ShipStation is a dedicated shipping and order management app that connects to your online store, pulls incoming orders, and prints discounted carrier shipping labels. Instead of charging per label, ShipStation charges a monthly subscription fee based on two things: the feature tier you pick (Starter, Standard, or Premium) and the number of packages you ship each month.
Postage is always billed separately. If you ship 30 packages a month, paying an extra $14.99 a month for shipping software adds 50¢ of software overhead to every box. But if you sell across Etsy, Amazon, and your own website, or ship hundreds of orders, the time saved batching labels and rate shopping across carriers easily offsets the fee.
This guide walks through what ShipStation costs across every plan and volume tier, works through two real-life order examples, and helps you decide whether you need a paid shipping subscription or a free label tool.
Worked example: what shipping software costs at 30 and 150 orders
To see whether a paid shipping tool makes financial sense, let us look at two hypothetical stores shipping identical 1 lb packages. Both stores source a product for $10, charge the customer $35, and purchase a discounted commercial USPS Ground Advantage label. In our hypothetical example, commercial USPS postage costs $5.50 per package.
Card processing fees through a typical payment processor take 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction on a $35 order: 2.9% of $35 ($1.015) plus 30¢ = $1.32 card fee per order.
Store A: a craft seller doing 30 orders a month ($1,050 in monthly revenue). Total card fees are 30 × $1.32 = $39.60. Total product costs are 30 × $10 = $300. Total postage is 30 × $5.50 = $165.
Now compare three ways Store A can buy shipping labels:
- Shopify Shipping: $0 monthly software fee (included in Shopify).
- Pirate Ship: $0 monthly software fee (free standalone shipping app for USPS and UPS).
- ShipStation Starter (50 tier): $14.99 monthly subscription.
| Tool | Monthly software fee | Total postage (30 pkgs) | Total net profit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify Shipping | $0 | $165.00 | $545.40 |
| Pirate Ship | $0 | $165.00 | $545.40 |
| ShipStation Starter (50 tier) | $14.99 | $165.00 | $530.41 |
For Store A, ShipStation’s $14.99 Starter fee reduces profit by $14.99 a month ($14.99 ÷ 30 = 50¢ per parcel). Because Shopify Shipping and Pirate Ship both offer discounted commercial carrier rates with no monthly subscription, Store A loses $14.99 a month for software features a 30-order shop rarely uses.
Store B: an established apparel brand doing 150 orders a month ($5,250 in monthly revenue). Total card fees are 150 × $1.32 = $198.00. Total product costs are 150 × $10 = $1,500. Total postage is 150 × $5.50 = $825.
At 150 shipments a month, Store B exceeds the 100-shipment tier and must choose the 500-shipment tier:
- Pirate Ship: $0 monthly software fee.
- ShipStation Starter (500 tier): $39.99 monthly subscription.
- ShipStation Standard (500 tier): $89.99 monthly subscription (adds phone support, 10 users, custom carrier accounts).
| Tool | Monthly software fee | Total postage (150 pkgs) | Total net profit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pirate Ship | $0 | $825.00 | $2,727.00 |
| ShipStation Starter (500 tier) | $39.99 | $825.00 | $2,687.01 |
| ShipStation Standard (500 tier) | $89.99 | $825.00 | $2,637.01 |
At 150 shipments, ShipStation Starter costs $39.99 a month, which works out to just 27¢ per shipment ($39.99 ÷ 150 = $0.27). If Store B sells across both Shopify and TikTok Shop, managing all orders in one dashboard saves hours of manual data entry every week.
Free shipping vs charging for shipping
When deciding how to price shipping for your customers, you have two choices:
- Charge shipping at checkout: You list the product at $30 and charge $5.50 calculated shipping. The customer pays $35.50 total. Your revenue matches postage costs directly.
- Offer free shipping: You fold shipping into product pricing. Instead of listing at $30 + $5.50 shipping, you price the item at $36 with free shipping. The customer perceives a simple price, and you pocket $36 minus $5.50 postage ($30.50 gross margin before product and card costs).
Run it with your own numbers: total profit = revenue − product cost − postage − payment processing fees − software subscription. Use the profit per order calculator to calculate your exact unit economics on every parcel.
