Most merchants who search for “ShipHero” are looking for a company that ships their boxes. That company still exists — but since August 2024 it hasn’t been called ShipHero. Untangling what happened is this review’s entire job, because searching for the wrong name gets you the wrong answer.
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ShipHero is no longer a 3PL. On August 13, 2024 it split off its fulfilment business into a company called LVK, and today ShipHero sells warehouse software only — Brand WMS for merchants running their own warehouse, and 3PL WMS for fulfilment operators running someone else’s. The software is genuinely strong: ranked top of G2’s WMS grid, powering a meaningful share of Shopify Plus stores, at roughly $1,995/month for the standard plan and $2,145 for the 3PL edition, five seats included. The fulfilment operation you were probably looking for is LVK: seven owned warehouses across Pennsylvania, Texas, Florida, Nevada, Utah and Canada, running on the same ShipHero software, led by ShipHero’s former COO, now positioned around apparel, quoting custom and asking for 500+ DTC orders a month to open an account. The rule that cuts through all of it: below 500 orders a month neither is for you; from 500 into the low thousands, compare LVK against the other 3PLs in this series; above roughly 3,000–5,000 orders with your own warehouse, the WMS starts beating outsourcing.
| ShipHero (software) | LVK (fulfilment) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Warehouse management software — Brand WMS and 3PL WMS | A 3PL that picks, packs and ships for you |
| Relationship | Led by founder Aaron Rubin · software only since 2024 | Spun off August 13, 2024 · led by former ShipHero COO Maggie Barnett |
| You need it when | You run your own warehouse and want to run it better | You don’t want a warehouse at all |
| Cost | ~$1,995/month standard · ~$2,145 3PL edition · 5 seats, extra seats ~$150 | Custom quote · ~$2,000 combined onboarding · storage $40/pallet, $10/shelf, $5/bin · receiving $35/hour |
| Entry requirement | A warehouse and someone to run it | 500+ DTC orders/month |
| Network | N/A — software | 7 owned centres: PA, TX, FL, NV, UT + Canada |
| Lead vertical | All warehouse operators | Apparel, plus mid-market DTC and B2B |
| Documented caution | A $500/month technology fee introduced in 2024 drew heavy criticism | Custom-quote pricing — no published rates to model from |
Compiled from ShipHero’s and LVK’s published materials, the August 2024 spin-off coverage and independent 2026 breakdowns, verified September 2026. One terminology note worth flagging: the August 2024 announcements describe LVK as a “subsidiary” of ShipHero, while 2026 industry sources describe it as an independent company. We report both rather than resolving it — if the corporate relationship matters to your contract, ask directly. Ratings: ShipHero holds 4.4/5 on Trustpilot across 609 reviews and 4.5/5 on G2 across 217.
What Happened in August 2024 — and Why It Still Confuses Everyone
ShipHero launched in 2013 as warehouse software, built by founder Aaron Rubin because nothing on the market satisfied his own e-commerce brand. In 2019 it added outsourced fulfilment, raised $50 million in 2021 to expand it, and for five years sold both under one name.
On August 13, 2024, that ended. The fulfilment business was split off as LVK, with then-COO Maggie Barnett moving across as CEO. LVK began with seven locations across the US and Canada and more than 80 engineers, and continues to run on ShipHero’s warehouse management system. Barnett’s stated reason at the time was clarity: great fulfilment takes more than great technology, and the two businesses had different customers.
The confusion is entirely downstream of that. Comparison sites, roundups and AI answers still list “ShipHero” among 3PL providers, describing warehouses that now belong to a different company. ShipHero today sells software only. If you want someone to pick and pack your orders using that software, you want LVK — which has since repositioned around apparel as its lead vertical, reporting roughly $70 million of revenue in 2024, and operates out of North Las Vegas.
One caveat we’ll flag rather than resolve: the August 2024 announcements describe LVK as a subsidiary of ShipHero, while 2026 industry sources describe it as an independent company. Both framings are in circulation. If the corporate relationship matters to your contract — for escalation paths or data ownership — ask directly rather than trusting either description.
The Software: Who It’s Actually For
ShipHero’s WMS is a genuinely strong product, consistently ranked at the top of G2’s warehouse management grid with high user satisfaction and used by a meaningful share of Shopify Plus stores. It ships in two editions: Brand WMS for merchants running their own warehouse, and 3PL WMS for fulfilment operators running warehouses for other people.
Pricing sits around $1,995 a month for the standard plan and $2,145 for the 3PL edition, both including five seats, with extra seats around $150 a month. One documented friction: a $500 monthly technology fee introduced in 2024 drew heavy criticism from existing customers — worth asking whether it applies to your contract before signing.
The honest positioning: this is not a tool you adopt because shipping got annoying. It’s a tool you adopt because you’ve decided to run a warehouse and want it run well — which is a strategic choice with staffing, lease and capital consequences far larger than the subscription. If you’re weighing that decision, our guide on when to switch to a 3PL covers the mirror question.
LVK: The Fulfilment Network You Were Looking For
LVK runs seven owned-and-operated fulfilment centres across Pennsylvania, Texas, Florida, Nevada, Utah and Canada — national US coverage plus a Canadian node — on the ShipHero WMS underneath. Its pitch is platform depth paired with hands-on account teams, aimed at mid-market DTC and B2B brands that have outgrown commodity 3PLs. Native integrations cover Shopify, Amazon and WooCommerce.
