Looking for the best 3PL companies for your dropshipping business?
We've got you!
The use of 3PL companies has become popular among dropshippers seeking a more streamlined way to fulfill orders.
After all, these companies provide one to five-day shipping worldwide, which regular dropshipping suppliers usually can't offer.
In this article, we have listed the nine best 3PL companies for your dropshipping business in 2024.
At A Glance: Our Top 5 Picks for 3PL Companies for Dropshippers
- Our Top Pick: ShipBob
- Shipmonk
- CJdropshipping
- Red Stag Fulfillment
- ShipNetwork
If this sounds like something you're looking for, keep on reading!
The Best 3PL Companies: An Overview
Before we go into the details, here is an overview table of all the 3PL companies:
| Company | Best for | Pricing | Read Review |
| ShipBob | Scaling businesses looking to ship worldwide | Custom quotation | ShipBob Review |
| ShipMonk | Fast worldwide shipping from multiple warehouses | Custom quotation | ShipMonk Review |
| CJdropshipping | New 3PL users looking to get started easily | Free / custom quotation | CJdropshipping Review |
| Red Stag Fulfillment | Businesses looking for fast shipping within the US | Custom quotation | Red Stag Fulfillment Review |
| ShipNetwork | Brands looking for a reliable US-based 3PL partner | Custom pricing | ShipNetwork Review |
| Bezos | Scaling brands needing a distributed 3PL network | Custom quotation | Bezos Review |
| eFulfillment Service | Small-medium sized brands based in the US | Custom quotation | eFulfillment Service Review |
| ShipHero | Brands looking for affordable US-shipping | Custom quotation | ShipHero Review |
| SHIPHYPE | Fast US and Canada shipping | Starting from $499 per month and $1 per order | SHIPHYPE Review |
How do you pick the right 3PL company?
When selecting a 3PL company, the following six things are the most important things to consider:
- Locations of fulfillment centers
- Pricing of the company
- Return and refund policy
- Available app integrations
- Customer support
- 3PL software
Let's discuss each of these in more detail.
1. Locations of fulfillment centers
This is one of the most important things to consider.
What countries does the 3PL company have fulfillment centers in?
3PL companies always list the fulfillment center locations on their website:
For example, if you're shipping to the US, they should definitely have a fulfillment center there.
Some 3PL suppliers might only offer warehouses in one country, like the US.
While this might be okay for you in the beginning, you must consider your plans for the next one to five years.
Do you want to expand to other countries?
If yes, you should pick a fulfillment center with locations in multiple countries worldwide. If you're already shipping worldwide, look for suppliers that mention that they can ship internationally, like Omni Logistics here mentions:
Also, keep in mind that while some 3PL companies can ship worldwide from their US warehouse, the shipping costs will be higher than using a worldwide-oriented 3PL.
2. Pricing of the company
Pricing is also an essential factor.
Since 3PL companies charge different kinds of fees, you should have a clear idea of what the service will end up costing in the long term.
You can usually find a 'Pricing' page on the header of the 3PL company website.
Many 3PL solutions offer custom pricing, meaning you must contact their team to see the exact cost of the service.
This is because calculating the price is pretty difficult. Many factors, like your monthly volume and the weight of your products, matter.
We will also outline each company's pricing structure in this article.
3. Minimum monthly requirements
This is often an overlooked aspect when starting to work with 3PL companies.
You may not realize it, but most 3PL companies have a minimum order quantity or minimum monthly spending limit if you want to work with them.
For example, ShipBob's minimum monthly spending limit is $275.
To help you with this, we are gonna list the minimum monthly requirements for each company in this article.
4. Available app integrations
When dealing with dozens of orders, you want them to automatically show up in the 3PL software to save you from any manual work.
For this reason, look for 3PL companies that integrate with your preferred ecommerce platform. For most people, this is Shopify.
There should also be an API integration possibility if you want to do more advanced integrations between different software you use daily.
