iShip vs Planet Express
Budget US forwarder, self-service by design.
Where Planet Express is good
- • Low handling fees and a simple flat structure.
- • Offers an assisted-purchase add-on for US stores.
Where Planet Express stops and we keep going
- • US-centric; no meaningful EU, China or UAE network.
- • No export from Lebanon, no cargo, no container consolidation.
- • No selling or fulfilment; no payment-collection services.
Service by service
| Service | iShip | Planet Express |
|---|---|---|
| Buy-for-Me (we buy for you)You send a link, we pay the store with our card and ship it to you. | Yes | Limited |
| Ship-for-Me (free warehouse address)You shop yourself and ship to a free address we give you abroad. | Yes | Yes |
| Warehouses in many countriesUS, UK, EU, China, UAE, Turkey — not just one country. | Yes | Limited |
| Express AND economy speedsA real cheap lane as well as a fast one — you choose per shipment. | Yes | Limited |
| Sea freight & cargoHeavy or bulky goods by sea, not only air courier. | Yes | No |
| Container consolidation, door to doorGroupage into a shared container and delivery all the way to your door. | Yes | No |
| Export FROM LebanonOutbound shipping and customs paperwork for goods leaving Lebanon. | Yes | No |
| Selling & fulfilment for youWe list your products on Amazon/eBay, store, pack and ship the orders. | Yes | No |
| Payment & money-transfer helpPay a foreign store, collect Stripe/PayPal proceeds, settle locally. | Yes | No |
| Worldwide pickup & forwardingCollection from an address we don't have a warehouse in. | Yes | No |
| Delivery to SyriaA dedicated Syria service, not just Lebanon. | Yes | No |
| Local human support (WhatsApp)A person who answers in Levantine Arabic, not a ticket queue. | Yes | No |
Compiled from publicly available information, last reviewed 2026-08-02. Planet Express may have changed its offer — please check their current terms.
The short verdict
Planet Express is good value if you only buy in the US and you're comfortable doing everything yourself online. iShip is the better fit when you want multiple origins, someone to handle customs and paperwork, and a local team accountable for the shipment.
What you also get with iShip
- Both services, one account
Buy-for-Me and Ship-for-Me together. Most competitors do one or the other — we mix both in the same shipment.
- Six origins, not one
Free addresses in the US, UK, EU, China, UAE and Turkey — plus pickup from almost anywhere else in the world.
- Express, Normal and Economy
You pick the speed per shipment. Courier-only competitors leave you paying express prices for a pair of shoes.
- Sea freight, cargo and container consolidation
Heavy, bulky or commercial volumes move by sea and arrive door to door — a product parcel forwarders simply don't have.
- Export from Lebanon, not just import
Full outbound service with customs paperwork, HS codes and commercial invoices for Lebanese businesses.
- We sell and fulfil for you
List your products on Amazon and eBay through us; we store, pack, ship and handle returns. No forwarder on this list does that.
- Payments and money movement
Pay a foreign store when your card is refused, collect Stripe or PayPal proceeds, settle locally in Beirut.
- Lebanon and Syria
Dedicated services for both markets — iship.me for Lebanon, ish7anli.com for Syria — with local human support on WhatsApp.
Frequently asked questions
Is Planet Express cheaper than iShip?
Their handling fee is low, but the courier leg to Lebanon and local clearance are where the cost lands. Compare the delivered-to-your-door total, not the warehouse fee — our calculator quotes the all-in number.