ShipStation vs Easyship: Pricing, Fees and Which to Choose (2026)

ShipStation vs Easyship: both import your orders, compare carrier rates and print labels, but they are built for different sellers. ShipStation is a US-focused shipping workhorse with deep automation. Easyship is built around international shipping, with duties and taxes worked out for you. This guide compares their 2026 pricing, fees and features side by side, and lists the best alternatives if neither fits.

Quick Answer: Which One Should You Choose?

• You ship mostly inside the US and want automation: choose ShipStation.
• You ship a lot internationally, or sell from outside the US: choose Easyship.
• You ship under 50 orders a month: start with Easyship’s free plan or a free tool like Pirate Ship.
• You have a team or a warehouse: ShipStation’s Standard plan, with 10 users.

ShipStation Pricing and Fees (2026)

ShipStation has three plans. Each one is priced by how many shipments you send per month, so the same plan costs more as you grow.

Example prices at higher volumes on the Starter plan: $39.99 for 500 shipments, $79.99 for 1,000 and $174.99 for 5,000 a month. Paying yearly saves 20%.

ShipStation fees: ShipStation says it does not charge additional fees outside the subscription; you pay postage and insurance separately. Connecting your own carrier accounts carries no extra fee on current plans, though accounts registered before July 8, 2025 may be charged to connect carriers.

Easyship Pricing and Fees (2026)

Easyship also prices by monthly shipments, but its entry plan is free.

Paid plans come with a 14-day free trial. Easyship notes that plans and prices may differ by market, so check the plan page for your country before you sign up.

Easyship fees: you pay for postage plus any import duties and taxes you choose to collect or prepay. If you link your own courier accounts, check whether your plan adds a per-label fee.

ShipStation vs Easyship: Features Compared

On price alone, Easyship is cheaper at most volumes. ShipStation earns its price through automation: rules that pick the carrier, package and service for each order, which saves time when you ship hundreds of orders a week.

Which Is Better for International Shipping?

Easyship is designed around cross-border shipping. It shows buyers the landed cost, including import tax and duty, at checkout, and compares courier services by price and delivery time for each destination. That helps you avoid packages held at customs or refused because the buyer did not expect a duty bill.

ShipStation handles customs forms and international labels well, and suits US sellers who ship abroad occasionally. If international orders are a large share of your sales, Easyship usually needs less manual work.

Best ShipStation and Easyship Alternatives

• Pirate Ship: free to use, with discounted USPS and UPS labels and no subscription. Good for small US sellers.
• ShippingEasy: a free Starter plan for up to 25 shipments a month, and paid plans from $19.99 a month for 26–200 shipments. A simpler dashboard than ShipStation.
• Marketplace labels: eBay, Etsy and Amazon (for seller-fulfilled orders) all sell discounted labels inside the platform. That is fine if you sell on only one channel.

For a detailed look at the first two, see ShippingEasy vs ShipStation vs Pirate Ship.

How to Choose in 4 Steps

1. Count last month’s shipments and find your tier on both pricing pages.
2. Check your international share. If more than about one in five orders goes abroad, put Easyship first.
3. List your sales channels (Shopify, Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Whatnot) and confirm both tools connect to all of them.
4. Run both free trials with real orders for a week, and compare the time spent and the label costs.

Official sources: ShipStation pricing · Easyship plans (Shopify App Store) · Easyship · ShippingEasy pricing

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Easyship cheaper than ShipStation?

Usually, yes. Easyship has a free plan for 50 shipments a month and charges $29 a month for 500 shipments, while ShipStation starts at $14.99 for 50 shipments and $39.99 for 500 on its Starter plan. Postage is extra with both.

How much does ShipStation cost per month?

ShipStation starts at $14.99 a month for 50 shipments on the Starter plan. Standard starts at $29.99 and Premium at $349.99, and every plan costs more as your monthly shipment volume grows.

Does ShipStation charge per label?

No. ShipStation says it does not charge additional fees outside the subscription. You pay for postage and insurance separately.

Is Easyship good for international shipping?

Yes. Easyship compares 550+ courier services and can calculate import duties and taxes at checkout, which makes it a strong choice for cross-border sellers.

What is the best free alternative to ShipStation?

Pirate Ship is free to use for USPS and UPS labels, and ShippingEasy has a free plan for up to 25 shipments a month.

Can a virtual assistant manage ShipStation or Easyship?

Yes. A VA can import orders, check addresses, buy labels, upload tracking and handle shipping exceptions in either tool.

Conclusion

Choose ShipStation if you ship mostly within the US and want strong automation for a growing team. Choose Easyship if international orders are a big part of your business or you want a free plan to start. Check both pricing pages for your exact shipment volume, then test each with a week of real orders before you commit.