The best shipping label software for a small online store is the tool that matches your volume, carriers, and store, not the one with the longest feature list. Free tools suit stores at lower volumes, while subscription tools add automations, branded tracking, and more users as order volume grows. The seven tools below all buy labels, compare rates, and send tracking without asking you to build anything on a shipping API.
How We Compared Shipping Label Software
We scored each tool on five criteria that decide day-to-day cost and workload for a small store. Every price and feature comes from the vendor's own pricing or product page.
- Cost model: subscription, per-label fee, or free, and where the price steps up.
- Carriers: which carriers are built in and which need your own account.
- Tracking notifications: whether customers get tracking updates and whether they can carry your branding.
- Printer compatibility: thermal or inkjet, and whether you can print from a phone.
- Store integrations: which storefronts and marketplaces automatically import orders.
1. Rollo Ship: best for multi-carrier stores in the US and Canada
Rollo Ship is multi-carrier shipping software with no paid plans or monthly fees for shippers in the US and Canada. UPS® and USPS are built in for US shippers; UPS® and Canada Post are built in for Canadian shippers; FedEx® and Purolator® work with your own account (Purolator for Canadian shippers only). Carrier postage still applies.
Cost: There is no label fee on the first 200 labels (once per account). After that, the fee is 5¢ per label, dropping to 1¢ as you level up in Rollo Rewards; Canadian accounts pay 5¢ CAD down to 1¢ CAD. Return labels are charged at full price when they're created.
Carriers:
US: USPS, UPS, and bring your own account with FedEx.
Canada: UPS, Canada Post, and bring your own accounts with FedEx and/or Purolator.
US shippers get up to 90% off USPS retail rates on select services and up to 81% off UPS® Ground, up to 75% off UPS 2nd Day Air®, up to 75% off UPS Next Day Air®, and up to 85% off international services. Rollo Ship compares carrier rates and sorts them by best value, price or speed.
*Please note the 81% off UPS® Ground is for dimensional rates.
*Discounts off UPS daily rates. Rates are limited to shipping from the U.S. only. Rates and any applicable discounts are subject to change at any time without notice.
*Discounts off UPS daily rates. Rates are limited to shipping from Canada only. Rates and any applicable discounts are subject to change at any time without notice.
*Inclusive of applicable fuel and residential surcharge. Not including other additional applicable charges and taxes.
Tracking: Rollo Ship sends tracking notifications with no monthly fee, including for grouped orders whose labels you buy and print in one go.
Printing and stores: Rollo Ship works with any printer you already own, thermal or inkjet, on web, iOS, and Android. There is no requirement for a printer purchase or owning a business to be able to leverage Rollo Ship’s perks. The multi-carrier software also integrates with 16 stores and marketplaces in the US and Canada, including Best Buy, Shopify, Amazon, eBay, WooCommerce, Walmart, and TikTok Shop (US only).
Rollo Ship is rated 4.8★ on Capterra. Rollo has 500,000+ users across the US and Canada.
Best for stores that want UPS®, USPS, and their own FedEx® account rates in the US, and UPS and Canada Post in Canada with connect-your-own FedEx and Purolator accounts.
Limitation: Rollo Ship has no branded tracking page, so stores that want a logo-styled tracking portal need a separate tracking tool.
2. Pirate Ship
Pirate Ship is a free web-based label tool for USPS and UPS shipments sent from the United States. It imports orders through store integrations or a spreadsheet upload, which suits batch shippers.
Cost: free, with no monthly fees or payment fees; Pirate Ship says the carriers pay it.
Carriers: USPS and UPS®, with UPS discounts limited to shipments that start in the US.
Tracking: Pirate Ship emails tracking to recipients one hour after you buy postage by default, and you can change the delay and switch between several email templates.
Best for: US stores that only need USPS and UPS and want zero software cost.
Limitation: Pirate Ship offers USPS and UPS® only, so stores that also want FedEx or Canadian-origin shipping need another tool.
3. Shippo
Shippo is web-based shipping software with a free Starter plan and paid plans that add volume, users, and branding. Shippo is also known as GoShippo.
Cost: Starter is free for up to 30 labels a month, with a 5¢ fee per label on your own carrier accounts. Shippo lists Pro from $205 a year on annual billing for 1–200 labels a month.
Carriers: discounted USPS, UPS®, FedEx®, and DHL Express labels on every plan, plus 40+ carriers in total.
Tracking: shipment tracking is included on Starter; Pro adds branded tracking pages and notification emails.
Best for: growing stores that want branded tracking emails and a wide carrier list in one tool.
Limitation: the free Starter plan covers 30 labels a month for one user, and branded tracking starts on Pro.
4. ShipStation
ShipStation is subscription shipping software priced by monthly shipment volume, with plans that add users and branding as you move up.
Cost: Starter costs $14.99 a month for 50 shipments, and every plan comes with a 30-day free trial with no credit card required. ShipStation lists no free plan.
Carriers: discounted rates from carriers including USPS, UPS®, FedEx®, DHL, and Canada Post on every plan; connecting your own main carrier accounts starts on Standard.
Tracking: Starter sends customer notification emails; the Standard plan, from $29.99 a month, adds branded notification emails and a branded tracking page.
Best for: stores with steady volume that want automations, unlimited store connections, and several users in one dashboard.
