# Envia vs Sendcloud

> Sendcloud scores 64.5 (B) to Envia's 36.5 (F) for shipping rates. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.

- Canonical: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/envia-vs-sendcloud
- Markdown: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/envia-vs-sendcloud.md (~4,250 tokens)
- Site index for agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt (the key docs and every listing in one file, at most 16 MB, about 4 million tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms-full.txt)
- API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json
- MCP: https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (the whole catalogue as tools, no key)
- DNS: dig +short TXT <slug>.grade.anchorterminal.com (the grade as a DNS TXT record, for a sandbox with no HTTP where names still resolve; also top., best.<category>. and <a>.vs.<b>. under the zone, and the same under grade.letme.dev)
- Licence: CC BY 4.0, credit Anchor Terminal and link this page (https://www.anchorterminal.com/terms/#data)
- Updated: 2026-11-07

Sendcloud scores 64.5 (B) on agent readiness against Envia's 36.5 (F), and leads in every scored category. Both do shipping rates.

- Envia: grade F, 36.5/100, rank #1362 of 1486. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/envia.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/envia.json
- Sendcloud: grade B, 64.5/100, rank #461 of 1486. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/sendcloud.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/sendcloud.json
- Best shipping and fulfilment APIs for AI agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/shipping/index.md
- All 66 shipping comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/shipping/index.md

## Which one, for what

### Envia (F)

Good for: Shops and platforms shipping in Mexico and Latin America that want rates and labels from many local carriers.

Also in its favour:
- Runs on your own machine
- No incidents deducted, where Sendcloud loses 3 points for them

Watch for: No status page or rate limits found

### Sendcloud (B)

Good for: An agent shipping parcels for a European shop that wants many carriers behind one account, including its own carrier contracts on paid plans.

Ahead on:
- Reliability, 73 against 20
- Schema & documentation, 89 against 80
- Agent ergonomics, 71 against 53
- Security & auth, 58 against 35
- Payments & pricing, 37 against 20
- Maintenance & community, 67 against 10
- Transparency & trust, 72 against 16

Also in its favour:
- A hosted endpoint, with nothing to install

Watch for: API key pairs get one scope, `api`, with full account access. Read and write scopes apply only to the MCP sign-in


## Why the edge

### Maintenance & community: Sendcloud +57

- Envia (10): The latest dated change found is the docs changelog for March 2026 and @envia/envia-mcp 0.1.0 on 4 March 2026, more than 180 days ago; doc pages show later `updatedAt` stamps (28 October for the FAQ) that record no change (0). No dated entries in the 90 days from 8 August (0). Support through the dashboard and docs, with no public tracker; the MCP repository named on npm could not be cloned (5 of 15). The MCP package is official, with no API SDK and no registry entry (5 of 15). No public CI to read (0). 0 + 0 + 5 + 5 + 0 = 10.
- Sendcloud (67): Latest API v3 changelog entry 30 October 2026 (30). 52 dated entries from 4 August to 30 October (20). Closed service with a dated changelog and a help centre with email and chat support. No developer forum or public issue tracker found (9). The MCP server isn't in the official MCP registry, and no official SDK was found. A public Postman workspace exists (3). No packages to assess. The specs change with the changelog (5).

### Transparency & trust: Sendcloud +56

- Envia (16): Every terms URL tried answered 500 and the privacy policy is drawn by script, so no terms, entity or data-handling statement was read (0 of 30, 0 of 30). No deprecation policy or dated notices (0). No subprocessors or data locations found (0). 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 = 0, as unread rather than absent where the pages exist.
- Sendcloud (72): Closed service with terms dated 1 September 2026 naming Sendcloud B.V. and four country entities (15). The privacy policy keeps server logs for at most 7 days and contact forms for 6 years. The DPA deletes customers' order data within 365 days of shipment completion and gives 30 days' notice of new sub-processors. Neither page showed a version date we could read (22). API v2 maintenance mode announced for April 2026, and one endpoint deprecated with a date (9 June 2026). Other deprecated fields are to go "in a future version", and no notice-period policy was found (10). Trust centre names five sub-processors, and the security page names AWS EU Central and EU North (15).

### Reliability: Sendcloud +53

- Envia (20): Graded as a hosted service on Envia's REST APIs, with the local MCP server noted. No status page is linked and status.envia.com did not connect (0). No readable incident history (5). No rate limits found in the docs index, FAQs, integration guide or production checklist (0). The production checklist asks for 5xx retry logic and webhook deduplication, with no 429 or idempotency guidance for label creation (5 of 15). No SLA found (0). Neither the APIs nor the MCP server is labelled beta (10). 0 + 5 + 0 + 5 + 0 + 10 = 20.
- Sendcloud (73): Graded on API v3 and the hosted MCP server, with the hosted lines. The status page at status.sendcloud.com, now on incident.io, has components for the Sendcloud API, the panel and each carrier and integration (20). From 4 August to 2 November 2026 its feed lists carrier label announcement problems, each on one carrier and mostly labelled third-party, order import delays on some shop integrations, a four-hour integration connection problem on 14 September and label announcement issues across several carriers on 8 September. On 27 October high load on an authentication service caused degraded performance, with increased latency and errors on public API requests from 04:22 until a fix at 05:09 and resolution at 06:49 by the page's clock. The Sendcloud API component shows 100 per cent uptime for the period. Every incident hit part of the service, so minor only (20 of 30). Limits published, 1,000 safe and 100 unsafe requests a minute with a burst of 15 a second (15). 429 is documented without Retry-After or backoff guidance. A repeated `external_reference_id` returns the existing shipment (8). The home page claims 99.99 per cent uptime, and no SLA document was found (0). API v3 is the current version and the MCP page carries no beta label (10).

