What Shipster does

Shipster, the trading name of Oddsphere Ltd., is a Manchester-based shipping integration software provider founded in 2014. The platform sits between eCommerce front-ends, warehouse management systems, and courier networks, converting order data from connected systems into courier-ready shipments and eliminating manual re-keying at the packing bench. Its core technology is a rules-driven integration engine that connects to more than 150 couriers (Royal Mail, DPD, FedEx, DHL, Amazon Shipping, Hermes, Parcelforce, UPS, Yodel, and others) as well as WMS and eCommerce platforms including Descartes Peoplevox, Ordorite, Swan Retail, Minster WMS, Shopify, and Futura. A distinctive proprietary plugin system allows developers to inject new rules, couriers, or updates into a live client setup without disrupting operations, and an unscripted, technically-trained support team delivers same-day configuration changes — both surfaced repeatedly as selection criteria in customer case studies.

The product portfolio centres on the Shipster Core Platform and is extended by a Shipping API for enterprise system-to-system integration, Shopify Shipping and Amazon Shipping connectors, a Custom Shipping Rules module, a Branded Shipping Documents module, a Cold Shipping / Temperature Control module, and a Bulk Despatch Module for subscription workloads. Shipster targets e-commerce brands, 3PL providers, and multi-warehouse operators — heavily weighted to UK fashion and apparel, with named customers including The Couture Club, AYBL, Melvin & Hamilton, MissPap, CHO Fashion, BullyBillows, Petmania, SkateHut, Bird & Blend Tea Co., and the 3PL Warehow. Customer-reported outcomes include 133% order processing uplift (Petmania), 200% sales growth since 2019 (The Couture Club), 100%+ picking/packing increases (BullyBillows), and courier surcharge reductions from ~£6,000/week to near zero (SkateHut).

Revenue is generated through a per-courier, per-workstation monthly licence subscription, an upfront installation/onboarding fee, and an included monthly support allowance that covers configuration changes. Distribution is primarily direct via integration-specialist-led consultative sales, supplemented by channel partnerships with Royal Mail, DHL, Amazon Shipping, and the WMS reseller network; a self-serve control panel supports licence scaling and a Shopify app extends reach into SMB merchants. The company is privately held and founder-led (Tony Cheetham, Founder and Managing Director) with no disclosed institutional funding or external investment in the available data.

Name

Shipster

Legal name

Oddsphere Ltd.

Website

https://shipstersolutions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Shipster provides custom shipping integration software connecting e-commerce platforms, WMS systems, and 150+ couriers for UK and international retailers, 3PL providers, and multi-warehouse operations, billed via per-courier per-workstation monthly licences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Monthly Licensing Fee: One flat monthly fee based on the number of licences used each month. A licence covers one courier on one installed computer. No surprises, no hidden costs. Self-serve licence changes available anytime.
2. One-off Installation Fee: One-off installation cost for initial setup and configuration. Includes onboarding support and integration with customer systems.
3. Configuration Changes: Custom shipping rule customisations and changes to setup handled by support engineers, included in monthly support fee.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Shipster provides a custom shipping integration platform that connects eCommerce platforms, warehouses (via WMS), and over 150 couriers, automating courier selection, label generation, branded and customs documentation, and multi-warehouse dispatch. It is offered as monthly per-courier per-workstation licences with a one-off installation fee, supplemented by a Shipping API, Shopify app integration, and add-on modules for custom rules, branded documents, temperature-controlled shipping, and bulk despatch.

