Itâs 4:30 on a Friday and youâre knee-deep in packing peanuts and cardboard boxes. Youâve got twenty orders to pick, pack, and ship before the post office closes, and you keep misplacing your packing slips.
There must be a better way.
If your storage space is covered in packing materials and you record all your shipping information in spreadsheets and Post-It notes, it might be time to try something else.
In the era in which an app solves everything, it makes sense to turn to software solutions to soothe your shipping woes.
Shipping software solutions integrate with most popular eCommerce software programs and can help simplify your day-to-day operations. They let you calculate accurate shipping rates and print shipping labels and packing slips in bulk. They can even grant you discounted shipping rates.
These programs are typically available as SaaS solutions that range in price from $25/month to $99/month — a small price to pay for the shipping issues they resolve.
Itâs clear you should subscribe to a shipping software, but with so many options available, how do you choose?
Weâve tested out a handful of shipping solutions, examining price, ease of use, and customer service. Keep reading to learn more about the best shipping software for 2018.
1. ShippingEasy
With a near-perfect score of 4.5 stars, ShippingEasy (see our review) is our top-rated shipping solution for eCommerce businesses. This software is true to its name: itâs easy to learn and use and customer support representatives are ready to help with any potential hiccups.
Best For…
Businesses of all sizes. It works especially well for eCommerce merchants who run their own online stores.
Pricing
Pricing for ShippingEasy is simple and affordable; plans range from $29/month for 500 shipments to $99/month for 6,000 shipments. Each step up in pricing includes more monthly shipments and higher level customer support.
ShippingEasy has a free plan available for merchants shipping fewer than 50 shipments/month. For high volume sellers, ShippingEasy also offers enterprise options. Read more about ShippingEasyâs pricing in our full review.
Features
As I mentioned above, we found ShippingEasy to be highly user-friendly. You can easily import orders, create shipments, set shipping parameters, and buy and print postage, shipping labels, and packing slips.
We also like how many features come included with ShippingEasy. And we especially love the fact that ShippingEasyâs partnership with USPS lets you benefit from lower shipping rates. You can save up to 46% on shipping rates when you sign on for one of ShippingEasyâs paid plans.
Other features include:
- A Free Endicia Account
- Shipping Status Updates & Real-Time Tracking
- Individual Or Batch Shipping
If youâre worried that ShippingEasy might not integrate into your eCommerce software, fear no more! ShippingEasy integrates easily with the biggest names in eCommerce, including 3dcart, Magento, BigCommerce, Shopify, Volusion, and WooCommerce. View all of ShippingEasyâs integrations.
ShippingEasy also has a good record when it comes to customer service. Their support representatives are knowledgeable and helpful.
Takeaway
With so many positives to ShippingEasy, itâs hard to find any downsides. You should note, however, that ShippingEasy still has room to grow when it comes to simplifying their daily operations. In particular, users would like to see improvement in expediting the data entry process.
Otherwise, ShippingEasy is an excellent option. Take a look at our shipping software reviews to learn more about the software or sign up for a free 30-day trial.
Read our full ShippingEasy review
Visit the ShippingEasy website
2. OrderCup
OrderCup (see our review) is one of our favorite shipping software solutions. OrderCup offers an easy to use interface, multi-carrier shipping options, and discounted shipping rates. And best of all, OrderCup provides users with reliable and responsive customer support, so you can get answers to your pressing questions quickly.
Best For…
Merchants who ship between 500 and 12,000 shipments a month and who only need up to 12 users on the platform. With five tiered pricing plans, OrderCup is accessible to many merchants.
Pricing
As I mentioned before, OrderCup separates pricing into five tiers. To add a little fun to the pricing, OrderCup has named each tier after a Starbucks drink size. Plans range from Short to Trenta, and each step up in pricing includes more sales channels, more monthly shipments, and more users.
The Short plan begins at $20/month for 500 monthly shipments, and Trenta costs $180/month for 12,000 monthly shipments.
For more information, view OrderCup’s pricing page.