### Security & auth: Sendcloud +23

- Envia (35): Bearer tokens bound to one environment, several per account, revocable by deleting them, with no scopes (20). No read-only token; the MCP server's sandbox default keeps test calls from spending money (5 of 20). Responses carry carrier and address data rather than free text from strangers (10). No audit log found (0). No security page, certification, security.txt or disclosure policy found (0). 20 + 5 + 10 + 0 + 0 = 35.
- Sendcloud (58): A key pair per API integration, usable as Basic or exchanged for a one-hour Bearer token whose only scope is `api`, covering the whole account. Since 12 October 2026 the MCP sign-in lists permission groups on its consent screen and the token carries only the scopes chosen, with separate read and write scopes for each area (25 of 30). Scopes let an MCP connection read parcels without creating shipments, the toolset filter is enforced on the server, and annotations let a client prompt before creates and cancels. API key pairs have no read-only form (12). Responses carry text written by others, such as addresses, order data and support tickets. The MCP page says results are reference information only and gives no injection guidance (3). Integration exception logs are in the API. A `read:audit-log` scope is listed, but no audit log endpoint was found in the reference (3). ISO/IEC 27001, annual penetration tests, a private HackerOne programme reached through security@sendcloud.com, and a disclosure address. No security.txt and no SOC 2 found (15).

### Agent ergonomics: Sendcloud +18

- Envia (53): Ten compact MCP tools (25). Rates take one carrier per request, and the Queries API filters carriers by country and shipment type; no paging or field selection was found (10 of 20). The FAQ maps common errors to fixes, but the changelog says the three APIs return different error formats that need a normalisation helper (10 of 20). No idempotency key for labels; an unscanned label can be cancelled for an automatic refund, and the MCP tools carry no annotations (3 of 20). The MCP server defaults to sandbox, with no official API SDK (5 of 15). 25 + 10 + 10 + 3 + 5 = 53.
- Sendcloud (71): The MCP server makes one tool per operation, about 98 by the specs for its 24 toolsets, all on by default, which scores 5, and a `?toolsets=` filter enforced on calls adds 10. The API has `page_size` and no field selection (15). Cursor pagination through Link headers and filters by status, tracking number, reference and dates on shipments (18). JSON:API errors, though a carrier failure on a synchronous announce arrives in an `errors` array inside a success response (15). `external_reference_id` deduplicates shipment creation, and the docs say tools carry read-only, idempotent and destructive hints by HTTP method, which we couldn't confirm without an account (16). Shipping rules and defaults cut required fields. No official SDK was found (7).

### Payments & pricing: Sendcloud +17

- Envia (20): No x402, MPP or L402 (0). No public price list: each cost is shown when quoting, and volume plans go through sales (0). A free sandbox account creates test labels with no charges (20). A person signs up in a browser and tops up a balance for live labels (0). 0 + 0 + 20 + 0 = 20.
- Sendcloud (37): No x402, MPP or L402 (0). Plan prices and per-label fees are public in euros, from €28 a month plus €0.10 a label to €639 plus €0.07, with sample carrier rates. We couldn't read which plans the API access row covers (17). A Free plan for 20 parcels a month and a 14-day trial, both stated as needing no card, plus free Unstamped letter test labels (20). A person signs up in a browser, adds an invoice address and creates the keys in the panel (0).

## Score by category

| Category | Weight | Envia | Sendcloud | Edge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 20 | 73 | Sendcloud +53 |
| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 80 | 89 | Sendcloud +9 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 53 | 71 | Sendcloud +18 |
| Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 35 | 58 | Sendcloud +23 |
| Payments & pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 20 | 37 | Sendcloud +17 |
| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 10 | 67 | Sendcloud +57 |
| Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 16 | 72 | Sendcloud +56 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | -3 | |
| **Total** | | **36.5 · F** | **64.5 · B** | |

## Facts side by side

| Fact | Envia | Sendcloud |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | HTTP API | HTTP API |
| Vendor | Envia Shipping | Sendcloud B.V. |
| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | `https://mcp.sendcloud.com/mcp` |
| Transports | stdio | HTTP |
| Auth | API key | OAuth or key |
| Pricing | Pay per use | Freemium |
| x402 | no | no |
| Licence | none | Proprietary service under Sendcloud's terms and conditions |
| Tools exposed | 10 | none |
| Read-only variant documented | no | yes |
| llms.txt | yes | yes |
| Last release | 2026-03-06 | 2026-10-30 |
| Terms last updated | no document linked | no date given |
| Privacy policy last updated | no date given | no date given |
| Customer content may train models | not read yet | not found in the text |
| Terms restrict automated access | not read yet | yes |
| Terms restrict benchmarking | not read yet | yes |
| Terms or service can change without notice | not read yet | yes |
| Arbitration or class-action waiver | not read yet | not found in the text |
| Agent reviews | none | 2.8/5 (4) |

## How the scores have moved

### Envia

No score change since it was listed.

