Shipengine

What is shipengine

ShipEngine is a developer-focused shipping API and logistics platform that connects e-commerce stores, marketplaces, and internal order systems to multiple parcel carriers. It centralizes common shipping tasks — address validation, rate shopping, label generation, tracking, customs forms, and returns — behind a single REST API and language SDKs. The platform is intended for engineering teams who want programmatic control of shipping workflows and for operations teams who want to automate carrier selection, label printing, and post-shipment updates.

ShipEngine emphasizes a single integration point for multiple carriers so teams don’t have to maintain separate connections to each carrier’s API. It supports carrier-neutral workflows (create a shipment, get rates, purchase a label) and higher-level features such as batch label creation, webhooks for status changes, and reporting on shipping spend. Organizations commonly use ShipEngine to reduce carrier complexity, centralize shipping rules, and gain automation across order fulfillment and returns.

ShipEngine is also positioned as a neutral intermediary that can apply negotiated carrier discounts and present consolidated billing or pass-through billing depending on the customer’s carrier accounts. For many customers, that reduces the overhead of managing multiple carrier contracts, while still preserving the ability to use specific carrier accounts when required.

Shipengine features

ShipEngine provides a broad set of shipping-related features designed for integration into web and backend systems. Core capabilities include:

• Address validation and correction: Global address parsing and verification to reduce undeliverable shipments and automated address standardization.
• Rate shopping and carrier comparison: Side-by-side rate comparisons across supported carriers with options for delivery speed, cost, and preference rules.
• Label and postage purchase: Create and buy shipping labels in common formats (ZPL, PNG, PDF) and handle postage calculation, refunds, and voiding of labels.
• Tracking and webhooks: Track shipments across carriers, receive webhook notifications for status changes, and programmatically update order records.
• Customs and international forms: Automated customs documentation and HS tariff handling for international shipments.
• Returns management: Generate return labels, manage RMA workflows, and handle reverse logistics rules.
• Batch processing and bulk labels: Batch label creation from CSV or API calls and queueing for high-volume printing.
• Rules engine and carrier selection: Configure shipping rules to enforce preferred carriers, maximum costs, delivery time thresholds, or account selection.
• Reporting and analytics: Insight into shipping spend, carrier performance, and label volume across accounts.
• Developer SDKs and client libraries: Official SDKs and community-maintained libraries for common languages to speed integration.

What does shipengine do?

ShipEngine provides programmatic access to the full lifecycle of parcel shipping operations. It turns order data into validated shipments and purchased labels, then exposes tracking and status events back to the calling system. Typical developer flows include: validate an address, request rates for multiple carriers, select a rate programmatically, create and purchase the label, and set webhooks to monitor delivery.

Beyond single-shipment workflows, ShipEngine supports orchestration tasks such as bulk label creation, automated carrier failovers, and returns orchestration. For international commerce, it automates customs documentation and harmonized tariff code handling so teams don’t need to build country-by-country logic.

ShipEngine is commonly embedded into e-commerce platforms, marketplace backends, ERP systems, and warehouse management systems where shipping decisions must be made programmatically and at scale. The API-centric approach makes it possible to integrate shipping into existing checkout flows, pick-and-pack printers, and order-management dashboards.

Shipengine pricing

ShipEngine offers these pricing plans:

• Free Plan: $0/month — developer sandbox access, limited monthly label volume, API keys for testing, and community support. Intended for evaluation and low-volume development.
• Starter: $49/month or $490/year — production API keys, higher monthly label allowance, access to standard carriers, email support, and basic reporting.
• Professional: $199/month or $1,990/year — higher monthly volumes, advanced features (batch labels, advanced analytics), phone and priority email support, and multi-account carrier management.
• Enterprise: Custom pricing — negotiable monthly fees with volume-based label discounts, SLA-backed support, dedicated account management, and custom integrations.

Check ShipEngine's current pricing for the latest rates and enterprise options.

How much is shipengine per month

ShipEngine starts at $0/month with a free developer tier for testing and low-volume usage. Production plans typically begin around $49/month for a Starter tier offering an increased monthly label allowance and access to standard support. Higher-volume and feature-rich plans like Professional are commonly priced around $199/month, while Enterprise plans are custom-priced based on transaction volume and service requirements.

How much is shipengine per year

ShipEngine costs $0/year for the developer Free Plan. For production use, the Starter tier is commonly offered at $490/year when billed annually and the Professional tier is commonly shown as $1,990/year when billed annually. Enterprise customers receive custom annual contracts based on usage, support level, and SLA commitments.

How much is shipengine in general

ShipEngine pricing ranges from $0 (free) to $199+/month. Small shops and developers can start at no cost for sandbox access; mid-market users typically pay in the tens to low hundreds per month, and large shippers negotiate custom Enterprise contracts with per-label discounts and dedicated support. Actual total cost depends on label volume, carrier fees, international shipping needs, and any billed monthly subscription for advanced features.