Features
OrderCup’s dashboard is well-organized and quick to learn. During setup, you’ll be able to integrate your hosted shopping cart. Your online store’s orders will be automatically transferred to your OrderCup dashboard.
Then, you’ll be able to connect with your favorite carriers and start processing orders.
OrderCup’s feature list includes everything you’d expect from a multi-carrier shipping software. They have made arrangements with several carriers, including the USPS, DHL, UK Mail, and DX to offer their customers discounted shipping rates. You’ll also be able to integrate with worldwide shipping carriers across Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Here are a few more features you can expect from OrderCup:
- Automate Your Shipping Process
- Print Return Labels To Include With Shipments
- Bulk Import Orders Using CSV Files
- Schedule Shipment Pickups
- Integrate With Third-Party Fulfillment
OrderCup integrates with many eCommerce solutions, including Shopify, BigCommerce, Magento, WooCommerce, and Volusion. Integrated marketplaces include Amazon, eBay, and Etsy. Check the full list for more information.
Out of all these features, OrderCup users seem to be most enthusiastic about OrderCup’s support team. Support representatives are responsive and patient, often spending up to an hour on the phone with users to make sure everything is working properly. Users also praise OrderCup’s Canadian shipping options; it is easy to ship to and from Canada.
There are few negative comments about OrderCup online, though we have seen customers complain about having to pay extra in order to access phone support and get priority attention for their technical issues.
TakeawayÂ
OrderCup is one of our favorite shipping software programs, scoring an excellent 4.5 out of 5 stars. If you think this software might be the right fit for your business, we recommend you try it out. You can sign up for a free 30-day trial in minutes.
But if you’d like a bit more information before you proceed, take a look at our complete review. We include in-depth information about pricing, customer service levels, and more.
Read our full OrderCup review
Visit the OrderCup website
3. Ordoro
Ordoro (see our review) is a shipping and inventory application designed for SMBs. Known for its drop-shipping features, Ordoro is particularly popular among Shopify users.
Best For…
Small to medium-sized businesses. Merchants who are planning to dropship can benefit especially from the software.
Pricing
With Ordoro, you have two options. You can use Ordoro to handle just your shipping, or you can have Ordoro handle shipping, inventory management, and dropshipping. Ordoro sets up their pricing structure differently, depending on which features you choose.
In my opinion, itâs best to use Ordoro for shipping only. Paid plans for shipping begin at $25/month and go to $129/month. Each step up in pricing includes additional features and monthly shipments. Thereâs also a free plan available for merchants shipping fewer than 50 orders/month.
Pricing for shipping and inventory management is structured much differently. The lowest plan costs $199/month for 700 orders. This plan includes drop shipping features. Plans can go as high as $499/month for 4,000 orders. For more information, view Ordoro’s pricing page.
Features
Ordoro comes with a minimalistic user interface. You can easily link your shopping cart to your new Ordoro account during setup. Then youâll be able to sync your inventory and push new orders automatically to Ordoro. You can create shipping labels and packing slips one-by-one or in bulk.
Ordoroâs best feature is without a doubt their dropshipping functionality (available with shipping + inventory plans). You can set select items to ship directly from your supplier, and you can automatically split orders to dropship from multiple suppliers.
Here are a few more features that come with Orodoro:
- Process Orders From Multiple Sales Channels
- Integrate With USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, Canada Post, & Amazon Seller Fulfilled Prime
- Best-In-Industry Shipping Rates (Up To 67% With USPS)
- Tracking Number Automatically Sent To Customers Upon Shipment
- Inventory Management (If You Choose To Purchase It)
Ordoro integrates with a wide variety of eCommerce solutions, including Shopify, BigCommerce, FBA, 3dcart, Magento, WooCommerce, and more. See if your preferred vendor is on the full list.
Ordoro users have a lot of good things to say about the platform. In particular, they praise Ordoroâs technical support options. Customers report that a real person will be available to answer your support concerns. On the off chance you canât reach anyone, Ordoroâs knowledge base is detailed and well organized. You might find the information you need there.
