You start in a store
Our catalog lets you browse products from popular US stores, without a VPN, and check out straight away. For eligible items not in our catalog, send us a link for a quote. No US address, account or warehouse to manage.
Compare
Shipito is a package forwarder whose Assisted Purchase add-on buys for you, and the purchase then becomes a package on your Shipito account. Big Apple Buddy is a personal shopping service from the start: you shop our catalog or send a link, and we buy, check, pack and ship it to you, with no US address or account to manage.
Big Apple Buddy is a personal shopping service based in New York. We buy from US stores for you, check the item, pack it, and ship it to your door in over 75 countries.
4.5★ from 693 reviews (Trustpilot, as of 2026-10-06)
The other service
Shipito is a package forwarder: it gives you a US address, and you usually buy from stores yourself. Assisted Purchase ("We shop for you") is its add-on for when you cannot order yourself.
You tell Shipito what you want and where to buy it.
On your first request, Shipito asks you to verify your ID and payment method. Shipito says "The ID and payment verification process can take up to 2 weeks to complete".
Shipito buys the item and it arrives in your Shipito suite at its warehouse.
It then ships to you as a Shipito package, with Shipito's shipping and package processing fees.
Source: Shipito Assisted Purchase page, checked 2026-10-06.
What changes with us
Our catalog lets you browse products from popular US stores, without a VPN, and check out straight away. For eligible items not in our catalog, send us a link for a quote. No US address, account or warehouse to manage.
We reply within 24 hours, 7 days a week. For over 10 years, customers have worked directly with our founder and CEO, Phillis, and her team, who look after each order from purchase to delivery.
The fee covers buying the item, a visual check, packing, customs paperwork, arranging shipment, and contacting the store if something goes wrong. The shipping charge itself is separate.
Our service fee, separate from the item price, shipping and any taxes, is $30 for the first item when the order's total product cost is under $200, or $50 at $200 or more, plus $15 for each additional item. See full pricing.
Side by side
Shipito facts come from Shipito's own pages, each linked with the date we checked it. Ratings are from Trustpilot on the dates shown. Which costs less depends on the item, shipping and each service's full fees.
| Big Apple Buddy | Shipito (Assisted Purchase) | Source for the Shipito fact | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How you start | Browse our catalog and check out, or send a link for a quote | Tell Shipito what you want and where to buy it; first-time ID and payment verification (Shipito says up to 2 weeks) | Assisted Purchase page, checked 2026-10-06 |
| Who places the order | We do | Shipito does | Same page, checked 2026-10-06 |
| What you manage | Nothing: no US address, account or warehouse | A Shipito account; the purchase becomes a package in your Shipito suite | Same page, checked 2026-10-06 |
| Published buy-for-me fee | Service fee (separate from item price, shipping and taxes): $30 for the first item if the order's product total is under $200, $50 at $200 or more, plus $15 per additional item. See /pricing/. | $8.50 + 4.3% processing + 8% commission on the purchase, plus a package processing fee | Pricing page, checked 2026-10-06 |
| Trustpilot rating | 4.5 from 693 reviews (as of 2026-10-06) | 4.1 from 10,565 reviews | trustpilot.com/review/www.shipito.com, checked 2026-10-06 |
An honest answer
If you are happy to buy it yourself and manage the order, a forwarder like Shipito will usually cost less than a personal shopper.
Consolidation is part of a forwarding account, and Shipito is built for it.
We ship to over 75 countries. If yours is not on our list, a forwarder that ships to your country is the better route.
And the other way round
Browse our catalog and check out, or send a link for an itemized quote.
Check out from our catalog or accept a quote, and we begin.
We buy it, check it, pack it and ship it. Phillis and her team help with order questions and contact the store when something goes wrong, subject to the store's policies.
More answers: customs duties and import taxes · if a store cancels or won't ship to a forwarder · store declined your card · forwarder vs personal shopper · full pricing
Other comparisons: MyUS alternative · Stackry alternative
If you want someone to buy the item for you, Big Apple Buddy is a Shipito alternative. Big Apple Buddy is a personal shopping service based in New York: you check out from our catalog of popular US stores or send a link for a quote, and we buy the item, check it, pack it and ship it to you in over 75 countries. If the store ships to forwarders and you are happy to buy it yourself, a forwarder will usually cost less.
Shipito's pricing page (checked 2026-10-06) lists Assisted Purchase at "$8.50 USD fee + 4.3% processing + 8% commission", and its Assisted Purchase page describes the commission as 8% of the purchase cost. A package processing fee and international shipping are charged on top.
Which costs less depends on the item, shipping and each service's full fees. Big Apple Buddy charges a service fee for handling everything for you. Our service fee, separate from the item price, shipping and any taxes, is $30 for the first item when the order's total product cost is under $200, or $50 at $200 or more, plus $15 for each additional item. Current fees are at bigapplebuddy.com/pricing/. If the store accepts your card and ships to forwarders, buying it yourself and using a forwarder will usually cost the least.
Yes, according to Shipito. Its Assisted Purchase page (checked 2026-10-06) says first-time customers verify their ID and payment method, and that "The ID and payment verification process can take up to 2 weeks to complete".
Choose a forwarder like Shipito if the store accepts your card and ships to forwarding addresses, and you are happy to manage the order yourself: it will usually cost less.
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