7+ Best Shipping Software For Small Business – 2022 Review

Are you wondering what the best shipping software for small businesses is? There are plenty, and today, I’ll discuss my top recommendations to help you make an informed decision.

Did you know that eCommerce sales worldwide are expected to grow by $5.4 trillion in 2022?

That’s why I’ve compiled the most dependable shipping software solutions that can streamline your shipping operation. I will share 7+ of my absolute favorites, including their key features, prices, and more.

What Is The Best Shipping Software For Small Business?

If you’re in a hurry, you can check out my top 3 picks instead: Shippo, ShipStation, and Shipping Easy.

4.9	4.5	4.1
Best overall. A highly intuitive shipping platform that is easy to use even for first-time users. Starts at $10/month.	Best value for money. Allows users to try all existing platform features in their free trial. Starts at $9/month.	Feature-rich. Has powerful easy-to-use features and numerous automation capacities. Starts at $5/month.
Try Shippo	Try ShipStation	Try Shipping Easy

Looking for a more in-depth guide? Here are the 7+ top small business shipping software available in the market that you can use.

1. Shippo – Top Pick

Multi-Carrier Shipping Software With Web App & Customizable API Access [Free Plan | $10/mo]

There are different types of shipping software. Each is designed for a specific purpose and business.

Shippo happens to be engineered with the most popular type, which is multi-carrier shipping software. Through this, you can see and compare vital carrier details that can help you identify the ideal service to use.

It also provides a centralized system where you can perform the following tasks:

• Track shipments
• Prepare documents
• Create your shipping labels
• Streamline returns (if there are any)
• Choose and switch between carriers easily
• Connect your eCommerce platforms like WooCommerce, Etsy, BigCommerce, and Magento (9 total)

Reflecting your brand into your operation is also made easy. Shippo provides tools so that you can customize the following:

• Packing slips
• Tracking pages
• Shipping labels
• Notification emails

Multi-carrier shipping software is handy for businesses that import/export a high volume of products. Therefore, you’re also allowed to print labels for multiple packages simultaneously.

Inside your dashboard, an address page is provided so that you can easily add multiple addresses for your shipment.

You can also speed up the label generation process by using the available pre-filled custom forms.

The most notable advantage of Shippo is, it provides two ways to use its platform. The easiest and fastest way to use it is through its web app.

You only need a stable internet connection and the latest versions of web browsers to use it.

The other option is its customizable API, which is handy for business owners building their own shipping solutions.

Moreover, Shippo provides the essential features you must look for in shipping software which are:

• Rate management
• Order management
• Generation of shipping labels

You’ll also get advanced analytics and reporting tools. These tools will give you an in-depth look at your shipping spending and overall performance efficiency.

Pros And Cons Of Shippo

Pros	Cons
Quick to set up and easy to use	Unresponsive and difficult to reach phone support
Guarantees a reliable service uptime for all paid plans
Provides comprehensive online help (includes best practices)
Automatic updates in the Shippo system after you mark the order as ‘fulfilled’ in your store

Shippo Pricing Plan

Shippo shipping software for small businesses is offered in three plans. You can get started for free by choosing the Starter plan.

The only charges you need to pay are for the following:

• Insurance
• Postage rates
• Labels you create: $0.05 each
• Address validation: $0.09 for international addresses (free for US-based addresses)

The Professional plan is designed per shipping label created.

It starts at $10 a month for up to 60 labels. If you need more than 10,000 labels, you may contact the sales team to get a personalized pricing quote.

The Professional plan also includes a 30-day free trial to get firsthand experience of its functionalities.

Do you need a customized shipping solution? The Premier plan is the ultimate choice.

You may contact the sales team to help you determine if this is the right solution for your business.

2. ShipStation – Best Value For Money

Shipping Software For eCommerce Order Fulfillment [Free Trial | $9/mo]

ShipStation possesses all the essential functionalities of dependable shipping software. Its only difference is that its platform is designed to support eCommerce businesses.

Once you sign up for an account, you can seamlessly import orders from your marketplaces or sales channels.

There are over 100 systems you can integrate with, and this includes various business systems like:

• Inventory Management Solution (IMS)
• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERPs)
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

The best part of it, shipping configurations are applied instantly upon connection, which saves you a lot of effort and time.

