Aisles / Tracking and shipping / ShipStation
ShipStation review and real cost
Prints discounted shipping labels in bulk and syncs orders and inventory across sales channels.
Verdict
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 month2. The catch is that the price climbs with every shipment tier, Starter stops at 5,000 shipments, and recent reviews report connection and sync problems1,2.
Install it if
- Stores that print their own labels and want rate shopping across many carriers
- Merchants selling on Shopify plus Amazon, Walmart or TikTok Shop from one dashboard
- Growing warehouses that need batch printing, barcode picking and automation rules
Skip it if
- Stores that only need a tracking page and notifications
- Small stores that want API access or data export on the cheapest plan
- Merchants who want a Built for Shopify app with Shopify Flow support
Good
Not so good
- 300 orders$39.99Starter (500 shipments)
- 2,000 orders$119.99Starter (2,000 shipments)
- 10,000 orders$449.99Standard (10,000 shipments)
The bill follows shipments a month in fixed tiers, at one shipment per order; postage is paid on top2.
Public prices, billed monthly, checked October 8, 2026.
The eight checks
ShipStation passes 4: read the fine print. What each check means.
- Free to start: passedEvery plan has a 30-day free trial with no credit card1,2.
- Prices public at every size: passedMonthly prices for every shipment tier up to 100,000 are on the pricing page2.
- Built for Shopify: failedThe listing does not show the Built for Shopify badge1.
- Rated 4.7 or higher: failedRated 4.2, below the 4.7 bar1.
- 500+ merchant reviews: passedThe listing has 707 reviews1.
- Works with Shopify Flow: failedShopify Flow is not listed under Works with on the listing1.
- You can take your data: passedShipStation publishes a public API, and its plan table lists API access and data export from Standard up2,3.
- Security report named: failedShipStation's privacy policy describes reasonable security measures but names no SOC 2 Type II report or ISO 27001 certification4.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Includes | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $14.99/month1,2 | 3 users, unlimited store connections, automated rate shopping, LTL rate comparison, return labels, basic automations, reporting, email support | 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/month1,2 | 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 | 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/month1,2 | Everything in Standard plus 15 users, advanced inventory and warehouse management, custom analytics, auto-routing, Cubiscan, ODBC, dedicated implementation | Tiers billed monthly from 50 shipments $349.99 to 100,000 $7,499.99; 10,000 $1,099.99 |
ShipStation prices by plan and monthly shipment tier, with no per-label fee2. Starter runs from $14.99 for 50 shipments to $174.99 for 5,0002. Standard runs from $29.99 for 50 to $3,599.99 for 100,000, and Premium starts at $349.992. A 300-order store pays $39.99, a 2,000-order store $119.99, and a 10,000-order store $449.99 on Standard2. Postage, insurance and extra users cost extra, and annual billing saves 20%2.
Usage charges: No per-label fee; price steps up by monthly shipment tier. Postage, insurance, extra users and some add-ons are billed separately2.. Free trial: 30 days on all plans, no credit card required1,2.
How we worked out the bill
| Store size | Per month | Arithmetic |
|---|---|---|
| Small, 300 orders | $39.99 | Starter 500-shipment tier, $39.99 a month billed monthly, covers 300 orders2. |
| Growing, 2,000 orders | $119.99 | Starter 2,000-shipment tier, $119.99 a month billed monthly2. |
| Large, 10,000 orders | $449.99 | Starter tops out at 5,000 shipments, so 10,000 orders needs the Standard 10,000-shipment tier at $449.99 a month2. |
What it does
ShipStation pulls orders from Shopify and your other sales channels into one dashboard, where you buy and print labels, run automation rules and handle returns1. It connects to 200+ carriers and offers discounted rates or your own carrier accounts1.
The Shopify app launched in November 20111. ShipStation is an Auctane brand, alongside Stamps.com and ShipEngine3,4.
- Syncs orders and inventory from TikTok Shop, Amazon, Walmart and other channels1.
- Discounted rates or your own rates with 200+ carriers, including UPS, USPS and FedEx1.
- Bulk label printing in one click1.
- Automation rules to batch, tag and route orders1.
- Branded tracking pages and a returns and exchanges portal from Standard up1,2.
- Parcel and LTL freight rate comparison in one place2.
What merchants say
The app is rated 4.2 from 707 reviews; 72% are five stars and 19% are one star1. Merchants praise batch label printing, barcode picking, automation rules and hands-on onboarding1. Recent complaints describe ShipStation Connect losing its connection daily and order syncs lagging by hours1.
Complaints worth knowing
- A September 2026 review reports ShipStation Connect losing its connection daily and new orders taking 4 to 6 hours to appear1.
- In October 2026 ShipStation replied to a merchant about a lack of progress on an adjustment dispute5.
What the developer claims
Numbers the developer publishes about itself. We have not verified them.
- ShipStation says over 100,000 businesses rely on the ShipStation API3.
Your data
ShipStation offers a public shipping API, and its plan table lists API access and data export on Standard and Premium, not Starter2,3. Its privacy policy, shared across Auctane brands, describes reasonable security measures but names no SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certification4.
App languages: English. Works with: Australia Post, Avalara, FedEx, NetSuite, Royal Mail, UPS. On the App Store since: November 14, 2011.
Other tracking and shipping apps
| App | Checks | 300 orders | 2,000 orders | 10,000 orders |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/8 checks passed | $16 | $59 | $215 | |
| 6/8 checks passed | $23 | $109 | Quote |
Sources
- ShipStation Orders & Inventory - Shopify App Store, Shopify App Store. Accessed October 8, 2026.
- ShipStation Pricing, ShipStation. Accessed October 8, 2026.
- ShipStation API Documentation, ShipStation. Accessed October 8, 2026.
- Privacy Policy, Auctane (ShipStation). Accessed October 8, 2026.
- ShipStation Orders & Inventory reviews, newest first - Shopify App Store, Shopify App Store. Accessed October 8, 2026.
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