5. Customer support
If good customer support is essential for you (which it is for most people), look for a 3PL company that meets your customer service needs.
For example, some of them offer live chat support, and some do not.
6. Good 3PL software
A 3PL software is the admin dashboard, where you can handle things like stock, paying warehouse fees, and customer returns and refunds.
If you think long-term, the software must be intuitive and easy to use.
The 9 best 3PL companies in 2024
To make it as easy as possible for you to pick the right 3PL company, for each company, we will highlight:
- Their pricing structure
- Their fulfillment center locations
- Their available app integrations
- Mention their minimum monthly requirement
- Discuss the overall quality of their service
When you know these things about each option, it will be easier to decide which company to go with.
1. ShipBob
First on our list is ShipBob, one of the most popular 3PL companies.
They're well known for their 2-day shipping across the US, extensive integration options, and worldwide fulfillment centers.
According to ShipBob, they have 50 fulfillment centers across 6+ countries and a 99.95% accuracy rate on their orders.
That's quite impressive for a 3PL company.
They're also praised for their customer support since they have available live chat, phone support, email, and a self-help knowledge base.
Pros
- Fast delivery. ShipBob is known for its two-day delivery across the US and can also ship to pretty much any other country within three to seven days. They're able to ship so fast because they have warehouses in all the major locations, like the US, Canada, Europe, and Australia.
- The most extensive integration options out there. On top of having good ecommerce integrations, ShipBob integrates with marketplaces, order management tools, CRMs, agencies, and different design solutions. It's something competitors don't offer as extensively.
- Robust platform for managing things. You can manage, edit, and customize orders from ShipBob's platform, as well as track real-time stock levels.
Cons
- Storage and shipping fees. While ShipBob is a popular option and known to be effective, they are not the cheapest solution out there. ShipBob customers on Trustpilot have reported that the fees can add up quickly, especially the storage costs.
How do you connect ShipBob to your store?
Connecting ShipBob to your store is quite easy since they have extensive integration options. Here is the complete list:
For example, if you want to connect ShipBob to your Shopify store, you have to sign up for ShipBob, and from the settings, the integration process is quick.
You can also find them on the Shopify App Store!
Pricing
ShipBob has a custom pricing for each one of its customers.
To get the pricing, you need to select your ecommerce platform and fill in the amount of monthly orders you get, as well as your email and phone number.
After this, their team will get in touch with you to discuss pricing.
One thing they're known for is their transparent pricing system. Once you get the pricing, everything is laid out in an easy-to-understand way.
Minimum monthly requirement: If you want to work with ShipBob, the minimum monthly spending requirement is $275. If you can't meet this in any given month, you will be charged that amount plus a 3% fee.
2. ShipMonk
Next, we have ShipMonk.
Most of their warehouses are located in the US, but they also have warehouses in Canada, Mexico, and Europe. In total, they have 12 locations.
This also ensures fast worldwide shipping, even as low as two days within the US.
This is similar shipping to what ShipBob offers. Their international shipping is also pretty much the same since they can provide three to eight-day shipping times worldwide.
For customer support, you can contact the ShipMonk team through their website chat feature, form, email, or call them. According to them, their average response time is four hours during business hours.
Once you sign up for the platform, you get dedicated help from a customer service rep.
Pros
- Great customer service. During your onboarding, you're assigned your own customer service rep who will help you with the onboarding and any problems you may face. They're called 'Happiness Engineers' by the ShipMonk team. Cool name, right?
- Delivery protection. ShipMonk has a cool feature called 'MonkProtect' that customers can add to their orders to get protection from any lost, stolen, or damaged packages.
- Virtual carrier network. ShipMonk's Virtual Carrier Network helps you save on customer orders and guarantees that your orders are delivered on time.
Cons
- Limited international shipping. Even though ShipMonk mentions that it can ship worldwide, its shipping capacity is not as robust as that of some competitors like ShipBob. This is because it doesn't have warehouses in Australia, for example.
