A man sits at a table, taping up a cardboard box for shipping. He holds a roll of tape in one hand and uses the other hand to point at something on the screen of his laptop, following his finger with his eyes. The man is older, with graying hair that has gone white at the temples, and he wears a dark blue button-up shirt. In the background are shelves with more cardboard boxes, some of them flattened and some taped up.
Many shipping tools integrate with various e-commerce platforms, allowing you to access information from all of your orders, regardless of where they're placed. — Getty Images/Dejan Marjanovic

Shipping can be a challenge for small businesses that don’t have access to the same resources as larger companies. It can be difficult to find providers willing to offer affordable rates, and if you aren’t careful, shipping costs can eat into your profits. Here are five services that will help you save on shipping costs.

[Read more: E-commerce Free Shipping: Pros, Cons, and Strategies]

ShipStation

You can save up to 89% from carriers like UPS and DHL Express when you use ShipStation to ship online orders. The company makes it easy to quickly compare carriers and choose the most cost-effective option. ShipStation will also negotiate discounted shipping rates on behalf of its customers.

The platform can batch-process shipping orders, and you’ll receive detailed reports so you can track your shipping costs over time. ShipStation integrates with popular providers like Amazon, Shopify, and Etsy, which makes it an excellent choice for e-commerce businesses.

ShipStation offers a variety of pricing plans, making it a good option for businesses of all sizes. If you process 25 shipments or fewer per month, you take advantage of the free plan. ShipStation also offers a free 30-day trial so you can see how the service works before committing to it.

ShippingEasy

ShippingEasy is an excellent option for online businesses that sell products from multiple locations. The platform automatically integrates and imports orders from your website and any online marketplaces you use. That way, you can easily track all your online orders on one easy-to-use platform.

ShippingEasy also offers discounted rates from popular shipping services like USPS and UPS. You can also receive exclusive rates that price shipments based on the weight instead of the box size.

The company offers two pricing plans, and the Starter plan is free for businesses that ship fewer than 25 packages per month. The Growth plan costs $19.99 per month, and it’s a good option for small businesses with more complex shipping needs.

[Read more: The Ins and Outs of Shipping Insurance]

Shiptheory is a good choice for businesses that regularly deal with international shipping.

EasyPost

EasyPost's shipping optimization API, SmartRate, helps small businesses save money and improve shipping times. You’ll call the SmartRate API, provide your shipping ID, and choose the best rate for your budget. You’ll then receive an estimated delivery date that accounts for factors like weekends or holidays.

EasyPost also offers shipping insurance, address verification, and free carbon-neutral shipping. The company offers two pricing plans, and the Developer plan lets you ship up to 120,000 shipments per year for free. The Enterprise plans require a custom pricing quote.

Shippo

Shippo helps small businesses find the best shipping rates from over 40 global carriers. The service allows you to print shipping labels, schedule pickups, and track packages. Shippo integrates with popular e-commerce platforms like Shopify, Square, and WooCommerce and lets you import orders, compare shipping rates, and print labels.

The company provides robust analytics and reporting features, and you can track how much you’ve spent on shipping. You’ll also have a complete record of your shipping history, so you can use this data to uncover trends. The company offers three different pricing plans, including a free plan.

[Read more: Highs and Lows of Free Shipping Subscriptions]

Shiptheory

Shiptheory makes it easy to generate and print shipping labels, and you can create flexible shipping rules that control how these orders are sent to shipping carriers. The software is user-friendly, and online customer reviews state that the company was very helpful during the setup process. The platform integrates with dozens of popular sales channels and shipping carriers.

Shiptheory is a good choice for businesses that regularly deal with international shipping. The software integrates with the top global carriers, and you can quickly confirm the product data is correct, reducing the odds that your shipment is delayed or returned.

The company offers five different pricing plans, but there’s no free plan available. Shiptheory seems to be the best option for businesses looking for excellent customer support.

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