Shipping is crucial to running a successful online store. For WooCommerce users, the right shipping plugin can save time, keep customers satisfied, and even boost sales. 

The best part? Great features aren't always costly! In this post, we'll share our top 5 free WooCommerce shipping plugins that can make your shipping process easier and improve life for you and your customers. Let's get started!

Benefits of WooCommerce Shipping Plugins

  • Real-time shipping rates: Accurate shipping costs directly from carriers, so your shoppers always know what they are being charged at the checkout.
  • Flexible Delivery Options: Deliver their products to their customers using an option with a lot of flexibility in delivery choice: from local pickup to international shipping.
  • Simplified Shipment Tracking: Keep customers updated on their orders to reduce support inquiries and improve their shopping experience.
  • Simplified Shipment Tracking: Provide customers with real-time order updates reducing support enquiries while also enhancing shopper experience.
  • Cut Costs on Shipping: Unlock discounted rates from popular carriers, allowing you to pass savings to customers and increase your profits.

Best 5 WooCommerce shipping plugins

Shipping plays a crucial role in operating an online store, so selecting the ideal plugin is essential for your shop's smooth operation and customer satisfaction. 

The WooCommerce shipping plugins allow you to do shipping cost calculations, provide multiple delivery options, and make the tracking of orders easier. Here are five best WooCommerce shipping plugins that can improve the shipping process on your store for the experience of your customers.

1. WooCommerce Shipping

WooCommerce Shipping makes handling shipping simple. Fully integrated with WooCommerce, it lets you manage everything right from your dashboard, saving time.

This means one can print USPS and DHL shipping labels without extra resources such as tools or software. However, it still allows for discounted shipping rates and therefore will help save money in terms of cost while ensuring competitive pricing on products for clients. The entire process is supported by rate comparisons, creation of labels, and order management.

Whether your products are being sent out locally or around the world, WooCommerce Shipping is there to ensure a smooth experience for customers.

Features of WooCommerce Shipping:

  • All-in-One Dashboard: Control all your shipping tasks right from the dashboard of WooCommerce-no external widgets required.
  • Discounted Rates: Save money with reduced shipping costs for USPS and DHL.
  • Easy printing of labels: print shipping labels directly from your WooCommerce store for an easy process.
  • Flexible Shipping: Easily handle split shipments for you and your customers.
  • Eco-Friendly Shipping: Choose carbon-neutral options to reduce your environmental impact.

Pros:

  • Time-Saving: Handle all your shipping tasks without relying on external apps.
  • Budget-Friendly: Take advantage of discounted USPS and DHL rates to cut costs.
  • Environmentally Conscious: Help your business go green with sustainable shipping options.

Cons:

  • Currently limited to USPS and DHL, which might not work for stores needing other carriers.

Pricing: This plugin is available for free. Depending on the distance a delivery must go, the shipping rate differs with every different carrier.

2. ELEX WooCommerce USPS Shipping Plugin

The ELEX WooCommerce USPS Shipping Plugin makes it easy to add USPS shipping options available on your WooCommerce store. With the most recent USPS shipping rates, it allows for the display of estimated delivery dates and supports both domestic and international shipments.

It's a free service; you get the basics, and if you need more, then use the premium. With labels, tracking shipments, and even USPS flat-rate boxes, this is perfect for businesses aiming for a more advanced USPS shipping solution. 

Need something tailored to your store? Teaming with a WooCommerce development agency can help you customize the plugin and maximize its potential for a smoother, more efficient shipping experience.

Key Features of this plugin are:

  • Accurate Rates: Does provide real-time USPS rates for both domestic as well as international shipments.
  • Better Customer Experience: It clearly displays shipping costs and estimated delivery dates in order to enhance transparency.
  • Backup Rates: Allows stores to set fallback rates if USPS rates fail to load.
  • Service Restrictions: Lets you disable specific services like Media Mail when needed.
  • Multiple Shipping Options: It provides access to multiple USPS shipping methods to the users.

Pros:

  • Easy to Use: Pretty simple to configure and extremely intuitive interface.
  • Overall, Customer Satisfaction: Accurate rates and delivery estimates enhance the shopping experience altogether.
  • Free Option Available: The basic version is ideal for small businesses needing essential shipping features.

Cons:

  • Limited Advanced Features: Label printing and tracking are only available in the premium version.
  • USPS-Focused: May not be suitable for stores requiring support for multiple carriers.

Pricing: The plugin is free to use with basic features. For advanced functionality, the pro version is available for $89.

3. AfterShip Tracking – All-In-One WooCommerce Order Tracking

The AfterShip Tracking plugin makes order tracking easy for WooCommerce store owners. This solution collaborates with over 900 shipping companies globally, allowing you to monitor shipments, send customer updates, and create personalized tracking pages.

With both free and premium plans available, the plugin adapts to stores of various sizes, offering automated notifications, an intelligent dashboard for managing shipments, and robust analytics.