Iâve seen a few negative reports of Ordoro. Some customers cite trouble syncing their Ordoro account with other software programs (namely Shopify and FedEx). Other customers complain that while Ordoroâs interface is easy to navigate, that simplicity is due to a lack of features.
Takeaway
In our opinion, Ordoro is best suited to small businesses, especially those that engage in a lot of dropshipping. To learn more about Ordoro, read our full review, or try out the platform yourself by signing up for a free 15-day trial.
Read our full Ordoro review
Visit the Ordoro website
4. ShipStation
ShipStation (see our review) is arguably the best-known shipping solution, partly due to the company’s excellent marketing campaigns and partly due to the numerous integrations they offer with major eCommerce vendors.
Best For…
Small to mid-sized businesses, particularly those which sell online.
Pricing
Pricing for ShipStation is on par with industry standards. You can choose from six pricing tiers, ranging from $9/month for 50 orders to $145/month for unlimited shipments. ShipStation does not offer a free plan, but they do offer a free 30-day trial of their software.
Features
When it comes to ease of use, ShipStation prioritizes functionality over aesthetics, which is perfectly fine by me!
If you have any trouble learning your way around, ShipStation provides video tutorials to help you figure out the admin. In general, we think that ShipStation is highly usable, though it may take some time to get the hang of the advanced tools.
ShipStation offers the basic collection of features, including the following:
- Integrations For USPS, UPS, FedEx, & DHL Accounts
- Discounts On USPS Priority & Express Mail
- Stamps.com Account Included
- Batch-Print Hundreds Of Shipping Labels & Packing Slips
- Print A Return Label To Include In Your Shipments
ShipStation really shines when it comes to integrations. Check out this full list to see which eCommerce platforms, shipping carriers, and payment solutions integrate easily with ShipStation. Happily, it integrates with the most popular eCommerce solutions, including BigCommerce, Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, Volusion, Miva Merchant, and PrestaShop.
ShipStationâs customer service is available by email. They also provide live webinars, a knowledge base, and a community forum.
We see only one potential issue with ShipStation: it’s lacking customer management features. You cannot add identifying characteristics to a customer’s account, and ShipStation does not always recognize a customer when they make a second purchase on a different sales channel. However, for most users, this difficulty is not a deal breaker.
Takeaway
If youâre looking for an efficient, reliable shipping solution, ShipStation may be the way to go. Once you invest some time into learning the system, youâll be able to reap the rewards of a feature-rich shipping solution.
Learn more about ShipStation in our full review or take it for a spin with a 30-day free trial.
Read our full ShipStation review
Visit the ShipStation website
5. ShipRush
ShipRush (see our review) is an affordable software solution that is designed to make shipping selection efficient. ShipRush displays rates from multiple different carriers on the same page in your admin, allowing you to quickly and easily choose the most cost-effective shipping rates. What’s more, ShipRush offers support for many different types of shipping, including individual package shipping, freight shipping, and LTL shipping. Keep reading to learn more about the merits of ShipRush.
Best For…
Merchants who need to ship freight. I would recommend ShipRush primarily to smaller businesses, as the pricing model is designed for three users (though more can be added on at an additional expense).
Pricing
ShipRush’s pricing model is simple. It is divided into two options: Web and Desktop.
ShipRush’s web option is based on a monthly payment model and costs $29.95/month for up to three users (additional users can be added on three at a time for an additional $29.95/month).
On the other hand, the ShipRush Desktop version can be purchased annually for $795/year per workstation.
Features
You can test out ShipRush for 60 days by signing up for a free trial. Once you sign up, you’ll be presented with this dashboard.
The dashboard is a bit austere, but we don’t mind much as ShipRush has proved itself to be very functional.
Once I got over the initial learning curve, I was able to calculate shipping rates and print shipping labels and packing slips easily.
Here are a few other features that ShipRush users benefit from:
- Discounted Shipping Rates (Save Up To 60% On USPS Rates & 21% On FedEx Rates)
- View Rates From Multiple Carriers On One Screen
- Send Notifications To Customers When Orders Ship
- Dropshipping Support
- Print Scan-Based Return Labels
For the full list, head over to ShipRush’s website.
