1) Introduction
If you are a business owner juggling your eCommerce website with different sales points, you might very well be in an omnichannel fulfillment jumble. And if you are in one such predicament, the solution is to get software that combines inventory management and shipping services.
ShipMonk is one such software in the market. It is an order fulfillment software with inventory control and picking-packing optimization.
This article has curated a list of ShipMonk alternatives with detailed features. We hope to help you choose an ideal ShipMonk competitor if you are looking for one.
2) What is ShipMonk?
Established in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, ShipMonk has created a buzz amongst eCommerce businesses for its logistics services since 2014. ShipMonk’s secret to success lies in its inventory and warehouse management capabilities.
It proactively tracks inventory levels in real-time, alerts businesses when stock is low, and maintains the record of total orders and shipped items. ShipMonk also processes orders, checks stock availability, validates customer addresses, and allocates orders to carriers after branded packaging.
With warehouses in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and England, it offers split inventory facilities to reduce shipping time and discounts. It integrates with multiple marketplaces, Shopify Plus, PayPal, eBay, Target, and ShipStation. These features make ShipMonk compatible with D2C and B2B omnichannel fulfillment needs.
3) Top 10 ShipMonk Alternatives and Competitors [2024 Updated List]
ShipMonk brings in a whole set of facilities wrapped in one parcel. But, if you are looking for a list of ShipMonk competitors with similar and unique features, then consider the following options:
3.1) ClickPost
ClickPost is a global, multicarrier shipping solution that optimizes the last-mile delivery and an excellent post-purchase customer experience.
Its robust API infrastructure with push and pull APIs, and AI engine does tons of work. From creating orders, generating waybills, and shipping labels to creating order manifests.
It syncs order details in real-time from your sales channels to manage your inventory and reduce administrative tasks. When workflows are automated, you can focus on growing your business and dispatching orders faster. It is an excellent ShipMonk alternative to versatile shipping requirements.
Features:
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Automates courier allocation after preconfiguring your shipping preferences and rules with its robust AI engine.
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Streamlines warehouse operations by quickly generating shipping labels with APIs and checking carrier serviceability at customer checkout.
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Creates a personalized branded tracking page and tracks shipments in real-time for swift customer notifications on SMS, email, and WhatsApp.
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Automates returns management with branded returns portal, automatic reverse pickup allocation, and NDR (Non-Delivery Report) management.
Pros: Seamless courier integration and robust shipment tracking with real-time updates.
Cons: It is best suited for medium and large business sizes.
3.2) EasyShip
EasyShip is a global shipping software company based in New York, London, and Hong Kong. It powers businesses by drastically reducing shipping rates, sometimes upto 91%, with popular shipping companies. It streamlines shipping and delivery in over 35 countries while lowering tariffs.
Features:
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Automatically calculates the optimal shipping options and shipping cost for customers during checkout.
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Customizes shipping preferences to automate courier selection, delivery methods, and product value.
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Generates shipping labels, packing slips, returns labels, and other necessary documents like customs paperwork.
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Real-time visibility of packages and tracking pages for both businesses and customers.
Pros: Good at booking shipments and providing insurance.
Cons: Requires a more proactive customer support structure.
3.3) PirateShip
PirateShip is a shipping software that offers affordable USPS and UPS shipping rates. They are a popular choice for many subscription-based businesses and Kickstarter rewards programs across the United States.
They have no hidden fees, making them ideal for small and medium-sized enterprises. For small-scale businesses, PirateShip is a good ShipMonk alternative.
Features:
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Pre-negotiated shipping rates and heavy discounts with UPS Digital Access program Rate at no extra cost.
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Get the cheapest rate for Priority Mail from USPS with door-to-door package tracking at no extra cost.
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Create shipping labels from spreadsheets and unlimited labels for batch shipping.
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Print postage from any device and any location and schedule package pickups
Pros: Discounted shipping labels and easy printing options.
Cons: Requires integrations with more courier companies.
3.4) SKULabs
SKULabs is based out of Ft Lauderdale, Florida. As a direct ShipMonk competitor, it offers inventory and warehouse management services. Notable ones include multichannel order syncing and order tracking. SkuLabs also has real-time inventory tracking, accurate picking and packing, and live shipping rates.
