Shipping Platform Comparison · 2026

EasyPost vs. Stamps.com

Both print labels. The differences show up the moment your volume grows past the point Stamps.com was built for.

See EasyPost in Action → Jump to Comparison

Trusted by eBay, Walmart, Carhartt, Petco, and 100,000+ shippers worldwide

100+
Carriers Supported
88%
Max Rate Discount
99.99%
Uptime SLA
$0
To Get Started
Quick Verdict

Two platforms, two very different ceilings

Stamps.com built a clean, simple product for small businesses printing labels from home. That's not a criticism—it's exactly what they set out to do. The problem is mid-market shipping operations weren't part of that design.

STAMPS.COM
Best for low-volume SMBs

Simple UI for printing USPS and UPS labels. Works well at low volume — significant gaps appear as complexity and volume grow.

  • Simple web, PC, and Mac UI
  • USPS and UPS only — two carriers total
  • No AI carrier selection or rate optimization
  • Phone support Mon–Fri only; no weekend coverage
  • Monthly subscription — no free tier
  • Documented history of outages and downtime

The full breakdown

Every dimension that affects your cost, flexibility, and ability to grow.

What Matters EasyPost Stamps.com
Cost Control
When rates spikeShift carriers the same day EP WINSNo alternative carriers to move to GAP
Spotting where you overpayLuma AI benchmarks spend and flags cost leaks EP WINSNo reporting or intelligence layer GAP
Protection from billing errors$22M/year in erroneous charges caught and disputed EP WINSNo active dispute process GAP
Rate discounts off retailUp to 88% off retail rates EP WINSNegotiated USPS & UPS rates only GAP
Pricing modelPay-per-use — scales with volume EP WINSMonthly subscription from $19.99/mo GAP
Carrier Coverage
Carrier count100+ domestic, regional, and international EP WINSUSPS and UPS only GAP
International shippingFull support — global carrier network EP WINSNot supported GAP
Regional carrier accessExtensive EP WINSNot available GAP
Bring your own carrier account✓ (USPS & UPS only)
Scale & Reliability
Uptime SLA99.99% published SLA EP WINSNo published SLA; documented outage history GAP
Support coverage24/7/365 including Sundays EP WINSPhone support Mon–Fri, 6am–6pm PT only GAP
High-volume capacityScales automatically — no ceilings EP WINSNot built for high-volume operations GAP
Peak-season reliabilityProven at billions of shipments EP WINSScheduled maintenance windows are common GAP
Intelligence & Automation
AI carrier selectionLuma AI selects optimal carrier per shipment EP WINSNot available GAP
Shipping analyticsLuma AI Insights — full performance visibility EP WINSNot available GAP
Rate simulationLuma Advisor simulates carrier scenarios EP WINSNot available GAP
Platform & Integrations
API accessFull RESTful API — SDKs in 7 languages EP WINSBasic API available
Shipment protectionEasyPost Guard — insurance, claims, purchase protection EP WINSNot available GAP
Branded trackingCustom pages, SMS/email notifications, real-time updates EP WINSNot available GAP
Address verificationBuilt-in address verification API EP WINSBasic address verification
Free to start✓ $0 to get started✗ Monthly subscription required GAP

What Stamps.com wasn't built for

Stamps.com works well inside a narrow use case. These are the moments it doesn't.

Stamps.com

Only two carriers — USPS and UPS

When rates spike or a carrier misses SLAs, there's nowhere to go. Mid-market shippers need flexibility. Stamps.com gives you two options and calls it a day.

Cost & carrier flexibility risk
Stamps.com

No AI, no optimization, no benchmarking

Stamps.com prints the label you ask for. EasyPost's Luma AI identifies which label you should buy — automatically, on every shipment.

Cost intelligence risk
Stamps.com

Outages happen. Support isn't there when they do.

Stamps.com has a documented history of reliability issues. Phone support is unavailable on weekends — exactly when peak-season problems surface.

