EasyPost vs Shippo at a Glance
EasyPost and Shippo are both developer-first shipping APIs that compete directly in the programmatic shipping space. EasyPost positions itself as the enterprise-grade API with 100+ carriers and extensive global coverage, while Shippo offers a more approachable developer experience with both API access and a web dashboard for manual operations.
| Feature | EasyPost | Shippo |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | Free ($0.02/label after) | Free ($0.05/label after) |
| Free Plan | Yes (limited) | Yes (unlimited) |
| Overall Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 |
| Best For | Enterprise API needs | Hybrid API + dashboard |
| Carrier Count | 100+ | 50+ |
| Web Dashboard | No | Yes |
| API Documentation | Excellent | Excellent |
| Per-Label Cost | From $0.02 | From $0.05 |
Pricing Comparison
Both platforms offer developer-friendly pay-per-use pricing without monthly minimums.
EasyPost provides a free tier with 120,000 address verifications annually, then charges from $0.02/label for shipping labels. Volume discounts apply at higher tiers.
Shippo offers unlimited free usage with pay-per-label pricing starting at $0.05/label. The Professional plan at $19/month includes 500 labels (effectively $0.038/label) plus additional features.
Cost comparison for different volumes:
- 100 labels/month: EasyPost $2.00 vs. Shippo $5.00
- 500 labels/month: EasyPost $10.00 vs. Shippo $19.00 (Professional) or $25.00 (free tier)
- 1,000 labels/month: EasyPost $20.00 vs. Shippo $50.00 (free tier)
Winner: EasyPost - Significantly lower per-label costs, especially at volume.
Features Comparison
Carrier Coverage
EasyPost supports 100+ carriers worldwide including major providers (USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL) plus numerous regional and international carriers across multiple countries.
Shippo connects to 50+ carriers including all major ones (USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL) plus important regional carriers, which covers most business needs effectively.
Winner: EasyPost - Double the carrier options provides more flexibility globally.
API Design & Documentation
EasyPost offers a comprehensive RESTful API with excellent documentation, extensive code samples, and SDKs in multiple programming languages. The API is designed for enterprise-scale implementations.
Shippo provides an equally well-documented API that's known for being more developer-friendly and easier to integrate, with clear examples and intuitive endpoints.
Winner: Tie - Both offer excellent APIs, with EasyPost being more comprehensive and Shippo being more approachable.
Web Dashboard
Shippo includes a web dashboard for manual label creation, order management, and business analytics - useful for hybrid teams that need both API and manual access.
EasyPost is API-only with no user-facing dashboard for manual operations. Everything must be done programmatically or through custom-built interfaces.
Winner: Shippo - Dashboard flexibility is valuable for non-technical users and testing.
Address Verification
EasyPost provides address verification for 160+ countries with 120,000 free verifications annually, then pay-per-use pricing.
Shippo offers address validation through its API but with less comprehensive global coverage and no specific free tier for verifications.
Winner: EasyPost - More comprehensive global address verification.
Webhook & Tracking
EasyPost offers robust webhook support with real-time tracking updates and comprehensive event data for building responsive applications.
Shippo provides webhook functionality with tracking updates, though with somewhat less granular event data than EasyPost.
Winner: EasyPost - More comprehensive webhook and tracking data.
Rate Shopping
EasyPost excels at rate comparison across its 100+ carrier network, often finding options that other platforms miss, especially for international shipping.
Shippo provides solid rate comparison across its carrier network with competitive domestic and international rates.
Winner: EasyPost - More carrier options typically mean better rate optimization.
Integration & Development Experience
Implementation Complexity
Shippo is generally easier to implement for developers new to shipping APIs, with more straightforward endpoints and better getting-started documentation.
EasyPost requires more technical expertise to implement fully but offers more granular control and enterprise-level features.
Winner: Shippo - Better for getting started quickly; EasyPost better for complex requirements.
SDKs & Libraries
EasyPost provides official SDKs in more languages (Ruby, Python, PHP, Node.js, Java, C#, Go) with comprehensive feature coverage.
Shippo offers SDKs in major languages (Python, Ruby, Node.js, PHP, Java, C#) with good feature coverage but fewer language options.
Winner: EasyPost - More comprehensive SDK ecosystem.
Community & Support
Shippo offers community support on the free tier with responsive email support on paid plans, plus the benefit of the web dashboard for troubleshooting.
EasyPost provides community support on the free tier with priority email support on paid usage, though no dashboard for non-technical troubleshooting.
Winner: Shippo - Better support options for mixed technical teams.
When to Choose Each Platform
Choose EasyPost if:
- You need access to 100+ carriers globally
- You're building enterprise-scale applications
- You want the lowest possible per-label costs
- You need comprehensive address verification globally
- You're building API-only integrations with no manual interface needs
- You require granular webhook and tracking data
- You're comfortable with API-only implementation
Choose Shippo if:
- You want both API access and a web dashboard for manual operations
- You need a more approachable developer experience
- You have mixed technical and non-technical users
- You want included features like analytics and reporting
- You're building customer-facing shipping applications
- You need faster time-to-market for shipping features
- You prefer a more comprehensive getting-started experience
Use Case Scenarios
Enterprise SaaS Platform: Choose EasyPost for its comprehensive carrier network and enterprise-grade API features.
E-commerce Platform: Choose Shippo for the hybrid API + dashboard approach that serves both developers and business users.
High-Volume Shipper: Choose EasyPost for lower per-label costs at scale.
Multi-User Team: Choose Shippo for the web dashboard that non-technical team members can use.
Alternative Considerations
For businesses seeking comprehensive shipping software beyond just API access, AtoShip offers a complete platform with solid API capabilities alongside full-featured web-based shipping management.
Final Verdict
Choose EasyPost if you're building enterprise-scale, API-only shipping solutions and need the broadest possible carrier coverage at the lowest per-label cost. It's the more technically sophisticated option for developers who don't need manual interfaces.
Choose Shippo if you want the flexibility of both API and web dashboard access with a more approachable developer experience. It's better for teams with mixed technical abilities and businesses that need manual shipping capabilities alongside programmatic access.
For non-developer alternatives, see our best shipping software for small business guide.
Both are excellent choices for developers - the decision comes down to whether you prioritize cost and carrier breadth (EasyPost) or flexibility and ease of use (Shippo).