ShippingEasy Review 2023: Best SMB Shipping Software
This article is part of a larger series on Retail Management.
ShippingEasy is a cloud-based shipping solution that streamlines order fulfillment for ecommerce retailers and online businesses. It integrates with major ecommerce platforms and shopping carts, allowing users to compare shipping rates and manage orders efficiently.
In our evaluation of the best shipping software for small businesses, ShippingEasy ranked #1 with a score of 4.2 out of 5, earning points for its excellent value, accessible customer support, and powerful features.
Overall Score:
4.20 / 5
Pros
- Affordable, competitive pricing
- Easy-to-use, intuitive interface
- Robust marketing tools
- High-level reporting and analytics
Consd
- No mobile app
- Limited dropshipping functionality
- Restricted customer support on ‘Starter’ plan
- Glitchy connectivity
Best for | Free Plan | Paid Plan Pricing | Read full review | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Small-scale sellers and ecommerce beginners | ✓ | $25–$180/mo | N/A |
 | Companies scaling to meet shipping demands | ✕ | $9.99–$229.99/mo | |
 | High-volume sellers and dropshippers seeking a multipurpose tool | ✓ | $59–$149 | N/A |
 | Managing all aspects of a warehouse or in-house fulfillment operation | ✕ | $1,995–$2,145/mo | |
When to Use ShippingEasy
ShippingEasy can help businesses improve their in-house fulfillment workflow by increasing efficiency, minimizing errors, and saving on label costs. Thanks to its integration capabilities and order management features, the platform is a solid choice for ecommerce businesses. Plus, ShippingEasy’s range of plan options makes it accessible for high-volume merchants, startups, crowdfunding ventures, and businesses shipping auxiliary goods (like samples, swag, or bonuses).
When to Use ShippingEasy Alternatives
While ShippingEasy can save you time, it’s not a hands-off solution; businesses seeking to outsource their order fulfillment should look to ShipBob (our top pick for third-party order fulfillment).
ShippingEasy also falls short in the area of dropshipping management, where Ordoro performs better. And, for low-volume shippers and those new to ecommerce, the limitations on ShippingEasy’s free starter plan may be a deal-breaker. In these cases, we recommend OrderCup’s free starter plan, which offers a more beginner-friendly approach.
ShippingEasy scored highly in our pricing category thanks to its functional free plan, competitively priced paid plans, and helpful shipping discounts. Its range of plan options isn’t as accommodating as competitors like Shippo and Ordoro, which brought its final score down slightly.
Here’s a breakdown of ShippingEasy pricing:
Plans | Pricing ($/Month) | Monthly Shipments | Users |
|---|---|---|---|
Free Trial | 30-day | ||
Free Starter Plan | $0 | 25 | 1 |
Basic | $29.99 | 500 | 2 |
Plus | $49.99 | 1,500 | 3 |
Select | $69.99 | 3,000 | 5 |
Premium | $99.99 | 6,000 | Unlimited |
Enterprise | $159.99 | 10,000 | Unlimited |
Free Starter Plan
Like most of our top shipping software picks, ShippingEasy offers a free starter plan. It allows one user 25 monthly shipments, but has several limitations:
- Customer support is only accessible via community forums.
- Special features like international shipping, FedEx integration, and analytics aren’t included
- No CSV upload capabilities
Because of this, we suggest either upgrading to ShippingEasy’s Basic plan or exploring other options like OrderCup, which offers 50 free monthly shipments and excellent customer support, or Ordoro, with its generous 1,000 free labels per month.
Paid Plans
ShippingEasy offers five paid subscription plans that vary in monthly shipments, user accounts, customer support, and feature access. You can switch or cancel plans anytime without a contract, and changes take effect the next month. A 30-day free trial is available for any paid plan.
Going over your monthly shipment limit results in an automatic upgrade to the next plan level for the month—a less flexible approach compared to Ordoro’s prorated “flex pricing.” However, ShippingEasy offers unlimited sales channels on all plans, outperforming Ordoro’s limited channel allowance on its $59/month plan.
You can add extra user accounts to any ShippingEasy plan for $5/month, and a marketing suite add-on (which provides customer marketing tools, email marketing, campaign management, feedback requests, and interactive metrics) is available for an additional $14–$99/month. You can find more information below.
ShippingEasy offers a powerful, cloud-based platform equipped with the shipping features needed to operate and scale. It comes with unlimited sales channel usage, batch support, and impressive peripheral connectivity—which helped boost its score in this category.
It also delivers pre-built integrations with many leading platforms, though providers offering more native integrations scored higher. We also deducted points for lacking a feature to display live rates at checkout.
