One of the hardest parts of switching shipping software is making sure the rules you've built stay intact. Those rules hold every decision your team has refined over time, from which orders go express to which carrier handles each destination.
When a rule gets lost in a migration, the cost shows up after go-live. An express order goes out on a standard service. A high-value parcel ships untracked. An EU order leaves without an HS code and sits at the border.
Zenstores handles the switch with you rather than leaving it to you. Zenstores' team builds your rules to match how you dispatch today and helps you connect your channels and carriers. You keep shipping through ShipStation until you're ready to move across.
If you’re still weighing it up, see how Zenstores compares to ShipStation.
- Connect your sales channels while ShipStation stays live
Start by connecting your sales channels to Zenstores and putting a few orders through while ShipStation is still running. Zenstores brings Shopify, Etsy, eBay, Amazon, WooCommerce and Adobe Commerce orders into one queue. The 14-day free trial needs no credit card, and there's nothing to switch off yet. With orders flowing in, the next step is giving them carriers to ship with.
- Your existing carrier accounts connect to Zenstores during setup
Your existing carrier accounts connect to Zenstores during setup, with Zenstores' team on hand to help, so your negotiated rates and contracts stay in place. You can use your own carrier accounts on any Zenstores plan, from Royal Mail and DPD to InPost, across 15+ carrier integrations. Zenstores maintains each integration and handles carrier API changes before they reach your orders. Once your carriers are connected, your rules have services to assign.
- Zenstores' team builds your rules around how you dispatch today
Zenstores' team builds your routing and automation rules in Zenstores Automations to match how you sell and dispatch now. Each rule is a trigger, a condition and an action, with conditions on order value, weight, channel, SKU, destination and tags. An order over £150 can go out on an express service automatically, exactly as your ShipStation rules handled it. Having your current ShipStation rules to hand helps the team match them closely, and international orders are covered from the same setup.
- Customs data applies automatically at product level
Zenstores applies HS codes, IOSS numbers, DDP data and CN22 or CN23 paperwork automatically at product level, as each shipping label prints. A rule can send every EU order to the right carrier service with its customs data already attached, so nobody fills in a form by hand. Check each SKU's HS code is in place before you move dispatch across. With domestic and international orders both routing correctly, you're ready to switch.
- Move dispatch across once your orders run correctly
When the orders you've put through Zenstores are getting the right carrier, service and shipping label, turn ShipStation off and run every order through Zenstores. Rules apply the moment each order lands, so dispatch carries on without a pause. Zenstores' team stays on hand by live chat, email and phone as your volumes grow.
- Will Zenstores work with the sales channels we currently connect to ShipStation?
In most cases, yes. Shopify, Amazon, eBay, Etsy, WooCommerce and Adobe Commerce are native integrations, and orders from every channel land in one queue ready to dispatch. Zenstores also connects with tools such as Unleashed and PostCo. Orders import automatically, are routed to the correct carrier and service, and shipping labels auto-print without manual input.
Fantastic. A service that excels where others fail. We moved toe Zenstores completely by chance recently after EasyShip and ShipStation couldn't do the service we needed. Not only did Zenstores save the day, but they massively exceeded our expectations and now we have a swift solution that more than covers our needs and saves us time. Lovely interface to use as well, unlike Shipstation that looks like the UI was designed in 1982.
The Strap Tailor
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep my own carrier accounts when I move from ShipStation to Zenstores?
Yes. You can connect your own carrier accounts on any Zenstores plan, so your existing rates and contracts carry on as they are. They're connected during setup, alongside your sales channels, with Zenstores' team on hand to help.
Will bundles, subscriptions and pre-orders still route correctly in Zenstores after the switch from ShipStation?
Yes. Subscriptions, bundles, pre-orders, VIP orders and custom product types all run through the same rules engine in Zenstores Automations. Each one gets the right carrier service automatically, without anyone checking it by hand before dispatch.
Does setup and migration support with Zenstores cost extra?
No. Setup, migration and support are included rather than sold as add-ons. Live chat, email and phone support come with every plan, run by Zenstores' team in Bristol. See Zenstores pricing for what each plan includes.
Is Zenstores the right fit for our brand?
Zenstores is the right fit if you pick, pack and dispatch your own orders and want carrier decisions handled automatically. It suits brands selling across several channels, shipping internationally, or handling order types like bundles and subscriptions that need routing correctly every time. Zenstores is a shipping automation platform, not a 3PL, so it automates your in-house dispatch rather than storing or fulfilling stock for you.
Will Zenstores work with the sales channels we currently connect to ShipStation?
In most cases, yes. Shopify, Amazon, eBay, Etsy, WooCommerce, Magento and Adobe Commerce are native integrations, and orders from every channel land in one queue ready to dispatch. Zenstores also connects with tools such as Unleashed and PostCo. Orders import automatically, and shipping labels auto-print without anyone retyping an address.