What is shipengine used for

ShipEngine is used to automate shipping workflows in commerce and logistics systems. Typical uses include: label generation and postage purchase during checkout, scheduled batch label printing for fulfillment centers, and programmatic rate shopping to reduce shipping costs. Engineers integrate ShipEngine to centralize carrier logic and avoid maintaining multiple carrier APIs in-house.

Operationally, ShipEngine is used to: reduce manual label entry, eliminate address-related shipping errors through validation, and automate shipment tracking updates back to orders and customers. Returns teams use the platform to issue pre-paid return labels and capture returns tracking, simplifying reverse logistics.

From a business perspective, teams use ShipEngine to gain insight into carrier performance, aggregate shipping spend, and to apply business rules that prioritize carriers by cost, speed, or reliability. The API-centered design also enables product teams to surface accurate shipping costs at checkout, improving conversion and reducing surprise fees for customers.

Pros and cons of shipengine

Pros:

• Centralized multi-carrier API reduces integration complexity and maintenance overhead. Engineering teams integrate once and gain access to many carriers and features.
• Developer-friendly documentation, SDKs, and example integrations speed up implementation and reduce time to production.
• Built-in features such as address validation, rate shopping, and customs form generation handle common shipping pain points without custom development.
• Webhooks and tracking make it practical to synchronize shipment status and automate customer notifications.

Cons:

• Pricing and label discounts can vary depending on negotiated carrier contracts; organizations with deep carrier relationships may prefer direct integrations to preserve custom discounts.
• As a third-party middleware, ShipEngine introduces an extra dependency in the fulfillment stack, which requires consideration for redundancy and outage planning.
• Very large shippers with unique carrier integrations or specialized logistics needs may require custom Enterprise work and consultancy.

Operational considerations:

• For teams that need the lowest possible per-label cost and have the engineering resources, directly integrating with carriers might deliver better long-term savings but at the cost of maintenance complexity.
• ShipEngine is best suited for teams that prioritize time-to-market, centralized logic across platforms, and automation over absolute minimal postage costs.

Shipengine free trial

ShipEngine provides a free developer tier that functions as a trial environment for most teams. The Free Plan offers sandbox API keys, example carrier test accounts, and a limited number of test label transactions so developers can prototype and validate integration flows without upfront cost. This environment mirrors production endpoints while preventing real carrier billing.

After validating in the sandbox, teams switch to production API keys and may be asked to provide carrier account details or billing information depending on the chosen plan. The free tier is helpful for building and QA; most teams move to the Starter or Professional tiers for live label purchase and higher monthly volumes.

Check ShipEngine's developer documentation to learn how to get started with the sandbox environment and promote keys to production.

Is shipengine free

Yes, ShipEngine offers a free developer tier that provides sandbox access, sample carriers in test mode, and a limited number of development/test labels per month. The free tier is designed for prototyping and QA, while production labeling and higher monthly volumes require a paid plan.

Shipengine API

ShipEngine's API is the core product. It exposes endpoints for address validation, rates, shipments, labels, tracking, and returns. The API is RESTful and returns JSON, and ShipEngine publishes comprehensive documentation, example workflows, and SDKs for several languages. Key API capabilities include:

• Create and manage shipments: build shipment objects from order data and purchase postage programmatically.
• Rate quotes and comparisons: retrieve rates across carriers and service levels with breakdowns for transit time and cost.
• Label generation: produce printable labels in multiple formats and handle label voids and refunds.
• Tracking and events: poll or subscribe to shipment status updates and transform carrier-specific statuses into normalized events.
• Address validation: verify address deliverability and obtain normalized address formats for reliable shipping.
• Batch endpoints: upload CSVs or issue bulk API calls for high-volume label generation.
• Webhooks: register callbacks for shipment created, in transit, delivered, exception, and return events.

ShipEngine provides official SDKs and client libraries to reduce integration effort; check the ShipEngine API reference for language-specific guides, code samples, and best practices. The API supports secure authentication using API keys, rate limiting parameters, and error handling patterns suitable for production-grade integrations.

10 Shipengine alternatives

Paid alternatives to ShipEngine

• EasyPost — A widely used shipping API that offers rate shopping, label generation, and tracking across a broad carrier set; often compared directly with ShipEngine for API coverage and developer experience.
• Shippo — API-first shipping and label platform with a merchant dashboard; popular with SMBs for its hybrid API and UI approach.
• ShipStation — Primarily a merchant-focused shipping management and label printing app with integrations to carts and marketplaces; better suited for operations teams that prefer a GUI-driven workflow.
• Stamps.com — Strong for USPS-centric sellers and desktop-based label printing workflows; less flexible as a developer API than ShipEngine.
• Endicia — Focused on USPS postage and business mail; valuable for high-volume domestic mailers needing USPS-specific features.
• MetaPack — Enterprise-grade carrier management and global delivery orchestration for large retailers with complex international networks.
• Pitney Bowes (SendPro/Connect) — Enterprise shipping and postal solutions that integrate tape-and-scale hardware with software for postage purchasing and reporting.

