Key takeaways
- 1eBay Labels, Etsy shipping labels, USPS Click-N-Ship, Pirate Ship and Veeqo’s shipping tools have no monthly fee, and Shippo is free up to 30 labels a month.
- 2Click-N-Ship gives every user USPS commercial prices, so a discounted USPS label alone is not a reason to pay for software.
- 3Pirate Ship covers USPS and UPS only. If you need FedEx as well, look at Shippo, Veeqo or ShipStation.
- 4ShipStation starts at $14.99 a month for 50 shipments on its Starter plan, with a 30-day free trial and no card needed.
- 5If you sell on one marketplace and ship under about 50 orders a month, that marketplace’s own labels are usually enough.
The short answer
For most small sellers the best shipping software is the cheapest one that covers the carriers you use and the places you sell. On one marketplace with a few orders a week, the marketplace’s own labels do the job for free. Selling on two or more channels, Pirate Ship (USPS and UPS) or Veeqo (more carriers) pull every order into one screen at no monthly cost. A paid tool such as Shippo Pro or ShipStation makes sense once you need FedEx with your own rates, automation rules, several users or inventory features.
Prices and features below were checked on each product’s own website on November 10, 2026. Postage prices change every January, and software plans change more often, so check the pricing page before you sign up. Tallyvane earns a commission if you buy ShipStation through our link; that does not change the comparison, and where a free option fits better we say so.
Seven options side by side
All seven print USPS labels at discounted commercial prices. The differences are the monthly fee, which other carriers you get, and where they can pull orders from.
| Option | Monthly fee | Carriers | Imports orders from | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| eBay Labels | $0 | USPS, UPS, FedEx | Your eBay sales | eBay-only sellers |
| Etsy shipping labels | $0 | USPS, UPS, FedEx and others | Your Etsy orders | Etsy-only sellers |
| USPS Click-N-Ship | $0 | USPS only | Nothing; you type each address | A few USPS parcels a month |
| Pirate Ship | $0, no markup | USPS, UPS | Etsy, eBay, Shopify, WooCommerce, Squarespace, Wix and more (15 sources) | Multi-channel sellers who only need USPS and UPS |
| Veeqo (shipping tools) | $0, unlimited orders | USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, Amazon Shipping, OnTrac | Amazon, Shopify, eBay, Walmart, Etsy, TikTok Shop, WooCommerce | Multi-channel sellers who want FedEx without paying |
| Shippo Starter / Pro | $0 up to 30 labels; Pro $19 a month up to 200 | 40+ carriers | Shopify, Etsy, eBay, Amazon, Walmart, WooCommerce and more | Small stores that want branded tracking at a low price |
| ShipStation Starter | From $14.99 for 50 shipments | Major carriers, 200+ in all | 400+ integrations, incl. Etsy, eBay, Amazon, Shopify, TikTok Shop | Growing sellers who want automation and room to scale |
Free options and what they leave out
eBay Labels and Etsy’s labels are the simplest choice when one marketplace is all you sell on. The order details are already there, there is no subscription, and eBay lets you print up to 100 labels at once and void a label within 28 days. Etsy includes $100 of USPS insurance on Ground Advantage and Priority Mail labels. Neither can print a label for an order from your own website or another marketplace.
USPS Click-N-Ship is free with a USPS.com account and, according to USPS, gives every user commercial prices. It only covers Ground Advantage, Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express, and it does not import orders, so it suits occasional parcels rather than a daily routine. If you ask USPS to mail you printed labels it charges $1.65 per label.
Pirate Ship is free with no markup or minimums; it is paid by the carriers. It imports orders from 15 sources, including Etsy, eBay and Shopify, and covers USPS and UPS. The gap is FedEx. Veeqo, owned by Amazon, offers free shipping tools with unlimited orders and adds FedEx, DHL and Amazon Shipping; its paid plans (from $19 a month) are for inventory features, not labels.
When paid software is worth the fee
You do not pay for software to get a cheaper USPS label, because the free tools already give commercial prices. You pay for the work it takes off your hands. These are the usual reasons sellers move to a paid plan.
- Automation rules: set the service, package and insurance once for each type of order, so most labels need no decisions.
- Several people packing: ShipStation Starter includes 3 users and Standard 10; Shippo’s free plan has 1 user and Pro up to 5.
- Your own negotiated carrier rates: ShipStation allows your own UPS or FedEx account from the Standard plan ($29.99 for 50 shipments); Shippo charges 5¢ a label for your own account on its free plan.
- Returns and exchanges, branded tracking pages and packing slips that match your store.
- Inventory and warehouse features once stock sits in more than one place.
What each choice costs at 50, 200 and 1,000 orders a month
Postage is the same order of magnitude everywhere, so the software fee is what changes. The table shows the monthly fee only, at list prices on the monthly plan.
- ShipStation’s Starter plan jumps from 100 to 500 shipments for only $10 more ($29.99 to $39.99), so a seller just above 100 orders pays the same as one at 500.
- ShipStation advertises 20% off for annual billing and Shippo about 10%.
| Orders a month | Pirate Ship / Veeqo shipping | Shippo | ShipStation Starter | ShipStation Standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | $0 | $19 (Pro; free covers 30) | $14.99 | $29.99 |
| 200 | $0 | $19 (Pro) | $39.99 (500 tier) | $89.99 (500 tier) |
| 1,000 | $0 | Higher Pro tier; check the pricing page | $79.99 | Higher tier; check the pricing page |
How to choose in four questions
Answer these in order and stop at the first answer that settles it.
- Do you sell in one place only? Use that marketplace’s labels until something specific is missing.
- Do you need FedEx? If not, Pirate Ship covers USPS and UPS for free. If yes, try Veeqo’s free shipping tools or Shippo.
- Do two or more people print labels, or do you spend more than an hour a day on shipping? A paid plan with automation and extra users starts paying for itself.
- Do you have negotiated UPS or FedEx rates? Pick a tool that lets you connect your own account without a per-label fee.
