Simpl publishes its starting price and its monthly minimum. ShipBob and Red Stag quote their fulfillment pricing instead: ShipBob's pricing page says all quotes are customized for each customer, and Red Stag's pricing page is a quote form. If you have narrowed your shortlist to these three, that is the first tradeoff. The short version: ShipBob for international reach and lots of sales channels, Red Stag for heavy or high-value goods backed by written guarantees, and Simpl for founder-led brands that want a named person and a number before the first call.
The three providers
Simpl Fulfillment is an Austin-based 3PL founded in 2016 for founder-led ecommerce brands, often a team of one to three people. Orders received before 12pm CT ship the same day, pricing starts at $7/order with a $750 monthly minimum billed pay-the-difference, and every client gets a dedicated account manager reachable by email.
ShipBob is a fulfillment network founded in 2014 and headquartered in Chicago, per its about page, shipping from 50+ global locations.
Red Stag Fulfillment is a Tennessee-based 3PL that says it was founded by former ecommerce business owners over 10 years ago and specializes in big, heavy, or high-value items, according to its own comparison with ShipBob.
Company overview
Feature | Simpl Fulfillment | ShipBob | Red Stag Fulfillment |
|---|---|---|---|
Founded | 2016 | 2014 | Over 10 years ago (Red Stag's wording) |
Headquarters | Austin, TX | Chicago, IL | Knoxville, TN (office) |
Origin story | Founded in 2016 when a friend's viral D2C brand needed better fulfillment. Bootstrapped to create the 3PL partner founders actually wanted. | Founded by Dhruv Saxena and Divey Gulati, starting out of Dhruv's apartment | Founded by former ecommerce business owners whose own fulfillment partners could not meet their needs |
Warehouse locations | Austin, TX | 50+ global locations, with fulfillment centers in the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia, and Europe | Two warehouses: Sweetwater, TN and Salt Lake City, UT |
Primary industries served | D2C brands including apparel, beauty, supplements, gifts, and fragile goods | General eCommerce, DTC brands | Big, heavy, bulky, and high-value items |
Typical client size | Founder-led D2C brands, often a team of one to three | Brands at various growth stages; says brands can start at about a thousand orders a month | D2C and B2B brands with specialized product needs |
Minimum requirements | $750/month minimum, billed pay-the-difference; pricing starting at $7/order | Says a minimum monthly spend and minimum order volume apply; no amount published | Custom quote; no minimum listed on its pricing page |
Carrier network | UPS, USPS, and FedEx | UPS, USPS, FedEx, DHL, and many other regional carriers | — |
Carriers are where the small 3PL is deliberately narrower. Simpl ships every order with UPS, USPS, or FedEx, does not use regional consolidators or crowdsourced last-mile networks, and each shipment gets a tracking number from that carrier. ShipBob's pricing FAQ says it has negotiated rates with UPS, USPS, FedEx, DHL and many other regional carriers.
Core services
Service | Simpl Fulfillment | ShipBob | Red Stag Fulfillment |
|---|---|---|---|
Same-day shipping | ✓ (orders received before 12pm CT ship same day) | Ask for the cutoff at the fulfillment center that would hold your stock | ✓ ("Same-day shipping is also available") |
Receiving | Receiving turnaround of 1–3 days | Billed through a Warehouse Receiving Order (WRO), typically per hour | Receiving in as little as 1 hour; dock-to-stock in 2 business days |
Storage | Billed by the space you use: small bin, large bin, shelf, or pallet | US: $5.00 per bin, $10.00 per shelf, $40.00 per pallet per month, prorated daily | Custom quote |
Pick & pack | Flat-rate per-order pricing that includes picks, packing, postage, and packaging | Part of an all-in per-order fulfillment cost (picking, packing, standard packaging, and the shipping label), quoted per customer | Custom quote |
Custom packaging | Ask about packaging options when quoting | ✓ (customized unboxing) | ✓ (bundling, relabeling, repackaging) |
Kitting and assembly | ✓ (at additional cost) | ✓ (at additional cost) | ✓ (kitting, light assembly, and special projects) |
Returns management | Branded returns portal for every client; bag-and-fold on apparel returns | Flat fee per return, charged when the return arrives at the fulfillment center | ✓ (listed with kitting and special projects) |
Special handling | Fragile goods such as glass, candles, and jewelry, with near-zero breakage | Ask about oversized or fragile items when quoting | Big, heavy, and bulky items; parcel, pallet, and white glove |
Delivery reach | Based in Austin, TX; ships with UPS, USPS, and FedEx | 2-day shipping for all sales channels across the continental US | Two-day or same-day ground shipping across 96% of the U.S. |
Accuracy guarantees | 99.99% order accuracy; errors corrected at Simpl's cost (return shipping + re-fulfillment) | Publishes a 99.97% accuracy rate in fulfilling orders | Named guarantees for no shrinkage, on-time shipping, accurate orders, and fast receiving |
The ShipBob storage rates in this comparison come from the FAQ on its fulfillment costs page, not from the example pricing table on the same page. Red Stag's service guarantees are also worth reading before a call: the same-day line, the 1-hour receiving and the four named guarantees are all there in its own words.
