Shipping
5 Alternatives to ShipStation for Ecommerce Shipping Software
- Written by Aisling Miller
If you’re looking for ShipStation alternatives, look no further. ShipStation is a well-respected name in the shipping management software industry, owned by Auctane, who own ten different shipping software brands.
ShipStation finds discounted shipping rates fast, streamlines order management, and enhances the delivery experience with real-time tracking and alerts.
But if you've been impacted by their recent price rises, or are about to invest in a paid ShipStation subscription, it’s crucial to look at all noteworthy alternatives - including free ones that are just as good and won't eat into your bottom line.
Let’s jump into it.
Table of Contents
What is ShipStation?
ShipStation features for your shipping process
How much does ShipStation cost?
What are the disadvantages of ShipStation?
Top 5 ShipStation alternatives:
1. Veeqo
2. Pirate Ship
3. Stamps.com
4. ShippingEasy
5. Easyship
Which ShipStation alternative should you choose?
ShipStation alternatives: customers also ask
Resources you’ll love
Jump into the future of shipping
What is ShipStation?
ShipStation is a popular, cloud-based shipping management software. It helps you find discounted rates for a good range of carriers, including UPS, USPS, DHL, FedEx, and Royal Mail.
ShipStation features for your shipping process
In addition to buying discounted shipping labels, ShipStation also comes with the following features:
Order management
ShipStation integrates with over 50 ecommerce and fulfillment channels, including BigCommerce, Shopify, Big Cartel, Amazon, and eBay. This provides a unified interface for managing the logistics of your ecommerce business.
Branding tools
Use ShipStation to create an impactful customer experience through branded shipping labels, customizable email templates, packing slips, and more. Create or purchase these directly through the ShipStation platform.
Inventory management
Track your inventory by setting stock alerts, viewing real-time stock levels, and allocating/deallocating stock through ShipStation. Pull inventory data from ShipStation’s inventory management integrations, like Cin7, QuickBooks, and SkuVault.
Delivery tracking
Track delivery times in-app or through automated notification emails. Customize your delivery emails with your logo and various branding elements through a visual editor.
How much does ShipStation cost?
ShipStation is a paid shipping software that requires a monthly subscription*.
The entry-level “Starter” plan costs $9.99 per month. This is good for up to 50 shipments per month with access to one user.
ShipStation’s “Bronze” plan costs $29.99 per month—a modest amount for bigger businesses that deliver up to 500 shipments per month.
For multi-user plans, ShipStation offers the following subscription tiers:
Silver ($59.99 per month): up to two users and 1,000 shipments per month.
Gold ($99.99 per month): up to three users and 2,000 shipments per month.
Platinum ($149.99 per month): up to five users and 5,000 shipments per month.
Enterprise ($229.99 per month): up to 10 users and 7,500 shipments per month.
*Pricing last accessed April 2023
What are the disadvantages of ShipStation?
Like many shipping software providers, ShipStation isn't perfect. Here’s a quick look at some of the drawbacks of using ShipStation.
Login issues. A handful of ShipStation users have reported intermittent login issues preventing them from using the platform.
No free plan. ShipStation’s rigid pricing model makes it impractical for businesses that ship less than 50 packages per month.
Extra fees. Advanced inventory management has to be done via 3rd party integrations at an extra cost.
Top 5 ShipStation Alternatives
If you have had a bad experience with ShipStation, are worried about its negative reviews, or perhaps feel that ShipStation is simply not a good fit for you and your business, then consider the top five ShipStation alternatives below.
1. Veeqo: Industry-leading shipping solution
Veeqo is a free, game-changing shipping software designed to simplify and optimize the shipping process.
It's also the only shipping software owned by Amazon, so it integrates seamlessly with Amazon's products and services, and provides you with A to Z protections as it's built on Amazon's Buy Shipping.
Unlike other software, you won’t experience an increase in fees as your business grows, as it remains free no matter what size your business is.
Not only does Veeqo find discounted rates from shipping carriers, the unified dashboard grants a bird’s-eye view of all selling channels.
It integrates with the top ecommerce platforms and marketplaces, including:
Amazon
BigCommerce
eBay
Etsy
Magento
Shopify
Walmart
Veeqo is also equipped with robust and easy-to-use inventory management features.
Track your inventory across various selling channels and organize them using tags on the “Products” page. Veeqo also helps monitor and manage your active product listings—perfect for tracking inventory for all your virtual storefronts.
