Best Shopify Shipping Apps: Automate The Mundane & Boost Your Sales
While the overall user experience and persona of your online store might be two of the most important pieces of operating a successful business, there are many other facets of this that are equally crucial. One of them is the shipping process. This is an aspect of your business that will either make or break sales.
From a customer’s perspective, if shipping rates are too high or the delivery time is too long, there’s usually nothing that can be done to coax site visitors into pulling the trigger – nine times out of ten, the cart will be abandoned.
Fortunately, there are many apps to help with this particular issue made specifically for Shopify stores. But with so many shipping apps to choose from, each offering different benefits, which one is right for you?
I’ve taken the liberty of pulling together 5 of the best shipping apps for Shopify, as well as a few add-on shipping apps that can help supplement your existing fulfillment processes. I’ll be sharing what makes them so great, what the different features are, and of course, the costs.
- What Is A Shopify Shipping App?
- The Best Shopify Shipping Apps
- Supplemental Shopify Shipping Apps
- FAQ
- Final Thoughts
Let’s do this thing.
What Is A Shopify Shipping App?
In the simplest terms, a Shopify shipping app’s core function is to help optimize and facilitate the shipping process so you can focus on the other million and a half things it takes to run your business.
A shipping app is a tool that helps you manage and automate your shipping process for your online store. These apps typically allow you to print shipping labels, track shipments, and integrate with carriers such as USPS, UPS, and FedEx. Some shipping apps also offer features such as order management, customer communication tools, and shipping rate discounts.
Shopify shipping apps can be useful for businesses that ship a high volume of orders, as they can help to streamline the shipping process and save time and money. They can also be helpful for businesses that sell products of varying sizes and weights, as they can help to accurately calculate shipping rates and print the appropriate labels.
I’m sure you didn’t get into eCommerce to spend the majority of your time figuring shipping costs, calculating estimated delivery times, and dealing with return label requests. Otherwise, you would’ve gotten a job in a warehouse or freight depot, am I right?
Recommended: The Complete PayPal Shipping Guide: What Merchants Need to Know
Doesn’t Shopify Offer Shipping Services Itself?
Shopify does offer shipping services with Shipstation built in and appropriately dubbed “Shopify Shipping,” and does give some fairly deep discounts through the carriers they’re partnered with. While that in itself would grab most people’s attention. There are some definite downsides to using Shopify Shipping:
- Limited carrier options: Shopify shipping integrates with a limited number of carriers, which may not be suitable for all businesses. For example, if you need to ship internationally or use a specialized carrier such as DHL or UPS, you may need to use a third-party shipping app to access these carriers.
- Additional fees: Some Shopify shipping apps charge a monthly fee or a percentage of your shipping costs. These fees can add up, especially if you have a high volume of orders.
- Insufficient features: While Shopify shipping apps can be useful for basic shipping needs, they may not offer all of the features that more advanced shipping apps provide, such as batch label printing, shipping rate rules, and real-time carrier rates.
- Lack of customization: Shopify shipping apps may not offer as much customization as other shipping apps, such as the ability to create custom shipping rates or add insurance to specific products.
- Scarcity of integration with other systems: Shopify shipping apps may not integrate with other systems, such as your accounting software or inventory management system, as seamlessly as other shipping apps.
Also, it may feel more “convenient” to use a Shopify feature in terms of installation, and the ability to manage shipping from the same platform as everything else, but there isn’t a ton of automation here, and that’s the whole point, isn’t it?
I could definitely see myself using Shopify Shipping (the built-in system) if my order volume was on the lower side. But, if you’re looking to make eCommerce your career, I’m betting your vision is larger than just selling a few things here and there. Not long ago, there were shipping solutions galore, most of which would waive most of the associated fees depending on the overall volume of the order. But alas, those days are long gone.
Recommended: PayPal Multi-Order Shipping Has Been Discontinued
The Best Shopify Shipping Apps
The shipping apps I’m about to share with you can be found on Shopify’s App Store, so you can rest easy that they’ve proven themselves enough to be backed by Shopify. Here are some popular options that you’re going to want to consider:
1. Easyship
EasyShip allows you to manage and automate your shipping process. With EasyShip, you can print shipping labels and track shipments, as well as compare rates from different carriers and choose the best option for your business. It integrates with a variety of carriers, including USPS, UPS, and FedEx, and offers discounted rates for popular carriers.
The app also includes features such as batch label printing, shipping rate rules, and the ability to create custom rates. It has a user-friendly interface and offers integrations with other systems, such as accounting software and inventory management systems. Additionally, as of right now, this is the best Shopify app for international shipping.
