Ecommerce shipping software lets you easily and quickly compare shipping rates for different carriers, select the best, and print shipping labels. For this buyer’s guide, we looked at the most popular options and rising stars and decided to review Ordoro, ShippingEasy, and ShipStation. These companies covered the range for small businesses in terms of price, ease of use, and other important features. Read on for our comparison and review of these three options, as well as our top recommendations.
Best Ecommerce Shipping Software for Small Business Owners: Ordoro
Ordoro is our top shipping software pick because it offers unmatched pricing, is extremely user-friendly, and provides excellent customer service even on free accounts. Ordoro integrates seamlessly with the top ecommerce shopping carts, and fast help is just an email or phone call away.
Best Ecommerce Shipping Software & Rate Comparison Tool 2017 Summary Table
| Price Per Month Learn More | Shipping Only - Free (50 orders/mo) $25 (Unlimited) Unlimited Shipping + Inventory Features - $99 - $299 Features increase with price levels | Shipping Only - Free (50 orders/mo) $29 (500 orders/mo) $49 (1500 orders/mo) $69 (3000 orders/mo) $99 (6000 orders/mo) Inventory features added to any plan starting at $14 | $25 (500 orders/mo) $45 (1500 orders/mo) $65 (3000 orders/mo) $95 (6000 orders/mo) $145 (Unlimited) Inventory features included with all plans |
| Ease of Setup & Use | Easy | Easy | Easy |
| Compares Rates for Multiple Carriers Learn More | UPS, FedEx, USPS & Canada Post | UPS, FedEx, USPS, Canada Post & DHL | UPS, FedEx, USPS, DHL & Canada Post, plus 25+ others to support international, freight, and fulfillment services |
| Supports Carrier Discount Rates & USPS Commercial Rates | Shows your discounts for UPS & FedEx Offers users USPS Commercial Base & Plus Discounts | Shows your discounts for UPS, FedEx & DHL Offers users USPS Commercial Base & Plus Discounts | Shows your discounts for UPS, FedEx & DHL Offers users USPS Commercial Base & Plus Discounts |
| Order Management Features | All Levels - Print Order Packing Slips, Invoices & Prepaid Return Labels | All Levels - Print Order Packing Slips, Invoices & Prepaid Return Labels | All Levels - Print Order Packing Slips, Invoices & Prepaid Return Labels |
| Shopping Cart, Seller Marketplace & Multichannel Integrations Learn More | 10 Top Shopping Carts, Marketplaces & Multichannel Selling Tools | 35 + Shopping Carts, Marketplaces & Multichannel Selling Tools | 53 + Shopping Carts, Marketplaces & Multichannel Selling Tools |
| Multiple Store & Seller Marketplace | Free Plan - 1 Store $25/mo Plan: Unlimited Stores | All Plans - Unlimited Stores | All Plans - Unlimited Stores |
| Drop Ship & 3PL Fulfillment Management Learn More | Drop ship - Automated with paid Shipping+Inventory plans Fulfillment - Can be set up via API | Drop ship - Not automated, but can be supported, requires a paid inventory plan Fulfillment - Can be set up via API | Drop ship - Not automated, but can be supported Fulfillment - Readily integrates with many providers |
| Optional Inventory Features Learn More | Great Integrated inventory functions that update quantities to all selling platforms | Great Integrated inventory functions that update quantities to select platforms | Good Integrated inventory functions for back-end management, but no inventory updates to selling platforms |
| Customer Support, Documentation, & Tutorials Learn More | All levels - Free phone and email setup support Ongoing Support - Varies based on plan Comprehensive setup and support tutorials | All Levels - Unlimited phone and email Comprehensive setup and support tutorials | All levels - Free phone and email setup support with a dedicated rep. Ongoing Support - Varies based on plan Comprehensive setup and support tutorials |
Ordoro
ShippingEasy
ShipStationBest Ecommerce Shipping Software: Ordoro
Each of our top shipping software picks let you compare carrier rates, select the best, and print shipping labels all from one convenient screen, so our top recommendation really came down to price. Along with its Free plan for small shippers, Ordoro has a $25/month unlimited shipping plan. And they’re serious about it being unlimited. You can ship unlimited orders, from unlimited selling platforms, with unlimited users. The other two simply can’t beat this price.
