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ShipEngine

ShipEngine

The Multi-Carrier Shipping API built for speed and control.

#8 dans Ecommerce Shipping
2 min read · Updated 11/21/2025
ShipEngine homepage screenshot

At a glance

Quick overview for ShipEngine: rating, pricing summary, key features, and highlights.
Free trial
Yes — 30 days
Range: $0–$75+/monthFree plan, Monthly subscription, Usage-based pricing
This section is a summary. Detailed sections about features, use cases, pricing, and reviews follow below.
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ShipEngine review, pricing, features, pros & cons

Managing complicated shipping logistics often leads to wasted time and higher costs. ShipEngine provides a modern, reliable API built to help you take control of your shipping experience.

Integrating it allows you to effortlessly reduce operational costs, improve efficiency, and create a customized process quickly. ✨

What is ShipEngine?

ShipEngine serves as the definitive Multi-Carrier Shipping API, offering support for every essential stage of delivery. This tool is perfect for merchants, developers, and tech partners seeking reliable, enterprise-grade performance.

Merchants benefit from discounted rates and tools to manage shipping, tracking, and returns. Developers can utilize the free sandbox, SDKs, and comprehensive API docs. Everyone integrates once to gain simple access to over 200 global carriers. đź’ˇ

ShipEngine Key Features

✨ Seamless Global Carrier Connectivity

ShipEngine serves as the definitive Multi-Carrier Shipping API. You integrate just once to gain simple access to over 200 major carriers across the world.

This broad reach ensures you can maximize your global presence without complex development work. Whether you are shipping domestically or internationally, you utilize a reliable, consistent foundation. Merchants benefit from unlocking large discounts on retail shipping prices, too.

✨ Real-Time Rate Comparison and Label Generation

The API helps you reduce costs by comparing available rates instantly. You can check pricing across all connected carriers to pick the best price for your current shipments.

After you select the carrier and service, you quickly create the necessary shipping labels. For international shipments, the system helps you create required customs documentation seamlessly. Developers can easily add rate comparison into custom systems in minutes.

✨ Maximizing Accuracy with Data Tools

ShipEngine includes tools that enhance your data accuracy before fulfillment begins. The Address Validation endpoint helps prevent failed deliveries and returns by ensuring shipping addresses are correct. This is critical for improving your customer checkout experience.

You can also consolidate data easily from various order sources. This feature improves overall accuracy and speeds up your fulfillment process. Additionally, the platform supports calculating taxes and duties for complex shipments and searching for Pick-Up Drop-Off (PUDO) locations.

✨ Performance and Workflow Automation

This reliable, high-performance API is built for enterprise speed and total control. It allows you to automate fulfillment processes, which helps your business scale and grow faster.

It adds crucial shipping functionality into any custom system, including 3PLs, WMS, ERPs, or marketplaces. The integration is remarkably simple. ShipEngine allows you to transform complex logistics into an efficient, seamless workflow.

🤝 Improving Customer Experience Management

You can significantly improve post-purchase communication using the built-in tracking features. ShipEngine helps you communicate instant delivery updates, which limits customer inquiries and frees up your support staff. You can also create tracking webhooks to automate notifications. 🤝

Supporting customer returns is also simple. You can easily print and include returns labels with packages. This functionality cuts down on administration time and helps your business efficiently recover associated costs.

✨ Tools for Rapid Developer Integration

Developers receive all the resources needed to integrate quickly and effectively. You can access comprehensive API documentation and various SDKs.

The free sandbox environment is offered complimentary for 30 days, allowing full development and testing using mock accounts. This powerful toolset ensures you can achieve rapid integration and add complex shipping functionality in minutes, not months.

Use Cases

đź›’ Boosting E-commerce Conversions at Checkout

A merchant needs to provide highly accurate shipping options during the purchase process. They quickly embed ShipEngine’s customizable 'Elements' features directly into their checkout flow. This allows customers to see accurate costs and convenient choices immediately.

ShipEngine simultaneously validates the customer's provided address in real-time. This combination increases customer confidence and prevents failed deliveries before the package even leaves the warehouse. You increase conversions by removing unexpected shipping costs.

🌍 Global Carrier Access for Enterprise Systems

Warehouse Management System (WMS) providers usually struggle to support various carrier integrations globally. They integrate the ShipEngine API once to solve this complex logistics problem. This single connection immediately grants access to over 200 major global carriers.

This simple integration rapidly adds complex shipping functions—like label creation and customs documentation—into custom systems. The integration supports higher volume, allowing the partner’s clients to grow faster while accessing all necessary worldwide transport options.