Here’s an overview of the factors we considered when assessing ShippingEasy’s functionality:
We found that ShippingEasy’s analytics are best-in-class. Its reporting feature can generate:
- Shipment reports
- Order reports
- Shipped product status reports
- Unshipped product status reports
- Billing reports
- Summary of product sales
- Scheduled reports (automatically emailed)
- A wide range of customized reports
The feature also allows you to export data based on your needs—such as customers, orders, and unshipped orders.
Although ShippingEasy’s reporting and analytics are robust, some users report that they can be a bit tricky to use.
Examples of ShippingEasy’s Destinations and Services reports (Source: ShippingEasy)
ShippingEasy’s customer service is available weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Central time and has strong user reviews. The company often provides after-hours support, stating they check emails over the weekend for urgent matters. Extended hours are also common during the holiday season.
However, these support channels are only open to users on the Basic plan or higher. If you’re on the free Starter plan, you’re limited to seeking help through the community forum, which could be problematic for time-sensitive issues. But, for non-urgent requests, it appears to work sufficiently.
ShippingEasy’s customer support team is decently responsive on the community forum and often responds to inquiries with a promise to reach out directly.
Like any high-performing platform, ShippingEasy has somewhat of a learning curve. We found that the resources available to users can make the learning process sufficiently simple, and they go beyond the scope of the program itself.
Users can reference the following online resources created by ShippingEasy:
- Blog
- Tutorial and Guide Library (with over 1,500 articles)
- Marketing Resources Hub
- Case Studies
- Definitive Guide to Shipping
- The SMB Holiday Checklist
- Guide to Flat-Rate Shipping
- 2021 Rate Change Guide
- Brick-and-Mortar to Online Guide
- Dimensional Weight Calculator
- USPS Shipping Calculator
- Postage Savings Calculator
ShippingEasy offers turnkey integrations with most of the leading ecommerce tools. These direct integrations are free and quick to set up, and many are two-way compatible.
The software has an easy-to-use API for custom connectivity with platforms for which it hasn’t yet developed turnkey integrations. This process takes longer, and usually incurs an additional cost.
Since our last update:
Since our last update in October 2022, ShippingEasy removed its integrations with QuickBooks, Oracle NetSuite, Stripe, Cratejoy, and all returns management tools (Happy Returns, LoopReturns, Returnly).
ShippingEasy integrates with the following platforms and solutions:
- Shopping carts: PayPal, Ecwid, Xcart, Opencart
- Ecommerce platforms: Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, AmeriCommerce, Volusion, Squarespace, Shift4Shop, ChannelAdvisor, Storenvy, Sears, Shopodex, Spree, nopCommerce, ePages
- Marketplaces: Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Walmart, Wish, Yahoo!, Bonanza, Jane, Reverb, Tophatter, Sears, Newegg, Powersports
- Inventory: SolidCommerce, Scout, Finale Inventory, Zenventory, Qstock
- Shipping Carriers: United States Post Service (USPS), FedEx, UPS, DHL, DHL Express
- Accounting and ERP: Webgility, AAATex Corp, ADS Solutions
- API and EDI integration: Amosoft
- Misc: AlgoPix, Auctiva, Brandable Box, Feedonomics, GroovePacker, The ILS Company, ePages, SynCommerce, 3M
ShippingEasy works with shipments on a wide variety of carriers. Many of these options allow you to use your own pre-negotiated rates and presets.
The following carriers can be added to your ShippingEasy account:
|
|
International shipping capabilities and FedEx integration are only available to users on the Basic plan and higher.
ShippingEasy offers robust order management features like split/combine/recombine functions, batch processing, CSV entry, and returns management, along with customizable packing slips and location support.
It also provides inventory management tools for real-time tracking, product catalog support, product image support, customizable categories, and barcode creation.
While ShippingEasy’s features are effective, competitors like Ordoro offer more control in both order and inventory management.
Here are some of ShippingEasy’s standout features:
ShippingEasy provides a straightforward and intuitive rate comparison feature. It serves as a shipping calculator as well as a rate-shopping tool.
It has the most functional interface compared to its competitors—the tool displays multiple delivery methods and carriers on one screen (rather than requiring you to re-adjust preferences before generating comparative rates).
A preview of ShippingEasy’s rate comparison feature (Source: ShippingEasy)
When comparing rates, you see the actual rate you will be paying when your bill comes. This includes your pre-negotiated discounts as well as ShippingEasy-exclusive discounts, like Flat Rate Green (explained below).
One of the biggest perks of using shipping software is discounted postage. By leveraging partnerships with carriers, ShippingEasy receives special high-volume pricing and passes those savings to its users.
These shipping discounts are available for all ShippingEasy subscribers:
- USPS Commercial Plus rates: Commercial Plus Pricing is a program offered by the U.S. Postal Service that provides deeply discounted postage rates normally reserved for high-volume shippers. These discounts are available through ShippingEasy regardless of your sales volume.
- Discounted UPS rates: Users get up to 66% off UPS 2nd Day Air service and up to 50% off UPS Ground shipments.
