Shippo vs ShipStation: Which Shipping Software Is Right for Your Ecommerce Business

Shippo and ShipStation are the two most popular shipping tools for ecommerce businesses, and the choice between them can make a big difference in your workflow, costs, and customer experience – whether you're just starting out or juggling thousands of orders every month.

After putting both platforms through its paces and breaking down their core features, pricing models, integrations, and customer support options – I've put together a detailed comparison to help you figure out which one's the best fit for your business.

In a nutshell:

Shippo is perfect for beginners and smaller ecommerce stores looking for a quick, easy and affordable way to ship orders.
ShipStation on the other hand is designed for established businesses that need automation, advanced workflows and a system that scales.

Let's take a closer look.

Shippo vs ShipStation: A Quick Comparison

Here's a side-by-side comparison of the two platforms:

The Key Features

Feature	Shippo	ShipStation
Best For	Beginners, small ecommerce stores	High-volume sellers, scaling businesses
Pricing	Free plan available, paid plans from $10/month	Starts at $9.99/month
Shipping Discounts	Up to 90% off USPS/UPS	Up to 84% off USPS/UPS
Integrations	Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy, Amazon, etc.	Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Shopify, more
Automation	Basic	Advanced (rules, workflows)
Returns Management	Basic	Full returns portal
Inventory Tools	No	Yes
Branded Tracking Pages	Yes	Yes
Support	Email & chat	Phone, email, and chat
Free Trial	Free starter plan	30-day free trial

This comparison table gives you a good idea of how the two platforms compare – but the real differences start to become apparent when you see how they actually stack up in real-world use.

Shippo: The Best Value for Pricing

If you're looking to save some cash and you're only shipping a handful of orders a week then Shippo's pricing can't be beat.

Shippo Pricing

Shippo's pay-as-you-go model means you only pay for what you use – no monthly fees unless you start shipping at scale.

Starter Plan: Free (you pay $0.05 per label from the 31st label onwards)
Professional Plan: From $10/month
Premier Plan: Custom pricing
No contracts, no setup charges, no cancellation fees

This flexible pricing structure is perfect for small businesses or stores still finding their feet.

One of the best things about Shippo's pricing is that it grows with your business – you only need to upgrade when your volume increases.

ShipStation Pricing

ShipStation uses a tiered subscription model based on the number of shipments you process per month.

Starter: $9.99/month (up to 50 shipments)
Bronze: $29.99/month (up to 500 shipments)
Silver: $59.99/month (up to 1,500 shipments)
Gold: $99.99/month (up to 3,000 shipments)
Platinum: $149.99/month (up to 6,000 shipments)
Enterprise: $229.99/month (10,000 shipments)

Yes, ShipStation does offer more advanced features as you upgrade – but if you're not shipping at least 500 orders a month then ShipStation's monthly cost can start to add up.

While ShipStation does offer a free trial, its pricing starts to feel steep if you're not making enough sales to justify the cost of entry. It's better suited to established businesses with a predictable monthly revenue.

Shippo: The Clear Winner

Shippo's more cost-effective for small or seasonal businesses – and it's a great choice if you're looking for flexibility without upfront costs.

ShipStation: The Best for Automation and Features

When it comes to powerful automation tools and deep functionality, ShipStation takes the lead.

ShipStation Strengths

Advanced automation rules: Set custom shipping logic based on weight, location or product type
Batch printing: Print hundreds of labels in one go
Custom packing slips and labels
Automatic marketplace syncing
Returns management: Built-in portal to handle return labels and requests
Inventory tracking: Monitor and manage stock levels across multiple warehouses
User permissions: Set roles and restrictions for team members

These features make ShipStation ideal for established operations needing better shipping logic and time-saving tools.

What really stands out is how customizable the workflow automation can get in ShipStation – you can fine-tune almost every part of the shipping process to suit your business rules.

Shippo Features

Shippo does offer some automation, but it's on a much more basic level:

Batch label printing
Address validation
Branded tracking
Email notifications
API access for devs

To be honest, it's really easy to use, which is a big plus for those who aren't super technical or who are just starting out with an ecommerce business.

Even though Shippo doesn't have all the advanced workflow rules that ShipStation has, it still gets the job done for the essentials that most small stores need – without all the hassle of setting everything up from scratch.

The Champ: ShipStation

If you're an ecommerce business that's growing and sending hundreds or thousands of orders every month, ShipStation's automation tools can literally save you hours of work.

