- Fulfillment tools side by side
- Eleven order fulfillment tools to look at
- Your delivery promises need evidence
- Run your own warehouse or outsource?
- Questions to ask a fulfillment vendor
- Signs your fulfillment has outgrown its setup
- My plain advice on choosing order fulfillment software
- Frequently asked questions
The best order fulfillment software gets every order picked, packed and shipped accurately and on time, and keeps stock in sync across channels: brands running their own warehouse usually want a warehouse management system, while brands that would rather not handle stock outsource to a fulfillment network. Eleven options follow in no particular order.
When an online shop is small, fulfillment is a spare room, a printer and a lot of tape. Then orders double, a second sales channel arrives, and suddenly the wrong items are going out, stock counts are off and customers are emailing to ask where their parcels are.
Order fulfillment software brings order, stock and warehouse work into one flow. The eleven tools below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, and every description comes from the vendor's own site, read this week. If you're weighing up outsourcing, start with my explainer on what a 3PL is.
Fulfillment tools side by side
In the free plan column, Yes means the tool's own site names a free plan, a free version or a free profile. Trial only means a time-limited trial. Not stated means the pages I read named neither, even where there's a button inviting you to try it or book a demo.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brightpearl | Retail operating system | Multichannel retailers automating operations | Not stated |
| Deposco | Warehouse management software | 3PLs, brands and retailers at scale | Not stated |
| Extensiv | 3PL warehouse management software | Third-party logistics warehouses | Not stated |
| Helm WMS | Warehouse management software | UK warehouses wanting AI help | Not stated |
| Linnworks | Multichannel inventory and order management | Sellers on many marketplaces | Not stated |
| Logiwa | Warehouse management for high volume | High-volume direct-to-consumer fulfilment | Not stated |
| Mintsoft | Warehouse management software | UK 3PLs and retail warehouses | Not stated |
| Packiyo | Warehouse management system | 3PLs and brands running their own warehouse | Not stated |
| ShipBob | Ecommerce fulfilment network | Brands outsourcing fulfilment entirely | Not stated |
| ShipHero | Warehouse management system | Ecommerce warehouses wanting speed | Not stated |
| SKULabs | Warehouse management for multichannel sales | Merchants scanning every order out | Not stated |
Eleven order fulfillment tools to look at
Brightpearl
Best for: Multichannel retailers that want orders, inventory and fulfilment automated in one retail operating system.
Deposco
Best for: Third-party logistics firms, brands and retailers that want an AI-native warehouse system for accurate, high-volume fulfilment.
Extensiv
Best for: Third-party logistics warehouses that want to run fulfilment for many client brands from one warehouse system.
Helm WMS
Best for: Warehouses and online retailers that want AI-powered warehouse management to speed up picking, packing and despatch.
Linnworks
Best for: Small and mid-sized sellers on several marketplaces that want orders and stock synced and processed from one screen.
Logiwa
Best for: Fast-moving fulfilment operations that want an AI-native warehouse system built for high order volumes.
Mintsoft
Best for: Warehouses, third-party logistics firms and retailers that want cloud warehouse management with many channel integrations.
Packiyo
Best for: Logistics providers and brands that want a modern warehouse system for their own fulfilment centre.
ShipBob
Best for: Ecommerce brands that would rather hand fulfilment to a global network of warehouses than run their own.
ShipHero
Best for: Ecommerce brands and warehouses that want a warehouse system designed around fast pick, pack and ship.
SKULabs
Best for: Multichannel merchants that want barcode-driven picking and packing to cut mistakes on outgoing orders.
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.
Your delivery promises need evidence
The FTC says that when you advertise merchandise you must have a reasonable basis for stating or implying that you can ship within a certain time, and if you make no shipment statement you must have a reasonable basis for believing you can ship within 30 days.
That makes your fulfillment system more than an operations tool. Its records of real ship times are your evidence for the delivery promises on your product pages, so pick one that shows them clearly.
Run your own warehouse or outsource?
A warehouse management system, or WMS, runs your own warehouse: receiving, storage, picking, packing and despatch. A fulfillment network does all of that for you in its warehouses, and you send it stock.
Running your own gives you control and flexibility. Outsourcing frees up space and people, and can put stock closer to customers. Many brands switch as they grow, so check how easily data moves either way. It's also worth asking what happens to returns, because they're often the part nobody planned for, and they'll grow as fast as your orders do.
Questions to ask a fulfillment vendor
- Which sales channels and marketplaces do you connect to?
- How do you keep stock in sync across channels?
- Do you support barcode scanning on every pick?
- Can you handle bundles, kits and custom packaging?
- What do customers see when an order ships?
- How do you report real ship times by order?
Signs your fulfillment has outgrown its setup
- Wrong items keep shipping. Picks are checked by eye.
- Stock counts never match. You oversell on busy days.
- Peak days need everyone packing. Other work stops.
- Customers chase their parcels. Tracking updates are patchy.
Do you make order fulfillment software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on choosing order fulfillment software
Map your busiest day, not your average one. Fulfillment systems that cope on a quiet Tuesday can buckle on a big sales weekend, so ask vendors how customers your size handle their peak and talk to one of them.
Then fix accuracy before speed. Barcode scanning on every pick prevents most wrong-item complaints, and fewer mistakes free up more time than any shortcut. If you're moving from spreadsheets, don't switch on your busiest month; pick a quieter week, run both systems side by side for a few days, and you'll catch the gaps before customers do. For more ideas on getting parcels out faster, see my tactics for faster ecommerce deliveries.
Frequently asked questions
What is order fulfillment software?
It's software that manages the steps between an order being placed and a parcel leaving the warehouse, including picking, packing, shipping and stock updates.
What is a WMS?
A warehouse management system runs the day-to-day work of a warehouse, from receiving and storing stock to picking, packing and despatch.
What is a 3PL?
A third-party logistics provider stores your stock and fulfills orders for you from its own warehouses.
Do small online shops need fulfillment software?
Once you're shipping many orders a day or selling on more than one channel, it usually saves time and mistakes.
Can fulfillment software sync stock across marketplaces?
Many tools connect to marketplaces and online stores so stock levels update everywhere after each sale.
How do I reduce wrong orders?
Barcode scanning at picking and packing is one of the most effective fixes, because it checks each item against the order.
