4 Best ShipBob Competitors in 2023 [+3 Alternatives]
This article is part of a larger series on Retail Management.
ShipBob is an industry-leading third-party order fulfillment company. It delivers scalable services to startups and small and midsize businesses (SMBs) with affordable pricing, low monthly minimums, and a wide warehouse network to minimize your shipping costs.
However, ShipBob’s drawbacks may make it a poor fit for certain businesses—including Amazon sellers, those with oversized or high-maintenance goods, and those seeking high levels of customer support. The company also received an influx of negative reviews recently, which may cause business owners to explore ShipBob alternatives.
We evaluated dozens of providers to find the best ShipBob competitors for outsourcing fulfillment:
- ShipMonk: Best overall alternative to ShipBob
- Red Stag Fulfillment: Best for special-handling needs
- ShipHero: Best for hybrid fulfillment
- Fulfillment by Amazon: Best for Amazon sellers
If your business isn’t big enough to outsource fulfillment economically, or if you have specific product needs for order fulfillment, one of these ShipBob alternatives may be more suitable for you.
- Saltbox: Best workspace rentals and on-demand labor
- ShippingEasy: Best shipping software for in-house fulfillment
- WarehousingAndFulfillment.com: Best broker for finding providers that fit your needs
Not sure what you need? Read our guide to order fulfillment processes and strategies and our breakdown of in-house vs outsourced fulfillment.
ShipBob Competitors Compared
Monthly Minimum | US Warehouse Locations | International Warehouse Locations | Shipping Carrier Options | Amazon Seller-Fulfilled Prime (SFP) | Accuracy Rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | $250 min. spend | 35 | 8 | FedEx, UPS, USPS, DHL, +6 more | ✕ | 99.95% |
 | $250 in pick & pack fees | 8 | 3 | FedEx, UPS, USPS, DHL + 2 more | ✓ | 99.90% |
 | ~200 orders | 2 | None | FedEx, UPS, USPS, +2 more | ✓ | 99.98% with aggressive 100% guarantee |
 | 500 orders | 5 | 2 | UPS, USPS, FedEx, DHL, GLS | ✓ | 99.90% |
 | None | 110 | 75 | Amazon Logistics, UPS | ✓ | Undisclosed |
Pros
- Growth Plan program designed for startups
- Wide network of 35 US and eight non-US fulfillment centers
- Advanced reporting and analytics software
Cons
- High storage fees
- Cannot fulfill Amazon SFP (Seller-Fulfilled Prime) orders
- Does not integrate with Etsy or Groupon
Key Features
- Third-party fulfillment services
- $250 minimum monthly requirement
- Affordable pricing
- B2B fulfillment with EDI compliance
- 35 US warehouse locations
- Eight international warehouse locations
- Itemized billing format for transparency
- 99.95% accuracy rate
- Works with UPS, USPS, FedEx, DHL, OSM, CDL Last Mile, UDS, LSO, and OnTrac
- FBA prep services
- Retail dropshipping program
- Managed freight program for importers
ShipBob Pricing
Cost | |
|---|---|
Onboarding & Implementation | $975 for entire implementation package or $0 on the Growth Plan for self-onboarding |
Inbound Shipping | Discounted rates available |
Receiving | $35/hour first two hours, $45/hour following |
Storage | $40 per pallet/month, $10 per shelf/month, or $5 per bin/month |
Fulfillment Fee | Calculated per-package based on weight & shipping distance |
Pick & Pack | $0 for the first 4 picks, 25 cents per additional pick |
Packaging Materials | $0 (Included in fulfillment fee) |
Promotional Inserts | 20 cents |
Shipping | Discounted rates available with major carriers |
Returns | $3 per order (plus label costs) |
Special Projects | $45/person-hour |
ShipMonk: Best Overall Alternative to ShipBob
Pros
- Support from a dedicated customer service rep with client-specific training
- Ample pre-built marketplace integrations, including Etsy and Groupon
- Amazon Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP)-eligible
Cons
- Limited international fulfillment network
- Large amount of alarming negative user reviews
- Difficult to terminate services
Where ShipMonk beats ShipBob
- Marketplace connectivity: Integrates with more platforms, including Groupon and Etsy
- Customization: Robust packaging and branding options
- Crowdfunding fulfillment: Specialty programs for fulfilling crowdfunding rewards
- Customer support: In-house, US-based customer service team
- Quality control: Takes photos of new SKUs and packed orders
- FBA experts: Adhere to strict FBA prep guidelines
ShipMonk is a fulfillment provider geared toward SMBs. Its tech-forward platform aims to reduce fulfillment costs and increase operational accuracy through robotic automation and advanced warehouse management systems (WMS) in its fulfillment centers.
