Top 8 3PL Providers for Your E-Commerce Online Business
Our experts have picked the top 8 3PL providers that are transforming e-commerce businesses with their innovative solutions and reliable services. We have thoroughly analysed each provider to ensure they can help you optimise your logistics and achieve your business goals.
Editor's Note: We thoroughly researched and evaluated the top 3PL providers based on key criteria: range of services, same-day shipping capabilities, warehouse locations across the world, customer support, ratings across different platforms, and years of experience. Each category was carefully rated to ensure a fair comparison. Our dedication to unbiased analysis guarantees that this article delivers credible and well-researched information, helping you to make informed decisions for your e-commerce logistics needs.
8 Best 3PL for Ecommerce Companies for Helping You With Your Logistic Needs
Choosing the right 3PL provider is essential for optimising your e-commerce operations and ensuring timely delivery to your customers. Here are the top 9 3PL providers that can effectively handle your logistics needs and help your business grow:
Rush Order
Range of services: order fulfilment services, section 321 fulfilment, returns management, kitting and value added assembly, warehouse management system, customer experience and VAS solutions integrated
Same Day Shipping: Yes
Warehouse Locations Across the World: USA, Europe, UK, Canada, Australia, Asia
Customer Support: 24/7 customer support
Ratings across different platforms: 3.4 on Google reviews (11 reviews)
Years of experience: 30+ year history
Rush Order is a leading third-party logistics (3PL) provider specialising in comprehensive fulfilment solutions for e-commerce businesses. With 30 years of experience, Rush Order offers a wide range of services, including inventory management, order fulfilment, same-day shipping, and returns processing.
They operate multiple strategically located warehouses across the United States, ensuring fast and efficient delivery to customers. Their advanced technology integration allows seamless connectivity with various e-commerce platforms, providing real-time inventory tracking and order processing.
Renowned for their exceptional customer support and tailored logistics solutions, Rush Order is a trusted partner for businesses looking to optimise their supply chain and enhance customer satisfaction.
ShipBob
Range of services: inventory management, order fulfillment, warehousing, shipping, and returns management
Same Day Shipping: Yes
Warehouse Locations Across the World: United States, Canada, Europe, Australia
Customer Support: Yes
Ratings across different platforms: 3.7 on Capterra
Years of experience: 10 years
ShipBob is a third-party logistics (3PL) provider that offers end-to-end fulfilment services for e-commerce businesses. Founded in 2014, ShipBob provides a suite of logistics solutions, including inventory management, order fulfilment, warehousing, and shipping. They operate a network of strategically located fulfillment centers across the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia, ensuring fast and cost-effective delivery to customers around the world.
ShipBob integrates with major e-commerce platforms such as Shopify, WooCommerce, and Amazon, providing real-time inventory tracking and analytics to help businesses manage their operations efficiently. Known for their reliable service, advanced technology, and excellent customer support, ShipBob is a trusted partner for e-commerce businesses aiming to streamline their logistics and scale their operations globally.
DHL
Range of services: international and domestic shipping, warehousing, order fulfillment, inventory management, and returns management
Same Day Shipping: Yes
Warehouse Locations Across the World: North America, Europe, Asia, South America, Africa, and the Middle East
Customer Support: 24/7 customer service
Ratings across different platforms: 1.2 on Yelp
Years of experience: 55 years
DHL is a global leader in third-party logistics, providing detailed and scalable solutions for e-commerce businesses of all sizes. With a vast network of distribution centers and transportation hubs worldwide, DHL offers a wide range of services, including international and domestic shipping, warehousing, order fulfillment, inventory management, and returns management. Their advanced technology integration ensures real-time tracking and efficient logistics management, helping businesses streamline their operations.
Red Stag Fulfillment
Range of services: inventory management, order fulfillment, warehousing, shipping, and returns processing
Same Day Shipping: Yes
Warehouse Locations Across the World: Across USA
Customer Support: Yes
Ratings across different platforms: 2.4 on Google Reviews
Years of experience: 20+ years
Red Stag Fulfillment is a specialized third-party logistics provider dedicated to meeting the unique needs of e-commerce businesses. Known for its focus on handling heavy, oversized, high-value, and fragile items, Red Stag offers a comprehensive range of services, including inventory management, order fulfillment, warehousing, shipping, and returns processing. Their state-of-the-art facilities are strategically located across the United States, enabling efficient domestic shipping and quick delivery times.
ShipWire
Range of services: real-time inventory tracking, order processing, and returns management
Same Day Shipping: Yes
Warehouse Locations Across the World: North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia
Customer Support: Yes
Ratings across different platforms: 1.3 on Capterra
Years of experience: 40 years
Shipwire, an established third-party logistics (3PL) company, offers full fulfillment services for e-commerce firms of all sizes. They offer order fulfillment, inventory management, warehousing, and shipping solutions. Shipwire's global network of warehouses, strategically positioned throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, allows businesses to store products closer to their customers, lowering shipment times and costs.
InterFulfillment
Range of services: order fulfillment, inventory management, warehousing, pick and pack, and shipping
Same Day Shipping: Yes
Warehouse Locations Across the World: North America
Customer Support: Yes
Ratings across different platforms: 4.7 on Google reviews
Years of experience: 20 years
InterFulfillment specializes in customized order fulfillment services for e-commerce businesses. Their solutions are designed to cater to companies of all sizes, ensuring efficient and reliable logistics operations.
Shiphype
Range of services: inventory management, order fulfillment, warehousing, pick and pack, and shipping
Same Day Shipping: Yes
Warehouse Locations Across the World: North America
Customer Support: Yes
Ratings across different platforms: 4.8 on Google reviews
Years of experience: 10 years
ShipHype is a dynamic provider of comprehensive fulfillment solutions for e-commerce businesses. With a strong focus on flexibility and scalability, ShipHype caters to companies of all sizes, helping them streamline their logistics operations and improve customer satisfaction.
