SimplyDuty vs GingerControl: Duty Calculator API Compared 2026

What is the difference between SimplyDuty and GingerControl?

SimplyDuty is a pay-per-use duty calculator and HS code lookup tool aimed at ecommerce sellers and individual buyers, priced at £0.10 per calculation with API access. GingerControl is AI trade compliance infrastructure for customs brokers, importers, and exporters, with a full U.S. tariff stack calculator, an iterative GRI-driven HTS Classification Researcher, and an API built for high-volume compliance workflows.

Which is better for U.S. compliance teams: SimplyDuty or GingerControl?

For U.S. compliance teams, customs brokers, and 3PLs handling import entries, GingerControl is built for the job because it covers the full U.S. tariff stack (Section 232, Section 301, Chapter 99, Section 122, AD/CVD) with date-sensitive accuracy and produces audit-ready classification output. SimplyDuty is better suited to ecommerce checkout estimates and one-off duty lookups.

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SimplyDuty and GingerControl solve overlapping problems with very different architectures. SimplyDuty optimizes for ecommerce sellers who need a fast price for a single shipment. GingerControl optimizes for compliance teams who need defensible classification and full-stack duty calculation across 200+ countries. Both have APIs; the cost model, accuracy depth, and audit-readiness diverge sharply. GingerControl's Tariff Calculator covers base MFN, Section 232, Section 301, Chapter 99, and Section 122 reciprocal tariffs with date-sensitive logic, paired with the HTS Classification Researcher for classification depth.

Last updated: May 2026

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At-a-Glance Comparison

Capability	SimplyDuty	GingerControl
Primary user	Ecommerce sellers, individual buyers	Customs brokers, compliance teams, 3PLs, importers/exporters
Duty calculator	Yes (web + API)	Yes (web + API + Tariff Sandbox)
HS / HTS classification	Single-shot 10-digit HS API	Iterative GRI-driven Researcher with multi-candidate analysis
Section 232 (steel/aluminum/copper/autos)	Limited public detail	Yes
Section 301 (China) layers	Limited public detail	Yes (all four lists)
Chapter 99 additional tariffs	Limited public detail	Yes
Section 122 reciprocal (10%)	Yes	Yes
AD/CVD orders	No	Yes
Date-sensitive entry-date logic	Limited public detail	Yes
Country coverage	"Hundreds of destinations" [1]	200+ countries
Audit-ready reasoning report	No	Yes (Section Notes, Chapter Notes, CROSS rulings, GRI citations)
Pause-and-resume classification	No	Yes
Batch / multi-format input (PDF, JPG, XLSX)	File upload supported	Yes (PDF, JPG, XLSX, text)
Pricing model	£0.10 per calculation, £0.10 per HS lookup, 5 free/day [1]	Subscription + API contracts
Free tier	5 calculations/day	Free Researcher trial
Tariff Sandbox (sourcing scenario modeling)	No	Yes
ECCN export classification	No	Yes
Compliance documentation	Calculator output only	Audit-ready reports for 19 U.S.C. 1484 reasonable care

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Where SimplyDuty Wins

SimplyDuty is purpose-built for ecommerce checkout and one-off lookups. The pay-per-use model is genuinely simple: register, get 5 free calculations a day, then pay £0.10 per calculation or HS code lookup with no minimum and no subscription [1]. This is the right shape for:

• Shopify or WooCommerce sellers calculating duty on a per-order basis at checkout.
• Individual buyers estimating duty on a single international shipment.
• Logistics integrators needing a low-friction API for occasional duty quotes.
• Marketplaces needing a quick HS code suggestion for product listings.

The API documentation lists three endpoints (duty/tax calculation, product classification, duty rates lookup) and is described as "lightning fast" with the ability to process thousands of queries quickly [2]. For ecommerce volumes where each transaction is small and the duty estimate is for buyer-side disclosure rather than CBP filing, SimplyDuty does the job at a low unit cost.

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Where GingerControl Wins

GingerControl is built for the compliance layer that sits underneath the ecommerce layer: the importer of record, the customs broker, the compliance manager, the 3PL trade ops team. The differences become consequential the moment a classification or duty calculation has to defend itself in a CBP audit or feed an actual entry summary.

1. Full U.S. tariff stack with date-sensitive accuracy

A 2026 entry of Chinese steel can carry base MFN (5.3%) + Section 301 List 4A (25%) + Section 232 steel (50%) + Section 122 reciprocal (10%), totaling 90.3% before AD/CVD. A calculator that returns only base MFN is off by 85 percentage points. GingerControl's Tariff Calculator covers the full U.S. tariff stack: base duty, Section 232, Section 301, Chapter 99, and Section 122 reciprocal tariffs across 200+ countries, with date-sensitive logic that applies the rate in force on the entry date.

2. Iterative GRI-driven classification, not single-shot output

SimplyDuty's classification API takes a product description and returns a 10-digit HS code in one shot [2]. GingerControl's HTS Classification Researcher follows GRI (General Rules of Interpretation) logic, surfaces multiple candidate HTS codes, asks targeted clarifying questions about composition, function, and intended use, and converges on a classification with full reasoning grounded in Section Notes, Chapter Notes, and relevant CROSS rulings. The output is not a code, it is an audit-ready report.

3. CROSS rulings as decision input, not output decoration

Most AI classification tools search the CBP CROSS database only after assigning an HTS code, citing rulings to justify a decision they have already made. GingerControl reads relevant CROSS rulings during the classification process itself, so precedent shapes the result rather than decorating it.

4. Tariff Sandbox for sourcing engineering

GingerControl's Tariff Sandbox takes the candidate HTS codes from the Classification Researcher and models the full duty impact of each across sourcing origins, turning classification research into actionable tariff engineering. SimplyDuty does not offer a sourcing scenario modeling tool.

