On a broad scale, they’re very totally different options. Shipstation focuses solely on order success and delivery providers, whereas Shopify is a world-leading ecommerce platform.
Shopify is one among my favourite platforms for sellers, providing in depth scalability, omnichannel promoting options, and a number of enterprise administration options.
Since Shipstation doesn’t supply 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 examine the delivery providers supplied by each corporations, taking a look at every little thing from delivery 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 supply glorious delivery providers to enterprise house owners, with lots of overlapping options and options.
Shipstation is probably going the higher choice for a lot bigger corporations promoting via a number of channels, however it could include a steep studying curve.
Shopify’s built-in delivery providers are a extra handy, user-friendly choice for smaller corporations.
The platform comes pre-configured with tons of delivery options, and you’ll even connect with different logistics instruments and apps via 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
- Wonderful flexibility by way of the Shopify app retailer
- Huge reductions with particular delivery companions
- All-in-one enterprise administration answer
Cons:
- Some limitations on scalability for bigger corporations
- Fewer delivery carriers than Shipstation
- Shopify delivery isn’t out there for different ecommerce platforms
Shipstation Execs and Cons
Execs:
- Devoted delivery answer that integrates with varied platforms
- Wonderful automation capabilities
- Highly effective order administration and batch delivery instruments
- Proactive alerts and insights
- Larger reductions from some companions
- Nice branding choices
Cons:
- Larger studying curve for learners
- Will be costly as an add-on service for instruments like Shopify
- Further enterprise administration instruments require a separate platform
Shopify vs Shipstation: The Delivery Options Comparability
In the end, I don’t assume Shipstation can ever reside as much as Shopify for corporations searching for a complete commerce platform.
Shipstation doesn’t supply entry to an internet site builder, advertising instruments, CRM instruments, or stock administration straight.
Nonetheless, there’s lots of overlap between Shopify Delivery and Shipstation. Right here’s a fast, but complete perception into what each options have to supply.
Core Delivery Options
Let’s begin with the fundamentals, Shopify Delivery and Shipstation supply the same bundle of options for companies searching for order success options.
The most important 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 campaigns, and monitor stock.
With Shipstation, you get a devoted “add-on” answer for delivery and order success that may combine with greater than 70 totally different ecommerce channels.
It’s a standalone system that works alongside varied gross sales channels, CRM, ERP, and accounting platforms.
Notably, that doesn’t imply Shopify isn’t versatile. You should use Shopify Delivery alongside your omnichannel gross sales technique, integrating Shopify with social media channels and marketplaces.
You can even use it along side third-party logistics and order success apps, from POD platforms like Printful, to dropshipping instruments.
Each instruments additionally include entry to in depth order administration instruments. You possibly can mix a number of orders to be despatched to the identical deal with, cut up orders when objects are going to totally different places, and create your individual bespoke delivery guidelines.
Each platforms additionally will let you arrange computerized alerts for order mixtures, stock points, and extra.
I do like the truth that with Shopify Delivery, you possibly can examine the cargo standing of merchandise inside Shopify straight, slightly than having to log into third-party websites, nevertheless.
Delivery Carriers and Insurance coverage Choices
In terms of delivery carriers you possibly can select from, Shopify and Shipstation each supply lots of choices.
Shopify delivery works with a spread of in style carriers, from UPS and USPS, to DPD, DHL Categorical, FedEx, Sendle, Evri, and Canada Publish.
Shipstation does supply much more choices although. There are greater than 50 carriers out there to select from worldwide, which is good should you’re working a world enterprise.
Notably, Shopify does enable corporations to develop 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 delivery labels inside each platforms, put together parcels upfront, and optimize your workflows to ship higher experiences to your prospects.
By way of insurance coverage for shipments, each corporations will let you add elective protection to packages. If you’re shopping for delivery labels, you possibly can shortly add further insurance coverage to high-risk parcels.
Shopify prospects utilizing Shopify Funds get $200 of insurance coverage on every eligible label at no cost. Shipstation calculates the price of your insurance coverage robotically for every parcel.
