EPR consultant alternative: Packtally vs spreadsheets and services

Short answer: Packtally does the counting a spreadsheet leaves to you: it multiplies your packaging by fulfilled units and shipments for each ship-to state from your Shopify orders, runs 22 checks, prepares a filing workbook in the portal's order with a written methodology and signs and locks each filing. Report is $1,580 a year for every state it tracks, less than half of the $3,500 Smarter Sorting publishes for a single state report, and you keep your numbers in your own hands. For Shopify brands that file their own reports, we recommend Packtally. A consultant or service makes sense when you want someone else to file for you, which Packtally doesn't do.

Disclosure: We make Packtally, and it's launching soon: it's in Shopify App Store review now, so you can't install it yet. Details on Circular Action Alliance (CAA) and on the services named below come only from their own websites and listings, checked on November 3, 2026. Prices for consultants vary and most aren't published. None of this is legal advice; confirm your obligations with counsel.

At a glance

Feature	Packtally	Spreadsheet and CAA's workbook	Consultant or filing service
Who counts packaging by state	Packtally, from the ship-to state of every fulfilled order	You, from an order export	The firm, from data you provide
Real boxes from ShipStation or a 3PL	Yes	Only if you merge them in by hand	Depends on the firm
Records of what you filed	Signed locks and an archive of every version	Whatever you save	Depends on the firm
Methodology	Written from how your numbers were built (Report and Pro)	You write it	The firm usually drafts it
Other product laws	14 laws checked, including textile EPR, PFAS and Prop 65	Not included	Some firms, often billed separately
Extra cost	Free to $3,980 a year	None for CAA's resources on the pages we checked	Usually quoted per engagement, per state or per year
Your time	Packaging setup once, then checks	The most	The least
Who files	You, in CAA's portal	You	The firm handles or walks you through it, depending on the service
Judgment calls and advice	No; it applies each state's rules and cites them	None	Yes, from people who do this every day

Why stores choose Packtally

No more spreadsheet math. Packaging is set once per product, or once for a whole tag, type or vendor, then counted by the ship-to state of every fulfilled order in each state's categories. Type any order number to see exactly what it added.
Errors caught before you file. 22 checks flag products with no packaging, unconfirmed weights, unmatched shipments and bundles counted twice, with blocking problems stopped before a lock.
Real boxes and every channel. Each order uses the box it really shipped in when you connect ShipStation or upload a 3PL file, and Amazon, wholesale and retail sales are added by state.
Your numbers stay yours. The workbook in the portal's order, the entry sheet and the methodology stay with your brand.
A record you can defend. Signed locks, an archive of every locked version and alerts if numbers change after you lock or submit.
It runs all year. Deadline reminders, alerts when you near a state's line, renewal dates for California's small producer exemption, invoice tracking and a monthly summary.
Works alongside a consultant. On Report and Pro, share a read-only link with your accountant or consultant, so any review starts from finished numbers.
A published price. One yearly plan covers every state Packtally tracks, with a free plan and Exempt at $190 a year.

Pricing

Packtally: Free; Exempt $190 a year or $19 a month; Report $1,580 a year; Pro $3,980 a year. Founding offer: 50% off the first year of Report or Pro for the first 100 stores. Paid plans have a 14-day free trial and are billed through Shopify.
Spreadsheet and CAA's resources: CAA's producer pages we checked offer a Producer Portal, guidance, webinars and, for Oregon's 2026 cycle, "an offline, Excel-based Report Preparation Workbook that mirrors the Producer Portal screens." We didn't see a charge for these. Your time is the real cost.
Smarter Sorting (Smarter Packaging): publishes "$3,500 per state report" with a free scope check, and says traditional consultants charge $50K to $90K per engagement. That consultant figure is their claim, not ours.
rePurpose: says "Pay one flat price" for its EPR compliance service and offers a free consultation and a 5-day guided trial. Prices aren't published.
Packledger (a Shopify app with a service tier): Fully Managed is $9,588 a year and lists "Fully managed registration & filing."

Side by side, Packtally Report at $1,580 a year covers every state it tracks for less than half of one $3,500 state report. Exempt brands keep signed records and renewal reminders for $190 a year. The tradeoff is who submits: with Packtally, you do. State EPR fees and dues are separate in every case.

When a spreadsheet or a consultant might fit better

You want filing or advice handled for you. Some firms handle registration and filing or walk you through submission, and a consultant can make the judgment calls the rules leave open. Packtally never registers, files or pays for you, and it isn't legal or compliance advice.
A tiny catalog in one state, or you're not on Shopify. With a handful of products and one obligated state, a spreadsheet and CAA's workbook may be enough, and CAA runs onboarding webinars and open Q&A sessions. A spreadsheet or consultant also works with any sales platform.
Extra work in scope. Some services offer things Packtally doesn't, such as rePurpose's plastic recovery claims, or Smarter Sorting's AI classification of packaging components from a product list.

Which to choose

Shopify brand filing in several states: Packtally Report, with a consultant reviewing on the read-only link if you want one.
Shopify brand with a 3PL, Amazon or wholesale: Packtally, so state totals follow real boxes and every channel.
Probably exempt: Packtally Free or Exempt, since California's exemption usually has to be filed and renewed.
Few products, one state, time to spare: a spreadsheet and CAA's workbook.
No time at all, unusual products, or not on Shopify: a consultant or filing service.

Questions

What's the best alternative to an EPR consultant?

For a Shopify brand willing to submit its own report, Packtally: it does the counting from real orders, prepares the workbook and methodology and keeps signed records for a published yearly price. If you need someone to file for you, stay with a consultant or filing service. Packtally is in Shopify App Store review now.

How much does an EPR consultant cost?

Most don't publish prices. Smarter Sorting publishes $3,500 per state report and says traditional consultants charge $50K to $90K per engagement. Ask for a written quote that says what's included and who submits.

Can I do my packaging EPR report in a spreadsheet?

Usually yes. Export a year of fulfilled orders with the ship-to state, weigh every packaging part, and multiply units by weight by material for each state. CAA's workbook then helps you enter it in the portal. Our step-by-step guide covers the math, and Packtally does it for you from your orders.

Does Packtally file my report like a consultant would?

No. Packtally prepares a checked workbook and a copy-ready entry sheet, and you submit in CAA's portal. If you want filing handled, use a consultant or service; confirm with CAA what a third party can do for you.

See every Packtally feature, and get notified when Packtally is live.

Sources

Circular Action Alliance: Producer Reporting (checked November 3, 2026)
Circular Action Alliance: Producer Guidance Oregon (checked November 3, 2026)
Circular Action Alliance: Registered Producer Resource Center (checked November 3, 2026)
Circular Action Alliance: EPR reporting with CAA (checked November 3, 2026)
Smarter Sorting: Smarter Packaging EPR reporting (checked November 3, 2026)
rePurpose: EPR solutions (checked November 3, 2026)
rePurpose: 5-day EPR platform trial (checked November 3, 2026)
Packledger on the Shopify App Store (checked November 3, 2026)