Integrations
Platform | Simpl Fulfillment | ShipBob | Red Stag Fulfillment |
|---|---|---|---|
Shopify | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Shopify Plus | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
WooCommerce | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
BigCommerce | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Amazon | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Walmart | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
eBay | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Etsy | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Custom API | Ask us about API integrations | ✓ | ✓ |
Real-time inventory visibility | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
WMS for your own warehouse | — | ShipBob WMS, offered to merchants with their own US warehouses | — |
Integration lists change often, so confirm your exact store and marketplace connections with each 3PL before you sign. ShipBob's pricing FAQ says its WMS is available to merchants with US-based warehouses.
Pricing
Simpl publishes both numbers on its pricing page: starting at $7/order, with a $750 monthly minimum billed pay-the-difference, so in a slow month you pay only the gap. Neither ShipBob nor Red Stag publishes a minimum amount. ShipBob's affordable fulfillment page says "there is a minimum monthly spending requirement for fulfillment and minimum order volume requirements" without naming a figure, and its pricing page says "All quotes are customized for each customer." Red Stag's pricing page is a quote form that asks for your monthly order volume, pallet volume, and SKU count, with no rates or minimum listed. For ShipBob's fee structure in more depth, see our ShipBob pricing breakdown.
Fee type | Simpl Fulfillment | ShipBob | Red Stag Fulfillment |
|---|---|---|---|
Onboarding | No onboarding fee; onboarding takes 5–7 days | Implementation is listed as a standard fee; amount quoted per customer | Custom quote |
Storage fees | Billed by the space you use: small bin, large bin, shelf, or pallet | US: $5.00 per bin, $10.00 per shelf, $40.00 per pallet per month, prorated daily | Custom quote |
Pick & pack | Included in the per-order rate, starting at $7/order | Included in an all-in per-order fulfillment cost, quoted per customer | Custom quote |
Shipping rates | Postage included in the per-order rate; carrier surcharges, when they apply, are billed per our terms | Carrier discounts passed through with no markups | Negotiates big-and-heavy surcharges and passes the savings on |
Minimum spend | $750/month, billed pay-the-difference | Minimum monthly spend and minimum order volume apply; amount not published | No minimum listed; quote based on order, pallet, and SKU volume |
Billing model | Flat-rate per-order pricing plus storage, with no hidden fees | Customized quote for each customer | Custom quote |
Special handling fees | Kitting and custom work quoted on request | Kitting and other unique needs at an additional cost | Kitting, returns, and special projects quoted |
Returns processing | Branded returns portal included for all clients | Flat fee per return | Custom quote |
Read the shipping row closely, because it is where quotes diverge. ShipBob's fulfillment costs FAQ says carrier discounts are passed through with no markups, Red Stag's homepage says it negotiates big-and-heavy surcharges and passes the savings on, and Simpl includes postage in the per-order rate with surcharges, when they apply, billed per its terms. Compare the three on the same sample order rather than on the headline rate.
Questions to ask each 3PL for a quote
- What is the monthly minimum, and is it billed as a flat fee or only as the difference when you fall short?
- Is there an onboarding or implementation fee, and how much is it?
- How is receiving billed: per hour, per pallet, or per unit?
- How many picks does the base order fee cover, and what does each extra item cost?
Where each one stands out
Simpl Fulfillment
- A named person: every client gets a dedicated account manager, reachable by email with same-day (often faster) responses
- Numbers up front: built for founder-led brands, with a published starting price and a published monthly minimum
- Same-day as the default: orders received before 12pm CT ship the same day
- Order accuracy: 99.99% order accuracy, with errors corrected at Simpl's cost (return shipping + re-fulfillment)
ShipBob
- Global network: ships from 50+ global locations
- International fulfillment: fulfillment centers in the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia, and Europe, and shipping to more than 250 destinations, per its pricing page
- Many channels: 200+ retail channels supported, per the ShipBob homepage
- Entry point: ShipBob says brands "can start with even just a thousand orders monthly" on its affordable fulfillment page
- On-site support: on-site customer support reps at each fulfillment center, per its pricing page
Red Stag Fulfillment
- Big and heavy: big, heavy, and bulky fulfillment, with parcel, pallet, and white glove service, per the Red Stag homepage
- Written guarantees: no shrinkage (Red Stag reimburses your cost for lost or damaged items), on-time shipping, accurate orders (it makes each mistake right and covers the shipping to fix it), and receiving in as little as 1 hour, per its guarantees page
- Certifications: FDA registered, with serial and lot tracking and cycle counts, per the Red Stag homepage
- Two warehouses: Sweetwater, TN and Salt Lake City, UT, per its locations page, reaching 96% of the U.S. with two-day or same-day ground shipping, per its ShipBob comparison page
For a two-way look at Red Stag against Simpl only, see our Red Stag Fulfillment vs Simpl breakdown.