ShipStation includes a powerful order management system to speed up the process without sacrificing efficiency. Here are the features you can take advantage of:

• Do bulk updates
• Combine multiple orders
• Use scan-based workflows
• Set up alerts and order tags
• Split orders into multiple different shipments
• Print labels individually and in bulk (up to 500)

All activities of your account are reflected in the reports, which you can generate anytime you need.

Order, product, and shipment are the reports you can pull up.

To stay up-to-date with the latest progress of your shipments, you can use its mobile app.

ShipStation also provides a rate management system where you can find the most affordable shipping rate for the carrier of your choice.

Additionally, a built-in shipping calculator is included so that you can determine the estimated cost of a shipment based on the location and package’s weight and dimensions.

Create a memorable customer experience by personalizing your:

• Emails
• Return portal
• Packing slips
• Tracking page
• Shipping labels

One unique feature of ShipStation is their Scan to View Barcodes. This can easily scan the order slip using standard barcord scanners or even a mobile app and then ShipStation will readily open up all the order details.

Burkhard Berger

Pros And Cons Of ShipStation

Pros	Cons
Easy integration with over 70 selling channels	Unreliable customer support at times when resolving recurring bugs
Provides multiple methods in adding orders (upload a CSV, manual creation, syncing from a channel, or via API)	Some ERP software (ex: QuickBooks Online) doesn’t run well inside the platform
Allows you to print labels individually or in batches (500 max per batch)	May lag while exporting large volumes of orders
Shipping calculator is included to find the lowest and best rates per destination and package size

ShipStation Pricing Plan

ShipStation shipping software for small businesses is available in six subscription plans. All are designed based on the shipping volume and number of user seats.

Here’s a glance at each subscription plan:

• Starter ($9/mo.): This will give you 50 shipments and 1 user seat.
• Bronze ($29/mo.): This enables 500 shipments and 1 user seat.
• Silver ($49/mo.): This one allows 1,500 shipments and 2 user seats.
• Gold ($69/mo.): The Gold plan gives you 3,000 shipments and 3 user seats.
• Platinum ($99/mo.): This plan lets you have 6,000 shipments and 5 user seats.
• Enterprise ($159/mo.): This one provides 10,000 shipments and 10 user seats.

All subscriptions include a 30-day trial version to help you decide whether it’s the right solution for your business.

Do you process more than 10,000 shipments every month? If so, you may contact their sales expert and request a personalized pricing quote.

3. ShippingEasy – Most Features

Simple Multi-Carrier Shipping Software For Fast-Growing Small Businesses [Free Trial | $5/mo]

Most multi-carrier shipping software contains tons of tools and features that most small business owners find overwhelming.

As the name implies, ShippingEasy makes everything simpler.

It also has a discount rate management system that includes huge discounts for USPS shipping services and insurance.

On top of that, they also offer exclusive rates through Flat Rate Green (FRG).

Through this feature, you can calculate the fee based on the box size instead of its weight. You can use the FRG calculator to determine the price.

You can also organize and manage your order fulfillment all in one place.

Once you successfully integrate your selling channel, you can begin syncing your orders. You can then create custom views to see all the latest progress for each order and shipment.

Here are a few functions you can use are with this shipping software for small businesses:

• Sort
• Combine
• Add tags
• Split orders/quantity

In terms of creating labels, ShippingEasy supports the following:

• Sizes: 4-inch x 5-inch, 4-inch x 6-inch, and 4-inch x 8-inch
• Printers: Thermal, laser, and inkjet

You can print all of them using the InstantLabel tool.

To complete the package, it’s equipped with automation for streamlining shipping workflow and advanced comprehensive reports. These can be organized by:

• Orders
• Customers
• Destination

You don’t even have to worry about returns because you can track them all.

Using automation, you can send real-time tracking information to your online store and customers.

You can also automate the returns process and get the same low rates for its return labels.

If automation isn’t enough to save your time, then you can use Amazon Alexa Voice Shipping.

Through this, you can use voice commands to instantly get the number of orders your store needs to fulfill for the day, new orders to process, and more. You can also use it to print labels in batches and purchase postage.

