Work out which part of the parcel journey you need covered. If it's the customer messages and tracking page after checkout, look at a post-purchase app. If it's buying labels and booking couriers, shipping software fits better, and if you'd rather not pack orders at all, a fulfilment service takes the whole job off your hands.
Most store owners meet AfterShip as a tracking page and a stream of where's-my-order emails. Swapping it out is trickier than it sounds, because the apps below each cover a different stretch of the parcel journey, from printing the label to handling the return. Here are ten, in no particular order, grouped by the stretch they look after.
Which stretch of the parcel journey each app covers
After checkout: tracking, messages and returns
Narvar, parcelLab and Route sit closest to what you're leaving. They shape the emails, tracking pages and returns flow your customers see once an order is on its way, and they're built around keeping buyers coming back.
Labels and couriers
ShipStation, Shippo, ShippingEasy, Sendcloud and Pirate Ship handle the work before a parcel leaves the building: pulling in orders, choosing a carrier and printing labels. Some are built around importing orders from several sales channels, some around comparing carriers, and some around the postal options in one country, so read their lines below with your own couriers in mind.
Hand the whole job over
ShipBob is a fulfilment service. Rather than giving you better tools to pack orders, it stores your stock, packs orders and ships them across your sales channels for you.
Build it yourself
EasyPost is a shipping API, so it suits shops with a developer on hand who wants shipping built into their own systems rather than run from an app screen.
Ten shipping and tracking apps compared
| Tool | Category | Handles |
|---|---|---|
| EasyPost | Shipping API | developers building shipping into their own systems |
| Narvar | Post-purchase platform | big retailers shaping the experience after checkout |
| parcelLab | Post-purchase software | personalised delivery and returns messages |
| Pirate Ship | Label software | printing UPS and USPS labels |
| Route | Post-purchase experience | owning the moments after an order |
| Sendcloud | Shipping platform | connecting several couriers and shipping abroad |
| ShipBob | Fulfilment service | handing over storage, packing and shipping |
| ShippingEasy | Shipping software | simple shipping for small online sellers |
| Shippo | Multi-carrier shipping | comparing carriers and printing labels |
| ShipStation | Order and shipping software | importing, managing and shipping orders in one place |
What changes in your store each day
AfterShip's own page pitches branded tracking, AI delivery dates and returns, all aimed at cutting where's-my-order tickets and lifting repeat orders. That's a promise about outcomes. A replacement should be judged on what it changes in your store each day.
So look at the daily routine it alters. Who prints labels, and from which screen? Where does a customer land when they click the tracking link in their shipping email? Who handles a return request, and does your stock count update by itself? Then check how the app connects to your store platform and to the apps you already run, such as your helpdesk, email tool and reviews app. One missing connection can mean someone copying tracking numbers by hand every morning.
It's also worth being clear about who owns the tracking experience after the switch. If you move to a label tool, its tracking emails may look very different from what customers are used to, and your support inbox will notice before you do.
The full list, A to Z
Names run alphabetically, not by merit. The notes under each one restate the company's own description, minus the sales talk.
EasyPost
Best for: Developers and larger shops wiring shipping into their own systems through an API; the vendor now also talks about AI-powered logistics.
Narvar
Best for: Larger retailers wanting post-purchase experiences the vendor says are built on deep data analysis to lift loyalty and efficiency.
parcelLab
Best for: Retailers that want personalised messages at every step from delivery to returns, which the vendor links to customer lifetime value.
Pirate Ship
Best for: US sellers shipping with UPS and USPS; the vendor says its software is free and gives access to pre-negotiated label discounts.
Route
Best for: Shops that want to own the post-purchase experience, which the vendor frames as turning those moments into loyalty.
Sendcloud
Best for: European online retailers connecting several couriers and shipping worldwide; the vendor calls itself a leading shipping platform in Europe and names a free plan.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
ShipBob
Best for: Brands that want fulfilment across sales channels handled for them, with the vendor covering inventory, shipments and fast delivery options.
ShippingEasy
Best for: Small online sellers after an easy way to ship, as the vendor puts it, with discounted carrier options and a free plan named.
Shippo
Best for: Ecommerce businesses comparing carriers, printing labels and tracking parcels from one tool that, the vendor says, connects to store platforms.
ShipStation
Best for: Growing stores that import, manage and ship orders from one screen, which the vendor says keeps fulfilment moving as you grow.
Advice for store owners swapping shipping apps
Don't try to replace everything AfterShip did with one app unless you're sure one app does it all. Plenty of small shops pair a label tool with a separate post-purchase app, and that's fine as long as the two talk to each other and to your store. Two label tools here list a free plan, a third calls its software free and another offers a trial (as of Nov 2026), so the label side is easy to test first.
Test with real orders, not sample data. Ship a handful through the new setup, track them as a customer would, then start a return on one. If anything feels clumsy to you, it'll feel worse to a buyer. For more options built for Shopify stores, see my guides to the best Shopify order tracking apps and the best Shopify shipping apps.
Before you switch the old app off
- Keep the old tracking links working until every order already in transit has arrived.
- Export your returns history and any customer notes you'll need later.
- Update your shipping confirmation emails so they point to the new tracking page.
- Brief your support team on what customers will see now, so they can answer questions with confidence.
- Watch your where's-my-order emails for the first fortnight; a rise usually means a gap in the new setup.
Do you make shipping, tracking or post-purchase apps? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
Can one app handle shipping labels and tracking pages?
A few cover both, though plenty of shops run two: a label tool for the warehouse side and a post-purchase app for what customers see. Choose one app if you want fewer moving parts, or two if each side needs more depth.
What happens to tracking links in emails I've already sent?
They can break the moment the old app is cancelled. Keep it running until existing orders are delivered, then switch off.
Do I need a fulfilment service or shipping software?
Shipping software helps you pack and send orders yourself. A fulfilment service stores your stock and does the packing for you. The second makes sense once packing takes more time than you can spare.
How do branded tracking pages help a small shop?
They keep customers on your own site while they check their order, which means fewer support emails and a chance to show related products or your returns policy.
Does shipping software work outside the US?
Many tools do, but carrier coverage differs a lot by country. Check that your own couriers are supported before you sign up, and note that customs rules vary, so check the official guidance for each country you ship to.
When does a shop need a shipping API?
When a developer wants shipping wired straight into your own systems instead of run from an app screen. Most small shops don't need one; an app with a ready-made store connection is easier.
