Shippo vs ShipStation: Which Shipping Platform Delivers Better Value in 2025?

Choosing the right shipping software can be one of the most important decisions for your growing business. The right platform doesn't just save you money on postage—it streamlines your entire fulfillment operation, integrates with your existing tools, and scales as your business grows.

Both Shippo and ShipStation are established players in the shipping software space, competing for the same customers. However, while ShipStation has historically targeted businesses with complex enterprise needs, Shippo focuses on delivering flexibility and value for businesses of all sizes. Following ShipStation’s recent policy updates, many businesses have begun exploring alternatives, with Shippo offering a transparent and accessible option.

In this guide, we'll compare these two platforms so you can make the right choice for your business.

Quick Comparison: Shippo vs ShipStation

Here's how these platforms stack up at a glance:

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ShipStation: The Feature-Heavy Enterprise Approach

ShipStation has built a reputation as a comprehensive shipping platform with extensive capabilities. Let's look at what it does well and where it might fall short.

What ShipStation Does Right

Advanced automation and workflow features. ShipStation offers sophisticated automation rules that can handle complex shipping logic. For businesses with intricate fulfillment requirements, these features can be valuable.

Extensive marketplace integrations. With over 200 integrations, ShipStation connects to a wide range of e-commerce platforms, marketplaces, and business tools. This breadth of integrations has been a key selling point.

Robust inventory management capabilities. For businesses that need to track inventory alongside shipping, ShipStation provides tools to manage stock levels and sync across channels.

Enterprise-level reporting and analytics. ShipStation offers detailed reporting that helps larger operations analyze shipping costs, carrier performance, and fulfillment metrics.

Where ShipStation Falls Short

However, ShipStation's approach comes with significant drawbacks that have become more pronounced in 2025:

Complex pricing structure. Shipstation does offer a free plan but it only allows users to print 10 labels a month (Shippo’s free plan allows 30). After that it’s a $14.99/month minimum. The pricing tiers can also be confusing, with different features locked at different levels.

API access is now restricted to expensive plans. ShipStation updated its plans to make API access available starting at $29.99/month for up to 50 labels. From there, the plan scales and can cost well over $799/month depending on usage. So if you want API access yet print less than 50 labels per month, then users still have to pay $29.99/month just for API access.

Some users may find a steeper learning curve and interface complexity. ShipStation's interface is packed with features, which can make it overwhelming for new users or small teams. The complexity can often be more than most small-to-medium businesses need.

Recent policy changes affecting longtime users. Beyond the API restrictions, ShipStation has introduced new fees for connecting your own carrier accounts ("Your Carriers" add-on), changed pricing tiers, and introduced other adjustments that changed cost structures for existing users.

Here’s a look at their Carriers add-on fees by plan: 

Can be overkill for some businesses. Unless you're running a large enterprise with highly complex fulfillment needs, many of ShipStation's advanced features may go unused while you're still paying for them.

Shippo: Smart, Scalable, and Accessible

While ShipStation takes an enterprise-first approach, Shippo is designed to be flexible for businesses of all sizes—from startups to large operations.

Key Advantages That Set Shippo Apart

Free starter plan with a 30 label per month minimum. Shippo lets you start completely free with up to 30 labels per month. This removes the barrier to entry and allows you to test the platform risk-free. Shipstation does have a free plan but it only goes up to 10 labels a month. 

API access included on all plans. This is a crucial difference. Whether you're on Shippo's free Starter plan or a paid Pro plan, you have full API access. There's no paywall forcing you to upgrade to expensive tiers just to connect your systems. This API-inclusive approach means you can build custom integrations, automate workflows, and scale your technical capabilities without breaking the bank.

40+ global carriers with transparent rate comparison. Shippo provides access to USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL Express, and dozens of regional and international carriers. You can compare rates in real-time and choose the best option for each shipment, giving you flexibility and cost savings.

Modern, intuitive interface that's easy to learn. Shippo's user experience is clean and straightforward. New team members can get up to speed quickly without wading through complex menus and overwhelming feature sets.

Transparent pricing that scales predictably. Shippo's pricing is straightforward: you know exactly what you're paying and what you're getting at each tier. As your business grows, the costs scale predictably without surprise fees or sudden policy changes.

Flexible for all business sizes. Whether you're shipping 10 packages a month or 100,000,000, Shippo can support your needs. The platform is built to scale from startup to enterprise without getting you into plans designed for much larger operations. 

Efficient team shipping. Shipstation has limits on how many users can access their accounts. For instance, starter and bronze teams only get 1 user. Silver gets 2 and so on. The most a plan allows us 15 users on a “high volume” subscription level. Shippo allows 5 users on their Professional plan and up to 300 users on their pro plan. 

Head-to-Head Comparison

Pricing & Value

Shippo: Starts with a free plan (up to 30 labels/month), then Pro plans from $19/month that scale based on volume. API access is included at every level. You pay for what you need, when you need it. Shippo’s pricing structure is straightforward, with clear tiers and no unexpected cost increases.

ShipStation: Shipstation allows only 10 labels for free. After that you have to start paying. You can get 50 labels (no more) for $14.99 a month. From there it scales up to 5000 labels for $174.99 a month, but no API access. Want API access? That puts you at a different tier with plans ranging from $29.99 a month for 50 labels all the way to custom pricing. Want even more features? That’s going to put you into another plan that starts at $349.99 for 50 labels a month and scales past $1499.99 a month all the way into custom pricing. 

Winner: Shippo for cost-effectiveness and transparency. The inclusion of API access on all plans means you're not forced into expensive enterprise tiers just to connect your systems.

