CustomHub vs ShipStation
ShipStation is great at shipping. That's what it does. But if you run a print-on-demand business, shipping is maybe 20% of your operation.
What about gang sheets? Dealer portals? Supplier routing? Storefronts? That's where CustomHub comes in.
Shipping software
Multi-carrier label printing, rate shopping, tracking, returns, and warehouse management. It connects to your stores and gets packages out the door. It's very good at that one job.
Your entire POD operation
Orders, gang sheets, pick lists, dealer portals, supplier routing, branded storefronts, product designer, mockup generation — and yes, shipping too. Everything a POD company needs in one platform.
The Full Comparison
An honest look at what each platform does and doesn't do.
| Feature | CustomHub | ShipStation |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-carrier shipping labels | ||
| Auto rate shopping | ||
| Batch label printing | ||
| USPS scan forms | ||
| Address verification | ||
| Order management dashboard | ||
| Custom automation rules | ||
| Etsy / Amazon / Shopify sync | ||
| DTF gang sheet generationCustomHub exclusive | ||
| Pick list sorted by size & color | ||
| Gang sheet + pick list sequence matchingNo other platform does this | ||
| Dealer / dropship portal | ||
| White-label portals per dealer | ||
| Custom price lists per dealer | ||
| Prepaid wallet system | ||
| Supplier network & routing | ||
| Smart order routing by capability | ||
| Branded storefront with custom domain | ||
| Built-in product designer | ||
| Mockup generation | ||
| Scan-to-ship barcode systemShipStation has basic scan support | ||
| Warehouse managementShipStation has warehouse features | ||
| Returns management portalShipStation has returns workflows | ||
| International customs/dutiesVia EasyPost in CustomHub |
When to Pick Which
Pick ShipStation if...
- You only need shipping and label printing
- You sell physical (non-POD) products
- You need warehouse management features
- You need a returns management portal
- You ship internationally with complex customs needs
Pick CustomHub if...
- You run a print-on-demand business
- You need DTF gang sheets with sequential fulfillment
- You manage dealers or run a B2B fulfillment network
- You want supplier routing across multiple printers
- You need a branded storefront with a product designer
- You want one platform instead of 4-5 tools duct-taped together
The real difference
ShipStation was built for ecommerce companies that need to ship things. It's carrier management software — and it does that well.
But if you run a POD business, your day doesn't start and end at shipping. You're generating gang sheets. You're matching transfers to orders. You're managing five different dealers who each need their own pricing and portal. You're routing orders to two different suppliers. You're running a storefront with a product designer.
ShipStation handles the last mile. CustomHub handles the whole road.
And here's the thing — CustomHub includes shipping. Through EasyPost and ShipStation integrations, you get the same multi-carrier label printing, rate shopping, and tracking. You don't lose anything on the shipping side. You gain everything else.
Try the platform built for POD
14-day free trial. No credit card required. See how much simpler your operation gets when everything's in one place.
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