{ "data": { "a": { "slug": "karrio", "name": "Karrio", "vendor": "Karrio, Inc.", "vendorUrl": "https://www.karrio.io", "kind": "http-api", "category": "shipping", "summary": "Karrio is an open-source multi-carrier shipping server from Karrio, Inc. Its REST API quotes rates, buys labels, tracks parcels and books pickups through the owner's own carrier accounts, self-hosted with Docker or run by Karrio as a paid platform.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/karrio", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/karrio.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/karrio.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/karrio.json", "repo": "https://github.com/karrioapi/karrio", "license": "LGPL-3.0 for the server, SDK and modules. Code under `ee/` is under the Karrio Enterprise licence and needs a subscription for production use. The MCP package in `packages/mcp` is Apache-2.0", "transports": [ "http" ], "packages": [ { "registry": "pypi", "name": "karrio" }, { "registry": "pypi", "name": "karrio-server" }, { "registry": "oci", "name": "karrio/server" } ], "auth": "api-key", "authNotes": "A private API key from the instance's dashboard, sent as the HTTP Basic username with no password or as `Authorization: Token key_...`. Keys carry a label and are bound to test or live mode, and the docs say a private key can perform any request without restriction. A JWT pair is also issued by `POST /api/token` for an email and password. On a self-hosted instance the owner creates the first account, so no approval from Karrio is involved. The managed platform is reached through a demo booking.", "pricing": "freemium", "pricingNotes": "Free when self-hosted under LGPL-3.0, with carrier postage billed by the owner's own carrier accounts. The platform page says the managed Scale platform starts at $499 a month with pay-as-you-go pricing and a commercial licence for embedding starts at $50,000 a year, with no unit prices published. An agent can start on a self-hosted instance in test mode with no contract. The managed platform has no self-serve signup, only a demo booking (checked 2026-10-08).", "priceSummary": "$499 / mo", "where": "local", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the repository, the OpenAPI file, the docs or the platform page (checked 2026-10-08).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": 799, "npmWeekly": null, "pypiWeekly": 338, "asOf": "2026-10-08" }, "docsUrl": "https://www.karrio.io/docs", "openapi": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/karrioapi/karrio/main/schemas/openapi.yml", "capabilities": [ "shipping.rates", "shipping.labels", "shipping.tracking", "shipping.returns" ], "tags": [ "open-source", "self-hosted", "api-key", "openapi", "graphql", "webhooks", "sandbox", "docker", "python", "mcp" ], "lastRelease": "2026-06-23", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 48.7, "grade": "D", "agentReady": false, "rank": 617, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 722, "categoryRank": 8, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 57, "maintenance": 29, "payments": 40, "reliability": 76, "schema": 68, "security": 44, "transparency": 56 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-08" }, "negative": -7, "negativeNotes": [ "12 March to 23 June 2026. Versions 2026.1.22 to 2026.1.31 applied an MD5 `PASSWORD_HASHERS` override outside the test runner, so production instances stored MD5 password hashes. Fixed in 2026.1.32 and described in the changelog, with no published advisory, so 4 of a possible 15 (https://github.com/karrioapi/karrio/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md).", "8 October 2026. The README and the MCP guide tell users to run `npx karrio-mcp` and `npx -y @karrio/mcp`, and the npm registry answers 404 for both. The examples' API host `api.karrio.io` didn't resolve the same day. 3 for a claim the listing can't meet (https://registry.npmjs.org/@karrio%2fmcp, https://www.karrio.io/docs/developing/mcp-server)." ], "verdict": "A current OpenAPI 3.0.3 contract with 65 paths, a free LGPL-3.0 server and 30 carrier connectors suit a team that hosts it. The last release was 23 June 2026, the `@karrio/mcp` package the docs install is absent from npm, and `api.karrio.io` didn't resolve on 8 October 2026.", "bestFor": "A team that wants to host its own multi-carrier API with its own carrier contracts and can maintain a Django and PostgreSQL stack.", "strengths": [ "OpenAPI 3.0.3 contract in the repository at version 2026.1.32, with 65 paths covering rates, shipments, trackers, pickups, manifests, orders, documents and webhooks", "The core server and SDK