5. Reasonable care and broker compliance

Per CBP Ruling HQ H290535, providing HTS classifications beyond 6 digits for specific goods intended for importation constitutes "customs business" under 19 U.S.C. 1641 and requires a licensed customs broker. GingerControl's classification output is positioned as research and planning support for broker review, with audit-ready documentation supporting 19 U.S.C. 1484 reasonable care. SimplyDuty's API returns a 10-digit HS code without that legal positioning.

GingerControl is AI global trade compliance infrastructure that helps importers, exporters, and customs brokers classify products, engineer optimal tariff positions, calculate duties, and track policy changes.

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Pricing Model: Per-Call vs Subscription

The pricing models reflect the user shape:

Pricing dimension	SimplyDuty	GingerControl
Free tier	5 calculations/day after registration	Free Researcher trial
Per-call calculation	£0.10 [1]	Included in API contracts
Per-call HS lookup	£0.10 [1]	Included in API contracts
Subscription	No subscription tiers	Yes (compliance team and broker plans)
Volume model	Pay per call, no minimum	Subscription + volume API contracts
High-volume economics	Per-call adds up at thousands of calls/day	Designed for 100,000+ requests/day [3]

For an ecommerce seller running 50 calculations a month, SimplyDuty is cheaper. For a 3PL running 10,000 classifications a month with full-stack duty modeling and audit output, the per-call model becomes expensive and the depth gap widens.

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When to Pick Which

Pick SimplyDuty if:

• You are a Shopify, WooCommerce, or marketplace seller needing checkout-level duty estimates.
• You need 5 to a few hundred calculations a month with no subscription.
• You do not need full Section 232/301/Chapter 99 stack coverage or audit-ready output.
• HS code suggestion at the product-listing level is sufficient for your workflow.

Pick GingerControl if:

• You are a customs broker, importer of record, exporter, or 3PL handling actual CBP entries.
• You need full U.S. tariff stack coverage (base + Section 232 + Section 301 + Chapter 99 + Section 122 + AD/CVD) with date-sensitive logic.
• Your classifications need to defend themselves in a CBP focused assessment with reasoning grounded in Section Notes, Chapter Notes, and CROSS rulings.
• You need to model sourcing scenarios across HTS candidates and origins (Tariff Sandbox).
• You operate at 1,000+ classifications or duty calculations per day and need API economics that scale.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is SimplyDuty accurate for U.S. import duties?

SimplyDuty handles base duty and recently added Section 122 reciprocal tariff support [1]. Public documentation does not detail the depth of Section 301, Section 232, Chapter 99, or AD/CVD coverage. For ecommerce checkout estimates the accuracy is generally adequate; for CBP entry filings, compliance teams typically use systems with documented full-stack coverage.

Does SimplyDuty have an API?

Yes. SimplyDuty offers three API endpoints: duty and tax calculation, product classification (returns a 10-digit HS code), and duty rates lookup. Pricing is £0.10 per call with no minimum [1] [2].

What is a SimplyDuty alternative for compliance teams?

For compliance teams, customs brokers, and 3PLs that need full-stack tariff coverage and audit-ready classification output, GingerControl is the alternative built around the iterative GRI reasoning approach used by licensed customs brokers, with an integrated Tariff Sandbox for sourcing engineering and an API designed for high-volume compliance workflows.

How does SimplyDuty handle Section 122 tariffs?

SimplyDuty has updated its calculator to include U.S. reciprocal tariff updates [1]. Section 122 went into effect February 24, 2026 at 10% and is set to expire July 24, 2026 under the 150-day statutory limit in 19 U.S.C. 2132. Verify the rate is applied with date-sensitive logic, not as a flat 10%.

Can SimplyDuty replace a customs broker for HTS classification?

No. Per CBP Ruling HQ H290535, providing HTS classifications beyond 6 digits for specific goods intended for importation constitutes "customs business" under 19 U.S.C. 1641 and requires a licensed customs broker. SimplyDuty's HS code API is a research/planning tool. The same disclaimer applies to GingerControl's Researcher.

Does GingerControl have pay-per-call pricing like SimplyDuty?

GingerControl operates on a subscription + API contract model rather than pay-per-call. The economics are built for teams running thousands of classifications and duty calculations per day. For occasional one-off lookups, SimplyDuty's pay-per-call model has a lower entry cost.

Which has better classification accuracy: SimplyDuty or GingerControl?

Accuracy depends on the question type. For straightforward ecommerce listings (e.g., a t-shirt, a phone case), single-shot APIs reach reasonable accuracy. For composite products that trigger GRI 3(b) essential character analysis, ambiguous descriptions, or items with material-mix questions, iterative classification with clarifying questions outperforms single-shot output. GingerControl is built around the iterative approach.

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Try GingerControl

If your team needs full U.S. tariff stack coverage, audit-ready HTS classification, and an API built for high-volume compliance workflows, GingerControl's HTS Classification Researcher and Tariff Calculator are built for the compliance layer. For sourcing scenario modeling, the Tariff Sandbox is the tariff engineering tool.

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Related Articles

• Tariff Calculator Software Compared: Coverage, Accuracy, Architecture
• Top Customs Duty Estimation Systems: Lookup, Cost Modeling, and Reconciliation Accuracy
• AI HTS Classification Tools Compared

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References

[REF 1] SimplyDuty, Pricing and Calculator Overview Source: SimplyDuty

[REF 2] SimplyDuty, API Tools Source: SimplyDuty API

[REF 3] GingerControl, Brand Positioning and API Scale Source: GingerControl