Features:
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Synchronizes inventory across all sales channels and tracks SKUs in different warehouses with an up-to-date count of items.
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Monitors the count of items sold, alerts for low stock, and scans SKUs for details.
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Verifies orders with barcode scanning of each packing slip to eliminate picking errors and create pick lists for batch picking.
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Integrates with 30 shipping carriers and gets their live shipping rates and commercial shipping discounts for USPS.
Pros: User-friendly interface and accurate inventory monitoring.
Cons: It needs a better product search feature and more POS integrations.
3.5) ShipperHQ
ShipperHQ is a shipping management solution for storefront-based eCommerce businesses and a ShipMonk alternative for shipping needs. They offer inbuilt shipping features like backup carrier rates and in-store pickups so companies can customize their shipping strategy. ShipperHQ also manages post-delivery customer experience.
Features:
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Optimizes the checkout process with dispatch dates, estimated delivery dates, and shipping details of every order.
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Handles packing configuration for products and bundles and assigns different packing boxes to carriers.
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Manages in-store pickups and allows customers to choose pickup dates, time, and location with Google Maps API at checkout.
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Manages dropship with custom shipping rules, assigns carriers, and consolidates shipments.
Pros: Calculate accurate shipping costs and works great with BigCommerce.
Cons: The user interface may post difficulties for non-technical users.
3.6) SellerCloud
SellerCloud is an omnichannel inventory and warehouse management SaaS-based solution. It has developed over ten products overlooking omnichannel fulfillment.
SellerCloud handles product cataloging, inventory, order management, and shipping. For comprehensive inventory management, SellerCloud is a viable ShipMonk competitor.
Features:
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Integrates with leading shipping companies and consolidators and provides commercial shipping prices for high-volume shippers.
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Monitors stock age, reviews shipment costs, and manages tax collection by states.
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Manages all sales channels from one dashboard and automatically updates shipping confirmation across all channels.
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Catalog product listings, retrieve product details from FBA, and set product variations and shipping preferences.
Pros: Efficient inventory synchronization and open to customizations to suit business needs.
Cons: Lacks an intuitive user interface.
3.7) Orderhive
Orderhive, now ancillary to Cin7, is a popular inventory management software. As a ShipMonk alternative focused on inventory, Orderhive manages multi-channel sales and facilitates real-time inventory tracking. It also automates the inventory workflow to help brands grow faster.
Features:
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Controls inventory by serializing them into batches, kits, and lots and auto-sync them across all sales channels.
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Syncs inventory online and offline, assigns multiple tags and manages stock expiration in 3PLs, and Amazon FBA.
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Customizes automation features with triggers and preset workflows for drop shipping and auto fulfillment.
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Creates PO for replenishing inventory with automated PO alerts, PO cloning, and managing supplier contracts.
Pros: Effective at product bundling and has readymade templates for invoices, POs, etc.
Cons: It might be expensive to use for some businesses.
3.8) ShipStation
ShipStation is a shipping solution that combines the shipping needs of companies with order management. ShipStation splits orders, filters them to match your selling criteria, and identifies priority orders. More importantly, it brings to your notice any inventory issue that needs your immediate attention.
Features:
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Import orders from all sales channels and marketplaces and integrate with ERPs, CRMs, shipping companies, and IMS.
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Automate shipping with product scanning, bulk updates, and print shipping labels at discounted prices in batches of 500.
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Complete visibility of shipments in transit, and view detailed product analytics from multiple channels.
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Create branded shipping by personalizing shipping labels, tracking pages, packing slips, and email notifications with brand aesthetics.
Pros: Proficient in monitoring inventory flow in warehouses and printing shipping labels.
Cons: Requires a robust support team with a focus on accountability.
3.9) Ordoro
Ordoro is a logistics software company based out of Texas, the United States. It integrates with multiple eCommerce shopping carts, marketplaces, shipping carriers, and eCommerce other tools.
It fulfills orders across multiple platforms, automates order import, and provides discounted shipping rates in its dashboard. Ordoro is another ShipMonk competitor with multi-integration capacities.
