10 Best Order Fulfillment Companies for Small Businesses in 2022

Clients’ bills are assessed and updated daily, and all charges are visible in a fully itemized format from your dashboard. In the same tab, shipping details can be toggled to estimate variable order costs.

Shipbob charges a single fulfillment fee for each order, which includes pick and pack (up to four items), basic packaging materials, and shipping costs. Returns are processed to your specifications for $3 per order, and order management software comes free for every account.

• Fulfillment network: 23 US warehouses and seven international locations make for efficient, cost-effective distribution around the world. All orders placed before noon ship the same day.
• Shipping carriers: UPS, USPS, DHL, and FedEx—all with discounted rates. Plus smaller regional carriers.
• B2B fulfillment: Wholesale order processing and EDI compliance make ShipBob a good choice for retail fulfillment.
• Integrations: Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Squarespace, Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and API options.
• FBA prep: For eligible multi-channel clients, ShipBob will send a portion of your inventory to Amazon and ensure it meets precise packaging standards.
• Batch fulfillment: Service can be enrolled on a per-project basis for crowdfunding campaigns and product launches.
• FDA certification: Seven of ShipBob’s warehouses are climate-controlled and certified by the Food and Drug Administration for the safe handling of food, beverages, cosmetics, medical equipment, and dietary supplements.
• Software: Free user-friendly, web-based software for managing orders, inventory, customers, returns, billing, and analytics.
• Retailer dropshipping service: Items listed on Bed Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, Chewy, Nordstrom, Target, and more ship directly from ShipBob to your customers.
• Managed freight program: Shipbob offers an end-to-end managed freight and inventory distribution program (called FreightBob) to help SMBs reduce transit times and increase visibility for freight coming from China.

ShipBob doesn’t offer refrigeration, making warehousing of certain foods and beverages impossible. Though it can accommodate oversized goods, it isn’t as nearly cost-effective for special handling and large-item shipping as Red Stag Fulfillment.

The provider’s storage costs are also higher than competing fulfillment companies, and its customer service issue resolution needs improvement.

*Prices displayed are for clients processing 0–500 orders per month. Volume discounts are available for businesses shipping 500+ monthly orders. Visit ShipMonk for more information.

The billing portal on ShipMonk’s software features a detailed breakdown of your monthly fulfillment costs, offering transparency into each invoice.

ShipMonk’s pricing model is highly scalable, with volume discounts that apply on a sliding scale. That being said, fragile items and items heavier than 5 pounds will incur additional charges—so Red Stag Fulfillment is the more cost-effective choice for these goods.

Users occasionally report running into unexpected costs from fuel surcharges and contract complications. Pricing details hidden in fine print can impact your bottom line if you’re not careful, so be sure to understand your fulfillment agreement thoroughly.

• Customer service: High-level accessibility from a dedicated representative and a support facility open during extended business hours in multiple time zones.
• Shipping carriers: USPS, FedEx, DHL, DHL Express, Passport, UPS1—with discounted rates.
• Integrations: 60+ turnkey integrations including Shopify, WooCommerce, Amazon marketplace, Magento, eBay, PayPal, and more.
• Customization and branding: Shipmonk offers a suite of branded post-purchase tools, including tracking pages and advanced packaging customization.
• Advanced automation: State-of-the-art warehouse automation technologies increase ShipMonk’s efficiency and effectiveness, which provides clients with quicker fulfillment times, higher picking accuracy, cheaper fulfillment costs, and more secure storage.
• Software: Free user-friendly, web-based software for managing orders, inventory, customers, returns, billing, and analytics.
• Quality control: ShipMonk assures order accuracy with features like “Snap n’ Pack,” which takes a photo of packed orders before they’re shipped, and automatic reshipment of orders whose tracking number hasn’t been updated.
• Duty-Free Import with Section 321: Sellers can ship merchandise to ShipMonk’s Mexico location and then incrementally import it into the US, divided into multiple $800 portions. This eliminates duties for volume importers.

Without climate control, refrigerators, and special handling expertise, ShipMonk isn’t a good fit for retailers selling goods that require extra care or maintenance.

Its restrictive fulfillment network may result in greater shipping costs and longer delivery times than competitors such as ShipBob, FBA, and Deliverr. Additionally, ShipMonk’s limited presence outside of North America (with only one warehouse in the Eastern hemisphere) makes it difficult for users to expand into foreign markets.

