Free 3PL pricing calculator
3PL Quote Comparison Tool
Compare 3PL quotes side by side. See the true monthly cost and cost per order at your volume, and the fees driving the difference.
Results depend on the values you enter and each 3PL’s actual contract terms. Calculations run in your browser; nothing is saved unless you request the PDF.
3PL fees explained
Every 3PL fee, explained
What each line on a fulfillment quote covers, and the question to ask before you accept it.
Receiving
What it covers:Unloading, counting and putting away inbound inventory. Usually billed per pallet, carton or hour.
What to ask:Is receiving billed per pallet, carton or hour, and what happens if a shipment arrives without an ASN?
Storage
What it covers:The warehouse space your inventory occupies, billed per pallet, bin or cubic foot each month.
What to ask:How is storage measured, and is it billed on peak or average usage?
Pick fee
What it covers:Pulling the first item of an order from the shelf.
What to ask:Does the pick fee include the first item, or is it billed separately?
Each additional item
What it covers:Every unit after the first in the same order.
What to ask:Is there a cap on additional item fees for large orders?
Packaging
What it covers:Boxes, mailers, dunnage and inserts used to ship each order.
What to ask:Are standard boxes included, and what do custom packaging and inserts cost?
Per-order extras
What it covers:Packing slips, branded inserts, gift notes and void fill billed on top of the pick fee.
What to ask:Which extras are included, and which are billed per order?
Account or monthly minimum
What it covers:A floor on monthly fees, charged when activity falls below it.
What to ask:What counts toward the minimum, and is it reduced during a trial?
Technology fee
What it covers:Access to the warehouse software, integrations and reporting.
What to ask:Is it a flat fee, per user or per integration?
Shipping markup
What it covers:A percentage added on top of postage.
What to ask:Can I see the carrier rates behind my postage charges?
Carrier surcharges
What it covers:Fuel, residential, delivery-area and dimensional weight charges added to postage.
What to ask:Are surcharges in the postage estimate, and what dimensional divisor do you use?
Returns processing
What it covers:Inspecting and restocking items customers send back.
What to ask:Is it billed per return, per item or per hour?
B2B and Amazon prep
What it covers:Carton and pallet picks, labeling, freight processing and EDI for wholesale and Amazon orders.
What to ask:Are carton, pallet and freight fees quoted, and does EDI carry a monthly fee?
One-time costs
What it covers:Onboarding, integration setup and receiving your first inventory, billed before or at launch.
What to ask:What does setup include, and is the first inbound billed at the standard receiving rate?
How to read a 3PL quote
Four checks before you compare prices
Two quotes can look similar on paper and land thousands of dollars apart once your real volume is applied.
01
Normalize to your volume
Per-unit prices mean little on their own. Multiply every fee by your real monthly orders, units and pallets.
02
Find the fixed costs
Minimums, tech fees and setup fees don’t scale with orders, so they weigh most when volume is low or seasonal.
03
Check the shipping line
Ask whether the shipping price on the quote is all in or just the base rate. Fuel, residential and delivery-area surcharges can add up on every order.
04
List what’s missing
Returns, kitting, special projects and B2B orders are often left off a first quote. Ask for them in writing.
Common hidden fees
Fees that rarely make the first page of a quote
They are easy to miss and hard to argue with once you have signed.
How Atomix bills
Line-item invoices with no surprise charges, backed by our Billing Accuracy Guarantee: a $25 credit for every incorrect line item.
- 01
Shipping markups
A percentage added to every label, so it grows with every order you ship.
- 02
Minimums that reset monthly
A slow month still bills the full floor, even if the rest of the year runs well above it.
- 03
Long-term storage surcharges
Higher rates for inventory that sits past a set number of days.
- 04
Peak season surcharges
Extra per-order fees from November through January.
- 05
Returns and restocking
Inspection, relabeling and restocking, usually billed per unit returned.
- 06
Account management fees
A monthly charge for support or a named contact that wasn’t in the original quote.
Before you sign
Eight questions to ask every 3PL
- What volume assumptions is this quote built on?
- Is there a monthly minimum, and how is it calculated?
- What isn’t included in this quote?
- How can my rates change at renewal?
- Which fees are fixed, and which scale with orders?
- Do my shipping rates reflect carrier surcharges, or are they omitted?
- How long is the contract, and what does it cost to leave?
- What guarantees back accuracy and on-time shipping?
FAQ
3PL quote comparison questions
How does the 3PL quote comparison tool work?
It applies the same monthly orders, units per order and returns to every quote, then adds fulfillment, storage, receiving, shipping, fixed fees and any optional services you select. One-time costs to switch are totaled separately, so you see a true monthly cost, cost per order and switching cost for each 3PL, side by side.
Why compare cost per order instead of pick fees?
The pick fee is only one line. Cost per order adds every fee at your volume, including storage, minimums and postage, so it shows what you’ll actually pay for each order.
Does the total include postage?
Yes. If a quote lists postage rates, the tool uses them. If not, it uses your current average postage so every quote is compared on the same basis.
What if a quote leaves a fee out?
Leave it blank. The tool marks it as not quoted and adds a question for that 3PL so you can confirm the cost before you sign.
Can I save or share my comparison?
Yes. Your inputs are saved in the page link, so you can bookmark it or send it to a colleague. You can also download a PDF of the comparison.
Can Atomix quote my volume?
Yes. Select “Add an Atomix quote” and we’ll price the same volumes line by line so you can drop our quote straight into the comparison.
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Open the calculator →See where Atomix lands in your comparison
Get a line-item quote at your volume, ready to drop straight into this tool.
