Tool profile
Shippo: cost, fit and limits
Shippo is a shipping platform and API for online sellers that compares rates from 40-plus carriers, prints labels and offers insurance, with a free starter tier, a Shippo MCP connection for AI assistants and a trust center that lists SOC 2 Type II and PCI DSS.
What to know first
Shippo has three tiers. Starter is free for up to 30 labels a month with a USD 0.05 fee on each label bought, Pro starts at USD 17 a month or USD 205 billed yearly and covers up to 10,000 labels, and Premier is unlimited and priced on request. The navigation names Shippo intelligence and an MCP, but the pages we read never explain what the intelligence does.
Shippo at a glance
| Maker | Not stated on the vendor pages, Not stated on the vendor pages |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes |
| Entry price | USD 0 (Starter, up to 30 labels per month) |
| API access | Yes |
| Category | Best AI Shipping Software in 2026, rank 4 of 13 |
| Website | goshippo.com |
Who Shippo is best for
Small stores starting out
Starter costs nothing up to 30 labels a month, which is enough to test rate shopping with a few real orders before a subscription.
Teams that script their shipping
The Rating and Estimate APIs and the MCP connection suit developers who want assistants or code to quote and buy labels.
Buyers who ask for audit proof
The trust center names SOC 2 Type II and PCI DSS, which gives procurement something to check before addresses flow in.
Shippo plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | Free | Up to 30 labels per month; a USD 0.05 fee applies to each label bought through Starter. |
| Pro | From USD 17 per month (USD 205 per year billed annually) | Up to 10,000 labels a month, with labels tiered by volume; overage is USD 0.08 per label beyond 10,000. |
| Premier | Contact sales | Unlimited labels per month with pricing set by the vendor. The pricing page does not show a price, so expect a sales conversation about volume discounts. |
Checked November 2026.
What Shippo does
- Shippo MCP
- An MCP connection links the Shippo platform to AI assistants, so a team can query rates or shipments from an outside assistant. The pages we read do not list which assistants are supported.
- Shippo intelligence
- Named on the product navigation. The pages we read give no description, so its function has to be confirmed with the vendor. Treat any claim about smarter rate or carrier choices as unconfirmed until the vendor demonstrates it.
- Rating and Estimate APIs
- Two APIs return shipping rates and estimates, useful for showing delivery cost in a custom checkout. Developers can show a delivery cost in their own checkout without buying a label first, which helps conversion on cart pages.
- Carrier network
- Rates come from 40-plus carriers, with store connections and scheduled pick-ups handled in the same account. Rates sit next to labels, so staff can compare options without leaving the screen where they print them.
- Shipping insurance
- Coverage can be added to shipments from the platform, so a merchant need not arrange it separately with each carrier. The pages we read do not state coverage limits or claim terms, so request them before relying on it.
How Shippo handles your data
Shippo runs a trust center at trust.goshippo.com that states SOC 2 Type II and PCI DSS. Model training on customer data, hosting location and shipment record retention are topics the opened pages left silent, and the vendor's policy was not checked for them. Teams using the MCP connection should ask which actions an assistant may take and whether requests are logged, then request a data processing agreement for EU addresses.
Where Shippo falls short in practice
- Starter is small. Thirty labels a month is a trial size, and the USD 0.05 per-label fee means even a free account has a running cost. Shops shipping close to 30 labels will hit the cap quickly.
- Premier is quote-only. Unlimited labels need a sales call, so a fast-growing seller cannot price that step in advance. Budget a call with sales before the shop passes 10,000 labels in a month.
- Opaque intelligence. Shippo intelligence is named without an explanation on the pages we read, so a buyer cannot judge it before signing up. Ask for a demo that shows what it changes on live parcels.
Works with
Alternatives to Shippo
Shippo: common questions
How many labels does Shippo's free plan include?
Starter includes up to 30 labels per month at no subscription cost. A USD 0.05 fee applies to each label bought through the Starter plan. A shop that expects more than 30 labels a month moves to Pro, which starts at USD 17 per month on monthly billing or USD 205 per year when billed annually.
What happens above 10,000 labels on Shippo Pro?
Pro covers up to 10,000 labels per month, with an overage of USD 0.08 per label beyond that. Premier is the unlimited tier and is priced by contacting the vendor. A seller near the 10,000 mark should compare the overage cost with a Premier quote rather than assuming the next tier is cheaper.
Does Shippo work with AI assistants?
Shippo names a Shippo MCP that connects the platform to AI assistants, and the navigation lists Shippo intelligence. The pages we read do not list which assistants are supported or what actions they can perform. Ask the vendor whether the connection reads data only or can also buy labels.
Which security certifications does Shippo list?
The trust center at trust.goshippo.com lists SOC 2 Type II and PCI DSS. It is the one place on the pages we read where a certification is named. Request the current report under a confidentiality agreement if your procurement team requires it, since the page does not give audit dates.
Can I get a discount for yearly billing on Shippo?
Pro is listed at USD 17 per month on monthly billing and USD 205 per year when billed annually, which the page marks as a 10% saving. Starter has no subscription to discount, and Premier is quoted individually, so the yearly option applies to Pro only on the pages we read.