ShipStation pricing tiers compared
ShipStation structures pricing into three plans: Starter, Standard, and Premium. Each plan price scales according to your monthly package volume. All figures below come from the US pricing page on monthly billing (checked 2026-10-03).
| Shipments / month | Starter | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | $14.99 | $29.99 | $349.99 |
| 100 | $29.99 | $59.99 | $399.99 |
| 500 | $39.99 | $89.99 | $449.99 |
| 1,000 | $79.99 | $149.99 | $599.99 |
| 2,000 | $119.99 | $174.99 | $699.99 |
| 5,000 | $174.99 | $249.99 | $799.99 |
The pricing page also displays an Annual view with an advertised 20% savings label. The plans include zero dollar per-label fees (+$0.000 per label), meaning your monthly subscription covers all label printing within that shipment limit.
Software cost per shipment
Because ShipStation is billed as a flat monthly rate within each volume tier, your effective software cost per package drops as you approach the tier limit:
- Starter 50 shipments ($14.99/mo): exactly 30¢ per package at 50 packages ($14.99 ÷ 50 = $0.30). At 40 packages, it is 37¢ per package ($14.99 ÷ 40 = $0.37).
- Starter 100 shipments ($29.99/mo): 30¢ per package at 100 packages ($29.99 ÷ 100 = $0.30).
- Starter 500 shipments ($39.99/mo): 8¢ per package at 500 packages ($39.99 ÷ 500 = $0.08).
- Starter 1,000 shipments ($79.99/mo): 8¢ per package at 1,000 packages ($79.99 ÷ 1,000 = $0.08).
If you ship 110 packages a month, you must move from the 100-shipment tier to the 500-shipment tier on Starter ($39.99/mo), which averages 36¢ per package for 110 shipments.
What changes between ShipStation plans
Choosing the right plan depends on your team size and whether you use your own carrier contracts.
Starter: best for solo founders and lean stores
ShipStation Starter starts at $14.99 a month for 50 shipments and scales to $174.99 for 5,000 shipments. ShipStation lists Starter as perfect for small businesses.
Starter includes:
- Up to 3 user accounts
- Unlimited store connections (Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Squarespace, Wix, Big Cartel, eBay, Etsy, Amazon, TikTok Shop, Walmart, PayPal)
- Automated rate shopping across carriers
- LTL freight rate comparison
- Return labels
- Basic automations
- Reporting and email support
Starter lets you connect unlimited storefronts, meaning an Etsy seller who also runs a WooCommerce or Shopify store can pull all orders into one place without paying extra connection fees.
Standard: best for teams and custom carrier rates
ShipStation Standard starts at $29.99 a month for 50 shipments (marked most popular) and scales to $249.99 for 5,000 shipments.
Standard includes everything in Starter plus:
- Up to 10 user accounts
- Unlimited automations
- Combine and auto-split orders
- Bring your existing carrier accounts
- Returns and exchanges portal
- Basic warehouse management
- Shipping API access
- Phone support
The main reason to pick Standard over Starter is custom carrier accounts. If your business has negotiated lower rates with UPS or FedEx directly, Standard lets you plug those accounts into ShipStation with no carrier connection fee. Standard also adds phone support and the ability to split single orders into multiple packages.
Premium: for high-volume warehouse operations
ShipStation Premium starts at $349.99 a month for 50 shipments and scales to $799.99 a month for 5,000 shipments.
Premium includes everything in Standard plus:
- Up to 15 user accounts
- Advanced inventory management (scan to receive, purchase orders, forecasting)
- Advanced warehouse management (pick to tote)
- Custom analytics
- Auto-routing rules
- ODBC database connection
- Dedicated implementation specialist
Premium is designed for multi-station fulfillment centers and warehouse teams processing heavy order volume that require barcode scanning, picking totes, and formal inventory management.
What is not included in the subscription
ShipStation states in its FAQ that it will not charge additional fees outside the subscription cost, unless you add users or access certain add-ons. You are still responsible for paying external shipping expenses:
- Postage costs: ShipStation prints labels, but the carrier charges you for the postage. ShipStation advertises discounts of 80% to 90% from major carriers including USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, GlobalPost, Canada Post, Royal Mail, and Australia Post.
- Shipping insurance: Optional package insurance is billed separately per label.
- Extra team users: If you exceed the included seats (3 on Starter, 10 on Standard, 15 on Premium), extra user seats incur additional fees.
- Add-on modules: Features like fulfillment management, 3PL management, and dropship management carry separate add-on fees.