Another great option if your end goal is to have the ability to step away from the keyboards, screens, and label printers every now and then. As shown above, EasyShip gets a highly respectable 4.1-star rating out of 379 reviews.
This app offers a variety of plans. The Basic plan is free and includes basic shipping and order management features, while the Plus and Pro plans offer additional features and are priced on a monthly or annual basis.
2. ShippingEasy
ShippingEasy allows you to automate and streamline your shipping process. With ShippingEasy, you can print shipping labels and track shipments, as well as manage orders and communicate with customers. It integrates with a variety of carriers, including USPS, UPS, and FedEx, and even offers discounted rates for popular carriers.
It also includes features such as batch label printing, shipping rate rules, and the ability to create custom rates. It has a user-friendly interface and offers integrations with other systems, such as accounting software and inventory management systems. Great, right? – One less thing.
As you can see, Shipping Easy pulls in a 4.6-star rating from 600 reviews. That’s a solid trust signal if I’ve ever seen one! The negative reviews I read mostly have to do with some confusion surrounding the free trial period, I guess my advice is to make sure you actually read the terms and conditions before installing any app.
ShippingEasy offers a variety of plans. Aside from the free 30-day trial period, the Basic plan is also free and includes basic shipping and order management features, while the Plus and Pro plans offer additional features and are priced on a monthly or annual basis.
3. Shippo
Shippo helps you manage and automate your shipping process. Plain and simple. With Shippo, you can print shipping labels and track shipments, as well as compare rates from different carriers and choose the best option for your business. It integrates with a variety of carriers, including USPS, UPS, and FedEx, and even offers discounted rates for popular carriers.
Shippo also includes batch label printing, shipping rate rules, and the ability to create custom rates. It has an easy-to-use interface and offers integrations with other systems, such as accounting software and inventory management systems.
Shippo is very well-liked and gets a solid 3.9 stars out of over 500 reviews. The only negative comments seem to be stemming from some sort of issue when integrating with Amazon. Couldn’t find many Shopify merchants with those same issues. Their customer service seems to be very responsive and knowledgeable so if you run into a snag, they’ll hop right on it.
In terms of pricing, Shippo offers a variety of plans to fit the needs of most businesses. The Basic plan is free and includes basic shipping and order management features, while the Pro and Enterprise plans offer additional features and are priced on a monthly or annual basis.
4. Shipway
Shipway’s mission is to help you streamline your order processing and shipping operations. It provides a robust range of features to help manage your orders more efficiently, including the ability to create and print shipping labels, track orders, and automate most shipping tasks.
Shipway includes:
- Order tracking: Provides real-time tracking information for orders, including the current status of the order and estimated delivery time.
- Shipping label creation: Create and print shipping labels directly from the app, eliminating the need to manually create labels.
- Automation tools: Includes a range of automation tools that help you beat your shipping operations into submission, including the ability to automatically print labels and update order statuses based on specific triggers.
- Support for multiple carriers: Shipway supports a variety of carriers, including USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL.
- Order management: Provides an overview of all orders, including information on the shipping method, tracking number, and shipping address.
Shipway is more than just a useful tool, this is actual customized automation for your order processing and shipping operations. It saves time and reduces the risk of errors, while also providing real-time tracking information and so much more.
Shipway is a monster, make sure you strongly consider using these guys. I don’t think you’ll regret it.
5. Packlink PRO
Packlink PRO lets you compare shipping rates from different carriers and find the best option. It integrates with a variety of carriers, including USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL, and provides real-time rates for shipping to and from a plethora of locations.
Packlink PRO includes:
- Rate comparison: Compare shipping rates from different carriers, so you can find the most cost-effective option for your needs.
- Real-time rates: Packlink PRO provides real-time rates, ensuring you’ll have the most up-to-date information when making shipping decisions.
- Multiple carrier support: Supports a variety of carriers, including USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL, as well as third-party logistics providers (3PLs) like Shipstation and Shipwire.
- Customization options: Customize the shipping options that are displayed to your customers, including the name of the shipping method, the delivery cost estimate, and handling time.
This is a great option to consider for the most cost effective shipping options for your needs. Help streamline your shipping process and reduce shipping costs, while also providing real-time rates and lots of other useful features.
Supplemental Shopify Shipping Apps
The following apps are worth an honorable mention, at a minimum. If you’re happy with the way your current shipping app or process is working, there are always certain aspects that seem to be missing. These apps can help fill some of those voids. Because let’s face facts here – there is no such thing as a single shipping app that can handle every need your business has. Most situations will require a combination of several apps to fulfill both the needs of your business, as well as keeping your customers happy.
