2023 ShipMonk Review: Tech-forward 3PL & Fulfillment
This article is part of a larger series on Retail Management.
ShipMonk is a third-party logistics (3PL) company for small and midsize businesses that provides warehousing, order fulfillment, and shipping solutions. It specializes in ecommerce, crowdfunding, and subscription box fulfillment with additional services for Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) prep and international shipping.
In our evaluation of the best order fulfillment companies for small businesses, ShipMonk came in seventh place with a score of 3.65 out of 5. Its tech-forward platform aims to reduce fulfillment costs and increase operational accuracy through robotic automation and advanced warehouse management systems (WMS).
Overall Score:
3.65 / 5
Pros
- Support from a dedicated customer service rep with client-specific training
- Advanced accuracy measures and warehouse automation
- Ample pre-built marketplace integrations
- Amazon Seller Fulfilled Prime-eligible
Cons
- Large number of recent negative user reviews
- Hidden costs in fine-print pricing details
- Minimum usage fee requirements
- No climate control for temperature-sensitive goods like health products or grocery items
Supported Business Types | Small to midsize businesses, startups, ecommerce stores, retail stores, DTC sellers, B2B sellers, crowdfunding ventures, subscription-box services |
Standout Features |
|
Minimum Requirements | $250 monthly usage |
Pricing |
|
Contract Length | None |
Warehouse Locations | 8 US; 1 Canada; 1 Mexico; 1 UK |
Shipping Partner Options | FedEx, UPS, USPS, DHL, DHL Express, Passport |
Customer Support | Via phone, email, or live chat; 9 a.m.–8 p.m. EST, Monday–Friday |
 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
Best for: DTC and B2B ecommerce fulfillment; FDA-certified storage and handling | Best for: Oversized, heavy, high-value, or fragile items | Best for: On-demand services, labor, and space for scaling in-house fulfillment | Best for: Combined fulfillment and full-service marketplace management |
Monthly minimum: None | Monthly minimum: ≈200 orders | Monthly minimum: None | Monthly minimum: 1,000 orders |
When to Use ShipMonk
- Ecommerce retailers: ShipMonk is one of the top choices for DTC and B2B ecommerce fulfillment
- Groupon, Etsy, and subscription box sellers: ShipMonk works with sales channels that many competitors don’t
- Crowdfunding ventures: ShipMonk has affordable batch fulfillment programs
- Amazon sellers: ShipMonk is Seller-Fulfilled Prime (SFP)-eligible
There’s no minimum order requirement to use ShipMonk’s services—making it possible for startups and new small businesses to outsource their fulfillment operations (although there is a $250 monthly minimum in pick-and-pack fees). The company’s innovative warehouses feature flexible storage options and robotic picking assistance to create highly efficient operations for small, lightweight, and manageable goods.
When to Use an Alternative
- High-value, heavy, fragile, or oversized products: Red Stag Fulfillment is more economical for special-handling needs
- Global distribution: We recommend ShipBob for its wide international warehouse network
- Hybrid fulfillment: Saltbox is the only provider that gives you hands-on control plus third-party resources.
If you’re a seller dealing in heavy, oversized, or fragile products, ShipMonk’s processes could potentially harm your inventory and your bottom line—so it’s recommended to seek an alternative. Its lack of FDA certification and temperature control also makes the company a poor fit for certain businesses. It doesn’t offer global infrastructure on the scale of ShipMonk competitors like ShipBob, which may compromise international expansion.
Recent Influx of Negative Reviews:
ShipMonk has received a huge number of recent 1-star and 0-star reviews on trusted websites like Trustpilot and G2. Users report that the company has cost them thousands of dollars in overcharges, fulfillment errors, and lost inventory.
Many reviewers also mention that the customer service team has virtually stopped replying to emails and answering calls. It’s unclear what’s causing these negative changes at ShipMonk, but we have adjusted our review accordingly. ShipMonk also dropped from #2 to #7 in our ranking of the best order fulfillment services.
Since many fulfillment companies offer pricing on a custom-quoted basis, we couldn’t fairly compare the specific costs of each provider. So, our evaluation of the top fulfillment companies considered pricing transparency, billing transparency, and billing predictability.
