On a broad scale, they’re very totally different options. Shipstation focuses completely on order success and transport providers, whereas Shopify is a world-leading ecommerce platform.
Shopify is one among my favourite platforms for sellers, providing intensive scalability, omnichannel promoting options, and a bunch of enterprise administration options.
Since Shipstation doesn’t provide many of the options out there from Shopify, I made a decision to take a extra centered method with this information.
I made a decision to evaluate the transport providers provided by each corporations, all the things from transport prices and suppliers, to ease of use, and scalability, to convey you this complete comparability information.
Let’s dive in.
Fast Verdict, Execs and Cons
Each Shopify and Shipstation provide wonderful transport providers to enterprise house owners, with loads of overlapping options and options.
Shipstation is probably going the higher choice for a lot bigger corporations promoting by way of a number of channels, however it might include a steep studying curve.
Shopify’s built-in transport providers are a extra handy, user-friendly choice for smaller corporations.
The platform comes pre-configured with tons of transport options, and you’ll even hook up with different logistics instruments and apps by way of the Shopify app market.
Shopify Execs and Cons:
Execs:
- Unbelievable ease of use for learners
- Versatile platform for omnichannel promoting
- Intuitive AI and automation options
- Glorious flexibility through the Shopify app retailer
- Large reductions with particular transport companions
- All-in-one enterprise administration resolution
Cons:
- Some limitations on scalability for bigger corporations
- Fewer transport carriers than Shipstation
- Shopify transport isn’t out there for different ecommerce platforms
Shipstation Execs and Cons
Execs:
- Devoted transport resolution that integrates with numerous platforms
- Glorious automation capabilities
- Highly effective order administration and batch transport instruments
- Proactive alerts and insights
- Larger reductions from some companions
- Nice branding choices
Cons:
- Larger studying curve for learners
- Might be costly as an add-on service for instruments like Shopify
- Additional enterprise administration instruments require a separate platform
Shopify vs Shipstation: The Transport Options Comparability
In the end, I don’t assume Shipstation can ever dwell as much as Shopify for corporations in the hunt for a complete commerce platform.
Shipstation doesn’t provide entry to an internet site builder, advertising and marketing instruments, CRM instruments, or stock administration instantly.
Nonetheless, there may be loads of overlap between Shopify Transport and Shipstation. Right here’s a fast, but complete perception into what each options have to supply.
Core Transport Options
Let’s begin with the fundamentals, Shopify Transport and Shipstation provide the same bundle of options for companies in the hunt for order success options.
The largest distinction is that Shopify offers you an all-in-one platform for managing order success in the identical surroundings the place you run your retailer, host advertising and marketing campaigns, and monitor stock.
With Shipstation, you get a devoted “add-on” resolution for transport and order success that may combine with greater than 70 totally different ecommerce channels.
It’s a standalone system that works alongside numerous gross sales channels, CRM, ERP, and accounting platforms.
Notably, that doesn’t imply Shopify isn’t versatile. You should use Shopify Transport alongside your omnichannel gross sales technique, integrating Shopify with social media channels and marketplaces.
You can even use it at the side of third-party logistics and order success apps, from POD platforms like Printful, to dropshipping instruments.
Each instruments additionally include entry to intensive order administration instruments. You possibly can mix a number of orders to be despatched to the identical tackle, cut up orders when gadgets are going to totally different areas, and create your individual bespoke transport guidelines.
Each platforms additionally can help you arrange computerized alerts for order combos, stock points, and extra.
I do like the truth that with Shopify Transport, you’ll be able to examine the cargo standing of merchandise inside Shopify instantly, relatively than having to log into third-party websites, nonetheless.
Transport Carriers and Insurance coverage Choices
In the case of transport carriers you’ll be able to select from, Shopify and Shipstation each provide loads of choices.
Shopify transport works with a variety of in style carriers, from UPS and USPS, to DPD, DHL Categorical, FedEx, Sendle, Evri, and Canada Put up.
Shipstation does provide much more choices although. There are greater than 50 carriers out there to select from worldwide, which is good should you’re operating a worldwide enterprise.
Notably, Shopify does enable corporations to increase their choices with integrations (together with an integration for Shipstation).
The excellent news is that each corporations decide to accelerating your order success course of. You should purchase and print transport labels inside each platforms, put together parcels upfront, and optimize your workflows to ship higher experiences to your prospects.
When it comes to insurance coverage for shipments, each corporations can help you add elective protection to packages. Whenever you’re shopping for transport labels, you’ll be able to rapidly add additional insurance coverage to high-risk parcels.
Shopify prospects utilizing Shopify Funds get $200 of insurance coverage on every eligible label totally free. Shipstation calculates the price of your insurance coverage mechanically for every parcel.
Synthetic Intelligence and Automation Choices
Notably, Shopify’s ever-evolving AI options aren’t actually centered on the success and transport panorama. Many of the instruments on the platform, like Shopify Magic, are designed that can assist you create content material, change product picture backgrounds, or improve buyer assist with FAQs.
