Shippo vs Shiptheory (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Shippo and Shiptheory share a 2.4 GPA, and only Shippo has a free plan.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Shippo
Multi-carrier shipping app and API, priced by labels a month
Shiptheory
Shipping automation connecting stores, ERPs and carriers
Which one is for you
Pick Shippo if
- Fits if you ship from a Shopify, Etsy or eBay store and want several carriers' rates side by side
- Works for developers who want labels and tracking inside their own app through an API
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to print labels from a phone, since the listing shows a web app only
- Tight if you stay free, as Starter stops at 30 labels a month and 1 user, and labels on your own carrier account cost 5¢ each
- Pricey if you grow well past 200 labels, since Pro rises to $179 a month at 10,000 and $0.08 a label beyond that
- Watch out: non-US address checks cost 6¢ to 9¢ each, and tracking or rating calls outside Shippo labels are billed at API rates
- Watch out: branded tracking emails, pick lists and phone support need Pro, and postage is paid on top
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
| 2.4GPAShippoFair | 2.4GPAShiptheoryFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C200 labels a month means Pro: $17 a month billed yearly ($19 monthly), with no label fee listed on top. That's a little under the middle of what this category charges, but not in its cheapest quarter. It climbs with volume, to $179 a month at 10,000 labels. | 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 | CStarter is free for up to 30 labels a month and 1 user, with discounted rates, tracking and return labels. A shop that ships most days is past 30 well inside the month, and labels on your own carrier account cost 5¢ each. | CA free trial is offered but its length and limits are not stated on the pages we read. There is no free plan. |
| Features | BRates from 40+ carriers, orders pulled in from Shopify, Etsy, eBay, Amazon and more, bulk labels with shipping rules, customs forms, return labels and, on Pro, branded tracking emails and pick lists. That's the whole job, plus an API. | 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 on record. It's a web app, and you connect your stores and set shipping rules before batch printing earns its keep. That's the ordinary amount of setup for this category. | CNo store rating on record. You connect each channel and carrier and then set up rules. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with no phone or desktop app listed, but it connects to Shopify, WooCommerce, Square, Wix, BigCommerce, Etsy, eBay and Amazon, and there's a shipping API. Web with integrations is a B here. | 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 | multi-carrier labels for small online shops | 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: Shippo and Shiptheory. How we grade
Price against what you get
Shippo starts at $17 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Shiptheory starts at $50 a month and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and Shippo starts $33 a month lower. Of the other shipping software on the chart, 3 score higher than Shippo 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
| Shippo | Shiptheory | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $17 per month for up to 200 labels, billed annually ($19 billed monthly) | $50 per month, billed annually ($62 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | Starter plan: up to 30 labels a month, 1 user, unlimited store connections, discounted carrier rates, tracking, returns and email support. Labels bought on your own carrier account cost 5¢ each. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | Free trial offered; its length is not stated on the pages read. |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Shippo | Shiptheory |
| Price read from | goshippo.com | shiptheory.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Shippo
- Postage is paid on top of the plan for every label; the discounts are against carriers' retail rates.
- The free Starter plan stops at 30 labels a month and charges 5¢ a label on your own carrier account.
- Pro tops out at 10,000 labels a month; each label beyond that costs $0.08.
- Non-US address validation costs 6¢ to 9¢ each, and tracking or rating calls outside Shippo labels are billed at API rates.
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
Shippo
- Discounted carrier rates
- Compares rates from 40+ carriers, including USPS, UPS, FedEx and DHL Express. Shippo says its discounts save up to 90% off retail rates; that is the vendor's claim.
- Store and marketplace connections
- Imports orders from Shopify, WooCommerce, Square, Wix, BigCommerce, Etsy, eBay, Amazon, Walmart and TikTok, or from a CSV file.
- Bulk labels and automations
- Edit and print labels for many orders at once, with shipping rules that fill in label settings. Customs forms and commercial invoices are generated for international orders.
- Tracking and returns
- Every plan tracks shipments and makes return labels. Pro adds branded tracking pages, notification emails and packing slips.
- Pick and pack
- Pro adds printed pick lists and scan-to-print, plus delivery date estimates that Shippo says are AI-powered.
- Shipping API
- A separate API lets developers buy labels, track parcels and validate addresses. API Starter gives 30 free labels a month, then 7¢ a label.
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
Shippo
Starter$0
Up to 30 labels a month, 1 user and email support. Labels on your own carrier account cost 5¢ each.
Pro$17
per month for up to 200 labels, billed annually ($19 billed monthly)
Branded tracking pages and emails, pick lists, chat and phone support, 5+ users. Price rises with volume: $179 a month at 10,000 labels, billed annually.
PremierCustom
Unlimited shipments, 15+ users and a dedicated account manager, priced through sales.
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
Shippo
- Annual discount
About 10% off Pro with yearly billing
Pro costs $205 a year for up to 200 labels a month against $19 a month billed monthly; Shippo calls it 10% savings.
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, Shippo or Shiptheory?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Shippo is cheaper to start with: $17 a month, against $50 a month for Shiptheory. Shippo starts at $17 per month for up to 200 labels, billed annually ($19 billed monthly), and Shiptheory starts at $50 per month, billed annually ($62 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Shippo or Shiptheory?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Shippo has a free plan. Shiptheory 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.