Another noteworthy feature of Veeqo is the rule-based automation tool for order management.
Set up rules to automatically select the carrier, packaging specifications, and shipping service to use rather than doing it manually.
Set automation rules using parameters such as:
Destination (country and postal code)
Amazon delivery options
Total price
Total order volume
Allocation weights
Allocation warehouses
Custom product tags
Veeqo also supports integrations with third-party logistics (3PL) services like Amazon FBA, CartRover, Floship, and Torque. This grants streamlined control of your entire supply chain.
Veeqo vs. ShipStation
| Veeqo | ShipStation |
Automatically sync inventory across stores | ✅ | ❌ |
Purchase and print shipping labels | ✅ | ✅ |
Shipment tracking and notifications | ✅ | ✅ |
Inventory forecasting | ✅ | ❌ |
Automation tools | ✅ | ✅ |
Synchronized warehouse management | ✅ | ❌ |
Digital picking | ✅ | ❌ |
Free plan | ✅ | ❌ |
Using Veeqo to access instant carrier discounts
Find discounted shipping rates with Veeqo via the “Orders” page and select the orders you want to process.
Define the package type and preferred shipping rate for orders individually or in bulk. To set the correct packaging, click the drop-down menu below the “Package” column.
Under “Shipping Rates,” select the shipping service you want to use before purchasing shipping labels.
Veeqo puts the most cost-effective shipping services at the top of the selection. This saves time while you make the most out of every sale.
Do this in bulk by selecting the orders, clicking ‘Actions,’ and choosing the services you want under ‘Edit services.’
Click ‘Apply’ to save your preferences and click the blue ‘Buy label’ button to finalize your order.
Further reading: Veeqo vs ShipStation Comparison Guide
2. Pirate Ship: Good for UPS and USPS shipping
Pirate Ship is another free shipping management platform that can replace ShipStation if you’re budget-conscious.
Pirate Ship’s straightforward interface lets you find cheap shipping rates for your orders quickly. The drawback is it only covers USPS and UPS shipping services.
Optimize your shipping and order management by integrating Pirate Ship with ecommerce platforms. This imports orders and tracking information straight into one interface.
Some of the supported integrations are:
Shopify
Cratejoy
eBay
Etsy
Subbly
BigCommerce
Big Cartel
Pirate Ship vs. ShipStation
| Pirate Ship | ShipStation |
Automatically sync inventory across stores | ❌ | ❌ |
Purchase and print shipping labels | ✅ | ✅ |
Shipment tracking and notifications | ✅ | ✅ |
Inventory forecasting | ❌ | ✅ |
Automation tools | ❌ | ✅ |
Synchronized warehouse management | ❌ | ❌ |
Digital picking | ❌ | ❌ |
Free plan | ✅ | ❌ |
Further reading: Read out in-depth ShipStation vs Pirate Ship Comparison
3. Stamps.com: Buy postage and labels for online sellers
Stamps.com is a cloud-based service developed to help purchase and print your own shipping labels and stamps.
Similar to Pirate Ship, Stamps.com only supports UPS and USPS shipping services. But you can consolidate orders from select ecommerce channels, including Amazon, Etsy, eBay, and Sears.
Stamps.com also enhances the user experience through delivery tracking, notifications, and confirmations. Configure and automatically share tracking information with customers through the web-based interface.
Further reading: 5 Alternatives to Stamps.com for Online Shipping Labels
Stamps.com compensates for its modest list of features with third-party integrations. For example, it integrates with platforms like Shipedge, OPAL, and SureDone to seamlessly weave your shipping and inventory management together.
Lastly, Stamps.com lets you create presets for commonly-shipped items to automate the process. This is a huge time-saver if you have a limited workforce or do everything yourself.
Stamps.com vs. ShipStation
| Stamps.com | ShipStation |
Automatically sync inventory across stores | ❌ | ❌ |
Purchase and print shipping labels | ✅ | ✅ |
Shipment tracking and notifications | ✅ | ✅ |
Inventory forecasting | ❌ | ✅ |
Automation tools | ✅ | ✅ |
Synchronized warehouse management | ❌ | ❌ |
Digital picking | ❌ | ❌ |
Free plan | ✅ | ❌ |
4. ShippingEasy: Freemium shipping platform for ecommerce stores
ShippingEasy’s key features include user-friendly order management, advanced reporting, and real-time tracking. It also comes with built-in customer marketing and relationship management.
ShippingEasy is a SaaS solution designed to make your fulfillment operations as manageable as possible.
