Key takeaways
- 1Starter costs $14.99 a month for 50 shipments, $29.99 for 100 and $39.99 for 500. Standard costs $29.99 for 50, $59.99 for 100 and $89.99 for 500.
- 2Going from 100 to 500 shipments on Starter costs only $10 more, so anyone shipping just over 100 orders should look at the 500 tier.
- 3Connecting your own UPS or FedEx account needs the Standard plan; Starter only allows your own LTL freight account.
- 4There is a 30-day free trial with no credit card, a 90-day money-back promise, and annual billing is advertised at 20% off.
- 5Postage and insurance are paid on top of the subscription, as are extra users and some add-ons.
The short answer
ShipStation charges a monthly subscription based on the plan and the number of shipments you send. The pricing page shows no per-label fee on any tier ("+$0.000 per label"). You pay postage separately, either at ShipStation’s discounted rates or through your own carrier accounts on Standard and above.
All prices here are list prices on monthly billing, checked on ShipStation’s pricing page on November 10, 2026. ShipStation changes its plans from time to time, so check the page before you buy. Tallyvane earns a commission if you buy through our link; that does not change the figures.
Plans and shipment tiers
Each plan has a slider of shipment tiers. These are the tiers a small or growing business is most likely to use.
- Users included: 3 on Starter, 10 on Standard, 15 on Premium.
- Store connections are unlimited on every plan, and connecting a selling channel is free unless it is a Premium Integration.
| Shipments a month | Starter | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | $14.99 | $29.99 | $349.99 |
| 100 | $29.99 | $59.99 | See pricing page |
| 500 | $39.99 | $89.99 | See pricing page |
| 1,000 | $79.99 | See pricing page | See pricing page |
| 2,000 | $119.99 | See pricing page | See pricing page |
| 5,000 | $174.99 (top Starter tier) | See pricing page | See pricing page |
| 100,000 | Not available | $3,599.99 | $7,499.99 |
Cost per order, and the 100 to 500 jump
Dividing the fee by the shipments shows how uneven the Starter tiers are. The first two tiers cost about 30¢ an order. The 500 tier costs only $10 more than the 100 tier, so it drops to about 8¢ an order at full use. If you ship 120 orders a month you need the 500 tier anyway, and you pay about 33¢ an order.
Cost per order = monthly fee ÷ orders you actually ship
| Tier | Fee | Cost per order |
|---|---|---|
| 50 shipments | $14.99 | $0.30 |
| 100 shipments | $29.99 | $0.30 |
| 500 shipments | $39.99 | $0.08 |
| 1,000 shipments | $79.99 | $0.08 |
| 2,000 shipments | $119.99 | $0.06 |
| 5,000 shipments | $174.99 | $0.035 |
Starter or Standard?
Starter has everything a single-person shop usually needs: unlimited store connections, automated rate shopping, return labels, basic automations, reporting and email support. Standard costs about twice as much at the lower tiers and adds the features that matter once you grow.
- Your own carrier accounts: only Standard and above let you connect your existing UPS, FedEx or other carrier accounts. Starter allows only an LTL freight account from Worldwide Express or Unishippers.
- Unlimited automation rules instead of basic ones.
- Combining and auto-splitting orders, a returns and exchanges portal and basic warehouse management.
- Phone support and the shipping API.
- 10 users instead of 3.
Costs outside the subscription
ShipStation says it charges no fees beyond the subscription, except for extra users and some add-ons. You still pay for these.
- Postage: USPS postage is prepaid, with optional auto-refill; UPS and FedEx labels on your own accounts are billed by the carrier as usual.
- Shipping insurance, if you add it.
- Extra users beyond your plan’s allowance, and add-ons such as dropshipping, 3PL and fulfillment connections.
- Premium Integrations for some selling channels.
- Older accounts: ShipStation notes that plans registered before July 8, 2025 may pay fees to connect carriers.
Free trial, refunds and changing plans
The free trial lasts 30 days and needs no credit card. ShipStation says it will not charge you unless you choose a paid plan, and it bills that plan at the end of the trial. Its 90-day promise offers a full refund if you are not satisfied.
You can upgrade or change your shipment tier at any time. Downgrades take effect at the start of the next billing cycle. If you are likely to go over your tier, check the current rules in your account before a busy month, because the terms allow ShipStation to move you to a higher tier.
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