EasyPost vs. AfterShip: Which Shipping Solution is Right for You?
Are you looking for a better way to track your shipments?
AfterShip and EasyPost are both great shipment tracking platforms, but they have different features that might make one better for you than the other. Here’s a breakdown of the pros and cons of each platform so you can decide which is best for your needs.
No more waiting around for package updates! With either of these platforms, you can get real-time updates on where your package is and when it will be delivered. So you can finally relax and stop checking the tracking number every five minutes.
Read on to learn more about these two shipping options below!
Key features
Personalize your content
Branding is an important part of your online business and having the ability to incorporate that branding into the shipping and payment process (instead of directing customers to a third-party site) can be an important part of the customer experience. This article details several things that can cause problems for customers of online stores, and a lack of personalization is among them.
Fortunately, both EasyPost and AfterShip offer your business the ability to personalize content during the purchasing, shipping, and return phases of the cycle. This way, customers never feel like they have to leave your platform during the purchasing process. It establishes trust and loyalty in your brand, which can go a long way to increasing customer satisfaction and repeat business.
AfterShip, however, takes this experience to the next level by offering services such as automatic shipment notifications, curated upselling suggestions, and the ability to track orders at any stage of the process with a single click.
Order tracking made easy
Both EasyPost and AfterShip offer a variety of ways to make it easy to track where your package is at any time. EasyPost relies on a combination of webhooks and its shipping API to provide reliable information about the status of a package anywhere in the world in real-time. This information can then be integrated into your online store in any way that you would like.
Meanwhile, AfterShip provides its users with a simple copy-and-paste order lookup widget that can be used on an Order History page, or anywhere else you would like. This allows customers to track the status of their order in real-time with just one click. AfterShip also uses 7 key statuses and 33 sub-statuses to communicate the state of an order, so customers will always know exactly what is happening with their order at any given time.
Both products have great ways to help you keep track of orders, but AfterShip certainly goes the extra mile to make the process clear and simple.
Analytics to help you dive deeper
Having access to detailed analytics is important for your business to understand larger trends and to maximize opportunities to optimize your business. EasyPost's Shipping and SmartRate APIs help its users compare delivery rates across several companies and improve on-time delivery metrics with data-backed optimization for shipments.
On top of offering these services, AfterShip also offers analytics on the level of engagement that customers have with content on your website, data on customer reviews left for shipping carriers, and data on where shipping delays are occurring most frequently so that you can make decisions on how to be more effective.
If you are someone who likes to get into data and have all the information at your fingertips, there is no better alternative shipping solution than AfterShip.
Ease of use
AfterShip is designed to get users up and running quickly with no coding experience required. By using the AfterShip platform, users can connect their eCommerce store with AfterShip's courier partners. This allows users to track their orders and automate their shipping process.
Once you've connected your store, you can start tracking orders with AfterShip. AfterShip will automatically detect which courier was used for each order and track the shipment accordingly. You can also add tracking numbers manually if needed.
In addition to tracking orders, AfterShip also allows users to automate their shipping process. With our automated shipping rules, users can set up conditions under which orders should be shipped.
For example, you could set a rule that all orders over $100 should be shipped via UPS Express. Or, you could set a rule that all orders placed on Saturdays should be shipped on Mondays. AfterShip's automated shipping rules make it easy to keep your shipping process running smoothly, so you can focus on other aspects of your business.
EasyPost also makes many of these features available to its customers, but those with little to no programming or development experience may find it a challenge to implement their technologies. Easyship advertises itself as a tool "[b]uilt by developers, for developers". If your team has someone with the capabilities that a solution like EasyPost would require, this could be a great solution for your business. For others who don't possess a coding background, AfterShip may be the better choice.
Carrier partners
Both EasyPost and AfterShip support more well-known carriers including UPS, USPS, DHL, and FedEx. Beyond this, EasyPost also has support for some international carriers, allowing for delivery support in areas throughout North America, Asia, and Europe. Overall, EasyPost has over 100 partnerships with carriers that give their clients a degree of versatility and availability for shipments.
AfterShip, however, is the clear choice for customers looking for a shipment tracking solution with access to a wide range of carrier partners across the world. AfterShip currently supports over 900 carriers internationally. Not only does AfterShip provide the same access to more well-known carriers, but they offer a level of versatility and flexibility with regard to shipment partnerships that EasyPost cannot match.
If you have an online store looking to make it easier for your products to get into the hands of more customers, it is clear that AfterShip is the right shipment tracking choice for you.
Pricing
EasyPost has a variety of pricing options to fit the needs of businesses of all sizes. They offer an introductory free tier for developers and small businesses.
This plan covers the first 120,000 packages (per year) shipped at no charge. It is a great way for smaller businesses to get their shipping needs met, and for larger businesses to test-drive EasyPost and see if it is the right fit for their needs.
For larger businesses, EasyPost offers custom pricing that includes perks such as unlimited shipments and tracking, a preferred rate on shipping insurance, and dedicated customer support.
AfterShip also offers a free membership that offers their most basic service package. Beyond this, they offer an Essentials, Pro, and Premium package as well as custom enterprise solutions for businesses that ship products on a larger scale.
The Essentials package is available for $9 per month (billed annually) and covers the needs of most small businesses. This package offers an unlimited number of tracking, real-time notifications, automation rules, and customer support.
For larger businesses that need more features and customization, AfterShip's Pro package is available for $49 per month (billed annually). This package includes all of the features of the Essentials package plus additional features such as branding customization, data export, and advanced tracking filtering.
Ultimately, both EasyPost and AfterShip offer a great set of features at a variety of price points to fit the needs of businesses of all sizes.
Integrations
Both EasyPost and AfterShip offer integrations with a variety of eCommerce platforms, including Shopify, BigCommerce, and Magento. This means that merchants who use one of these platforms can easily connect their stores to either service and take advantage of its features for shipping and mailing. Both services offer a variety of features that can be helpful for businesses, including the ability to print shipping labels, track shipments, and more.
AfterShip, however, offers more integrations than EasyPost, with support SMS solutions like Attentive and Sailthru. Additionally, AfterShip provides more features than EasyPost, such as the ability to print shipping labels and track shipments.
Another thing that sets AfterShip apart from EasyPost is mobile app support for both Android and iOS. Several sources predict that a majority of users will access the internet solely through their smartphones, so having an app is a clear advantage for AfterShip.
AfterShip is the clear choice
Overall, it is clear that AfterShip offers more features and integrations than EasyPost. They also have a mobile app for Android and iOS devices, which gives them an edge over their competition. If you are looking for a shipment tracking solution with access to a wide range of carrier partners across the world, then AfterShip is the clear choice for you.
One of the most important decisions you will make for your business is choosing a shipment tracking solution that fits your needs. If you are looking for a comprehensive solution with a wide range of carrier partnerships, AfterShip is the clear choice. With more features and integrations than EasyPost, AfterShip offers everything you need to take your business to the next level. And with mobile app support for Android and iOS devices, you can take AfterShip with you wherever you go.
Still not sure if AfterShip is the right choice for you? Check out a free trial and see for yourself how AfterShip can help your business grow.