API Access & Developer Experience

Shippo: Full API access on every plan, including the free Starter tier. Modern documentation, webhooks, and developer-friendly tools make integration straightforward. Whether you're building a custom checkout flow, connecting to your warehouse system, or automating order processing, you have the tools you need from day one.

ShipStation: API access is available for $29.99 a month but that only gives you 50 labels a month. From there, the plan scales and can cost well over $799 a month depending on usage. So if you want API access yet only print less than 50 labels per month, then you still have to pay $29.99/month just for API access.

Winner: Shippo for accessibility and developer-friendly approach. The decision to include API access across all plans demonstrates a commitment to helping businesses build and scale without artificial restrictions.

Carrier Network & Flexibility

Shippo: Access to 40+ carriers including USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL Express, and numerous regional and international carriers. Real-time rate shopping lets you compare options and choose the best carrier for each shipment. Strong global focus makes international shipping straightforward with proper customs documentation support.

ShipStation: Strong carrier network with established partnerships across major carriers. Good coverage for both domestic and international shipping needs.

Winner: It’s a tie. Both offer access to similar carriers. 

Ease of Use & Setup

Shippo: Clean, modern interface designed for usability. New users can start shipping within minutes. The platform focuses on essential features without overwhelming you with complexity. Intuitive navigation and straightforward workflows mean less time training staff and more time shipping.

ShipStation: Feature-rich interface with extensive capabilities, but this comes at the cost of complexity. The learning curve may be steeper, and new users may feel overwhelmed by the number of options and settings. While this depth can be valuable for complex operations, most small-to-medium businesses don't need it.

Winner: Shippo for user experience and simplicity. Unless you specifically need ShipStation's advanced enterprise features, Shippo's streamlined approach gets you shipping faster with less friction.

Features & Automation

Shippo: Essential shipping features including automation rules, branded tracking pages, custom notifications, returns generation, address validation and batch printing. The automation capabilities cover what most businesses actually need: automatically applying service levels, package templates, insurance, and shipping presets based on order attributes.

ShipStation: Advanced enterprise features including complex automation rules, sophisticated inventory management, extensive customization options, and detailed reporting. The platform is best built for businesses with intricate fulfillment requirements.

Winner: ShipStation’s webapp for advanced features, If you're running a large enterprise with highly specific workflow requirements, ShipStation's depth may justify the cost and complexity. For most small-to-medium businesses, Shippo's webapp’s feature set is more than sufficient and easier to use. Both API solutions can power complex workflows.

Integration Ecosystem

Shippo: 10+ key platform integrations with major e-commerce platforms and marketplaces including Shopify, Amazon, eBay, Etsy, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and more. Free API access means you can build custom integrations for unique requirements. Focus on modern, maintained integrations rather than sheer quantity.

ShipStation: Over 200 marketplace integrations covering a wide range of platforms and services. This breadth has historically been a selling point, though the value depends on whether you actually use these niche integrations.

Winner: ShipStation for integration breadth, Shippo for free API approach. Shippo covers all the major platforms most businesses use, and the comprehensive API means you can build whatever custom integration you need.

When to Choose Each Platform

Choose ShipStation If:

• You're a large enterprise with complex, multi-warehouse automation needs that require advanced workflow rules
• You require specific advanced inventory management features that ShipStation offers
• You're willing to pay premium pricing for enterprise-level complexity
• Your business specifically needs one of ShipStation's niche integrations that Shippo doesn't offer
• You don't mind navigating recent pricing changes and policy updates

Choose Shippo If:

• You're a small business looking for an easy app or a mid-market / enterprise business seeking value and flexibility via API
• You want API access without paying $29.99+/month
• You prefer transparent, predictable pricing without surprise fee changes
• You need a modern, easy-to-use interface that your team can learn quickly
• You're growing and want a platform that scales affordably from 10 to 100,000,000 shipments
• You value a company that includes essential features (like API access) rather than putting them behind paywalls
• You’re looking for a reliable partner with predictable pricing and a platform built for stability and consistent performance. 
• You have a team of over 15 and each person needs their own user login.

The Bottom Line

ShipStation can work for large enterprises with complex needs and the budget to match. However, some businesses may find it brings unnecessary complexity and expensive pricing that may frustrate users.

Shippo offers the core shipping features most businesses look for—discounted rates, automation, branded tracking, returns, API integration, and analytics—at a predictable and accessible price point. The platform is designed to be accessible whether you're shipping 30 packages a month or 300,000.

Updates to ShipStation’s plans reflect a different approach to pricing and access compared to Shippo’s model. When ShipStation restricted API access to their Standard tier it demonstrated a move toward enterprise-only pricing for features that is no longer accessible to all. Shippo takes the opposite approach: API access is included on every plan, including the free tier so businesses of all sizes are able to integrate and automate their shipping.

For many businesses, Shippo’s tiered pricing ensures you only pay for the features you need. Some might find better value and flexibility with Shippo's transparent approach, modern interface, and inclusive pricing model.

Ready to Ship Smarter?

Over 300,000 businesses trust Shippo to handle their shipping needs. Whether you're just starting out or ready to scale, Shippo offers the carrier access, integrations, automation, and API capabilities to help your business grow—without forcing you into expensive enterprise tiers.

Get started with Shippo's free plan today—no credit card required. Sign up now and experience transparent pricing, included API access, and a modern platform designed for businesses that want to grow efficiently.

Have questions about which platform is right for your specific needs? Contact our team and we'll help you figure out the best solution for your business.

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