How do you connect ShipMonk to your store?
ShipMonk integrates with 75+ ecommerce shopping carts, which will cover the needs of almost everyone.
You can find all the most popular ones, like Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, WooCommerce, and more.
Once you sign up for the platform, you can select your preferred solution and simply plug your store into ShipMonk.
ShipMonk is also available on the Shopify App Store:
Pricing
ShipMonk pricing is based on how many orders you ship each month.
They have a calculator on their pricing page you can use, and once you fill in the details, their team will contact you.
What we like about their pricing is that their website will already give you a good idea of how much they will cost. They have sections like this:
Minimum monthly requirement: ShipMonk's minimum pick-and-pack fees start at $250 per month. While they don't mention this price on their website, they will tell you once you contact their team for a custom quote.
3. CJdropshipping
While CJdropshipping is known as a dropshipping supplier platform, they have a 3PL warehouse system available.
It's definitely an interesting option since you can dropship their available product selection and also use the 3PL services.
To use the 3PL service, you need to sign up for CJdropshipping and place a 'Service Product Request.'
From here, you can pick from one of their 30+ warehouses, and their team then get back to you with the pricing.
When you use CJdropshipping, you also get a dedicated agent who can help you with any issues.
If you want to learn more about CJdropshipping, we wrote an entire review of the platform here.
Pros
- More than a 3PL solution. CJdropshipping has 900,000 products in its catalog that you can dropship, and on top of that, it has the 3PL solution.
- Good 3PL solution for beginners. If you haven't used any 3PL services before, CJdropshipping can be a great option. You can start using their Chinese warehouses and gradually move to their warehouses in other countries.
- Cheaper solution than some competitors. CJdropshipping offers the first 90 days free of storage fees. Their other fees are also not as high as those of their competitors.
Cons
- Not a dedicated 3PL platform. Because CJdropshipping is mostly known as a dropshipping fulfillment platform, its focus isn't entirely on improving its 3PL services. This means you might not experience the same level of flexibility as with some dedicated 3PL solutions.
How do you connect CJdropshipping to your store?
CJdropshipping integrates with all the major ecommerce platforms, including Shopify, Woocommerce, BigCommerce, and more:
The integration can be done once you sign up for the platform. You simply need to go to the integration settings and click on the 'Add Store' button:
You can also find CJdropshipping from the Shopify App Store!
Pricing
An interesting thing about CJdropshipping warehouses is that the storage fee is free for the first 90 days.
If the product isn't available in the CJdropshipping warehouse yet, you'll have to pay shipping and processing fees.
To get the exact pricing for these, you have to place a service product request within the CJdropshipping admin dashboard.
Minimum monthly requirement: CJdropshipping has a minimum order quantity of 100 pieces (and at least ten pieces per variant) for their US warehouse. If you ship from their Chinese warehouses, the requirements are smaller.
4. Red Stag Fulfillment
Fourth on our list is Red Stag Fulfillment.
They're a 3PL solution that is especially known for transparency and efficient US-based shipping solutions.
In fact, they only have two warehouses, both of which are located in the US.
As you can see, they promise one to two days of shipping time across the US.
One big reason they're known for 'transparency' is their order fulfillment guarantees. This is what they mention about the guarantees:
If an order is shipped with the wrong item or wrong number of items, not only will we fix the mistake, but you don’t pay for that shipment AND we’ll pay you $50 for the inconvenience.
Source
Quite cool, right?
This is definitely something that is only unique to Red Stag Fulfillment.
When you sign up for Red Stag Fulfillment, you get a dedicated support manager who will help you with the onboarding process. After this, you can also always call their support team.
Pros
- Transparent services. From the order guarantees to shipping guarantees to the pricing, Red Stag Fulfillment is one of the most transparent 3PL companies you can work with.
