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Read nowBest Sendle alternatives in 2026: What to use now that Sendle has shut down
2026-01-16
Written by Kimberley Hughes
If you’re searching for an alternative to Sendle, you’re not alone. As of 11 January 2026, Sendle cancelled all new parcel bookings via its dashboard and partner APIs. For many retailers, that meant finding a new way to ship orders almost overnight.
For some retailers, the challenge is immediate: which carrier can I use instead of Sendle right now? For others, it’s a bigger question: how do I avoid being stuck like this again?
Replacing Sendle means choosing another carrier to move your parcels. But avoiding future disruption usually means looking beyond a single carrier and rethinking how your shipping setup is managed.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through what’s happened to Sendle and what it means for retailers, the most practical plug & play alternatives, and how a multi-carrier strategy can help you stay flexible when disruptions like this hit.
What happened to Sendle?
On January 11, 2026, Sendle announced it would stop accepting all new parcel bookings with immediate effect. This change applied across Sendle’s own dashboard as well as partner integrations and APIs. For retailers, the practical impact was immediate:
- New shipments could no longer be created
- Future pickups were cancelled
- Only parcels already collected remained in the delivery network
The key point for retailers is that Sendle is currently unavailable for new shipments. If Sendle was your primary or only carrier, you’ll need to switch to an alternative carrier to continue fulfilling orders.
This situation has also highlighted a broader issue many retailers are now grappling with – relying on a single carrier can leave very little room to respond when something changes unexpectedly.
The best Sendle alternatives for Australian retailers
If you’re replacing Sendle, it helps to be clear about what you actually need right now.
Some retailers simply need a plug & play carrier like Sendle that they can start using immediately. Others might want to take this moment to broaden their carrier mix, so they’re not dependent on a single option in the future.
Below, we’ve broken down both paths.
Plug & play carrier alternatives (Sendle-style)
These carriers are the closest functional replacements for Sendle using Starshipit. They offer self-service setup, no minimum volumes to get started, and are designed to be used quickly – often without contracts or lengthy onboarding.
1. Australia Post MyPost Business
Best for: Broad domestic coverage and fast setup
Australia Post MyPost Business is one of the most popular alternatives for retailers needing a quick switch when Sendle is no longer available.
- Sign up online with a credit card — no setup fees
- No minimum volume requirements
- Strong coverage across metro, regional, and rural Australia
- Domestic and international delivery options
- Parcel drop-off and pickup available
- Pricing tiers improve as your volume increases
For many retailers, MyPost Business is the fastest way to restore domestic shipping with minimal setup.
💡 Starshipit tip: You can set up your MyPost Business account directly within Starshipit in just a few clicks - no phone calls or paperwork required.
👉 Start your 30-day free trial with Starshipit to access plug-and-play carriers like MyPost Business today.
2. Aramex (formerly Fastway)
Best for: Metro and suburban deliveries
Aramex is often used alongside Australia Post as part of a broader carrier mix.
- Competitive pricing for metro deliveries
- Flexible pickup options
- Self-service account setup
- Well suited to retailers shipping higher volumes within cities
If Sendle was mainly used for metro deliveries, Aramex is a common next step.
These plug & play carriers are ideal when you need to get shipping again quickly. However, they still leave you reliant on a single carrier if used in isolation.
That’s where the second category comes in.
Beyond plug & play: expanding your carrier options
You can also use the Sendle disruption as a prompt to broaden your carrier mix, not just to replace one courier, but to avoid being in the same position again.
In addition to plug & play options like MyPost Business and Aramex, Starshipit integrates natively with a wide range of carriers commonly used by Australian retailers, including:
These carriers typically require you to have an account set up directly, but once connected to Starshipit, they can all be managed from the same fulfilment workflow. For retailers, this means you can:
- Choose different carriers for different delivery needs
- Switch between carriers without changing how you fulfil orders
- Balance cost, speed, and coverage more effectively
- Reduce risk if one carrier becomes unavailable
Rather than replacing one dependency with another, this approach gives you flexibility built into your shipping setup.
Why a multi-carrier setup matters now more than ever
The Sendle disruption has highlighted something many retailers only discover the hard way: single-carrier shipping leaves very little room to adapt when something changes.
Carrier interruptions don’t always come with a warning. When your fulfilment process depends on one provider, even a short disruption can bring shipping to a halt. A multi-carrier setup reduces how much risk sits in your shipping operation.
By using a multi-carrier shipping automation platform like Starshipit, you gain:
- The ability to switch carriers instantly
- Automation rules that reroute shipments with zero manual work
- A central dashboard to manage all orders and carriers
How to futureproof fulfilment with Starshipit
Starshipit is designed to help retailers stay flexible when carriers, volumes, or market conditions change, without needing to rebuild their fulfilment process each time.
In practice, this means you can:
- ✅ Connect plug & play carriers like MyPost Business and Aramex alongside other options
- ✅ Print labels, manifests, and customs docs automatically without manual input
- ✅ Bulk update orders and reroute shipments fast
- ✅ Apply rules that automatically assign the best carrier based on cost, service, destination, or availability
- ✅ Keep customers informed with real-time shipping notifications and branded tracking pages
Starshipit allows you to build flexibility into your setup from day one and scale your usage as your shipping volumes grow.
This approach is used by retailers at every stage – from emerging brands adding a second carrier for the first time, through to high-volume businesses like Meshki, Princess Polly, White Fox, and HiSmile, who rely on Starshipit to support scale and operational resilience.
When disruptions happen, the goal isn’t to scramble for a workaround. It’s to have a fulfilment setup that can adapt quickly so orders keep moving and customers stay informed.
Starshipit plans for every stage of your business
Starter and Starter Plus (from $45/month):
- For emerging businesses with up to 500 labels/month
- Connect multiple carriers and manage fulfilment from one place
Professional and Professional Plus (from $180/month):
- Ship up to 5000 labels/ month
- For growing teams needing automation to reduce manual work
- Gain clearer visibility over shipping activity to support operational decisions
Enterprise and Enterprise Plus (from $495/month):
- Ship over 10K+ labels/ month
- For high-volume retailers needing resilience, scale, and complex integrations
- Maintain continuity and resilience during peak periods or unexpected disruptions
Final thoughts: Don’t wait for the next disruption
Sendle’s shutdown has been disruptive, but it’s also created an opportunity for retailers to reassess how their shipping operations are set up.
Finding a replacement carrier is the immediate priority, but building flexibility into your fulfilment process is what helps protect your business long term. Having multiple carriers available, supported by a shipping automation platform, gives you the ability to adapt when something changes without bringing orders to a halt.
Whether you’re navigating this disruption right now or taking steps to reduce future risk, the most important thing is ensuring your fulfilment setup can respond quickly and keep customers informed.
If you need help getting shipping back on track, or want to explore how Starshipit can support a more resilient, multi-carrier setup, our team is here to help.
Kimberley Hughes
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