đź’° Finding the Best Rate Every Time

Problem: Shipping costs cut into our profit margins, and our team manually checks multiple carrier sites for the lowest price. Approach: We integrated the Shipping Rate Comparison feature into our order processing queue. The API now checks carrier rates automatically and picks the best value before generating the label.

Expected outcome: The business reduces operational costs by guaranteeing the lowest practical cost for every shipment.

↩️ Streamlining Customer Returns and Administration

Returns often create significant administrative burdens and add unnecessary customer friction. Merchants use the Returns feature to simplify this entire process. They automatically print and include a returns label with the original outgoing package.

This workflow cuts down administrative time and improves customer experience during returns. It also helps companies quickly recover costs once the item is back in storage.

Tip: Clear return options help secure repeat customer business.

⚙️ Rapid Prototyping and Development Testing

A developer needs to quickly test complex shipping logic without using live carrier accounts or paying fees. They sign up for a free developer account to access comprehensive API documentation and SDKs. The complimentary 30-day sandbox environment is perfect for this.

In the sandbox, the team can fully test essential endpoints like address validation and real-time rate checking. This speeds up the development cycle, allowing integration of shipping functionality in minutes, not months.

đź“Š Centralizing Multi-Channel Order Data

Modern merchants sell products across many different online selling channels and marketplaces. This often results in fragmented data that slows down fulfillment processes. ShipEngine helps consolidate data efficiently.

The API easily pulls and merges order information from all the various order sources into one view. This centralized data improves shipping accuracy and drastically increases fulfillment speed across the entire operation.

Pricing Overview for ShipEngine

Pricing range
$0–$75+/month
Pricing types
Free plan, Monthly subscription, Usage-based pricing

ShipEngine offers a flexible pricing structure starting with a $0/month Free tier, scaling up to the Advanced plan at $75/month. Pricing primarily depends on monthly shipment volume and whether you need unrestricted API access and the ability to use your own carrier accounts.

Plans & Pricing

Free

Monthly$0
Subscription free access using discounted carriers; no API usage charges.
  • Connect with carrier accounts
  • Create labels and compare rates
  • Large discounts on retail prices
  • Track parcels
  • Create tracking webhooks
  • Sandbox environment
Create a Free Account

Advanced (Recommended)

Monthly$75
Starts with 1,000 labels per month. Overage fee: +$0.075 per additional label.
  • Everything in Free plan
  • Bring your own carrier accounts
  • Validate any address
  • Search for PUDO locations
  • Calculate taxes and duties
  • Unlimited selling channels
  • Track any parcel
Get Started

Enterprise

Contact for pricing
Tailored for companies managing over 25,000+ shipments monthly.
  • Everything in Advanced plan
  • Custom billing methods
  • Higher rate limits
  • Dedicated Implementation manager
  • Live chat and scheduled calls
Talk with an Expert

Custom

Contact for pricing
Designed for larger operations needing expert support.
  • Everything in Advanced plan, plus Enterprise features
  • Build with our Shipping Elements
  • Create accounts using the API
Talk with an Expert

ShipEngine costs between $0 and $75+ per month with four plans: Free at $0, Advanced starting at $75, Enterprise, and Custom (contact sales).

Review the plans below to see which option fits your business needs best. Every plan provides essential API access and leverage to secure great carrier discounts.

Free

Price: $0/month Websites Supported: Not explicitly stated Best For: Essential API access and unlocking discounted carrier rates Refund Policy: Not explicitly stated Other Features:

  • Connect with our carrier accounts
  • Create labels and compare rates
  • Large discounts on retail prices
  • Complimentary 30-day sandbox access

The Free plan gives you subscription-free entry to the platform so you can start shipping immediately. You can leverage ShipEngine's discounted carriers without any API usage charges. This is a hassle-free place to start testing the waters and exploring the platform's core features.

Advanced (Recommended)

Price: $75/month (starting price) Websites Supported: Unlimited selling channels Best For: Adding your own carrier accounts with complete API access Refund Policy: Not explicitly stated Other Features:

  • Bring your own carrier accounts
  • Includes 1,000 labels per month
  • Validate any address and search for PUDO locations
  • Calculate taxes and duties

This recommended plan provides unrestricted API access and the flexibility to use your own carrier accounts. The base price includes 1,000 monthly labels. If you exceed the initial label count, overage fees start at $0.075 per additional label. Advanced is perfect for growing businesses needing enhanced functionality like validating addresses and tax calculations.

