Shippo ‑ Simplified Shipping vs ShipStation
Shippo ‑ Simplified Shipping and ShipStation are both popular Shopify apps in the same category, but they're rated differently by merchants: Shippo ‑ Simplified Shipping is 4.2/5 from 299 reviews, and ShipStation is 4.2/5 from 657 reviews. On the EcomGuide Score, ShipStation has a slight edge (75/100 vs 73/100). Shippo ‑ Simplified Shipping has a genuine free plan, while ShipStation is paid from day one (starting at $14.99/mo) — a real factor if you want to trial before committing budget.
Full comparison
EcomGuide Score
73/100
75/100
Rating
4.2(299)
4.2(657)
Reviews
299
657
Starting price
$19/mo
$14.99/mo
Pricing
Free plan available
Paid
Free plan
✓ Yes
— No
Free trial
30-day
30-day
Best for
Discounted multi-carrier labels
High-volume multi-channel fulfillment
Built for Shopify
— No
✓ Yes
Launched
2014
2011
Key features
- ✓Automatically import orders across all sales channels
- ✓Compare rates, create labels, and bulk print
- ✓Deeply discounted rates from USPS, UPS, and DHL Express
- ✓Real-time shipment tracking with branded notifications
- ✓Automated international customs paperwork
- ✓Easy return label generation
- ✓Import orders from all channels and batch print labels at once
- ✓Access major carriers to create labels and compare rates
- ✓Shipping rules with smart order routing to warehouses
- ✓Branded tracking pages, shipping labels, and returns portals
- ✓Inventory control with stock syncing and forecasting
- ✓Up to 90% off rates from USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, and more
Developer
Shippo
ShipStation
Integrations
USPSUPSFedExDHL ExpressAmazonEtsy
UPSFedExRoyal MailAustralia PostAvalaraNetSuite
Languages
English
English
Pros
- +Discounted carrier rates that often beat retail pricing
- +Simple, intuitive dashboard for multi-channel order management
- +Generous 30-day trial on the Professional plan
- +Industry-leading automation rules for high-volume fulfillment
- +Strong multi-channel and multi-warehouse support
- +Built for Shopify badge with deep platform integration
Cons
- -Some merchants report slow customer support and claims handling
- -Primarily US-centric with English-only interface
- -No free plan; paid subscription required from day one
- -Recent interface changes have drawn mixed reviews from users
Choose Shippo ‑ Simplified Shipping if…
- + You need something best suited for discounted multi-carrier labels.
- + You want to start on a free plan before paying for anything.
Choose ShipStation if…
- + You need something best suited for high-volume multi-channel fulfillment.
- + You want the Built for Shopify badge for quality and integration standards.
- + You'd rather go with the more widely reviewed, battle-tested option.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Shippo ‑ Simplified Shipping or ShipStation better for Shopify?
- ShipStation scores higher on the EcomGuide Score (75/100 vs 73/100), based on merchant rating, review volume and recency. That said, "better" depends on your specific workflow — see the full feature comparison above.
- Which is cheaper, Shippo ‑ Simplified Shipping or ShipStation?
- Shippo ‑ Simplified Shipping has a free plan, while ShipStation is paid starting at $14.99/mo.
- Do Shippo ‑ Simplified Shipping and ShipStation have a free plan?
- Shippo ‑ Simplified Shipping has a genuine free plan. ShipStation does not have a free plan (starts at $14.99/mo).