- No minimum order quantity requirements. Unlike most 3PL companies, Red Stag Fulfillment doesn't have any specific minimum order quantities (or any extra monthly fees).
- Fast US-based shipping. Red Stag Fulfillment is focused entirely on providing customers with one to two day US shipping. If that's something you're looking for, they can be a reliable solution.
Cons
- Only two warehouses are available. Red Stag Fulfillment has two warehouses, both of which are located in the US. This doesn't make it an ideal option for international shipping.
How do you connect Red Stag Fulfillment to your store?
Red Stag Fulfillment integrates with Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and more.
They have integrations with most ecommerce platforms but not as extensively as some main competitors.
However, they do have an API integration possibility, which should be enough to cover all the integration needs.
Red Stag Fulfillment is available in the Shopify App Store, but they don't have any reviews there.
Pricing
To get the pricing from Red Stag Fulfillment, you have to contact their team.
Minimum monthly requirement: Red Stag Fulfillment mentions that even though it mostly works with big companies, it doesn't have any set order minimums and doesn't charge a monthly fee.
5. ShipNetwork
Fifth on our list is ShipNetwork.
Previously known as Rakuten Super Logistics, ShipNetwork focuses on providing its customers with one to two-day US shipping times.
Similar to Red Stag Fulfillment, they mainly focus on US fulfillment, but they also have international shipping options:
Since their US warehouses are located strategically, they can provide you with one to two-day shipping times.
Here are some of their other highlight features:
As you can see from the image, ShipNetwork provides US-based customer support that can help you during their business hours, Monday to Friday.
Pros
- Good returns management system. Compared to its competitors, ShipNetwork has a more transparent returns management system. You can return customer items to the ShipNetwork warehouse, and if they meet quality control checks, you can add them back to your inventory.
- 100% accuracy guarantee. For all customer orders, ShipNetwork promises a 100% accuracy guarantee.
- Custom services. ShipNetwork offers many additional services, such as lot tracking, temperature-controlled warehouses, and kitting. They're also open to any custom projects you may have in mind.
Cons
- It is not an ideal option for international shipping. ShipNetwork can ship worldwide with its Xparcel international shipping, but the shipping times are longer and more expensive than with competitors who have warehouses in multiple countries.
How do you connect ShipNetwork to your store?
ShipNetwork integrates with most ecommerce platforms, marketplaces, and order management platforms.
Once you sign up for the platform, ShipNetwork has a plugin called 'SmartFill' that helps you to easily connect your store with it.
They are not available in the Shopify App Store.
Pricing
ShipNetwork has a custom pricing system available. To get the pricing, contact their team from their website.
Minimum monthly requirement: ShipNetwork has a minimum order quantity of 250 orders per month.
6. Bezos
Bezos is another 3PL solution that can be a good option for those who are looking for international shipping providers.
They're originally a UK-based 3PL company, but they now have warehouses in Germany, the Netherlands, the US, and 12 other countries.
Since they have warehouses in so many countries, they can provide two to seven-day shipping worldwide, which is quite impressive.
When you become their customer, you get access to their software that enables you to track the status of your orders easily.
Pros
- 63 warehouses in total. Bezos has an extensive fulfillment center network, providing its customers with 63 warehouses in 16 countries.
- Fast international shipping. Similarly to ShipBob, Bezos offers fast worldwide shipping for its customers. This is possible because of their extensive fulfillment center network.
- Dedicated account manager. According to Bezos, their customer service representatives typically reply within two hours. On top of this, customers have their dedicated account manager who can help with any problems they face.
Cons
- Lacks in integrations. Even though Bezos integrates well with ecommerce platforms and some marketplaces, they lack other integrations, such as agencies, inventory management, and CRM tools.
How do you connect Bezos to your store?
Like other solutions on this list, Bezos integrates with most ecommerce platforms, including Shopify, Woocommerce, and BigCommerce.
You can access the integration once you sign up for their platform.