All three let you compare shipping rates among UPS, FedEx, US Postal (USPS), and Canada Post, which cover the needs of most US shippers. Comparing rates ensures that you pay the lowest rate on each and every shipment. But that’s not the only way you save when you use Ordoro or another of our picks.
Our top picks all provide users with USPS commercial discount rates usually reserved for high-volume shippers. This can reduce your postal rates by 15 to 67 percent, regardless of your volume. This savings alone can be enough to cover the monthly fees of the software. Ordoro and ShippingEasy offer the maximum savings through USPS Commercial Plus Pricing (CPP) on all paid plans. ShipStation supports a limited CPP plan with discounts applied to shipments up to five pounds.
For integrations, Ordoro works beautifully with many shopping carts and seller marketplaces, including Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy, Amazon, eBay, BigCommerce, and more. Ordoro fully “handshakes” too, meaning it automatically imports data as orders are placed. Then as orders ship, it sends package tracking and inventory updates (if applicable) back to selling platforms.
Both ShippingEasy and ShipStation handshake on shipping with more shopping carts and selling platforms than Ordoro, but not on inventory. ShippingEasy updates inventory to just a few platforms, and ShipStation none at all. This is another area where Ordoro pulled ahead.
For order management and shipping tasks, Ordoro is on par with our other picks. Each imports customer addresses, products ordered, and shipping methods from seller platforms. After import, you can review and approve orders to ship, make changes or additions, and print invoices and packing slips. To ship orders, you can easily compare rates among shippers and print shipping labels on an order-by-order basis or in batches from one convenient screen.
Ordoro’s downsides are higher cost at the shipping+inventory levels and fewer overall integrations compared to the other two. But if your cart integrates with Ordoro, the connection is solid and reliable. And if you need the full suite to manage stock purchasing, drop shipping, and multichannel selling, the cost is worth it when you consider the time you’ll save.
Best Ecommerce Shipping Software for Shopping Cart Integrations: ShippingEasy
ShippingEasy integrates its shipping features with more shopping carts and sales channels than Ordoro. Plus it offers some impressive inventory tracking tools. It integrates with more than 35 carts, seller marketplaces, and multichannel platforms. These connections send shipment tracking information back to the selling platforms.
In overall order and shipping management features, ShippingEasy is on par with Ordoro and ShipStation. You can quickly process orders and print invoices, packing slips, and shipping labels individually or in batches from its simple, intuitive screens.
That said, ShippingEasy takes our Number Two spot in our shipping software guide for two reasons:
- Inventory Integrations — ShippingEasy tracks inventory for orders coming in from any shopping cart and sales channels, which is nice. Where it fall short vs. Ordoro is that it posts availability back to just a few: Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Amazon, and Ebay. However, if you use their supported sales channels and need full inventory features, ShippingEasy is cheaper overall than Ordoro.
- Shipping Plan Pricing — Ordoro’s $25/mo. unlimited shipping plan beats Shipping Easy’s pricing if you ship more than 50 orders per month. Unlike Ordoro, ShippingEasy’s monthly fees increase as your order volume grows. However, ShippingEasy’s Free plan offers more features than Ordoro’s if you ship fewer than 50 orders each month. Here, ShippingEasy tops ShipStation because it offers a full-featured Free plan for 50 orders per month. Ship Station doesn’t offer a free plan at all.
Best Ecommerce Shipping Software for Shipping Carrier Integrations: ShipStation
In fulfillment center, freight carrier, and international shipper integrations, ShipStation handily beats both Ordoro and ShippingEasy. Since these services are typically geared toward mid-sized, high-volume ecommerce sellers, this impressive feature doesn’t weigh as heavily in our small business reviews. However, it’s nice to know you can quickly scale up to meet freight and high-volume shipping demands if needed.