are LGPL-3.0 and run on the owner's infrastructure with Docker Compose, with no fee to Karrio", "30 carrier connectors in `modules/connectors`, among them UPS, FedEx, USPS, DHL Express, Canada Post, DPD and Australia Post, used with the owner's own carrier accounts", "API keys are bound to test or live mode, and test mode runs rates, labels, trackers and pickups against carrier sandboxes", "Default throttles are in the settings file with numbers (600 requests a minute per user, 300 for carrier calls) and can be changed by environment variable" ], "weaknesses": [ "No release since 2026.1.32 on 23 June 2026, 107 days before this check, and fix pull requests opened in September 2026 were still open", "Neither `@karrio/mcp` nor `karrio-mcp` exists on npm, though the README and the MCP guide give `npx` commands for them", "`api.karrio.io` didn't resolve and `app.karrio.io` answered 503 with a paused deployment on 8 October 2026, and the managed platform starts with a demo booking", "Versions 2026.1.22 to 2026.1.31 stored passwords as MD5 hashes in production, fixed in 2026.1.32 with a changelog line and no published advisory", "No idempotency keys were found, and a private API key can perform any request. Team permissions and audit logging sit in the paid `ee/` code" ], "agentNotes": [ "Run your own instance with Docker Compose and call it at `http://localhost:5002`. Don't rely on `api.karrio.io`, which didn't resolve on 8 October 2026", "Don't run `npx karrio-mcp` or `npx -y @karrio/mcp`. Neither name is published on npm, so build the server from `packages/mcp` in the repository", "Change the default `admin@example.com` and `demo` login before the instance is reachable, and upgrade to 2026.1.32 or later so passwords aren't stored as MD5", "Don't blind-retry `POST /v1/shipments` with a `service` set or `POST /v1/shipments/{id}/purchase`. Fetch the shipment and check its status first, since no idempotency key exists", "Use a test-mode API key while building. Send it as the HTTP Basic username or as `Authorization: Token key_...`" ], "metrics": { "kind": "local", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 0, "avgRating": 0, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "D", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 48.7 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 57, "maintenance": 29, "payments": 40, "reliability": 76, "schema": 68, "security": 44, "transparency": 59 }, "provenanceScore": 53 }, "connect": { "install": "git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/karrioapi/karrio\ncd karrio\ngit submodule update --init community\ncd docker\ndocker compose up", "http": "curl http://localhost:5002/v1/shipments \\\n -u key_xxxxxx:" }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/shipping.rates", "tool": "https://letme.dev/karrio" }, "area": "business", "unitPrices": [ { "item": "Open-source edition, self-hosted", "unit": "month", "usd": 0, "note": "LGPL-3.0, you pay for your own hosting and carrier postage" }, { "item": "Scale managed platform, starting price", "unit": "month", "usd": 499, "note": "plus pay-as-you-go usage with no published unit price, by demo booking" } ], "provenance": { "legalEntity": "Karrio, Inc.", "domain": "karrio.io", "domainRegistered": "2022-01-20", "endpointOnVendorDomain": false, "terms": "https://www.karrio.io/terms-of-service", "privacy": "https://www.karrio.io/privacy-policy", "statusPage": "", "changelog": "https://github.com/karrioapi/karrio/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md", "securityTxt": "none", "checked": "2026-10-08", "notes": [ "The Customer Terms and Conditions (last modified 8 April 2025) name Karrio, Inc., a Delaware corporation at 760 Chemin Marie-Le Ber, Verdun, Quebec, Canada, and govern the hosted platform. The self-hosted open-source edition is governed by LGPL-3.0, and `LICENSE_EE` points `ee/` users to the subscription terms at docs.karrio.io/product/resources/terms, an older copy dated 19 April 2022.", "The privacy policy (last modified 8 April 2025) covers karrio.io and associated services and excludes customer data processed on a customer's behalf. No data processing addendum was found.", "The graded surface is an instance on the owner's own host, so the endpoint isn't on the vendor's domain. `api.karrio.io` didn't resolve and `app.karrio.io` returned 503 on 8 October 2026.", "No status page was found. `status.karrio.io` didn't resolve and the site links none.", "www.karrio.io/.well-known/security.txt returns 404. `SECURITY.md` in the repository sends reports to hello@karrio.io.", "The changelog page on www.karrio.io stops at 2024.12.6. `CHANGELOG.md` in the repository