Softwr

ERP · head to head

Metasfresh vs Shippabo

Metasfresh logo

Metasfresh

ERP

Open-source ERP for mid-sized wholesale and manufacturing

From
€99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Shippabo logo

Shippabo

Logistics

Freight forwarder with its own import management platform, priced on container volume

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Metasfresh cloud hosting is charged separately from user licences at EUR 299 per month on monthly billing or EUR 249 per month on annual billing; Shippabo the software is priced on container volume under an annual service agreement, so the fee moves with freight rather than usage and a soft import season still carries a committed cost.
  • They diverge on capability: Metasfresh covers Supply chain, Shippabo covers Purchase order tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Metasfresh and Shippabo actually diverge.

Attributes where Metasfresh and Shippabo differ
AttributeMetasfreshShippabo
Starting price€99/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsSelf-hosted, Cloud, WebWeb
CategoryERPLogistics
Founded2015Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Metasfresh

  • Supply chain
  • Inventory
  • Manufacturing
  • Purchasing
  • Accounting
  • Wholesale management
  • Custom modules
  • EDI systems

Only in Shippabo

  • Purchase order tracking
  • Shipment visibility
  • Customs brokerage
  • Supplier collaboration
  • Landed cost
  • System integrations

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Metasfresh

  • Open source ERP for procurement, sales, warehouse and accountingnot Shippabo
  • Hosting an ERP in a German data centre on a dedicated servernot Shippabo
  • Self hosting an ERP where the source code must be inspectablenot Shippabo

Shippabo

  • A mid-sized importer bringing containers from China that needs PO-level visibility without building it in-housenot Metasfresh
  • A wholesaler that wants factories updating purchase order status directly instead of by emailnot Metasfresh
  • A retailer needing landed cost per shipment to price goods before they arrivenot Metasfresh
  • An importer consolidating forwarding, customs brokerage and tracking with one providernot Metasfresh

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Metasfresh

  • Cloud hosting is charged separately from user licences at EUR 299 per month on monthly billing or EUR 249 per month on annual billing
  • The EUR 79 per user per month annual rate requires minimum user quantities that depend on company size; monthly billing costs EUR 99 per user per month
  • The mandatory starter package covering setup, customisation, project management and training is priced individually on request
  • Standard support is email only during business hours; a 24/7 SLA is a separate contract on request
  • All published prices exclude VAT
  • Projects larger than the L size starter package require an individual quote

Shippabo

  • The software is priced on container volume under an annual service agreement, so the fee moves with freight rather than usage and a soft import season still carries a committed cost.
  • Platform and forwarding are bought together, which makes tendering freight to a cheaper carrier expensive because you risk losing the visibility layer your team uses.
  • As a small forwarder it has less network depth and weaker space allocation than the global incumbents, which bites hardest in a tight ocean market when capacity is rationed to large accounts.
  • Nothing is published about price, so importers cannot benchmark the software fee against independent visibility vendors without a sales process.
  • Coverage is concentrated on the trans-Pacific import lane, so companies with significant intra-Europe, Latin American or export flows need a second provider anyway.

Pricing, plan by plan

Metasfresh

€99/month
  • Starter Package$null/custom
    • Initial system setup
    • Customization of windows and documents
    • Project management
  • User Fee$99/month
    • Monthly billing
    • Access to all developments
    • Support and integration
  • User Fee (annual)$79/month
    • Annual billing minimum
    • Access to all developments
    • Support and integration
  • Cloud Hosting$299/month
    • Monthly billing
    • Secure data transfer
    • Real-time backup

Shippabo

On request
  • Shippabo Platform$undefined/year
    • Annual software service agreement
    • Priced on container volume and partner count
    • Purchase order and container visibility

Which should you pick?

Choose Metasfresh if

  • You need supply chain.
  • You work on Self-hosted, Cloud, Web.
  • You also want inventory.
Metasfresh review

Choose Shippabo if

  • You need purchase order tracking.
  • You also want shipment visibility.
Shippabo review

Questions people ask

Is Metasfresh or Shippabo better?
Neither clearly leads. Metasfresh starts at €99/month and Shippabo at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Metasfresh or Shippabo?
Metasfresh starts at €99/month and Shippabo at On request.
Does Metasfresh or Shippabo run on more platforms?
Metasfresh runs on Self-hosted, Cloud, Web. Shippabo runs on Web.
What is Metasfresh best used for?
Metasfresh is most often used for open source erp for procurement, sales, warehouse and accounting, hosting an erp in a german data centre on a dedicated server, self hosting an erp where the source code must be inspectable. Of those, open source erp for procurement, sales, warehouse and accounting and hosting an erp in a german data centre on a dedicated server are not what Shippabo is typically brought in for.
What can Metasfresh do that Shippabo cannot?
Metasfresh covers Supply chain, Inventory, Manufacturing, Purchasing. Shippabo covers Purchase order tracking, Shipment visibility, Customs brokerage, Supplier collaboration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Metasfresh: What is metasfresh's monthly user fee?

metasfresh charges per-user monthly fees starting at 99 euros per user with monthly billing or 79 euros per user with annual billing (minimum user quantity required based on company size). This includes access to all ERP developments, support, integration, and custom configuration.

Source
Shippabo: Is Shippabo still trading?

Yes. The platform and freight services are active, operated by Galleon Technology with United States and China operations.

Metasfresh: How much does metasfresh cloud hosting cost?

metasfresh Cloud Hosting costs 299 euros per month with monthly billing or 249 euros per month with annual billing. This includes secure data transfer, real-time backup, dedicated German server infrastructure, and comprehensive support.

Source
Shippabo: Can I buy the software without using Shippabo as my forwarder?

The visibility product is sold as an annual agreement priced on container volume and partners, so it is structured around the freight relationship rather than as a standalone subscription.

Metasfresh: Is there a one-time setup fee for metasfresh?

Yes, metasfresh includes a Starter Package with one-time costs for initial system setup, customization, project management, and multiplier training with online meeting room access. Exact pricing is available upon request based on company size and requirements.

Source
Shippabo: How is it priced?

On container volume and partner count under an annual software service agreement. No figures are published.

Shippabo: Is it a neutral multi-carrier platform?

No. It is a forwarder's own platform, so it will not give you a genuinely carrier-agnostic view of freight you tender elsewhere.

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