An online store without a shipping platform is like a car without wheels: with a lot of luck you can get ahead, but the chances are very small.
A shipping platform makes the shipping process of your webshop clear, error-free and efficient. The software ensures that the webshop is linked to one or more senders, such as BPost, PostNL or DHL. This way you do not have to enter the shipments manually and you can easily switch between different senders.
Using the right shipping platform will save you a lot of time and frustration in the logistics process. So make sure you choose the platform that suits your situation.
I’ll help you choose.
What is a shipping platform and why should I use one?
A shipping platform provides the link between your webshop software and that of a shipping company.
Most platforms allow you to combine senders, so you can work with BPost, DPD and PostNL, for example. The shipping platform makes the shipping process easy by providing shipping labels, track-and-trace codes and follow-up emails.
Do you really need a shipping platform? No. A starting webshop can You have the right phone number list contact lists for your services and data are 100% reliable. All plans come with 24/7 customer support Well in answer to that we provide you a phone number list database middle east mobile number list which will give your business the boost it need. Our databases consolidate with what the advertiser collected from permissioned websites( database having good quality or quantity like using it you can gain leads) in market for promoting your business to boom sales. perfectly handle the shipping process itself. But once the webshop gets a bit bigger, that is no longer so obvious. By working with a shipping platform, you have a handy overview of the status of all shipments.
With such platforms you have the choice to use only the integration with the senders or you can choose to have the platform help you with the shipping itself. Some providers also take care of packaging and storage. Because these companies bundle packages from multiple web shops, they can ship at cheaper rates.
What should you look for when choosing a shipping platform?
There are a few important things to keep in mind when looking for a shipping platform for your online store:
Does a platform have an integration with your webshop? Or can it be done via an API ?
Which shippers do you want to work with?
Which countries do you ship to?
What kind of shipments are you going to send? Parcels, pallets or other items?
Approximately how many packages will you send each year?
Which features do you find important and do you need?
The search for a suitable shipping platform
In this article I compare the following shipping platforms:
SendCloud
ParcelPro
Shops United
Myparcel.nl
Sendmyparcel.be
Sendy
Paazl
Wuunder
SendCloud
26 carriers including bpost, PostNL, DHL, DPD, UPS and GLS
More than 12 integrations with webshop platforms
Same day delivery
One of the most well-known players among shipping platforms is SendCloud . This platform works with more than 25 international carriers. They offer easy shipping tools for picking, packing and delivery. They also have very flexible delivery options and delivery in service points. With SendCloud you have the possibility to create branded tracking pages and send automatic emails. The return process is also easy for both parties with this platform.
As a customer, you can choose from different subscriptions. Which subscription suits your company best depends on the number of packages you send monthly.
Sendcloud is easy to link to your webshop via various integrations for example WooCommerce , Shopify , Magento, Prestashop and Mijnwebwinkel . You have the choice to only use their shipping software and conclude contracts yourself or to also have them help you with the shipping.
The great thing about this platform is that you can create a clear and efficient workflow. This flow can easily be adapted to the needs of your company.
They also have some useful features such as same day delivery and shipping rules. By using these rules, you can immediately assign the correct shipping method to all products. The same day delivery function ensures that customers can receive their package the same day. Since customers nowadays want everything as soon as possible, this is an ideal service.
Parcel Pro
8 carriers including DHL, Red je pakketje and PostNL
24 integrations available
Work with your own contracts
Another platform is the Dutch company Parcel Pro . This company offers an online shipping system with multiple carriers, but you work with your own contracts. This way you have the handy features of such a platform at your disposal but you still keep control.
Here too, you can choose from different subscriptions, depending on the number of packages your company sends monthly.
Other features that Parcel Pro offers are a dynamic delivery choice, automatic track & trace emails and a return portal in your own house style. The platform offers integrations with the most common platforms. Examples of these are Shopify, Woocommerce, Prestashop, Magento or Mijnwebwinkel. You can choose from eight different carriers for sending the parcels.
Shops United
9 carriers including PostNL, DHL and FedEx
27 integrations with webshop platforms
No fixed subscription costs
Shops United is also a Dutch company. They were acquired by PostNL some time ago and are a partner of ParcelPro. At first I feared that the choice was limited to PostNL as a carrier, but fortunately that is not true. In total, you can choose from six different senders at Shops United.
