The logistics industry has greatly benefited from the recent advancements in technology. The use of modern software has enhanced the efficiency of the supply chain process, improved logistic experiences, and streamlined logistics operations.
What’s more, some of the logistics tools have exposed their APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) to allow developers to fetch their features and embed them into applications. With these APIs, developers can enrich shipping or supply chain services without the need of building the tools from scratch. Many organizations use logistics APIs for business-critical operations. For such use cases, API management becomes an important consideration. You can read more about how an organization’s leadership should deal with API management issues here.
So, to ensure you find the right logistics API for your specific use case, we evaluated several APIs listed on the Rakuten RapidAPI platform, which is the biggest online API marketplace, based on the following three factors:
- API features: We examined the outstanding features of each of the logistics APIs.
- Price: We scrutinized the cost of entrenching each of the APIs into applications.
- Ease of use: We analyzed the ease of fetching the APIs’ features and adding them to applications.
Finally, we came up with the following list of the top 10 best logistics APIs:
- 17track API
- USPS API
- NL Delivery Schedule API
- TrackService API
- UberDelivery API
- PostmatesAPI API
- Shippo API
- Aftership API
- EasyPostTracking API
- Kite API
Table of Contents
Top 10 Best Logistics APIs
TL;DR: Here’s a table summarizing our key findings.
| API | API Features | Pricing | Ease of Use |
| 17track API | Offers an all-in-one solution for tracking packages in 220 countries | Free and monthly paid plans from $10 to $300 | Easy |
| USPS API | Track and confirm the delivery of USPS packages easily | Free | Easy |
| DHLFORYOU.NL Delivery Schedule API | Know the schedule of DHL shipment deliveries | Free | Easy |
| TrackService API | Implement route optimization for quick access, calculate distance between locations, carry out asset tracking, and more | Free | Easy |
| UberDelivery API | Add Uber delivery and Uber request functionalities within your application | Free | Easy |
| PostmatesAPI API | Create solutions that make local deliveries fulfilling and rewarding | Free (for testing) | Easy |
| Shippo API | Integrate shipping capabilities with multiple carriers | Free (for testing) | Easy |
| Aftership API | Track deliveries of more than 400 couriers | Free | Easy |
| EasyPostTracking API | Include shipping and tracking capabilities to applications | Free (for testing) | Easy |
| Kite API | Print and ship a wide range of items to any location in the world | Free | Easy |
1. 17track API
17track API is a popular service that offers an all-in-one solution for tracking packages. It supports carriers from around 220 countries.
API features: The 17track API provides you with programmatic access to the company’s tracking data. With the API, you can submit a tracking code and get real-time tracking information of the specified package. Optionally, you can also state the time zone parameters and the carrier ID. It returns the retrieved tracking data in JSON format.
Price: If you make less than 100 requests per month, you can use the API for free. Beyond which, you can subscribe to any of its paid plans, ranging from $10 per month to $300 per month.
Ease of use: There are SDKs, response examples, and other useful resources to assist you to make the most of the API.
2. USPS API
The United States Postal Service (USPS) is an independent government agency that provides postal services within the U.S.
API features: The USPS API lets you track and confirm the delivery of packages easily. With the API, you can enable customers to know the delivery status of their Package Services, Express Mail, and Priority Mail. Furthermore, you can use the API to let customers request a copy of the proof of delivery record via email, request proof of delivery notification via email, and submit their email addresses so that they can be notified of any current or future tracking activity.
Price: It’s available for free of charge.
Ease of use: There is sufficient documentation to help you in consuming the API with ease.
3. DHLFORYOU.NL Delivery Schedule API
This API allows you to know the schedule of DHL shipment deliveries.
API features: With the DHLFORYOU.NL Delivery Schedule API, you can get the public delivery schedule of documents and goods in transit via air, ocean, road, or rail. It returns a list containing the expected delivery times for the next two weeks in the postcode area you provide.
Price: It’s offered for free.
Ease of use: There is easy to follow documentation to ensure you implement the API without any programming obstacles.
4. TrackService API
The TrackService API allows you analyze your starting and ending points in order to find the quickest and most efficient route possible.
