6 ShipStation Alternatives in 2026 (Based on Real User Feedback)

Why People Leave ShipStation

ShipStation was the default shipping platform for years, but a series of pricing and policy changes have pushed sellers to explore alternatives. Three issues dominate user discussions:

1. Pricing keeps going up. ShipStation restructured its plans in mid-2025, and long-time users saw significant price increases. The new plan structure also added carrier connection fees ($5-95/mo extra) for bringing your own carrier accounts.

“Gold Level subscriptions will be the new minimum for ShipStation API access beginning May '25. This disproportionate fee increase nearly triples our monthly costs. It is difficult to see this as more than a money grab by ShipStation.”— ShipStation Community Forum, April 2025

2. Carrier connection fees. ShipStation now charges $5-95/month per carrier account you connect. If you bring your own UPS or FedEx account (instead of using ShipStation's negotiated rates), you pay extra. This was previously free.

3. Feature bloat vs. simplicity. Some sellers feel ShipStation has become too complex for their needs. If you ship 100-500 packages/month with USPS, you don't need 400+ integrations and advanced automation rules — you need a label printer.

The Alternatives

1. Pirate Ship — Best free alternative for USPS and UPS

Pirate Ship is completely free. No monthly fees, no per-label fees, no hidden charges. It makes money from the carriers, not from you. It offers Commercial Plus and Connect eCommerce pricing for USPS (up to 87% off retail) and competitive UPS rates.

Pricing: $0/month. Free forever. Really.

What real users say: Pirate Ship is the single most recommended shipping tool on Reddit. It comes up in virtually every “ShipStation alternatives” thread. The only complaints are the lack of FedEx support and limited automation.

“I cancelled all the shipping apps I was paying a monthly fee for and now only use Pirate Ship. The interface is set up SO much better than Shipstation and similar apps.”— Shopify App Store review

Who should pick this: Sellers shipping USPS and UPS domestically who want to pay $0/month. Perfect for small to mid-size operations.

Who should skip this: Sellers who need FedEx, advanced automation rules, or branded tracking pages.

2. Shippo — Best overall ShipStation replacement

Shippo supports 40+ carriers including USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL Express. It has a clean, modern interface that's less cluttered than ShipStation. Free API access on all plans (including free) makes it popular with developers.

Pricing: Free plan (30 labels/mo). Pro plans from $19/mo (200 labels) to $99/mo (5,000 labels).

What real users say: Shippo is consistently recommended as the most direct ShipStation replacement. Users praise its simplicity and multi-carrier support. The main complaint is that Pro plan features (branded tracking, own carrier accounts) cost extra.

“Completely made the process easier! Cost effective rates. Shopify does partner with great companies, making it less stressful for me as a store owner.”— Shopify App Store review, April 2025

Who should pick this: Sellers who need multi-carrier support (USPS + UPS + FedEx) with a simpler interface than ShipStation.

Who should skip this: Sellers who need advanced automation rules or 400+ integrations. ShipStation still wins on integration breadth.

3. Easyship — Best for international shipping

Easyship connects to 250+ couriers globally and automatically calculates taxes and duties at checkout. If you ship internationally regularly, no other platform handles cross-border logistics as smoothly.

Pricing: Free plan (50 shipments/mo). Plus at $29/mo. Premier at $69/mo. Scale at $99/mo.

What real users say: “Easyship works really well and is the only reason I can afford to ship to clients living in other countries.” — Capterra review. Domestic-only US sellers often find it overkill compared to simpler tools.

Who should pick this: Sellers shipping to multiple countries who need automated customs forms and duty calculations.

Who should skip this: Domestic-only US sellers — you're paying for international features you won't use.

4. AfterShip Shipping — Best if you already use AfterShip for tracking

AfterShip Shipping makes the most sense as part of the AfterShip ecosystem (Tracking + Returns + Shipping). As a standalone shipping tool, it's less polished than Shippo or ShipStation, but if you're already paying for AfterShip Tracking, adding their shipping product creates a unified workflow.

Pricing: Free plan (10 labels). Essentials at $9/mo (100 shipments). Pro at $99/mo (5,000 shipments).

What real users say: Users note the big price jump from Essentials ($9) to Pro ($99). It works well for AfterShip ecosystem users, but standalone users tend to prefer Shippo for the value.

Who should pick this: Sellers already using AfterShip Tracking who want a unified shipping + tracking workflow.

Who should skip this: Anyone not already in the AfterShip ecosystem. Shippo or Pirate Ship are better standalone options.

5. Ordoro — Best for multi-channel sellers who also need inventory management

Ordoro combines shipping, inventory management, and dropshipping into one platform. If you sell on Shopify, Amazon, and eBay and need inventory synced across channels, Ordoro handles both shipping and inventory in one tool.

Pricing: Shipping plan from $59/mo. Inventory plan from $79/mo. Both combined from $99/mo.

What real users say: “After using the service for 6 years... this is by far the best shipping solution we have found for Shopify.” — Shopify App Store review. For shipping-only needs, it's more than you need.

Who should pick this: Multi-channel sellers who need shipping + inventory management in one tool.

Who should skip this: Sellers who only need shipping labels. It's overkill for that use case.

6. EasyPost — Best for developers building custom shipping workflows

EasyPost is an API-first shipping platform. It's not a dashboard tool — it's a developer API that lets you build custom shipping workflows. You pay per label (starting at $0.05/label) with no monthly fee.

Pricing: Pay per label. No monthly fee. Starts at $0.05/label.

What real users say: “EasyPost has the best shipping API out there. Other ones have missing documentation, do things in a weird way, or require a lot of work to integrate.” — G2 review. Not for non-technical sellers — there's no point-and-click interface.

Who should pick this: Developer teams building custom shipping integrations.

Who should skip this: Anyone who wants a dashboard interface. This is an API, not a shipping app.

Quick Comparison

Use our shipping platform cost calculator to see how these alternatives stack up at your specific shipping volume with the carriers you use.