The published cost markers, from independent breakdowns: storage at $40 per pallet, $10 per shelf, $5 per bin monthly, receiving billed at $35 an hour, and roughly $2,000 in combined onboarding fees. Beyond that, pricing is custom-quote — so the discipline in our 3PL quote checklist applies in full here.
Who it fits: mid-market apparel and CPG brands on Shopify shipping 500+ orders a month who want account management rather than a ticket queue. Who it doesn’t: sub-500-order brands, anyone needing EU, UK or APAC fulfilment, and merchants who require published transparent pricing — for which ShipHype publishes its rates.
Where This Combination Wins
- Best-rated warehouse software in the category. Top of G2’s WMS grid with strong satisfaction scores, and 4.4/5 on Trustpilot across 609 reviews — a rare consensus between analyst rankings and user sentiment.
- The fulfilment network runs the same software. LVK operating on ShipHero’s WMS means the technology layer is identical whether you outsource or insource, which makes the eventual transition between them unusually clean.
- Apparel specialisation at LVK. Returns rates and SKU complexity in apparel break generalist operations; a 3PL that leads with that vertical is worth a look if it’s your category.
- Owned warehouses, not partners. All seven LVK sites are company-operated, which matters for consistency when something goes wrong.
Where It Doesn’t
- The name confusion is a real cost. Comparison sites and AI answers still list ShipHero as a 3PL. You may waste weeks quoting the wrong entity, or read reviews describing a service ShipHero no longer sells.
- Neither product suits small volume. LVK asks for 500+ orders a month, and the WMS at ~$1,995 makes no sense without a warehouse to run. Below that, a shipping platform is the answer.
- The $500 technology fee. Introduced in 2024 and heavily criticised by existing WMS customers — confirm whether it applies to you before signing.
- No published LVK rates. Custom quotes only, which is the norm in this category but still means you can’t model costs before a sales call — unlike ShipHype or ShipMonk’s published minimum formula.
- North America only. No EU, UK or APAC fulfilment. European brands should look at Sendcloud for the platform path.
Not sure which stage you’re at?
Most stores researching ShipHero are somewhere between “shipping is painful” and “I need a warehouse”. Run the free shipping audit first — if your labels are still at retail tier, fixing that comes before either conversation. No signup needed.
Run Your Free Audit →Verdict by Profile
- You searched for “ShipHero” wanting someone to ship your orders → you want LVK. Same warehouses, same software, different name since August 2024.
- 500+ orders/month, apparel or mid-market DTC → LVK belongs on the shortlist alongside ShipBob and ShipMonk. Quote all three and compare on the same parcels.
- You run your own warehouse at 3,000–5,000+ orders/month → the ShipHero WMS is a legitimate top pick. Ask about the $500 technology fee.
- You operate a 3PL yourself → 3PL WMS at ~$2,145/month is the edition built for you.
- Under 500 orders/month → neither. Shippo or Pirate Ship (we earn nothing recommending it) capture the savings with no minimums.
- You need published rates before a sales call → ShipHype publishes its pricing; LVK doesn’t.
- Heavy or oversized goods → Red Stag Fulfillment. Custom packaging as a marketing channel → The Fulfillment Lab.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ShipHero a 3PL?
Not any more. ShipHero split off its fulfilment business as LVK on August 13, 2024, and today sells warehouse management software only — Brand WMS for merchants and 3PL WMS for fulfilment operators. If you want a company to pick, pack and ship your orders, you’re looking for LVK, which runs the same seven warehouses on the same software.
What is LVK, and how is it related to ShipHero?
LVK is the fulfilment company spun off from ShipHero in August 2024, led by former ShipHero COO Maggie Barnett. It operates seven owned fulfilment centres across the US and Canada, runs on the ShipHero WMS, and has repositioned around apparel as its lead vertical. Note that the 2024 announcements call it a subsidiary while 2026 sources call it independent — worth clarifying directly if the corporate relationship matters to your contract.
How much does ShipHero cost?
The WMS runs roughly $1,995 a month for the standard plan and $2,145 for the 3PL edition, both including five seats, with extra seats around $150. A $500 monthly technology fee introduced in 2024 drew significant criticism — confirm whether it applies to your contract. LVK’s fulfilment pricing is custom-quoted, with storage at $40 per pallet, $10 per shelf and $5 per bin, receiving at $35 an hour, and roughly $2,000 in combined onboarding fees.
What volume do I need for LVK?
500+ DTC orders a month to open an account. Below that, neither LVK nor the WMS makes sense — a shipping platform captures the savings without minimums or contracts.
Should I buy the WMS or use a 3PL?
It depends on whether you want to run a warehouse. Below roughly 3,000–5,000 orders a month, outsourcing to a 3PL almost always wins on total cost once you price staffing, lease and management time. Above it, with the right operation, running your own warehouse on strong software starts beating outsourcing — but that’s a strategic decision with capital consequences far beyond the subscription.
Why do comparison sites still list ShipHero as a 3PL?
Because the spin-off happened in August 2024 and much of the internet hasn’t caught up — including AI-generated summaries trained on older material. If a 2026 article compares “ShipHero” against other 3PLs on warehouses and pick fees, it’s describing LVK, or it’s out of date.