Shipping Label Maker Comparisons — ShippingLabel vs Alternatives
Not sure if ShippingLabel is right for you? See how we compare to popular shipping tools on pricing, features, and simplicity — plus an honest guide to when the other tool is the better choice for your volume and workflow.
ShippingLabel vs ShipStation
Full shipping platform ($9–228/mo) vs focused label maker ($0–19/mo). See when simplicity wins over complexity.
ShippingLabel vs Stamps.com
Multi-carrier label maker vs USPS-focused postage platform. Compare pricing, carrier support, and ease of use.
ShippingLabel vs Pirate Ship
We make labels, they sell postage. Learn how these complementary tools work together for the best shipping workflow.
Which Tool is Right for You? — The Decision Guide
The honest answer: it depends on your volume, your sales channels, and whether you need postage and order management in the same tool. Here's the quick guide.
| Your Situation | Best Choice |
|---|---|
| I ship 1–20 labels per week, no automation needed | ShippingLabel (free) + Pirate Ship (postage) |
| I run a Shopify store shipping 50–200 orders daily | ShipStation or Shippo |
| I sell on eBay and PayPal (no Shopify) — 10–50 shipments/week | ShippingLabel + eBay Labels in Seller Hub |
| I ship primarily USPS and want the cheapest rates | Pirate Ship (for postage) + ShippingLabel (for label format) |
| I ship internationally and need customs automation | DHL/Easyship for international + ShippingLabel for domestic |
| I run a warehouse with 1,000+ orders/month and inventory management | ShipHero, Ordoro, or ShipStation Enterprise |
Every Alternative, Compared
Tools with a comparison page of their own are linked below. The rest are compared in full further down this page — table, tradeoffs, and what each one actually costs.
Full comparison pages
Full shipping platforms
Order management, rate shopping and label printing in one subscription. They earn their monthly fee once order volume, not label formatting, is the bottleneck.
ShippingLabel vs ShippingEasy
| Feature | ShippingLabel | ShippingEasy |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | Free | $19.99/month |
| Account Required | No | Yes (with store integration) |
| Time to First Label | Under 1 minute | 30–60 minutes (integration setup) |
| Order Management | No (label generation only) | Yes — full multi-channel sync |
| Carrier Rate Shopping | No (use your own account) | Yes — USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL |
| Automation Rules | No | Yes — weight/SKU-based auto-selection |
Where ShippingEasy wins
- ✓Multi-channel order syncing from Shopify, eBay, Amazon, Etsy, WooCommerce and others
- ✓Automation rules: auto-select carrier/service based on weight, SKU, or destination
- ✓Discounted rates from USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL in one platform
- ✓Batch shipping with pick lists and packing slips generated automatically
Where ShippingEasy falls short
- —Starts at $19.99/month for the Starter plan — free tier is extremely limited
- —Requires store integration setup before printing a single label — 30–60 minute minimum onboarding
- —Per-label fees on some tiers make high-volume cost unpredictable
- —Overkill and expensive for businesses that just need to print occasional labels
When to pick ShippingEasy
ShippingEasy is the right choice when you're managing 50+ orders/month across multiple sales channels and need automation rules, pick lists, and integrated rate shopping to save time. The platform investment pays off when order management is the bottleneck.
When to pick ShippingLabel
ShippingLabel is better when you need fast, free label printing without platform overhead — for occasional shipments, off-platform sales, return labels, or as a standalone label tool alongside a separate order management system.
Does ShippingEasy offer a free plan?
Is ShippingEasy worth it for small sellers?
