ShipStation vs Shipwire (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 1.6.
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, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money.
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 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
Pick Shipwire if
- Fits if you want someone else to store and ship your products
- Works for brands selling on several channels that need warehouses abroad
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a price first: only a quote is offered
- Not for you if you pack your own orders: it is a fulfilment service, not label software
- Not for you if you want to try it first: no free plan or trial is listed
- Watch out: it is now described as a Stord company, so terms may change
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAShipStationGood | 1.6GPAShipwireWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | CNo price is published; the pricing page only offers a quote, so there is nothing to set against the $20 category middle. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | FNo free plan and no trial on the pages read. |
| Features | 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. | CWarehouses, channel fulfilment, stock views, routing and returns. It is a service that ships for you, not label software. |
| Ease of use | 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. | CNo store rating on record. Handing stock to a warehouse network means onboarding and integrations. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | CWeb only. The features mention integrations and APIs, but none are named on the pages read. |
| Best for | busy shops shipping from many sales channels | outsourced warehousing and fulfilment |
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 and Shipwire. How we grade
Where they differ
- ShipStation also covers workflow automation, barcode scanning and shipping labels.
- Shipwire also covers dropshipping.
At a glance
| ShipStation | Shipwire | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | $14.99 per month for up to 50 shipments, billed monthly | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial, no credit card required | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Auctane | Shipwire, Inc. |
| Price read from | shipstation.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Shipwire
- No prices are published; the pricing page only offers a quote, so costs are not verified here.
- Shipwire is described on its own site as a Stord company, so contracts and service terms may change.
- It is a fulfillment service, not label software for packing orders yourself.
Key features
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.
Shipwire
- Warehouse network
- Inventory is stored and shipped from Shipwire's warehouses, with locations in several regions, rather than from the seller's own space.
- Fulfillment by channel
- Separate solution pages cover direct-to-consumer orders, marketplace orders, B2B and retail orders, and dropshipping.
- Order and inventory views
- The platform shows orders and stock levels as they change, with analytics on business and channel performance.
- Route optimization
- Orders are routed using calculated shipping rates, box sizes and delivery times, with a nesting option that consolidates packaging.
- Integrations and APIs
- The site lists pre-built connectors for shopping carts, marketplaces and ERP systems, plus a developer center for its REST APIs.
- Returns and cross-border
- Reverse logistics and returns handling are offered as a service, along with cross-border shipping for international orders.
Plans
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.
Shipwire
Pricing could not be confirmed. See shipwire.com.
Ways to pay less
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.
Shipwire
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, ShipStation or Shipwire?
As of Nov 12, 2026, ShipStation starts at $14.99 per month for up to 50 shipments, billed monthly, and Shipwire has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, ShipStation or Shipwire?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither ShipStation nor Shipwire has a free plan. ShipStation has a free trial.
Which platforms do ShipStation and Shipwire 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.