If you’re a merchant looking for Aftership alternatives to streamline your returns process and offer multiple returns options (e.g., paid returns), this guide is for you.
The returns management platform supports 1,000+ carriers and offers a good end-user experience.
Despite that, we found some merchants have expressed concerns about their pricing model, usability, and customer service.
We researched 30+ returns management platforms, went through verified reviews on websites like G2 and Capterra, and talked to merchants to create a list of the eight best Aftership alternatives in 2025.
This buyer guide covers each tool’s features, pricing, pros/cons, and use cases to help you make an informed decision.
Before we start, let’s go over why e-commerce leaders consider switching from Aftership. ⤵️
A verified mid-market customer of the platform noted that the platform was not very straightforward for them to set up.
They also mention how confusing the admin panel can be, with some aspects ‘’hard to find’’ - such as invoices for additional orders.
‘’Not always straightforward to set up, admin panel can be confusing, hard to find invoices for additional orders like monthly SMS bills.’’ - G2 Review.
The most recurring complaint about Aftership has been how expensive it can be if you are receiving plenty of packages per month.
‘’It's fairly expensive to send over 100 packages per month. SMS is sort of expensive feature, but handy to have though.’’ - G2 Review.
We found one more merchant on Capterra who has used the platform for 2+ years and notes that Aftership changed their pricing model.
As a result, they had to scale back their plan and lose access to some features.
‘’Over the course of using this software, Aftership changed its pricing model. This was frustrating because I was grandfathered in, however, I needed to scale back my plan with them. In looking to scale back my plan it would have been more expensive to downgrade the quota due to the new pricing model. Also, several features of the software got restricted unless I upgraded to a more expensive plan.’’ - Capterra Review.
We noticed plenty of negative reviews covering bad experiences with Aftership’s customer support.
Small business owners who are on the lower tiers of the pricing plans 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.
Software can be buggy at times. That is fairly normal for technology as a whole but it can cause problems for retailers if issues persist and don’t get fixed by their returns solution.
When evaluating the best Aftership competitors, we looked at the following criteria:
It should be affordable for merchants of all sizes to set up a returns portal on their online store while accessing a comprehensive range of features.
That includes how much it would cost per return, and how much money would you save from partnering with carriers.
As the number of carriers is one of Aftership’s strengths, we looked at competitors who can match their domestic and international carriers.
A good range of carriers allows merchants to offer customers multiple shipping options and optimise logistics operations to reduce expenses.
We evaluated which areas the platforms were serving and if they could handle bulk orders.
Some parcel management tools had weight and delivery restrictions, which is why we left them out of this guide.
The platform should give you real-time updates on where the packages are and also offer a portal for end-users to keep track of their shipments.
That allows merchants to react to delays.
Recent trends have emerged, such as ‘’paid returns’’, ‘’return to store’’, and ‘’return to gift cards’’.
This gives customers more flexibility in how they want their returns to be managed and improves customer loyalty.
Customers have also grown fond of being able to choose payment options in case they want to get a refund or pay for a return.
Different modes of payment include PayPal, Stripe, bank transfers, and credit cards.
If issues with returns arise, there should be a dedicated support team to resolve customers’ complaints quickly - even on the lower pricing tiers.
We all know how frustrating WISMO calls can be (Where Is My Order!?).
When we looked at the different returns providers, we looked at both their pros and cons by looking at their verified customer reviews.
Let’s now go over the e-commerce returns platforms that best meet this criteria:
ZigZag is the best Aftership alternative for merchants who are looking to streamline their returns process across 170+ countries and offer their consumers different returns options.
Note: Even though ZigZag Global is our platform, we will provide an unbiased and objective perspective on why our returns software is the best Aftership alternative in 2025.
As 53% of shoppers avoid purchases due to unfavourable returns policies, more and more merchants have been looking for ways to automate their returns process and offer multiple return options.
Let’s review the features👇that retailers like SportsDirect, Ted Baker, Puma, Boden, and Swarovski love about ZigZag.
Alongside changing a returns portal's aesthetic to reflect a brand's image, ZigZag’s portal permits merchants to change returns rules too.
You can adapt returns solutions (such as a gift card, exchange, or cash refund) depending on a customer's reason (such as faulty, doesn’t fit, or unsuitable) for returning.
Get a feel of how ZigZag’s platform works in our guided demo: 👇
Our returns management platform can also be set up on Shopify with as little effort as one click.
💡 ZigZag also offers live exchanges through our Shopify returns portal to support local and international merchants.
ZigZag facilitates seamless international returns in 170+ countries by connecting retailers with 1,500+ global carriers.
Our returns portal accepts multiple currencies and provides different language settings for international consumers.
The goal of our platform is not only to manage your returns, but to help you save time, money, and to improve your customer loyalty.
This is why our returns platform offers the following returns options for end-users:
We encourage retailers to implement free in-store returns to slash shipping costs, boost foot traffic in-store, and give customers more ways to get a refund.
Our research found that 57% of consumers are happy to accept store credit instead of a refund.
This is why, to help you keep the sale, we added this option to our retailers’ portal so you can keep money in the business and allow consumers faster refunds.
As 48% of consumers are happy paying for returns and with a 32% rise in paid returns since 2023, consumer behaviour towards paid returns is changing.
We are aiming to inspire more retailers to take the plunge and add paid returns to their returns policies.