Who each one fits
Simpl Fulfillment fits:
- Founder-led D2C brands that want a named account manager they can email
- Founders who want to see a starting price and a clear monthly minimum before the first sales call
- Apparel brands that want bag-and-fold on returns
- Brands shipping fragile goods such as glass, candles, or jewelry
- Stores whose customers expect orders received before 12pm CT to ship the same day
ShipBob fits:
- Brands requiring international fulfillment capabilities
- Businesses needing distributed inventory across multiple locations
- Brands selling across many sales channels
Red Stag Fulfillment fits:
- Businesses with heavy, bulky, or high-value products requiring special care
- Companies shipping large or oversized items such as furniture
- Brands that want written guarantees on shrinkage, on-time shipping, and order accuracy
- Brands sensitive to inventory shrinkage or damage concerns
If Red Stag looks like more 3PL than your products need, our Red Stag Fulfillment alternative breakdown covers other options.
Support
Aspect | Simpl Fulfillment | ShipBob | Red Stag Fulfillment |
|---|---|---|---|
Account management | Dedicated account manager for every client | On-site customer support reps at each fulfillment center | In-house, U.S.-based client success team |
Onboarding process | 5–7 days, with no onboarding fee | Implementation is a standard, quoted fee | In-house onboarding, "hands-on from day one" |
Support channels | Email to your account manager | Support team plus on-site reps | "Talk to a human who knows your name" |
Response times | Same-day, often faster, during business hours | Not published | Not published |
Response time is the gap in this table. Simpl commits to same-day email replies from your account manager during business hours; ShipBob and Red Stag describe their support teams but do not publish a response time.
Which one to choose
Start with your products and your volume, then ask each one for a written quote.
Choose Simpl Fulfillment if you value: a dedicated account manager you can email, pricing you can check before you call (starting at $7/order, with a $750 monthly minimum billed pay-the-difference), same-day shipping for orders received before 12pm CT, and a branded returns portal for every client. Simpl fits founder-led D2C brands in apparel, beauty, gifts, and other consumer goods that want a partner rather than just a provider.
Choose ShipBob if you need: a global fulfillment network with international capabilities and inventory spread across multiple locations.
Choose Red Stag Fulfillment if you require: specialized handling for heavy, bulky, or high-value items and the written guarantees listed on its guarantees page. Red Stag's pricing page asks for your order, pallet, and SKU volumes before it quotes, so have those numbers ready for the first call.
Simpl is one of the three companies on this page, so weigh our column with that in mind; the ShipBob and Red Stag facts above come from their own sites, linked below. If a published price and a named account manager are what you are after, get a quote from Simpl.
Sources
- ShipBob: about page
- ShipBob: locations page
- ShipBob: pricing page and its FAQ
- ShipBob: affordable fulfillment services page
- ShipBob: fulfillment costs page and its FAQ
- ShipBob: homepage
- Red Stag Fulfillment: Red Stag vs ShipBob
- Red Stag Fulfillment: locations page
- Red Stag Fulfillment: get pricing page
- Red Stag Fulfillment: fulfillment service guarantees
- Red Stag Fulfillment: homepage
- Simpl Fulfillment: pricing page
Updated October 2026.
FAQs
How do same-day shipping cutoffs differ between Simpl, ShipBob, and Red Stag?
Simpl ships orders received before 12pm CT the same day. Red Stag's service guarantees page says "Same-day shipping is also available" without listing a cutoff time. ShipBob's homepage promises 2-day shipping across the continental US, so ask ShipBob for the same-day cutoff at the fulfillment center that would hold your inventory.
What are the monthly minimums for each provider?
Simpl has a $750 monthly minimum billed pay-the-difference, with pricing starting at $7/order: if your order fees for the month come in under $750, you pay only the gap. ShipBob's affordable fulfillment page says "there is a minimum monthly spending requirement for fulfillment and minimum order volume requirements" but gives no amount. Red Stag's pricing page is a quote form based on your order, pallet, and SKU volume, and lists no minimum.
Do any of these 3PLs charge onboarding fees?
Simpl does not charge an onboarding fee, and onboarding takes 5–7 days. ShipBob's pricing page lists implementation among its standard fees and says all quotes are customized for each customer, without publishing an amount. Red Stag's pricing page is a quote form with no fees listed, so ask about onboarding costs when you request a quote.
Which provider is built for heavy or fragile items?
Red Stag Fulfillment specializes in big, heavy, and high-value items, and its service guarantees page names guarantees for no shrinkage (it reimburses your cost for lost or damaged items), on-time shipping, accurate orders (it makes each mistake right and covers the shipping to fix it), and receiving in as little as 1 hour. Simpl ships fragile goods such as glass, candles, and jewelry with near-zero breakage. For ShipBob, ask about oversized or fragile items when you request a quote.
Where is each 3PL based?
Simpl is based in Austin, TX. ShipBob is headquartered in Chicago, according to its about page, and ships from 50+ global locations, per its locations page. Red Stag runs two warehouses, in Sweetwater, TN and Salt Lake City, UT, per its locations page, with its office in Knoxville, TN.