The company prides itself on delivering best-in-class customer service to its clients. Each account is paired with a dedicated “Happiness Engineer” who is employed domestically and available five days a week.
ShipMonk is a top ShipBob competitor because the two companies offer many of the same features and benefits along with comparable pricing. Both providers also share a focus on startups with low minimum monthly requirements.
But unlike ShipBob, ShipMonk supports crowdfunding fulfillment and Amazon Prime sales. It also has specialty programs for subscription box services.
The total monthly costs associated with ShipBob and ShipMonk come out to be strikingly close—although ShipBob is cheaper for multi-item orders.
ShipMonk’s pricing model is highly scalable, with volume discounts that apply on a sliding scale starting at 500+ orders per month. However, many customers have complained of hidden fees and unexpected charges in reviews.
Cost | |
|---|---|
Onboarding and Implementation | Free |
Inbound Shipping | Discounted rates available |
Receiving | $0 when guidelines are met |
Storage | $25 per pallet/month, or $1–$4 per bin/month |
Pick & Pack | $3 for the first pick, 75 cents per additional pick |
Packaging Materials | 15 cents to $2 |
Shipping | Discounted rates available with major carriers |
Returns | $2 per order + 50 cents per item (plus label cost) |
Special Projects | $45/person-hour |
ShipMonk has a questionable reputation among its users, thanks to a huge influx of negative reviews from the past year and a half. These negative ratings report overcharging, lost inventory, excessive error rates, and difficulty in getting in touch with customer support.
Positive ShipMonk reviews from previous years praise the company’s efficient services, fast order turnaround time, and the simplicity of its software.
ShipMonk has doubled its warehouse footprint in recent years, so it’s easy to imagine that clients are suffering the consequences of ShipMonk’s growing pains.
Reviews summary:
- Trustpilot: 3.2-star rating from 220+ reviews
- Capterra: 4.0-star rating from 110+ reviews
- G2: 3.2-star rating from 25+ reviews
Red Stag Fulfillment: Best for Special-handling Needs
Pros
- Excellent operational transparency and 100% accuracy guarantees
- Fast turnaround times with affordable shipping and handling for oversized items
- Low order minimums and no long-term contracts
Cons
- Only two warehouse locations
- Dashboard and user interface are not user-friendly
- Costly pick and pack fees
Where Red Stag beats ShipBob
- 30-day risk-free trial
- Special-handling expertise
- Industry-leading service guarantee with payouts for errors
- Later cutoff times for processing same-day orders
- 48-hour guaranteed receiving and unloading turnaround time
- Greater accuracy rate
- Amazon Seller-fulfilled Prime eligibility
- Very highly rated
Red Stag’s unique approach focuses on special-handling needs to best accommodate oversized, heavy, high-value, or fragile products. This specialization makes fulfillment and logistics cost-effective by reducing spend on packing, shipping, and storing high-maintenance goods—as well as eliminating losses due to mishandling.
The company offers a 100% guarantee for receiving, inventory, order accuracy, and shipping accuracy, plus order speed and zero-shrink guarantees. If a mistake should occur, Red Stag will reimburse you for the cost plus a $50 penalty payment.
Unlike ShipBob, Red Stag doesn’t have an international warehouse network, freight management services, or a plan for low-volume startups. However, Red Stag Fulfillment is eligible to send Amazon Prime Orders, whereas ShipBob is not.
Red Stag charges higher pick and pack fees than many competitors (including ShipBob), which is because of its focus on special handling and personalized services. Storage with Red Stag is much cheaper than ShipBob, making it especially economical for large items.
Cost | |
|---|---|
Onboarding and Implementation | Free |
Inbound Shipping | Discounted rates available |
Receiving | $14.25/pallet when guidelines are met |
Storage | 75 cents per cubic foot (custom rates for long-term storage) |
Pick & Pack | $1.80–$2.25 for the first item, 32 cents per additional item |
Packing Materials | Starting at 80 cents |
Shipping | Discounted rates available with major carriers |
Returns | $6 per order (plus label cost) |
Special Projects | $45/person-hour |
Red Stag is a smaller company than many competitors, so few reviews are available. Most of the feedback you can find online was left by truckers or employees, so it reflects Red Stag’s working environment rather than its services.