Enterprise

Price: Not explicitly stated Websites Supported: Not explicitly stated Best For: Companies or partners managing over 25,000+ shipments monthly Refund Policy: Not explicitly stated Other Features:

  • Custom billing methods
  • Higher rate limits
  • Dedicated implementation manager
  • Live chat and scheduled calls

Enterprise is tailored for large-scale operations and high-volume users handling more than 25,000 shipments monthly. This tier provides sophisticated support and management tools designed to handle highly complex workflows. You will need to contact the sales team to discuss personalized rates based on your specific volume and needs.

Custom

Price: Not explicitly stated Websites Supported: Not explicitly stated Best For: Larger operations needing extra support and specialized integration Refund Policy: Not explicitly stated Other Features:

  • Everything in Advanced plus Enterprise features
  • Build with our Shipping Elements
  • Create accounts using the API

Custom solutions are designed for businesses requiring specialized integrations and dedicated developer collaboration, often involving the use of Shipping Elements. This plan provides the most comprehensive level of support and tailored features. Talk with their expert team to design a bespoke solution for unique operational challenges.

ShipEngine offers a valuable 30-day free trial of the sandbox environment, allowing developers to fully test the API using mock accounts. Importantly, the Free plan itself remains available past this trial period for accessing discounted carrier rates. If your business is high-volume or requires complex features, reaching out to their specialized sales team is the best next step. âś…

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Why use ShipEngine?

Why choose ShipEngine? It offers remarkably simple integration that transforms complex logistics into a seamless workflow. You're building an experience where fulfillment is automated, allowing your business to grow faster. âś…

Here are some core benefits:

  • Achieve Rapid Integration: Add complex shipping functionalities—like rate comparison and address validation—into custom systems in minutes, not months.
  • Maximize Global Reach: Integrate once to quickly connect with the world's 200+ major carriers and create necessary customs documentation.
  • Enhance Efficiency: Automate fulfillment processes using the flexible, high-performance API to ensure you grow faster.
  • Improve Customer Experience: Communicate delivery updates instantly to limit customer inquiries. You can also easily include returns labels to cut administration and recover costs.
  • Consolidate Data: Easily pull and consolidate data across all your various order sources, improving accuracy and speed.

Ready to transform your workflow with ShipEngine?

Try it nowView pricing

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between the 30-day complimentary trial and the Free plan?

The 30-day trial grants you access to the sandbox environment, allowing you to thoroughly test the API using mock carrier accounts. Once the trial ends, the $0 Free plan remains available indefinitely. This lets you keep leveraging ShipEngine's discounted carrier rates for operational use.

How do label printing limits differ from API call volume quotas?

Label limits refer to the number of shipping labels you create each month; the Advanced plan starts with 1,000 labels. API call quotas restrict access to specific functions like address validation or rate shopping endpoints. Both label volume and API calls are usage metrics associated with monthly billing.

What happens if I exceed my monthly API call limit on the Advanced plan?

The Advanced plan provides bundles ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 API calls per month for key endpoints. If you exceed this number, you can simply pay for additional API usage on a pay-as-you-go basis. If your volume is over 25,000 calls per month, you should contact the sales team.

What kind of support response times or SLAs are offered to standard subscribers?

We offer 24/7 email support for all users. Live chat support is provided Monday through Friday, available from 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Central Time for North America and 9 a.m.–5 p.m. GTM for European accounts. Enterprise users benefit from dedicated account management and scheduled calls.

Are specific onboarding or migration services offered?

Yes, businesses on the Enterprise tier receive assistance from a Dedicated Implementation Manager. This manager helps tailor processes for high-volume or complex operational challenges. All plans allow users to schedule a call with support when needed.

Does ShipEngine charge per user seat, or is pricing strictly usage-based?

Pricing is strictly usage-based and calculated according to monthly API call volume and the number of shipping labels created. The official pricing documentation does not mention or restrict the number of users or seats.

How can I integrate ShipEngine into my existing business systems?

ShipEngine acts as a flexible API designed for rapid integration with various systems. You can connect it with your 3PL, WMS, ERP, external marketplaces, or any custom-built internal fulfillment system.

Is ShipEngine suitable for small businesses just starting out?

The $0 Free plan provides subscription-free access to core features and discounted carrier rates, making it an excellent starting point. The platform is best tailored for growing businesses and high-volume operations managing over 25,000 shipments monthly.

What is the refund or money-back guarantee policy if I cancel my subscription?

A specific refund policy or money-back guarantee is not explicitly stated on the official site. You should contact the sales or support team directly for details regarding cancellations or subscription refunds.

Do I need to pay VAT on my ShipEngine charges in the UK?

UK businesses registered for VAT must input their VAT Registration Number into the dashboard to ensure the correct tax is applied. If this valid VAT ID is not provided, VAT will be applied to all billable transactions, including labels and subscriptions.

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