Nonetheless, you should use AI for deeper insights into the best way to optimize your transport and success methods. Plus, Shopify Sidekick offers step-by-step steerage that can assist you construct your transport guidelines.
Shipstation doesn’t provide many superior AI options both, however like Shopify, it helps customers to boost their transport technique with AI-powered insights.
From an automation perspective, I feel Shipstation has a slight edge – a minimum of for many customers. Most Shipstation plans include entry to superior automation options.
You possibly can mechanically assign particular carriers and providers to parcels primarily based on order weight, select default settings for worldwide deliveries, and insure orders mechanically.
Plus, you’ll be able to modify dwell provider charges for patrons once they go to your checkout web page.
Shopify additionally provides some nice automation choices. You possibly can customise transport methods with bulk order success, computerized USPS Scan type creation, and pickup scheduling.
Plus, you’ll be able to mechanically calculate transport charges for patrons in real-time.
Nonetheless, probably the most superior automation capabilities are reserved for Shopify Movement customers. Shopify Movement lets you use transport associated actions as triggers for sure actions.
As an example, when a buyer pays for expedited transport, you’ll be able to ship an computerized electronic mail to your warehouse workforce.
Whereas that is wonderful, studying the best way to use Shopify Movement and join numerous providers and instruments is usually a little sophisticated at first.
Ease of Use and Scalability
Each Shopify and Shipstation are extraordinarily user-friendly options for enterprise house owners. They every give sellers entry to an intuitive surroundings the place they’ll arrange worldwide transport methods, and handle numerous enterprise operations.
Nonetheless, utilizing Shopify Shipping will likely be a lot simpler than studying the best way to handle Shipstation if you have already got a Shopify web site.
The answer is already built-in with the Shopify admin, and permits customers to simply generate and print transport labels and packing slips, and monitor orders with out leaving their dashboard. Plus, you get the additional advantage of with the ability to handle different points of what you are promoting in the identical place.
With Shopify Transport, all the things out of your stock and product information to your on-line storefront is all out there to handle in the identical ecosystem.
The draw back is that whereas Shopify integrates with 1000’s of different instruments for advertising and marketing, logistics, accounting and extra, you’ll be able to’t join Shopify’s transport providers with some other ecommerce platform.
Shipstation, then again, is a specialised transport platform. It doesn’t provide full ecommerce options or web site constructing capabilities, however it does combine with numerous platforms, from Shopify to WooCommerce, Squarespace, BigCommerce, Amazon and Ebay.
Buyer Help, and Buyer Rankings
Lastly, let’s check out consumer critiques and customer support. On G2, Shopify and Shipstation have comparable scores.
Shopify has a score of 4.4 out of 5 stars, and Shipstation has a rating of 4.3. Notably, although, Shopify’s rating relies on extra than simply its transport capabilities.
For buyer assist, Shopify provides 24/7 help by way of electronic mail, chat, and telephone on each plan. Customers also can entry numerous self-help sources, similar to blogs, tutorials, webinars, and movies. Shipstation provides chat and electronic mail on most plans, and telephone assist for costlier plan customers.
It additionally has an awesome group discussion board, and an internet assist middle full of product and have, troubleshooting, and integration guides.
Shopify vs Shipstation: Charges and Pricing
Right here’s the place issues get a little bit tough, in my view. Should you’re already a Shopify buyer, Shopify Transport is included on each Shopify pricing plan.
That features the $5 per 30 days Starter plan, the $39 per 30 days Primary plan, $105 per 30 days Shopify plan, and $399 Superior Shopify plan. You can even get additional reductions and options with Shopify Plus.
Shipstation requires an additional month-to-month subscription on prime of the price of any ecommerce platform you’re utilizing.
You should use the app totally free should you’re solely transport as much as 25 merchandise a month. After that, costs begin at $9.99 per 30 days for as much as 50 shipments, and vary as much as $229.99 per 30 days for as much as 7,500 shipments.
Transport Reductions
Notably, each Shopify Transport and Shipstation may help you lower your expenses on order success too.
Shopify provides as much as 88% off transport charges with sure companions like USPS, UPS, and DHL Categorical, though your reductions will fluctuate relying in your plan.
Shipstation provides comparable reductions. As an example, with UPS, you’ll be able to rise up to 83% off day by day charges, 77% off floor transport, and 72% off next-day and second-day supply.
Shipstation vs Shopify: The Verdict
Clearly, Shopify is the extra complete platform for ecommerce corporations general. Nonetheless, from a transport perspective, each Shipstation and Shopify have their professionals and cons.
Shipstation is unquestionably the higher choice for big scale companies with world audiences.
Shopify, nonetheless, is the higher choice for corporations in the hunt for an economical, intuitive, and handy resolution for managing order success within the Shopify ecosystem.
