The Best Shipping Software for Small Business

Business owners wear many hats, from managing customers to handling admin tasks. Every minute counts, especially for those working around the clock. Finding efficient, simple solutions is key to staying ahead. The right shipping software transforms how small businesses work. It should be flexible, efficient, and simple. This article explores the top shipping software options available and shows you how they help businesses save time and minimize shipping costs.

Why shipping software is essential for small businesses

For small businesses, every decision impacts your bottom line and how smoothly things run. Shipping is often complex and time-consuming. The right software streamlines it and helps grow your business. These platforms offer a range of benefits that go beyond just printing labels:

• Time Savings: Automating tasks like label creation, rate comparison, and tracking frees up valuable time for business owners to focus on growth and customer engagement.
• Cost Reduction: Save money on postage and operations. Get discounted rates, smart advisors, and better package management.
• Flexibility: Manage shipping from anywhere, at any time.  This adaptability works whether you’re in a home office or on the go.
• Improved Customer Experience: Shipping is faster and more reliable. Clear tracking also helps. This leads to happier customers and more repeat business.
• Simplified Operations: All shipping tasks are in one platform. This makes things less complex. It also reduces the learning curve for managing many carriers and processes.

Top 5 shipping solutions for small businesses

Choosing the right shipping software depends on a business’s specific needs, volume, and budget. Here are five leading solutions that cater to small businesses, each offering a unique set of features and benefits.

Stamps.com

Stamps.com is a long-standing and trusted name in shipping, particularly for businesses heavily relying on USPS services. It’s designed to simplify the entire mailing and shipping process, making it accessible and efficient for small business owners.

Key Features:

• Print Anything On Demand: Print stamps, shipping labels, Certified Mail® forms, and international forms directly from your computer.
• Multi-Carrier Access: While historically strong with USPS, Stamps.com also provides access to UPS®, DHL, GlobalPost and other major carriers, allowing for rate comparisons and diverse shipping options.
• Discounted Rates: Save up to 87% on postage with access to deeply discounted rates.
• Rate Advisor: The platform automatically finds the cheapest or fastest shipping option. This means no more guesswork.
• All-in-One Platform: Manage everything from one place. Print postage, track shipments, schedule pickups, and monitor spending.
• No Learning Curve: An intuitive interface ensures you can start using the service immediately with just a laptop and a printer.
• Comprehensive Support: 24/7 support is available via phone, email, or chat.

Why it stands out: Stamps.com is ideal for businesses seeking a straightforward, reliable solution with significant cost savings on postage, especially for those with a high volume of USPS shipments. Its focus on simplicity and efficiency makes it a strong choice for busy entrepreneurs.

What customers typically say: Customers frequently praise Stamps.com for its incredible convenience, highlighting how easy it is to print postage and labels from home or the office. Many appreciate the significant savings on postage rates, often mentioning how these discounts directly impact their bottom line. The platform is reliable and easy to use. Customers say these benefits make shipping less of a chore.

ShipStation

ShipStation is a strong, web-based shipping solution. It’s made for ecommerce businesses of all sizes. It integrates with a vast array of selling channels and carriers, making it a powerful tool for managing orders and shipments across multiple platforms.

Key Features:

• Extensive Integrations: It connects with over 40 ecommerce platforms. These include Shopify, BigCommerce, Amazon, and eBay.
• Multi-Carrier Support: It works with many carriers. These include UPS, USPS, FedEx, and DHL. It also supports many international options. This lets you compare rates and choose the best one.
• Automation Rules: You can create custom rules to automate tasks. These include setting shipping preferences, assigning carriers, and updating order statuses.
• Batch Label Creation: Print hundreds of shipping labels at once, significantly speeding up the fulfillment process.
• Branded Tracking Pages: Enhance the post-purchase experience with customizable tracking pages that reflect your brand.
• Inventory Management: It’s mainly a shipping tool. But it also helps manage inventory across different sales channels.
• API Integration: API for enterprise businesses, platforms, and 3PLs that need to build a custom shipping process.
• Free Plan Available: ShipStation offers a free plan for users who print up to 10 labels per month.

Why it stands out: ShipStation is great for ecommerce businesses. It works well if you have many sales channels. It also offers advanced automation and multi-carrier options. Its many features help businesses scale their shipping efficiently.

What customers typically say: Users often praise ShipStation’s strong automation. It greatly reduces manual work and saves time. The wide range of integrations with various ecommerce platforms and carriers is also a huge plus, making it a central hub for many online businesses. Customers often highlight how managing all shipping from one platform, coupled with batch label creation, streamlines operations and supports business growth.

Pirate Ship

Pirate Ship is a niche solution offering discounted USPS and UPS labels to consumers and micro-businesses with little volume who need basic shipping tools. It’s known for its ease of use and ability to provide competitive shipping rates without monthly fees.