As of now, they are not available in the Shopify App Store.
Pricing
To get pricing from Bezos, you need to have a call with their team to discuss your own needs. You can do this from their pricing page.
Minimum monthly requirement: To work with Bezos on a monthly basis, you need to make at least 150 orders per month.
7. eFulfillment Service
eFulfillment Service is a US-based 3PL solution for ecommerce businesses.
Since they have no order minimum requirements, they're trusted by many smaller and larger businesses that have scaled up.
After looking into their services, we see them as a suitable solution for those shipping within the US looking for a reliable 3PL service.
As they mention here, they're based in the US:
For their international orders, they ship from the US and use FedEx and USPS. This isn't ideal, as shipping times will be longer (since they ship from the US), and the cost will be higher for you than using warehouses in other countries.
For this reason, we see them as a suitable solution for those wanting to expand to the US or already operating there.
Pros
- Easy return processing. Customers can easily return products with the custom return instructions inserted with every customer order. As a store owner, you can easily update the return policy on eFulfillment Service's web-based system.
- Fast order fulfillment and shipping. If an order is in by 1:00 PM EST on a business day, it will be shipped out the same day. The shipping time is also fast within the US, as customers can expect to receive their products within one to two days.
- There is no minimum order requirement. eFulfillment Service doesn't have any minimum monthly requirements or long-term contracts you have to agree on.
Cons
- Warehouses only in the US. eFulfillment Service ships worldwide, but it only has warehouses in the US. This makes the international shipping times slower and more expensive.
- Integrations. eFulfillment Service integrates well with ecommerce platforms and shopping carts, but they have no integrations with CRM, agency, or 3rd party inventory management platforms.
How do you connect eFulfillment Service to your store?
eFulfillment service integrates with 40+ shopping carts and ecommerce platforms. This includes all of the most popular ones, like Shopify, Woocommerce, and WP ecommerce.
Once you sign up for the eFulfillment Service platform, their team will assist you with the integration process.
Pricing
To get started with eFulfillment Service, you must fill in details and request a custom quote from their team. This can be done from their website.
Minimum monthly requirement: eFulfillment Service has no minimum monthly order requirements for working with them.
8. ShipHero
ShipHero is a 3PL service located in the US, and in total, they have nine warehouses, seven in the US and two in Canada.
One great service of ShipHero is that even though they have seven warehouses within the US, you can send your inventory to one location.
They will distribute the inventory to their multiple warehouses. After this, your customers will receive their products quicker as the product is shipped from the warehouse closest to their location.
ShipHero also has two warehouses in Canada, making it a good option for shipping within Canada.
Pros
- Seven warehouses within the US. ShipHero is big on warehouse distribution, so its customers can get fast and affordable shipping in the US. For this reason, it has seven warehouses within the US.
- Two warehouses within Canada. ShipHero also has two warehouses in Canada, one in Toronto and one in Vancouver.
- Affordable 2-day shipping. Since ShipHero is well distributed within the US, they're able to provide more affordable fast shipping. If you use a 3PL company with only one warehouse, for example, the 2-day shipping time will be more expensive since they need to ship through the entire country quickly.
Cons
- No international shipping. ShipHero isn't an option for those looking to do international shipping.
- High minimum order requirement. ShipHero has a minimum order requirement of 500 orders per month, which is higher than any other competitor has.
How do you connect ShipHero to your store?
For ecommerce platforms, ShipHero integrates with BigCommerce, Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, and MyStoreNo.
This is less than almost all other competitors offer, but it still covers the needs of most people.
Once you sign up for the platform, you get access to their warehouse management software, where you can do the store integration.
ShipHero is also available on the Shopify App Store.
Pricing
To get the pricing from ShipHero, you need to schedule a call with their team to discuss your specific needs.
Minimum monthly requirement: To work with ShipHero, you need to make at least 500 orders per month.
9. SHIPHYPE
Last but not least, we have SHIPHYPE.