- Discounted insurance: ShippingEasy offers significant discounts on shipping insurance. Users can insure parcels for a fraction of the standard cost.
- Flat Rate Green pricing: Flat Rate Green is ShippingEasy’s exclusive discounted dimensional pricing for USPS Priority Mail services. It provides low costs on parcels weighing 20 lbs. or less, with more dimensional flexibility than standard Flat Rate packaging.
Flat Rate Green pricing is determined by how much space your box takes up on a USPS truck or vessel. The smaller and heavier the box, the bigger the savings. (Source: ShippingEasy)
Most of our top picks offer limited support for peripheral devices, but ShippingEasy allows for the most comprehensive list of hardware connectivity.
Through its proprietary connection app called ConnectEasy, you can directly integrate the following devices:
- Thermal printers
- Laser printers
- USB scales
- Barcode scanners
The software allows you to use hotkeys to control your connected devices, as well as set detailed automation rules (even when using multiple printers).
ShippingEasy can speed up your fulfillment and shipping process by automating various tasks that would normally require extra steps on your part.
Automations work by programming “if, then” rules into the software—for example, a rule could dictate if an order is valued at $150 or more, then purchase insurance for the parcel. For every order meeting the criteria, ShippingEasy will automatically insure the package. The program’s automation interface makes creating these rules easy for anyone.
Here are some of the tasks that can be automated through ShippingEasy, based on rules or triggers set by you:
- Auto-populating values from peripheral devices
- Sending outbound emails
- Printing shipping labels, packing slips, and forms
- Auto-populating customs forms
- Creating return labels
- Purchasing insurance
- Selecting shipping carriers based on custom mapping
For an additional monthly fee, users can add a suite of customer marketing tools to their ShippingEasy program. These features work in tandem with the platform’s automation tools, so you can automate campaign workflows to never miss a beat.
The cost of ShippingEasy’s customer marketing add-on depends on the number of emails you send each month.
Cost | Monthly Email Limit |
|---|---|
$14/mo | 5,000 |
$19/mo | 10,000 |
$39/mo | 25,000 |
$69/mo | 50,000 |
$99/mo | 100,000 |
Each plan level provides the full package, including:
- Email marketing: Manage unlimited contacts, subscribers, and email campaigns with customizable templates, customer notes and tags, and more.
- Amazon reputation management: Request seller feedback and product reviews, track and respond to negative/neutral reviews, integrate Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) and Seller Fulfilled Prime support, and more.
- Campaign management: Use the drag-and-drop template editor and/or HTML editor to create a gallery for all of your campaigns—like promotions, holidays, buy-again reminders, welcome notifications, and follow-ups. Access analytics for delivery/opens/clicks, schedule sends, automate abandoned cart emails, and more.
- Reports: Email-generated sales revenue, new customer growth data, and open/click-rate percentages can be viewed from an intuitive metrics dashboard.
- Support: The add-on comes with a 30-day free trial, full onboarding and training, one-on-one marketing consultation with an expert, and phone, email, and chat support.
Staying true to its name, ShippingEasy is pretty easy to use. Our evaluation of the software and its reviews found that the biggest struggle it presents is its connectivity (such as integration syncing). For this reason, we deducted points in this category, but ShippingEasy maintained a decent score thanks to its high-quality user interface and user management options.
Here are the contributing factors to ShippingEasy’s overall ease of use:
- Customer Service Hours: Support is available from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. Central time Monday through Friday, and the support team is said to monitor for urgent emails over the weekends. Extended holiday support hours are typically available.
- Customer Service Accessibility: All paid plans can access support via phone, email, and live chat. Free starter plan users are limited to an online community forum.
- Reliability: ShippingEasy reviews report that the service tends to glitch, lag, or disconnect occasionally—which can complicate integrations and label-printing.
- User Management Options: Paid plan subscribers with multiple user accounts can customize user permissions at a granular level.
- Insurance: ShippingEasy provides the option for discounted shipping insurance on all domestic and international parcels (valued up to $300) and advertises an easy claims process.
- Returns: The platform includes returns management features that support Pay-on-Use Return (or POUR) labels, which only trigger payment once they’re used.
We highly rate ShippingEasy for its features, value, and popularity. It offers crucial ecommerce tools and hardware connectivity that many competitors lack, all at a competitive price. Its strong user reputation and thousands of positive reviews make it our top pick for small business shipping software.
However, its Starter plan is more restrictive than alternatives like Ordoro or OrderCup. Also, the lack of a mobile app could be a drawback for those needing on-the-go access; for mobile functionality, consider ShipStation or EasyShip.
What Users Say in ShippingEasy Reviews
Online reviews of ShippingEasy are highly positive, especially in recent years. Most users express satisfaction with its pricing, features, and customer support. Some added that the software’s inventory management and automation capabilities are very effective, and others mentioned the savings on postage and insurance they’ve received.