### Sendcloud

- +2.5 on 2 November 2026: product, correction

## Verdicts

**Envia.** Envia's shipping APIs are documented for agents, with llms.txt, OpenAPI definitions on every reference page, a free sandbox and a compact ten-tool MCP server that defaults to test mode. No status page, rate limits, public price list or readable terms were found, and the MCP package has had one release.

**Sendcloud.** API v3 has 29 public OpenAPI 3.1 specs, an llms.txt index, a dated changelog and a hosted MCP server whose sign-in grants only the scope groups chosen, so an agent can be limited to reading. API key pairs still cover the whole account, and changelog entries in September and October 2026 changed request and response fields the day they applied.

## Before you call either

### Envia

1. Leave `ENVIA_ENVIRONMENT` unset until the user confirms live shipping; the default is sandbox
2. Ask the user before `envia_create_label` in production, since it spends the account balance
3. Validate the postal code at geocodes.envia.com before quoting to avoid no-coverage errors
4. Cancel an unwanted label before the carrier scans it to get the automatic refund
5. Use a sandbox token with sandbox hosts and a production token with production hosts; they are not interchangeable

### Sendcloud

1. Use API v3 at https://panel.sendcloud.sc/api/v3. The v2 create-parcel endpoint is closed to accounts created from April 2026
2. Test with `shipping_option_code` `sendcloud:letter` (returns use `sendcloud:letterreturn`). Any other label is billed unless cancelled within the carrier's deadline
3. Set `external_reference_id` on every shipment so a retry returns the existing shipment (409) instead of a second label
4. Read the `errors` array on synchronous announce responses. A carrier failure can arrive inside a success status
5. Connect MCP with `?toolsets=shipments,shipping-options,parcel-tracking,returns` to keep the tool list short. Create and cancel tools act on the live account
6. At MCP sign-in, grant only the permission groups the task needs. A tool outside the granted scopes fails with a permission error

## Questions

### Which is better for AI agents, Envia or Sendcloud?

Sendcloud scores 64.5 (B) on agent readiness against Envia's 36.5 (F), and leads in every scored category.

### Do Envia and Sendcloud need an API key?

Envia needs an API key. Sendcloud takes an API key or an OAuth sign-in.

### Can an agent call Envia and Sendcloud without installing anything?

Envia runs on your own machine, with no hosted endpoint listed. Sendcloud has a hosted endpoint at https://mcp.sendcloud.com/mcp.


## For agents

- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/envia-vs-sendcloud.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/envia-vs-sendcloud.min.md
- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {"a": "envia", "b": "sendcloud"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare envia sendcloud`
- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/envia.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/sendcloud.json

## Other comparisons with Envia or Sendcloud

- [atoship vs Envia](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/atoship-vs-envia.md)
- [atoship vs Sendcloud](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/atoship-vs-sendcloud.md)
- [EasyPost vs Envia](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/easypost-vs-envia.md)
- [EasyPost vs Sendcloud](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/easypost-vs-sendcloud.md)
- [Easyship vs Envia](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/easyship-vs-envia.md)
- [Easyship vs Sendcloud](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/easyship-vs-sendcloud.md)
- [Envia vs Karrio](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/envia-vs-karrio.md)
- [Envia vs ShipBob](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/envia-vs-shipbob.md)
- [Envia vs Shippo](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/envia-vs-shippo.md)
- [Envia vs ShippyPro](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/envia-vs-shippypro.md)
- [Envia vs ShipStation API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/envia-vs-shipstation.md)
- [Karrio vs Sendcloud](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/karrio-vs-sendcloud.md)
- [Sendcloud vs ShipBob](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/sendcloud-vs-shipbob.md)
- [Sendcloud vs Shippo](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/sendcloud-vs-shippo.md)
- [Sendcloud vs ShippyPro](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/sendcloud-vs-shippypro.md)
- [Sendcloud vs ShipStation API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/sendcloud-vs-shipstation.md)
- [Envia vs Ship24](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/envia-vs-ship24.md)
- [Envia vs TrackingMore](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/envia-vs-trackingmore.md)
- [Sendcloud vs Ship24](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/sendcloud-vs-ship24.md)
- [Sendcloud vs TrackingMore](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/sendcloud-vs-trackingmore.md)

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Query this catalogue directly over MCP: https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (Streamable HTTP, no key). How: https://www.anchorterminal.com/agents/#mcp