ShipHawk 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 1.8.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
ShipStation grades higher on the free plan, features and ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
ShipStation
Shipping software for online sellers, priced by shipments a month
Which one is for you
Pick ShipHawk if
- Fits if you run a warehouse tied to an ERP and ship parcels and freight
- Works for operations that want carrier choice and packing logic automated
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a price first: none is published, only a demo request
- Not for you if you want to try it first: no free plan or trial is listed
- Skip it if you are a small shop packing orders at a kitchen table
- Watch out: it is software only, so you need your own carrier accounts
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
| 1.8GPAShipHawkWeak | 2.6GPAShipStationGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo price is published; the pricing address redirects to a demo request, so there is nothing to set against the $20 category middle. | 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 | FNo free plan and no trial on the pages read. | 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 | CCarrier selection, packing, ERP links, warehouse tools and analytics. It is software, so you still need your own carrier accounts. | 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. It connects to ERPs and warehouses, which takes setup, so it is a C. | 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 only, with NetSuite, Acumatica, Microsoft Dynamics, Infor, Sage and SAP listed. | 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 for ERP-connected warehouses | 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: ShipHawk and ShipStation. How we grade
Where they differ
- ShipStation also covers workflow automation.
At a glance
| ShipHawk | ShipStation | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | Not published | $14.99 per month for up to 50 shipments, billed monthly |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 30-day free trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | ShipHawk | Auctane |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | shipstation.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Worth knowing
ShipHawk
- No prices are published; the pricing address redirects to the homepage and a demo request.
- It is software, not a carrier or a 3PL, so you need your own carrier accounts.
- It is built around ERP-connected operations, which may be more than a small shop needs.
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
ShipHawk
- Carrier and mode selection
- Uses the customer's negotiated rates to rate parcel, LTL and full-truckload shipments in one system and choose a carrier and service.
- Smart Packing
- Cartonization that selects the box or pallet for each order and works out packed weight, dimensions and rates without extra hardware.
- ERP connections
- Plugins for NetSuite, Acumatica, Microsoft Dynamics, Infor, Sage and SAP, plus ecommerce plugins and a REST API.
- Warehouse management
- A WMS covering receiving, putaway, picking, cycle counts and scan-pack verification, sold separately from the shipping product.
- In-cart rating
- Shows shipping rates at checkout and applies business rules to them.
- Audit and analytics
- Freight and parcel audit, shipping data analytics and a handheld dimensioner are listed among its products.
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
ShipHawk
Pricing could not be confirmed. See shiphawk.com.
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
ShipHawk
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, ShipHawk or ShipStation?
As of Nov 12, 2026, ShipHawk has no price we could confirm, and ShipStation starts at $14.99 per month for up to 50 shipments, billed monthly.
Which has a free plan, ShipHawk or ShipStation?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither ShipHawk nor ShipStation has a free plan. ShipStation has a free trial.
Which platforms do ShipHawk 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.