Key Features:

  • Wide Carrier Support: Connects with over 900 carriers, including UPS, FedEx, DHL, and USPS, for seamless tracking.
  • Automated Notifications: Keeps customers informed with status updates for every step of the shipment process.
  • Custom Branding: Brand tracking pages with your logo, colors, and SEO optimization to deliver a cohesive store experience.
  • Tracking in Real Time: Get up-to-date shipment status and tracking information right at your fingertips.
  • Performance Insight: Many valuable data about shipping performance, customer feedback, and effectiveness of your notifications.

Pros:

  • Global Compatibility: Works with a wide range of carriers, perfect for international shipping.
  • Improved Customer Experience: Timely updates, easy tracking, and customizable notifications enhance customer satisfaction.
  • Accessible for Small Businesses: Free plan available for stores with fewer order management needs.

Cons:

  • Feature Complexity: The extensive options may feel overwhelming for smaller stores or beginners.
  • Limited Free Plan: Notifications and analytics are only available in the paid version.

Pricing: AfterShip Tracking offers a free plan with basic features. The pro version, including advanced capabilities, starts at $99/year.

4. Advanced Shipment Tracking for WooCommerce

The Advanced Shipment Tracking (AST) for WooCommerce plugin by Zorem is designed to make easier and more effective handling of order tracking by your WooCommerce store. The plugin can easily support over 400 shipping providers as well as customized tracking widgets. The AST keeps you up to date with your customers regarding the shipment status at any given point of time.

Integrate easily with popular fulfillment services and streamline the shipping process while avoiding customer inquiries on status updates. If you are a WooCommerce store owner who wants to enhance post-purchase communication while delivering an even better shopping experience, then AST is perfect for you.

For further personalizations on AST to tailor it for your requirements on the store, collaborate with a WordPress plugin development company. They will customize this installation in such a way that it will harmonize within the flow of work so as to have a more efficient experience of having personalized shipping for you and your customers.

Key Features:

  • Custom Order Statuses: Renames the "Completed" order status to "Shipped" and adds "Partially Shipped" for split shipments.
  • Tracking Information Display: Shows tracking details in WooCommerce order status emails and on the customer's account page.
  • Multiple Tracking Numbers: Supports multiple tracking numbers for orders shipped in separate packages.
  • Bulk Import: Easily import tracking numbers in bulk via CSV files.
  • Shipment Tracking API: Manage tracking numbers and orders with API.

Pros:

  • Global Carrier Compatibility: Works with a wide range of shipping providers, making it ideal for international orders.
  • Customizable Tracking: Personalize the tracking experience with customizable widgets and email templates.
  • Bulk Tracking Import: Handle large order volumes efficiently with bulk tracking import.
  • Partial Shipment Support: Effectively manage orders with multiple packages using partial shipment tracking.

Cons:

  • Premium Features: Advanced functionalities require AST PRO or TrackShip.
  • Complex for Small Stores: The range of features may be overwhelming for new users or small shops.

Pricing: The plugin offers a free version with basic features, while AST PRO is available for $129/year for access to advanced options.

4. Table Rate Shipping Method for WooCommerce

The Table Rate Shipping Method for WooCommerce plugin by Octolize gives you the flexibility to create customized shipping rates for your store. Whether you want to base shipping costs on weight, cart total, or product dimensions, this plugin makes it easy to set up rules that match your store's specific needs.

With a wide range of configurable options, Table Rate Shipping is perfect for WooCommerce stores looking to offer sophisticated shipping methods and ensure their rates align with their business model. Whether you're shipping small items or large orders, this plugin lets you tailor shipping costs to fit any scenario.

Key Features:

  • Flexible Rates: Set shipping costs by weight, price, item count, or dimensions.
  • Custom Methods: Adjust shipping options by cart contents, order value, or time.
  • Shipping Zones: Create specific zones to control shipping rates in different regions.
  • Tailored Shipping Rates: Set distinctive shipping charges for individual products or product categories.
  • Conditional Logic: Apply rules to customize shipping rates based on various criteria.
  • Distance-Based Rates: Set shipping rates based on distance for local deliveries.

Pros:

  • Highly Customizable: Offers a variety of options to create shipping rules that suit your store's needs.
  • Multilingual Compatibility: Works well with multilingual WooCommerce setups, making it ideal for global stores.
  • Additional Features: Includes add-ons for box packing management and distance-based shipping rates for local deliveries.

Cons:

  • Complex Configuration: There are so many options to customize that it can be overwhelming for beginners or shops with simpler shipping needs.

Price: The plugin is free, with a Pro version available for $99 per year, offering extra functionality.

Conclusion

Choosing the right shipping plugin for your WooCommerce store can greatly impact your operations and customer satisfaction. You may need real-time shipping rates simple order tracking methods, or sophisticated shipping regulations. Don't stress - a plugin exists that meets your needs. WooCommerce Shipping, ELEX WooCommerce USPS, AfterShip Tracking, Advanced Shipment Tracking, and Table Rate Shipping each offer unique features to streamline your shipping process.

It's beneficial to explore these top plugins and determine which one suits your business best. When you find the ideal match, it will not simplify shipping - it will boost your entire store's performance and encourage customers to return.