The billing portal on ShipMonk’s software features a detailed breakdown of your monthly fulfillment costs, providing billing transparency that works in tandem with the company’s straightforward pricing structure.
However, a large number of recent ShipMonk user reviews have reported extreme overcharging and undisclosed fees. Multiple reviewers also report that ShipMonk shipping rates are excessively high. These red flags brought ShipMonk’s score down significantly.
ShipMonk offers a variety of fulfillment services for different needs—like ecommerce fulfillment, retail fulfillment, crowdfunding fulfillment, and subscription box fulfillment. Each service model is priced differently, and the company’s site features an easy-to-use five-step calculator to preview how much your specific needs will cost.
Here’s a look at the company’s standard ecommerce fulfillment pricing:
Service | Cost* | What It Covers |
|---|---|---|
Onboarding | $0 | Onboarding and account setup are free |
Receiving | $0 when shipment guidelines are met; Starts at $300 per 20’ container if not met | Inbound stock receipt, unpack, and check-in |
Inventory Storage | $25 per pallet/month, or $1–$4 per bin/month | Storage, security, and inventory management |
Pick and Pack | $3 for the first pick per order, 75 cents per additional item | Picking items from inventory and packing them for shipment |
Packaging Materials | 15 cents–$2 per order | Standard packaging and dunnage |
Shipping | Discounted rates available with 5 carrier partners | Shipping costs vary depending on the size, weight, and destination of your goods |
Returns | $2 per order + 50 cents per item | Return processing, quality check, and restocking |
Special Projects | $45/person-hour | Versatile labor to handle open-ended additional needs, such as product labeling and supplier management |
*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.
ShipMonk provides traditional third-party fulfillment services with modern enhancements. Top-notch customer service and maximized efficiency are the keystones of the company’s platform and set it apart from competitors. This strategy helps ShipMonk achieve overall quality and functionality.
Click below to expand on the features that contribute to ShipMonk’s Quality and Functionality score.
Historically, ShipMonk’s customer service has been best-in-class. Simple but powerful enhancements like dedicated service reps, extended customer service hours, multiple service facilities, and ticket-based resolution systems lend to ShipMonk’s reputation for offering top-notch support to its clients.
Unlike many ShipMonk competitors—including FBA and ShipBob—100% of its customer service team is employed domestically. According to a large number of online reviews, this strategy promotes clear communication and efficient issue resolution. Online support forums and a knowledge/resource database are also available.
That being said, recent user reviews suggest that ShipMonk customer service is not what it used to be. Long-time users of the service describe seeing a decline in communications beginning around October of 2022, and now claim that the support team is practically unresponsive.
ShipMonk creates an edge for itself by implementing high-tech enhancements throughout the fulfillment process. These warehouse upgrades increase productivity, optimize space utilization, enhance product security, and increase overall efficiency.
The company’s operational accuracy rates are very high, so the robotic approach seems to be working. According to ShipMonk, the increase in efficiency also results in lower fulfillment costs for its clients. The machines allow ShipMonk to pick 4x faster than the industry average and boast a 400% increase in storage efficiency.
Storage and retrieval machines (SRMs) perform automated picking tasks in ShipMonk’s warehouses. (Source: ShipMonk)
ShipMonk uses warehouse management systems (WMS) with RFID technology to tag and track storage locations, allowing its system to identify when product bins are being replenished, picked, or moved. This creates more reliable, real-time inventory management capabilities.
Additionally, a dimensional scanning device is used to identify the best and most protective packaging for each unique item. Similar devices are used by Red Stag, ShipBob, and other competitors.
Every ShipMonk account gets free access to its fulfillment software, which has high user satisfaction. The company states that the platform was designed to be intuitive with a minimal learning curve, and clients confirm its user-friendliness.
It allows you to manage orders, inventory, and shipping options and generate reports. The platform’s forecasting feature keeps you informed of anticipated stock depletion along with recommended reorder dates and quantities.