- Carrier connections on older accounts: Connecting your own carrier accounts is free on modern plans, though accounts registered before July 8, 2025 may have different fee terms.
Free and built-in alternatives to ShipStation
Before paying for a ShipStation subscription, check if your existing platform already provides what you need for free:
1. Built-in Shopify Shipping ($0/month)
If you run your store on Shopify, you do not need external software to print labels. Shopify Shipping is built directly into your admin dashboard. It lets you print up to 250 shipping labels simultaneously. In addition, stores on Grow, Advanced, or Plus plans using Shopify Payments receive up to $200 USD in shipping insurance per eligible label at no cost.
2. Pirate Ship ($0/month)
Pirate Ship is completely free software with no monthly subscription fees, no markup, and no hidden costs. It provides commercial discounts of up to 88% off USPS and UPS shipping rates for packages originating in the United States. If you only ship via USPS or UPS and do not need complex warehouse routing or phone support, Pirate Ship provides identical commercial postage rates without the $14.99 to $89.99 monthly fee.
3. USPS Click-N-Ship ($0/month)
If you only ship with the postal service, USPS Click-N-Ship gives all users discounted commercial pricing online. Its Advanced Label Manager supports single and batch label creation, bulk editing, and creating return labels, and lets you schedule free carrier pickups online.
When this is not for you
ShipStation is a powerful tool, but it is not the right choice for every online business:
- You sell exclusively on Shopify and ship under 100 orders a month: Built-in Shopify Shipping handles batch label printing up to 250 labels at once with no extra monthly bill. See our guide on cutting store app subscriptions.
- You only use USPS and UPS: Pirate Ship gives you the same commercial postal and UPS discounts with zero monthly fees.
- You run a print-on-demand or dropshipping business: When using print-on-demand providers or suppliers, your fulfillment partner prints and ships products directly to customers. You do not buy shipping labels yourself. Learn more in print on demand explained and dropshipping explained.
- You ship fewer than 20 packages a month: At low volumes, spending $14.99 a month adds 75¢ to $1.50 in fixed overhead per order. Print labels directly through your ecommerce cart or Pirate Ship until your daily packing routine demands automation.
Common mistakes when choosing ShipStation
- Paying for Standard just to print labels. Starter ($14.99 to $39.99/mo) includes automated rate shopping, batch label printing, return labels, and unlimited store connections. You only need Standard ($29.99 to $89.99/mo) if you need phone support, 10 user seats, or want to bring your own negotiated carrier accounts.
- Upgrading tiers too early. ShipStation lets you change volume tiers inside your account as your business grows. Start on the lowest tier that fits your last 30 days of actual shipments.
- Ignoring billing cycle timing on downgrades. Upgrades happen instantly, but ShipStation applies plan downgrades at the start of your next billing cycle. If your holiday rush ends in January, schedule your downgrade before your next renewal date.
- Forgetting that postage is charged on top. Some beginners confuse the subscription price with label costs. ShipStation is the software tool; carrier postage is an additional expense debited per label or via account refill.
How to decide what to do this week
- Audit your last month of sales: Count your actual package volume across all stores. If you ship fewer than 50 orders a month, skip paid software and start with Shopify Shipping or Pirate Ship.
- List your sales channels: If you sell on three or more channels (such as Etsy, Amazon, and Squarespace), centralizing orders in one dashboard saves hours.
- Start the 30-day free trial: ShipStation offers a 30-day trial with no credit card required. Connect your sales channels and test the automation rules.
- Compare rates on identical packages: Enter package dimensions and destination ZIP codes in ShipStation and your free alternative (like Pirate Ship) to verify final postage prices.
- Set a calendar reminder for day 25: If ShipStation saves you enough packing time to justify the $14.99 to $39.99 Starter fee, choose your tier. If not, cancel before the trial converts. ShipStation also offers a 90-day refund guarantee if you are unsatisfied.
Review your wider store overhead using our guide to the monthly cost of running an online store and build out your packing workflow with our checklist for shipping basics for a new online store.
This guide provides general business information, not legal or tax advice.
Sources (checked 2026-10-03)
- ShipStation: pricing, plans, volume tiers, features, trial, FAQ on fees and billing, carriers and integrations
- Shopify: Shopify Shipping, up to 250 labels at once and included insurance conditions
- USPS: Click-N-Ship online shipping, discounted commercial pricing, bulk editing and return labels
- Pirate Ship: home page, no monthly fees, markup or hidden costs
