A tracking API can appear cheap at first glance, but the real cost often depends on how the provider counts usage, applies rate limits, handles webhooks, and defines a tracked shipment.
The billing models vary widely. Some providers charge per registered shipment, others per API call. TrackingMore uses credits, 17TRACK sells prepaid registration quota valid for 12 months, and Postal Ninja measures shipments, requests, and bandwidth separately. This comparison looks only at tracking APIs and excludes merchant-facing tracking tools without developer access.
Short answer: Ship24 has the lowest barrier for testing a production-style integration, with API and webhooks included on the free tier and per-shipment pricing published up to 1,000,000 shipments per month. TrackingMore has the lowest paid starting point at $11. 17TRACK publishes the largest carrier network at 3,400+ integrations. AfterShip is more relevant when tracking API access needs to sit inside a wider post-purchase platform. In practice, the billing unit usually matters more than the advertised entry price.
10 Tracking APIs at a glance
| API | Best fit | Published carrier scope | Entry model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ship24 | Tracking-first API, global coverage, AI applications | 2,500+ couriers and 3PLs across 180+ countries | Free API tier |
| TrackingMore | Low-cost paid tracking API | 1,658 carriers | $11 Basic, 150 credits |
| 17TRACK API | Broad carrier coverage | 3,400+ integrations | 12-month prepaid quota |
| AfterShip Tracking API | API plus broad ecommerce post-purchase | 1,000+ on API pages; 1,400+ headline claim | Premium |
| Parcels App | API-first tracking with air and ocean scope | 1,540+ carriers | $19 for 300 shipments |
| Postal Ninja | Low-volume API-only tracking | Not publicly disclosed | Free 5-shipment tier |
| Shippo | Standalone tracking plus shipping API | 1,000+ tracking carriers | Per-track pricing |
| EasyPost | Shipping API with standalone Tracker objects | No comparable tracking-only total | Shipping-platform pricing |
| Parcel Perform | Enterprise tracking data and delivery intelligence | 1,015+ on developer portal | Sales-led |
| ClickPost | Tracking plus carrier allocation | 600+ carriers | Sales-led |
1. Ship24 Tracking API
Ship24 provides standalone tracking API access across 2,500+ couriers and 3PLs in more than 180 countries. API and webhooks are available from the free tier, which includes 10 shipments per month plus a 100-shipment bonus during the first month.
Published per-shipment pricing is $39 for 1,000 shipments, $99 for 5,000, $349 for 25,000, $599 for 50,000, $1,499 for 150,000, $3,149 for 400,000, and $5,999 for 1,000,000. Most standard endpoints allow 10 req/s, bulk tracker creation is limited to 3 req/s, and an account can hold up to 20 API keys.
Tracking capabilities include normalized statuses, AI-powered courier detection, AI-driven smart refresh, AI-powered end-to-end tracking, AI Computed Estimated Delivery Date, AI Analytics, and MCP access for compatible AI assistants.
2. TrackingMore
TrackingMore publishes coverage for 1,658 carriers. API and webhooks are included from Basic, priced at $11 per month for 150 credits, with a 6 req/s limit, two API keys, and two webhook endpoints. Pro starts at $74 for 1,200 credits and increases the published rate limit to 10 req/s.
For standard courier tracking, one credit represents one distinct tracking-number and courier-code combination. Continued retrieval of that shipment does not normally consume another standard credit. Translation may use an additional credit, while air-cargo tracking costs 50 credits per master air waybill. Extra credits cost $0.04 each, and usage cannot exceed twice the selected plan quota.
3. 17TRACK API
17TRACK publishes more than 3,400 carrier integrations. Its API is sold separately from the 17TRACK Order Tracking product and uses prepaid quota rather than a monthly subscription.
Published blocks are $119 for 5,000 registrations, $569 for 25,000, $2,869 for 150,000, and $9,299 for 500,000, with quota valid for 12 months. A successful tracking-number and carrier registration consumes one unit. Ongoing tracking after registration does not consume another unit each time the shipment updates.
4. AfterShip Tracking API
AfterShip's main Tracking pages publish 1,400+ carrier integrations, while some Tracking API pages continue to show lower figures such as 1,000+.
API and webhooks begin on Premium. Published pricing is $70 for 500 shipments, $118 for 1,000, $239 for 2,000, $359 for 3,000, and $579 for 5,000. Larger volumes move to contact sales. Premium publishes an API rate limit of 10 req/s.
5. Parcels App
Parcels App takes an API-first approach and publishes support for 1,540+ carriers. Its coverage also includes 172 airlines and air-cargo providers, plus 26 ocean shipping lines by container number, with Bill of Lading input available for 13 of them.