Find discounted rates from UPS and USPS shipping services while avoiding surcharges.
ShippingEasy also integrates with major shopping cart services, ecommerce platforms, and marketplaces. Orders can be imported into your ShippingEasy visual tracker in real-time.
ShippingEasy is also equipped with automation features for order management, carrier selection, packaging, and insurance.
For pricing, ShippingEasy offers a free plan that lets you experience the platform’s basic features. However, the plan is only good for up to 25 shipments per month.
ShippingEasy vs. ShipStation
| ShippingEasy | ShipStation |
Automatically sync inventory across stores | ❌ | ❌ |
Purchase and print shipping labels | ✅ | ✅ |
Shipment tracking and notifications | ✅ | ✅ |
Inventory forecasting | ✅ | ✅ |
Automation tools | ✅ | ✅ |
Synchronized warehouse management | ❌ | ❌ |
Digital picking | ❌ | ❌ |
Free plan | ✅ | ❌ |
Further reading: ShippingEasy vs Pirate Ship Comparison
5. Easyship — Great for international sellers
Easyship is another popular shipping software that optimizes fulfillment operations. It’s effective for companies that ship internationally, thanks to automatic calculations for landed costs, import duty, and taxes.
Easyship makes the international shipping process easy (for you and your customers) through ‘dynamic live rates’. This lets you display the estimated duty and taxes upon delivery to international destinations.
Of course, Easyship also comes with the essential features you would expect from a shipping software.
The shipping dashboard makes it easy to find discounted shipping rates, covering domestic and international shipping services.
Easyship’s partner carriers include USPS, UPS, DHL, SF Express, Aramex, and Sky Postal.
Similar to Veeqo, Easyship lets you create rule-based automation workflows with a visual editor. This helps save time in selecting the ideal carriers and shipping services for orders.
Easyship vs. ShipStation
| Easyship | ShipStation |
Automatically sync inventory across stores | ❌ | ❌ |
Purchase and print shipping labels | ✅ | ✅ |
Shipment tracking and notifications | ✅ | ✅ |
Inventory forecasting | ❌ | ✅ |
Automation tools | ✅ | ✅ |
Synchronized warehouse management | ❌ | ❌ |
Digital picking | ❌ | ❌ |
Free plan | ✅ | ❌ |
Which ShipStation alternative should you choose?
Businesses have unique shipping needs that require unique solutions.
If you’re looking for the best ShipStation alternative, you can’t go wrong with Veeqo.
Veeqo is an all-in-one shipping solution that helps you with inventory management, sales reports, and forecasting, among other things.
We’re able to provide Veeqo for free because we benefit from shipping volume passed to our partner shipping carriers. It’s all part of our mission to help sellers, like you, stay a step ahead.
Our users enjoy our top-quality shipping software solutions without paying a single cent, no matter how large their business is.
What’s more, we have released a set of “power features,” including digital picking with a mobile device and synchronized inventory control. All for free.
Our dedicated team of product experts regularly speak to sellers to gather feedback and ensure new and exciting features are continuously added to our roadmap.
Customers Also Ask
What exactly does ShipStation do?
ShipStation is a paid shipping management platform that helps businesses find discounted rates for global carrier services. It also consolidates inventory management via integrations with ecommerce channels, including Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Shopify, and Walmart.
Is there a monthly fee to use ShipStation?
Yes, ShipStation’s pricing starts at $9.99 per month for up to 50 deliveries. The more volume and users, the higher the monthly price.
Can I use ShipStation for free?
ShipStation offers a free trial for up to 30 days (60 days if you have an offer code). Once your trial expires, you need to purchase a paid subscription to continue using ShipStation.
What is the best ShipStation alternative?
Veeqo is one of the best ShipStation alternatives and the most cost-effective.
Not only does Veeqo provide powerful shipping software, you also get access to inventory control, digital picking and advanced analytics and reporting at no extra cost. Veeqo can top most of ShipStation’s features, and it’s 100% free to use!
Lastly, our shipping software’s intuitive user interface allows users to navigate through the system easily.
Further reading: Reliable Alternatives to Auctane's 10 Shipping Software Brands
Resources you’ll love
Jump into the future of shipping
You don’t need to wait for a next-generation, revolutionary shipping software to take your ecommerce business to the next level—it’s already here.
Best of all, it’s free.
Create your free Veeqo account and enjoy the benefits of an all-in-one shipping solution today.
