ShipStation alternatives: cheaper and free shipping software options
Short answer: The main ShipStation alternatives are Shippo, Pirate Ship, Veeqo, ShippingEasy and Ordoro. Pirate Ship and Veeqo's Shipping plan are free to use. Shippo, ShippingEasy and Ordoro all have free plans with monthly label caps and paid plans for higher volume. ShipStation still suits stores that want many users, many store links and add-ons for fulfillment in one tool.
You're shipping enough parcels that ShipStation's per-shipment pricing is starting to add up, and want to know what actually changes with a cheaper tool.
I'm Ranjit, and I run Blur Studio: 15+ years building software, 120 apps taken live, and clients who have gone on to raise $10M+. I build AI systems and processes that help businesses do a lot more with a lot less time. I also work differently from most of what else is out there, more on that further down this page. Say hello.
Why do people look for a ShipStation alternative?
The main reason is how ShipStation prices its plans. You pay by the number of shipments each month. Here is what its pricing page shows on monthly billing.
- Starter: From $14.99 a month for 50 shipments, with 3 users and unlimited store links. It costs $39.99 a month for 500 shipments and $79.99 for 1,000.
- Standard: From $29.99 a month for 50 shipments, with 10 users. It costs $149.99 a month for 1,000 shipments and $449.99 for 10,000.
- Premium: From $349.99 a month for 50 shipments, with 15 users.
- Add-ons: Fulfillment, 3PL and dropship tools carry an add-on fee. ShipStation does not publish the amount, so ask for a quote.
- Yearly billing: ShipStation shows a 20% saving for yearly billing.
ShipStation offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card. For a busy store that needs many users and add-ons, it can be good value. A small seller who ships a few hundred parcels a month can often pay less, or nothing, with another tool.
What are the best ShipStation alternatives?
Each tool below suits a different kind of seller. Remember that you still pay the carrier for postage with every tool.
Blur Studio (best value)
A ready-built, well-tested core with a different pricing model: no per-seat fees, and it covers almost all the features you'd actually need, usually working out to the best value for money. On top of that, Blur Studio builds owned customizations, meaning you can ask for it to be modified to your exact specifications, and you own those modifications outright. Learn more over a quick call with me, Ranjit.
- Best for: Businesses that need software that works without barriers, no unnecessary fees and options to customize it to their needs.
Shippo
Shippo is a shipping tool with a free plan and paid plans for higher volume. The free Starter plan covers up to 30 labels a month for 1 user. It includes discounted USPS, UPS, FedEx and DHL Express labels, plus unlimited store links. If you use your own carrier account on Starter, Shippo charges 5 cents a label. Pro costs $17 a month billed monthly, or $205 a year. Pro covers up to 10,000 labels a month in tiers and 5 users. For Premier, you ask Shippo's sales team for a price.
- Best for: Small and growing stores that want a free start and a low-cost upgrade.
Pirate Ship
Pirate Ship is free to use. Its site says there are no monthly fees, no markup and no hidden costs. It says the carriers pay Pirate Ship, so you do not. It works with USPS and UPS. You can import orders from a spreadsheet and ship in batches. Check its integrations page to see if your store connects.
- Best for: Sellers who ship with USPS or UPS and want the lowest software cost.
Veeqo
Veeqo is an Amazon company. Its Shipping plan is free and includes unlimited orders, users and warehouses. Veeqo says it earns a small commission on labels you buy through it. It offers rates with Amazon Shipping, UPS, USPS, FedEx, DHL and OnTrac. It imports orders from stores and marketplaces such as Amazon, Shopify, eBay, Walmart and WooCommerce. You can earn up to 5% back in Veeqo credits on each label. The Inventory plan starts at $19 a month and adds stock sync across channels and demand forecasts.
- Best for: Sellers on Amazon and other marketplaces who want free shipping software and the option to add stock control.
ShippingEasy
ShippingEasy has a free Starter plan for up to 25 shipments a month. It links up to 3 stores or marketplaces and includes discounted USPS and UPS rates. Paid plans start at $19.99 a month on its Growth plan, which covers 26 to 200 shipments. Paid plans add unlimited stores, phone and chat support, branded tracking and reports. There is a 30-day free trial.
- Best for: Small stores that ship a steady, modest volume and want phone support.
Ordoro
Ordoro sells shipping, stock and dropship tools as separate apps. The free Essential shipping plan covers 100 labels a month for 1 sales channel and 1 user. If you go over the cap, Ordoro locks the account until you upgrade or the next cycle starts. Advanced costs $59 a month for 3,000 labels and unlimited users. Premium costs $149 a month for unlimited labels. Inventory plans start at $349 a month. There is a 15-day free trial with no card.
- Best for: Stores that want shipping now and stock control or dropshipping later, from one vendor.
How do ShipStation alternatives compare?
| Tool | Free plan | Lowest paid plan | What the lowest paid plan covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| ShipStation | No, 30-day trial | From $14.99 a month (Starter) | 50 shipments, 3 users |
| Shippo | Yes, 30 labels a month | $17 a month monthly, or $205 a year (Pro) | Up to 10,000 labels in tiers, 5 users |
| Pirate Ship | Free to use | No paid plan | USPS and UPS labels |
| Veeqo | Yes, unlimited orders | From $19 a month (Inventory) | Adds stock sync and forecasts |
| ShippingEasy | Yes, 25 shipments a month | From $19.99 a month (Growth) | 26 to 200 shipments |
| Ordoro | Yes, 100 labels a month | $59 a month (Advanced shipping) | 3,000 labels, unlimited users |
These product names are trademarks of their owners. Prices and label caps change often, so check each page before you switch.
