ShipBob vs Amazon FBA: Which is Best for Fulfilment?

ShipBob and Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) are two of the most popular order fulfillment solutions for ecommerce sellers. Both help you outsource warehousing, packing, and shipping—but they operate in completely different ways.

I’ve tested both across different ecommerce setups: Amazon-only storefronts, multichannel DTC brands, and hybrid models.

Based on firsthand experience and hours of research, here’s how these two fulfillment giants stack up.

ShipBob vs Amazon FBA: Quick Verdict

ShipBob – Best for multichannel sellers and branded DTC stores
Amazon FBA – Best for selling directly on Amazon with Prime delivery

If you want to sell on Amazon and benefit from fast Prime shipping, FBA is the clear choice.

But if you care about brand control, packaging, and selling across multiple platforms like Shopify, Walmart, and Etsy, ShipBob comes out ahead.

Quick Comparison: ShipBob vs Amazon FBA

Here's a quick overview of how ShipBob and Amazon FBA compare:

Feature	ShipBob	Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA)
Best for	Multichannel ecommerce brands	Amazon-first sellers
Platform restriction	Sell anywhere	Amazon-focused
Branded packaging	✅ Yes	❌ No
Prime badge	❌ No	✅ Yes
Customer service & returns	Optional add-on	Fully managed
Storage pricing	Transparent	Can spike in Q4
Setup complexity	Moderate onboarding	Quick and easy
Account management	Dedicated rep	Limited support
Inventory limits	Flexible	Strict (especially in Q4)

Both have strengths—but they’re built for different kinds of businesses.

Below, I’ll walk you through pricing, features, and real-world performance to help you decide.

Best for Pricing: Depends on What You Sell

Let’s start with one of the biggest deciding factors—cost. Both ShipBob and FBA charge for storage, picking, packing, and shipping. But their pricing models are structured differently.

Amazon FBA Pricing

FBA charges based on product size and weight, plus seasonal storage costs.

Fee Type	Price (Standard Products)
Fulfillment fee	$3.22 – $6.12 per unit
Monthly storage (Jan–Sep)	$0.87 per cubic foot
Monthly storage (Oct–Dec)	$2.40 per cubic foot
Aged inventory (271+ days)	$6.90 per cubic foot
Returns handling	Included for most categories

There’s no seasonal storage spike or aged inventory penalty—what you see is what you get. But the per-order cost can be higher, especially for low-margin products.

ShipBob Pricing

ShipBob takes a flat-fee, transparent approach to pricing. You’ll pay based on services used, order volume, and product dimensions. The upside? No surprise spikes or penalties.

Fee Type	Average Price
Pick & Pack	$0.25 per pick (1st pick free)
Shipping	Starts at $5.00 per order
Storage	$10 per shelf/month or $40 per pallet/month
Receiving	$25 per hour (or flat rate per shipment)
Custom packaging	Additional, varies by material & volume

ShipBob also offers volume-based discounts for larger merchants and bundled rates for high-frequency SKUs.

One key advantage is consistent pricing across seasons—there’s no spike in Q4 storage rates, and no aged inventory penalties. You can forecast expenses more accurately and scale with fewer surprises.

Winner:

FBA is more cost-effective for fast-moving, Amazon-only inventory
ShipBob is better for sellers who want pricing consistency, branded packaging, and multichannel flexibility

Best for Multichannel Fulfillment: ShipBob

If you plan to sell across multiple platforms—like your Shopify store, Amazon, Walmart, and Etsy—ShipBob is the better choice.

ShipBob Supports:

Shopify
WooCommerce
BigCommerce
Amazon
Walmart
Etsy
eBay
Custom platforms via API

You can manage all channels in one dashboard, distribute inventory across warehouses for 2-day shipping, and track performance in real time.

Another big plus is that ShipBob offers a seamless tech stack with integrations for inventory forecasting, order tracking, and ERP systems.

If you're using tools like Skubana, NetSuite, or Cin7, you’ll appreciate how easy ShipBob makes it to sync your logistics across platforms. This level of backend alignment isn’t something you get out of the box with Amazon FBA.

Amazon FBA Supports:

Amazon (obviously)
Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) for Shopify, etc. (but expensive and slow)

While Amazon technically allows non-Amazon orders through MCF, it’s not cheap, and shipping isn’t Prime-fast. Also, you can’t use custom branding.

Winner:
ShipBob is purpose-built for multichannel DTC brands, while FBA works best for Amazon-only sales.

Best for Branding & Packaging: ShipBob

With FBA, your orders ship in generic Amazon-branded boxes. You can’t add inserts, coupons, or custom packaging.

