AfterShip Vs ShipStation

1. About AfterShip

AfterShip is an automation and tracking solution for shipping operations. It was established in the year 2012 in Austin, Texas, where it is currently headquartered. It is a major shipping software developer working with more than 10,000 throughout the world. AfterShip employs more than 200 people who are distributed across the globe. It processes an average of 6 billion packages annually. It offers integrations with more than 800 shipping and logistics companies. It is also integrated with more than 30 applications and platforms such as Shopify, Magento and Woocommerce. 

AfterShip offers the following solutions:

• AfterShip: It allows businesses to track orders and extend those capabilities to customers through branded pages, it helps deliver notifications about the status of orders and provides estimated delivery dates to consumers while placing an order. It also provides performance analytics for shipping operations.

• AfterShip Returns Center: It allows businesses to manage their reverse logistics, create a branded page for placing returns, and even set rules for returning products. It also provides a system that can manage the refunds process while also providing analytics to gauge performance. 

• Postmen: It offers several integrations with carriers that help businesses manage their orders, receive real-time rates, generate shipping labels and more. 

Features of AfterShip

- AfterShip’s flagship offering is its tracking service which helps businesses improve visibility of their shipments. It also offers regular updates on the status of the shipment and provides actionable insights.

- It helps businesses create branded pages for customers to track orders. 

- It enables the delivery of notifications to customers.

- The platform offers a multi-carrier management system to businesses.

- It offers real-time shipping rates while accepting orders. 

- It helps businesses to predict the estimated date of delivery for their orders.

- It offers a platform to handle returns and even lets businesses build a branded returns page.

Pros:

AfterShip has one of the best tracking services in the market.

Cons:

AfterShip integrating with the platform can be a hassle. Clients often complain about bugs in integrations. 

2. About ShipStation

ShipStation is an order management and automation platform for eCommerce businesses. It was founded in 2011 and operates out of its headquarters in Dallas, Texas. It offers a host of solutions to its clients in the online selling industry enabling them to manage shipping, processing and fulfillment services through a unified platform. ShipStation serves more than 100,000 businesses. It is integrated with more than 34 selling channels and 84 shipping companies throughout the world. 

ShipStation’s offerings are as follows:

• Order Management: This solution allows businesses to use multiple digital storefronts and marketplaces, handle order management and generate reports. It also allows businesses to automate several processes.

• Shipping: This solution allows businesses to compare shipping rates, generate labels and create order whole batches. 

• Branding: This solution can be used to improve the post-purchase experience of customers. It enables the creation of branded pages and shipping.

• Inventory Management: This solution allows users to check stock levels, set alerts for shortages of items and allocate stock. 

Features of ShipStation

- ShipStation allows users to create tags, alerts and filters to manage orders. 

- The platform helps businesses automate their order management processes. 

- The platform enables real-time comparison of shipping rates. It allows users to choose the ideal shipping partner for a particular order. 

- It allows businesses to create branded pages to track or return their orders. It can also be used to send customers tailored notifications and generate branded shipping labels.

- The platform allows businesses to manage their orders on a unified platform, providing stock level reports and allocation capabilities.

Pros:

The platform is popular for offering cost-effective shipping management solutions. 

Cons:

Some add-ons provided by the platform need further development.