Choosing the right shipping platform can dramatically improve your fulfillment workflow — or leave you buried in manual tasks and rising costs. ShippingEasy and ShipStation are two of the most popular choices for small to mid-sized e-commerce businesses. Both help you print labels, automate orders, and integrate with marketplaces — but they differ in pricing, features, and technical flexibility. Let’s break down how they compare, including inventory, purchasing features, and customization potential if you have in-house developers.

🧩 Overview of Each Tool

🚚 What is ShippingEasy?

ShippingEasy is a cloud-based shipping solution focused on helping smaller e-commerce merchants streamline their fulfillment. It includes automation tools, competitive USPS rates, and built-in email marketing.
Key Strengths:

  • Built-in email marketing tools

  • Deep USPS integration (owned by Stamps.com)

  • Simple automation rules

  • Intuitive UI for beginners

🚀 What is ShipStation?

ShipStation is one of the most powerful and widely adopted shipping platforms for e-commerce sellers. Known for flexibility and scalability, it supports a broad range of integrations, automation rules, and advanced workflows.
Key Strengths:

  • Handles higher volume and complex operations

  • 100+ integrations (carriers, carts, and marketplaces)

  • Highly customizable automation workflows

  • Advanced reporting and batch label printing

⚖️ Feature Comparison: ShippingEasy vs ShipStation

Feature ShippingEasy ShipStation
Ease of Use Very beginner-friendly Steeper learning curve
Integrations Limited (~30 platforms) 100+ marketplaces & carts
Shipping Carriers USPS, UPS, FedEx USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, and more
Automation Rules Simple workflows Highly customizable
Email Marketing Built-in CRM & email tools Not included
Support Live chat, phone, email Live chat, help docs, email
Best For Small businesses, new sellers High-volume sellers, multi-channel ops

📦 Inventory Management & Purchasing Functionality

✅ ShippingEasy

  • Built-in inventory tracking across multiple sales channels

  • Low-stock alerts and basic bundling (kitting)

  • Syncs inventory with connected stores

  • ❌ No purchase order or vendor management

  • ❌ No forecasting or procurement tools

⚠️ ShipStation

  • Basic inventory level tracking per SKU

  • Low inventory alerts

  • Syncs with storefronts, but limited internal inventory tools

  • ❌ No PO, supplier, or purchasing features

Feature ShippingEasy ShipStation
Basic Inventory Tracking ✅ Yes ⚠️ Limited
Sync with Storefronts ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
Bundling/Kitting ✅ Basic ❌ Not supported
Purchase Orders ❌ Not available ❌ Not available

🛠️ Developer-Friendly? Yes — Especially ShipStation

🔧 ShipStation API

ShipStation has a strong API, making it great for building custom workflows or integrating into your own ERP.
Supports:

🧰 ShippingEasy API

ShippingEasy’s API is more limited, mostly focused on syncing orders and shipments, with some basic inventory functions.
🔗 Docs: https://shippingeasy.readme.io/

🧱 Building ERP-Like Layers on Top

If you have an in-house developer, you can build ERP-style tools like:

  • Custom inventory forecasting

  • PO creation + vendor tracking

  • SKU-level performance dashboards

  • Multi-warehouse logic

  • Order filtering and custom alerts
    Tip: Start with ShipStation as your shipping layer, and connect it to Airtable, Notion, or your own dashboard to evolve your stack.

💰 Pricing Comparison

Plan Level ShippingEasy ShipStation
Starter From $5/month (up to 50 shipments) Starts at $9/month (up to 50 shipments)
Basic $29/month $29/month
Pro $49–69/month $69–99/month
High Volume Custom Custom

🎯 When to Choose ShippingEasy

Choose ShippingEasy if you:

  • Are a solo founder or very small team

  • Ship mostly via USPS

  • Want built-in email marketing/CRM

  • Value simplicity and low-cost entry
    ✅ Great for: Etsy sellers, Shopify microbrands, or part-time stores looking to grow.

🎯 When to Choose ShipStation

Choose ShipStation if you:

  • Ship 200+ orders/month or sell across multiple channels

  • Need complex automation or batching

  • Want carrier flexibility and future scalability

  • Have developers who can build ERP or advanced dashboards
    ✅ Great for: Multi-channel operators, Amazon + DTC brands, agencies, or logistics teams.

Final Word

Shipping is more than label printing — it’s the heartbeat of your fulfillment system. Whether you’re just starting or scaling fast, the right shipping platform can unlock serious efficiency and growth.
ShippingEasy is great for getting started quickly.
ShipStation is your launchpad for serious scale and integration.

Need help choosing, customizing, or integrating your shipping software into a bigger ERP vision?
👉 Schedule a free consult with Modonix: https://modonix.com/contact-us