SHIPHYPE is a 3PL/fulfillment center based in the US and Canada.
They're big on transparency, and from their home page, you can quickly see how much the shipping cost will be using their service.
As you can see, the international shipping price is also included, which they offer from their US and Canadian warehouses.
One cool thing about SHIPHYPE is that they plan to open multiple new warehouse locations in the coming years. Looking into their 'Upcoming locations' page, you can see that in 2025, they're opening two new locations.
Pros
- Dedicated account manager. Every new SHIPHYPE customer gets a dedicated account manager who will help with onboarding and any issues from day one.
- Transparent services. SHIPHYPE is one of the most transparent 3PL companies out there, providing easy-to-understand pricing options for its customers.
- Multiple upcoming locations. SHIPHYPE has a page called 'Upcoming locations' where you can see that they're planning to add more warehouses outside of the US in the coming years.
Cons
- Expensive international shipping. SHIPHYPE does offer international shipping, but you must be ready to pay at least $7 per order just for the shipping to use it.
How do you connect SHIPHYPE to your store?
Once you sign up as a customer at SHIPHYPE, the team will help you integrate your online store with their warehouse management software.
Pricing
SHIPHYPE is unique in a way that they're more transparent in their pricing than most competitors.
The 'Standard Pricing' starts from $499 per month and $1 per order.
You can calculate the pricing cost in more detail and contact the sales team on SHIPHYPE's pricing page:
Minimum monthly requirement: SHIPHYPE doesn't have any minimum order requirements. However, their standard prices start from $499 per month plus $1 per order, so you should be ready to spend that minimally every month.
FAQs about the best 3PL companies
To help you better understand 3PL companies, let's examine a couple of frequently asked questions about them.
What is a 3PL company?
3PL stands for third-party logistics, which means that ecommerce websites rely on third-party fulfillment companies to store, package, and ship orders. The seller is responsible for doing the bulk order and sending the inventory to the 3PL partner.
Is Amazon a 3PL company?
While Amazon.com isn't a 3PL company, two of its businesses, Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment and Fulfillment by Amazon, are classified as 3PL providers.
Do you need a 3PL for dropshipping?
The short answer is no. If you're just starting out and you don't yet have sales coming in, a basic dropshipping supplier is enough for most people. However, if you're scaling and want a robust fulfillment solution, a 3PL company might be a good solution.
Taking action
Reading and absorbing information and knowledge is great (definitely if it's free!), but do you know what's even better?
Taking action!
So, to help you with taking action with what you have learned in this article, take a look at the bullet points:
- Compare different 3PL solutions. Before starting with a 3PL company, you should compare the different solutions. This article reviews the best ones, so it should help you do the comparison!
- Compare different fulfillment solutions. 3PL is not the only solution for dropshippers. You can also use regular dropshipping suppliers or print on demand suppliers. Compare the different methods and choose the best one for you.
- Choose your 3PL company. Once you have compared different options, it's time to choose one!
- Send out your first stock. In order to fulfill customer orders, you must first send stock to your 3PL supplier.
- Integrate the 3PL company into your ecommerce store. In order to sync your customer orders automatically into the 3PL platform, you have to integrate it with your ecommerce store. Luckily, it's easy with the top 3PL companies.
Final verdict
So, what is our final verdict?
What's the best 3PL company for dropshipping businesses in 2024?
Final verdict: ShipBob is the best 3PL company due to its extensive fulfillment network, fast worldwide shipping, good customer support, and hundreds of five-star customer reviews.
Want to learn more about dropshipping?
Ready to move your dropshipping store to the next level? Check out the articles below:
- 9 Ecommerce Stores That Started With or Use Dropshipping
- 15 Best Print on Demand Companies and Suppliers in 2024
- The 25 Best Dropshipping Websites & Companies for Your Store
Plus, don’t forget to check out our in-depth guide on how to start dropshipping here!