If you ship within the Netherlands, they work with volume discounts. For shipping within the EU, they work with fixed prices. If you want to ship worldwide, the price depends on the size and weight of the package.
Shops United does not charge fixed subscription fees. If you do not ship anything, you do not pay anything. They offer a handy scan & print function with which you can quickly and easily print labels. By means of a barcode scanner you can print the order invoice or the packing slip with a barcode and then scan it. The shipping system takes over the process and immediately prints out the correct label. This saves you a lot of valuable time.
MyParcel.nl
Only shipping with PostNL
26 integrations available
Convenient pick-up service
Myparcel.nl is also a Dutch company. They are the official partner of PostNL and the experience of russian gamers and testers therefore only offer PostNL as a carrier. So you cannot select another sender.
The shipping platform of myparcel.nl is easy to link to the most common webshop platforms. Once it is linked, you can easily create a shipping label for each shipment in your own back office. Even if you do not have a webshop, you can use myparcel.nl. You can then simply work from the platform itself.
Here too, you do not have subscription costs and you only pay for what you actually aob directory send. You have the choice of bringing the packages to a PostNL location for shipping or using the pick-up service. You also have the option of completely customizing the track & trace pages and emails to your own style.
Sendmyparcel.be
3 carriers: bpost, PostNL and DPD
9 integrations + a handy chrome extension
Is a Belgian platform
Sendmyparcel.be is a Belgian shipping platform. Despite the similar name to the platform mentioned above, it is indeed a different platform.
Sendmyparcel.be helps you with the shipping and tracking of parcels. They offer nine free extensions to connect your webshop to their platform. These are slightly fewer than the platforms above, but the most common ones are included. For platforms for which they do not yet offer an integration, they have a handy function. The Google Chrome extension was developed to offer a solution for all platforms for which they have not yet created a plug-in. You can connect the fields of the platform to the extension and easily create the shipping label.
The shipping platform ensures that the orders are imported automatically. This way you can easily print the shipping labels. They work with two different senders: Bpost and DPD. You can bring the packages to the post office yourself or you can use the pick-up service. Here too, the price depends on the destination and the number of packages you send per year.
Sendy
4 carriers: PostNL, DPD, DHL and DHL Express
10 integrations available
Generate export invoices automatically
Sendy used to be known as Keendelivery and before that as Jet Verzendt. It is a Dutch company that arranges all your shipments via one portal. They offer nine free webshop plug-ins. What is noticeable is that Shopify is not among them. They also offer an API with which you can create a custom connection if there is no integration with your webshop platform available.
When you work with Sendy, you have the choice of four senders. You can choose between PostNL, DPD, DHL and DHL Express.
In the portal you can easily create shipments, print labels and create personalized track & trace messages. There is also a handy overview of all your shipments per carrier and you get real-time data. You also do not have to use all carriers. You can easily turn certain carriers on or off.
Paazl
Choose from over 41 carriers
7 integrations available
Especially for bigger players
Paazl is a Dutch company that offers convenient shipping software. They are especially known for their large number of shippers they work with. They not only work with larger shippers, but also with smaller ones, such as Trunkrs and Packaly . You can easily change shippers and add new ones. You can also adjust the delivery options to your product range.
Paazl offers everything you need for easy shipping in one place. In their user-friendly dashboard you can easily track your shipment and tracking. Their rates are slightly higher than those of other platforms. This is why Paazl is mainly used by larger webshops. Linking your webshop platform is also easy with Paazl. They offer various integrations for platforms such as WooCommerce and Magento.
Wuunder
More than 300 shippers
15 available integrations
Huge number of delivery options
Wuunder calls itself the most innovative shipping platform. You can send packages via this platform to more than three hundred senders, including several local couriers. So there is enough choice to find the most suitable carrier.
The platform is easy to connect to your webshop through the various integrations they offer. They have flexible shipping and delivery options. For example, you can combine multiple shippers in one shipment. You can also set smart shipping rules so that the right shipping method is automatically linked to the right order or product.
The clear dashboard keeps you up to date on the progress of all shipments. You can also easily keep your customers informed about their orders through personalized tracking emails and pages.
