Route vs Shipsurance (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Route grades higher than Shipsurance: 2.6 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Route grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Shipsurance
Discounted shipping insurance for parcels and freight
Which one is for you
Pick Route if
- Fits if you run an online shop and want protection offered at checkout without paying for it yourself
- Works for a shop that wants tracking and returns pages beside it
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you do not want shoppers charged for protection, as that is what pays for the $0 plan
- Watch out: Custom plans are quoted by sales
- Too light for a shop that wants shipping labels, as the listing covers protection, tracking and returns
- Not for you if you need a long integrations list, as none is shown
Pick Shipsurance if
- Fits if you ship a lot of FedEx or UPS parcels and want cover cheaper than the carrier's
- Works for a shipper that wants claims filed electronically
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a fixed price: rates depend on volume, commodity and claims history
- Watch out: some USPS international services get no cover; First Class International is separate
- Watch out: rates are per $100 per package, and the first $100 is covered free by most carriers but not USPS
- Not for you if you want a free plan or trial: none is listed
How we grade them
| 2.6GPARouteGood | 1.6GPAShipsuranceWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A$0 a month for the merchant on Standard. The money comes from shoppers who opt in to protection at checkout. | CRates are by quote: $0.10 to $0.40 per $100 for FedEx and UPS and $0.30 to $0.60 for USPS. No plan price is published, so we put it in the middle. |
| Free plan and trial | BA free plan a shop can live on, as long as shoppers opt in. Custom plans are quoted by sales. | FNo free plan and no trial; cover is bought by quote. |
| Features | CPackage protection, tracking, returns, analytics and routing. The free plan relies on shoppers paying at checkout, which is a limit on what it does for you. | CLoss and damage cover for domestic and international parcels, electronic claims and shipping software integrations. No cover on some USPS international services, and rates depend on your claims history. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. It has to be connected to your shop and set up first. | CNo store rating on record. You get a quote, then link it to your shipping software. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only on the listing, with no integrations named. | CWeb quote and claims, with shipping software integrations mentioned but not named on the pages we read. |
| Best for | package protection and tracking | discounted insurance for parcels and freight |
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: Route and Shipsurance. How we grade
Where they differ
- Route also covers workflow automation and dashboards.
- Shipsurance also covers reports.
At a glance
| Route | Shipsurance | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | Not published | Custom quote; typical rates $0.10 to $0.60 per $100 of coverage per package |
| Free plan | Standard: $0 a month for merchants; shoppers fund package protection and returns coverage. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Route | Shipsurance |
| Price read from | route.com | shipsurance.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Route
- The $0 plan relies on shoppers paying for protection at checkout.
- Custom plans are quoted by sales.
- Route says it is SOC 2 certified and GDPR and CCPA compliant.
Shipsurance
- Rates are quote-based and depend on volume, commodity and claims history.
- The page notes no coverage on some USPS international services and says First Class International is available separately.
- Rates are shown per $100 of coverage, and the first $100 is covered free by most carriers but not USPS.
Key features
Route
- Package protection
- Covers lost, stolen or damaged packages.
- Tracking
- Visual order tracking pages for shoppers.
- Returns
- Exchange-first returns portal with fraud checks.
- Analytics
- Dashboards, BI APIs and exports for return data.
- Smart routing
- Workflows routing returned items to resale or warehouse.
Shipsurance
- Loss and damage coverage
- Covers loss and damage in transit for shipments on major carriers.
- Quote-based policy
- Request a quote; if approved, a coverage certificate is issued.
- Shipping software integrations
- Works with most shipping systems, plus API calls to insure, void and manage claims.
- Electronic claims
- The site says a claim takes about 5 minutes to file and most are paid within a week.
- Domestic and international
- Covers domestic and worldwide shipments, with some First Class International limits.
Plans
Route
Standard$0
per month
Whole platform with consumer-funded pricing; no monthly or hidden fees per the page, and eligible for the Merchant Incentive Program.
CustomCustom
Flat fee, volume-based or consumer-funded options, with API and custom integrations and monthly billing.
Shipsurance
Custom policyCustom
Rate per $100 of coverage depends on volume, commodity and claims history. Site shows $0.10-$0.40 for FedEx and UPS, $0.30-$0.60 for domestic USPS. Quote only.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Route or Shipsurance?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Route publishes no starting price, and Shipsurance starts at Custom quote; typical rates $0.10 to $0.60 per $100 of coverage per package.
Which has a free plan, Route or Shipsurance?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Route has a free plan. Shipsurance does not.
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.