Pros And Cons Of ShippingEasy

Pros	Cons
Easy to use and set up	Customer support via phone only offered for US-based users
Provides excellent customer support through live chat, email, and phone	Only supports CSV file format for importing/exporting orders and downloading a report
Seamless integration with eCommerce platforms (15) and shopping carts (6)
Various shipping calculators available (calculate dimensional weight, USPS priority mail, postage savings, and flat rate green)

ShippingEasy Pricing Plan

ShippingEasy pricing plans are designed based on the shipment volume your business consistently processes every month.

There are six subscription plans you can choose from:

• Starter ($5/mo.): This one lets you have 50 shipments.
• Basic ($29/mo.): The Basic plan enables 500 shipments.
• Plus ($49/mo.): This plan allows 1,500 shipments.
• Select ($69/mo.): The Select plan lets you enjoy 3,000 shipments.
• Premium ($99/mo.): With this plan, you can have 6,000 shipments.
• Enterprise (159/mo.): This one enables 10,000 shipments.

Get started with any plan you desire for free by signing up for its 30-day trial version.

4. Pirate Ship – Most Affordable

Certified Shipping Software For USPS & UPS [Free]

Pirate Ship is the go-to shipping software option for small businesses and startups with a limited budget. It’s completely free so that you can allot your budget for the shipping and postage rates.

You don’t also need to worry about the rates because its platform is USPS and UPS-certified.

Therefore, you can get great discounts of up to 89% (76% for UPS rates). You can also select the fastest service instantly.

Do you need a USPS or UPS account?

No, you don’t have to. But if you already have one, you can simply connect it into your Pirate Ship account.

Like any other shipping software, the first step is integrating your eCommerce platforms to import your orders.

The good news is, this isn’t the only method to import orders. You can also upload any spreadsheet.

Currently, it supports the following file formats:

• CSV
• Open Office ODS
• Excel XLS or XLSX

This is also applicable for uploading the address list. From there, you can transform it into shipping labels (no particular format is required).

This action is advantageous for processing bulk orders.

If you’re processing a single package only, you can use its one-step form, where you can copy and paste an address into the form. Once properly accomplished, you can print it on any printer and paper.

The shipping label sizes it supports are:

• Standard 4-inch x 6-inch
• 2-inch x 7-inch for small direct thermal label printers (USPS-only)

Pros And Cons Of Pirate Ship

Pros	Cons
Compatible with any device (computer, phone, and tablet) and printer (printing shipping labels)	UPS discounts only limited to all shipments that originate in the U.S.
Only pay for postage and shipping rates (no long-term contract lock-in)	Supports limited shipping carriers
Provides friendly and responsive customer support via chat and email	No available merging and splitting functions for orders
No limit set on the number of shipping labels to buy

Pirate Ship Pricing Plan

Pirate Ship is 100% free to use.

Simply create an account, and you can start connecting your online store and process your orders.

5. Ordoro – One-Stop App

All-In-One eCommerce Logistics Software [Free Plan | $499/mo]

Ordoro is another excellent shipping software for small businesses that provide an all-in-one solution.

What makes it stand out from the competition?

It’s one of the few platforms that also support dropshipping. You have the option to manually select the vendor for each order or automate the routing process.

When you choose the latter option, it will assign each product to the right drop shippers.

Another element you can automate is your workflow. Simply create an automation rule, and once it triggers, it will apply the appropriate actions.

To get started using this shipping software, you need to configure your Ordoro account. Here are the steps you can follow:

1. Connect your shopping cart (19 options).
2. Import your inventory.
3. Import and manage your orders (support CSV format for import and export).
4. Set up your warehouse.
5. Set up your Shipper (9 options).
6. Set up your company setting (general info and packing list).

If you purchased its Pro plan, you have the option to set up your suppliers.

Other third-party plugins are also supported to sync your accounting software like QuickBooks and other essential business systems.

Of course, Ordoro isn’t limited to these functionalities. They also can provide the following services:

• Kitting
• Automation
• Barcode scanning
• Shipping Insurance
• Return management
• Analytics and reports

Ordoro brings to the table one of it’s highlighted features with exporting RMA order data into a CSV file format. Not only that but you can alsi import ChannelAdvisor orders into your account using a unique DistributionCenterID

Burkhard Berger

Pros And Cons Of Ordoro

Pros	Cons
All plans include a free 30-day onboarding and training (including free plan)	Limited customization tools provided for personalizing packing slips
Manual and automatic functions provided for routing dropship requests	No automatic supplier notification when an order is canceled
Helpful and responsive customer support through phone, email, and chat
Has the ability to merge and split orders/shipments

Ordoro Pricing Plan

Most small businesses start with a limited budget. For this reason, Ordoro shipping software for small businesses is offered in two Flexi subscription plans.

