ShipStation API (ShipEngine) 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 it grades higher too, 2.6 against 2.4.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
ShipStation API (ShipEngine) 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.
ShipStation API (ShipEngine)
Shipping API with rate shopping, labels and tracking
ShipStation
Shipping software for online sellers, priced by shipments a month
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 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
| 2.4GPAShipStation API (ShipEngine)Fair | 2.6GPAShipStationGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | 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 | 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. | 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 | CRate shopping, labels, tracking and webhooks do the job. The gaps in the listing: your own carrier accounts and address validation both need Advanced. | 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 | DIt's an API, so someone has to write code against it. No store rating on record. | 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 only, with UPS, USPS, FedEx, DHL and two freight carriers on the list. 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 | a shipping API with discounted labels | 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: ShipStation API (ShipEngine) and ShipStation. 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. ShipStation starts at $14.99 a month and scores 3.0.
ShipStation scores higher and starts $60.01 a month lower. Of the other shipping software on the chart, 15 score higher than ShipStation API (ShipEngine) 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
| ShipStation API (ShipEngine) | ShipStation | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $75 per month for up to 1,000 labels | $14.99 per month for up to 50 shipments, 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 | 30-day free trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | ShipStation | Auctane |
| Price read from | shipstation.com | shipstation.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 18, 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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
ShipStation API (ShipEngine)
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, ShipStation API (ShipEngine) or ShipStation?
As of Nov 12, 2026, ShipStation is cheaper to start with: $14.99 a month, against $75 a month for ShipStation API (ShipEngine). ShipStation API (ShipEngine) starts at $75 per month for up to 1,000 labels, and ShipStation starts at $14.99 per month for up to 50 shipments, billed monthly.
Which has a free plan, ShipStation API (ShipEngine) or ShipStation?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only ShipStation API (ShipEngine) has a free plan. ShipStation does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do ShipStation API (ShipEngine) 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.