Top Shipping Service
Expert Review Updated February 11, 2026

ShipEngine Review

Enterprise shipping API powering over a billion shipments with 200+ carrier integrations

By TopShippingSoftware Team
8.4
Very Good How we rate
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Score Breakdown

Pricing 7.5
Features 9.2
Ease of Use 7.0
Carriers 9.8
Support 7.5
Scalability 9.8

Pros

  • Industry-leading 200+ carrier integrations worldwide
  • Powerful REST API with excellent developer documentation
  • Embeddable UI components (Elements) for custom builds
  • Address validation, rate comparison, and tracking in one API
  • Enterprise-grade scalability powering 1B+ shipments

Cons

  • No user-facing dashboard — purely API/developer focused
  • Requires technical team to implement and maintain
  • Pricing not publicly transparent
  • Not suitable for non-technical small businesses

Pricing

Pricing model: per-label Free plan available

Free

Free

  • 500 labels/month
  • 200+ carrier integrations
  • Rate comparison
  • Address validation
  • Tracking API
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Most Popular

Growth

Custom pricing

  • Higher label volumes
  • Priority support
  • Dedicated account manager
  • Custom carrier onboarding
  • SLA guarantees
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Overview

ShipEngine is a developer-focused shipping API platform that powers label generation, rate comparison, tracking, and address validation across 200+ carriers worldwide. Part of the Auctane family (alongside ShipStation and Stamps.com), ShipEngine has processed over a billion shipments and serves as the backbone for many shipping platforms and 3PL providers.

Unlike consumer-facing shipping software, ShipEngine is designed for developers and technical teams who need to embed shipping functionality into their own applications, marketplaces, or fulfillment systems.

Key Features

200+ Carrier Integrations

ShipEngine connects to more carriers than virtually any other shipping API — from major carriers like USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL to regional and international carriers across dozens of countries.

Embeddable UI Components (Elements)

ShipEngine Elements are pre-built web components that developers can embed directly into their applications for rate shopping, label creation, and tracking — reducing development time significantly.

Comprehensive REST API

The API provides endpoints for label generation, rate comparison, address validation, package tracking, customs documentation, and returns management — all through a single integration.

Address Validation

Built-in address validation checks addresses against postal databases in multiple countries, reducing failed deliveries and surcharges.

Who Is ShipEngine Best For?

  • Developers building custom shipping solutions
  • 3PL providers needing multi-carrier API access
  • Platforms and marketplaces embedding shipping functionality
  • Enterprise businesses with complex shipping requirements

The Bottom Line

ShipEngine is the gold standard for shipping APIs, offering unmatched carrier coverage and developer tools. Its free tier (500 labels/month) makes it accessible for testing and small-scale projects, while enterprise plans scale to handle massive volumes. However, it's strictly a developer tool — businesses looking for a ready-to-use dashboard should consider ShipStation or Shippo instead.