ShipStation also leaps ahead of Ordoro and matches ShippingEasy in shopping cart, multichannel, and marketplace seller integrations. It seamlessly connects to a huge number of selling platforms, and if it doesn’t, you can connect through their API features. Where it falls short is inventory integrations. ShipStation tracks inventory for orders from all stores, but sends updates to none. This can be a problem for some sellers.
Lack of a Free shipping plan is the main reason ShipStation takes the Number Three spot in our shipping software guide. ShipStation is actually the most popular shipping software provider for small to mid-sized ecommerce sellers. But you have to pay to use ShipStation, and that makes Ordoro and ShippingEasy better choices for low-volume and occasional shippers. However, ShipStation does offer a 30-day free trial with no credit card needed to sign up.
Like Ordoro and ShippingEasy, ShipStation offers wonderfully intuitive order processing and shipping comparison screens. You can easily access and print order invoices, packing slips, and shipping labels individually or in batches, as needed. ShipStation supports discounted USPS Commercial Plus Pricing rates, but it’s a limited version. You’ll receive more USPS savings using the other two.
In-Depth Review: Ordoro vs. ShippingEasy vs. ShipStation
Pricing
With the exception of Ordoro’s unlimited shipping plan, monthly fees increase with shipping volume under our top picks’ pricing plans. However, as monthly rates increase so do the features available, such as user access, inventory functions, and increased support. As you grow, you’ll likely find these time-saving features are worth the price. But if you only need shipping tools, Ordoro’s unlimited plan is hands-down the best deal.
Here’s a look at how our top three shipping software picks stack up in pricing:
Comparing Rates Across Multiple Shipping Carriers
This is the number one reason every ecommerce seller should consider using shipping software with a rate comparison tool. To stay competitive in ecommerce, you need to control shipping costs wherever possible. Comparing rates among UPS, FedEx, DHL, and USPS is the best way to ensure every order ships at the lowest cost. Our top picks let you compare carrier rates, select the best, and print shipping labels all from one convenient screen.
USPS, UPS, and FedEx Discounted Rates
Our top picks link to your UPS, FedEx, and DHL accounts to display any contract discounts on screen. So when comparing rates, you see the actual rate you’ll be paying when the bill comes. USPS discounts are a bit different than UPS and FedEx, but here’s how it all works:
USPS Discounts Through Commercial Pricing
All three of our top shipping software picks provide users with USPS commercial discount rates usually reserved for high-volume shippers. With this, you can save 15 to 67 percent on all of your postal shipments. This savings alone can be enough to cover the monthly fees for the software, and more. These discounts rates are called:
- USPS Commercial Base – the same rate you receive when you print labels on USPS.com.
- USPS Commercial Plus – a much higher discount normally available only to high-volume shippers. Our top picks make it possible for smaller shippers to tap into these higher savings. We’ll cover how each does it below.
For low-volume shippers also interested in discounted USPS rates, consider using Stamps.com as your shipping software. Stamps.com offers discounts up to 40 percent off USPS-approved postage. The software also automatically imports your orders from wherever you sell, selects the best shipping method based on price and delivery speed, and emails your customers their tracking information. Click here to start a four-week trial and get $5 in free postage.
UPS and FedEx Discounts
UPS, FedEx, and DHL all offer discount rates to commercial shippers, and the discounts increase with your shipping volume. Discount rates are determined through annual agreements with each carrier. Once your discounts are set up by the carrier, these lower rates feed into the rate comparison screens of our top picks. This makes your rate comparisons more accurate and reduces billing surprises.
Create & Send Return Labels
All three top picks make it easy to generate and email return labels to customers. This is an especially handy feature when you need to cover return costs for incorrect orders or damaged goods. Plus you can assign return authorization numbers (RMAs), and even add package pickup if needed.