is current to 2026.1.32.", "RDAP for karrio.io gives a registration date of 2022-01-20." ], "score": 53 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/karrio.json" }, "answer": "ShipBob scores 60.8 (C) on agent readiness against Karrio's 48.7 (D), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Karrio leads on payments \u0026 pricing.", "b": { "slug": "shipbob", "name": "ShipBob", "vendor": "ShipBob, Inc.", "vendorUrl": "https://www.shipbob.com", "kind": "http-api", "category": "shipping", "summary": "Outsourced fulfilment service from ShipBob, Inc. of Chicago. Merchants send orders, products, inbound stock and returns to its warehouse network through a REST API with date-based versions, a hosted MCP server and webhooks, with a separate sandbox.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/shipbob", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/shipbob.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/shipbob.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/shipbob.json", "repo": "https://github.com/ShipBob/mcp-ai-tutorials", "license": "Proprietary service under ShipBob's Terms of Service. The MCP tutorials repository on GitHub has no licence file", "transports": [ "http" ], "remoteUrl": "https://api.shipbob.com", "packages": [], "auth": "mixed", "authNotes": "Self-serve, with no review. A person signs up in a browser and creates a Personal Access Token in the dashboard under Integrations, API Tokens, sent as `Authorization: Bearer \u003ctoken\u003e`. These tokens have every scope, don't expire, act as the account's root user and can be revoked. Multi-user apps use the OAuth 2.0 authorisation code grant with PKCE at auth.shipbob.com, with read and write scopes per domain, one-hour access tokens and 30-day refresh tokens. The hosted MCP server uses OAuth with dynamic client registration, or a token as Bearer. Writes need a `shipbob_channel_id` header. Logistics API credentials come from a ShipBob representative.", "pricing": "paid", "pricingNotes": "Quote only. The pricing page names the fee types (implementation, receiving, storage, and pick, pack and ship) with no figures and a form for a quote. The developer docs say an account is free until physical inventory arrives and that the sandbox is free, so an agent can build and test without a contract. The API and MCP server carry no separate charge (https://www.shipbob.com/pricing/, https://developer.shipbob.com/introduction).", "priceSummary": "Paid", "where": "hosted", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the developer docs, the OpenAPI spec or the pricing page (checked 2026-10-08).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": 73, "popularity": { "githubStars": null, "npmWeekly": null, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-10-08" }, "docsUrl": "https://developer.shipbob.com", "llmsTxt": "https://developer.shipbob.com/llms.txt", "openapi": "https://marketplaceapi.shipbob.com/docs/2026-07.json", "capabilities": [ "shipping.rates", "shipping.tracking", "shipping.returns", "shipping.labels" ], "tags": [ "hosted", "paid", "sales-led", "api-key", "oauth", "mcp", "openapi", "llms-txt", "webhooks", "sandbox", "status-page", "soc2" ], "lastRelease": "2026-07-31", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 60.8, "grade": "C", "agentReady": false, "rank": 387, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 722, "categoryRank": 4, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 56, "maintenance": 41, "payments": 20, "reliability": 77, "schema": 85, "security": 55, "transparency": 77 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-08" }, "negative": 0, "verdict": "OAuth with PKCE and read and write scopes per domain, a free sandbox, a public OpenAPI spec per version and a 24-month support window for each API version are documented. Fulfilment prices are by quote only, the status page has no API component, no official SDK was found, and Personal Access Tokens never expire and carry full account access.", "bestFor": "An agent working for a merchant that already stores stock with ShipBob, to create and track orders, check inventory, book inbound stock and handle returns.", "strengths": [ "OAuth 2.0 with PKCE, separate read and write scopes for nine domains, one-hour access tokens and 30-day refresh tokens", "Free sandbox at `sandbox-api.shipbob.com` with its own accounts, a test card number and a simulation terminal for shipments, receiving and stock changes", "OpenAPI 3.0 spec for each API version with 89 operations and 504 examples in 2026-07, plus llms.txt and a Markdown copy of each docs page", "A new API version each January and July, each