Why merchants leave AfterShip: the short version
All 118 one- and two-star reviews with text, tagged by theme. One review can mention several themes.
| Complaint theme | Reviews mentioning it |
|---|---|
| 1. Slow or unhelpful support | 72 |
| 2. Unexpected charges and billing disputes | 37 |
| 3. Key features locked behind higher plans | 33 |
| 4. Tracking data, carrier matching and sync errors | 27 |
| 5. Hard to cancel or stop billing | 20 |
Source: AfterShip Order Tracking reviews, Shopify App Store, all 1★ and 2★ reviews, collected 14 Oct 2026. Quotes are verbatim excerpts under 25 words; store names are as shown publicly on the App Store. AfterShip has about 1,300 five-star reviews, and several 1-star reviews are years old (the oldest is from 2013); 34 of the 118 are from 2024 or later.
Each complaint, and what fixes it
1. Slow or unhelpful support (72 of 118 reviews)
“We contacted support immediately and spent three months going back and forth with no real answer.”
“When we asked for an actual technical call, they said we'd need to upgrade again to get that level of support.”
What fixes it: Support is hard to judge from outside, so look at what other merchants report: Track123 affiliate link is rated 4.9 from 1,751 reviews and CWILL (ParcelWILL) affiliate link 5.0 from 3,179, with 1–2★ reviews making up about 1% of each.
2. Unexpected charges and billing disputes (37 of 118 reviews)
“As we scaled, AfterShip quietly racked up ~$30k in overage charges over the years.”
“Their billing runs on their own platform, not through Shopify, so unless you're manually auditing their invoices you won't even notice.”
What fixes it: Compare overage prices before you grow into them. On the App Store, AfterShip lists $0.08 (Essentials) and $0.12 (Premium) per extra shipment; Track123 affiliate link and CWILL affiliate link both list $0.05 per extra order. Whichever you choose, check each month’s invoice against your order count.
3. Key features locked behind higher plans (33 of 118 reviews)
“For a new or small store, the entry plan is $11/month, but most customisation is locked behind the premium tier.”
“AfterShip removes features from existing plans without telling customers, then sells the upgrade as the only fix.”
What fixes it: Track123 affiliate link includes a branded tracking page and a dropshipping mode on its free plan (50 orders/month) and custom shipping notifications from $9/month. CWILL affiliate link includes a branded tracking page on its free plan (20 orders/month) and notifications plus shipping protection at $11/month.
4. Tracking data, carrier matching and sync errors (27 of 118 reviews)
“The carrier is not connecting to the right one.”
“Having access to a wide range of carriers shouldn’t be a gated feature.”
What fixes it: CWILL lists 1,600+ carriers on its free plan; AfterShip lists 1,100+. Before switching, test a handful of your own tracking numbers from your main carriers in the free plan. When a parcel does go missing, the claim deadline checker tells you how long you have to claim, and Claimify Our own app gives you one dashboard to track damaged-package and warranty claims.
5. Hard to cancel or stop billing (20 of 118 reviews)
“They make it very difficult to cancel, we had a subscription and there was no way to cancel.”
“Despite uninstalling it before the trial period ended, I was still charged.”
What fixes it: Before installing any tracking app, check on its App Store listing whether charges are billed through your Shopify invoice or separately, note the trial end date, and screenshot the plan you chose.
Honest comparison
| AfterShip | Track123 | CWILL (ParcelWILL) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| App Store rating | 4.6 (1,501) | 4.9 (1,751) | 5.0 (3,179) |
| Share of 1–2★ reviews | 8% (118) | 1% (25) | 1% (19) |
| Free plan | 50 shipments/month | 50 orders/month | 20 orders/month |
| First paid plan | $11/mo, 100 shipments | $9/mo, 300 orders | $11/mo, 200 orders |
| Extra shipment/order | $0.08 (Essentials), $0.12 (Premium) | $0.05 | $0.05 |
| Carriers listed | 1,100+ | not stated on listing | 1,600+ |
All figures from each app’s Shopify App Store listing, checked 14 Oct 2026. AfterShip’s paid plans also include $1 first-month offers on the listing. Listings: AfterShip, Track123, CWILL.
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