Open source alternatives to ShipEngine

• Self-hosted shipping stacks — Community projects and collections of libraries that combine carrier connectors, labeling libraries, and routing logic; these require significant engineering to operate and maintain but avoid third-party middleware.
• Open-source carrier connector libraries — Libraries that wrap individual carrier APIs and can be combined into a custom multi-carrier gateway; suitable for teams that want full control and no middleware costs.
• WooCommerce Shipping (self-hosted) — For merchants on WordPress/WooCommerce, self-hosted shipping plugins and extensions can be assembled to manage rates and labels without a third-party API.
• Address validation open-source tools — Projects like address parsing and validation libraries can be combined with carrier connectors to build a tailored shipping stack.

Open-source approaches reduce vendor lock-in but transfer the burden of maintenance, compliance, and carrier certification to your engineering team.

Frequently asked questions about Shipengine

What is ShipEngine used for?

ShipEngine is used for multi-carrier shipping automation and label management. Teams use it to validate addresses, compare carrier rates, purchase labels, and track shipments programmatically. It centralizes shipping workflows for e-commerce platforms, marketplaces, and warehouses.

Does ShipEngine support rate shopping across multiple carriers?

Yes, ShipEngine offers multi-carrier rate shopping. The API returns rates from supported carriers and service levels so your integration can select the optimal carrier by price, transit time, or custom business rules.

How much does ShipEngine cost per user or per account?

ShipEngine starts at $0/month for the developer tier and production plans commonly begin around $49/month for Starter and $199/month for Professional, with Enterprise pricing available by negotiation. Total cost is driven primarily by label volume and any additional services.

Can I buy labels for USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL with ShipEngine?

Yes, ShipEngine supports labels and postage for major carriers. It integrates with USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, and other regional carriers depending on your plan and carrier account setup.

Does ShipEngine provide a sandbox for development?

Yes, ShipEngine provides a sandbox developer environment. The Free Plan gives sandbox API keys and test carriers so you can build and validate integrations without incurring carrier charges.

Can ShipEngine handle international customs forms and commercial invoices?

Yes, ShipEngine automates customs documentation for international shipments. The API can generate customs forms and includes fields for HS codes, item descriptions, and values to support cross-border shipping.

Is ShipEngine secure for handling production shipping data?

Yes, ShipEngine supports secure API authentication and industry-standard protections. Production deployments use API keys, TLS for transport security, and role-based controls for access. Enterprise customers can request specific security and compliance details.

Does ShipEngine support webhooks for shipment status updates?

Yes, ShipEngine provides webhooks and event notifications. You can subscribe to shipment lifecycle events (in transit, delivered, exception) and update your order-management system automatically.

Can I use my own carrier accounts with ShipEngine?

Yes, ShipEngine can be configured to use your carrier accounts. You can supply your negotiated account credentials so purchased labels use your carrier pricing and billing when supported by the carrier.

What integrations does ShipEngine offer with e-commerce platforms?

ShipEngine integrates with major e-commerce platforms and marketplaces via connectors and partner integrations. Common integrations include Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and custom marketplace integrations through the API. See ShipEngine's integrations directory for platform-specific guides.

ShipEngine careers

ShipEngine hires across product, engineering, operations, and customer success functions to support its API-first shipping platform. Job openings typically include backend engineers, developer advocates, integration specialists, and account managers who understand carrier relationships and logistics workflows. Candidates can expect roles that blend software development with a focus on reliability and high-throughput systems.

The engineering organization commonly looks for experience in RESTful APIs, message queues, and large-scale data processing because the product must process high volumes of label transactions and track status events in near real-time. Customer-facing roles require knowledge of carrier operations and practical experience troubleshooting shipment exceptions and billing discrepancies.

To explore open positions and company benefits, review the ShipEngine careers page and company LinkedIn profile for up-to-date listings and application instructions.

ShipEngine affiliate

ShipEngine offers partner programs for technology partners, resellers, and integrators that want to embed or resell shipping functionality. Affiliate and partner programs typically provide access to SDKs, co-marketing resources, technical onboarding, and revenue-share opportunities for referrals or white-labeled services.

If your business is a marketplace, a cart provider, or a fulfillment partner, joining the partner program can simplify onboarding and provide engineering resources for integration. Check ShipEngine's partner information pages for specific requirements and program tiers.

Where to find ShipEngine reviews

Independent reviews and user feedback for ShipEngine are commonly available on software directories, developer forums, and logistics industry sites. Look for user experiences and feature comparisons on industry review platforms and community threads discussing API ease-of-use, support responsiveness, and carrier coverage. For current, user-submitted reviews and case studies, consult technology directories and the ShipEngine case studies page.

For precise, up-to-date information on pricing, carrier support, and API changes, reference ShipEngine’s official documentation and pricing pages:

• ShipEngine pricing: https://www.shipengine.com/pricing
• ShipEngine documentation and API reference: https://www.shipengine.com/docs
• ShipEngine integrations and carrier support: https://www.shipengine.com/integrations