Negative reviews for ShippingEasy primarily cite technical issues such as integration syncing problems, peripheral glitches, and occasional duplicate orders. Some users also report being charged for up to three months after canceling their subscription. A few mention wishing for more user-friendly analytics.
- Capterra: 4.8 out of 5 from 1,100+ reviews
- G2: 4.6 out of 5 from about 100 reviews
- Shopify App Store: 4.6 out of 5 stars from about 600 reviews
| Users Like | Users Don’t Like |
|---|---|
| Helpful and accessible customer support | Glitchy hardware and ecommerce platform connectivity |
| Ease of use and simple onboarding | Analytics could be more user-friendly |
| Software functionality and interface | Difficult learning curve |
| Low shipping costs | Difficult to stop service |
Methodology: How We Evaluated ShippingEasy
To evaluate ShippingEasy and similar software, we employed a 28-point assessment focused on small-business shipping needs. Our research included third-party reviews, user ratings, articles, and firsthand platform assessment.
We prioritized high functionality, intuitive design, effective customer support, and extra features beyond shipping. Economical pricing and ease of use were also key factors, with input from our ecommerce experts.
Click through the tabs below for our full evaluation criteria:
20%
Pricing
20%
Functionality
20%
Features
20%
Ease of Use
20%
Expert Score
20% of Overall Score
This criterion evaluates the availability of a free starter plan and the variety of paid options. Providers were graded on the competitiveness of their pricing, taking into account features and functionality limits at each tier. We only included options that support negotiated rates with UPS, FedEx, and DHL, and offer discounted USPS Commercial Plus rates.
ShippingEasy scored 4.75 out of 5 in this category due to its free starter plan, competitive paid options, and top-tier discounts. Points were only deducted for its narrower range of plan choices compared to competitors.
20% of Overall Score
We assessed the presence of key features that enhance efficiency and accessibility for businesses, including batch processing, label printing, CSV entry, and hardware compatibility. We also considered the number of pre-built integrations, open API availability, sales channel limits, and automation features.
ShippingEasy excels in most areas we evaluated, except for offering live shipping rates at checkout. It also has fewer pre-built integrations compared to competitors. It earned a score of 3.41 out of 5 in this category.
20% of Overall Score
This score considered each solution’s standard features (like reporting/analytics, returns management, email notifications, and user options), focusing on their effectiveness.
The best shipping tools are multi-taskers that save you time and money by handling functions outside of shipping management, so we also evaluated each provider on their dropshipping, order management, inventory management, and marketing features.
ShippingEasy earned high marks for its marketing tools, international shipping, and strong reporting. It lacked dedicated dropshipping features and was outperformed in inventory and order management. It scored 4.63 out of 5 in this category.
20% of Overall Score
We assessed each platform’s user interface for intuitiveness, uptime, speed, and learning curve. We also considered the range of learning resources, including webinars, videos, blogs, and guides. Customer service accessibility was also graded, weighing hours of availability, contact methods, location of support staff, and quality of service.
ShippingEasy scored well for its intuitive interface and rich online resources but lost points for limited customer service hours, resulting in a final score of 3.5 out of 5.
20% of Overall Score
This score combined our ecommerce experts’ final evaluations of value, ease of use, and standout features with scores from real-world users. We combed through thousands of reviews to identify consistent pain points and high-performing features of each tool.
We gave ShippingEasy an Expert Score of 4.69 out of 5, which reflects its hard-to-find features, good value, and overall popularity. Due to the restrictions on its free starter plan and reported glitches, ShippingEasy’s ease of use brought the score down slightly.
*Percentages of overall score
ShippingEasy Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Expand the sections below for answers to common questions about ShippingEasy.
ShippingEasy is a cloud-based software that works by connecting with your online stores, shopping carts, and marketplaces. From there, your order and inventory data is synced in real time, allowing you to manage shipments from all of your sales channels in the ShippingEasy web app.
ShippingEasy’s paid plans often pay for themselves through shipping discounts and time-saving features. However, if you’re a low-volume shipper, better free options like Ordoro and OrderCup may be more suitable.
Online reviews for ShippingEasy are largely positive, with an average user score of 4.72 out of 5 stars from thousands of ratings. Customers like its pricing, features, and support. They also appreciate its inventory management tools and postage savings. However, some users report technical issues and difficulting stopping the service.
Bottom Line
Shipping software is an immensely helpful tool for ecommerce businesses to have in their arsenal. Our No. 1 pick for small business shipping solutions is ShippingEasy—thanks to its economical pricing, high ease of use, impressive functionality, and deep shipping discounts.
Unless you’re seeking a free starter plan or considering outsourced fulfillment, ShippingEasy is likely the best choice for your shipping workflow. Its 30-day free trial makes it safe and simple to give it a try.
