ShipHero vs Zenventory (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Zenventory grades higher than ShipHero: 2.0 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Zenventory grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Zenventory
Warehouse management with billing and shipping for 3PLs
Which one is for you
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
Pick Zenventory if
- Fits if you run a 3PL and need client billing and a client portal
- Works for brands shipping under 10,000 parcels a month from one warehouse
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you are small: $499 a month plus a $1,000 setup charge
- Tight if you ship past 10,000 a month, as Starter stops there and Growth is $799
- Skip it if you want a trial, because none is listed
- Watch out: each warehouse beyond those included is $100 a month
- Watch out: the $249 intro price lasts 3 months only
How we grade them
| 1.8GPAShipHeroWeak | 2.0GPAZenventoryFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | CStarter is $499 a month for 10,000 shipments, inside the dearer quarter but under the $900 where the dearest tenth starts, and new customers pay $249 for 3 months. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial; the pricing page leads to a conversation with the sales team. | FNo free plan and no trial is listed; the 50% intro price for 3 months is a discount, not a trial. |
| Features | BReceiving, putaway, picking, packing, rate shopping, 3PL tools and returns are all listed, and no gap in the core job is named. | BClient portal, 3PL billing, built-in shipping, kitting, multi-warehouse stock and an API, with no gap named in the core job. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating is on record, and a warehouse system comes with onboarding and hardware to set up. | CNo store rating is on record, and a warehouse system comes with a $1,000 onboarding step. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce, Walmart, NetSuite and carrier links. No phone or computer app is on record. | BWeb only, with Amazon, Shopify, Walmart, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, eBay, QuickBooks Online and UPS links. No phone or computer app is on record. |
| Best for | online brands and 3PLs shipping from their own warehouse | 3PLs and online brands that ship from a 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: ShipHero and Zenventory. How we grade
Price against what you get
ShipHero starts at $1,250 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Zenventory starts at $499 a month and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and Zenventory starts $751 a month lower. Of the other inventory management tools on the chart, 3 score higher than ShipHero for less, and 3 score higher than Zenventory 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.
- Zenventory also covers amazon selling.
At a glance
| ShipHero | Zenventory | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | $15,000 per year (Core plan) | $499 per month for up to 10,000 shipments (first 3 months $249 for new customers) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | ShipHero | Zenventory |
| Price read from | shiphero.com | zenventory.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Zenventory
- A one-time setup and onboarding charge of $1,000 applies to Starter and Growth.
- Plans are capped by monthly shipments: 10,000 on Starter and 50,000 on Growth.
- Each warehouse beyond those included is $100 a month.
- No free plan or trial is listed; the intro price is 50% off the first 3 months for new customers.
Key features
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.
Zenventory
- 3PL client portal and billing
- Inventory, billing rules and fulfillment workflows are configured per client, with a client portal and automatic billing calculations.
- Built-in shipping
- ZenShip is part of every plan, with multi-carrier rate shopping, label printing, batch shipping and carrier invoice reconciliation.
- Kitting and assemblies
- Supports kitting, bundling and assemblies on all plans.
- Multi-warehouse inventory
- Starter covers one warehouse and Growth up to three; each extra warehouse is a further $100 a month.
- Integrations and API
- Native connections to Amazon, Shopify, Walmart, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, eBay and QuickBooks Online, plus a REST API.
Plans
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.
Zenventory
Starter$499
per month for up to 10,000 shipments
1 warehouse, unlimited users, clients, products and integrations, client portal, 3PL billing and ZenShip. New customers pay $249 a month for the first 3 months.
Growth$799
per month for up to 50,000 shipments
Everything in Starter plus up to 3 warehouses and priority support. New customers pay $399 a month for the first 3 months.
EnterpriseCustom
For more than 50,000 shipments a month, with unlimited shipments and training. Contact for a quote.
Ways to pay less
ShipHero
No public discounts listed.
Zenventory
- Other savings
50% off the first 3 months
New customers get 50% off the Starter and Growth subscription for the first 3 months, applied at checkout.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, ShipHero or Zenventory?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Zenventory is cheaper to start with: $499 a month, against $1,250 a month when paid by the year for ShipHero. ShipHero starts at $15,000 per year (Core plan), and Zenventory starts at $499 per month for up to 10,000 shipments (first 3 months $249 for new customers).
Which has a free plan, ShipHero or Zenventory?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither ShipHero nor Zenventory 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.