• Fulfillment network: Five US warehouses and two Canada locations allow businesses to distribute their inventory and import efficiently. All orders placed before noon ship the same day business day.
• Shipping carriers: ShipHero uses UPS, USPS, FedEx, DHL, GLS, Veho, and Blue Streak—plus additional regional couriers.
• Warehouse management software: The company’s robust WMS is used by large-scale warehouses worldwide—including some of the other providers on this list.
• Shipping software: Compare rates, manage orders, and print labels for your in-house fulfillment operation.
• Fulfillment software: Free user-friendly software for fulfillment clients to manage orders, inventory, customers, returns, billing, and analytics.
• Integrations: 50+ turnkey integrations available, including Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and API options.
• Batch fulfillment: Service can be enrolled on a per-project basis for crowdfunding campaigns and product launches.
• FBA prep and Seller-fulfilled Prime Eligibility: Power your Amazon sales with ShipHero’s programs.
• Operational accuracy: ShipHero’s mobile pick-and-pack systems and automation technology eliminate 99.9% of errors.
• Operational visibility: Use the platform’s software to see each order’s status in real time, including photos of every packed box.

As mentioned above, ShipHero’s zone-free pricing structure can be helpful for some businesses—but for others, it may make the service’s value inconsistent. If the majority of your orders come from nearby zones, a provider like ShipBob would likely provide better value.

ShipHero’s only international warehouses are located in Canada, so it isn’t able to provide local fulfillment in most global markets. For retailers focused on expanding globally, we recommend a global warehouse network like ShipBob or FBA.

Red Stag Fulfillment allows you to partner with it risk-free for 30 days to see if it’s a good match for your needs. If you’re unsatisfied with its people, processes, and services at the end of the guarantee period, it won’t bill you for any of your fulfillment service fees.

• Fulfillment network: Three existing warehouse locations—one in Utah, and two in Tennessee—plus two coastal locations scheduled to launch in the future.
• Shipping carriers: UPS, USPS, FedEx, Amazon, and OnTrac.
• Integrations: 30+ turnkey integrations, including Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Magento, eBay, and Amazon—plus custom solutions.
• Service guarantees: Red Stag is so confident in its storage, packing, and tracking systems that it will remedy issues for free and pay you $50 for any errors on its part. It also has guarantees for receiving and unloading inventory within 48 hours of the shipment arriving at Red Stag warehouses.
• Turnaround and delivery times: Same-day fulfillment is offered with aggressive cutoff times (orders must be placed before 5 p.m.); 97% of orders reach customers within two days and 99% within three days.
• Management and quality control: Red Stag has video tracking throughout its warehouses to prevent losses through damages, mistakes, or theft.

Red Stag’s limited network of fulfillment centers can impact distribution efficiency compared to companies that boast 10 to 100+ warehouse locations, like ShipBob, Deliverr, or FBA. It also lacks transparency in billing—detailed fulfillment and shipping cost breakdowns aren’t provided by default but rather prepared on a case-by-case basis upon request and charged at a “Special Projects” rate.

Whitebox’s pricing structure is different from most other fulfillment companies. Rather than charging for each service individually, clients pay a monthly “all-in fulfillment fee” that covers all related charges except storage, which is billed additionally.

Whitebox advertises free receiving for single-SKU, pelletized shipments, and fulfillment fees as low as 99 cents per order.

The company’s order management software also incurs a monthly fee. Advanced cross-channel data-management software is also available at an additional cost or free to clients who meet a minimum billing requirement.

Its growth agency option is charged on a commission basis, assessed as a fixed percentage of the client’s sales.

• Fulfillment network: Three warehouse locations strategically located in Las Vegas, Memphis, and Baltimore.
• Shipping carriers: FedEx, UPS, USPS, and DHL.
• Integrations: Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Amazon, Walmart, Wayfair, Home Depot, and more, including API.
• Growth agency services: Full-service marketplace management platform goes beyond fulfillment to include listing creation and optimization, stock maintenance, marketing, and sales servicing.
• FBA prep: Whitebox receives, counts, and examines your stock before correctly packaging and distributing it into Amazon’s warehouse system per FBA requirements.
• Advanced reporting: Sales forecasting, profitability studies, inventory management, and unified data are visible from the company’s available software.
• Amazon advantage: Whitebox can list your items on its own well-established seller account, which boasts a 5-star rating with 97% positivity on 6,500+ reviews.

Whitebox’s high minimum requirement of 1,000 orders per month makes it incompatible with many young businesses and startups. It also doesn’t offer batch fulfillment services for crowdfunding ventures.