ShippingLabel vs EasyPost
| Feature | ShippingLabel | EasyPost |
|---|---|---|
| Target User | Sellers, small business, individuals | Software developers, engineering teams |
| Interface | Web app with visual editor | REST API + dashboards |
| Setup Time | 60 seconds | Days to weeks (dev work) |
| Pricing Model | Free / $9 / $19 flat | $0.01-0.05 per request + label cost |
| Carriers | USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL formats | 100+ via API |
| Programmatic Access | Not a developer tool | Full API with SDKs |
| Used By | Etsy/eBay sellers, small businesses | Shopify, NuORDER, and ecommerce platforms |
Where EasyPost wins
- ✓Developer-first API with comprehensive documentation
- ✓100+ carrier integrations with rate shopping and label generation
- ✓Webhook-based tracking updates at scale
- ✓Used by major ecommerce platforms as a shipping infrastructure layer
Where EasyPost falls short
- —Not usable without developer skills — requires API integration
- —Pricing based on labels + requests — can get expensive at scale
- —No consumer-facing app — you build the UI yourself
- —Onboarding takes days to weeks for engineering implementation
When to pick EasyPost
You're a developer or engineering team building a shipping feature into your own product. You want programmatic access, webhooks, and multi-carrier APIs. EasyPost is one of the best developer platforms for shipping.
When to pick ShippingLabel
You're an individual or small business who needs to ship packages — not build software. You want a working label in under a minute without learning to code. ShippingLabel is a tool, EasyPost is infrastructure.
Which is cheaper?
ShippingLabel vs Ordoro
| Feature | ShippingLabel | Ordoro |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | Free | $99/mo |
| Best For | Small sellers, individuals | Growing multi-channel brands |
| Inventory Management | Not built-in | Full with multi-warehouse |
| Dropshipping | Not a workflow we provide | Built-in routing |
| Barcode Scanning | No | Yes |
| Setup Time | 60 seconds | Hours to days |
| Monthly Cost at 100 labels | $0-9 | $99+ |
Where Ordoro wins
- ✓Deep inventory management with multi-warehouse support
- ✓Dropshipping workflows with automatic supplier order routing
- ✓Multi-channel order sync (Shopify, Amazon, eBay, etc.)
- ✓Barcode scanning and pick/pack workflows
Where Ordoro falls short
- —Starts at $99/month — not a free option
- —Requires an account plus marketplace connections before you can ship
- —Complex feature set with steeper learning curve
- —Overkill for sellers shipping <100 orders/month
When to pick Ordoro
You're scaling a multi-channel ecommerce brand with inventory complexity (multiple SKUs across multiple warehouses), dropshipping workflows, or 500+ orders/month. Ordoro's inventory management is genuinely valuable at that scale.
When to pick ShippingLabel
You ship fewer than 500 orders/month, don't need multi-warehouse inventory, and want to focus on just shipping labels without operations infrastructure. ShippingLabel + your own sales channel tracking is simpler and dramatically cheaper.
Is Ordoro worth $99/month?
3PL / outsourced fulfillment
These do not sell you a label — they take your inventory and ship it for you. The comparison is really in-house fulfillment versus outsourcing, and it turns on order volume.
ShippingLabel vs ShipBob
| Feature | ShippingLabel | ShipBob |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Generates label documents | Warehouses, picks, packs, ships |
| Starting Cost | Free | $9+ per order (fulfillment fees) + storage |
| Minimum Volume | None | Typically 400+ orders/month for good economics |
| Packaging Control | Full (you pack) | Limited (ShipBob packs per your spec) |
| Setup Time | Under 1 minute | Weeks (inventory transfer + integration) |
| Ideal For | In-house fulfillment at any scale | Outsourced fulfillment at scale |
Where ShipBob wins
- ✓Outsourced fulfillment — ShipBob handles warehouse, picking, packing, and shipping
- ✓Multiple warehouse locations for distributed inventory and faster delivery times
- ✓Native integrations with Shopify, WooCommerce, Amazon FBA Prep, and others
- ✓Demand forecasting tools and inventory management dashboard
Where ShipBob falls short
- —Expensive: fulfillment fees, storage fees, and receiving fees stack up quickly
- —Minimum order volumes (typically 400+ orders/month) before ShipBob's per-unit economics make sense
- —Less control over packaging, inserts, and unboxing experience
- —Account setup, inventory transfer, and integration take weeks — not a quick start
When to pick ShipBob
ShipBob makes sense when your order volume exceeds your ability to fulfill in-house (typically 200+ orders/day) and you want to eliminate fulfillment infrastructure from your operations. It's also worth evaluating when distributed inventory would meaningfully reduce your average shipping time and cost.