Product overview

Shipster is a custom shipping integration platform developed by Manchester-based tech company Oddsphere Ltd. The core product connects eCommerce warehouses, WMS, and sales channels with 150+ couriers through a centralized platform. The portfolio consists of the Core Platform as the central hub, supplemented by the Shipping API for enterprise clients, a Shopify Shipping Integration, Custom Shipping Rules engine, Branded Shipping Documents module, Cold Shipping/Temperature Control module, and a Bulk Despatch Module. All products share a common rules engine and work together to automate pick-to-ship workflows, reduce manual data entry, and ensure compliance with customs and shipping regulations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Shipster Core Platform Custom shipping integration platform connecting eCommerce warehouses with 150+ couriers, WMS systems, and eCommerce platforms; automates label generation, carrier selection, and shipping document creation through configurable rules.
• Shipster Shipping API API solution for enterprise clients enabling direct system-to-platform connectivity without a separate user interface, allowing custom integrations and automated courier booking, label generation, and shipment management.
• Shopify Shipping Integration Native Shopify Shipping integration enabling Shopify store merchants to connect directly to Shipster for automated label generation and courier management.
• Custom Shipping Rules Engine Configurable rules engine for automating shipping decisions based on order data such as weight, destination, value, SKU attributes, temperature requirements, language, and other variables; custom rules are included in the monthly licence fee.
• Branded Shipping Documents Custom branding capabilities for shipping documents including packing slips, invoices, returns forms, and inserts, with multilingual document generation and automated content triggers.
• Cold Shipping / Temperature Control Temperature-controlled shipping automation routing items to appropriate temperature-controlled courier services based on configurable rules, suited to pharmaceuticals, food, and other perishable product categories.
• Bulk Despatch Module Bulk despatch capability for processing subscription orders and large batches, with automatic queue generation and label storage for scheduled processing.

Quantifiable outcome

• 133% increase in order processing capacity (Petmania case study)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration15 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Royal MailcoreTechnology or IntegrationShipster is one of few Royal Mail approved partners and fully integrated to offer Royal Mail services including Special Delivery, tracking, and compensation management.
• Descartes PeoplevoxcoreTechnology or IntegrationSeamless integration between Descartes Peoplevox WMS and Shipster for automated pick-to-ship workflows. The close working relationship between the two systems represents a proven goods-in to despatch solution.
• DHL (Parcel UK, Express, Global Mail, Germany, Austria, Deutsche Post)coreTechnology or IntegrationFull integration with multiple DHL divisions covering UK and international shipping services.
• Amazon ShippingcoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration with Amazon's shipping network allowing retailers and Amazon selling partners to benefit from Amazon's logistics capabilities for multi-channel orders.
• OrdoritecoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration with Ordorite retail management software for furniture and bedding businesses, providing end-to-end workflow from shelf to despatch.
• Swan RetailcoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration with Swan Retail's EPoS, stock management, warehousing, and eCommerce systems, particularly tailored for furniture and homeware stores.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• parcelLab: Germany-based delivery experience and post-purchase communication platform. Adjacent competitor serving the same e-commerce retailer base with overlapping focus on branded shipping documents and post-checkout engagement.
• EasyPost: US-based shipping API platform offering multi-carrier label generation, tracking and verification. Comparable in that it sits between shippers and couriers via an API-first architecture, though more developer-oriented than Shipster.
• Metapack: UK-headquartered delivery management software for retailers and 3PLs, now part of Auctane. Closest UK-headquartered direct competitor to Shipster, offering carrier selection, label generation and tracking across international couriers.
• ShipStation: Auctane-owned multi-carrier shipping software widely used by SMB and mid-market e-commerce merchants. Direct competitor in label generation, automation rules and courier integrations, with a much larger US-centric customer base.
• Scurri: Ireland-based shipping integration platform connecting e-commerce merchants with couriers. Direct overlap with Shipster on multi-courier orchestration and rules-based label generation; one Shipster case study (WBYS/Shuperb) explicitly describes migrating from Scurri to Shipster.
• ShippyPro: Italy-based shipping integration platform serving European e-commerce merchants. Closely comparable to Shipster on multi-courier label generation, branded documents and tracking workflows for SMB and mid-market customers.
• Despatch Cloud: UK-based shipping and fulfilment software connecting e-commerce stores, WMS systems and couriers. Comparable to Shipster on integration breadth and UK customer base, with overlapping WMS and marketplace integrations.

Broad incumbents

• ShipHero: US-based WMS + shipping platform for e-commerce brands and 3PLs. Overlaps with Shipster on multi-carrier label generation and 3PL workflows, but bundles a broader warehouse management suite.
• ShipBob: US-headquartered fulfilment network with proprietary shipping and WMS software. Comparable through its end-to-end e-commerce fulfilment offering, but operates its own warehouses rather than purely enabling third-party logistics.
• Linnworks: UK-based order and inventory management platform with shipping integrations. Both Linnworks and Shipster are integrated partners, but Linnworks is a broader OMS that competes indirectly on multi-channel shipping automation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/shipsterhq
• Facebookfacebook.com/ShipsterSolutions
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shipster-solutions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shipster