The Honest Truth
Most small sellers don't need shipping software. If you're sending fewer than 100 parcels a day, the free tools built into your sales platform are genuinely sufficient. The tools you might be considering paying for (Shippo, ShipStation, etc.) are designed for high-volume operations. You'll add cost, complexity, and learning curve that you don't need.
That said, there are genuinely useful free tools that can save you money, and there are specific situations where a paid tool actually does make sense. Let's break them down.
Free Options That Work Great for Small Sellers
Royal Mail Click & Drop
Price: Free
What it is: Royal Mail's official platform for printing labels directly at home or from your desk. You pay only for the postage, no software fee.
Best for: Anyone shipping within the UK. It's straightforward, you can access shipping history anytime, reprint labels forever, and get your account statements for tax purposes. No monthly fee, no surprises.
Downsides: Only Royal Mail. If you use multiple couriers, you'll need to juggle platforms.
Who should use it: Anyone shipping primarily with Royal Mail in the UK.
Pirate Ship
Price: Free forever
What it is: A free label printer that gives you discounted USPS and UPS rates. You pay only for the shipping, and you get rates 20-50% cheaper than going directly to USPS or UPS.
Best for: Anyone shipping from the US, or shipping internationally. The discounts are genuinely significant, and there's no hidden catch. No monthly fee, no feature limits, no "you'll eventually need to upgrade" nonsense.
Downsides: US-focused. It doesn't integrate with most e-commerce platforms directly (you download labels as a CSV and import them), but that workflow still takes less than a minute.
Who should use it: Anyone shipping USPS or UPS, especially if you ship regularly and want lower rates.
eBay Shipping (if you sell on eBay)
Price: Included with eBay account
What it is: eBay's built-in shipping label tool, available right inside your eBay dashboard.
Best for: Sellers who primarily sell on eBay. You get discounted shipping rates and can print labels without leaving eBay. It's integrated and dead simple.
Downsides: Only works for eBay sales. If you sell on multiple platforms, this is just one piece of the puzzle.
Who should use it: Everyone selling on eBay. It's already there, it's free, and the discounts are worth using it.
Etsy Postage (if you sell on Etsy)
Price: Included with Etsy account
What it is: Etsy's built-in shipping tool. Print labels for Royal Mail, DPD, Evri, and other couriers directly from your Etsy dashboard.
Best for: Etsy sellers in the UK. You get discounted rates and labels integrate seamlessly with your orders.
Downsides: Limited to Etsy platform. Not available in all regions.
Who should use it: Everyone selling on Etsy who can use it in their region.
Shopify Shipping (if you have a Shopify store)
Price: Included with Shopify
What it is: Shopify's built-in shipping tool that works with multiple couriers and carrier accounts.
Best for: Shopify store owners who want everything in one place. Rate comparison, label printing, and order management all integrated.
Downsides: Only works inside Shopify. More feature-rich than you might need as a small seller, which can mean more complexity.
Who should use it: Shopify store owners, especially if you ship with multiple carriers.
When You Actually Might Need Paid Software
You're Shipping 100+ Parcels Per Day
If you're at this volume, you probably need batch label printing, multi-carrier comparison, and reporting. ShipStation, Shippo, or similar tools become genuinely helpful. The software saves you time and money at scale.
You Sell on Multiple Platforms
If you sell on Shopify, eBay, Amazon, and your own website simultaneously, pulling orders from each platform separately gets tedious. A tool that centralizes orders from multiple channels is genuinely useful. But first check if your e-commerce platform (like WooCommerce) has free multi-channel integrations available.
You Need Advanced Reporting or Automation
If you need detailed shipping analytics, automated workflows, or integration with your accounting system, paid software might be worth it. But be honest with yourself: do you actually need this, or does marketing make it sound like you do?
Comparing Popular Options
| Software | Price | Best For | Shipping Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Mail Click & Drop | Free | UK Royal Mail only | Up to 1000+/month |
| Pirate Ship | Free | US USPS/UPS | Unlimited |
| eBay Shipping | Free (with eBay) | eBay sellers | Unlimited |
| Etsy Postage | Free (with Etsy) | Etsy sellers | Unlimited |
| Shippo | Free tier, then $9-299/month | Multi-carrier, small-mid volume | 50-5000/month |
| ShipStation | $9.99-699/month | High-volume multi-channel | 100-10000+/month |
The Bottom Line for Small Sellers
Use the free tools built into your sales platform. If you sell only on eBay, use eBay Shipping. If you sell only on Etsy, use Etsy Postage. If you ship primarily with Royal Mail in the UK, use Click & Drop. If you ship from the US with USPS or UPS, use Pirate Ship. These tools are genuinely good and they're free or included with what you're already paying.
Don't buy paid shipping software until you're actually shipping 100+ parcels a day and you've confirmed that the free tools can't do what you need. Most small sellers never reach that volume, and buying software before you need it is just adding cost and complexity to your business.
Get Your Labels Formatted Right
Whether you're using free built-in tools or paid software, Label Resizer helps you format and preview your labels before printing. No wasted paper, no scanning errors.
Back to Label Resizer