Advanced Shipping Rules vs Shippo (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Advanced Shipping Rules if

• Fits if you run a Shopify store and need rates that vary by product group, zone or carrier
• Works for a print-on-demand shop that wants Printful or Printify rates at checkout

Look elsewhere if

• Not for you if you are off Shopify: it runs only there
• Tight if you use Lite: Hide or Show conditions are not included
• Watch out: Shopify must have real-time carrier rates, free on yearly billing or $20 a month a la carte
• Watch out: package settings, customs and duties need Standard, and sub-zones need Pro
• Watch out: the Shopify listing shows prices in the visitor's currency

Pick Shippo if

• Fits if you ship from a Shopify, Etsy or eBay store and want several carriers' rates side by side
• Works for developers who want labels and tracking inside their own app through an API

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want to print labels from a phone, since the listing shows a web app only
• Tight if you stay free, as Starter stops at 30 labels a month and 1 user, and labels on your own carrier account cost 5¢ each
• Pricey if you grow well past 200 labels, since Pro rises to $179 a month at 10,000 and $0.08 a label beyond that
• Watch out: non-US address checks cost 6¢ to 9¢ each, and tracking or rating calls outside Shippo labels are billed at API rates
• Watch out: branded tracking emails, pick lists and phone support need Pro, and postage is paid on top

Advanced Shipping Rules

• It runs only on Shopify, and the vendor says Shopify must have the real-time carrier rates feature, which is free on yearly billing or $20 a month a la carte.
• Hide or Show conditions are not on Lite, and package settings, customs and duties need Standard or above.
• Sub-zones by postal code require the Pro plan or higher.
• The Shopify App Store listing shows prices in the visitor's currency; the figures here are the vendor's dollar prices.

Shippo

• Postage is paid on top of the plan for every label; the discounts are against carriers' retail rates.
• The free Starter plan stops at 30 labels a month and charges 5¢ a label on your own carrier account.
• Pro tops out at 10,000 labels a month; each label beyond that costs $0.08.
• Non-US address validation costs 6¢ to 9¢ each, and tracking or rating calls outside Shippo labels are billed at API rates.

Advanced Shipping Rules

Rates by product group

Different shipping rates for different groups of products, such as dropship vendors, small and heavy items, or free-shipping products.

Carrier and rule-based rates

Uses real-time rates from UPS, FedEx, USPS and Canada Post, or builds rates by price, weight or item count with range tables.

Print-on-demand rates

Integrates with Printful, Printify and Pixels shipping rate APIs and combines them with rates for your own products.

Blended rates

When an order mixes product groups, blending rules can discount, make free or combine each group's rate. Blending rules start on the Standard plan.

Zone and method restrictions

Prevents certain products from being ordered to certain zones, or hides shipping methods for some products. Pro adds postal-code sub-zones.

Shippo

Discounted carrier rates

Compares rates from 40+ carriers, including USPS, UPS, FedEx and DHL Express. Shippo says its discounts save up to 90% off retail rates; that is the vendor's claim.

Store and marketplace connections

Imports orders from Shopify, WooCommerce, Square, Wix, BigCommerce, Etsy, eBay, Amazon, Walmart and TikTok, or from a CSV file.

Bulk labels and automations

Edit and print labels for many orders at once, with shipping rules that fill in label settings. Customs forms and commercial invoices are generated for international orders.

Tracking and returns

Every plan tracks shipments and makes return labels. Pro adds branded tracking pages, notification emails and packing slips.

Pick and pack

Pro adds printed pick lists and scan-to-print, plus delivery date estimates that Shippo says are AI-powered.

Shipping API

A separate API lets developers buy labels, track parcels and validate addresses. API Starter gives 30 free labels a month, then 7¢ a label.

Advanced Shipping Rules

• Lite$9

  per month

  2 product groups, 1 blended rate, unlimited methods and rules except Hide or Show conditions; Printful, Printify and Pixels rates.

• Standard$29

  per month

  5 product groups, 2 blended rates, package settings, dual-layer dropship, customs and duties, and blending rules.

• Pro$59

  per month

  20 product groups and 3 blended rates, plus sub-zones based on postal code ranges.

• Unlimited$99

  per month

  The same features as Pro, with unlimited product groups and blended rates.

Shippo

• Starter$0

  Up to 30 labels a month, 1 user and email support. Labels on your own carrier account cost 5¢ each.

• Pro$17

  per month for up to 200 labels, billed annually ($19 billed monthly)

  Branded tracking pages and emails, pick lists, chat and phone support, 5+ users. Price rises with volume: $179 a month at 10,000 labels, billed annually.

• PremierCustom

  Unlimited shipments, 15+ users and a dedicated account manager, priced through sales.

Advanced Shipping Rules

No public discounts listed.

Shippo

• Annual discount

  About 10% off Pro with yearly billing

  Pro costs $205 a year for up to 200 labels a month against $19 a month billed monthly; Shippo calls it 10% savings.