The short answer
ShipStation charges one monthly fee by plan and shipment limit, and nothing per label. Starter runs from $14.99 to $174.99; Standard starts at $29.99 and Premium at $349.99. Paying yearly takes 20% off. It earns its fee when you sell on several channels and want automation. For printing labels from one store, a free tool does the same job.
Every ShipStation plan and price
| Shipments a month | Starter | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 50 | $14.99$143.90/yr | $29.99$287.90/yr | $349.99$3,359.90/yr |
| Up to 100 | $29.99$287.90/yr | $59.99$575.90/yr | $399.99$3,839.90/yr |
| Up to 500 | $39.99$383.90/yr | $89.99$863.90/yr | $449.99$4,319.90/yr |
| Up to 1,000 | $79.99$767.90/yr | $149.99$1,439.90/yr | $599.99$5,759.90/yr |
| Up to 2,000 | $119.99$1,151.90/yr | $174.99$1,679.90/yr | $699.99$6,719.90/yr |
| Up to 5,000 | $174.99$1,679.90/yr | $249.99$2,399.90/yr | $799.99$7,679.90/yr |
Checked Oct 23, 2026 on ShipStation's pricing page. US dollars. Postage is extra.
Tiers above 5,000 shipments (Standard and Premium)
| Shipments a month | Starter | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 7,500 | No tier | $349.99$3,359.90/yr | $949.99$9,119.90/yr |
| Up to 10,000 | No tier | $449.99$4,319.90/yr | $1,099.99$10,559.90/yr |
| Up to 15,000 | No tier | $649.99$6,239.90/yr | $1,349.99$12,959.90/yr |
| Up to 20,000 | No tier | $799.99$7,679.90/yr | $1,499.99$14,399.90/yr |
| Up to 30,000 | No tier | $1,149.99$11,039.90/yr | $2,249.99$21,599.90/yr |
| Up to 40,000 | No tier | $1,499.99$14,399.90/yr | $2,999.99$28,799.90/yr |
| Up to 50,000 | No tier | $1,849.99$17,759.90/yr | $3,749.99$35,999.90/yr |
| Up to 75,000 | No tier | $2,799.99$26,879.90/yr | $5,699.99$54,719.90/yr |
| Up to 100,000 | No tier | $3,599.99$34,559.90/yr | $7,499.99$71,999.90/yr |
Checked Oct 23, 2026 on ShipStation's pricing page. US dollars. Postage is extra.
One quirk: on Starter, 100 shipments cost $29.99 and 500 cost $39.99. If you are near 100 a month, the bigger tier costs only $10 more.
What each plan adds
Starter
From $14.99 a month (50 shipments)
3 users · Support: email and chat
Includes
- Unlimited store connections
- Automated rate shopping
- Return labels
- Basic automations
- Reporting
- LTL freight quotes and booking
Standard
From $29.99 a month (50 shipments)
10 users · Support: email, chat and phone
Adds to Starter
- Unlimited automations
- Combine and auto-split orders
- Bring your existing carrier accounts
- Returns and exchanges portal
- Basic warehouse management
- Shipping API
Premium
From $349.99 a month (50 shipments)
15 users · Support: dedicated account management
Adds to Standard
- Advanced inventory management (purchase orders, forecasting)
- Advanced warehouse management (pick to tote)
- Custom analytics
- Auto-routing by inventory and destination
The Starter plan: what you get and where it stops
Starter is the cheapest plan, from $14.99 a month for 50 shipments. It includes 3 users, email and chat support, unlimited store connections, rate shopping across carriers, return labels and basic automation rules.
Where it stops: your own carrier accounts, unlimited automation rules, combining and splitting orders, and phone support all start on Standard, at $29.99 a month for 50 shipments.
Fees beyond the plan price
These terms cost money or catch people out:
- Fee per label
- None. Every plan shows $0.000 per label. You pay postage and any insurance on top. Source: pricing page ↗
- Free trial
- 30 days, no credit card required. Source: pricing page ↗
- Other fees
- Only for extra users, some add-ons (3PL, dropship and fulfillment managers) and Premium Integrations. Their prices are not on the pricing page. Source: pricing page ↗
- Going over your shipment limit
- ShipStation may move you to a plan with a higher limit automatically, or ask you to pick one before you can keep shipping. The upgrade starts at once and that month is prorated. Source: terms of service ↗
- Cancelling
- Any time, online or by phone. Cancel at least 24 hours before your billing period ends to avoid the next charge. Source: terms of service ↗
- Refund window
- Cancel a monthly plan within 90 days of signing up and you get the monthly fees back (not postage or insurance). After 90 days, ShipStation chooses between a partial refund and keeping the account open to the end of the month. Source: terms of service ↗
- Using your own carrier account
- No fee on plans that started on or after July 8, 2025. Older plans may pay one. Source: pricing page ↗
Is ShipStation free? The free trial
No free plan is listed on its pricing page. The free trial lasts 30 days with no credit card. ShipStation’s FAQ says: "If you sign up for a free trial, we will not charge you a dime unless you upgrade your subscription to a paid plan level." Its support list also names a "Free Plan", but the page doesn’t say what an account can do after the trial without paying, so ask before you rely on it. Postage and any insurance you buy during the trial are charged as usual.
