Packtally guide
Packtally vs Smarter Sorting: a Smarter Packaging alternative
Looking for a Smarter Sorting alternative? Packtally counts packaging EPR by state from real Shopify orders, for every state it tracks, for one yearly price.
Short answer: Packtally counts your packaging pounds by the ship-to state of every fulfilled Shopify order and covers every state it tracks for one yearly price: Report is $1,580 a year, less than half of Smarter Sorting's published $3,500 for a single state report. It also checks 14 other laws, alerts you through the year and signs and locks every filing, with a free plan and a $190 Exempt plan for brands that don't owe yet. For Shopify brands filing in more than one state, or any Shopify brand that wants to keep its own numbers, we recommend Packtally. Smarter Sorting fits if you'd rather hand over a product list and get an export back.
Disclosure: We make Packtally, and it's launching soon: it's in Shopify App Store review now, so you can't install it yet. Smarter Sorting's details come only from its Smarter Packaging page, checked on November 3, 2026. Anything that page doesn't say is marked "Not stated". Neither is legal advice; confirm your obligations with counsel.
At a glance
| Feature | Packtally | Smarter Sorting (Smarter Packaging) |
|---|---|---|
| How quantities are split by state | By the ship-to state of every fulfilled order | Not stated |
| Shopify integration | Yes | Not stated |
| Where the data comes from | Your Shopify orders, plus ShipStation or 3PL boxes, Amazon and other sales | Your product list, or "we pull from existing data" |
| Textile EPR, PFAS, Prop 65 checks | 14 laws checked on every plan | Not stated on this page |
| Alerts and records through the year | Deadline and threshold alerts, signed locks, version archive | Not stated |
| Free check | Where you owe, state by state, from a full year of real orders | A free scope check: "Find out in 60 seconds if your brand is in scope" |
| States | Oregon, Colorado, California, Washington, Minnesota, Maryland, with Maine tracked | Oregon, Colorado, California, Maryland, Washington, Minnesota, with Maine listed as "Late 2026" |
| Packaging alternatives | Fee saving ideas priced with your own orders | A source reduction report with alternative packaging options |
| How packaging is classified | You choose from 36 materials; estimates stay unconfirmed until you confirm them | "Our AI identifies every Covered Material Component for each applicable state" |
| Who submits | You, in CAA's portal | Not stated; the export is described as "ready to submit" |
| What it is | A Shopify app you run yourself | A reporting service powered by AI, from a product list you share |
| Track record | New | Says it works with "2,200+ brands across retail and CPG" |
Why stores choose Packtally
- One price, every state. A yearly plan covers every state Packtally tracks, so owing in a second or third state doesn't add a second or third report fee.
- State totals that follow your real shipments. Packaging is counted by the ship-to state of every fulfilled order, with real boxes from ShipStation or a 3PL file. Type any order number to see exactly what it added.
- Amazon and wholesale counted too. Amazon's shipments report, wholesale and retail sales are added by state, so a mixed channel brand's split is built from where things actually went.
- You stay in control of your numbers. The data, the filing workbook in the portal's order and a methodology written from how your numbers were built all stay with you, year after year.
- It works all year, not once. Alerts when you're within 25% of a revenue, tonnage or California sales line, deadline reminders, exemption renewals and invoice tracking.
- A record you can defend. 22 checks before you file, signed locks, an archive of every locked version and alerts if numbers change after you lock or submit.
- More than packaging. California textile EPR, PFAS bans, Prop 65, Toxics in Packaging and recyclable claim checks on every plan, shown only when they apply.
- Your shoppers stay private. Packtally is read only on Shopify and never stores shopper names, emails, phones or addresses.
Pricing
| Option | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Packtally Free | $0 | Where you owe from real orders, 14 law checks, deadlines, packaging setup |
| Packtally Exempt | $190 a year or $19 a month | Signed exemption records, exemption tracker, California sales evidence |
| Packtally Report | $1,580 a year (founding offer: $790 the first year for the first 100 stores) | Pounds by material for every state, filing workbook, methodology, sign and lock |
| Packtally Pro | $3,980 a year (founding offer: $1,990 the first year) | Fee bonus helper, forecast and accruals, several stores as one company |
| Smarter Sorting scope check | Free | Tells you whether your brand is in scope |
| Smarter Sorting state report | $3,500 per state report | AI classification, source reduction report, state-specific export, "delivered in days" |
At the published prices, one Smarter Sorting state report costs more than twice a year of Packtally Report, and two state reports come to $7,000 against $1,580 for every state Packtally tracks. Smarter Sorting's page doesn't say whether its price is per year or what a second year costs. Packtally's paid plans have a 14-day free trial and are billed through Shopify, and state EPR fees are separate either way.
When Smarter Sorting might fit better
- Less of your time. You share a product list and its AI classifies packaging components "in hours, not months." With Packtally, you or your team set up packaging and confirm weights before filing, and you submit in CAA's portal yourself.
- A source reduction report. Its page describes alternative packaging options as "also a required filing in California." Packtally prices packaging swaps and, on Pro, tracks California plastic reduction against your 2023 baseline, but doesn't describe a report like this.
- Not on Shopify, or you need it today. It works from a product list on any platform, says it works with more than 2,200 brands, and is available now. Packtally is still in review.
Which to choose
- Shopify brand filing in several states: Packtally Report.
- Heavy 3PL, Amazon or wholesale mix: Packtally, so state splits follow where things actually shipped.
- Probably exempt: Packtally Free to see where you stand, then Exempt if you need records and renewals tracked.
- Several Shopify stores under one company: Packtally Pro.
- Large catalog, no time, one state: Smarter Sorting.
- Not on Shopify: Smarter Sorting, or a consultant.
Questions
What's the best alternative to Smarter Sorting for packaging EPR?
For Shopify brands that want to run it themselves, Packtally: it counts by ship-to state from real orders and covers every state it tracks for one yearly price. For done-for-you filing, an EPR consultant or a service tier like Packledger's Fully Managed. Packtally is in Shopify App Store review now.
Is Smarter Sorting's EPR report worth $3,500?
It can be if your time is scarce and you only owe in one state. If you owe in several, compare it with Packtally Report at $1,580 a year for every state it tracks, and ask Smarter Sorting whether its price is yearly, how quantities are split by state and who submits.
Does Packtally use AI to classify packaging?
Packtally gives you starter templates and size estimators, saved as unconfirmed estimates. Nothing counts toward a filing until you weigh it or confirm it from a supplier's spec.
Does Packtally file the report for me?
No. Packtally prepares a checked workbook and a copy-ready entry sheet, and you submit in CAA's portal. It isn't legal advice.
See every Packtally feature, and get notified when Packtally is live.
Sources
- Smarter Sorting: Smarter Packaging EPR reporting (checked November 3, 2026)
- Circular Action Alliance: Producer Reporting (checked November 3, 2026)
- Packtally plans and features (checked November 3, 2026)