Best 3PLs for Small Business

By EFC Editorial · Updated September 27, 2026 · How we research

Quick answer

For a small business, the best 3PL is one with low or no minimums and prices you can see before a sales call. eFulfillment Service states no minimums, no setup fees and no long-term contracts. Simpl Fulfillment publishes all-in pricing from $7 per order with a $750 monthly minimum. Fulfyld publishes tiered all-in pricing and suits roughly 500–5,000 orders a month. Thrive 3PL serves 200–20,000 orders a month on month-to-month terms. Large networks like ShipBob and ShipMonk can work, but their minimums and quote processes suit growing brands better.

Key takeaways

eFulfillment Service states 'No Minimum Order Requirements' and 'No Set-Up Fees' on its homepage.
Simpl's $750 monthly minimum is billed pay-the-difference: if your fees total less, you pay the gap.
All-in per-order prices (Simpl from $7, Fulfyld from $7.74) include postage; pick/pack-only prices don't, so compare like with like.
Thrive 3PL says most brands pay $200–$500 to onboard.
A single-warehouse 3PL keeps inventory simple but means longer transit times to the far coast.

Best for no minimums and no setup fees: eFulfillment Service (EFS)

eFulfillment Service has operated from Traverse City, Michigan since 2001 and states no minimum order requirements, no setup fees and no long-term contracts, with a 1pm ET same-day cutoff. Its pricing page sits behind a login or quote, so you can't compare rates up front. Not a fit if you need a second warehouse to reach the West Coast faster.

Visit eFulfillment Service (EFS)

Best for simple all-in pricing: Simpl Fulfillment

Simpl publishes pricing from $7 per order all-in (up to three picks, postage and packaging), no setup fee, complimentary receiving and no dimensional-weight surcharges, with 5–7 day onboarding. It targets 50 to 5,000+ orders a month from one Austin warehouse. The trade-off is the $750 monthly minimum, which matters if you ship only a few dozen orders.

Visit Simpl Fulfillment

Best for published tiered pricing at 500–5,000 orders: Fulfyld

Fulfyld publishes all-in averages ($7.74+ for 4–12 oz at 501–1,000 orders a month, including postage and five picks), storage by bin and pallet, and $40/hour receiving with the first two hours free at onboarding. It has no formal minimum but calls 500–5,000+ orders a month its optimal range. One Alabama warehouse, so coast-to-coast transit is longer.

Visit Fulfyld

Best for month-to-month terms with retail and Amazon: Thrive 3PL

Thrive 3PL runs a single 250K sq ft Houston warehouse on month-to-month terms for brands shipping roughly 200–20,000 orders a month across DTC, EDI retail and Amazon. It says most brands pay $200–$500 onboarding. Its pricing page lists fee categories but not rates, so you'll need a quote.

Visit Thrive 3PL

Best for crowdfunded and very small brands: Fulfillrite

Fulfillrite works from New Jersey and Salt Lake City, claims 3,500+ Kickstarter campaigns fulfilled, has a 2pm local same-day cutoff and states no long-term contracts. Rates are quote-only. Not a fit if you need published pricing or a large network.

Visit Fulfillrite

Best for founders who want their own space: Saltbox

Saltbox is a coworking-plus-warehouse hybrid in about 15 US metro locations, with memberships from $500 a month on month-to-month terms and pick-and-pack as an add-on. It suits founders who still pack some orders themselves. Not a fit if you want a traditional 3PL to handle everything.

Visit Saltbox

What is the best 3PL for a small business?

Provider	Minimum	Published pricing	Warehouses	Contract
eFulfillment Service	None stated	Behind login/quote	1 (MI)	No long-term contracts
Simpl Fulfillment	$750/month, pay-the-difference	From $7/order all-in	1 (TX)	Not published
Fulfyld	No formal minimum (500–5,000+ optimal)	Yes, tiered	1 (AL)	No long-term contracts
Thrive 3PL	None stated (200–20,000/month)	Categories only; $200–$500 onboarding	1 (TX)	Month-to-month
Fulfillrite	Not published	Quote	NJ + UT	No long-term contracts
Saltbox	Membership	From $500/month	~15 metros	Month-to-month

How many orders do I need before using a 3PL?

There's no universal threshold, but providers signal who they want. eFulfillment Service and Walmart Fulfillment Services state no minimum. Simpl targets 50+ orders a month, Thrive 200+, Fulfyld 500–5,000+ and Shipfusion 2,000+. If you're below about 50 orders a month, a monthly minimum like Simpl's $750 can make your effective cost per order high; a no-minimum provider or a Saltbox-style space may cost less.

Which 3PLs have no monthly minimum?

eFulfillment Service: 'No Minimum Order Requirements'.
Walmart Fulfillment Services: no minimum requirements, for Walmart Marketplace sellers.
OC3PL: its startup offering states no minimum order quantities.
Fulfyld: no formal minimum, though it names an optimal range.

Providers that do state minimums include Simpl ($750/month), ShipCalm (quarterly spend minimum) and ShipMonk (formula based on projected volume).

Is ShipBob or ShipMonk good for a small business?

They can be, but they're built for growth. ShipMonk's pricing page sets a monthly minimum from your projected order volume times the first-item pick fee, less 20%, so low volume still carries a floor. ShipBob doesn't publish a minimum on its pricing page and quotes every customer individually. If you expect to scale quickly across several warehouses, they're worth quoting; if you'll stay under a few hundred orders a month, the smaller providers above are usually easier to work with. See ShipBob vs ShipMonk.

What hidden costs should a small business watch for?

Onboarding or setup fees (Thrive: $200–$500; many others don't publish).
Receiving by the hour (Fulfyld: $40/hour after two free hours) or per shipment (ShipCalm: $39.50).
Storage by bin, pallet or cubic foot; slow sellers cost more than you expect.
Extra picks beyond what's included (Fulfyld: $0.50 per extra item).
Minimums billed as pay-the-difference.

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest 3PL for a small business?

It depends on your order size and volume. Among published all-in prices, Simpl starts at $7 per order and Fulfyld at $7.74, both including postage; pick/pack-only rates look lower but exclude postage.

Do small 3PLs charge setup fees?

Some don't: eFulfillment Service and Simpl state no setup fee. Thrive says most brands pay $200–$500 to onboard.

Can I leave a 3PL easily?

Check the notice period. Thrive and Saltbox state month-to-month terms; eFulfillment Service, Fulfyld and Fulfillrite state no long-term contracts. ShipCalm is month-to-month but requires 90 days' notice.

Should a startup use a 3PL or fulfill in-house?

If you're shipping a few orders a day, in-house or a shared space like Saltbox is often cheaper. Once packing takes more of your time than growing the business, a no-minimum 3PL is worth pricing.