Cheapest 3PL for Under 100 Orders a Month
If you ship 10 to 100 orders a month, the cheapest 3PL is usually the one with no monthly minimum and low storage charges, not the one with the lowest headline pick fee. Below are worked monthly costs built only from each provider's own published rates. Where a provider doesn't publish a number we say not published.
Published fees for small volumes
| Provider | Warehouse | Monthly minimum | Per order (1 item) | Extra item | Storage | Postage | Source (checked) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hermeslines | Cleveland, OH | None | $1.57 (up to 1.1 lb, their packaging); $0.99 if pre-packed; up to $10.53 at 33–66 lb | Scenario on page shows $0.10 per extra pick | $15.99/pallet/month at 1 pallet; one-pallet minimum storage fee | Extra | hermeslines.com/pricing 2026-10-22 | Get quote |
| eFulfillment Service | Traverse City, MI | None | $1.15 pick fee; standard packaging billed separately (not published as a single rate) | $0.35 | $0.45 per bin (under 100 SKUs), $0.25 overflow per cu ft; billing period not published on the rate sheet (eFS says storage is recounted and invoiced weekly) | Extra, at published carrier rates | MSA pricing, startup page 2026-10-22 | Get quote |
| EdCo Fulfillment | Fairview, OR | None | $3.00 incl. first item and a protective mailer | $0.50 | $25.00 per shelf position/month (47×18 in); +25% after 180 days unmoved | Extra; USPS Commercial +15% (capped at retail) and $0.50 per label EdCo generates; your own labels free | edcofulfillment.com 2026-10-22 | Get quote |
| Simpl Fulfillment | Austin, TX | $750, pay-the-difference | From $7, including postage, packaging and up to 3 picks | Included up to 3 picks | Billed by small bin, large bin, shelf or pallet | Included | simplfulfillment.com/pricing 2026-10-22 | Get quote |
Worked monthly service fees (before postage)
Assumptions: single-item orders under 1.1 lb, inventory fits in one storage unit, provider packaging, you buy postage through the 3PL. eFulfillment Service is left out of the totals because its packaging charge and storage billing period are not published as single numbers.
| Orders/month | Hermeslines $1.57 × orders + 1 pallet $15.99 | EdCo ($3.00 + $0.50 label) × orders + 1 shelf $25 | Simpl billed at least $750 (postage included) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $31.69 | $60.00 | $750 floor |
| 50 | $94.49 | $200.00 | $750 floor |
| 100 | $172.99 | $375.00 | $750 floor unless $7+ rates × 100 exceed it |
Arithmetic from the published rates above. EdCo's label fee is $0 if you create labels yourself, which brings 50 orders to $175.00. Hermeslines bills storage by the pallet even for a few boxes; EdCo bills by the shelf. Simpl's figure includes postage, the others don't, so compare Simpl against fees plus your postage.
How to pick the cheapest one for your store
- Light items, buyers in the Midwest or East: Hermeslines has the lowest published per-order fee here. Check the pallet storage minimum against how much stock you hold.
- Many slow-moving SKUs: eFulfillment Service's per-bin storage can beat a pallet or shelf charge. Ask for packaging and receiving costs in writing.
- West Coast buyers, small catalog, want per-photo intake proof: EdCo. Higher per order, but the mailer is included and you can avoid the label fee by sending your own labels.
- Under about 100 orders a month: a $750 floor like Simpl's will usually cost more than a no-minimum 3PL plus postage. It can make sense once your postage-inclusive bill clears the floor on its own.
Fees the headline rate hides
- Receiving: EdCo $3.00 per box; Hermeslines $10 per pallet or $0.99–$6.95 per carton; eFS not published; Simpl says no receiving fee.
- Label and postage markup: EdCo adds 15% on USPS Commercial (capped at retail) plus $0.50 per label it generates.
- Storage minimums: Hermeslines charges at least one pallet a month while you have stock there.
- Long-term storage: EdCo adds 25% on stock unmoved for 180 days; eFS says it never charges a long-term surcharge.
- Support or account fees: eFS lists "Standard Client Support $25.00" on its rate sheet without stating the period. Ask.
See every provider in the no-minimum 3PL comparison, the ShipBob alternatives page, and our methodology.
FAQ
What is the cheapest 3PL for under 100 orders a month?
On published per-order fees alone, Hermeslines (Cleveland, OH) is lowest of the providers we checked on 2026-10-22: $1.57 per order for a parcel up to 1.1 lb in its standard packaging, plus $15.99 a month for one pallet of storage. eFulfillment Service's pick fee is lower ($1.15) but its storage cost depends on how many bins you use and packaging is billed separately. EdCo is higher per order ($3.00) but includes the mailer and bills storage by shelf, not pallet. Postage is extra at all three.
Is a no-minimum 3PL always cheaper for a small store?
For under 100 orders a month, usually yes. A 3PL with a minimum bills you up to the floor in slow months. Simpl, for example, publishes a $750 monthly minimum billed pay-the-difference, so a 50-order month is billed $750 even though its rates include postage.
Does the per-order fee include postage?
At EdCo, Hermeslines and eFulfillment Service, no: postage is billed on top. EdCo bills USPS labels it creates at USPS Commercial price plus 15%, capped at the USPS retail price, plus $0.50 per label it generates. Simpl's per-order rate (from $7) does include postage.
What hidden fees should I ask about?
Ask about receiving (per box, carton or pallet), label fees, packaging materials, long-term storage surcharges, minimum storage charges such as Hermeslines' one-pallet minimum, account or support fees, and carrier fuel surcharges.
How did you calculate the monthly costs?
From each provider's own published rate card, checked 2026-10-22, for single-item orders under about 1 lb with inventory that fits one storage unit. Postage, receiving and packaging upgrades are excluded. Your real invoice will differ; ask each 3PL to model your last 30 days of orders.