supported for 24 months, with an upgrade guide per step", "Hosted MCP server with 73 tools, OAuth with dynamic client registration, and writes limited to the channel created at consent", "Rate limit of 150 requests a minute published, with `x-retry-after` and `x-remaining-calls` response headers" ], "weaknesses": [ "No public price. Receiving, storage and pick, pack and ship fees come only in a quote from sales", "The status page lists the merchant dashboard and two warehouse systems, with no component for the API and no incident posted", "Personal Access Tokens don't expire and carry every scope, with no read-only option", "No official SDK was found, and the MCP server is not in the official MCP registry", "No idempotency key. A retried create is caught only by the unique `reference_id`, which returns 422", "No security.txt, disclosure policy or bug bounty was found, and no API uptime SLA is published" ], "agentNotes": [ "Call `GET /2026-07/channel` first and send the ID of the channel with `_write` scopes in the `shipbob_channel_id` header on every write", "Build against `https://sandbox-api.shipbob.com` with a sandbox account. Sandbox and production accounts, tokens and data are separate", "Set a stable `reference_id` on each order, product and return. A duplicate returns 422, which is the only guard against a double create", "Stay under 150 requests a minute per user and application, and wait the seconds given in `x-retry-after` after a 429", "Over MCP, writes work only on records in the channel created at consent. A 403 or 404 on a cancel usually means the record belongs to another channel" ], "metrics": { "kind": "remote", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 0, "avgRating": 0, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "C", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 60.8 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 56, "maintenance": 41, "payments": 20, "reliability": 77, "schema": 85, "security": 55, "transparency": 69 }, "provenanceScore": 85 }, "connect": { "http": "curl -X GET \"https://api.shipbob.com/2026-07/channel\" \\\n -H \"Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN\"", "claudeCode": "claude mcp add --transport http shipbob-mcp --scope user https://api.shipbob.com/developer-api/mcp", "config": { "mcpServers": { "shipbob": { "url": "https://api.shipbob.com/developer-api/mcp" } } } }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/shipping.rates", "tool": "https://letme.dev/shipbob" }, "area": "business", "provenance": { "legalEntity": "ShipBob, Inc.", "domain": "shipbob.com", "domainRegistered": "2014-03-12", "endpointOnVendorDomain": true, "terms": "https://www.shipbob.com/terms-of-service/", "privacy": "https://www.shipbob.com/privacy-policy/", "statusPage": "https://status.shipbob.com", "changelog": "https://developer.shipbob.com/release-notes", "securityTxt": "none", "checked": "2026-10-08", "notes": [ "The Terms of Service (updated 22 May 2026) define ShipBob as ShipBob, Inc. and its affiliates, give 120 N Racine Ave, Suite 100, Chicago, IL 60607, and are governed by Illinois law. They are the agreement for the fulfilment service and its platform, and no separate API terms were found.", "The privacy policy (last updated 29 March 2024) names ShipBob, Inc. and says it doesn't apply where commercial contracts govern the processing. Merchant data is covered by the DPA dated April 2026, which the terms incorporate.", "The API answers at api.shipbob.com and sandbox-api.shipbob.com, OAuth at auth.shipbob.com, and the MCP server at api.shipbob.com/developer-api/mcp. Sandbox accounts are created at webstage.shipbob.dev.", "security.txt returns 404 on www.shipbob.com, developer.shipbob.com and api.shipbob.com. No disclosure address was found on the trust page.", "RDAP for shipbob.com gives a registration date of 2014-03-12.", "The status page has components for the merchant dashboard and two warehouse systems, and none for the API." ], "score": 85 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/shipbob.json", "live": { "slug": "shipbob", "probe": { "target": "https://api.shipbob.com", "method": "get", "lastAt": "2026-10-08T22:39:58.682153763Z", "lastOk": true, "lastStatus": 404, "lastMs": 128, "authRequired": false, "uptime24h": 100, "uptime30d": 100, "p50ms24h": 134, "p95ms24h": 297, "samples24h": 36, "samples30d": 36, "days": [ { "date": "2026-10-08", "probes": 36, "ok": 36 } ] }, "vendorStatus": { "page": "https://status.shipbob.com", "indicator": "none", "summary": "All Systems Operational", "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T22:39:40.455114726Z" }, "updatedAt": "2026-10-08T22:39:58.682153763Z" } }, "facts": [ { "a": "HTTP API", "b": "HTTP API", "name": "Kind" }, { "a": "Karrio, Inc.", "b": "ShipBob, Inc.", "name": "Vendor" }, { "a": "no (local only)", "b": "https://api.shipbob.com", "name": "Hosted endpoint" }, { "a": "HTTP", "b": "HTTP", "name": "Transports" }, { "a": "API key", "b": "OAuth or key", "name": "Auth" }, { "a": "Freemium", "b": "Paid", "name": "Pricing" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "x402" }, { "a": "LGPL-3.0 for the server, SDK and modules. Code under `ee/` is under the Karrio Enterprise licence and needs a subscription for production use. The MCP package in `packages/mcp` is Apache-2.0", "b": "Proprietary service under ShipBob's Terms of Service. The MCP tutorials repository on GitHub has no licence file", "name": "Licence" }, { "a": "none", "b": "73", "name": "Tools exposed" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "Read-only variant documented" }, { "a": "no", "b": "yes", "name": "llms.txt" }, { "a": "2026-06-23", "b": "2026-07-31", "name": "Last release" }, { "a": "2025-04-08", "b": "2026-05-22", "name": "Terms last updated" }, { "a": "2025-04-08", "b": "2024-03-29", "name": "Privacy policy last updated" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Customer content may train models" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "yes", "name": "Terms restrict automated access" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Terms restrict benchmarking" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "yes", "name": "Terms or service can change without notice" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Arbitration or class-action waiver" }, { "a": "799 stars, 338 PyPI/wk", "b": "none", "name": "Popularity" } ], "faq": [ { "answer": "ShipBob scores 60.8 (C) on agent readiness against Karrio's 48.7 (D), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Karrio leads on payments \u0026 pricing.", "question": "Which is better for AI agents, Karrio or ShipBob?" }, { "answer": "Karrio needs an API key. ShipBob takes an API key or an OAuth sign-in.", "question": "Do Karrio and ShipBob need an API key?" }, { "answer": "No hosted endpoint is listed for Karrio. ShipBob has a hosted endpoint at https://api.shipbob.com.", "question": "Can an agent call Karrio and ShipBob without installing anything?" }, { "answer": "Karrio is open source (LGPL-3.0 for the server, SDK and modules. Code under `ee/` is under the Karrio Enterprise licence and needs a subscription for production use. The MCP package in `packages/mcp` is Apache-2.0). No open-source release is listed for ShipBob.", "question": "Are Karrio and ShipBob open source?" } ], "goodFor": [ { "aheadOn": [ "Payments \u0026 pricing, 40 against 20" ], "also": [ "Open source" ], "goodFor": "A team that wants to host its own multi-carrier API with its own carrier contracts and can maintain a Django and PostgreSQL stack.", "slug": "karrio", "watchFor": "No release since 2026.1.32 on 23 June 2026, 107 days before this check, and fix pull requests opened in September 2026 were still open" }, { "aheadOn": [ "Schema \u0026 documentation, 85 against 68", "Security \u0026 auth, 55 against 44", "Maintenance \u0026 community, 41 against 29", "Transparency \u0026 trust, 77 against 56" ], "also": [ "A hosted endpoint, with nothing to install", "No incidents deducted, where Karrio loses 7 points for them" ], "goodFor": "An agent working for a merchant that already stores stock with ShipBob, to create and track orders, check inventory, book inbound stock and handle returns.", "slug": "shipbob", "watchFor": "No public price. Receiving, storage and pick, pack and ship fees come only in a quote from sales" } ], "job": { "capability": "shipping.rates", "name": "Shipping rates" }, "others": [ { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/easypost-vs-karrio.json", "title": "EasyPost vs Karrio", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/easypost-vs-karrio" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/easypost-vs-shipbob.json", "title": "EasyPost vs ShipBob", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/easypost-vs-shipbob" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/easyship-vs-karrio.json", "title": "Easyship vs Karrio", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/easyship-vs-karrio" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/easyship-vs-shipbob.json", "title": "Easyship vs ShipBob", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/easyship-vs-shipbob" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/karrio-vs-sendcloud.json", "title": "Karrio vs