Reliability risk
Stamps.com

Built for solo shippers, not ops teams

Stamps.com's UI was designed for printing labels from a home office. Mid-market ops teams need multi-user workflows and carrier intelligence — not a postage meter replacement.

Operational scale risk
Stamps.com

The subscription doesn't flex with your volume

Starting at $19.99/month with no pay-per-use option, Stamps.com charges you whether volume is high or low. EasyPost scales in both directions.

Cost structure risk
$22M
in erroneous carrier charges caught and disputed by EasyPost on behalf of shippers — annually. Stamps.com has no equivalent process.

When the platform choice
actually matters

The difference isn't visible at 200 shipments a month. It becomes very visible at 20,000.

01
A mid-market brand hits 10,000 shipments/month and USPS rates spike
Stamps.com

With only USPS and UPS available, rate increases mean absorbing the cost. There's no third carrier to pivot to and no support when the team discovers the problem on a Sunday mid-peak.

Result: Higher costs. No viable alternative. Full increase absorbed.
EasyPost

Luma AI flags the increase and identifies a regional carrier as cheaper for specific zones. The team shifts a portion of volume within the week — no new integration required.

Result: Costs normalized within days. Carrier mix permanently optimized.
02
An ops team needs to ship internationally for the first time
Stamps.com

International shipping isn't supported. The team pieces together a separate workflow with a different vendor — two systems, two bills, two sets of carrier relationships to manage.

Result: Fragmented operations from day one.
EasyPost

International carriers activate through the same integration already handling domestic volume. Address validation, customs, and rate comparison all run on one platform.

Result: International expansion in days, not months.
03
Peak season hits and the platform goes down
Stamps.com

Documented outage history and scheduled maintenance windows make downtime during peak season a known risk. Phone support is closed on weekends — exactly when it's needed most.

Result: Labels don't print. Orders don't ship. Revenue stops.
EasyPost

99.99% uptime maintained through consecutive peak seasons. 24/7/365 support staffed and ready — including Sundays and holidays.

Result: Peak season runs like every other day.

The honest answer on who should use which

The right platform depends on where your business is today — and whether it can take you where you're going.

Stamps.com — if you…

  • Ship fewer than 200 packages/month
  • Run a solo operation and need the simplest possible UI
  • Only ship domestically via USPS or UPS
  • Don't need programmatic carrier control or API access
  • Are early-stage and not yet planning for scale

The honest bottom line: Stamps.com is a fine product for its audience. Mid-market ops teams aren't that audience. EasyPost includes every carrier Stamps.com connects to — plus 98 more. You don't give up coverage by switching. You gain the infrastructure to grow without rebuilding.

Questions before you switch

Is EasyPost really free to start?

Yes. There's no subscription fee to get started. EasyPost charges per label, not per month — so you only pay when you ship. Most teams generate their first label the same day they sign up.

Do I have to give up my existing carrier accounts?

No. You can bring your own USPS, UPS, FedEx, and other carrier accounts and rate-shop them alongside EasyPost's Wallet Carrier rates. You keep your relationships and gain access to 100+ additional carriers through a single integration.

How long does it take to switch from Stamps.com?

Most teams complete integration within a day. EasyPost's RESTful API has SDKs in seven languages — Python, Node.js, Ruby, PHP, Java, C#, and Go — and a full sandbox environment for testing before you go live.

What happens when a carrier changes their rates or API specs?

EasyPost absorbs those changes on your behalf. When a carrier updates their integration requirements, EasyPost's team handles it — your code stays intact and your workflow continues uninterrupted.

Ready To Move?

Still on Stamps.com?
You're leaving carriers on the table.

See exactly what EasyPost looks like for your operation before committing to anything. Free to start. Most teams are live within a day.

See EasyPost in Action → Talk to a Shipping Expert

Free to start · 100+ carriers · 99.99% uptime
· No credit card required

Competitor data sourced from public documentation and Stamps.com website as of Q2 2026. Features may vary by plan. Stamps.com is a subsidiary of Auctane.