Order and label software that pulls in orders from several marketplaces.
Typical price
Check current pricing
Why we pick it
- Works with
Suits you when you ship dozens of packages a day from eBay, Etsy and your own store and want one queue for every order. It connects to USPS, UPS and FedEx, so you compare rates and print labels in one place.
The guide
Each step in the order you'll need it.
Who ShipStation suits
You ship dozens of packages a day from eBay, Etsy, Shopify or Amazon, and switching between each site's own label screen eats your morning. ShipStation pulls every order into one queue, so you sort, label and ship from one screen.
It is a paid monthly service, so it makes sense once your time on labels costs more than the subscription. For a few packages a week, the marketplace's own labels or a free tool cover the job.
It suits you if you run a few hundred orders a week across two or three channels, often with a second person at the packing table.
US carriers, channels and automation rules
ShipStation connects to USPS, UPS and FedEx, and offers its own discounted rates on some of them. It also connects to eBay, Etsy, Shopify, Amazon and other channels.
Automation rules apply a service, package size or weight based on the order, so repeat orders skip manual setup. Batch printing sends every label to a thermal printer in one go. Features vary by plan, so compare current pricing and plan limits on ShipStation's site.
Setting up your first batch
Connect each sales channel, then your carriers, then set the label size to 4 × 6 in for a thermal printer. Add product weights to your catalog so the software fills them in on each order.
Write a rule or two for your common orders, such as a single toploaded card going USPS Ground Advantage. Each morning, review the queue, select all, and print the batch.
Print packing slips with the labels if you sell many different items, so whoever packs can check each order against the slip before sealing the box.
Kit for this step
Marketplace labels at lower volume
At lower volume, buy labels inside each marketplace. eBay, Etsy, Poshmark and Mercari all sell discounted labels and upload tracking for you.
Free web tools that sell USPS and UPS labels at commercial rates suit the odd order from your own site or a direct sale, with no monthly fee.
Deciding if the fee pays off
Time a normal day's labeling before you sign up, then again during the free trial. Compare the time you save with the current monthly fee on ShipStation's site.
Add a fast printer such as the Zebra ZD421d once the batches get large, so printing keeps up with the queue.
Count the smaller savings too: fewer typos in addresses, fewer orders missed between platforms, and tracking that uploads to each marketplace without you pasting it in.
Kit for this step
Common mistakes
Each one costs you money or reviews, and each has a fix.
- Add product weights to the catalog during setup, or you type them on every order.
- The default label size can waste labels. Match it to your 4 × 6 in thermal stock.
- At low volume the monthly fee buys little; stick with marketplace labels until the queue grows.
- An untested automation rule can send packages on the wrong service, so check the first few orders each rule touches.
Questions
Straight answers to what sellers ask about this.
Does ShipStation work with USPS?
Yes. USPS, UPS and FedEx all connect, and ShipStation offers its own discounted rates for some carriers.
Can it import eBay and Etsy orders?
Both connect as sales channels, with others such as Shopify and Amazon.
How much does ShipStation cost?
It is a monthly subscription with several plans. ShipStation's site has current pricing.
Is it worth it for a small seller?
Usually only once you ship dozens of packages a day across several channels. Below that, marketplace labels do the job.
Does ShipStation print packing slips?
Yes, alongside labels, which helps when someone else packs the orders.
Alternatives
Other picks for the same job, cheaper and pricier.
Boxtal
Boxtal only covers sellers shipping from France, so it has no US carriers. If you ship from the US, ShipStation or a label tool that sells discounted USPS and UPS rates covers the same job.
Typical priceCheck current pricing