This is intended to ensure you’ll only pay for what you consumed for the month.

Here’s a quick view of each plan:

• Pro (Starts at $499/mo): This includes a free setup and onboarding (30 days).
• Enterprise (Starts at $999/mo): This provides custom features like workflows, integrations, and reports.

You may contact their sales experts to get a free demo or request a personalized pricing quote.

Good news! Ordoro offers a limited-time free plan where you can process a limit of 1,000 orders per month. Schedule a demo to know more about this offer.

6. OrderCup – Easy-To-Use Web App

Order Management, Fulfillment, & Shipping Software [Free Trial | $25/mo]

Simple and scalable, that’s what OrderCup is all about.

It includes comprehensive features to automate and streamline your entire order fulfillment and shipping process. Currently, these are the automation features they support:

• Insurance rules
• Shipping profiles
• Order processing
• Filters to categorize orders
• Pre-defined package types

They also got you covered for domestic and international shipping.

Moreover, you won’t have to worry about its shipping and insurance rates because its built-in shipping discounts can help you get the best deals.

On top of that, they provide you with tons of free perks like global address verification, pickups, and more.

One of its unique features is its full bi-directional integration.

This means you can efficiently sync all your data from different business systems and selling channels and combine them inside your account. OrderCup supports all leading marketplaces and shopping carts like:

• eBay
• Shopify
• Amazon

If your system or online store isn’t included on their list, you can still import your orders by uploading your spreadsheet (CSV file format).

Pros And Cons Of OrderCup

Pros	Cons
Supports a broad range of hardware devices (printers, scales, and scanners)	Limited dropshipping capabilities
Provides full bi-directional integration for seamless connection with major marketplaces, shopping carts, and shipping carriers	Charges additional fee for premium support
Includes built-in shipping discounts for various domestic and international carriers

OrderCup Pricing Plan

OrderCup shipping software for small businesses is offered in five monthly subscription plans. Its pricing model is also designed based on shipment volume processed every month and user seats included.

Here’s a quick look at each plan:

• Short ($25/mo.): This plan allows 500 shipments and 1 user seat.
• Tall ($45/mo.): This one lets you have 1,500 shipments and 2 user seats.
• Grande ($65/mo.): The Grande plan enables 3,000 shipments and 3 user seats.
• Venti ($95/mo.): With this plan, you’ll get 6,000 shipments and 5 user seats.
• Trenta ($180/mo.): The Trenta plan lets you have 12,000 shipments and 12 user seats.

You can get started by signing up for its 30-day free trial.

If you only process 50 shipments per month or less, you are eligible for their free plan.

7. Descartes ShipRush – Excellent Web & Desktop Apps

eCommerce Warehouse Management & Shipping Software [Free Plan | $29.95/mo]

The majority of shipping software for small businesses helps you get the best deals for insurance costs. Descartes ShipRush enables this, plus it saves you more time as it partnered with XCover.

XCover is a global distribution platform that provides customized insurance.

Damaged, lost, or stolen – ShipRush assures that they will cover the full value of your products. It also eliminates processing claims with a value less than $100.

Configuring your account setting is easy with the help of the SetUp Wizard.

This feature will give you easy-to-follow steps on how you can integrate your selling channels into your account and import orders. As of writing, it supports over 90 pre-built integrations.

Streamlining your entire fulfillment and shipping process saves time and increases your productivity.

You can properly do so using automation. You can implement this into the following:

• Order data flow
• Recurring tasks
• Labor-intensive processes

What if your app is not listed on its supported integration?

ShipRush provides a custom order data integration toolkit. Through this, you can build your connection.

It also provides REST API to send shipment details and receive ratings effortlessly.