Features:
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Automates order import in real-time, uploads products via CSV files, and avail discounted USPS shipping rates.
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Manages shipping workflow with batch printing of shipping labels and advanced picking/packing workflows.
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Eliminates picking errors with barcode order scanning and verification and assigns automatic tracking numbers.
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Routes inventory to single or multiple 3PLs, split and clone orders, and set shipping rules for automating shipping.
Pros: Adept at processing purchase orders and active technical support.
Cons: It needs a better tracking system, especially with vendor information.
3.10) TrueCommerce
TrueCommerce is an EDI and inventory management software. It connects retailers, suppliers, and dropshippers to facilitate eCommerce fulfillment. TrueCommerce primarily manages the retailer-supplier relationship with its OneTime service solution and EDI system.
Features:
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Creates a complete dropshipping workflow by connecting with wholesalers and distributors, managing online orders, inventory and shipment status, and tracking.
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Automatically prints shipping labels, tracks business progress of KPIs and reduces operational costs.
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Robust EDI infrastructure to conveniently exchange EDI documents, automated EDI PO from marketplaces, and integrates with leading ERPs.
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Manages upsell tools like coupons, loyalty programs, auto subscription options, and free shipping for any order threshold.
Pros: Automates transactions and clever EDI solution for most ERPs.
Cons: Needs a more structured and well-aligned customer support structure.
4) How to Select the Best Alternatives and Competitors to ShipMonk?
Choosing any service requires research and industry knowledge to understand if the benefits suit your needs. To save you time, we have compiled five factors you should consider before connecting with any ShipMonk competitor:
4.1) Serviceability
Serviceability determines the business’ bandwidth to handle and fulfill customer demands, including expanding order volume. ShipMonk offers an extensive warehouse network and shipment tracking facilities across the globe.
When choosing a ShipMonk alternative, you can pay attention to its areas of operation and tracking abilities. In our list, ClickPost and EasyShip are good competitors in this regard.
4.2) Logistical Capacity
The logistical capacity of software or 3PL determines the ease of shipping, delivery, and returns you can extend to your customers. Any ShipMonk alternative should also excel in managing delivery exceptions and handling the generation of shipping labels, waybills, and packing slips.
4.3) Customer Support
The customer support team is the primary source of contact for businesses to remove software bugs, glitches, or severe technical issues. ShipMonk has a robust customer support system in place. It's natural to expect that its competitor has a similar or better support structure.
4.4) Price
Affordability is a crucial business consideration. This is especially when high logistical costs prevent you from providing the best product and delivery service.
You may want to consider a ShipMonk competitor with more logistical facilities offered under one-tier. You can avoid paying extra for each service needed separately and reduce operational costs.
4.5) eCommerce Fulfillment
The ShipMonk alternative you choose should provide overall logistical support in critical areas of order processing, fulfillment, and shipping. Keeping these parameters in mind, ClickPost and SellerCloud, offer a comprehensive range of services in order fulfillment, tracking, returns, and post-purchase customer experience.
5) Final Words
Every business has different challenges and needs. They operate in different circumstances and have various business goals. ShipMonk alternatives like ClickPost, EasyShip, SellerCloud, and TrueCommerce give businesses a solution that tackles inventory and shipping equally. They offer economical shipping rates, automated shipping workflow, and returns management.
FAQs on ShipMonk and its Competitors & Alternatives
6.1) Is ClickPost better than ShipMonk?
ClickPost leans more towards a complete shipping management solution which is better than its counterpart, ShipMonk. It offers services like intelligent and automated courier allocations, seamless shipping labels, and returns label generations.
It successfully manages pick-up and delivery exceptions with a robust NDR management system that tracks SLA breaches. ClickPost is better at returns management solutions too.
6.2) Why do Businesses shift from ShipMonk to other alternatives?
ShipMonk has certain limitations in its services that prompt businesses to shift towards other alternatives. ShipMonk does not fare well when handling heavy or fragile products and does not offer storage insurance for heavy items.
Its pick and packing cost is also comparatively high. Its shipping carrier base is narrow compared to some of its competitors. Its software focuses more on inventory management and less on shipping.
Interested in knowing more about ClickPost?