Shopify's built-in shipping is fine until the orders add up. You are still opening each one, buying the label, and marking it fulfilled by hand, and your carrier choice in the UK is limited. Here is the honest comparison and where Parcel fits.
Parcel is a hands-free alternative to buying labels in Shopify admin. When an order is paid, Parcel books the label automatically on a carrier you choose, marks it fulfilled with tracking, and has it ready to print. It ships via APC today, with more carriers including Royal Mail on the way. Shopify Shipping is fine if you ship low volume and are happy buying labels by hand.
The built-in tool is convenient, but it stays manual:
The labelling step is the bit that should just happen, and with the built-in tool it never quite does.
| Parcel | Shopify Shipping | |
|---|---|---|
| How a label gets made | Books itself when the order is paid | You buy each label in admin by hand |
| Fulfilment and tracking | Marked automatically | You mark it yourself |
| Printing | One click or a scheduled batch, incl. 4 x 6 thermal | One label at a time |
| Carriers | APC now, Royal Mail and more rolling out | Limited to Shopify's UK partners |
| Effort per day | Minutes | Grows with every order |
| Price | Paid, built for small UK shops | Included with Shopify |
| Best for | Shops past doing it by hand | Low volume, happy clicking |
If you ship a handful of orders a day, the carriers in your Shopify admin suit you, and buying labels by hand does not bother you, Shopify Shipping is already there and it costs nothing extra. Parcel only earns its place once the clicking starts eating real time, or you want a carrier Shopify does not offer you.
If you are on Shopify, the orders are stacking up, and buying every label by hand has become the chore you put off, Parcel is built for you. It books the label the moment an order is paid and has it ready to print. Parcel ships via APC today, with more carriers rolling out, so tell us your setup and we will let you know when it fits.
Yes. Shopify's built-in tool still needs you to buy each label by hand. Parcel books the label automatically the moment an order is paid, marks it fulfilled with tracking, and has it ready to print.
For the labelling and fulfilment step, yes. Parcel books and prints your labels automatically on a carrier you choose. You stay on Shopify, Parcel just removes the manual buying and fulfilling.
If you are low volume and happy clicking, you should. Parcel is for sellers who have outgrown doing it by hand or want a carrier Shopify does not offer in the UK.
Parcel ships via APC today, a tracked UK courier, with Royal Mail and others on the way. Tell us which carrier you need when you sign up.
Parcel is opening to a small group of UK sellers. Tell us your platform and carrier, and we will get you in as soon as we support your setup.