Best for Integrations: ShipStation

Both platforms have pretty solid integrations with ecommerce platforms, marketplaces, and shipping carriers – but ShipStation goes the extra mile.

Shippo Integrations

Shopify
WooCommerce
BigCommerce
Etsy
Wix
Squarespace
Amazon
USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL
And 80+ other carriers globally

Shippo's API is pretty cool if you have a custom setup going on.

The flexibility that developers get is a major plus for stores running on custom-built platforms or those using headless ecommerce architecture.

ShipStation Integrations

Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce
Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Newegg
Square, Squarespace
Custom store integrations via API
Over 70 carriers supported
Direct integrations with warehouse management software and ERPs

ShipStation's multi-channel syncing is a huge advantage for businesses selling across different platforms. You can centralize your fulfillment and not have to worry about a thing.

The Champ: ShipStation

ShipStation edges out Shippo here because of its deep marketplace integrations and multi-channel fulfillment features.

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Best for Branded Customer Experience: Tie

Both Shippo and ShipStation let you offer a branded post-purchase experience, with custom tracking pages and notifications.

Features Both Platforms Have

You can put your custom logo and colors on the tracking page
You can send branded email notifications
You can get delivery status updates
You can redirect tracking traffic to your site
And you can add promotional links or product suggestions

These features help you keep your store's branding going even after the sale. Both tools do well in this area, so it's really a matter of personal preference.

While not always the top priority, branded tracking is actually a pretty cool customer retention tool. It gives you extra touchpoints that reflect your store's voice and identity.

The Champ: Tie

No real winner here – both Shippo and ShipStation offer effective branded tracking tools.

Best for Reporting and Analytics: ShipStation

If you want to track your shipping performance in super detail, ShipStation is the way to go.

ShipStation Reporting

Order fulfillment speed
Shipping cost breakdown
Carrier delivery times
Shipping error rates
Reports by team or user
And custom report exports

Shippo Reporting

Shipment history
Shipping costs and savings
Label usage
Carrier tracking performance

Shippo's reporting works okay for small stores, but it doesn't have the same level of detail that ShipStation offers.

Advanced reports can help you spot bottlenecks in fulfillment, compare carrier performance, and forecast future logistics costs.

The Champ: ShipStation

For businesses that are all about tracking performance and optimization, ShipStation is the clear winner.

Best for Ease of Use: Shippo

One of Shippo's biggest strengths is how easy it is to get started.

Getting Started with Shippo

Onboarding is super simple and straightforward
The dashboard is clean and minimal
Easy label printing and carrier setup
No training required
It's especially perfect for Shopify stores or solo entrepreneurs

Getting Started with ShipStation

Onboarding is a bit more complex
Takes some time to set up automation rules and workflows
Designed for users managing large volumes or teams

Once you get used to ShipStation, it becomes super powerful – but it's not immediately intuitive for first-time users.

If you're in a rush to get your shipping up and running, Shippo can be fully configured in minutes and doesn't require any prior experience.

The Champ: Shippo

If you want something you can set up and start using in minutes, Shippo is the clear winner.

Best for Customer Support: ShipStation

Both companies have solid support, but ShipStation gives you more access to live help – including phone support.

Shippo Support

Email support
Live chat on paid plans
A help center with articles
And developer documentation for API users

ShipStation Support

24/7 live chat support
Phone support on most plans
And a really comprehensive knowledge base
Help Center
Webinars & on-boarding sessions

Being able to pick up the phone and just pick up a conversation with a support rep can be a total game-changer – especially when things go wrong and just need sorting.

ShipStation being able to take you through more complex technical niggles step by step by the phone puts it at a real advantage, especially for those with larger operations to manage.

The Winner: ShipStation

Having better access to support options does give ShipStation the edge it needs.

Final Verdict: Which One Should You Go With?

Here’s a quick rundown of when to use each platform:

Go with Shippo if:

You're just getting started out
You aren't shipping out more than about 500 orders a month
You want to steer clear of subscription fees
You're using platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce
You just want a solution that's fast and easy to use to get started with

Go with ShipStation if:

You're gearing up to scale, or shipping 1,000+ orders a month
You need to automate some of your processes, set up returns portals and inventory tools – that kind of thing
You sell on multiple markets (Amazon, Walmart, eBay and so on)
You want to be able to see a better picture of what's going on with your reporting and team collaboration
You don't mind paying a bit extra every month for the added features

It really does come down to your store's size and what you value most – automation and reporting. For smaller, lean teams Shippo keeps things simple and easy on the wallet.