ShipMonk’s software displaying its order management menu. (Source: ShipMonk)
It also includes a robust portal for managing returns and exchanges. The tool allows you to create return labels and monitor the status of each return.
According to the company, its platforms use enterprise-grade security to protect users’ data and privacy.
ShipMonk’s fulfillment software tackles all of the major processes well, but its reporting and analytics features aren’t as good as competitors’. We prefer ShipBob’s advanced proprietary software for its ability to generate a wider range of useful reports.
ShipMonk’s fulfillment network is smaller than certain competitors (like ShipBob and FBA) but is quickly growing.
In the News:
ShipMonk acquired Ruby Has Fulfillment last year, increasing its global footprint by adding seven warehouses in six new locations. The acquisition also doubled ShipMonk’s workforce, helping to bolster its support abilities and operational capacity.
ShipMonk currently has eight US warehouse locations mainly positioned near the coasts, allowing sellers to store and ship inventory strategically. An additional warehouse in Texas is scheduled to launch soon.
The company maintains three international locations: Mexico, Canada, and the UK. According to ShipMonk, a second European warehouse is currently in the works.
All of ShipMonk’s fulfillment centers are equipped with secured storage facilities and automation technologies.
ShipMonk’s existing warehouse locations (green) and locations coming soon (gray).
(Source: Ruby Has Fulfillment)
ShipMonk offers turnkey integrations with 75+ ecommerce solutions and tools, including all of the leading shopping carts and marketplaces. These direct integrations are free and fast—and many are two-way compatible.
The company doesn’t readily develop new integrations on-demand as a paid service (like ShipBob does), which means you’re out of luck if any of your mission-critical solution providers aren’t shown below. ShipMonk has a form on its site, described as a “voting” system, to request that new integrations be added. There is no information available on how efficient or reliable this process is.
Here’s a complete list of ShipMonk’s direct integrations:
- Ecommerce platforms and shopping carts: 3dcart, Magento (Adobe Commerce), AmeriCommerce, Big Cartel, BigCommerce, Cratejoy, CS-Cart, Ecwid, FoxyCart, MijoShop, Miva, Neto, OpenCart, Oxatis, PayPal, PrestaShop, RevolutionParts, Shopify, Shopify plus, Soldsie, Squarespace, UltraCart, Volusion, Weebly, Wix, WooCommerce, X Cart, Zen Cart, Zoey
- Marketplaces: Amazon, Back Market, Bonanza, Cratejoy, eBay, eBay.ca, eBay.co.uk, eBay.com.au, Etsy, Groupon Goods, Houzz, Jane, Jet, Newegg Marketplace, OpenSky, Reverb, Sears, Sophio, Storenvy, Tanga, Tophatter, Walmart.com, Wish, Yahoo
- Retailers: Target, Walmart, Best Buy Marketplace, QVC, Marshalls T.J. Maxx
- Multichannel management: Brightpearl, ChannelAdvisor, ChannelSale, Commerce Cloud, Linnworks, Sellbrite, SellerActive, Stitch Labs, SureDone, QuickBooks Commerce, SPS Commerce, ListingMirror, MoreCommerce
- Freight and shipping solutions: ShipStation, Rakuten Super Logistics, Passport, EasyPost, Happy Returns
- Operations, inventory, and order management: Acumatica, Cin 7, DEARsystems, Freestyle Solutions, Skubana, Returnly, GeekSeller, Optoro, Spark Shipping, Extensiv, TradeGecko, Toolio, Loop Returns
- Payments, accounting, tax, and financing: Bluevine, Brex, KickPay, Stripe Relay, PayPal, Handshake
- Marketing and CRM: Fullscreen Direct (StageBloc), Salesforce (Demandware), LaunchBoom, HawkeMedia, Gorgias
ShipMonk offers purpose-built programs and services for a range of specific use-cases—like crowdfunding ventures, subscription box businesses, omnichannel retailers, and Amazon sellers.
It also delivers special features to aid all its users in expansion, reduce costs, and promote a good customer experience. ShipMonk was docked in this section of our evaluation for its lack of climate control options and FDA-certified handling.