ShipBob lets you:

Use custom boxes, tape, tissue paper
Include flyers, thank-you cards, discount codes
Personalize packaging per product or SKU
Deliver a branded unboxing experience

This makes a huge difference for customer retention and long-term brand value.

Even better, ShipBob offers kitting and assembly services. That means if you sell bundles, multi-packs, or custom kits, they can prep everything for you.

These details matter when you're trying to create a high-end customer experience or compete in a saturated niche.

Winner:
ShipBob gives you full control over customer experience, which FBA simply doesn’t allow.

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Best for Customer Support & Returns

Fulfillment by Amazon

Amazon handles:

Returns and exchanges
Customer service (emails, chats, calls)
Refunds, including issuing partial refunds

This is great for automation—but it also means you’re giving up control over customer communication.

ShipBob

ShipBob offers:

Optional returns management (charged separately)
Direct integration with returns tools like Loop and Returnly
Customer service is on you (or your support team)
Dedicated account reps available for most users

ShipBob’s support is human and personalized, whereas Amazon support is process-heavy and reactive.

One of the things I’ve appreciated most with ShipBob is having a dedicated point of contact. When there’s a shipping delay or inventory miscount, I’m not stuck navigating a maze of bots—I talk to someone who knows my business.

That kind of relationship makes problem-solving quicker and way less stressful.

Winner:
FBA is more hands-off.
ShipBob is better if you want to own the customer experience.

Best for Setup & Ease of Use: Amazon FBA

You can start selling on Amazon using FBA in a few hours:

FBA Setup

Sign up for a Seller Central account
Choose your products and SKUs
Send your inventory to an Amazon fulfillment center
Turn on FBA settings

Amazon handles the rest.

ShipBob Setup

ShipBob takes a bit longer:

Create an account
Integrate with your ecommerce store
Set up SKUs, dimensions, shipping zones
Ship inventory to one or more warehouses
Configure packaging preferences and returns

This can take a few days to get right, especially if you're new to logistics.

ShipBob does offer onboarding support, including dedicated implementation specialists for high-volume brands. While it’s not as plug-and-play as FBA, the trade-off is that you get a system tailored to your needs rather than a one-size-fits-all setup.

Winner:
FBA is faster to get started, especially if you’re only selling on Amazon.

Best for Scaling and Flexibility: ShipBob

Amazon FBA Scaling Issues:

Inventory storage limits apply (especially during Q4)
Long-term storage fees punish slower-moving inventory
No custom packaging
Multichannel fulfillment is awkward and expensive

ShipBob Scaling Benefits:

No seasonal storage spikes
No inventory caps
You choose where inventory lives (closer to customers = faster delivery)
Supports fast-growing multichannel DTC brands

I’ve personally found FBA to be a great launchpad but a bottleneck once you're ready to build your own customer base.

ShipBob also supports international fulfillment with locations in the US, Canada, the UK, EU, and Australia. As your brand expands globally, you won’t need to manage separate 3PLs per region—ShipBob handles it under one roof.

That’s a major advantage when scaling across borders.

Winner:
ShipBob gives more flexibility as your business grows.

Real-World Case Studies

A Shopify-based skincare brand saw a 13% higher AOV after switching to ShipBob for custom unboxing experience (Source: Shopify)
An Amazon-first seller hit storage limits during Q4 2023, losing $10k in sales due to delayed restocking (Source: Helium10)
Brands that use ShipBob’s distributed inventory model ship to 99% of US in 2 days (Source: ShipBob internal data)
Amazon FBA sellers report an average 45% gross revenue loss to Amazon fees (Source: JungleScout 2024)

While both providers have delivered strong results for the right business model, choosing the wrong one can be costly.

Sellers who tried to use Amazon FBA for non-Amazon sales often found themselves paying premium MCF rates with slower delivery times and unhappy customers.

On the flip side, brands that moved to ShipBob too early—before validating demand—sometimes struggled to justify the flat-rate costs. The takeaway? Match your logistics solution to your current stage and long-term goals.

Final Recommendation

Choosing between ShipBob and Amazon FBA isn’t about which service is “better”—it’s about what your business actually needs.

If you’re selling a few SKUs through Amazon and prioritizing speed and convenience, FBA makes sense. But if you’re building a brand, expanding into multiple sales channels, or care about long-term margins, ShipBob is a more strategic fit.

Business Type	Best Option
Amazon-only seller	Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA)
Shopify/WooCommerce seller	ShipBob
Multichannel (Amazon + DTC)	ShipBob
Brand-focused business	ShipBob
Launching fast with no team	FBA