When to pick ShippingLabel
ShippingLabel is right when you're fulfilling orders in-house at any volume — from 5 orders/month to 5,000 — and need a clean, fast label tool without the cost and commitment of a 3PL. It's also the tool for one-off shipments, returns, and anything ShipBob doesn't handle.
How much does ShipBob actually cost?
At what order volume does ShipBob start to make financial sense?
ShippingLabel vs ShipMonk
| Feature | ShippingLabel | ShipMonk |
|---|---|---|
| Service Type | Label generation tool | 3PL — warehouse, pick, pack, ship |
| Starting Cost | Free | $250–500+ setup + per-order fees |
| Minimum Orders | None | Typically 200+ orders/month |
| Kitting / Subscription | No (label only) | Yes — core capability |
| Packaging Control | Full (you pack) | Limited (ShipMonk spec) |
| Best For | In-house at any volume | DTC brands scaling past in-house capacity |
Where ShipMonk wins
- ✓Purpose-built for DTC brands — Shopify, WooCommerce, Amazon native integrations
- ✓Fulfillment centers in US, UK, and Canada for faster domestic and international delivery
- ✓Kitting and subscription box fulfillment as a core capability
- ✓Discounted carrier rates negotiated through high-volume shipping
Where ShipMonk falls short
- —Fulfillment + storage + receiving fees add up quickly — per-order cost is $8–15 for most brands
- —Minimum order volumes required — not practical under 200 orders/month
- —Less control over packaging, inserts, and brand presentation than in-house fulfillment
- —Integrations can have latency — orders may not flow to ShipMonk instantly
When to pick ShipMonk
ShipMonk is worth evaluating when you're shipping 500+ orders/month and in-house fulfillment is consuming significant staff time or you've outgrown your warehouse space. The per-order economics improve with scale and they specialize in DTC subscription and kitting.
When to pick ShippingLabel
ShippingLabel is the right tool for any in-house fulfillment operation, from small sellers to brands processing hundreds of orders per day with their own warehouse. If you're not ready or willing to outsource, ShippingLabel provides the label capability without 3PL overhead.
How much does ShipMonk cost per order?
Does ShipMonk support subscription box fulfillment?
At what volume does outsourcing to ShipMonk make financial sense?
ShippingLabel vs Shipwire
| Feature | ShippingLabel | Shipwire |
|---|---|---|
| Service Type | Label generation tool | Global 3PL / fulfillment network |
| Starting Cost | Free | Enterprise pricing (not publicly listed) |
| Geographic Coverage | Worldwide (you ship from your location) | Warehouses in 6+ countries |
| Setup Time | Instant | Weeks to months |
| Inventory Control | Full (you hold inventory) | Outsourced to Shipwire warehouses |
| Best For | Self-fulfilled at any scale | Enterprise multi-region fulfillment |
Where Shipwire wins
- ✓Global warehouse network: US, Canada, UK, EU, Australia, Asia — inventory near international customers
- ✓Multi-currency and multi-carrier support for true global fulfillment
- ✓Enterprise integrations with ERP, marketplace, and WMS systems
- ✓Automated inventory allocation across warehouses for demand matching
Where Shipwire falls short
- —Enterprise-focused pricing — not practical for small or mid-size sellers
- —Complex onboarding: inventory transfer, integration setup, and SLA negotiation
- —Less suitable for handmade, custom, or highly variable product lines
- —Customer support and responsiveness varies — common in large 3PLs
When to pick Shipwire
Shipwire is worth evaluating when you're shipping internationally at significant volume (10,000+ orders/month globally) and the per-shipment cost savings from regionally distributed inventory outweigh the 3PL fees and operational complexity.
When to pick ShippingLabel
ShippingLabel is the right tool for any in-house fulfillment operation that needs clean label generation without 3PL infrastructure — from a solo Etsy seller to a brand doing 1,000 orders/month from their own warehouse.
Is Shipwire good for small businesses?
What happened to Shipwire?