Key Features:

• Free to Use: Pirate Ship is completely free to use; you only pay for the postage. There are no monthly fees, but some users report chargebacks, so make sure you properly weigh and measure your package to avoid additional costs post-shipment markups, or hidden costs.
• Discounted Rates: Access to discounted UPS and USPS rates.
• Simple Interface: A clean and intuitive interface makes it easy to buy and print shipping labels quickly.
• Thermal Label Support: Supports printing 4×6 thermal labels for efficient label creation.

Why it stands out: Pirate Ship is a good option for very small businesses and individuals who primarily ship with UPS or USPS and want to save money. Its straightforward approach and discounted rates make it a highly attractive choice for sellers who are just getting started.

What customers typically say: Users consistently rave about Pirate Ship being completely free and the significant savings they get on UPS and USPS rates. Many appreciate the simple, no-frills interface that makes printing labels quick and easy. However, some customers wish for more advanced features or integrations with a wider range of ecommerce platforms, and a few note that its focus on UPS and USPS might be limiting for those who use other carriers frequently.

Shippo

Shippo is a multi-carrier shipping software. It simplifies order fulfillment. It does this by integrating directly with online stores and marketplaces. It’s known for its ease of use and ability to provide discounted shipping rates.

Key Features:

• Multi-Channel Syncing: It connects with many ecommerce platforms. These include WooCommerce and Magento. It also syncs with marketplaces like Mercari and Depop.
• Discounted Rates: Offers discounted rates from a wide range of carriers, allowing businesses to find the most cost-effective shipping options.
• Bulk Printing: Users can print up to 100 labels simultaneously.
• Pickups: Allows scheduling pickups directly from carriers like DHL Express and USPS.
• API Integration: Provides an API for businesses that need custom integrations and more control over their shipping processes.
• Free Plan Available: Shippo offers a free plan, which can be beneficial for small merchants just starting out.

Why it stands out: Shippo is easy for beginners. It has a clean interface and smooth integrations. This makes it a good option for small ecommerce businesses and individuals. They can automate shipping simply while still getting discounted rates.

What customers typically say: Customers often praise Shippo’s intuitive interface and the ease with which they can integrate it with their existing ecommerce platforms. The ability to compare discounted rates from multiple carriers is a highly valued feature, helping them save money on shipping. On the other hand, some users report occasional issues with label generation or tracking updates not being entirely real-time. A few also wish for more advanced automation rules to handle complex shipping scenarios.

Easyship

Easyship is a solid shipping platform that specializes in international shipping. It offers many global shipping partners and tools. These help manage cross-border logistics. It simplifies complex international shipping.

Key Features:

• 250+ Global Shipping Partners: Supports an extensive network of carriers worldwide, providing numerous shipping solutions.
• Tax and Duty Calculation: It automatically calculates landed costs, import duties, and taxes. This makes international shipping clearer.
• Real-Time Rates: It shows live rates at checkout. This includes estimated duties and taxes for international orders.
• Multi-Courier Support: Integrates with multiple couriers, allowing businesses to compare and choose the best option for each shipment.
• Branded Tracking: It offers branded tracking pages. This provides a consistent customer experience.
• Integration with Ecommerce Platforms: It connects with popular ecommerce platforms. It also integrates with marketplaces and crowdfunding platforms.
• Free Plan: Provides a free subscription for up to 50 monthly shipments, where users only pay for postage and insurance.

Why it stands out: Easyship is particularly strong for businesses with international shipping needs, offering comprehensive tools to manage customs, duties, and a vast network of global carriers. It shows estimated costs upfront. This is a big plus for businesses and their international customers.

What customers typically say: Users love Easyship’s international shipping features. They especially value the automatic tax and duty calculations. This simplifies cross-border shipping. The wide network of global shipping partners and the ability to display real-time rates at checkout are also highly appreciated. However, some customers note that the sheer number of options can sometimes feel overwhelming for new users, and a few experience occasional delays in customer service response times.

Choosing the right shipping software

When choosing shipping software, consider these factors:

• Mailing and Shipping Needs: Does your business send mail and packages?
• Shipping Volume: Your monthly shipment volume will influence pricing plans and the scalability of the software.
• Carrier Preferences: Determine which carriers you use most frequently and ensure the software offers strong integrations and discounted rates with them.
• Ecommerce Platform Integration: It should integrate smoothly with your current ecommerce platform (like Shopify or WooCommerce).
• International Shipping Needs: If you ship globally, look for features like duty and tax calculation, customs documentation, and a wide range of international carriers.
• Automation Capabilities: Look at the automation rules. They can streamline repetitive tasks and save time.
• Budget: Compare pricing plans, including any free tiers or trials, to find a solution that fits your financial constraints. Keep in mind that free plans and solutions often restrict cost and time saving features that are important to growing businesses.
• Customer Support: Reliable customer support can be invaluable when you encounter issues or have questions.

By carefully reviewing these factors, you can choose the best shipping software to address your unique business needs while delivering a great customer experience.

Try Stamps.com today

Hundreds of thousands of small businesses have already discovered the benefits of using Stamps.com to simplify their mailing and shipping needs.