ShipRush integrates with over 75 eCommerce platforms, payment processors, shipping carriers, and accounting and CRM software apps. These integrations include 3dcart, Ecwid, LemonStand, Big Cartel, Shopify, FedEx, UPS, and USPS.
ShipRush has a lot of positives. Customers especially like the quality customer service and the relative ease of use. One downfall potential users should note is that merchants who maintain a large inventory (thousands of products) may have a hard time with the software. Creating shipping rules for all these different types of products could be more effort than it’s worth.
Takeaway
ShipRush is a great software for many businesses. It’s affordable, functional, and reliable, and you can test it out for yourself using their free 60-day trial.
For more information on ShipRush, take a look at our complete review of the platform. Otherwise, keep reading for more shipping options.
Read our full ShipRush review
Visit the ShipRush website
6. ShipHawk
ShipHawk (see our review) is a bit different than the alternative shipping software we cover above. While those software programs provide easy to use interfaces and hundreds of features, ShipHawk focuses its energy on one thing: an algorithm. ShipHawk is a complex shipping calculator, designed for large businesses and businesses that ship oversized or unique items.
Best For…
Larger businesses. ShipHawk’s cheapest plan is targeted at merchants who spend up to $500K on shipping annually. ShipHawk is also good for merchants who ship uniquely shaped or oversized items.
Pricing
ShipHawk offers three pricing tiers. With each step up in pricing, you’ll be able to ship more parcels and freight and have access to more advanced features and technical support.
The Starter plan starts at $250/month and is for merchants who spend up to $500K on shipping annually. Then there’s the Pro plan, which begins at $2K/month and is intended for annual shipping expenses up to $2M; finally, there’s the Enterprise plan, for an annual spend of up to $25M. Enterprise begins at $4,500/month.
As you can see, ShipHawk is not a cheap platform. It is designed for high volume shippers who need a high volume platform.
Features
In order to test out ShipHawk, you can sign up for a free demo of the starter plan. I didn’t find ShipHawk to be as intuitive as other shipping software apps I’ve tested. However, given time, I was able to figure out a few features. And as a whole, the dashboard seems well designed.
As I’ve mentioned before, ShipHawk works a bit differently than most shipping software when it comes to features. While ShipHawk does offer some of your typical features, they primarily advertise the calculator behind the software. ShipHawk will help estimate expenses for hard-to-ship items.
Here are a few of the more notable features:
- Get Quotes From Multiple Carriers
- Real-Time Tracking Updates
- API: Integrate With Shipping Carriers & Shopping Cart Software
- Set Up Automatic Shipping Rules
- Provide Shipping Options To Customers
ShipHawk advertises that you can integrate with most software solutions through their API. You can expect to find pre-built integrations with a few shipping carriers and shopping carts, including DHL, FedEx, UPS, USPS, Magento, Shopify, and more.
Customer feedback regarding ShpHawk is very limited. However, after some time searching the web, I was able to find a few comments. Customers primarily love ShipHawk’s customer service and robust calculation abilities. I myself was a bit disappointed with ShipHawk’s support material. There did not seem to be enough tutorial information to help me set up the program.
Takeaway
ShipHawk is not the right fit for many of our readers. However, if you ship thousands of products each month and you need access to freight and individual shipments, ShipHawk may be right for you. Test it out with a free demo and read our review for more information.
Read our full ShipHawk review
Visit the ShipHawk website
Get Started!
If youâre tired of losing yourself in packing peanuts and misplaced notes-to-self, try out one of these software options. Youâll find that shipping is much less of a chore when order processing and fulfillment is automated, organized, and synchronized. With many solutions beginning at $25/month, shipping software is a small investment that could do a lot for your business. Click one of the buttons above to get started with a free trial, or search our site for more quality shipping software reviews.
Good luck, and happy shipping!
The post Best Shipping Software For 2018 appeared first on Merchant Maverick.
“”