ShippingLabel vs Deliverr (Shopify Logistics, now Flexport)
| Feature | ShippingLabel | Deliverr (Shopify Logistics, now Flexport) |
|---|---|---|
| Service Type | Label generation tool | 3PL / fulfillment network (Shopify Logistics, sold to Flexport in 2023) |
| Platform Dependency | Platform-agnostic | Designed for Shopify merchants |
| Starting Cost | Free | Fulfillment + storage + receiving fees (no public pricing) |
| 2-Day Delivery Badge | No | Yes (for qualifying Shopify stores) |
| Minimum Volume | None | 300+ orders/month target |
| Best For | In-house fulfillment, any platform | Shopify merchants scaling past in-house capacity |
Where Deliverr (Shopify Logistics, now Flexport) wins
- ✓Native Shopify integration — orders flow directly to fulfillment with no manual intervention
- ✓Distributed US warehouse network for fast 1–2 day delivery to most US addresses
- ✓Shopify 2-day delivery badge that increases conversion rate in Shopify stores
- ✓Inventory intelligence that recommends optimal distribution across warehouses
Where Deliverr (Shopify Logistics, now Flexport) falls short
- —Only meaningful if you sell on Shopify — limited value for multi-platform or non-Shopify sellers
- —Fulfillment fees, storage fees, and receiving fees add significant per-order cost
- —Less flexible than independent 3PLs — locked into Shopify ecosystem
- —Not suitable for low-volume merchants (SFN targets 300+ orders/month)
When to pick Deliverr (Shopify Logistics, now Flexport)
Shopify Logistics / SFN makes sense for Shopify-native merchants shipping 300+ orders/month who want to outsource fulfillment and leverage the 2-day delivery conversion advantage. The platform lock-in is acceptable if Shopify is your primary or only sales channel.
When to pick ShippingLabel
ShippingLabel is better for any merchant fulfilling in-house, selling across multiple platforms, or who values packaging control over the 2-day delivery badge. It's also the right tool for Shopify merchants below SFN's minimum volume thresholds.
What happened to Deliverr?
How much does Shopify Fulfillment Network cost?
UK and EU platforms and carriers
Booking platforms and carrier aggregators built around European networks, VAT rules and local returns — the things a US-first label tool does not cover.
ShippingLabel vs ParcelHero
| Feature | ShippingLabel | ParcelHero |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Market | US | UK and international from UK |
| Pricing Model | Free + flat monthly subscription | Per-shipment fees (varies by carrier/service) |
| Carrier Booking | No — label generation only | Yes — books shipments with carriers |
| UK Carrier Coverage | Limited (US carriers primarily) | DHL, UPS, FedEx, DPD, Evri, TNT, and more |
| Account Required | No for basic use | Account recommended; single-shipment booking available |
| Best For | US businesses, high-volume label printing | UK businesses, international from UK, occasional shippers |
Where ParcelHero wins
- ✓Strong UK carrier network: DHL, UPS, FedEx, DPD, Evri, TNT, and more
- ✓International rate comparison from UK to 200+ countries
- ✓No account required for individual shipments — book and pay per shipment
- ✓Pickup scheduling and drop-off location options for UK senders
Where ParcelHero falls short
- —Primarily a booking platform — less suited for high-volume in-house label printing
- —Per-shipment pricing is cost-effective for occasional shippers but not for high-volume businesses
- —Limited automation and integration for ecommerce store order management
- —Service primarily UK-centric — less useful for US-based businesses
When to pick ParcelHero
ParcelHero is the right choice for UK-based businesses or individuals who want to compare rates across UK and international carriers and book shipments in one place without individual carrier accounts.
When to pick ShippingLabel
ShippingLabel is better for US-based businesses, for high-volume shippers where per-shipment fees compound, or for businesses that already have carrier accounts and just need a fast label generation tool.
What's the cheapest way to ship from UK to USA?
ShippingLabel vs Sendcloud
| Feature | ShippingLabel | Sendcloud |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Market | United States | European Union + UK |
| Starting Price | Free | €29/mo |
| Best US Carrier Support | Full (USPS/UPS/FedEx/DHL) | Limited |
| European Carriers | Basic DHL only | 80+ EU carriers |
| Returns Network | Basic return label maker | Built-in European returns drop-off network |
| VAT/IOSS Compliance | Basic (via USPS/UPS/FedEx) | Full automation |
| Setup Time | 60 seconds | 1-3 hours |
Where Sendcloud wins
- ✓80+ European carriers with pre-negotiated rates (DHL, DPD, Hermes, PostNL, La Poste, etc.)
