AfterShip vs. Narvar vs. ZigZag Global: Which One Is The Best?
Trying to figure out whether AfterShip or Narvar is the better returns management solution?
Trying to figure out whether AfterShip or Narvar is the better returns management solution?
With AfterShip and Narvar leading the returns industry in the UK market, each offering unique features and capabilities, I understand that making the right decision is not easy at all.
In fact, the returns management provider you choose can make or break your customers’ return experience (and your bottom line too).
In this detailed comparison, I’ll break down the key capabilities, pricing, and implementation for each software to help you make an informed decision.
➡️ I’ll also introduce you to a third option that combines both tools’ strengths in its global returns management capabilities: ZigZag Global (that’s us).
TL;DR
ZigZag Global is a global returns management platform that offers a customisable returns portal, a wide range of return options to offset costs, and access to detailed analytics. The tool stands out with its international returns capabilities, with access to 220 localised warehouses and over 1,500 international carrier services across 170+ origin countries. The pricing starts at $20/month for Shopify retailers, and there’s a free plan to get started.
AfterShip is a comprehensive post-purchase and returns management platform designed for e-commerce brands of all sizes, starting from $11/month. It offers powerful shipment tracking, branded order tracking pages, and automated return workflows that enhance the customer experience while reducing manual effort. However, some users report that certain features, like advanced automation, carrier integrations, and analytics, are locked behind higher tiers, and customer support response times can be slow.
Narvar offers an AI-driven e-commerce returns management solution with an all-in-one post-purchase customer experience and best-in-class returns analytics to battle return fraud. The platform has custom pricing that favours larger brands (prepare to spend 5 figures a year on the software). Users of the tool have not been satisfied with how long the platform takes to implement and its high cost.
AfterShip vs. Narvar vs. ZigZag: Returns Management Features
The tool offers a good range of global carriers with its printless, QR code drop-offs.
Re-capture revenue with product exchanges, fraud prevention (e.g., staging and wardrobing), and offer partial refunds to consumers.
Rule-based returns automations: Optimise return costs and retain more revenue from consumers
Other returns features, such as return eligibility rules, an analytics dashboard, and automated resolutions.
⚠️ A recurring challenge for retailers on AfterShip has been issues with its set up and usability.
A verified mid-market customer of the platform noted that the platform was not very straightforward for them to set up.
‘’Not always straightforward to set up, admin panel can be confusing, hard to find invoices for additional orders like monthly SMS bills.’’ – G2 Review.
Narvar’s Features
Narvar comes with an all-in-one post-purchase customer experience solution that provides you with branded returns tracking and reason-based fees for returns.
The returns management software is ideal for merchants who are looking to offset the cost of returns with the platform’s smart routing.
Let your consumers choose how they want to return, as they can choose from home pick-up, store drop-offs, and other drop-off locations.
Reason-based fees for returns, such as ‘’no return shipping fee’’ for an incorrect item.
Reduce the cost of returns with Narvar’s smart routing of returned inventory to minimise the costs of returns.
IRIS, Narvar’s proprietary AI layer, processes more than 42 billion consumer interactions annually to detect return fraud.
⚠️ Despite this, some retailers are not happy with Narvar’s limited customisation options, which is why they’ve been looking for Narvar alternatives.
ZigZag’s Features
ZigZag Global (that’s us) offers the alternative to both AfterShip & Narvar for retailers looking to optimise and automate their returns process across the UK and 170+ other countries.
Our global returns solution lets you build a custom returns portal and offers your consumers different return options that help you keep revenue in the business and lower the costs of returns.
Customisable returns portal: You can change returns rules alongside white-labelling the portal to reflect your brand.
Adapt various new return options (such as a gift card, paid returns, exchange, or cash refund) depending on your shoppers’ reasons for returning.
In-Store Returns: Your team will be able to implement free in-store returns to slash shipping costs, boost foot traffic to your physical store, and give consumers more ways to get a refund.
Advanced return analytics: Evaluating the most common reasons why consumers return products, and detecting suspicious return behaviour from shoppers.
You can get a feel of how ZigZag’s platform works in our guided demo: 👇
💡 ZigZag Global also offers in-store drop-off kiosks that are hassle-free for your shoppers.
International Returns Management: AfterShip vs. Narvar vs. ZigZag
AfterShip’s International Returns
Merchants can set up routing rules and policies so customers in different countries or zones are offered different return methods depending on shipping costs, duties, etc.
A comprehensive range of global carriers with up to 300,000 drop-off locations. 9,000+ Return Bars from Happy Returns in the US.
Printless, QR code drop-offs for major carriers, including FedEx, USPS, and Royal Mail.
Full tracking of return shipments is provided without needing extra tracking software.
Narvar’s International Returns
When compared to ZigZag Global and AfterShip, Narvar does not really stand out with its international returns management capabilities.
However, the returns provider is still capable of equipping you with:
Global Carrier Network with over 200,000 drop-off locations via 600+ carriers.
Intelligently route items based on the product type, location, and return reason. AI determines the best omnichannel route based on your needs.
Multi-label and multi-destination functionality that saves you money from shipping and processing costs by returning directly to a vendor.
⚠️ However, some users of the platform are not happy that Narvar is missing a carrier comparison section, which would have allowed their shoppers to compare the available options and prices.
The ‘’Global’’ part of ZigZag Global is because our returns solution is ideal for international returns, as our platform facilitates international returns in 170+ countries by connecting you with 1,500+ global carriers.
Our returns portal is also capable of accepting multiple currencies and provides different language settings for international customers.
ZigZag has an in-house facility in Germany that provides control and innovation for our customers, reducing their international return costs by up to 30%.