ShipMonk’s specialty services include:
ShipMonk’s warehouse network is local to North America, with one additional location in the UK. This limited global reach isn’t ideal for local international fulfillment, which is the best way to reach foreign markets with low transit costs and fast delivery.
However, sellers can use the company’s cross-border shipping services to fulfill international orders with stock stored domestically.
ShipMonk offers Delivery Duty Paid (or DDP) services that display shipping, tax, and duty costs at checkout—eliminating unexpected fees upon delivery. The feature also shows international customers their expected delivery timeframe, and provides advanced tracking after checkout to keep them in the loop.
Section 321 is a type of shipment used to clear the US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP). Under Section 321, shipments can bypass the tariffs and duties typically associated with international packages. One of the most commonly used ways to qualify for Section 321 is to send shipments valued below $800.
ShipMonk leverages its warehouse in Mexico to take advantage of this legal loophole. Sellers can ship merchandise to ShipMonk’s Mexico location and then incrementally import it into the US, divided into multiple $800 portions. This completely eliminates duties for volume importers, reducing total landed costs with minimal added transit time.
ShipBob and ShipHero also facilitate duty-free import through Section 321 from their warehouse locations in Canada.
ShipMonk is highly accommodating when it comes to packing. It aims to give the client full control over how orders are boxed.
The company allows you to provide custom packing materials and designate the specific way you want orders assembled, to create a memorable unboxing experience for the customer. Packing stations are equipped with a camera that photographs each customized order just before it’s sealed up. This gives you the opportunity to see exactly how your orders look to the customer and lends to high accuracy.
While ShipMonk can’t design or develop custom packaging elements for you, your support rep can help you source custom materials through a partner solution.
The company is flexible with its kitting projects, inviting sellers to include customized add-ins like thank-you notes, coupons, branded packing elements, and samples. Plus, ShipMonk has well-developed programs for subscription boxes and other non-traditional sales.
ShipMonk also delivers branded tracking pages. This service is part of an integrated program called MonkProtect, explained further in the next section.
A branded tracking page provided by ShipMonk (Source: ShipMonk)
ShipMonk offers a suite of post-purchase tools called MonkProtect. The product combines delivery protection, branded tracking, and an automated claims portal to enhance the purchase experience and promote customer retention.
MonkProtect provides seamless insurance coverage for an added fee at checkout (based on the value of the items in the cart). When customers sign up for the service, they receive a branded confirmation email with advanced tracking information and a link to the self-service claims portal.
The service integrates directly with your ShipMonk fulfillment platform to centralize and automate claims resolution.
MonkProtect’s claims portal (Source: ShipMonk)
One of the biggest reasons that some sellers choose ShipMonk over ShipBob is its compatibility with certain sales channels—namely Etsy and Groupon. ShipBob doesn’t integrate with those marketplaces, which could cost certain retailers a large portion of their sales.
ShipMonk’s services are versatile and accommodate many different alternative marketplaces and business models, including Amazon Prime sales, crowdfunding ventures, product launches, and subscription boxes.
ShipMonk’s platform prioritizes ease of use and aims to minimize the learning curve, earning it a high score in this category of our ShipMonk review. Its intuitive software and first-rate customer support were some of the biggest considerations. Here’s a summary of the factors we took into account:
- Policies: In the event of a fulfillment or shipping error, ShipMonk will pay either the return postage or replacement value of incorrect items shipped (whichever is lesser), ship the replacement order, and waive its associated fees. This is a helpful policy only for non-valuable goods.
ShipMonk allows for up to a 2% breakage rate due to improper packaging. Claims can only be submitted if your inventory is damaged beyond that threshold, so we prefer Red Stag’s 100% guarantee for fulfilling fragile goods. - Free Receiving: The company’s free inbound-shipment receiving is an enticing feature, but it comes with some stipulations. Your inventory will not be counted or audited but rather inputted on a “good faith” basis—meaning that your reported quantity is what ShipMonk will record. If you ship orders from a third-party manufacturer straight to your fulfillment partner, this policy can create accuracy problems and inventory deficits. ShipMonk’s free receiving also has strict packaging and quantity requirements. They shouldn’t be hard for most sellers to follow, but in the case that your shipment deviates from its requirements, ShipMonk reserves the right to delay or altogether reject the shipment with no liability. Qualifying inbound shipments are received and put away within three business days.