Shipmonk
Range of services: inventory management, order fulfillment, warehousing, pick and pack, and shipping
Same Day Shipping: Yes
Warehouse Locations Across the World: United States, Canada, Europe
Customer Support: Yes
Ratings across different platforms: 4.1 on Capterra
Years of experience: 10 years
ShipMonk focuses on order fulfillment solutions for e-commerce firms. ShipMonk, known for its innovative technology and customer-centric approach, assists organizations in streamlining their logistics operations and scaling them efficiently.
Bottom Line
Selecting the right 3PL provider is a key component for the success of your e-commerce business. The top 3PL providers—Rush Order, ShipBob, DHL, Red Stag Fulfillment, Shipwire, InterFulfillment, ShipHype, and ShipMonk—offer a variety of services that can significantly streamline your logistics operations, improve delivery times, and enhance customer satisfaction.
Each provider brings unique strengths, such as advanced technology, global warehouse networks, same-day shipping options, and exceptional customer support. By carefully evaluating these options based on your specific needs, you can find the perfect 3PL partner to help your e-commerce business thrive.
How Does a Third-Party Logistics Company Work?
A third-party logistics (3PL) company acts as an intermediary between e-commerce businesses and their customers, streamlining various aspects of the supply chain. They manage inventory by storing and organising products, ensuring accurate stock levels.
When an order is placed, the 3PL handles picking, packing, and preparing items for shipment, working with carriers to offer timely and cost-effective delivery options. They also manage returns, inspect and restock products, and process refunds or exchanges, improving customer satisfaction.
For international shipments, 3PLs handle logistics, customs clearance, and compliance with shipping regulations. Additionally, they provide customer support and integrate advanced technology to offer real-time tracking and efficient operations. By outsourcing logistics to a 3PL provider, e-commerce businesses can focus on their core activities while ensuring reliable and swift delivery to their customers.
The key difference between 3PL and freight forwarder
The key difference between a third-party logistics (3PL) provider and a freight forwarder lies in the scope of services they offer and their roles in the supply chain. A 3PL provider offers a comprehensive suite of logistics services, including inventory management, order fulfillment, warehousing, shipping, returns management, and customer support. They act as an all-in-one solution for e-commerce businesses, handling various aspects of the supply chain to ensure efficient and effective delivery of goods.
On the other hand, a freight forwarder specializes primarily in the transportation of goods. Their main role is to arrange and coordinate the shipment of products from one location to another, often dealing with international shipping. They manage logistics such as carrier selection, route planning, customs clearance, and documentation. While freight forwarders focus on the movement of goods, 3PL providers offer a broader range of logistics services that encompass the entire supply chain.
Our Scoring System Explained
Our detailed 6-part grading approach evaluates the effectiveness and reliability of 3PL providers for e-commerce in an open and honest manner.
We created this methodology after thoroughly examining several 3PL providers and identifying the need for a consistent method of comparing them based on key criteria.
Each provider is evaluated using six main criteria: range of services, same-day shipping capabilities, global warehouse locations, customer support, ratings across several platforms, and years of experience. These characteristics are weighted and gathered to generate an overall score, allowing you to immediately see how each service measures up.
How We Score Providers
All factors in our 3PL reviews are scored on a 10-point scale, ranging from 0 to 10. A score of 0 is given only if a provider completely lacks an essential feature, which we strive to avoid if any relevant functionality is present.
Here’s how the 0-10 scale translates for 3PL providers:
9.0 – 10: Exceptional in its category (amazing)
7.5 – 8.9: Very good, with minor issues (very good)
6.0 – 7.4: Average performance with notable shortcomings (average)
3.0 – 5.9: Not up to standard (borderline)
1.0 – 2.9: Detracts from overall service (unacceptable)
0: Lacks this important feature entirely
How We Calculate Overall Scores
The six factors reviewed are weighted based on an overall total of 100%:
Range of services: 20%
Same-Day Shipping: 20%
Warehouse Locations Across the World: 20%
Customer Support: 15%
Ratings Across Different Platforms: 15%
Years of Experience: 10%
Methodology for Each Factor
To provide an effective evaluation, each 3PL provider is assessed on the following six factors:
Range of Services
We evaluate the variety of services offered, such as order fulfillment, inventory management, freight forwarding, returns management, and more. Providers are scored based on the breadth and depth of their service offerings.
Same-Day Shipping
This factor considers the provider's ability to offer same-day shipping services. Providers with extensive same-day shipping options score higher as this capability is crucial for meeting the demands of e-commerce customers.
Warehouse Locations Across the World
We assess the number and strategic placement of the provider's warehouses globally. A wide network of warehouse locations ensures faster delivery times and better service coverage, contributing to a higher score.
Customer Support
We analyze the quality of customer support offered by each provider, including availability, responsiveness, and the variety of support channels (phone, email, chat). High-quality customer support is essential for resolving issues promptly and maintaining client satisfaction.
Ratings Across Different Platforms
We examine ratings from multiple review platforms such as Google, Trustpilot, and industry-specific sites. These ratings reflect client satisfaction and the provider's reputation, playing a crucial role in the overall score.
Years of Experience
The experience of the provider in the logistics and e-commerce sectors is important. More years in the industry typically lead to greater expertise and reliability, resulting in higher scores.
By evaluating each 3PL provider based on these comprehensive criteria, we ensure a thorough and fair comparison, helping you choose the best partner for your e-commerce logistics needs.