Pricing is $19 for 300 shipments, $49 for 1,000, $225 for 5,000, $450 for 10,000, $800 for 20,000, $1,500 for 50,000, and $1,650 for 60,000. A free API key is issued after signup, although no recurring free monthly allowance is published.
Usage is counted by tracking number. If a courier handoff creates a new tracking reference, the same physical parcel can therefore consume another unit.
6. Postal Ninja
Postal Ninja is an API-only product and does not publish a carrier total.
Basic costs $0 for 5 shipments per month, with 20 requests per day and a 1 req/s rate limit. Pro costs $8 for 100 shipments, Ultra $30 for 500, and Mega $200 for 5,000. Paid plans allow 5 req/s.
Its billing model deserves closer attention because shipments, API requests, and bandwidth are all measured separately.
7. Shippo
Shippo publishes support for more than 1,000 tracking carriers and provides standalone tracking alongside its broader shipping API.
The API Starter plan currently lists tracking at $0.02 per track, making Shippo one of the few providers in this comparison to publish a simple per-unit tracking price.
8. EasyPost
EasyPost supports standalone Tracker objects within its wider shipping API. Businesses can track shipments created outside EasyPost, receive webhook updates, use carrier detection, and combine tracking with rates and label generation.
EasyPost does not publish a directly comparable total for tracking-only carrier coverage, which makes network-size comparisons with dedicated tracking APIs less useful.
9. Parcel Perform
Parcel Perform's developer portal lists 1,015+ carriers, while broader product pages publish higher network figures.
Its API is aimed at enterprise shipment data, standardized logistics events, and delivery intelligence rather than low-cost self-service tracking. Pricing is handled through sales.
10. ClickPost
ClickPost publishes coverage for more than 600 carriers. Its platform combines shipment tracking with carrier serviceability, carrier recommendations, EDD, and shipment creation.
Pricing is sales-led, so it is more relevant to businesses comparing broader logistics operations than teams looking only for a self-service tracking API.
Rate limits compared
| Provider | Published example |
|---|---|
| Ship24 | 10 req/s on most standard endpoints; 3 req/s bulk creation |
| AfterShip Premium | 10 req/s |
| TrackingMore Pro | 10 req/s |
| TrackingMore Basic | 6 req/s |
| Postal Ninja paid plans | 5 req/s |
Why the billing unit changes the real cost
The providers above do not measure usage the same way:
- Ship24 counts tracked shipments under its tracker model.
- TrackingMore counts each tracking-number and courier-code combination.
- 17TRACK API uses prepaid registration quota.
- Parcels App counts distinct tracking numbers.
- Postal Ninja measures shipments, requests, and bandwidth separately.
That difference becomes particularly important for cross-border shipments. A parcel can change courier or tracking reference while in transit, and some billing models may treat the new reference as another unit even though the customer still sees one shipment.
How far pricing is published
Entry price is only one part of API pricing. It also matters how long a provider keeps prices public as volume increases.
Ship24 publishes per-shipment pricing up to 1,000,000 shipments per month. TrackingMore publishes plans up to 100,000 credits, while Parcels App publishes pricing up to 60,000 shipments. AfterShip's standard Tracking pricing stops at 5,000 shipments before moving to contact sales.
For teams expecting shipment volume to grow, that published ceiling can be more useful for forecasting than the cheapest initial plan.
Test the API against real tracking numbers
Feature lists cannot show how well an API performs on the carriers a business actually uses. Testing real tracking numbers makes it easier to compare carrier detection, event depth, status normalization, update timing, and webhook behavior.
Ship24's free Tracking API tier includes API and webhook access, allowing this type of testing before moving to a paid quota.
Frequently asked questions
Which tracking API has the lowest paid entry?
TrackingMore Basic has the lowest paid entry in this comparison at $11 per month for 150 credits. Ship24 also provides a free standalone Tracking API tier with 10 shipments per month plus a 100-shipment first-month bonus.
Which tracking API supports the most carriers?
17TRACK publishes more than 3,400 carrier integrations. Ship24 publishes more than 2,500 couriers and 3PLs across 180+ countries.
Is the 17TRACK API billed monthly?
No. The Tracking API uses prepaid registration quota valid for 12 months. The separate 17TRACK Order Tracking product uses monthly subscription pricing.
Does Ordertracker have an API?
No. Ordertracker documentation lists a JavaScript widget and Shopify app but no Tracking API or webhooks, which is why it is not included among the ten APIs above.
What is the difference between a tracking API and a shipping API?
A tracking API retrieves shipment status and tracking events after a parcel enters the delivery network. A shipping API covers tasks such as rates, label purchasing, and address validation before or during shipment creation.
Shippo and EasyPost operate across both areas, which makes their tracking products less directly comparable with standalone tracking APIs.
