Shipmate vs Shiptheory (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Shiptheory grades higher than Shipmate: 2.4 against 1.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Shiptheory grades higher on value for money, the free plan, features and platforms. They get the same grade on ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Shipmate
Multi-carrier parcel label software for UK and Ireland sellers
Shiptheory
Shipping automation connecting stores, ERPs and carriers
Which one is for you
Pick Shipmate if
- Fits if you run a Shopify store in the UK or Ireland
- Works for stores that print labels from several UK carriers
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you ship little, as it starts at £69 a month
- Skip it if you are not on Shopify, as no other platform is confirmed
- Tight if you want a free plan or trial, as none is described
- Watch out: plan tiers and limits are not published
- Watch out: charges are billed in USD, and the vendor's own site blocks automated reads
Pick Shiptheory if
- Fits if you sell on several channels or run an ERP and want one place to send to carriers
- Works for a UK-based shop that wants rules deciding the carrier and service
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you grow: shipments are capped from 1,500 to 20,000 a month by plan, and Earth allows 1 channel and 2 carriers
- Pricey if you pay monthly: $62 against $50 billed annually
- Watch out: a per-shipment charge of 0.03 or 0.02 is listed with no currency
- Watch out: the trial length and limits are not stated
- Watch out: the pricing page shows dollars by default, with a switch to pounds
How we grade them
| 1.4GPAShipmateWeak | 2.4GPAShiptheoryFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DFrom £69 a month on the Shopify listing, with additional charges possible. That is far above the category's middle at $19 and its dearer quarter at $34.99. | CEarth is $50 a month on annual billing, or $62 monthly, against a $50 dearer-quarter start for shipping tools. Higher plans run to $550, and a per-shipment charge sits on top. |
| Free plan and trial | FThe Shopify listing says free to install, but charges may apply and no free plan or trial is described. | CA free trial is offered but its length and limits are not stated on the pages we read. There is no free plan. |
| Features | CMulti-carrier labels, workflow rules, tracking sync and customs documents. Plan tiers and limits are not shown, and only Shopify is confirmed. | BShipping rules, carrier and platform connections, labels, customs documents, an order dashboard, an API and returns. The listing names no gap in the core job, only caps by plan. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating is on record. It is a Shopify app with carriers and rules to connect. | CNo store rating on record. You connect each channel and carrier and then set up rules. |
| Platforms and integrations | CA Shopify app for UK and Ireland merchants, with DHL, DPD, Parcelforce, Royal Mail and UPS. No other platforms confirmed. | BWeb app with Shopify, NetSuite, Dynamics 365 Business Central and Magento connections, carriers such as Royal Mail, FedEx and DPD, and an API. |
| Best for | UK Shopify shipping labels | connecting stores, ERPs and carriers |
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: Shipmate and Shiptheory. How we grade
Price against what you get
Shipmate starts at about $92.45 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Shiptheory starts at $50 a month and scores 2.7.
Shiptheory scores higher and starts $42.45 a month lower. Of the other shipping software on the chart, 31 score higher than Shipmate for less, and 3 score higher than Shiptheory 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
- Shiptheory also covers online store.
At a glance
| Shipmate | Shiptheory | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | £69 per month | $50 per month, billed annually ($62 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | Free trial offered; its length is not stated on the pages read. |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Shipmate | Shiptheory |
| Price read from | apps.shopify.com | shiptheory.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Shipmate
- Only a starting price (from £69 a month) could be read; plan tiers and limits are not published on pages that could be fetched.
- The vendor's own site refused automated reads, so details come from its Shopify App Store listing, which also says charges are billed in USD.
- Built for UK and Ireland merchants; the listing is for Shopify and no other platforms are confirmed here.
Shiptheory
- Each plan caps shipments per month (1,500 to 20,000), and Earth allows 1 channel and 2 carriers.
- A per-shipment charge of 0.03 or 0.02 is listed beside each plan, with no currency shown; check what it covers before buying.
- The pricing page shows dollars by default, with a switch to pounds; annual billing is listed as saving 20%.
- The free trial's length and limits are not stated on the pages read.
Key features
Shipmate
- Multi-carrier labels
- Print UK and international parcel labels for orders from all connected carriers, individually or in bulk.
- Workflow rules
- Manage parcel information with workflow functionality, shipping rules and carrier selection.
- Tracking sync
- Tracking data is sent back to Shopify so customers get accurate updates, and each account has a branded tracking portal.
- Customs and packing documents
- The Shopify listing lists customs documents, packing slips and shipping analytics among its features.
- Shopify app
- The Shopify plugin gives access inside Shopify to all the carriers and delivery services a Shipmate account provides.
Shiptheory
- Shipping rules
- No-code rules assign carriers and services automatically, including different rules per carrier, set up with a short form.
- Carrier and platform connections
- Connects to more than 100 domestic, international and pallet carriers and to 70+ ERP, ecommerce and WMS platforms, with every integration open to every plan.
- Labels and customs documents
- Prints shipping labels, customs documentation and tracking details, and can send labels straight to connected label printers.
- Order dashboard
- Pulls orders from every connected channel into one place and lets users build their own order dashboard.
- Shipping API and returns
- A shipping API lets software vendors build the service into their own platform, and a returns management feature handles return shipments.
Plans
Shipmate
Entry plan£69
per month and up
Starting price on the Shopify listing; plan names and limits are not shown there. Additional charges may apply.
Shiptheory
Earth$50
per month, up to 1,500 shipments, billed annually ($62 monthly)
Ecommerce plan: 1 user, 1 channel, 2 carriers and email support.
Saturn$125
per month, up to 3,000 shipments, billed annually ($150 monthly)
Ecommerce plan: 3 users, 3 channels, 3 carriers and tailored onboarding.
Jupiter$275
per month, up to 8,000 shipments, billed annually ($325 monthly)
Ecommerce plan: 10 users, premium channels and carriers, tailored onboarding.
Cosmos$550
per month, up to 20,000 shipments, billed annually ($750 monthly)
ERP, API and WMS plan: unlimited channels and carriers, tailored onboarding and extended support.
EnterpriseCustom
For more than 20,000 shipments a month: a bespoke plan with tailored onboarding and white-glove service.
Ways to pay less
Shipmate
No public discounts listed.
Shiptheory
- Annual discount
20% off with annual billing
The pricing page lists each plan cheaper when billed annually (for example $50 against $62 a month on Earth) and marks the saving as 20%.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Shipmate or Shiptheory?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Shiptheory is cheaper to start with: $50 a month, against about $92.45 a month for Shipmate. Shipmate starts at £69 per month, and Shiptheory starts at $50 per month, billed annually ($62 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Shipmate or Shiptheory?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Shipmate nor Shiptheory has a free plan. Shiptheory 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.