ShipStation API (ShipEngine) vs ShippyPro (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, ShipStation API (ShipEngine) grades higher than ShippyPro: 2.4 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
ShipStation API (ShipEngine) grades higher on value for money and the free plan. ShippyPro grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
ShipStation API (ShipEngine)
Shipping API with rate shopping, labels and tracking
ShippyPro
Multi-carrier shipping platform with tracking and returns
Which one is for you
Pick ShipStation API (ShipEngine) if
- Fits if you are a developer adding labels and tracking to a store or platform
- Works for teams that want discounted carrier rates with no monthly fee
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if nobody on your team writes code
- Tight if you have your own carrier contracts, as those need Advanced at $75 a month
- Pricey if you grow: $325 at 5,000 labels and $600 at 10,000
- Watch out: ShipEngine's own site now redirects to ShipStation, and Enterprise is only for 25,000+ shipments a month through sales
Pick ShippyPro if
- Fits if you are a European online brand using several carriers
- Works for businesses that need ERP or warehouse system connectors
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you ship small volumes: the entry plan is €159.20 a month annually for 2,000 shipments
- Skip it if you need the multicarrier API below Enterprise, because it isn't included
- Watch out: prices are in euros, and the page also showed a Professional table at €159 that doesn't match the plan names
- Watch out: Enterprise has no published price and is billed annually
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAShipStation API (ShipEngine)Fair | 1.8GPAShippyProWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BFree plan has no API usage charges. Advanced is $75 a month for 1,000 labels, which is where the category's dearer quarter starts, plus $0.075 per extra label. | D€159.20 a month on annual billing (€199 monthly) for 2,000 shipments. The category's dearer quarter starts at $75, so this is near the top. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe free plan covers discounted carrier accounts, labels, rate comparison, tracking and webhooks, plus a 30-day sandbox. Your own carrier accounts are not allowed on it. | D14-day free trial included; the listing doesn't say whether it needs a card. No free plan. |
| Features | CRate shopping, labels, tracking and webhooks do the job. The gaps in the listing: your own carrier accounts and address validation both need Advanced. | CMulti-carrier labels, tracking and returns, with up to 10 carrier integrations on the Pro plans. Full multicarrier API access is Enterprise only. |
| Ease of use | DIt's an API, so someone has to write code against it. No store rating on record. | CNo store rating on record. Carrier accounts and marketplaces have to be connected first. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb and API only, with UPS, USPS, FedEx, DHL and two freight carriers on the list. No desktop or phone app. | BWeb, with Shopify, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics, OneStock and Cegid connectors. |
| Best for | a shipping API with discounted labels | multi-carrier shipping with tracking and returns |
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: ShipStation API (ShipEngine) and ShippyPro. How we grade
Price against what you get
ShipStation API (ShipEngine) starts at $75 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. ShippyPro starts at about $177.86 a month and scores 2.3.
ShippyPro scores higher, and starts $102.86 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other shipping software on the chart, 15 score higher than ShipStation API (ShipEngine) for less, and 6 score higher than ShippyPro 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
- ShippyPro also covers workflow automation.
At a glance
| ShipStation API (ShipEngine) | ShippyPro | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $75 per month for up to 1,000 labels | €159.20 per month, billed annually (€199 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | ShipStation's discounted carrier accounts, label creation, rate comparison, tracking, webhooks and a sandbox, with no API usage charges. | None |
| Free trial | 30-day sandbox trial with mock carrier accounts | 14-day free trial included |
| Web | ||
| Made by | ShipStation | ShippyPro |
| Price read from | shipstation.com | shippypro.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
ShipStation API (ShipEngine)
- ShipEngine's site now redirects to ShipStation, and the docs say ShipStation API was formerly ShipEngine.
- Bringing your own carrier accounts needs the Advanced plan.
- Usage over the monthly allowance is billed per extra label, or pay-as-you-go for API calls.
- Enterprise is for volumes above 25,000 shipments a month and is sold through sales.
ShippyPro
- Prices are in euros; the page converts to dollars and pounds at an exchange rate.
- Multicarrier API access is not included below Enterprise, and the Pro plans allow up to 10 carrier integrations.
- The pricing page also showed a Professional table at €159 a month for 2,000 or 4,000 shipments, which does not match Pro2000 and Pro4000.
- Enterprise has no published price.
Key features
ShipStation API (ShipEngine)
- Labels and rate shopping
- Create shipments and labels and compare rates across 100+ supported carriers.
- Address validation
- Validate addresses on the Advanced plan, with US and global validation listed.
- Tracking
- Track parcels and create tracking webhooks, available on the Free plan.
- Taxes and duties
- Calculates taxes and duties and produces customs documentation for international parcels.
- LTL freight
- Freight quotes, booking and tracking for LTL shipments, using your own accounts.
- Sandbox
- A sandbox with mock carriers lets developers test every endpoint, free beyond the trial.
ShippyPro
- Shipping platform
- Manage orders, labels and carrier choice in one place, with 190+ carriers in the library.
- Shipping automation
- Rules automate carrier choice and label creation, with automation runs capped by plan.
- Tracking and notifications
- Real-time tracking across carriers and automatic customer notifications, including WhatsApp.
- Returns
- Branded return flows for customers, including international returns.
- Invoice analysis
- Checks carrier invoices for discrepancies and extra charges.
- Pickup points
- Lets shoppers pick a pickup point or locker at checkout.
Plans
ShipStation API (ShipEngine)
Free$0
Discounted carrier accounts, labels, rate comparison, tracking and webhooks; no bring-your-own accounts.
Advanced$75
per month for up to 1,000 labels
Adds your own carrier accounts and address validation. $0.075 per extra label; $325 at 5,000 labels, $600 at 10,000.
EnterpriseCustom
For 25,000+ shipments a month: higher rate limits, an implementation manager and branded partner UIs.
ShippyPro
Pro2000€159.20
per month for 2,000 shipments, billed annually (€199 monthly)
Up to 10 carrier integrations, unlimited marketplaces, 100 WhatsApp notifications and 1,000 automation runs a month.
Pro4000€207.20
per month for 4,000 shipments, billed annually (€259 monthly)
Same limits as Pro2000 with room for 4,000 shipments a month.
EnterpriseCustom
Unlimited shipments and carriers, full multicarrier API access, SLAs and dedicated support. Billed annually.
Ways to pay less
ShipStation API (ShipEngine)
No public discounts listed.
ShippyPro
- Other savings
Black Friday: first year from €79 a month
New customers on annual billing pay €79 (Pro2000) or €169 (Pro4000) a month in year one, ending 30 Nov 2026. Pro500 is €49, yearly only.
- Annual discount
Annual and two-year billing
Pro2000 is €159.20 a month billed yearly against €199 monthly; two-year billing is €139.30. Pro4000 is €181.30 on two years.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, ShipStation API (ShipEngine) or ShippyPro?
As of Nov 12, 2026, ShipStation API (ShipEngine) is cheaper to start with: $75 a month, against about $177.86 a month for ShippyPro. ShipStation API (ShipEngine) starts at $75 per month for up to 1,000 labels, and ShippyPro starts at €159.20 per month, billed annually (€199 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, ShipStation API (ShipEngine) or ShippyPro?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only ShipStation API (ShipEngine) has a free plan. ShippyPro does not, though it has a free trial.
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.