Using Alpaca vs. Shopify shipping
Using Alpaca vs. Shopify’s Native Shipping
You can use Alpaca’s shipping features alongside Shopify’s built-in shipping—but there are some important differences.
When to Use Alpaca for Shipping
- You want to offer custom shipping zones and rates from within Alpaca’s dashboard.
- You need flat-rate, price-based, weight-based, or per-product shipping logic.
- You want unified management of pickup, delivery, and shipping options.
When to Use Shopify’s Native Shipping
- You use third-party carriers (UPS, FedEx, etc.) and need real-time rates.
- You want to use Shopify Shipping labels or advanced fulfillment integrations.
- You don’t need to customize pickup or delivery options.
Important Notes
- If you enable shipping in Alpaca, Shopify’s shipping options will still appear unless you disable them in Shopify.
- You can always choose to hide Alpaca shipping rates using the “Always hide shipping rates” setting if you only want to use Shopify’s options.
For questions about best practices or integrating with your unique workflow, contact [email protected].