➡️ Our tool also offers consumers 500,000+ drop-off locations across the world.
Platform Implementation & Customer Support: AfterShip vs. Narvar vs. ZigZag
AfterShip’s Implementation & Customer Support
AfterShip Returns is a cloud-based returns management platform that integrates directly with Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, and custom e-commerce systems via its API.
Implementation is straightforward: most merchants can get up and running without developer support, especially if using a supported e-commerce platform.
➡️ Once installed, you’ll configure your return policies, approval workflows, return outcomes (refund, exchange, store credit), and portal branding inside the AfterShip admin.
You can also set up international routing rules, carrier accounts, and return locations to automate how returns are handled across regions.
What stood out to me about AfterShip is that they provide the same level of support on both their Essentials (affordable) price point and Enterprise, although signing up for hte silver and gold support plans will have with an additional fee.
⚠️ Despite this, some of AfterShip’s customers are not satisfied with its customer support experience.
This is especially true for small business owners (who are on the lower tiers of the pricing plans), as they do not seem very satisfied with how long it took them to resolve their issues.
‘’The Online Chat is unprofessional. I spent an hour waiting for an agent to resolve my issue. Three agents were switched during this 1 hour. Get a reply from them every 5 minutes. It's a waste of time.’’ – G2 Review.
Narvar’s Implementation & Customer Support
A handful of users report that dialling in refunds-only functionality took 4–5 months for them, and exchanges another 6–7 months, for a total of roughly 1 year to fully utilise every Returns feature via the tool’s API.
Narvar’s tool, according to reviews, has been difficult to set up and takes a while to do so.
⚠️ If you’re connecting Narvar to ERP and/or OMS systems, 3PLs, or need a highly bespoke rules engine for tiered fees, fraud controls, or multi-destination routing, plan for 1–3 months of implementation time, depending on your internal IT bandwidth.
ZigZag’s Implementation & Customer Support
Our returns management solution can also be set up on Shopify with as little effort as a single click.
Apart from this, our platform can help your brand expand globally and add carriers with a 24-hour setup process.
➡️ If you’d rather embed the returns portal directly into your storefront (instead of linking out), that light front-end work (HTML/CSS/JS snippet) typically takes a developer a few hours.
After installation, you’ll be assigned a dedicated Onboarding Manager.
Retailers sticking to ZigZag’s standard return flows and carrier network often go fully live in 1–2 days, while those who want bespoke workflows or extensive QA may take up to 1 week.
Pricing: AfterShip vs. Narvar vs. ZigZag
AfterShip’s Pricing
AfterShip’s pricing is based on number of returns per month and starts at $11/month with $0.50 per extra return.
There are 4 paid plans to choose from with no freemium version of the solution:
Essentials: $11/month for 20 returns/month, which includes in-app automatic labels, a branded returns page, and email notifications.
Pro: $59/month for 100 returns/month, which adds automatic returns approval, in-app returns tracking, store credit, adn green returns.
Premium: $239/month for 200 returns/month, which adds advanced workflows, its ‘’Shop now’’ functionality (similar to Loop), fraud prevention, return care, and access to its pre-built integrations.
Enterprise: Custom pricing for a custom number of returns, which adds instant exchanges, warranty, its Point of Sale functionality, and custom discounted rates for carriers.
Narvar’s Pricing
Narvar does not disclose its pricing, so you’d have to contact them to receive a quote.
From what we were able to gather, Narvar calculates its pricing based on a few criteria, including (but not limited to):
Return volume per year (e.g., 10,000 returns per year).
The number of carriers that you want to use. The platform charges you per carrier.
Additional add-ons and features that you’d like to use, so you can only pay for the features you need.
The platform expects you to use your carrier accounts (e.g., Royal Mail account) so you can use its platform.
➡️ According to one of Narvar’s ex-users who spoke with our team, they were paying £49,000/year for 100,000 returns/year.
They also had to use their own carrier account since Narvar required them to be plugged in.
Another price number we have is from a smaller retailer who left a review on Capterra, claiming that they were required to pay $5,000 a year back in 2021.
ZigZag’s Pricing
ZigZag’s pricing is only disclosed for our Shopify solution, and is based on returns per month as well as the level of automations and customisation you’d require.
We’ve recently launched a free plan that you can get started with, which is ideal for start-up e-commerce stores.
Our tool has 4 pricing tiers for Shopify merchants:
Free: Access to unlimited returns management, ready-to-use order-synced returns portal, refund deduction to reduce returns costs, UK carrier return services, and full tracking visibility.
Silver: $20/month, which gives you access to 100 returns a month, Evri, Collect+ & USPS labels or the ability to upload your own, returns analytics, and customer updates.
Gold: $50/month, which gives you access to 300 returns a month, auto one-click refunds, auto-exchange order creation, return-to-store credit, and custom email templates.
Enterprise: Custom price for a custom amount of returns a month, which lets you use your own carrier accounts, access to a dedicated account manager, and the ability to connect your systems via our platform APIs.
💡 All of our Shopify pricing plans, except the Enterprise plan, come with a 14-day free trial.
Note: If your plan exceeds the returns limit, you’ll be charged $0.20 for each additional return.
Next Steps: Offset Costs & Battle Return Fraud With ZigZag Global
Built for retailers who operate globally, ZigZag offers an all-in-one returns management platform that is designed to take over any online store’s post-purchase experience.
Regardless of whether you’re an e-commerce leader or an SME, our returns management platform offers:
A customisable returns portal that can be personalised to your shoppers.
Wide range of return options, such as paid returns, return to store credit, and return to gift card.
Access to detailed analytics and reports on what drives shoppers to return products.
Then you can book a demo to learn more about ZigZag Global.
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