- Accuracy: ShipMonk has a 99% accuracy rate in fulfilling and shipping orders.
- Customer Service: During onboarding, each account is assigned a dedicated client support representative (called your “Happiness Engineer”), the main point of contact throughout the business relationship. ShipMonk customer service can be reached by phone or email or through the company’s ticket-based resolution platform. Additional support facilities are located at each fulfillment center; their hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday.
- Order Processing Transparency: ShipMonk’s dashboard provides some level of insight into where your orders are within the fulfillment process, but the functionality isn’t nearly as developed or in-depth as that of Red Stag.
- Billing Transparency: Invoices are available monthly from the dashboard in the Billing tab, where charges are visible by line item.
Overall, we gave ShipMonk a moderate rating in our Expert Score category. It’s a solid choice for third-party fulfillment that delivers good value, smooth usability, and robust services—but negative Shipmonk reviews show that the company’s overall popularity could be much better, which brought down its score significantly.
ShipMonk’s low monthly minimums and wide-ranging services make it accessible to a variety of small businesses, whereas many 3PLs only work with traditional ecommerce stores and/or high-volume operations.
That being said, we recommend ShipBob over ShipMonk for its wide global warehouse network, which does a better job of facilitating growth. We also note that ShipMonk lacks climate control and special handling services, making alternatives like Red Stag a superior choice for certain sellers.
What Users Think of ShipMonk
Until the beginning of this year, it seemed like ShipMonk had a great reputation with its users. But a massive influx of 1-star and 0-star reviews beginning in January 2023 suggests that changes within the company are impacting the customer experience.
The recent negative ShipMonk reviews describe repeat overcharging to the tune of $8,000+ as well as lost inventory and excessive error rates. One user reports a 25% misshipment rate on his orders, while another states that tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of product was lost due to improperly packed B2B shipments.
A common theme in many of ShipMonk’s recent reviews is an inability to get in touch with customer support despite these devastating issues. One particularly alarming review states, “No one is replying to emails. Stock is not being cleared and put onto shelves…I have no idea if I will be able to even move [to a new] 3PL.”
Positive ShipMonk reviews mention efficient services, fast order turnaround time, and contentment with the simplicity of the software. Many reviews from 2022 and previous years cite the professionalism and attentiveness of their dedicated “Happiness Engineers,” even going as far as to describe them as feeling like part of their own staff.
- Trustpilot: 3.2-star rating from 200+ reviews
- Capterra: 4.0-star rating from 100+ reviews
- G2: 3.2-star rating from 25+ reviews
We noticed the following trends from users in ShipMonk reviews:
| Users Like | Users Don’t Like |
|---|---|
| Responsive support from “Happiness Engineers” | Hidden fees and surcharges, excessive overcharges |
| Warehouse efficiency | Very poor customer support |
| Software ease-of-use and clarity | Unmet SLAs and frequent errors |
| Flexible services | Difficult, lengthy termination of services and migration process |
Methodology: How We Evaluated ShipMonk
To evaluate ShipMonk and competing fulfillment services, we consider the factors that matter most to small retail and ecommerce businesses.
We then evaluate each provider on a 23-point scale shaped by industry experience, reader surveys, and competing providers’ attributes. Our criteria weighs functionality, scalability, and transparency throughout a range of processes.
30%
Quality/Functionality
20%
Pricing
15%
Ease of Use
15%
Specialty Services
20%
Expert Score
30% of Overall Score
We evaluated the quality of service and functionality of each company by weighing critical details like order turnaround time, shipping partner options, size of fulfillment center network, and accuracy rate.
We also considered how each service integrates with ecommerce shopping carts, marketplaces, operational tools, and solution providers that your online store may use.
Points for this category were deducted due to ShipMonk’s small global footprint. The company has an impressive lineup of native integrations and shipping options, as well as efficient processes, helping to earn it a total score of 4.55 out of 5 points.
