# ShipStation: review and real cost

Prints discounted shipping labels in bulk and syncs orders and inventory across sales channels.

Verdict: Read the fine print (4 of 8 checks). Rank 3 of 3 in Tracking and shipping. Developer: ShipStation. Listing: https://apps.shopify.com/shipstation

Stores that pack and ship their own orders, especially across several sales channels and carriers, should try it; Starter covers 300 orders for $39.99 a month [2]. The catch is that the price climbs with every shipment tier, Starter stops at 5,000 shipments, and recent reviews report connection and sync problems [1][2].

## Monthly cost

| Store size | Plan | Per month | Arithmetic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 300 orders | Starter (500 shipments) | $39.99 | Starter 500-shipment tier, $39.99 a month billed monthly, covers 300 orders [2]. |
| 2,000 orders | Starter (2,000 shipments) | $119.99 | Starter 2,000-shipment tier, $119.99 a month billed monthly [2]. |
| 10,000 orders | Standard (10,000 shipments) | $449.99 | Starter tops out at 5,000 shipments, so 10,000 orders needs the Standard 10,000-shipment tier at $449.99 a month [2]. |

## Checks

- [x] Free to start: Every plan has a 30-day free trial with no credit card [1][2].
- [x] Prices public at every size: Monthly prices for every shipment tier up to 100,000 are on the pricing page [2].
- [ ] Built for Shopify: The listing does not show the Built for Shopify badge [1].
- [ ] Rated 4.7 or higher: Rated 4.2, below the 4.7 bar [1].
- [x] 500+ merchant reviews: The listing has 707 reviews [1].
- [ ] Works with Shopify Flow: Shopify Flow is not listed under Works with on the listing [1].
- [x] You can take your data: ShipStation publishes a public API, and its plan table lists API access and data export from Standard up [2][3].
- [ ] Security report named: ShipStation's privacy policy describes reasonable security measures but names no SOC 2 Type II report or ISO 27001 certification [4].

## Plans

- Starter: $14.99/month. 3 users, unlimited store connections, automated rate shopping, LTL rate comparison, return labels, basic automations, reporting, email support. Limits: Tiers billed monthly: 50 shipments $14.99, 100 $29.99, 500 $39.99, 1,000 $79.99, 2,000 $119.99, 5,000 $174.99 (top tier)
- Standard: $29.99/month. Everything in Starter plus 10 users, unlimited automations, combine and split orders, your own carrier accounts, returns and exchanges, branded tracking page, API access, phone support. Limits: Tiers billed monthly from 50 shipments $29.99 to 100,000 $3,599.99; 2,000 $174.99, 5,000 $249.99, 10,000 $449.99
- Premium: $349.99/month. Everything in Standard plus 15 users, advanced inventory and warehouse management, custom analytics, auto-routing, Cubiscan, ODBC, dedicated implementation. Limits: Tiers billed monthly from 50 shipments $349.99 to 100,000 $7,499.99; 10,000 $1,099.99

## Overview

ShipStation pulls orders from Shopify and your other sales channels into one dashboard, where you buy and print labels, run automation rules and handle returns [1]. It connects to 200+ carriers and offers discounted rates or your own carrier accounts [1].

The Shopify app launched in November 2011 [1]. ShipStation is an Auctane brand, alongside Stamps.com and ShipEngine [3][4].

## Pricing

ShipStation prices by plan and monthly shipment tier, with no per-label fee [2]. Starter runs from $14.99 for 50 shipments to $174.99 for 5,000 [2]. Standard runs from $29.99 for 50 to $3,599.99 for 100,000, and Premium starts at $349.99 [2]. A 300-order store pays $39.99, a 2,000-order store $119.99, and a 10,000-order store $449.99 on Standard [2]. Postage, insurance and extra users cost extra, and annual billing saves 20% [2].

## Merchants

The app is rated 4.2 from 707 reviews; 72% are five stars and 19% are one star [1]. Merchants praise batch label printing, barcode picking, automation rules and hands-on onboarding [1]. Recent complaints describe ShipStation Connect losing its connection daily and order syncs lagging by hours [1].

## Data

ShipStation offers a public shipping API, and its plan table lists API access and data export on Standard and Premium, not Starter [2][3]. Its privacy policy, shared across Auctane brands, describes reasonable security measures but names no SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certification [4].

## Sources

1. [ShipStation Orders & Inventory - Shopify App Store](https://apps.shopify.com/shipstation), Shopify App Store, accessed 2026-10-08
2. [ShipStation Pricing](https://www.shipstation.com/pricing/), ShipStation, accessed 2026-10-08
3. [ShipStation API Documentation](https://docs.shipstation.com/), ShipStation, accessed 2026-10-08
4. [Privacy Policy](https://www.shipstation.com/privacy-policy/), Auctane (ShipStation), accessed 2026-10-08
5. [ShipStation Orders & Inventory reviews, newest first - Shopify App Store](https://apps.shopify.com/shipstation/reviews?sort_by=newest), Shopify App Store, accessed 2026-10-08

Canonical: https://app-stack-cost.com/apps/shipstation/