Zapiet – Pickup + Delivery
Take your sales to the next level with Zapiet – the ultimate app for scheduling delivery, pickup, and shipping! With Zapiet, you can enhance the shopping experience for your customers by simplifying the order process. Our user-friendly and customizable app offers an easy way to manage all types of orders, so you can focus on growing your business.
Zapiet enables you to effortlessly schedule pickups, deliveries, and shipments, giving your customers the convenience they desire. Our unified dashboard allows you to manage all scheduled orders with ease, while also providing the flexibility to set delivery zones, rates, and order limits.
With Zapiet, exporting orders to CSV, Google Calendar, Zapier, and Klaviyo is a breeze, making it easier to stay organized and streamline your operations. And with our innovative production report feature, you can take control of your inventory and optimize your production process.
Zapiet – Rates by Distance
Looking to offer fair delivery and shipping rates to your customers? Zapiet – Rates by Distance has got you covered! Our comprehensive and flexible app allows you to easily calculate the right price for deliveries based on the distance from your physical stores.
With Zapiet – Rates by Distance, you can use either line of sight or driving distance to accurately calculate delivery rates. Set base fees, per kilometer/mile fees, and maximum distance to ensure that your pricing aligns with your business goals.
Our app also supports multiple languages and currencies, with translatable rate names, giving you the ability to cater to a diverse customer base.
Don’t hesitate to start your 30-day free trial and take the first step towards providing fair and accurate delivery and shipping rates to your customers!
Pickup Delivery Date – Pickeasy
The Pickup Delivery Date – Pickeasy app is perfect for businesses such as restaurants, grocery stores, florists, and bakeries that offer local pickup, click-and-collect, and delivery options. With this app, businesses can easily set up custom pickup and delivery schedules, as well as manage multiple locations.
The app allows for different setups for local delivery, pickup, and shipping, and you can limit the number of orders per time slot to avoid overcrowding. Setup preparation and cut-off times, as well as blackout dates for holidays such as Christmas and store holidays, can be easily scheduled, while custom delivery rates can be set based on zip code, postal code, product, weight, cart value, and time slot.
Product-based setups, including preparation time, fulfillment type, availability, and blackout dates, can also be established to ensure that orders are fulfilled correctly. You can also set up delivery days by zip/postal code and manage translations for different languages.
Pickup Delivery Date – Pickeasy offers a range of features to help businesses manage their pickup and delivery options more efficiently while increasing profits and avoiding losses.
Tarificador
Tarificador provides an efficient and straightforward way to manage shipping rates for e-commerce businesses. With this app, businesses can easily manage multiple shipping rates from different couriers, without relying on third-party providers.
The app allows for bulk uploads of shipping rates, saving businesses valuable time. Additionally, shipping costs can be shown prior to checkout, giving customers a clear understanding of the total cost and reducing the likelihood of abandoned carts.
Tarificador can also calculate shipping rates based on weight and dimensions, ensuring accuracy in the pricing of shipping. The app is compatible with every country and has gained popularity among nearly a thousand stores!
FAQ
What is the best shipping service for Shopify?
That’s a loaded question, with many variables to consider. Let’s say you ship mainly lightweight products, USPS may be the ticket. If you need things delivered more quickly, UPS is the preferred choice, and if you’re shipping internationally, then DHL is the best.
How do I get the best shipping rates on Shopify?
It’s all about doing your homework, for starters, shipping apps for Shopify oftentimes will offer some form of carrier discount. The size and weight of packages need to be considered, along with equipment costs such as label printers, or packing materials. Find the best fit for your business.
Final Thoughts
As with any app, it’s important to carefully review the features and pricing of each app to determine which one is the best fit for your business. Many Shopify apps offer free trials, so you can test them out before committing to a subscription. As I said earlier, don’t just click past the terms and conditions when downloading any app. Seriously dude – just read them.
You may not agree with some of their terms, or they might not fall in line with your business plan. If that’s the case, no harm – no foul, just choose a different shipping app that will fit your situation better. Let’s not get caught in something gross and sticky, eh?
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Chad is a Freelance Copywriter & the Founder of Jensen Copy. He's an expert in SaaS, technology, and travel (he's also done data center network maintenance, underwater repair, and CDL driving professionally). He's best known for providing a humorous, knowledgeable, no-B.S. view to everything he writes. Plus, he's fun to drink with -- Maybe he'll buy you a beer sometime and tell you some stories that should probably never be printed.