Sendcloud", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/karrio-vs-sendcloud" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/karrio-vs-shippo.json", "title": "Karrio vs Shippo", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/karrio-vs-shippo" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/karrio-vs-shipstation.json", "title": "Karrio vs ShipStation API", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/karrio-vs-shipstation" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/sendcloud-vs-shipbob.json", "title": "Sendcloud vs ShipBob", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/sendcloud-vs-shipbob" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/shipbob-vs-shippo.json", "title": "ShipBob vs Shippo", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/shipbob-vs-shippo" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/shipbob-vs-shipstation.json", "title": "ShipBob vs ShipStation API", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/shipbob-vs-shipstation" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/karrio-vs-ship24.json", "title": "Karrio vs Ship24", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/karrio-vs-ship24" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ship24-vs-shipbob.json", "title": "Ship24 vs ShipBob", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ship24-vs-shipbob" } ], "scores": [ { "by": 1, "edge": "shipbob", "karrio": 76, "key": "reliability", "name": "Reliability", "shipbob": 77, "weight": 16 }, { "key": "performance", "name": "Performance", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 17, "edge": "shipbob", "karrio": 68, "key": "schema", "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation", "shipbob": 85, "weight": 13 }, { "by": 1, "edge": "karrio", "karrio": 57, "key": "ergonomics", "name": "Agent ergonomics", "shipbob": 56, "weight": 13 }, { "by": 11, "edge": "shipbob", "karrio": 44, "key": "security", "name": "Security \u0026 auth", "shipbob": 55, "weight": 14 }, { "by": 20, "edge": "karrio", "karrio": 40, "key": "payments", "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing", "shipbob": 20, "weight": 10 }, { "key": "tasks", "name": "Task success", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 12, "edge": "shipbob", "karrio": 29, "key": "maintenance", "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community", "shipbob": 41, "weight": 7 }, { "by": 21, "edge": "shipbob", "karrio": 56, "key": "transparency", "name": "Transparency \u0026 trust", "shipbob": 77, "weight": 7 } ], "summary": "ShipBob scores 60.8 (C) on agent readiness against Karrio's 48.7 (D), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Karrio leads on payments \u0026 pricing. Both do shipping rates.", "verdicts": { "karrio": "A current OpenAPI 3.0.3 contract with 65 paths, a free LGPL-3.0 server and 30 carrier connectors suit a team that hosts it. The last release was 23 June 2026, the `@karrio/mcp` package the docs install is absent from npm, and `api.karrio.io` didn't resolve on 8 October 2026.", "shipbob": "OAuth with PKCE and read and write scopes per domain, a free sandbox, a public OpenAPI spec per version and a 24-month support window for each API version are documented. Fulfilment prices are by quote only, the status page has no API component, no official SDK was found, and Personal Access Tokens never expire and carry full account access." } }, "kind": "anchor.page", "links": { "api": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json", "html": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/karrio-vs-shipbob", "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/karrio-vs-shipbob.json", "llms": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt", "markdown": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/karrio-vs-shipbob.md", "slim": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/karrio-vs-shipbob.min.md" }, "markdown": "ShipBob scores 60.8 (C) on agent readiness against Karrio's 48.7 (D), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Karrio leads on payments \u0026 pricing. Both do shipping rates.\n\n- Karrio: grade D, 48.7/100, rank #617 of 722. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/karrio.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/karrio.json\n- ShipBob: grade C, 60.8/100, rank #387 of 722. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/shipbob.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/shipbob.json\n\n## Which one, for what\n\n### Karrio (D)\n\nGood for: A team that wants to host its own multi-carrier API with its own carrier contracts and can maintain a Django and PostgreSQL stack.