Comparison

Purolator vs Zonos

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Purolator

Manage all your shipping needs from your mobile device. Create shipments, track packages in real-time, get transit estimates, and schedule pickups. Find nearby shipping locations and receive proactive notifications for shipment updates.

Highlights
  • Create shipments
  • Track shipments
  • Get estimates and transit times
  • Schedule pickups
  • Find shipping locations
  • Proactive notifications
Features
Read full description

Get estimates, schedule pickups, create and track your shipments. Whether you’re at the office, or on-the-go, Purolator can help you stay connected to your business. That’s why we have the Purolator mobile app, designed to keep up with your busy schedule. Purolator’s mobile app gives you increased visibility and control of your shipments. With the app, you can easily create, manage and track your shipments from any mobile device anywhere, and anytime. Purolator’s Mobile App features: NEW! Create a Shipment Easily create a Credit Card or account-based shipment right from your mobile device and ship to anywhere in Canada. You can print the shipping label at home, work or from one of our 140+ shipping centres. Don’t have access to a printer? We’ll scan your shipment’s QR code when you visit one of our shipping centres. Shipment Tracking Check the latest status of your shipment while you are on-the-go. Easily access tracking details including when your shipment is in-transit or delivered. Estimates and Transit Times Easily obtain transit times and account-based estimates to help you select the best shipping option to meet your needs. Schedule Pickups Schedule a convenient time for Purolator to pick up from your location. Location Finder Save time by using GPS to locate your nearest Purolator shipping location, and view store hours and latest drop-off times so you can ship at your own convenience. Proactive Notifications Better manage your business priorities by simply subscribing to receive instant updates of shipments at your fingertips. Support Contact us directly by calling or emailing Customer Service.

About

Zonos

Easily prepay U.S. duties on imports. Use AI to auto-fill customs details from a photo or enter them manually. Pay in your local currency and get a QR code for smooth shipping.

Highlights
  • AI-powered customs detail auto-fill
  • Manual item information entry
  • Calculate and prepay U.S. duties
  • Pay in local currency
  • Generate QR code/Declaration ID
  • Supports Canada Post and USPS (U.S. territories)
Features
Read full description

The Zonos app (formerly Zonos Prepay) allows you to prepay duties on international postal shipments. Snap a photo, AI auto-fills customs details (or enter your own), check for import compliance, pay in your currency, and get a QR code/Declaration ID for U.S. shipping. Easily calculate and prepay U.S. duties with the Zonos app. Just snap a picture of the items you’re shipping, and our AI fills in the customs details for you, including calculating duty cost. Review/edit the information, pay instantly in your own currency, and ship with confidence. Prefer to enter your item information manually? That’s supported too (no photo required). Zonos app guide: https://zonos.com/docs/postal/tools-for-shippers/zonos-prepay). Why Zonos: - Free account (no subscription costs). - Prepay duties when required to continue shipping postal to the U.S. - Save time with auto-filled customs declarations based on a quick photo (or manually enter the item information yourself, if preferred) - Get accurate, guaranteed duty and tax totals with HTS codes. Neither you nor your recipient will have to pay additional duties, even if customs re-assess your shipment. - Pay as you go: Pay a clearance/processing fee per shipment, along with the duty cost - Get a QR code & Declaration ID for smooth shipping. - 27 languages, local currencies and payment methods. How It Works: 1. Create a free account. 2. Select the post you are shipping with. 3. Click “Add items manually” to enter your item information yourself, or click “Take a picture” to take a photo and have the app auto-populate your item information. You can include all items in one photo, or take multiple photos. Note: Only include items that are shipping within the same box. If you are shipping multiple boxes, only enter and pay for one box at a time, so you get a Declaration ID for each box. 4. Review/edit the item information, then click “Calculate duties” to get the duty costs and associated processing/clearance fees for your shipment. 5. Pay in your own currency. Payment covers both duties and the clearance/processing fee. 6. Present your QR code/Declaration ID at drop-off to confirm duties are prepaid. If you have questions, please contact our support team at support@zonos.com. Who It’s For: Individuals and small businesses shipping to the United States, plus postal operators needing a compliant prepayment solution. Compliance Note: U.S. regulations require prepaid duties for postal shipments under $2500 USD (effective Jul 24, 2026). Zonos Prepay ensures compliance and eliminates delays.

