ShipStation vs Zoho Inventory
ShipStation and Zoho Inventory are both inventory & shipping tools. ShipStation is aimed at E-commerce and small businesses, while Zoho Inventory is aimed at small businesses and E-commerce. ShipStation costs less, from $14.99/mo versus $39/mo for Zoho Inventory. Only Zoho Inventory has a free plan.
Multi-carrier shipping and order management
Multichannel inventory and order management for small businesses
| Pricing | Paid · $15 | Freemium · $39 |
| Starting price | $14.99/mo | $39/mo |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Free trial | 30 days | 14 days |
| Built for | E-commerce, Small businesses | Small businesses, E-commerce |
| Platforms | web | web, ios, android, windows |
| Country | US · 2011 | IN |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose ShipStation if
SMB and mid-size e-commerce sellers shipping hundreds to thousands of orders a month.
- Broadest marketplace and carrier integrations
- Powerful automation for high volume
- Discounted rates included
Look elsewhere if: Occasional shippers (Pirate Ship) or EU-centric stores (Sendcloud).
Choose Zoho Inventory if
Small ecommerce sellers and wholesalers on up to a few thousand orders a month who want stock synced across marketplaces, ideally alongside Zoho Books.
- Free plan is usable for very small sellers
- Per-organization pricing instead of per-seat billing
- Wide marketplace and carrier integrations out of the box
Look elsewhere if: Manufacturers needing bills of materials and production planning, or larger multi-brand retailers (Katana or Cin7).
ShipStation vs Zoho Inventory pricing
ShipStation
- Starterfrom $14.99/mo50 shipments/mo, 3 users; 20% off annually
- Standardfrom $29.99/mo50 shipments/mo, 10 users, unlimited automations
- Premiumfrom $349.99/mo50 shipments/mo, 15 users, advanced inventory
Zoho Inventory
- Free$050 orders/mo, 1 user, 1 location
- Standard$39/mo$29 billed annually; 500 orders/mo, 3 users, 2 locations
- Premium$99/mo$79 billed annually; 3,000 orders/mo, 5 users, 4 locations
- Plus$159/mo$129 billed annually; 7,500 orders/mo, 10 users, 6 locations
- Enterprise$299/mo$249 billed annually; 15,000 orders/mo, 10 locations
ShipStation · Key features
- Multi-channel order import and automation rules
- Rate comparison with discounted carrier rates
- Batch label printing and packing slips
- Branded tracking pages, emails and returns portal
- Inventory and multi-warehouse management
- Reporting and ShipStation API
Cons
- User limits per tier
- Interface feels dated
- Overkill for very low volume
Zoho Inventory · Key features
- Stock tracking across multiple warehouses with transfer orders
- Serial number and batch tracking with expiry dates
- Sync with Shopify, Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Walmart and WooCommerce
- Shipping labels and rates via UPS, USPS, FedEx, DHL and Easyship
- Composite items and assemblies for kits and bundles
- Reorder points, low-stock alerts and purchase orders to vendors
Cons
- Monthly order caps force upgrades for growing stores
- No real manufacturing features like MRP or production scheduling
- Advanced warehousing is a paid add-on at higher cost
ShipStation vs Zoho Inventory: FAQ
Which is cheaper, ShipStation or Zoho Inventory?
ShipStation starts at $14.99/mo and Zoho Inventory at $39/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do ShipStation and Zoho Inventory have a free plan?
ShipStation has no free plan, a 30-day free trial. Zoho Inventory has a free plan.