Limitation: the price rises with each shipment band, so a store that grows from 50 to 500 shipments a month moves from $14.99 to $39.99 on Starter.
5. Easyship
Easyship is multi-courier shipping software with a free plan and paid plans billed monthly or annually.
Cost: Easyship offers a Free plan described as free forever; paid Plus, Premier, and Scale plans save 20% on annual billing.
Carriers: 550+ courier services across its plans.
Tracking: Easyship's plan comparison lists branded tracking pages and branded tracking emails as paid-plan features.
Best for: stores that ship abroad often and want many courier options in one place.
Limitation: branded tracking pages and emails are not part of the Free plan.
6. Veeqo
Veeqo is Amazon-owned shipping and inventory software whose shipping features are free for everyone, including sellers without an Amazon account.
Cost: shipping is free; Veeqo earns a commission on labels bought through it. Inventory features start at $19 a month, priced by order volume.
Carriers: pre-negotiated rates with Amazon Shipping, UPS®, USPS, FedEx®, DHL, and OnTrac.
Tracking: Veeqo can email customers a shipping confirmation with a tracking link, set per sales channel.
Best for: sellers on Amazon, Shopify, eBay, Walmart, WooCommerce, or TikTok Shop who want shipping and stock in one tool.
Limitation: Veeqo's pricing page does not state the label commission as a figure, and inventory tools are a paid add-on.
7. ShippingEasy
ShippingEasy is shipping software with a free Starter plan and paid Growth tiers priced by monthly shipment volume.
Cost: Starter is free for up to 25 shipments a month. Growth costs $19.99 a month for 26–200 shipments, with a 30-day free trial.
Carriers: discounted USPS and UPS® rates; connecting your own carrier account costs extra.
Tracking: Growth includes branded tracking tools and custom logos on labels.
Best for: small US stores that want branded tracking at a low monthly price.
Limitation: prices above 200 shipments a month appear only after you enter your typical volume.
Shipping label software compared
| Tool | Cost model | Entry price | Carriers | Tracking notifications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rollo Ship | Per-label fee, no subscription | No label fee on first 200 labels (once per account), then 5¢ down to 1¢ | US: UPS®, USPS built in, FedEx® on your own account; Canada: UPS®, Canada Post built in, FedEx®, Purolator® on your own account | Tracking notifications, no monthly fee |
| Pirate Ship | Free | $0 | USPS, UPS® | Tracking emails, adjustable timing and templates |
| Shippo | Free tier + subscription | Free up to 30 labels/mo; Pro from $17/mo | USPS, UPS®, FedEx®, DHL Express + 40+ carriers | Branded pages and emails on Pro |
| ShipStation | Subscription by volume | $14.99/mo for 50 shipments | USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, Canada Post and more | Notification emails; branded on Standard |
| Easyship | Free plan + subscription | Free plan | 550+ courier services | Branded pages and emails on paid plans |
| Veeqo | Free shipping, label commission | $0 for shipping | Amazon Shipping, UPS®, USPS, FedEx, DHL, OnTrac | Shipping confirmation with tracking link |
| ShippingEasy | Free tier + subscription | Free up to 25 shipments/mo; Growth $19.99/mo | USPS, UPS® | Branded tracking on Growth |
Pricing checked October 2026. Carrier postage is extra with every tool.
How to Choose by Store Type
Start with where you ship from and how many parcels leave each month, then check which tool covers those carriers without a plan upgrade.
- New US store, under 30 orders a month: Pirate Ship, Shippo Starter or ShippingEasy Starter cover labels and tracking at no software cost.
- US store that wants FedEx without a subscription: Rollo Ship shows UPS®, USPS, and FedEx® rates side by side, with FedEx® on your own account.
- Canadian store: Rollo Ship builds in UPS® and Canada Post for Canadian shippers and adds FedEx® and Purolator® on your own account.
- Brand-focused store: Shippo Pro, ShipStation Standard, or ShippingEasy Growth add branded tracking pages or emails.
- Amazon-heavy seller with stock across channels: Veeqo pairs free shipping tools with paid inventory features.
- Frequent international shipper: Easyship lists 550+ courier services.
If your developers would rather not maintain carrier integrations, any of these tools replaces that work with a dashboard and a store connection.
FAQs
What is the best shipping label software for a small business?
The best shipping label software for a small business is the one that covers your carriers at your monthly volume. Free tools such as Pirate Ship and Shippo Starter suit low volume, while ShipStation and ShippingEasy Growth charge by shipment band for added features.
Is shipping label software free to use?
Several tools have no subscription, but carrier postage always applies. Some charge per label instead: Shippo Starter charges 5¢ on your own carrier accounts, and Rollo Ship charges 5¢ down to 1¢ after the first 200 labels, a once-per-account allowance.
Can I send customers tracking emails without a paid plan?
Yes. Pirate Ship emails tracking to recipients, Veeqo can send shipping confirmations with a tracking link, and Rollo Ship sends tracking notifications with no monthly fee. Branded tracking pages usually sit on paid plans, such as Shippo Pro or ShipStation Standard.
Do I need a thermal printer to print shipping labels?
No. Rollo Ship prints labels on any thermal or inkjet printer from the web, iOS, and Android. A thermal label printer is optional, but it prints labels without ink.
