Alternatives
Shippo is a shipping and tracking API for e-commerce that combines discounted label purchasing with multi-carrier tracking.
Shippo is popular with small stores that want discounted shipping labels and basic tracking in one place.
Shippo bundles tracking with label purchasing. If you already have a shipping provider or only need tracking, Trace is lighter: one endpoint, normalized events, and a free monthly allowance.
Trace keeps tracking simple and predictable, so you can plug it into any stack without adopting a label-buying workflow.
| Dimension | Trace | Shippo |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Tracking only | Discounted labels + tracking |
| Pricing | 1,000 free lookups + flat plans | Pay-as-you-go labels + tracking (verify) |
| Onboarding | Instant API key | Account + label/billing setup |
| Webhooks | HMAC-signed tracking webhooks | Tracking webhooks available (verify) |
| Best for | Teams that already ship elsewhere | Teams that want labels + tracking together |
Choose Trace when you only need tracking, or you already buy labels elsewhere.
Choose Shippo when you want discounted labels and tracking bundled together.
For tracking, yes. Trace is a focused tracking API with a free tier. Shippo additionally sells discounted labels, which Trace does not.
Yes — many teams use Shippo for labels and Trace for normalized tracking status and webhooks.
No. Trace is tracking-only. For labels, use Shippo, ShipEngine, or EasyPost.
Create an account, generate an API key, and track your first package in under two minutes — no credit card required.