The company does offer an order fulfillment partnership separately from its growth agency and marketplace management services. For multichannel sellers who want to outsource fulfillment and logistics while handling the rest of the operation on their own, Whitebox’s value falls short compared to other fulfillment-focused options, such as ShipBob.

FBA’s pricing structure is complicated, especially if you’re using FBA to fulfill orders from channels other than Amazon. Plus, its fees are slightly higher if your products are apparel or what it considers to be dangerous goods (which is anything that includes lithium batteries or magnetized material).

To address this, Amazon offers a host of useful fee tools to provide transparency and predictability for existing clients and potential customers estimating their profitability.

See how FBA’s pricing and features compare to the top-ranking company in FBA vs ShipBob.

• Fulfillment network: FBA has over 110 warehouse locations in the US and 75 international fulfillment centers.
• Quick delivery: Shipping times are driven by the Amazon Prime shipping guarantees, which have set the industry standard. Shoppers can select their delivery speed too, and Amazon orders largely arrive as expected.
• Scalability: Sellers that move from 10 products to millions of products monthly can use Amazon FBA. It’s important to monitor stock levels closely to optimize costs as you grow, but you won’t outgrow FBA’s fulfillment capacity.
• Integrations: In addition to fulfilling Amazon orders, FBA has a multichannel fulfillment portal to ship orders received on other channels like eBay, Etsy, or your own online store website.
• Specialty services: FBA is not a full-service fulfillment warehouse, so there are no specialty packing add-ons. Your items ship exactly as they’re received by FBA. However, FBA items are eligible for Amazon’s gift services, and offering this doesn’t add to your fulfillment costs. Amazon does manage customer service and refunds for orders it fulfills, which is not typical.
• Search rankings: Amazon’s product-search algorithm favors products that are fulfilled by FBA, which can boost visibility and sales of your goods.

Due to its multichannel fulfillment fees, FBA is simply not cost-effective unless 80% to 90% of your sales come from Amazon. If you sell on other competitive marketplaces, Deliverr is a better service with many similarities.

Another issue comes from inventory commingling or pooling, which is a storage system used by FBA to streamline distribution by grouping identical products from different sellers. This means the goods another retailer bought and shipped to FBA could be sent to the customer who made a purchase on your listing.

This practice has led to counterfeit and faulty products making their way into the supply chain—harming the reputation and eligibility of sellers at no fault of their own. It’s a risk that should be assessed by anyone selling goods that aren’t unique to their store.

Rakuten Super Logistics does not disclose its pricing online—all onboarding, receiving, storage, pick and pack, and account management costs are custom-quoted.

Contact Rakuten Super Logistics for a quote.

• Fulfillment network: 15 warehouses strategically located across the US reach 98% of the US within two days via ground shipping.
• Shipping carriers: RSL supports shipping with UPS, USPS, DHL, and FirstMile (A Rakuten Company).
• Integrations: 19 turnkey integrations available, including Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Volusion, Amazon, and more.
• Customer support: Clients can receive support via live chat, phone, and email during standard business hours.
• US-based client service: Unlike many large-scale 3PLs, Rakuten Super Logistics does not outsource its customer service outside the US.
• Ecommerce smart tools: RSL provides online tools, including a shipping optimizer and customs guide with clearing support.
• Lot tracking: Manufacturers and retailers can work with RSL to track, fulfill by expiration/freshness dates, and properly recall product lots along the supply chain.
• Freight forwarding: RSL’s in-house team of freight experts can handle your domestic and international freight service needs.
• Temperature control: The company offers climate control and refrigeration in some of its facilities.
• Shipping savings: Discounted shipping rates and one- to two-day ground coverage can help cut down your shipping spend.
• Guaranteed accuracy: Rakuten Super Logistics promises 100% order accuracy and 100% of orders shipping within a day.
• Subscription box fulfillment: Programs available with specialized inventory management.

RSL doesn’t support custom packaging, so it’s a poor fit for businesses with strong branding or those who promote a custom unboxing experience. It also has business-only customer support hours and lacks international warehouse locations.

The biggest issue potential clients may have is with Rakuten Super Logistics’ user reviews. The company maintains a lackluster rating on sites like WebRetailer and Trustpilot, with many profound 1-star reviews. Some users report that the company may ship duplicate orders, overcharge for its services, and fail to resolve issues. Others cite glitchy software that lacks necessary functions.