Ordoro gives you several options in their return label screen. You can select specific items(s) being returned so label weights are correct. You also can return shipments via any method you prefer, you’re not locked into the carrier used for the original shipment. And if you ship from different locations, such as a drop ship supplier or separate warehouse, you can select which location receives the return. Learn more about handling returns in Ordoro here.
Like Ordoro and ShipStation, you can easily create a return label from the shipping screen in ShippingEasy. There you can select the items being returned to generate the correct weight for the return label. You also can return shipments via any method you prefer and select which location should receive the return, if applicable. Learn more about handling returns in ShippingEasy here.
Like Ordoro and ShippingEasy, with ShipStation you can create a return label for a specific order from the shipping screen, select items to be returned, and make box size and weight adjustments as needed. You also can have returns shipped via any method you prefer and select which location should receive the return, if applicable. Learn more about handling returns in ShipStation here.
Shopping Cart, Seller Marketplace, and Multichannel Integrations
If you’re not familiar with the different online selling platforms, often called channels, here’s a quick primer:
Shopping Carts are website-based and allow you to accept orders on your own website. Some top Shopping Carts include: Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, 3DCart, and many others.
Seller Marketplaces include destination shopping websites like Amazon, Etsy, and Ebay, where you can sell goods without having your own website. However, many small businesses sell on their own website and in seller marketplaces.
Multichannel Platforms are essentially advanced inventory management systems that connect your products to a variety of selling platforms such as your website, seller marketplaces, and social sites like Facebook. You can even tie in physical store sales. Each of these selling outlets is called a channel. Popular multichannel management systems include Channel Advisor, Ecwid, and Stitch Labs.
This is one point where Ordoro differs greatly from ShippingEasy and ShipStation. Ordoro integrates with far fewer selling platforms, while the other two integrate with a wide array. Despite this, Ordoro is our top pick in this guide for two important reasons:
- Its $25/mo unlimited shipping plan beats the others for the value it provides.
- Though it integrates with fewer platforms, each is fully integrated for both shipping and inventory.
The other two integrate well on the shipping side, but their inventory integrations with selling platforms are limited. We discuss this in detail below.
Drop Ship & 3PL Fulfillment Management
Drop shipping and Third-Party Fulfillment (3PL) services are order fulfillment alternatives that benefit many small and growing businesses. We have a great article that details how these fulfillment options work, so I won’t elaborate here. For this guide, we’re mainly concerned with whether or not our top picks can efficiently support the drop shipping and/or fulfillment services that small businesses might need.
The verdict? Yes… and sort of. Read on for the full story.
Optional Advanced Inventory Features
This guide is meant to compare the rate comparison tools of our top shipping software picks. But as an eCommerce business grows, so does its inventory management concerns. So we considered inventory management features in our ratings as well.
Customer Support, Documentation, & Tutorials
All three of our top picks provide free onboarding support to get you up and running fast. Each provides excellent online knowledge base information and tutorials as well. The only real difference is in the free phone support, which we detail below.
All Shipping Software & Rate Comparison Tools Reviewed
Ordoro, ShippingEasy, and ShipStation fill just about any shipping rate comparison need small businesses have, and more. But if you’re looking for a different solution, here’s a list of all the popular shipping software providers we researched:
| Tool | Best For | Price | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Circle | Startups and small companies | $29.99/mo for 1500 shipments, plus shipping costs | Ship with any carrier without managing separate accounts, it’s all handled through Circle. Plus you get great rates with Circle’s aggregate carrier discounts. |
| EasyPost | A variety of shippers. Great for those using carts with EasyPost integration or who need to integrate shipping functions into an existing system. | $0.04 per shipment No monthly fees | EasyPost integrates with some carts to let you ship right from your store’s order management screen. It also integrates shipping into existing fulfillment and inventory systems. |
| Shippo | A variety of shippers. Great for those using carts with Shippo integration. It can also integrate shipping functions into an existing system. | $0.05 per shipment No monthly fees Receive discounts using Shippo’s carrier accounts or ship using your own accounts. | This powerful shipping tool integrates with many carts and seller platforms. It also integrates shipping into existing fulfillment and inventory systems. |
| PayPal | Any small company shipping low volume and using PayPal for all payments | No fees | PayPal lets you compare rates and create labels for both UPS and the USPS on their website. |
| ShipWorks | Startups to enterprise companies | $25-$99/mo. No Free plan | Shipworks functions much like our top three for shipping, but their plans don’t offer the same value by comparison. |
The Bottom Line
Comparing rates among shippers is the only way to ensure you’re paying the best price for every package you send. If you ship with a variety of carriers, shipping software like our three top picks can be a cost- and time-saving asset that benefits your entire operation.
