Are you searching for parcelLab alternatives to streamline your order shipping process and optimise your returns process?
The post-purchase experience platform (as they call themselves) offers a customisable self-service returns portal to initiate returns and exchanges.
Despite that, some retailers mention that the customer support of parcelLab has been unhelpful and slow to respond and that there are some tracking issues with the shipments.
We researched 30+ shipping and returns solutions, sifted through verified retailer reviews on G2, and talked to e-commerce leaders to create a list of the eight best parcelLab alternatives in 2025.
In this guide, we will cover each tool’s features, pricing, pros/cons, and use cases to help you make a more informed decision.
➡️ Disclaimer: This article will focus on the best parcelLab alternatives on the market for returns management for shoppers.
Before we start, let’s go over why retailers have been looking for an alternative to parcelLab in the first place. ⤵️
The main issue that pops up when you start researching parcelLab is its poor customer service, which both smaller and larger enterprises are experiencing.
According to one enterprise user of the platform, it can take weeks or even months for a support ticket to be resolved.
‘’If a support ticket needs to be filed, it takes weeks, sometimes months, just to get a resolution, while you get asked repetitive information.’’ – G2 Review.
According to the various reviews on G2, users are reporting a variety of tracking issues with the platform, including:
‘’Sometimes we may find that shipment information is not synchronised across our systems, affecting customer support performance.’’ – G2 Review.
Last but not least, a possible reason why merchants can look for another solution to parcelLab is its time to implementation, which currently stands at 3 months.
When researching for parcelLab alternatives, we looked at the following criteria:
The best parcelLabl alternatives are ZigZag Global, Outvio, and ClickPost, with their superior global shipment tracking capabilities and account management.
Let’s now go over each one of these return providers: 👇
ZigZag Global (that’s us) offers the best parcelLab alternative in 2025 for merchants of all sizes looking to optimise and automate their returns management on a worldwide scale.
Unlike parcelLab, ZigZag offers:
Note: Even though ZigZag Global is our returns system, we’ll provide an unbiased perspective on why we offer the best parcelLab alternative on the market.
Our returns solution lets you build a custom returns portal and offers your consumers different return options that help you keep capital in the business and offset the costs of returns.
We also provide merchants with access to 220 localised warehouses and over 1,500 international carrier services, all across 170+ origin countries.
Let’s go over the features that SMEs and enterprises like SportsDirect, Ted Baker, Puma and Swarovski love about ZigZag Global. 👇
ZigZag Global offers a customisable returns portal that lets you change returns rules alongside white-labelling the portal to reflect your brand.
You can adapt various new return solutions (such as a gift card, exchange, or cash refund) depending on the customers’ reasons for returning.
For example, e-commerce leaders can customise the possible reasons for returns to be that the product was faulty, did not fit, or was unsuitable.
Get a feel of how ZigZag’s platform works in our guided demo: 👇
Does your online shop operate on Shopify?
Our returns management solution can also be set up on Shopify with as little effort as one single click.
Here’s why Shopify merchants love our integration:
💡 Our consumer research on returns found that 57% of shoppers who are considering returning items would accept a gift card as a refund.
This return option lets you keep capital in the business while benefiting consumers with a quick gift card option they can use in your store.
ZigZag Global is ideal for international returns, as we facilitate international returns in 170+ countries by connecting you with 1,500+ global carriers.
➡️ Our global returns portal can also accept multiple currencies & provides different language settings for international consumers, which is ideal for international brands.
Platforms like Loop Returns and parcelLab that do not facilitate international returns make global retailers use multiple return management solutions for the different countries.
Instead of using multiple return solutions for the USA, Europe, and other regions, you can use ZigZag Global as a global return logistics solution.
Similar to parcelLab, the goal of our global returns solution is not only to manage your returns but to help you save time, money, and improve the loyalty of your consumers.
This is why ZigZag Global offers the following return options for your shoppers:
In-store returns are when your shoppers return the product to your store in person to save the costs of a paid return online.
You can implement free in-store returns to your physical locations to slash shipping costs, boost foot traffic to your store, and give shoppers more ways to get a refund.
💡 ZigZag Global also offers in-store drop-off kiosks that are hassle-free for your shoppers to use in your store.
Live Exchanges is when a customer decides to swap their return with an alternative, thus saving the sale for the retailer.
You can also retain revenue with Return to Store Credit.
Return to Store Credit is when consumers get a refund in the form of a gift card to your online store, instead of a monetary refund to their bank account.
As shoppers are happy to accept store credit instead of a refund (since it’s usually of greater value), our team added the option of this return to our retailers’ portal so you can keep capital in the business.
➡️ Return to store credits allows you to increase and maintain the customer lifetime value (LTV).
We found that 48% of customers are happy paying for returns, and there has been a 32% rise in paid returns since last year.
This is why we’ve started recommending that the retailers we work with implement paid returns in their stores.
That means asking shoppers to pay a small fee to return their products.
Here are a few reasons why retailers of all sizes have been offering paid returns:
💡 You can check out our recent article on how merchants can deal with bracketing.
➡️ Interested in how much money ZigZag’s paid returns can save your organisation? Check out our ROI Calculator.
Here’s a scenario where you have 5,000 returns per month, and 20% of them are paid returns of £3.
That’ll save you a total of £3,000 per month.
Unlike parcelLab, our returns platform offers advanced reporting that tracks everything for our merchants to view and manage from one portal, such as:
➡️ Retailers who use ZigZag Global can reduce their returns in the long run after evaluating the common reasons why people return products.
New Look partnered with ZigZag Global to battle its high return costs and to better understand why shoppers returned items.
With our enterprise returns management solution, New Look introduced free and paid return options, where the in-store returns were free of charge, and there was a charge of £2.50 for paid returns.