But the available Red Stag reviews from clients are exceptionally positive. Business owners cite the courtesy, promptness, and professionalism of the customer support team, and commend Red Stag for consistently living up to its guarantees.
- Google: 4.2-star rating from around 60 reviews
- WebRetailer: 4.9-star rating from about 10 reviews
ShipHero: Best for Hybrid Fulfillment
Pros
- Affordable two-day shipping to lower 48 states
- Zone-free shipping costs for ultra-predictable pricing
- Amazon SFP-eligible
Cons
- Restrictive minimum order volume requirements
- Zone-free shipping fee structure can make value inconsistent
- 500-order/month minimum requirement
Where ShipHero beats ShipBob
- Shipping and inventory software solutions for in-house fulfillment
- Automatic load-balancing across multiple warehouse locations for qualified clients
- Flat-rate, zone-free shipping prices
- Sustainability-focused
- Two warehouse locations in Canada plus programs for Canadian expansion
- Works with open-ended regional carriers
ShipHero provides a variety of solutions for both in-house and outsourced fulfillment. In addition to traditional third-party services, businesses can use ShipHero’s inventory management software, shipping software, and/or warehouse management software (WMS) to run their in-house operation efficiently. (ShipBob launched its own WMS for in-house fulfillment in mid-2022.)
These products are effective on their own, but can also be used to make the transition into third-party fulfillment as smooth as possible. Clients can also take a hybrid approach to fulfillment by splitting inventory between ShipHero’s warehouses and their own operations.
Similarly to ShipBob, ShipHero has a nationwide network of warehouses that it uses to distribute inventory for its customers—although not all businesses qualify for this feature. Its pricing structure is based on this optimized distribution, so shipping costs are charged at a flat rate for all clients.
Flat-rate shipping can be immensely helpful for businesses to accurately calculate and anticipate their fulfillment spend. This makes ShipHero a good choice for small businesses moving out of their previous in-house operation or retailers selling products with thin margins.
ShipHero does not publish its pricing for fulfillment services online. The company states that because fulfillment needs vary, it can better meet expectations with a personalized quote.
Previously, when ShipHero had its fulfillment pricing posted online, costs were competitive. The company structured its pricing similarly to ShipBob, charging a fulfillment fee that included pick and pack (up to 3 items), packaging materials, and shipping. Unlike ShipBob, ShipHero provided free receiving (as long as your shipments followed its guidelines) and economical storage.
WMS pricing
ShipHero’s warehouse management system (WMS) software is billed at a different rate than its fulfillment services. These prices are posted online.
- WMS for Brands (starts at $1,995 per month): 5 seats, 10 store connections, handles returns, automations, rate shopper, lot and expiration tracking, warehouse tracking, setup and training, 24/7 support.
- WMS for 3PLs (starts at $2,145 per month): 5 seats, no store connections (add for $30 per month), includes everything in WMS for Brands plus a sandbox account, contract options, 3PL billing, marketplace listings, and customer portals.
- Enterprise for Brands (call for quote): 5 seats, 10 stores, all WMP for Brands tools plus increased API rate, a sandbox account, and contract options.
Most of ShipHero’s user reviews are highly positive. The majority of reviews mention friendly and effective customer service, and even commend specific employees by name.
On the Shopify App Store, ShipHero has a higher number of negative reviews, especially from recent months. Many of these ratings report that the service has just recently taken a turn for the worse. These users cite slow order processing, lost inventory, unmet SLAs, and poor issue resolution from the support team.
- G2: 4.3-star rating from about 70 reviews
- Trustpilot: 4.4-star rating from around 490 reviews
- Shopify App Store: 3.8-star rating from 160+ reviews
Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA): Best for Amazon Sellers
Pros
- Prime shipping designation provides access to over 200 million Prime subscribers
- Fast turnaround and shipping times
- Hands-off return and refund management
Cons
- Expensive storage fees that fluctuate seasonally
- Low visibility into stock levels and pooling products between sellers may put you at risk
- No common specialty services like kitting, assembly, or branded packaging
Where FBA Beats ShipBob
- 110 U.S. warehouse locations
- 75 International warehouse locations
- Automatic Prime designation on Amazon listings
- Later cutoff times for processing same-day orders
- Post-sale customer servicing handles all customer inquiries, refunds, and returns
- Options for climate control
- Increases listing visibility in Amazon search results
Fulfillment by Amazon (commonly known as FBA) is a 3PL company that provides multichannel order fulfillment services geared toward Amazon sellers.