All of the shipping software we reviewed offers great rate comparison, order management, and platform integrations. Where they differ greatly is on price for shipping-only features and in the details of advanced inventory features.
Taking everything into account, we landed on Ordoro as our top pick because it lets you process and ship unlimited orders for one low price: $25/mo. Plus, if you someday need inventory features that connect your website and selling channels, you’re covered. While Ordoro can be more expensive than ShippingEasy for inventory features, you won’t have any integration surprises.
Do you use Ordoro, ShippingEasy, or ShipStation or another great shipping software? Let us know what you think in our comments below.
Mike Zaya
Great article! I appreciate the time you took to detail out the specifics (like the inventory features) which you could have glanced over. Too often review articles are shallow as a rain puddle when it comes to depth. That’s why I’ve bookedmarked fitsmallbusiness.com as a reference source when researching for my ecommerce companies.
Right now we’re currently using ShipStation to process our orders for both of my companies Inkjets.com (printer supplies) and DSLRpros.com (commercial drone solution provider). The two problems we’re now running into are:
1. Determining dimensional weights which is always greater then a package’s actual weight for our larger orders. This makes quoting shipping estimates challenging until an order is actually processed.
2. Bigger issues – We’re finding it challenging as we scale due to the lack of inventory management features. Until we find a more robust solution we elected to use manual spreadsheets in Google Drive and ShipStation for processing shipping labels.
Outside of these two issues ShipStation is a fantastic tool which I highly recommend for smaller ecommerce businesses. Based on your article we’ll check out Ordaro to see if it’s a better fit based on our evolving needs. Thanks again, keep up the great job!
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On a side note, I feel there is a big gap in the market when it comes to content that geared to ecommerce/retail companies that are past the initial start up phase but are smaller then enterprise businesses. I’m talking about companies that are $2 – $20 million in revenue. There are plenty of content sites that focus on starting a business or focus on enterprise companies. When you’re a medium sized company you can’t yet afford the enterprise solutions out there, however your business has grown where the start up focused software stacks just aren’t complex enough anymore. I understand there aren’t as many businesses in this category, so most sites don’t address this market. Something for you to consider.
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Hello,
I think you should check out Ordoro asap (like, today!)!!! I had great luck with them. I was just under $2M in annual sales, so I get exactly where you’re coming from. Plus my average sale was only about $30, probably far less than yours seeing what you sell. So I may have actually moved more volume on shipping. Both Ordoro’s shipping and inventory controls are excellent, you have lots of box dimension and assignment controls, kitting, automated purchase orders, etc… so they should be a good fit.
ShipStation is very popular but its lack of inventory features stymies me. But, it obviously works for many. As a side note, Shiping Easy and ShipStation are part of the same company now. ShippingEasy has good inventory features, too. I’ve used both ShippingEasy and Ordoro myself, and finally turned to Ordoro as total inventory solution because of their STELLAR inventory features.
Per our target content for businesses of a certian size, we definitely focus on the small and startup crowd. But in my ecommerce and retail categories, many of the solutions I cover scale to $10M+ easily. The trick is finding one that has the features that you need, like your inventory dilemma with ShipStation. With the right features, say with Ordoro’s inventory + shipping all-in-one system, scaling from $5M to $10M+ is pretty seamless system-wise.
Good luck and thanks so much for reading and commenting. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Cheers,
Krista
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