What ShipStation costs at your volume
| You ship a month | Plan you need | Monthly | Per shipment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | Starter, up to 50 | $14.99$11.99/mo if paid yearly | $0.50 |
| 100 | Starter, up to 100 | $29.99$23.99/mo if paid yearly | $0.30 |
| 250 | Starter, up to 500 | $39.99$31.99/mo if paid yearly | $0.16 |
| 500 | Starter, up to 500 | $39.99$31.99/mo if paid yearly | $0.08 |
| 1,000 | Starter, up to 1,000 | $79.99$63.99/mo if paid yearly | $0.08 |
| 3,000 | Starter, up to 5,000 | $174.99$139.99/mo if paid yearly | $0.06 |
Per shipment = the monthly price divided by the shipments you send, our arithmetic. Yearly per month = the published yearly price divided by 12.
Spread over each shipment, the plan fee falls from $0.50 at 30 a month to $0.08 at 1,000.
What you pay for postage
Postage is a separate charge on every label, and it is usually the bigger cost. ShipStation’s pricing page says: "Access exclusive 80% – 90% discounts from every major carrier from parcel to LTL freight and cut costs on every label, everywhere you ship." It doesn’t publish label prices there, so compare postage for your own parcel in the cheapest way to ship.
Its discount figure is ShipStation’s own claim. In USPS’s own tables, the discounted label price is 9% to 42% below the post office counter price for the packages we compared. Free tools like Pirate Ship pass on USPS discounted prices too, so the discount alone isn’t a reason to pay for ShipStation. The numbers are in discounted shipping labels.
What owners complain about, checked against the terms
Money complaints from recent public reviews, in our words, checked against ShipStation’s own terms. Reviewers aren’t a typical sample, so check these before you sign.
What owners mentionExtra charges weeks after shipping, when the carrier re-measured a parcel.
- What the terms say (read Oct 26, 2026)
- ShipStation's help center says it takes carrier adjustments from your ShipStation balance, which can go negative, and adds a processing fee of 20% of the adjustment, from $0.50 to $5.00 a shipment, on ShipStation carrier labels. ShipStation's help center ↗
- What to check
- Weigh and measure every box before you buy the label, and review adjustment charges each month.
What owners mentionCharged again after trying to cancel.
- What the terms say (read Oct 26, 2026)
- ShipStation's terms say it bills at the start of each billing cycle and the plan renews until you cancel. The cancel deadline and the refund window are in the fee list above. ShipStation's terms of service ↗
- What to check
- Cancel a few days before the cycle ends, and save the confirmation.
What owners mentionSlow or refused refunds for unused labels.
- What the terms say (read Oct 26, 2026)
- ShipStation's help center says refunds for voided labels come from the postage provider you bought the label from, under that provider's policy, and some carriers don't allow voiding in ShipStation. ShipStation's help center ↗
- What to check
- Void a wrong label right away, and check the carrier's refund window before you rely on it.
What owners mentionHigher bills after plan changes, or fees for extra users, API access or carrier connections.
- What the terms say (read Oct 26, 2026)
- ShipStation's terms promise at least 30 days' notice before your plan fee changes, and renewals are at the then-current fee. Extra-user, add-on and carrier connection fees are in the fee list above. ShipStation's terms of service ↗
- What to check
- Read any price-change email when it arrives: you can cancel in account settings until 24 hours before the new price starts.
Is ShipStation worth it?
It fits sellers with orders coming from several stores or marketplaces, and teams that need automation rules, more than one user, or freight (LTL) quotes next to parcels.
Pick something cheaper if:
- You print labels from one store, USPS or UPS only. Pirate Ship has no monthly fee and no label cap stated.
- You ship 30 labels a month or fewer. Shippo’s Starter plan is free up to 30 labels a month, with FedEx and DHL Express as well as USPS and UPS.
- You sell mainly on Amazon. Veeqo’s Shipping plan is free with unlimited shipments. Its page calls it “an Amazon company”.
See all three side by side in ShipStation vs Shippo vs Pirate Ship, or every platform’s monthly cost in shipping software compared.
We may earn a fee if you sign up with some providers in this list. It never changes the prices we show or what we recommend.
Monthly or yearly billing
Yearly billing is 20% less. Starter for 50 shipments is $143.90 a year, against $179.88 paid monthly, our arithmetic. ShipStation’s terms describe the 90-day refund for monthly plans only, so ask about refunds before you pay for a year. Its pricing page also says you can change your volume tier as needs rise or fall, and that downgrades start at the next billing cycle.
Get told when ShipStation's fees change
Providers change fees with little notice. Alerts start soon, and we'll send nothing else.
Common questions
How much does ShipStation cost a month?
Starter costs $14.99 a month for 50 shipments, $29.99 for 100, $39.99 for 500 and up to $174.99 for 5,000. Standard starts at $29.99 and Premium at $349.99, both up to 100,000 shipments. Paying yearly is 20% less. Postage is charged on top.
Does ShipStation charge a fee for labels?
No. Every plan on ShipStation's pricing page shows $0.000 per label. You pay the plan fee plus the postage for each label, and insurance if you buy it. Extra users, some add-ons and Premium Integrations cost more, at prices the pricing page doesn't list.
Is there a free version of ShipStation?
No free plan is listed on its pricing page. You get a 30-day free trial with no credit card. If you want free label software instead, Pirate Ship has no monthly fee, and Shippo's Starter plan is free for up to 30 labels a month.
What happens if I go over my ShipStation shipment limit?
Under ShipStation's terms, it may move you to a plan with a higher limit automatically, or ask you to choose one before you keep shipping. The upgrade starts right away and that month's fee is prorated.
Can I cancel ShipStation anytime?
Yes. Cancel online or by phone at least 24 hours before your billing period ends to avoid the next charge. If you cancel a monthly plan within 90 days of signing up, its terms promise a refund of the monthly fees, not postage.