Using FBA for your Amazon sales provides post-sale servicing, automatic Prime designation, search engine optimization (SEO), and other benefits—which is why it’s used by 86% of Amazon sellers.
However, FBA’s pricing and procedures are more complicated than many other fulfillment companies, particularly if you are not selling small or low-weight products. Additionally, its multichannel fulfillment services aren’t cost-effective, so it’s best for retailers who make the majority of their sales on Amazon.
FBA’s pricing structure is complex, especially if you’re using FBA to fulfill orders from channels other than Amazon (called FBM or Fulfillment by Merchant). 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). Storage fees also fluctuate throughout the year, increasing drastically in Q4.
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.
Overall, FBA is more expensive than ShipBob for many clients, but the benefits outweigh the costs for Amazon-focused sellers. If your primary channel(s) isn’t Amazon, ShipBob is the more economical option.
Cost | |
|---|---|
Onboarding and Implementation | Free |
Receiving | $0 when guidelines are met |
Storage | 56 cents–87 cents per cubic foot/month during January–September; $1.20–$2.40 per cubic foot/month during October–December |
Fulfillment Fee | $3.43 to $12.61 per unit for standard-size non-dangerous products (up to 20 pounds) $18.13 to $200-plus for oversize nondangerous products (21 to 150-plus pounds) |
Pick & Pack | Free (included in fulfillment fee) |
Shipping | Free (included in fulfillment fee) |
*Fulfillment fees are based on delivery speed, size, weight, quantity, sales channel, shipping speed, and category of goods in each order. Return costs are included.
There aren’t many Fulfillment By Amazon reviews or ratings available. The majority of feedback you’ll find online is for the entire Amazon marketplace platform rather than FBA itself. However, users share their FBA experiences on Amazon seller groups and forums, where feedback for the service is mixed.
While some users report issues with the labeling process, lost shipments, and difficulties with Amazon’s Seller Support, other users have praised FBA for streamlining the ecommerce process and providing excellent customer service. These positive reviews highlight the benefits of having FBA take care of customer service and shipping for you.
- G2: 4.5-star rating from about 10 reviews
ShipBob Alternatives
If neither ShipBob nor its direct 3PL competitors have what you’re looking for, consider these ShipBob alternatives for your order fulfillment.
These providers offer services that are different from standard third-party order fulfillment companies, allowing you to stay in control of your orders, keep your fulfillment operation in-house, or find a better-suited 3PL partner.
Saltbox: Best Workspace Rentals & On-demand Labor
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|---|---|
When to Use Saltbox | Key Features |
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Saltbox is a unique third-party logistics (3PL) order fulfillment company that provides workspace rentals and flexible on-site services for small and midsize ecommerce businesses. It can help businesses scale their in-house fulfillment with private, purpose-built offices and warehouses equipped with all the amenities you need—including Wi-Fi, secure storage, loading docks, and coworking spaces, like photography studios and conference rooms.
Plus, Saltbox can provide on-demand staff to meet your labor needs without hiring additional employees. This allows businesses to easily scale up during busy seasons without being left with excess resources afterward. Alternatively, Saltbox can provide fully-outsourced order fulfillment.
Saltbox has easy-access locations in the following cities:
- Atlanta, GA
- Dallas, TX
- Denver, CO
- Los Angeles, CA
- Miami, FL
- Minneapolis, MN
- Phoenix, AZ
- Seattle, WA
- Washington DC
The price of Saltbox’s warehouse suites, office suites, and other customized options vary based on size and location.
For fully outsourced fulfillment, Saltbox has multiple options. Businesses shipping fewer than 100 orders per month (or startups unsure of what order volume to expect) can use Saltbox’s $500 per month flat-fee program. It includes pick and pack for up to 100 orders, storage for two pallets, and coverage for up to 120 stock keeping units (SKUs).
