ShipStation vs ShipWise (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 13, 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 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 ShipWise if
- Fits if you are a mid-market or enterprise shipper in North America that wants rate shopping
- Works for a 3PL that needs a separate profile for each client
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a price: the page asks for a consultation
- Skip it if you ship from outside North America: it serves shippers there
- Not for you if you are an occasional seller: it is positioned for mid-market and enterprise volumes
- Not for you if you want a free plan or trial: none is listed
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAShipStationGood | 1.8GPAShipWiseWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| 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; it is sold through a demo or a quote, so it sits in the middle by default. The pricing page asks for a consultation. |
| 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 are listed, so nothing is free to try. |
| 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. | CRate shopping, carrier discounts, automation rules, multi-client 3PL profiles and analytics. It serves shippers sending from North America only. |
| 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. It starts with a consultation and custom setup. |
| 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. | BWeb app with Shopify, Amazon, Walmart, NetSuite, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Manhattan Associates connections. No desktop or phone app. |
| Best for | busy shops shipping from many sales channels | multi-carrier shipping for mid-market shippers |
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 ShipWise. How we grade
Where they differ
- ShipStation also covers inventory and barcode scanning.
At a glance
| ShipStation | ShipWise | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ShipWise |
| Price read from | shipstation.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Nov 13, 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.
ShipWise
- No prices are published; the pricing page asks for a consultation and says price depends on setup complexity, custom development and chosen add-ons.
- The vendor positions it for mid-market and enterprise volumes, not for occasional sellers.
- It serves shippers sending from North America.
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.
ShipWise
- Rate shopping
- Compares parcel or LTL freight rates in real time for each order, and the web app uses a single order grid for both.
- Carrier discounts
- Offers discounted carrier rates through its API integrations, with the vendor citing up to 84% off standard rates and no minimum volume.
- Automation and routing rules
- A no-code rules engine routes orders to carriers and automates label generation and tracking updates.
- Multi-client profiles for 3PLs
- Per-client carrier accounts, markup rules and automated client billing, with API access for clients that integrate directly.
- Intelligence
- A separate analytics product for shipping reports and parcel auditing, aimed at spotting hidden costs across carriers.
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.
ShipWise
Pricing could not be confirmed. See shipwise.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.
ShipWise
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, ShipStation or ShipWise?
As of Nov 13, 2026, ShipStation starts at $14.99 per month for up to 50 shipments, billed monthly, and ShipWise has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, ShipStation or ShipWise?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither ShipStation nor ShipWise has a free plan. ShipStation has a free trial.
Which platforms do ShipStation and ShipWise run on?
As of Nov 13, 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.