Deliverr’s pricing structure is nearly identical to that of FBA—but total costs come out to be more affordable in most cases. This especially applies to multichannel sellers. Like FBA, Deliverr’s storage costs fluctuate greatly during peak season. This can easily lead to surprise charges, so users must examine their budget carefully.

Note that items containing batteries or anything deemed hazardous will incur extra charges. Visit Deliverr for more information.

• Fulfillment network: Deliverr maintains 50+ warehouses across the US.
• Shipping carriers: The company works with 12 shipping carriers, although specific carriers are not provided.
• Integrations: 27 direct integrations available, including Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, Walmart, and Facebook Shops.
• Marketplace optimization: Deliverr is designed to boost your success in competitive marketplaces like Walmart, Wish, and eBay.
• Prime-like badges: Deliverr equips your marketplace listings with badges to advertise fast shipping offers.
• Customer service: Support is available via phone and live chat from 8 a.m.to 5 p.m. Central time. During off-hours, a help ticket is created.
• Search rankings: Improve your marketplace SEO through Deliverr’s badging features and shipping guarantees.
• Fulfillment software: The company’s easy-to-use online platform lets you manage orders, inventory, and more.
• Reporting and analytics: Create reports to analyze shipping costs, inventory stats, and sales metrics.

Like ShipHero, Deliverr’s simplified shipping costs can make overall expenses more predictable, but may also detract from the service’s overall value.

Its features are strongly geared toward competitive marketplaces and strip the seller of control—so sellers running their own online store would likely benefit from a cheaper and more straightforward service. Plus, Deliverr doesn’t allow for custom packaging elements, so branding and unboxing experiences are compromised.

Another problem with Deliverr is that its online reviews contain a lot of disappointment. Many users criticize the company’s customer service methods, citing slow response times and poor issue resolution.

*FedEx Fulfillment does not publish pricing. The above values are based on information from FedEx, trusted third-party review sites, and customer reviews. Contact FedEx for a direct quote.

• Fulfillment network: 30+ warehouses in the US plus one international fulfillment center location, all providing access to FedEx’s well-established transportation network.
• Shipping carriers: FedEx fulfillment only supports FedEx shipping services.
• Integrations: Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Magento, eBay, Walmart, Etsy, and more.
• Reverse logistics: Because FedEx Fulfillment is a small part of FedEx’s extensive logistics business, you also have access to all of FedEx’s other services, including industry-leading return management services.
• Tracking and visibility: Real-time order and shipment tracking for you and customers, plus live insights on inventory data.
• Climate control: The company’s main fulfillment and distribution center in Memphis is fully temperature-controlled and monitored with a compliant temperature recording system.
• Supply chain consulting: FedEx offers logistics expertise to help you identify opportunities to overcome challenges and improve processes.

Though FedEx is a vast logistics organization, it’s hard to tell how much of its resources are being dedicated to fulfillment operations. Inconsistent customer service has been reported by FedEx Fulfillment clients, and in response to ecommerce fluctuations in 2020, the company temporarily halted its return services, reverse logistics, and international fulfillment. All fulfillment services are said to have resumed in 2021.

FedEx Fulfillment doesn’t perform FBA prep or ship Amazon orders, so if a majority of your sales come from Amazon, FBA or Whitebox may be a better choice.

A fulfillment company is a service provider that specializes in storing inventory, processing orders, and shipping goods for other businesses.

These companies have purpose-built infrastructure—including warehouses, loading docks, packing stations, and trained employees. This allows them to store and ship large volumes of products quickly, accurately, and cost-effectively.

Click here to read about how fulfillment centers work.

A 3PL is a general term for any company that delivers an outsourced logistics service—such as order fulfillment, shipping, freight distribution, or import/export. It stands for third-party logistics.

Fulfillment companies are 3PLs, but not all 3PLs perform order fulfillment. Other examples of 3PLs include shipping carriers like FedEx, UPS, and USPS, and freight brokers.

As a typical ecommerce retailer, the total cost owed to your partner fulfillment company mostly breaks down into four fees: inventory receiving, storage, pick and pack, and outbound shipping. In many cases, packaging materials are also part of the fulfillment outlay.

The periodic cost of each of these processes depends on order volume and complexity, as well as product specifications. Additional services—like custom boxes, special handling, and item assembly—can also contribute to your fulfillment expenses.

To learn more about fulfillment services pricing and see cost examples, read our guide to order fulfillment costs.