easyDHL Alternative for Shopify: Karl
Scan the barcode, print the label, next parcel: with Karl, scan-to-label is part of every plan, not just the top one. Plus, from Karl Pro, seven carriers in one interface and a surcharge check before the label is created. Installable from the Shopify App Store: Start with no monthly fee for domestic shipping (€0.25 per label), Pro 14 days free.
“A clear recommendation from us, especially for anyone who regularly ships outside the EU …” Official FIBA Store, review on the Shopify App Store, translated from German4 reasons to consider Karl as an easyDHL alternative
Scan-to-label from the Start plan
According to the 247APPS pricing overview, easyDHL offers barcode scanning ("Workstations") only in its top plan, Premium Plus (247apps.dev, as of 29 September 2026). With Karl, Scan & Ship is included in every plan, including Karl Start with no monthly fee: scan the barcode, Karl loads the order, recommends the carrier and prints the label in under 5 seconds.
Seven carriers instead of DHL and Deutsche Post
easyDHL is built for DHL and Deutsche Post; its Shopify App Store name is "DHL & Post Shipping | easyDHL". Karl connects DHL, DHL Express, UPS, FedEx, DPD, Austrian Post and Internetmarke in one interface and picks the right carrier for each shipment via Smart Routing (all seven from Karl Pro). For domestic shipping, Karl Start is enough: DHL Paket and the Deutsche Post Portokasse for shops in Germany, Austrian Post for shops in Austria.
Spot extended-area surcharges before the label
Karl checks UPS, FedEx, DHL Express and DPD for extended-area surcharges before the label is printed. If Karl detects a surcharge and another of your connected carriers serves the route without it, Smart Routing switches to that carrier, and the surcharge does not arise (from Karl Pro).
Scale and printer at the packing station
Karl reaches all the way to the packing station: the USB scale passes the weight into the label without retyping, and the Print Companion prints silently to the thermal printer, without a browser dialog. The carrier always bills you directly, Karl is not a reseller. EU hosting in Berlin, support in German and English.
Statements about easyDHL come from the vendor's pricing overview and App Store listing (as of 29 September 2026) and may change. Please check the current feature set and prices directly with 247APPS.
Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V. Or one scan.
Karl against Shopify Shipping, the carrier's own customer portal and two shipping apps from the Shopify App Store.
| Our app Karl | Shopify Shipping | Carrier portal | App 1 | App 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Label from the order, no retyping | yes | yes | no | yes | yes |
| Scan, out comes the label | yes | not found | no | not found | not found |
| Own contract, billed directly | yes | no | yes | yes | yes |
| DHL, UPS, FedEx, DPD in one app (from Pro) | yes | no | no | no | yes |
| Surcharge check before the label (from Pro) | yes | not found | not found | not found | not found |
| App fee in euros via Shopify | yes | not found | not found | not found | no |
Karl Start with no monthly fee: €0.25 per domestic label, no label fee for the first 14 days. International shipping, all seven services and the surcharge check from Pro, 14-day free trial.
Shopify Shipping according to the Shopify Help Center: in Germany DHL Paket and DHL Express Europe through Shopify's own carrier accounts. App 1 and App 2 are two shipping apps from the Shopify App Store, details from their listing and website, as of 25 September and 5 October 2026. Carrier portal means: the label in the carrier's customer portal, details typed in by hand.
„Wir sind vor allem vom Versand in Nicht-EU-Länder begeistert, seit wir KARL einsetzen. Besonders hilfreich: Das Programm prüft vor der Labelerstellung, ob die Zollangaben vollständig und korrekt sind, und weist aktiv auf fehlende oder fehlerhafte Angaben hin. Dadurch haben wir immer gültige Zolldokumente – Zollinhaltserklärung und Handelsrechnung werden zuverlässig und automatisiert erstellt. Seitdem laufen unsere Sendungen in Drittländer spürbar reibungsloser und fehlerfrei durch den Zoll, was uns vorher regelmäßig Probleme bereitet hat.
Positiv hervorzuheben ist außerdem der Support. Bei Rückfragen bekamen wir schnell direkte und kompetente Antworten vom Entwicklerteam – spürbar persönlicher Support statt anonymem Ticketsystem.
Für uns eine klare Empfehlung, gerade für alle, die regelmäßig ins Nicht-EU-Ausland versenden und die Zollabwicklung vereinfachen wollen.“
“Above all, we have been delighted with shipping to non-EU countries since we started using KARL. Particularly helpful: before creating the label, the program checks whether the customs details are complete and correct, and actively flags missing or incorrect information. As a result, we always have valid customs documents: the customs declaration and the commercial invoice are created reliably and automatically. Since then, our shipments to third countries have cleared customs noticeably more smoothly and without errors, which used to cause us problems regularly. The support also deserves a mention. Whenever we had questions, we got quick, direct and competent answers from the development team: noticeably personal support instead of an anonymous ticket system. A clear recommendation from us, especially for anyone who regularly ships outside the EU and wants to simplify customs clearance.”
What Karl does at the packing station
| Feature | Karl |
|---|---|
| Scan-to-label in under 5 seconds, on every plan | Yes |
| USB scale: weight flows into the label without retyping | Yes |
| Silent printing to the thermal printer, no browser dialog | Yes |
| 7 carriers: DHL, DHL Express, UPS, FedEx, DPD, Austrian Post, Internetmarke | Yes |
| Extended-area surcharge protection before the label (UPS, FedEx, DHL Express, DPD) | Yes |
| Your own carrier contracts connected directly (no reseller rates) | Yes |
| Bulk label printing and return labels (from Karl Pro) | Yes |
| EU hosting (IONOS Berlin), support in German and English | Yes |
The table lists Karl capabilities; which plan includes what is shown in the pricing on the Karl page. For a direct comparison, please check easyDHL's current feature set with the vendor.
Common questions about switching
From which Karl plan can I print DHL labels by scanning?
Scan & Ship is part of every plan, including Karl Start with no monthly fee. There you print domestic DHL Paket labels (with your own DHL business customer contract), Warenpost National via the Deutsche Post Portokasse and, for shops in Austria, Austrian Post labels. The other carriers, cross-border shipping, bulk label printing and return labels come with Karl Pro.
Can I switch from easyDHL to Karl?
Yes. Connect your DHL business customer portal and your other carrier accounts to Karl, run both apps side by side for a while, then switch off the old app. Karl has no lock-in contract.
When is a DHL-only app enough?
If you ship exclusively with DHL and Deutsche Post, don't scan at the packing station and need no other carriers. Karl pays off as soon as UPS, DPD, FedEx or Austrian Post come in, extended-area surcharges cost money, or every parcel should go through the packing station by scan.
Which carriers does Karl support?
DHL, DHL Express, UPS, FedEx, DPD, Austrian Post and Internetmarke (Deutsche Post), shipping to 190+ countries. Domestic from Karl Start, EU and EFTA from Karl Pro, worldwide shipping with customs, ETD and DDP from Karl Enterprise.
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Install from the Shopify App Store →