20% of Overall Score
Many fulfillment companies offer pricing on a custom-quoted basis. We assert that it’s better to openly publish pricing. This eliminates the need for potential clients to contact each company for a quote—potentially wasting both parties’ time—and promotes general transparency.
Since we can’t fairly compare the specific costs of each provider, this category examines the providers’ pricing transparency, billing transparency, and billing predictability.
ShipMonk’s pricing structure lends itself to predictable monthly bills, but customers report frequent overcharges and hidden fees, which brought its score down to 1.63 out of 5 points.
15% of Overall Score
This score considered customer service accessibility—prioritizing companies that provide a dedicated service rep for each client and weighing their support center’s hours of availability.
Each service was also evaluated for software usability and operational transparency. Companies were awarded points for having highly functional software that allows users to see where each order is within the fulfillment process and warehouse space.
Lastly, order minimums and service scalability were weighted heavily to provide the best recommendation for small businesses that need a fulfillment partner that can grow with them.
ShipMonk was awarded points for its software that provides high levels of operational transparency. It also scored for its extended customer service hours, but providers with 24/7 service scored higher. The same goes for ShipMonk’s low monthly minimum requirements, which are more accessible than most competitors, but may still inhibit some startups. Overall, it scored 4.51 out of 5.
15% of Overall Score
We awarded points for the availability of special services like climate control, international shipping, custom packaging elements, and different types of assembly. Being crucial to ecommerce operations, return handling and reporting/analytics were prioritized.
Lastly, we assessed whether each company was eligible to fulfill Amazon Prime or SFP (Seller-Fulfilled Prime) orders.
ShipMonk earned a score of 3.95 out of 5 in this category, earning points for its Amazon Prime compatibility and excellent customization options. The company was docked here for lacking climate control and custom packaging creation.
20% of Overall Score
This score combined our retail and ecommerce experts’ final evaluation of value, ease of use, and standout features with scores from real-world users on trusted third-party review sites
ShipMonk received 3.44 out of 5 points in this category for delivering good value, painless usability, and a range of specialty services. It was docked for its poor popularity among ShipMonk users.
*Percentages of overall score
ShipMonk Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
ShipMonk provides third-party distribution and order fulfillment services for retail businesses, including ecommerce brands, subscription box companies, B2B sellers, and crowdfunding ventures.
When these businesses are receiving more orders than they can—or want to—fulfill on their own, they can hire ShipMonk to handle inventory storage, order processing, packing, and shipping to customers on their behalf.
ShipMonk is a good fit for small to midsize businesses that sell physical products online. Since the company requires a monthly $250 minimum pick-and-pack fee, it’s best for sellers that fulfill roughly 80 orders or more per month.
ShipMonk specializes in fulfilling DTC ecommerce sales but offers well-developed programs for B2B sellers, crowdfunding ventures, product launches, and subscription box services.
- Businesses dealing in health products, food and beverage, cosmetics, or medical goods may want to partner with an FDA-certified fulfillment provider, such as ShipBob.
- Local international fulfillment has a number of advantages over cross-border shipping. ShipMonk has only one fulfillment center outside of North America, so sellers targeting foreign customer bases may find better success with a broader global 3PL. We recommend ShipBob.
- ShipMonk doesn’t offer liability insurance, services for goods like ammunition, or economical storage for oversized goods—so it’s a poor fit for sellers who need these types of special handling. We recommend Red Stag Fulfillment.
Bottom Line
ShipMonk is a good choice for small business owners looking to outsource their fulfillment operation—as long as they’re dealing in small, lightweight, shelf-stable, and generally manageable products.
That being said, recent user reviews suggest that ShipMonk is not providing high-quality service at the moment, with many reports of frequent errors and exorbitant overcharges. We recommend evaluating multiple options to ensure a good match between you and your fulfillment provider.
Broker sites, such as WarehousingAndFulfillment.com, compare your specific needs to 500+ pre-screened companies to find the best fit for your business. Plus, the service is completely free to use.