API features: With the TrackService API, you can carry out route optimization for 100’s of stops using one or several vehicles, get latitude and longitude coordinates for a location, get turn-by-turn directions, and calculate the distance between two locations. Its powerful routing capabilities include auto address geocoding, multiple region routing, and intelligent dispatching. The API also supports real-time asset tracking and two-way texting capabilities.
Price: It’s offered for free.
Ease of use: There are endpoints descriptions, code snippets in various popular programming languages, and other helpful resources to assist you in implementing the API effortlessly.
5. UberDelivery API
The UberDelivery API lets you connect to the official Uber API so that you can embed Uber delivery and Uber request functionalities within your application.
API features: With the UberDelivery API, you can request an Uber delivery, cancel an existing delivery, get a list of all deliveries, get real-time status of an ongoing delivery, and generate a delivery quote.
Price: It’s provided free of charge.
Ease of use: There is detailed documentation to assist you in consuming the API quickly and flawlessly.
6. PostmatesAPI API
Postmates is a US-based on-demand delivery company that employs couriers to provide local delivery services to customers.
API features: The PostmatesAPI API allows you to tap into the company’s digital mesh and create solutions that make local deliveries fulfilling and rewarding. With the API, you can create a delivery, cancel an ongoing delivery, list all deliveries for a customer, retrieve updated details about a delivery, get delivery costs, get all the active delivery zones, and add a tip to a courier.
Price: You can test the API for free.
Ease of use: There is well-explained documentation to ensure you start consuming the API using just a few lines of code.
7. Shippo API
Shippo API enables you to integrate shipping capabilities with multiple carriers so that you can develop streamlined solutions that meets the needs of modern-day customers.
API features: The Shippo API lets you create a shipment, compare shipping rates, generate shipping labels, track parcels, create international customs documents, create labels, return labels, and more. You can also use the API to create a new address, validate an address, create a new transaction and purchase the shipping label at the stipulated rate, retrieve a list of shipments, and create a new refund.
Price: You can test the API for free. For extended usage, you’ll need to contact the API provider for specific pricing.
Ease of use: There are well-explained endpoints, sample codes, test mode, and other helpful resources to assist you in integrating the API within the shortest time possible.
8. Aftership API
The Aftership API is a powerful shipment tracking API that monitors deliveries of more than 400 couriers.
API features: With the Aftership API, you can automatically detect the courier being used and get the latest delivery statuses of orders. It allows you to get a list of all supported couriers, create a tracking code, update tracking information, retract an expired tracking, delete tracking data, get contact details of a user to receive the delivery, add tracking notification, and more.
Price: It’s available for free.
Ease of use: There is detailed documentation to ensure you begin embedding the API with just a few lines of code.
9. EasyPostTracking API
The EasyPostTracking API is a flexible API that enables you to include shipping and tracking capabilities to your application.
API features: With the EasyPostTracking API, you can incorporate package tracking to your application. You can use it to track DHL, FedEx, USPS, UPS, and several other packages. The API lets you create a new tracker and monitor the current transit status of a package, get a list of all the packages being tracked, and get a package tracker by its ID.
Price: You can test the API for free. If you want to use the API heavily, you’ll need to contact the API provider for specific pricing.
Ease of use: There are endpoints descriptions, code snippets, and other helpful resources to help you to implement the API quickly and flawlessly.
10. Kite API
The Kite API lets you print and ship a wide range of items to any location in the world.
API features: With the Kite API, you can make an order for print products, phone cases, homeware, apparels, photobooks, postcards, greeting cards, and invitations. You can also use it to list all orders, track the status of orders, list all available shipping methods, get customers’ details, search for addresses, and more.
Price: It’s provided for free.
Ease of use: There is expansive documentation to ensure you get up and running with the API within a few minutes.
Conclusion
That’s Rakuten RapidAPI’s list of the Top 10 Best Logistics APIs. We hope you’ll get the right API to create wonderful solutions that eliminate the complexities of logistical operations and meet the needs of the modern-day customers.
If the API you want is not in the above list, you can click here and search for other powerful logistics APIs on the expansive Rakuten RapidAPI marketplace.
Happy coding!
About Rakuten RapidAPI:
Rakuten RapidAPI is the world’s largest API marketplace with 8,000+ third-party APIs and used by over 500,000 active developers. We enable developers to build transformative apps through the power of APIs. Find, test and connect to all the APIs you need in one place!
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