EasyPost vs ShipStation (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick ShipStation: it is third in our ranking of shipping software, and they share a 2.6 GPA.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
EasyPost grades higher on value for money and the free plan. ShipStation grades higher on features and ease of use. They get the same grade on platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
EasyPost
Shipping API for labels, rate shopping and tracking
ShipStation
Shipping software for online sellers, priced by shipments a month
Which one is for you
Pick EasyPost if
- Fits if you build your own checkout or app and need shipping labels from code
- Works for a shop that ships fewer than 3,000 labels and uses its carrier accounts
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a shipping dashboard with no code, as it is an API
- Watch out: the per-label fee after 3,000 free labels is not on the pricing page
- Pricey if you track a lot, as tracking costs $0.01 to $0.03 a shipment and Advanced Tracking $0.03
- Watch out: insurance costs 1% of shipment value, with a $1.00 minimum
Pick ShipStation if
- Fits if you sell on several marketplaces and want every order in one shipping queue
- Works for shops that want LTL freight quotes beside parcel rates
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free plan, as there's only the 30-day trial
- Pricey if you send a few hundred parcels a month, since Starter climbs to $39.99 at 500
- Not for you if your packers use Android phones, as the app is iPhone and iPad only
- Tight if you want your own carrier accounts, returns and exchanges or the API, which need Standard
- Watch out: Starter caps at 3 users and 5,000 shipments a month, and postage is paid on top of the plan
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAEasyPostGood | 2.6GPAShipStationGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BFree for up to 3,000 labels on its own carrier accounts, then $20 a month plus a per-label fee for your own accounts. The per-label price is not shown, so it sits at B. | C200 shipments a month means Starter's 500 step: $39.99 a month, or $383.90 a year paid yearly (about $32 a month). That's above the middle of this category, and your own carrier accounts and the Shipping API need Standard, from $29.99 for 50 shipments. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree Access covers up to 3,000 labels, with postage extra. Past that each label has a fee. | CNo free plan, but a 30-day trial with no credit card needed. Long enough to ship a month of real orders before you pay. |
| Features | CLabels, rate shopping, tracking, insurance and client libraries. It is an API you build on, with no ready-made shipping app, which is a gap for non-developers. | BOrders pulled in from every major marketplace, rate shopping, LTL quotes, batch labels, return labels and automations, with inventory and barcode scanning. The whole job, though returns and exchanges, and your own carrier accounts, start on Standard. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You write code or use a connector to make it work. | BIts iPhone app averages 4.63 from about 6,200 App Store ratings. The web app still needs stores connected and automation rules set up before batch shipping pays off. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb and API, with client libraries and seven integrations. No desktop or phone app. | BWeb and iPhone, with no Android app listed. It connects to Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Etsy, Amazon, eBay, Walmart and TikTok Shop, and has a Shipping API on Standard and up. |
| Best for | shipping API for developers | busy shops shipping from many sales channels |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: EasyPost and ShipStation. How we grade
Price against what you get
EasyPost starts at $20 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. ShipStation starts at $14.99 a month and scores 3.0.
ShipStation scores higher and starts $5.01 a month lower. Of the other shipping software on the chart, 3 score higher than EasyPost for less, and none scores higher than ShipStation for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- ShipStation also covers workflow automation, reports, inventory and barcode scanning.
At a glance
| EasyPost | ShipStation | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $20 per month, plus a per-label fee | $14.99 per month for up to 50 shipments, billed monthly |
| Free plan | Free for up to 3,000 labels using Wallet carriers; postage is extra, and additional labels carry a per-label fee. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 30-day free trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Simpler Postage | Auctane |
| Price read from | easypost.com | shipstation.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Worth knowing
EasyPost
- The per-label fee after 3,000 free labels is not shown on the pricing page.
- Tracking API costs $0.01 to $0.03 per shipment and Advanced Tracking $0.03; sales sets terms.
- Insurance costs 1% of shipment value, with a $1.00 minimum.
- Bringing your own carrier accounts costs $20 a month plus a per-label fee.
ShipStation
- Every plan is priced by monthly shipments, and postage is paid on top of the subscription.
- There is no free plan; Starter caps out at 5,000 shipments a month and 3 users.
- Using your own carrier accounts and the Shipping API need Standard or higher.
- The mobile app is for iPhone and iPad only; no Android app is listed.
Key features
EasyPost
- Shipping API
- One integration for rates, labels, tracking and address verification across 100+ carriers.
- Rate shopping
- Compares carrier rates at label time, with Luma AI Select choosing a label per shipment.
- Tracking
- A tracking API and webhooks, with branded tracking and notifications in Advanced Tracking.
- Insurance and claims
- An insurance API and automated claims programs for USPS and FedEx.
- Shopify option
- A code-free product lets Shopify stores import orders and print labels.
- Client libraries
- Libraries for C#, Go, Java, Node.js, PHP, Python and Ruby over a REST API.
ShipStation
- Rate shopping across carriers
- Compares discounted rates from carriers such as USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL and GlobalPost. ShipStation says its carrier discounts reach 80% to 90%; that is the vendor's claim.
- Store and marketplace imports
- Unlimited store connections pull in orders from Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Squarespace, Wix, Etsy, Amazon, eBay, Walmart and TikTok Shop.
- Automation rules and batches
- Rules batch, route and print labels automatically, with automated rate shopping. Starter has basic automations; Standard and Premium have no limit.
- LTL freight beside parcels
- Every plan can quote, book and compare LTL freight shipments in the same screens as parcels.
- Returns, tracking and inventory
- Return labels on every plan, plus customer tracking emails. Standard adds returns and exchanges, and Premium adds purchase orders, forecasting and pick-to-tote.
- Mobile app
- ShipStation Mobile for iPhone and iPad imports orders, scans barcodes to find them, prints labels and pick lists, and re-sends tracking emails.
Plans
EasyPost
Free Access$0
Wallet carriers, free for up to 3,000 labels. Postage not included; per-label fee after that.
Bring Your Own Carrier Accounts$20
per month, plus a per-label fee
Use your own carrier accounts. The per-label fee amount is not shown on the page.
EnterpriseCustom
Pricing based on volume; contact sales.
ShipStation
Starter$14.99
per month for up to 50 shipments, billed monthly
3 users, unlimited stores, rate shopping, LTL quotes, return labels and basic automations. Rises with volume: $29.99 at 100 shipments, $39.99 at 500, $174.99 at 5,000.
Standard$29.99
per month for up to 50 shipments, billed monthly
10 users, unlimited automations, your own carrier accounts, returns and exchanges, Shipping API, phone support. $449.99 a month at 10,000 shipments.
Premium$349.99
per month for up to 50 shipments, billed monthly
15 users, advanced inventory and warehouse tools, custom analytics and auto-routing. $1,099.99 a month at 10,000 shipments.
Ways to pay less
EasyPost
No public discounts listed.
ShipStation
- Annual discount
20% off with annual billing
Paying yearly saves 20%: Starter at 50 shipments is $143.90 a year instead of $14.99 a month.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, EasyPost or ShipStation?
As of Nov 12, 2026, ShipStation is cheaper to start with: $14.99 a month, against $20 a month for EasyPost. EasyPost starts at $20 per month, plus a per-label fee, and ShipStation starts at $14.99 per month for up to 50 shipments, billed monthly.
Which has a free plan, EasyPost or ShipStation?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only EasyPost has a free plan. ShipStation does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do EasyPost and ShipStation run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only ShipStation lists an iOS app. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.