Where you ship from decides the right shipping tool. If you pack orders at your own desk, multi-carrier label software is enough; if you run a warehouse, you need a warehouse management system; and if you'd rather not pack at all, you need a fulfilment partner that holds your stock.
Leaving Sendcloud usually happens for one of three reasons: you need more carriers outside Europe, your stock room has grown into a warehouse, or you're tired of packing and want someone else to do it. Each one points to a different kind of tool, so it pays to be clear which you are before you start trials.
Here's the quick view first, then what really separates these eight.
Eight shipping options in one table
| Tool | Kind of service | Handy for |
|---|---|---|
| Easyship | Multi-carrier shipping | Comparing many courier services from one account |
| ShipBob | Fulfilment | Handing stock to an outsourced fulfilment network |
| ShipHero | Warehouse management | Running your own warehouse |
| Shippo | Multi-carrier shipping | Lighter multi-carrier label shipping |
| ShippyPro | Shipping management | Wide carrier choice from one dashboard |
| ShipStation | Shipping and fulfilment | Self-serve shipping for ecommerce fulfilment |
| Starshipit | Shipping and fulfilment | Lighter shipping software with fulfilment features |
| Whistl Parcels | Parcel shipping | Ecommerce parcel shipping solutions |
Software or fulfilment: the split that matters most
Shipping tools love to compare themselves on carrier access, but the bigger difference is whether you're buying software or handing over the work. Going by each vendor's own page, as of Nov 2026:
- Multi-carrier label software. Easyship says you can compare 550+ courier services, and ShippyPro says it connects with 190+ carriers. Both sell software for booking labels across many carriers, and those numbers are the vendors' own claims.
- Lighter shipping tools. Starshipit and Shippo are leaner options for printing labels and sending tracking, without warehouse features.
- Warehouse software. ShipHero is a warehouse management system, for businesses that run their own building, shelves and pickers.
- Outsourced fulfilment. ShipBob runs fulfilment on its own network, so you send it stock and it picks, packs and ships for you.
So decide whether you ship from your own stock room or hand stock to a warehouse before you compare carrier rates. A label tool can't store your stock, and a fulfilment partner won't help much if you love packing your own boxes.
Carriers, customs and returns to check
Whichever group you're in, these are the details that cause trouble later:
- Which carriers are available in the countries you ship from, not just the ones you ship to.
- How customs paperwork is created for international parcels, and whether it fills in product codes for you.
- How returns work, including printable or QR-code return labels and a returns page for customers.
- Which shop platforms it connects to, and whether orders sync both ways.
- Whether tracking emails can carry your own branding.
Customs and import rules change by country and product type, so check the official guidance from the tax or customs authority in each country you ship to rather than relying on any software's defaults. For a wider comparison, see this roundup of ecommerce shipping software.
Eight options, in no particular order
Sorted alphabetically, with one line on who each one helps.
Easyship
Best for: Sellers who want to compare a wide choice of couriers, with the page claiming 550+ courier services and a start for free option.
ShipBob
Best for: Brands ready to outsource, with a global ecommerce fulfilment service it says runs on its own network and in-house technology.
ShipHero
Best for: Businesses running their own warehouse that need a warehouse management system rather than label software alone.
Shippo
Best for: Shippers wanting multi-carrier shipping software for printing labels without warehouse features they don't need.
ShippyPro
Best for: Online shops that want shipping management software with a wide carrier choice, which its page puts at 190+ carriers.
ShipStation
Best for: Ecommerce teams after shipping software with self-serve features for their own fulfilment.
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Starshipit
Best for: Growing shops that want shipping software and a fulfilment platform in one, with a free trial and no card needed.
Whistl Parcels
Best for: Retailers looking for ecommerce shipping solutions offered under the Whistl Parcels name.
Switching without missing a dispatch day
- Export your order history, saved addresses and parcel presets from your current account.
- Connect the new tool to your shop and run it alongside your old one for a few days.
- Print a test label for each carrier and service you use, including an international one.
- Check that tracking numbers flow back to your shop and reach customers.
- Move returns last, once outbound shipping is running smoothly.
If you're weighing up outsourcing completely, this guide to order fulfilment software covers the warehouse side in more depth.
A plain bit of advice for online sellers
Don't let carrier counts make the decision for you. A long carrier list is only useful if it includes the two or three couriers that serve your customers well, at the speeds they expect. Write down your top destinations and your usual parcel sizes, then check each shortlisted tool against those.
If you're still packing at your own desk, stay with label software and keep it simple. When you're spending more time on shelving and picking than on selling, look at a warehouse system. And when even that feels like a second business, that's the moment to talk to a fulfilment partner. Moving one step at a time is far less painful than jumping straight to the biggest option.
Do you make shipping or fulfilment software? 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
What's the difference between shipping software and fulfilment?
Shipping software helps you print labels, compare carriers and send tracking while you pack orders yourself. Fulfilment means a partner stores your stock and picks, packs and ships orders for you.
Do I need a warehouse management system?
Only if you run your own warehouse with shelving, stock locations and staff picking orders. For a stock room or spare bedroom, shipping software is usually enough.
Can shipping software handle international parcels?
Most multi-carrier tools create customs forms for international parcels. Check which carriers they offer in your country and confirm the rules with the customs authority where you're shipping to.
How do I handle returns when I switch shipping tools?
Set up returns last, once outbound labels and tracking work. Keep your old returns process running until every order shipped through the old account has passed its return window.
Will changing shipping software affect my online shop?
It shouldn't if the new tool connects to your shop platform. Run both side by side for a few days and check that orders sync and tracking numbers flow back to customers.