Pros And Cons Of Descartes ShipRush

Pros	Cons
Includes a Setup Wizard for efficient importing of orders	Looking up for data in the shipping history is a bit slow
Fully automated order data flow	eCommerce, rating, and Shipping APIs only available in the Developer/OEM plan
All plans include three user seats, unlimited shipping, and Cloud printing service	No auto-save function available in the address book
Seamless integration with selling channels and shopping carts

Descartes ShipRush Pricing Plan

Get started with Descartes ShipRush by signing up for its free plan. You’re allowed to add up to 3 users and get the following postage discounts:

• UPS: up to 76% off
• USPS: up to 64% off
• FedEx: up to 21% off

You can also connect four shipping carriers in your account – UPS, USPS, FedEx, and DHL.

If you want more advanced features, you can choose from the following subscription plans:

• Speedy ($29.95/mo.): This allows you to connect to all parcel carriers available inside the platform and import orders via Excel and SQL/MySQL Web Store.
• Warehouse ($99.95/mo.): As for this plan, you’ll be able to connect any LTL add-on options and critical business systems like QuickBooks, NetSuite SuiteApp, and Descartes Peoplevox.
• Developer/OEM (Custom pricing): The Developer plan lets you streamline your operation without limitations.

The Speedy and Warehouse plans include a 60-day free trial so that you can explore their features before purchasing.

For the Developer/OEM, you may contact their sales team to request pricing information.

8. EasyPost – RESTful API

Most Flexible & Reliable Shipping API [Free Plan | Custom Pricing]

So far, the shipping software for small businesses I’ve discussed in this article are a combination of a web-based platform, desktop/mobile app, and API.

EasyPost is a bit different because it’s built solely as a shipping API. If you’re a developer or a technical user, you can make the most of the solutions it offers.

API is engineered to instantly connect one program/system to another (including all its data).

Therefore, you can seamlessly integrate any shipping carrier into your account. You can also compare the shipping rates of various carriers better and create a customer-centric shipping experience.

If you correctly set it, you can turn more customers into repeat shoppers and reduce checkout abandonment.

Get started by creating your EasyPost account.

You will then receive API keys to access the platform. As standard, you’ll get a Test key if you only intend to learn the ins and outs of the platform.

Once you’re ready to purchase actual postage, you can use the Production key.

Inside your Carrier account dashboard, you can start inputting all your carrier information to immediately see their latest rates. You can add objects (ID, reference, etc.) to optimize your app better.

Successfully doing so, you can begin to set up your account in four simple steps.

Step 1 is creating an address. You can use the following programming language to create one:

• C#
• PHP
• Java
• Ruby
• cURL
• Python
• Node.js

Here’s a screenshot of a sample PHP code to get an idea of creating an address.

The following steps are focused on the following:

• Inputting all the information of your package – weight, and dimensions (length, width, and height)
• Create a shipment by combining an address and a package info
• Generate a shipping label

Manually typing all information is prone to typos, misspelled addresses, missing numbers, and more.

You don’t have to worry about it because EasyPost has an address verification system to check the address in 240+ countries and regions.

Just make sure to input the full destination address to make it work seamlessly – unit, street, city, state, zip, and country.

For additional protection, it’s also included shipping insurance.

The insurance policy covers the following:

• Local and international
• Damage, loss, and theft
• All shipping carriers and service levels

Pros And Cons Of EasyPost

Pros	Cons
Easy to generate shipping labels for all shipping carriers	Requires technical skills or experience to use this platform
Provides simple codes to speed up the setting up process	Setting up may take longer compared to other shipping software for small businesses
No coding required for its Create Label tool
Online documentation includes helper libraries for Node.js, Java, Python, PHP, Ruby, etc.

EasyPost Pricing Plan

EasyPost complete shipping solution is offered in two simple plans. Each plan is designed per type of user and shipment volume.

The recommended plan for small businesses is the Developer plan.

This is 100% free, and here, you can get a 120,000 shipment limit per year and shipping insurance (0.5% of value). They will also shoulder your first $250 shipping cost to help you save more.

The other plan is designed for enterprises.

Get started by creating an account or contact the sales team to learn more about their Enterprise plan.

Conclusion

Having reliable shipping software provides tons of benefits to the business’s bottom line and productivity.

If I have to choose the best overall shipping software for small businesses, I’ll go with ShippingEasy. By far, it’s the easiest platform to use and configure with incredible support from their experts.

Its pricing plans are also created for scalability.

Each plan is created for every business size and shipment volume processed every month. So, ease your mind so that it can support your business needs as it grows.

Do you have other favorite shipping software? Share it with us through the comment section.