Packiyo vs ShipHero (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, ShipHero grades higher than Packiyo: 1.8 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
ShipHero grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Packiyo
Warehouse management and shipping software for 3PLs and brands
Which one is for you
Pick Packiyo if
- Fits if you run a 3PL and want billing and client dashboards built in
- Works for a brand that ships about 5,000 parcels a month and wants rate shopping
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to try it yourself, since no self-serve trial is offered
- Pricey if you add users or volume, at $95 a user a month and $0.06 a shipment over the cap
- Tight if you are a small 3PL: Starter and Enterprise prices are not published
- Watch out: the Brand plan stops at 3 users and 5,000 shipments a month
- Watch out: discounts beyond the standard 10% for annual plans go through sales
Pick ShipHero if
- Fits if you ship more than 25,000 parcels a year from your own warehouse
- Works for 3PLs who need client billing and unmetered users and SKUs
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you are small: $15,000 a year is where Core starts, before onboarding
- Tight if you ship past the 25,000 allotment, as extra shipments are $0.24 each pay as you go
- Skip it if you want a trial, because none is offered
- Watch out: SSO is $500 a month on Core, and EDI and hardware are paid extras
- Watch out: wholesale orders over the allotment are $2.10 each
How we grade them
| 1.6GPAPackiyoWeak | 1.8GPAShipHeroWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D$539 a month on annual billing ($599 monthly) for 3 users is above the $349 where the dearer quarter of inventory tools starts. | DCore is $15,000 a year, about $1,250 a month, above the $900 where the dearest tenth of inventory tools starts, plus an onboarding fee from about $5,000. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial; the vendor offers guided demos. | FNo free plan and no trial; the pricing page leads to a conversation with the sales team. |
| Features | BPicking, bulk ship, rate shopping, multi-warehouse routing, returns, 3PL billing and an open API, with no gap named. | BReceiving, putaway, picking, packing, rate shopping, 3PL tools and returns are all listed, and no gap in the core job is named. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record, and the Starter plan comes with guided onboarding, which tells you there is setup. | CNo store rating is on record, and a warehouse system comes with onboarding and hardware to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, with an open API but no integration list on record. | BWeb only, with Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce, Walmart, NetSuite and carrier links. No phone or computer app is on record. |
| Best for | 3PLs and brands that ship thousands of parcels a month | online brands and 3PLs shipping from their own warehouse |
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: Packiyo and ShipHero. How we grade
Price against what you get
Packiyo starts at $539 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. ShipHero starts at $1,250 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7.
ShipHero scores higher, and starts $711 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other inventory management tools on the chart, 11 score higher than Packiyo for less, and 3 score higher than ShipHero 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
- ShipHero also covers barcode scanning and online store.
At a glance
| Packiyo | ShipHero | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | $539 per month, billed annually ($599 billed monthly), for 3 users | $15,000 per year (Core plan) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Packiyo | ShipHero |
| Price read from | packiyo.com | shiphero.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Packiyo
- No self-serve trial is offered; the vendor provides guided demos instead.
- Starter and Enterprise prices are not published.
- Adding users costs $95 per user per month and extra shipments cost $0.06 each.
- The vendor says annual plans can be discounted beyond the standard 10% by contacting sales.
ShipHero
- Plans start at $15,000 a year, plus a one-time onboarding fee typically starting around $5,000.
- Shipments over the allotment cost $0.24 each pay-as-you-go; wholesale orders over it cost $2.10 each.
- SSO is a $500 a month add-on on Core; EDI, label library, light-directed hardware and NetSuite are paid extras.
- Renewal increases are capped at 10% across every charge on the agreement.
Key features
Packiyo
- Picking and shipping workflows
- Supports picking, bulk ship and single-order workflows with live rate shopping through Packiyo Wallet carriers.
- Multi-client 3PL management
- The 3PL edition has per-client inventory and workflows, native billing and branded client dashboards.
- Multi-warehouse routing
- Routes orders across warehouses and compares carrier rates on the Brand and 3PL plans.
- Open API
- The 3PL plan lists an open API alongside its branded client dashboards.
- Returns and reporting
- The Brand plan covers returns and adds enhanced reporting and operational insights.
ShipHero
- Receiving and putaway
- Receive stock against purchase orders and put it away to bin locations, with barcode-driven workflows.
- Picking and packing
- Batch picking, pack stations, Tap-to-Pack and light-directed Pick-to-Light and Pack-to-Light hardware.
- Shipping and rate shopping
- Creates labels and compares live carrier rates, with direct integrations for UPS, USPS and FedEx.
- 3PL tools
- A client portal and work orders for third-party logistics companies, with 3PL clients never metered.
- Returns management
- Handles returns and works with Loop Returns for customer-facing return flows.
- AI Toolkit with MCP
- Included free on every plan on its own API bucket, alongside the standard API.
Plans
Packiyo
Brand$539
per month, billed annually ($599 billed monthly)
3 users and up to 5,000 shipments a month. WMS for inventory, orders, shipping and returns, multi-warehouse routing and live rate shopping. Sold through sales.
3PL$854
per month, billed annually ($949 billed monthly)
5 users, 5,000 shipments a month, multi-client inventory, native 3PL billing, per-client workflows and branded client dashboards. Sold through sales.
StarterCustom
For 3PLs starting to move off manual workflows: core inventory and order management, picking and bulk ship, and hands-on onboarding.
EnterpriseCustom
For high-volume operations: advanced multi-client and multi-warehouse setups, dedicated account management and priority support.
ShipHero
Core$15,000
per year
Includes 25,000 DTC shipments a year and 10 store connections; extra shipments $0.24 pay-as-you-go. Onboarding fee from about $5,000.
GrowthCustom
For high-volume DTC and wholesale operations, with a custom shipment and wholesale order allotment. Sold through sales.
EnterpriseCustom
For multi-site 3PLs with complex integrations: increased API capacity, SSO and location-aware warehousing included.
Ways to pay less
Packiyo
- Annual discount
About 10% off with yearly billing
The pricing page shows lower monthly figures on its yearly toggle, and the FAQ says further annual discounts are available through sales.
ShipHero
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Packiyo or ShipHero?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Packiyo is cheaper to start with: $539 a month, against $1,250 a month when paid by the year for ShipHero. Packiyo starts at $539 per month, billed annually ($599 billed monthly), for 3 users, and ShipHero starts at $15,000 per year (Core plan).
Which has a free plan, Packiyo or ShipHero?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Packiyo nor ShipHero has a free plan.
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.