\n\nAhead on:\n- Payments \u0026 pricing, 40 against 20\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- Open source\n\nWatch for: No release since 2026.1.32 on 23 June 2026, 107 days before this check, and fix pull requests opened in September 2026 were still open\n\n### ShipBob (C)\n\nGood for: An agent working for a merchant that already stores stock with ShipBob, to create and track orders, check inventory, book inbound stock and handle returns.\n\nAhead on:\n- Schema \u0026 documentation, 85 against 68\n- Security \u0026 auth, 55 against 44\n- Maintenance \u0026 community, 41 against 29\n- Transparency \u0026 trust, 77 against 56\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- A hosted endpoint, with nothing to install\n- No incidents deducted, where Karrio loses 7 points for them\n\nWatch for: No public price. Receiving, storage and pick, pack and ship fees come only in a quote from sales\n\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | Karrio | ShipBob | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 76 | 77 | ShipBob +1 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 68 | 85 | ShipBob +17 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 57 | 56 | Karrio +1 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 44 | 55 | ShipBob +11 |\n| Payments \u0026 pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 40 | 20 | Karrio +20 |\n| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Maintenance \u0026 community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 29 | 41 | ShipBob +12 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 56 | 77 | ShipBob +21 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | -7 | 0 | |\n| **Total** | | **48.7 · D** | **60.8 · C** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | Karrio | ShipBob |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | HTTP API | HTTP API |\n| Vendor | Karrio, Inc. | ShipBob, Inc. |\n| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | `https://api.shipbob.com` |\n| Transports | HTTP | HTTP |\n| Auth | API key | OAuth or key |\n| Pricing | Freemium | Paid |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | LGPL-3.0 for the server, SDK and modules. Code under `ee/` is under the Karrio Enterprise licence and needs a subscription for production use. The MCP package in `packages/mcp` is Apache-2.0 | Proprietary service under ShipBob's Terms of Service. The MCP tutorials repository on GitHub has no licence file |\n| Tools exposed | none | 73 |\n| Read-only variant documented | no | no |\n| llms.txt | no | yes |\n| Last release | 2026-06-23 | 2026-07-31 |\n| Terms last updated | 2025-04-08 | 2026-05-22 |\n| Privacy policy last updated | 2025-04-08 | 2024-03-29 |\n| Customer content may train models | not found in the text | not found in the text |\n| Terms restrict automated access | not found in the text | yes |\n| Terms restrict benchmarking | yes | not found in the text |\n| Terms or service can change without notice | not found in the text | yes |\n| Arbitration or class-action waiver | not found in the text | not found in the text |\n| Popularity | 799 stars, 338 PyPI/wk | none |\n\n## Verdicts\n\n**Karrio.** A current OpenAPI 3.0.3 contract with 65 paths, a free LGPL-3.0 server and 30 carrier connectors suit a team that hosts it. The last release was 23 June 2026, the `@karrio/mcp` package the docs install is absent from npm, and `api.karrio.io` didn't resolve on 8 October 2026.\n\n**ShipBob.** OAuth with PKCE and read and write scopes per domain, a free sandbox, a public OpenAPI spec per version and a 24-month support window for each API version are documented. Fulfilment prices are by quote only, the status page has no API component, no official SDK was found, and Personal Access Tokens never expire and carry full account access.\n\n## Before you call either\n\n### Karrio\n\n1. Run your own instance with Docker Compose and call it at `http://localhost:5002`. Don't rely on `api.karrio.io`, which didn't resolve on 8 October 2026\n2. Don't run `npx karrio-mcp` or `npx -y @karrio/mcp`. Neither name is published on npm, so build the server from `packages/mcp` in the repository\n3. Change the default `admin@example.com` and `demo` login before the instance is reachable, and upgrade to 2026.1.32 or later so passwords aren't stored as MD5\n4. Don't blind-retry `POST /v1/shipments` with a `service` set or `POST /v1/shipments/{id}/purchase`. Fetch the shipment and check its status first, since no idempotency key exists\n5. Use a test-mode API key while building. Send it as the HTTP Basic username or as `Authorization: Token key_...