Here’s why our customers have been loving paid returns:
Our returns software offers in-depth reporting on returns that tracks everything for merchants to view and manage from one portal, such as:
ECCO partnered with ZigZag to better track their return orders, get more insights into their returns data, and minimise lead times.
The online retailer transformed its returns experience and has:
To learn more about smarter returns with ZigZag, book a demo to see the portal in action and discuss tailoring a solution for your business.
✅ 1,500+ carriers to manage domestic and international returns.
✅ Advanced reporting and analytics on returns to uncover why customers return products.
✅ Returning options, such as paid returns, return to store, and return to gift card.
✅ Shopify integration that helps you get started with 1 click.
✅ Customisable returns portal.
❌ Shipping back from the EU can take some time, according to a G2 review.
❌ Some users of our platform note that some of the carriers can be slower than others.
Narvar is a returns management platform that lets your customers receive clear delivery expectations and track their returns.
The platform is a viable alternative to Aftership for large enterprises looking to reduce the cost of returns.
Narvar has not publicly disclosed their pricing, but you can check our Narvar pricing blogs for estimates here.
✅ Reduce the cost of returns with smart routing.
✅ Push notifications and email updates.
✅ Returns portal that can be customised to your brand.
❌ Narvar partners with ‘’only’’ 300 carriers, unlike Aftership and ZigZag Global which offer 1,000+.
❌ According to users, it takes 60-90 days for full implementation and integration of the Narvar software.
Loop Returns is an international returns management software that enables merchants to customise their returns portal.
Similar to ZigZag Global, Loop offers its consumers a range of returns options.
Loop Returns offers a usage-based plan that starts from $29/month and offers automated returns policies and access to one destination.
To access unlimited destinations and their ‘’Shop Now’’ feature, you’d have to be on their more expensive plans.
✅ Customisable returns portal that offers a good range of returns options.
✅ Fraud prevention features to battle wardrobing and staging.
✅ Shop Now functionality to enable customers to check out products when exchanging.
❌ The set-up of the platform can take a while, similar to Narvar.
❌ The pricing model penalises companies for exceeding the returns limit with high charges.
❌ Not a vast array of carrier services on offer
nShift is a returns management platform that offers a suite of products to help you manage the post-purchase customer experience.
Similar to Narvar, nShift does not publicly disclose its pricing, so you’d have to request a call-back or schedule a demo with them.
✅ Emissions tracking and reporting for environmentally-conscious retailers.
✅ Can be set up within a few days on its lowest-paid plan.
✅ Good network of international and local carriers.
❌ Not as many return options as Loop and ZigZag Global.
❌ Customer support is not as good as other competitors.
ReBound is an omnichannel returns management platform that has a large global logistics network. You can read about alternatives to ReBound here!
ReBound does not publicly disclose their pricing, so you’d have to contact them to receive a quote.
✅ Good order tracking features with push notifications.
✅ One-click Shopify integration, similar to ZigZag Global.
✅ RMA management to reduce the cost of returns.
❌ TrustPilot reviews show that some consumers have lost orders with their service.
❌ Less returns options for end users than other competitors.
ReturnGO is a sustainable returns management platform that focuses on saving retailers money while tackling waste.
ReturnGO bases its pricing on a tiered pricing structure that includes features and an annual returns allowance.
Their plans start from $121/month for up to 2,000 annual returns.
✅ Refunds, gift cards, and store credit returns options.
✅ Customisable returns portal with up to 5 languages.
✅ Advanced returns management automations.
❌ Starting price may not be very small-business-friendly, which is why you should evaluate ReturnGO alternatives.
❌ Premium and Pro plans support only Shopify.
Easyship is a returns management solution that can be connected to Shopify, TikTok Shop, Woocommerce, and Squarespace.
The software is a viable alternative to Aftership for SMEs that want to introduce pre-paid return labels to their return experience so customers can easily return items in their delivery if they want to.
Easyship has a free plan that offers up to 50 monthly shipments with discounted shipping rates.
To get access to more monthly shipments and advanced features, you’d have to be on one of their three paid plans that start from £23/month when billed annually.
✅ Ideal for international returns.
✅ A free forever plan that lets you send up to 50 shipments per month.
✅ Easy to be integrated and set up with a user-friendly interface, unlike Aftership.
❌ Not very good for larger order volumes due to technical limitations.
❌ The interface does not allow copying of previous shipments, which is time-wasting.
Parcel Perform is a Singapore-based returns inventory management software that helps you reduce shipping costs and improve customer satisfaction.
Parcel Perform does not disclose their pricing, so you’d have to contact their team for a quote and a product demo.
✅ Personalised return tracking.
✅ Good range of returns options, such as return to store credit.
✅ GDPR compliant, adhering to the highest levels of security regulations to keep customer data safe.
❌ Some users report glitches in the platform, which has made some aspects of the software hard to use.
❌ Issue resolution can be slow at times.
We went over the 8 best alternatives to Aftership that can help you minimise your cost of returns and offer a better customer support experience when you need it.
Each returns tool that we reviewed has its strengths, weaknesses, and pros & cons.
Built for merchants who operate globally, ZigZag offers an all-in-one returns platform that is designed to take over any company’s post-sales experience.
If you’re looking for a returns management platform that offers:
Then you can book a demo to learn more about ZigZag Global.