The retailer transformed its returns experience and has:
✅ 1,500+ global carriers to manage international returns.
✅ Advanced reporting and returns analytics to uncover why customers return products.
✅ Wide range of returning options for your customers, such as paid returns, return to store, and return to gift card.
✅ 500,000+ drop-off locations worldwide.
✅ Customisable returns portal with multiple currencies.
❌ Shipping back from the EU might take some time, according to a G2 review.
❌ Some retailers note that some of the carriers can be slower than others.
Outvio offers an international returns management platform that helps retailers expand into new markets.
The platform is a solid alternative to parcelLab for global retailers looking to delight their international customers with a positive returns and exchanges experience.
Outvio offers 2 paid plans for their international returns:
✅ Multilingual customisable returns portal.
✅ You can create international return policies.
✅ Smart returns and exchanges rules.
❌ Lack of return options that go beyond returns and refunds, which is why some retailers have been looking for Outvio alternatives to offset costs.
❌ Limited range of return courier services and drop-off locations in comparison to other global returns competitors like ZigZag Global.
Unlike parcelLab, ClickPost is a shipping management software that offers retailers advanced returns automation and the ability to see why shoppers return products.
The returns platform is a good enough alternative to parcelLab for retailers looking to build a customisable returns portal with branded tracking and notifications.
To access ClickPost’s returns management platform, you’d have to be on their ReturnsPro plan, which does not disclose its pricing.
✅ Good range of carriers with discounted rates.
✅ Single-view order management.
✅ Nice range of customisation options for returns tracking and notifications.
❌ Not as many return options to reduce costs as other ClickPost alternatives on the market.
❌ Analytics and reporting are not always valid, according to some platform users.
ReturnGO offers a sustainable returns management solution that focuses on helping you to offset return costs from returns while tackling waste.
The returns platform is a good alternative to parcelLab for enterprises that want to set up a streamlined and environmentally friendly return experience.
ReturnGO bases its pricing on a tiered pricing structure that includes features and an annual returns allowance.
There are 3 paid plans for merchants:
✅ Refunds, gift cards, and store credit return options.
✅ Customisable returns portal that can be set up with up to 5 languages.
✅ Advanced returns automations.
❌ Starting price may not be very small-business-friendly, which is not ideal for smaller businesses looking to switch from parcelLab.
❌ Premium and Pro plans support only Shopify, which is why retailers have been looking for ReturnGO alternatives.
Similar to parcelLab, Narvar offers a comprehensive post-purchase experience solution that lets your shoppers receive clear delivery expectations and track their returns.
The platform is a viable alternative to parcelLab for retailers looking to minimise their cost of returns with the platform’s smart routing.
Narvar does not currently disclose its pricing, so you’d have to contact them to receive a quote.
➡️ However, we’ve got the numbers: In our comprehensive Narvar pricing guide, we found how much the platform costs after consulting with insiders.
✅ Advanced return rules for faster value recovery.
✅ Narvar’s Network data lets you reduce fraudulent returns, which benefits larger retailers.
✅ Returns portal that can be customised to your brand.
❌ Fewer carrier integrations than other alternatives on the market.
❌ Similar to parcelLab, it takes 60-90 days for full implementation and integration of the Narvar software, which is why some merchants have been looking for Narvar alternatives.
ShipStation offers a returns management solution that helps enterprises set up a branded returns portal to manage cross-channel returns.
The platform is an okay alternative to parcelLab for smaller teams looking for a simplistic platform with an affordable pricing model that helps them save money with pay-per-use return labels.
ShipStation’s pricing is primarily based on shipments per month and offers 4 paid plans:
✅ Branded labels and tracking of returns.
✅ SME-friendly pricing with an affordable plan for Enterprises with unlimited shipments.
✅ It’s possible to send return labels with your orders, which is a good way of dealing with staging in e-commerce.
❌ Carrier rates are not as good as other ShipStation alternatives on the market, like ZigZag, which offers discounted rates with our carrier accounts.
❌ Does not support FedEx, according to G2 reviews.
AfterShip, similar to parcelLab, offers a post-purchase experience tool for merchants that helps them set up rule-based returns automations.
The solution is a good parcelLab alternative for retailers looking for more customisation options and more rule-based return automations.
AfterShip offers four monthly plans that are based on how many shipments per year your organisation is expecting.
There are 4 paid tiers:
✅ Rule-based return automations with eligibility criteria.
✅ SME-friendly pricing that starts from as little as $19/month.
✅ Good range of carriers when compared to parcelLab.
❌ The analytics and data insights may not be as useful and powerful on lower tiers.
❌ Not as easy to set up and use, which is why some users have been looking for alternatives to AfterShip.
ReBound offers a returns management solution that lets retailers reduce the cost of returns with more efficient RMA management.
The platform is a good enough alternative to parcelLab for companies that are looking to reduce their cost of returns.
ReBound does not publicly disclose its pricing, so you’d have to contact them to receive a quote and a product demo
✅ Order tracking with push notifications for customers.
✅ One-click Shopify integration that adds different return options.
✅ Efficient RMA management to reduce the cost of returns.
❌ Some shoppers have lost orders with their service, according to TrustPilot reviews.
❌ Fewer return options for end users than other ReBound alternatives on the market.
We went over the 8 best returns management platforms that are ideal alternatives to parcelLab and can help you minimise your cost of returns and improve your customers’ lifetime value.
Each of these returns solutions has its strengths, weaknesses, and pros & cons.
Built for retailers who operate locally and globally, ZigZag offers an all-in-one returns platform that is designed to take over any online store’s post-purchase experience.
If you’re an e-commerce leader or entrant looking for a returns management platform that offers:
Then you can book a demo to learn more about ZigZag Global.