`\n\n### ShipBob\n\n1. Call `GET /2026-07/channel` first and send the ID of the channel with `_write` scopes in the `shipbob_channel_id` header on every write\n2. Build against `https://sandbox-api.shipbob.com` with a sandbox account. Sandbox and production accounts, tokens and data are separate\n3. Set a stable `reference_id` on each order, product and return. A duplicate returns 422, which is the only guard against a double create\n4. Stay under 150 requests a minute per user and application, and wait the seconds given in `x-retry-after` after a 429\n5. Over MCP, writes work only on records in the channel created at consent. A 403 or 404 on a cancel usually means the record belongs to another channel\n\n## Questions\n\n### Which is better for AI agents, Karrio or ShipBob?\n\nShipBob scores 60.8 (C) on agent readiness against Karrio's 48.7 (D), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Karrio leads on payments \u0026 pricing.\n\n### Do Karrio and ShipBob need an API key?\n\nKarrio needs an API key. ShipBob takes an API key or an OAuth sign-in.\n\n### Can an agent call Karrio and ShipBob without installing anything?\n\nNo hosted endpoint is listed for Karrio. ShipBob has a hosted endpoint at https://api.shipbob.com.\n\n### Are Karrio and ShipBob open source?\n\nKarrio is open source (LGPL-3.0 for the server, SDK and modules. Code under `ee/` is under the Karrio Enterprise licence and needs a subscription for production use. The MCP package in `packages/mcp` is Apache-2.0). No open-source release is listed for ShipBob.\n\n\n## For agents\n\n- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/karrio-vs-shipbob.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/karrio-vs-shipbob.min.md\n- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {\"a\": \"karrio\", \"b\": \"shipbob\"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare karrio shipbob`\n- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/karrio.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/shipbob.json\n\n## Other comparisons with Karrio or ShipBob\n\n- [EasyPost vs Karrio](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/easypost-vs-karrio.md)\n- [EasyPost vs ShipBob](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/easypost-vs-shipbob.md)\n- [Easyship vs Karrio](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/easyship-vs-karrio.md)\n- [Easyship vs ShipBob](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/easyship-vs-shipbob.md)\n- [Karrio vs Sendcloud](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/karrio-vs-sendcloud.md)\n- [Karrio vs Shippo](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/karrio-vs-shippo.md)\n- [Karrio vs ShipStation API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/karrio-vs-shipstation.md)\n- [Sendcloud vs ShipBob](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/sendcloud-vs-shipbob.md)\n- [ShipBob vs Shippo](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/shipbob-vs-shippo.md)\n- [ShipBob vs ShipStation API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/shipbob-vs-shipstation.md)\n- [Karrio vs Ship24](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/karrio-vs-ship24.md)\n- [Ship24 vs ShipBob](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ship24-vs-shipbob.md)\n", "meta": { "attribution": "Anchor Terminal (https://www.anchorterminal.com)", "docs": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/docs/", "generatedAt": "2026-10-08", "license": "CC-BY-4.0", "method": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/", "methodology": "0.4", "openapi": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/openapi.json", "preview": false, "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run" }, "page": { "breadcrumbs": [ { "name": "Home", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/" }, { "name": "Compare", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/" }, { "name": "Karrio vs ShipBob", "url": "" } ], "description": "ShipBob scores 60.8 (C) on agent readiness against Karrio's 48.7 (D), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Karrio leads on payments \u0026 pricing. Both do shipping rates. Category scores, facts, verdicts and agent notes side by side.", "facts": [ "Karrio D 48.7", "ShipBob C 60.8", "scores" ], "h1": "Karrio vs ShipBob", "image": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/assets/og/compare-karrio-vs-shipbob.png", "path": "/compare/karrio-vs-shipbob", "published": "2026-10-01", "section": "tools", "title": "Karrio vs ShipBob for AI agents, D 48.7 vs C 60.8 | Anchor Terminal", "toc": null, "updated": "2026-10-08", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/karrio-vs-shipbob" }, "tokens": { "markdown": 2200, "slim": 730 }, "version": 1 }