Screenshots

Purolator4 screens
Zonos3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Purolator at free against Zonos's free with in-app purchases. Zonos's advantage is rating (3.5 vs 3.3). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Zonos holds the better App Store score, 3.5 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 47 and 22 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 2% of Purolator's written reviews are positive against 7% of Zonos's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Purolator versus Zonos: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPurolatorZonos
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.3 (47 ratings)3.5 (22 ratings) — better
Positive reviews1.7% of reviews7.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings47 — better22
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB72 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPurolator Inc.Zonos

Customer experience

Purolator

All ratings47 ratings
Positive57.4%
Neutral4.3%
Negative38.3%
Written reviews401 reviews
Positive1.7%
Neutral3.5%
Negative94.8%

Zonos

All ratings22 ratings
Positive63.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative36.4%
Written reviews225 reviews
Positive7.1%
Neutral3.1%
Negative89.8%

User reviews

Purolator

From 47 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ✅ Reliable delivery service (when functioning)
  • 📦 Basic package tracking capability
  • ⚡ Quick access to shipment information (previously)

Room to improve

  • 🤖 Forced AI chatbot replacing functional tracking interface
  • 💾 Cannot save or retain tracking numbers
  • 📊 No tracking history or list view available
  • 🔄 Must re-enter tracking number every single time
  • ❌ Chatbot provides minimal/vague information

Zonos

From 22 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⭐ Quickly calculates US duties

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Keeps crashing
  • 🐛 Incorrect HTS codes being generated
  • 🐛 Crashes midway through process
  • 🐛 Errors out constantly
  • 🐛 Crashes at every moment

Bugs and requests

Purolator

Reported bugs

14 issues
  • Chatbot fails to recognize valid tracking numbers
  • App crashes when entering tracking information
  • Tracking numbers display with invalid prefix (equal sign)
  • App freezes for extended periods
  • Tracking feature shows 'under maintenance' for weeks
Show 9 more
  • Website tracking works but app shows 'no shipment found'
  • Cannot copy/paste tracking numbers properly
  • App won't accept tracking numbers from US origins
  • Notification system sends updates 24+ hours late
  • Chatbot asks repetitive questions and loops infinitely
  • Barcode scanner removed without replacement
  • App opens browser popup instead of native tracking
  • Previous tracked parcels deleted after updates
  • Login functionality removed in recent updates

Requested features

14 requests
  • Restore original tracking list/dashboard interface
  • Allow saving and managing multiple tracking numbers
  • Implement barcode scanning functionality
  • Add in-app push notifications for tracking updates
  • Include detailed tracking history and timeline view
Show 9 more
  • Allow custom nicknames for tracked shipments
  • Make AI chatbot optional, not mandatory
  • Add dark mode support
  • Improve font size and accessibility options
  • Enable shipment redirection and delivery management
  • Provide estimated delivery time (ETA) information
  • Support for longer address formats and custom fields
  • Sync app with online account
  • Allow tracking of packages from other senders without manual entry

Zonos

Reported bugs

17 issues
  • Keeps crashing
  • Incorrect HTS codes being generated
  • Crashes midway through process
  • Errors out constantly
  • Crashes at every moment
Show 12 more
  • Can't get past verification
  • No Verification Code Sent
  • Cannot select made in USA
  • App does NOT open
  • No place to edit incorrect classifications
  • Inaccurate and AI based
  • App is glitchy and does not work
  • Extremely frustrating and it's simply impossible to get a 13 digit code required by CANADA post
  • Bad AI
  • Glitch
  • Erroneous and AI driven
  • Every item I photograph comes up as being made in China

Requested features

2 requests
  • Allow manual adjustment of HTS codes
  • Recognize MFN duty-free HS codes and allow for a $0 duty prepay option

In-app purchases

None

Purolator

No in-app purchases

None

Zonos

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Purolator free?
Purolator is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Zonos free?
Zonos is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Purolator or Zonos?
Zonos is rated higher. Purolator averages 3.3 out of 5 from 47 ratings, while Zonos averages 3.5 from 22 ratings.
Do Purolator or Zonos have ads?
Neither Purolator nor Zonos shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Purolator or Zonos?
Purolator ships an update every 2 weeks, and Zonos every 2 weeks. Most recently, Purolator was updated on September 24, 2026 and Zonos on September 24, 2026.

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