How do you choose shipping software?
Start with your numbers. How many parcels do you ship a month, and how many people print labels? Then check these points.
- Carriers: Make sure the tool offers the carriers your customers expect. Pirate Ship covers USPS and UPS. Shippo and Veeqo cover more.
- Store links: Confirm the tool connects to every store and marketplace you sell on.
- Label caps: Free plans cap labels at 25, 30 or 100 a month. Know what happens when you go over.
- Users: Some free plans allow only 1 user. Count everyone who packs and ships.
- Stock control: If you sell on more than one channel, stock sync can stop you selling items you no longer have. My guide to an inventory management system covers this.
Run a test week before you cancel ShipStation. Ship real orders on the new tool and check that tracking numbers flow back to your store.
Which ShipStation alternative should you pick?
- Pick Pirate Ship if: You ship with USPS or UPS and want to pay nothing for software.
- Pick Veeqo if: You sell on Amazon and other marketplaces and want free shipping software.
- Pick Shippo if: You want a free start and a cheap paid plan with more users.
- Pick ShippingEasy if: You ship a modest volume and want phone and chat support.
- Pick Ordoro if: You expect to add stock control or dropshipping later.
- Stay on ShipStation if: You need many users, many store links and its fulfillment add-ons in one place.
When does custom shipping software make sense?
For printing labels, buy a tool. The tools above do it well and cost little. A custom build makes sense around the shipping step, in cases like these.
- Your orders come from odd places: You take orders by phone, email or a trade portal, and staff type them in by hand.
- Your packing rules are unusual: You build kits, split orders across sites or follow rules no tool supports.
- Your systems don't connect: Orders, stock, accounting and customer service live in separate tools, and data gets copied by hand.
- You need your own reports: You want margin per order after postage, packing and returns, in one view.
In these cases, I keep the shipping tool and build the missing link around it. If you sell online, my guide on AI for ecommerce stores shows where AI can help. Firms that move freight should read my guide on AI for logistics.
How would Blur Studio approach a shipping problem?
I start by watching an order move from sale to doorstep. Where does someone type, copy or check by hand? Often the fix is a better tool and one clean connection. When the gap is bigger, I build a small custom system that pulls orders in, applies your rules and passes them to your shipping tool. I can add AI to answer "where is my order" messages or flag late parcels. The code and the accounts belong to your business from day one.
Need something completely custom?
Everything above is a path to get it running quick and cheap. But sometimes the honest answer is that none of those quite fit, and what you actually need is something custom that you own, built uniquely for your business from the ground up, with AI thoughtfully designed into the parts of it that your processes actually benefit from. An asset that grows in value, not a generic, one-size-fits-all boilerplate that's an expense with a lock-in. This is a complete bespoke build, and it's something I do very well. Get in touch to know more.
Questions people ask
What is the best free alternative to ShipStation?
Pirate Ship and Veeqo's Shipping plan are both free to use as of October 2026. Pirate Ship covers USPS and UPS. Veeqo covers more carriers and links to marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay and Walmart.
How much does ShipStation cost?
As of October 2026, ShipStation Starter starts at $14.99 a month for 50 shipments on monthly billing. Standard starts at $29.99 a month and Premium at $349.99 a month. The price rises with the number of shipments.
Is Shippo cheaper than ShipStation?
Shippo has a free plan for up to 30 labels a month, and its Pro plan costs $17 a month billed monthly. ShipStation has no free plan and starts at $14.99 a month for 50 shipments. Which is cheaper depends on your volume and the number of users.
Does Veeqo really cost nothing?
Veeqo's Shipping plan is free, and Veeqo says it earns a small commission on labels bought through it. Its Inventory plan, which adds stock tools, starts at $19 a month.
Should I build my own shipping software?
Most stores should buy a shipping tool. Custom software makes sense around shipping, for example to bring in orders from odd sources, apply unusual packing rules or connect stock and accounts.
Do I still pay the carrier separately with every shipping tool?
Yes. Every tool compared here, including the free ones, charges for the software only. You pay USPS, UPS, FedEx or DHL for the actual postage, usually at a discounted rate the software negotiates on your behalf.
Can I use more than one shipping tool at once?
Some stores do, for example a free tool like Pirate Ship for simple USPS and UPS labels, and a paid tool for marketplace orders or 3PL fulfillment. It adds a reconciliation step, so only worth it if one tool genuinely cannot cover part of your volume.
Roughly what does this cost?
As a broad reference, fixes and finishes start at around $1,500, and new builds start higher, always a fixed price agreed in writing before I start, never an hourly rate. My AI app cost guide explains what actually drives a quote up or down.
Is my project too small for this?
No. Most of the owners I work with have no tech team at all, that is the whole point. If the smarter move is a cheap software subscription instead of custom software, I will tell you that on the first call, even though it means I do not get paid.