- ✓Localized checkout with country-specific carrier options
- ✓Built-in returns network for European buyers
- ✓VAT & IOSS compliance automation for EU sellers
Where Sendcloud falls short
- —US carrier coverage is limited — USPS, UPS, FedEx support varies
- —Pricing starts at €29/month
- —Optimized for European market — less advantage for US-domestic sellers
- —Setup time requires connecting shop + carriers
When to pick Sendcloud
You're selling primarily to European customers and need localized carrier options, VAT/IOSS compliance, and built-in returns network. Sendcloud is the top European shipping platform for ecommerce — well worth €29+/mo for serious EU-focused sellers.
When to pick ShippingLabel
You're US-based, ship primarily domestic or occasional international, and want a fast label maker without monthly subscription. For US-centric operations, ShippingLabel is native to our carrier network and dramatically cheaper.
Which handles customs better?
Why Sellers Choose ShippingLabel
Start Free
Unlimited letter-size labels — no account, no credit card, no postage commitment.
All Carriers
UPS, USPS, FedEx, and DHL label templates — not just USPS like many competitors.
Instant Use
No setup, no carrier API connections, no marketplace integrations. Just type and print.
$19/mo Max
Unlimited labels on Pro. No per-label fees, no hidden charges, no postage markups.
ShippingLabel is not trying to replace ShipStation or Shippo for high-volume sellers. We're the fastest path to a clean, formatted shipping label — free, with no setup. For sellers who need postage built in, pair ShippingLabel with Pirate Ship (USPS/UPS discounts, no monthly fee) for a complete zero-cost shipping workflow.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes ShippingLabel different from ShipStation or Shippo?
ShipStation and Shippo are full shipping platforms — they handle order syncing, carrier rate shopping, postage purchase, and tracking in one place. ShippingLabel is a focused label maker: we create properly formatted, print-ready labels without requiring carrier accounts, marketplace integrations, or monthly subscriptions. Use ShipStation or Shippo when you need automated multi-channel order management. Use ShippingLabel when you need a fast, free label without platform setup.
Does ShippingLabel include postage?
No — ShippingLabel creates the formatted label document (PDF). You purchase postage separately through USPS.com, UPS.com, Pirate Ship, or your carrier of choice. This is actually similar to how PayPal's old shipping tool worked, and it gives you flexibility to use whichever postage source has the best rate. Pirate Ship offers USPS Commercial Plus discounts (20–89% off retail) with no monthly fee — pairing it with ShippingLabel covers both label formatting and cheap postage.
Is Pirate Ship better than ShippingLabel?
They do different things. Pirate Ship sells discounted USPS and UPS postage — it's a postage purchase platform, not primarily a label format tool. ShippingLabel creates formatted label documents for all major carriers. Many sellers use both: Pirate Ship for the discounted postage rate, ShippingLabel for quick one-off labels or label formatting outside Pirate Ship's workflow. If you ship primarily USPS and want everything in one step, Pirate Ship covers it. For multi-carrier formatting flexibility, ShippingLabel fills the gap.
When does paying for ShipStation or Stamps.com make sense?
ShipStation ($9–$228/mo) makes sense when you're shipping 50+ orders daily across multiple sales channels (Shopify, Amazon, eBay, Etsy) and need automatic order import, carrier rate comparison, and tracking synced back to the marketplace. Stamps.com ($19.99/mo minimum) makes sense for high-volume USPS-only shippers who want Commercial Plus postage and address verification built in. For sellers shipping under 50 orders per week on a single channel, free tools like ShippingLabel and Pirate Ship cover the same bases at zero monthly cost.
Does ShippingLabel work alongside my existing shipping platform?
Yes — ShippingLabel is additive, not exclusive. Many sellers use ShipStation or Shippo for their primary order queue and turn to ShippingLabel for quick one-off labels, return labels, or labels outside their automated workflow. Since we don't require any carrier or marketplace connection, using ShippingLabel alongside another platform adds zero setup overhead.