For higher volumes of third-party fulfillment, Saltbox charges per-order. Here’s a look at Saltbox pricing for fulfillment pricing:
Service | Cost | What It Covers |
|---|---|---|
Onboarding | $0 | Onboarding and account setup is free |
Receiving | $0 (included in fulfillment fee) | Full-service inbound stock receipt, unpack, and check-in |
Inventory Storage | 3.3 cents per cubic foot, per day | Secure storage and inventory management |
Fulfillment Fee | $3.25 per order | Receiving, pick and pack, and packaging materials |
Pick & Pack | $0 (included in fulfillment fee) | Picking unlimited items from inventory and packing them for shipment |
Packaging Materials | $0 (included in fulfillment fee) | Free standard boxes, mailers, and dunnage |
Shipping | Calculated per-package based on weight and shipping distance | Shipping costs vary depending on the size, weight, and destination of your goods |
Special Projects | $35 per person-hour | Versatile labor to handle open-ended additional needs, such as product labeling and supplier management |
Saltbox is a young company (founded in 2019), so there are limited Saltbox reviews available online. Despite this, the available user reviews are mostly positive.
Customers praise the effective solutions, high-quality service, and responsive support provided by Saltbox, particularly the 24/7 support offered by branch managers. The warehouse rental service is another feature that has received positive feedback, with customers reporting significant savings in money and time. While there are a few negative reviews, they lack explanation and detail, making it difficult to assess their validity.
- FeaturedCustomers: 4.8-star rating from 240-plus reviews
- Google Business Profile (Atlanta Location): 4.9-star rating from around 15 reviews
- Google Business Profile (Denver Location): 4.1-star rating from about 10 reviews
- Google Business Profile (Los Angeles Location): 3.7-star rating from around 10 reviews
ShippingEasy: Best Shipping Software for Scaling In-house Fulfillment
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When to Use ShippingEasy | Key Features |
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ShippingEasy is a cloud-based order management and shipping software that integrates with ecommerce platforms and shopping cart applications. It enables you to sync, download and create orders, compare carrier rates, print labels, and automate tasks for in-house fulfillment.
Plus, ShippingEasy comes with inventory management features and customer marketing tools. Its robust features and affordable price points helped it land the top spot in our guide to the best shipping software for small businesses.
If you’re seeking an alternative to third-party fulfillment, this software is an effective tool to level-up your in-house fulfillment operation to meet demand. ShippingEasy has affordable plans for businesses shipping up to 10,000 monthly orders, and gives you deep discounts with major carriers.
ShippingEasy is available with a 30-day free trial. All plans come with an unlimited store allowance, so you can integrate all of the sales channels that you manage. Additional users can be added to any paid plan for $5/month.
Shipments | # of Users | Monthly Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|
Starter | 25 | 1 | Free |
Growth | 200 | 2 | $19.99 |
Basic | 500 | 2 | $29.99 |
Plus | 1,500 | 3 | $49.99 |
Select | 3,000 | 5 | $69.99 |
Premium | 6,000 | Unlimited | $99.99 |
Enterprise | 10,000 | Unlimited | $159.99 |
ShippingEasy is highly rated in hundreds of online reviews. Most users express satisfaction with the software’s pricing and features, as well as the level of customer support they receive.
Negative reviews for ShippingEasy criticize its user-friendliness and report technical connectivity issues. A number of users mention having trouble with integrations that resulted in the creation of duplicate orders.
WarehousingAndFulfillment.com: Best for Finding Providers That Fit Your Needs
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When to Use WarehousingAndFulfillment.com | Key Features |
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Similar to a brokerage, WarehousingAndFulfillment.com collects information about your unique business needs and uses it to match you with compatible fulfillment providers. It draws from a network of thousands of 3PLs to recommend the best potential partners and solutions.
Using WarehousingAndFulfillment.com is a quick and risk-free way to discover fulfillment partners and receive fast quotes. Plus, there’s no obligation, so trying this service is a worthwhile step in your fulfillment research.
WarehousingAndFulfillment.com is a completely free service to use. If you choose one of the providers recommended to you through the service, WarehousingAndFulfillment.com receives a $30 lead fee from the fulfillment company. When you enroll with a fulfillment partner through WarehousingAndFulfillment.com, the prices you pay don’t include any markups or broker fees.
There aren’t any reviews of this service posted on independent websites, but WarehousingAndFulfillment.com displays a number of promising testimonials. Customers mention finding great prices through the service and saving a significant amount of time.
Bottom Line
ShipBob tops our list of the best order fulfillment services for small businesses—but fulfillment isn’t a one-size-fits-all option.
There are thousands of 3PLs to choose from, but only a small percentage serve small businesses. Your unique business needs will then narrow the selection further down. We recommend getting quotes from a range of providers to thoroughly explore your options before partnering with a fulfillment company.
