Shopify Fulfillment Network (SFN) is a free Shopify app that connects your store to an outside warehouse company. Shopify doesn't pack your orders. A third-party logistics provider (3PL), meaning a company that stores your inventory and picks, packs and ships each order, does that work, and Shopify's fulfillment page calls SFN "our 3PL partner network" (checked October 2, 2026).
For a small Shopify brand, the real choice is between picking a 3PL through Shopify's app and signing with one directly.
How Shopify Fulfillment Network works today Shopify's fulfillment page lays out three steps (checked October 2, 2026): compare partners for pricing estimates and capabilities, send your inventory to the partner you choose, then monitor shipments, inventory, returns and deliveries from your Shopify admin.
The warehouse, the people packing your boxes and the account belong to the partner. With Flexport, for example, Flexport's own page says you create a Flexport Seller Portal account and connect it to your store through the SFN app (checked October 2, 2026). Shopify supplies the app and the view inside your admin.
Why older articles describe it differently If you've read that Shopify runs its own fulfillment centers, that was closer to true a few years ago. Shopify agreed in May 2022 to buy Deliverr for $2.1 billion and closed the deal on July 8, 2022 . In May 2023 it agreed to sell its logistics business to Flexport, while keeping the Shopify Fulfillment Network app (CNBC, May 4, 2023 ). Flexport's announcement said its services would power the SFN app from then on (May 4, 2023). Guides written before that sale describe a network that no longer works the same way.
Who the partners are Shopify's two SFN pages don't list the same companies, so treat any roster as a snapshot. Shopify's fulfillment page names Flexport as its only "Preferred partner" and also lists Amazon, Bigblue, DHL Fulfillment Network, GoBolt, Mayple Global, ShipBob and Shipfusion (checked October 2, 2026). The SFN listing in the Shopify App Store names Flexport, ShipBob, Shipfusion and ShipMonk (checked October 2, 2026).
Of the partners on Shopify's fulfillment page , only DHL Fulfillment Network states a volume figure: "starting from 3,000 orders a month" (checked October 2, 2026). For the others, ask about minimums before you connect.
What Shopify Fulfillment Network costs Installing the app costs nothing. The App Store listing reads: "Free to install. No up-front costs. End-to-end fulfillment priced per item. Each product is priced by weight. All charges are billed in USD." (checked October 2, 2026).
Your Shopify plan is not an SFN fee; the App Store listing prices fulfillment per item, by weight (checked October 2, 2026). Neither Shopify's fulfillment page nor the App Store listing publishes a per-item rate (both checked October 2, 2026), so you see real numbers only after you compare partners in the app.
When you get those numbers, ask for the full list: receiving, storage, pick and pack, packaging, postage, returns and any monthly minimum. A low pick fee with a high minimum can cost a small store more than it looks.
SFN partner or a direct 3PL: what changes for you Question
Through SFN
Going direct to a 3PL
How you find the warehouse
Compare the partners Shopify lists inside the app
Contact 3PLs yourself and ask for a quote on your products
Who packs your orders
The partner you connect
The 3PL you sign with
Published minimum
DHL Fulfillment Network : from 3,000 orders a month (checked October 2, 2026); ask the others
Ask each 3PL; Simpl's is $750/month, pay-the-difference
Who you contact when an order goes wrong
Ask the partner before you sign
Ask the 3PL; every Simpl client gets a dedicated account manager by email
Whichever route you take, get answers to these before you send a single carton:
Who runs the warehouse day to day, and who do I email when an order ships wrong? What's the monthly minimum, and is it a fixed monthly fee or pay-the-difference? What does one order cost at my real box size and weight, postage included? How long does receiving take once my inventory arrives? How do returns work, and what does my customer see? Do any of my products need special handling, like fragile items or kits? SFN is the easier route if you want to compare a short list of 3PLs without leaving Shopify and you're fine with each partner's own terms. Going direct makes more sense when you want a quote for your exact products, a named person to email, and the minimum in writing before you sign.
Where Simpl fits Simpl Fulfillment is a direct 3PL based in Austin, Texas. We aren't on either Shopify partner list. We connect to your store through our native Shopify and Shopify Plus integration: orders come in automatically, you get real-time inventory visibility, and tracking numbers sync back to the Shopify order. We don't send shipping emails; any email your customer gets comes from your Shopify notification settings.
Pricing starts at $7 per order. There's a $750 monthly minimum, billed pay-the-difference: if your order billing for the month comes in under $750, you pay only the gap. That's about 100 shipments at the lightest weight (half a pound or less), and heavier orders reach it sooner. The full breakdown is on our pricing page .
Orders we receive before 12pm CT ship the same day, by UPS, USPS or FedEx. Our order accuracy is 99.99%, and when we get an order wrong we fix it at our cost, including return shipping and re-fulfillment. Onboarding takes 5–7 days, receiving takes 1–3 days, and every client gets a dedicated account manager reachable by email with same-day responses.
To see how the connection works, start with Simpl for Shopify . If you're weighing several Shopify 3PLs, our Shopify 3PL comparison covers the options. Still packing orders yourself? This guide to fulfilling orders in Shopify admin walks through automatic, manual and partial fulfillment.
FAQ Does Shopify have its own fulfillment service? Shopify offers Shopify Fulfillment Network, but partner 3PLs store and ship your orders, not Shopify. Shopify's fulfillment page describes SFN as "our 3PL partner network" and names Flexport as its preferred partner (checked October 2, 2026).
How much does Shopify Fulfillment Network cost? The app is free to install, and fulfillment is "priced per item" by weight and billed in USD, according to the App Store listing (checked October 2, 2026). Shopify's fulfillment page says you compare partners for pricing estimates inside the app, and it lists DHL Fulfillment Network as starting from 3,000 orders a month (checked October 2, 2026).
Can I use a 3PL that isn't in Shopify Fulfillment Network? Yes. Simpl isn't an SFN partner, and we connect to Shopify through our own native integration. See how it works with Shopify .
What are the best fulfillment services for Shopify? It depends on your products, your order volume and how much hands-on help you want. Our comparison of 3PLs for Shopify walks through the main options.
