial Plus rates; however, these savings are limited to packages under 10 pounds. They additionally offer a service through their FedEx partnership called FedEx Advantage, which can save you 20% to 39% on Ground and Express rates.

One of the most remarkable aspects of ShipStation is the sheer amount of carriers they support; ShipStation integrates over 30 international, freight, and fulfillment service carriers, including USPS, FedEx, UPS, and Royal Mail. You’re able to compare shipping rates for each shipment by selecting carriers, methods, and even warehouse location.

Multi-Channel Integration

ShipStation also boasts integration with more than 50 carts and marketplaces, which is more than what ShippingEasy offers, while also being able to import all of your orders and automatically update tracking info and shipment status across your channels. However, the drawback here is that inventory counts don’t automatically update across all channels, so you will have to do this manually.

Shipping Labels and Fulfillment Features

ShipStation includes the ability to create up to 500 custom branded batch labels at a time across multiple shipping carriers with the added benefit of being able to do it all from a mobile device, which is helpful for high volume sellers on the go. The added ability to print labels and packaging slips simultaneously is a great help in cutting down time when you’re dealing with high volume orders. You can also quickly and easily create a return label for a specific order from their shipping screen.

In addition to these features, ShipStation gives you the ability to generate picklists, packing slips, and reports for orders, products, shipping costs, and more within their software.

Takeaway

One of the main benefits to ShipStation is how it works so well for a high volume or truck/freight shipper. With its huge list of supported carriers and channel integrations, mid- to high-volume eCommerce sellers will be able to use and ship with their preferred services without a hitch. However, the main drawbacks of ShipStation are its discount limitations and lack of inventory features; being unable to have inventory counts sent to channels automatically may be an issue if you’re a multi-channel seller. So, if you’re high volume and don’t care about this drawback, you may want to look into ShipStation.

Looking to learn more about ShipStation, read our ShipStation vs ReadyShipper comparison.

#3 ShipRush: Best for Comparing Rates

If you’re a small or medium sized business looking for the best shipping software for comparing rates between different carriers, then we recommend ShipRush. Pricing is $29.95 per month, with a free trial that lasts 60 days (the longest free trial out of these four).

Shipping Rates Discounts and Comparisons

Using ShipRush, you’ll have access to up to 60% savings on USPS shipping rates with their ShipRush Discount Postage program, as well as up to 21% savings on FedEx rates with their ShipRush FedEx Advantage program. ShipRush also provides real-time side-by-side carrier rate and delivery date comparisons, all from their central rate dashboard. This service supports a wide range of shipping carriers, including US and global parcel and freight and LTL carriers. You’ll be able to compare rates between USPS, UPS, FedEx, Direct Link, Worldwide Express, and more.

Multi-Channel Integration

ShipRush is also unique in that it supports integration with over 70 different eCommerce channels, including carts, marketplaces, and CRM accounting systems. This makes it so that you can easily import orders from all of your channels automatically, also allowing you to look up and track orders from any web browser.

Shipping Labels and Fulfillment Features

Like the other shipping software solutions, ShipRush allows you to bulk print labels (up to 5,000 labels a day). They also have the added feature of remote label printing with the built-in ShipRush Cloud Print service. With ShipRush, you can print domestic and international labels, packing lists, and customs documents. They also support both dropshipping and remote site shipping, which is a huge plus.

To streamline operations, ShipRush also allows you to set up automated rules, such as automatically emailing customers with tracking information and updating every order in your store with shipping information.

Takeaway

The main difference between ShipRush and the previous two shipping software is that it’s not web-based; instead, it is a program that you can download for your Windows desktop operating system. This extra step, combined with the program’s learning curve, means that its ease of use is moderate in comparison. Aside from this, ShipRush is still a great shipping software option with a lot of features, a decent amount of carriers, and a huge amount of channel integrations that work to make sure you get the best rates available across your entire eCommerce business.

#4 ShipWorks: Best for Selling on Marketplaces

If you’re a medium or enterprise-level eCommerce business that deals with a lot of marketplace selling, then ShipWorks is probably the shipping software for you. Pricing plans range from $25 to $199 per month, with a 30-day free trial; plans differ depending on the amount of shipments you’ll want to be able to make per month, ranging from 600 to unlimited.

Shipping Rates Discounts and Comparisons

With ShipWorks is an included free USPS Postage account, which will allow you to access the best rates available from USPS. Additionally, ShipWorks offers a UPS savings program that can get you up to 30% off of UPS rates. If you make a new FedEx account with ShipWorks, you’ll also be able to get up to 16% off shipping rates. The software also offers a feature called “instant rate shopping” which allows you to easily compare carriers and services for the best rates. ShipWorks supports 6 carriers: USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, OnTrac, and GlobalPost.

Multi-Channel Integration

ShipWorks supports integrations with over 80 shopping carts, marketplaces, and order management systems; this is the largest amount of channels out of all of the above. This is what makes it a great choice for eCommerce businesses who sell across multiple marketplaces; you’ll surely be able to integrate every single channel that you use with ShipWorks. This will help to bring all of your order management into one place with the ability to import your orders from all of your channels.

Shipping Labels and Fulfillment Features

Like the other shipping software options, ShipWorks also offers batch shipping so you can generate multiple labels from different shipping carriers simultaneously. You can also automatically print pick lists and packing slips, streamlining the process. Return shipping labels are also available, with the ability to email return labels for any carrier to your customers. Their automation software is also robust, allowing you to automate and schedule any shipping task, including backups, order holds, automated insurance applications, and much more. ShipWorks gives you a lot of customization options with their automated service, which helps when dealing with multiple channels, varied products, and international shipping.

Takeaway

Similar to ShipRush, the ShipWorks program is not web-based, and runs only on Windows desktop operating systems. This gives it a learning curve that you can’t ignore, making its ease of use moderate. ShipWorks doesn’t support as many carriers as some of the competition (only beating ShippingEasy by one carrier), but it does come with the added benefit of having the highest amount of channel integrations. If your eCommerce business deals with a wide variety of marketplaces, both popular and obscure, then ShipWorks may be the shipping software for you.