Synthetic Intelligence and Automation Choices
Notably, Shopify’s ever-evolving AI options aren’t actually centered on the success and delivery panorama. A lot of the instruments on the platform, like Shopify Magic, are designed that will help you create content material, change product picture backgrounds, or improve buyer assist with FAQs.
Nonetheless, you need to use AI for deeper insights into tips on how to optimize your delivery and success methods. Plus, Shopify Sidekick offers step-by-step steerage that will help you construct your delivery guidelines.
Shipstation doesn’t supply many superior AI options both, however like Shopify, it helps customers to reinforce their delivery technique with AI-powered insights.
From an automation perspective, I feel Shipstation has a slight edge – not less than for many customers. Most Shipstation plans include entry to superior automation options.
You possibly can robotically assign particular carriers and providers to parcels based mostly on order weight, select default settings for worldwide deliveries, and insure orders robotically.
Plus, you possibly can modify reside provider charges for patrons once they go to your checkout web page.
Shopify additionally provides some nice automation choices. You possibly can customise delivery methods with bulk order success, computerized USPS Scan kind creation, and pickup scheduling.
Plus, you possibly can robotically calculate delivery charges for patrons in real-time.
Nonetheless, essentially the most superior automation capabilities are reserved for Shopify Circulation customers. Shopify Circulation means that you can use delivery associated actions as triggers for sure actions.
As an illustration, when a buyer pays for expedited delivery, you possibly can ship an computerized e mail to your warehouse staff.
Whereas that is glorious, studying tips on how to use Shopify Circulation and join varied providers and instruments could be 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 delivery methods, and handle varied enterprise operations.
Nonetheless, utilizing Shopify Shipping will probably be a lot simpler than studying tips on how 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 delivery 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 your corporation in the identical place.
With Shopify Delivery, every little thing out of your stock and product knowledge 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, logistics, accounting and extra, you possibly can’t join Shopify’s delivery providers with every other ecommerce platform.
Shipstation, then again, is a specialised delivery platform. It doesn’t supply full ecommerce options or web site constructing capabilities, nevertheless it does combine with varied platforms, from Shopify to WooCommerce, Squarespace, BigCommerce, Amazon and Ebay.
Buyer Help, and Buyer Scores
Lastly, let’s check out person critiques and customer support. On G2, Shopify and Shipstation have comparable scores.
Shopify has a ranking 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 delivery capabilities.
For buyer assist, Shopify provides 24/7 help via e mail, chat, and cellphone on each plan. Customers may also entry numerous self-help sources, reminiscent of blogs, tutorials, webinars, and movies. Shipstation provides chat and e mail on most plans, and cellphone assist for costlier plan customers.
It additionally has an ideal group discussion board, and a web based assist middle full of product and have, troubleshooting, and integration guides.
Shopify vs Shipstation: Charges and Pricing
Right here’s the place issues get somewhat difficult, in my view. For those who’re already a Shopify buyer, Shopify Delivery is included on each Shopify pricing plan.
That features the $5 monthly Starter plan, the $39 monthly Primary plan, $105 monthly Shopify plan, and $399 Superior Shopify plan. You can even get further 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 at no cost should you’re solely delivery as much as 25 merchandise a month. After that, costs begin at $9.99 monthly for as much as 50 shipments, and vary as much as $229.99 monthly for as much as 7,500 shipments.
Delivery Reductions
Notably, each Shopify Delivery and Shipstation can assist you get monetary savings on order success too.
Shopify provides as much as 88% off delivery charges with sure companions like USPS, UPS, and DHL Categorical, though your reductions will differ relying in your plan.
Shipstation provides comparable reductions. As an illustration, with UPS, you possibly can stand up to 83% off day by day charges, 77% off floor delivery, 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 delivery perspective, each Shipstation and Shopify have their professionals and cons.
Shipstation is unquestionably the higher choice for big scale companies with world audiences.
Shopify, nevertheless, is the higher choice for corporations searching for an economical, intuitive, and handy answer for managing order success within the Shopify ecosystem.
