Softwr

Logistics · head to head

AfterShip vs Descartes Aljex

AfterShip logo

AfterShip

Logistics

Shipment tracking and logistics platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
D

Descartes Aljex

Logistics

Freight brokerage TMS with published plan pricing, from 699 dollars a month for five users

From
$699/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only AfterShip has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: AfterShip paid tracking tiers as captured 16 November 2024 were priced at $9, $99, and $199 per month with per-extra-shipment overage fees of $0.08 (lower tiers) or $0.12 (Premium plan); Descartes Aljex customer EDI connections are metered by tier, with none on Essential, one on Professional and two on Enterprise, so a broker onboarding several EDI shippers pays above the published plan price.
  • They diverge on capability: AfterShip covers Shipment tracking, Descartes Aljex covers Published plan pricing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AfterShip and Descartes Aljex actually diverge.

Attributes where AfterShip and Descartes Aljex differ
AttributeAfterShipDescartes Aljex
Starting priceFree$699/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer month by plan
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, MobileWeb, iOS, Android
Founded2011Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Logistics).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in AfterShip

  • Shipment tracking
  • Multi-carrier
  • Returns management
  • Analytics
  • Shopify
  • WooCommerce
  • Email
  • Encryption

Only in Descartes Aljex

  • Published plan pricing
  • Load entry and dispatch
  • Carrier vetting
  • Lane pricing
  • Tracking integrations
  • Brokerage accounting
  • Agent security
  • Customer EDI

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

AfterShip

  • Shippingnot Descartes Aljex
  • Returns trackingnot Descartes Aljex

Descartes Aljex

  • A five-person brokerage that needs to know its monthly software cost before committing rather than after a discovery callnot AfterShip
  • An agent-based brokerage that must stop agents seeing each other customers and marginsnot AfterShip
  • A growing broker moving off spreadsheets and email who wants load boards, tracking and carrier vetting already connectednot AfterShip
  • A 3PL needing brokerage settlement and QuickBooks accounting without a separate finance integration projectnot AfterShip

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

AfterShip

  • Paid tracking tiers as captured 16 November 2024 were priced at $9, $99, and $199 per month with per-extra-shipment overage fees of $0.08 (lower tiers) or $0.12 (Premium plan)

Descartes Aljex

  • Customer EDI connections are metered by tier, with none on Essential, one on Professional and two on Enterprise, so a broker onboarding several EDI shippers pays above the published plan price.
  • The one-time implementation fee is not published at any tier, so the advertised monthly price is not the first-year cost.
  • User counts are bundled per tier, which means growing from five to six users on Essential forces a jump to the 999 dollar Professional plan rather than adding one seat.
  • It is a domestic brokerage system with no forwarding or customs capability, so any international freight work requires a second platform.
  • Descartes is an acquisitive group with several overlapping transportation products, so Aljex customers depend on portfolio decisions about which brokerage product receives investment.

Pricing, plan by plan

AfterShip

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic tracking
    • Limited shipments
  • Professional$99/month
    • Advanced features
    • Unlimited shipments

Descartes Aljex

$699/month
  • Essential$699/month
    • Five users included
    • Unlimited shipments
    • MacroPoint, MyCarrierPortal, load boards, ProMiles, QuickBooks and DAT RateView
  • Professional$999/month
    • Fifteen users included
    • Unlimited shipments and carrier profiles
    • Ten hours of support and training
  • Enterprise$2375/month
    • Unlimited users
    • Fifteen hours of support and training
    • Ninety-day hypercare period

Which should you pick?

Choose AfterShip if

  • You need shipment tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want multi-carrier.
AfterShip review

Choose Descartes Aljex if

  • You need published plan pricing.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want load entry and dispatch.
Descartes Aljex review

Questions people ask

Is AfterShip or Descartes Aljex better?
Neither clearly leads. AfterShip starts at Free and Descartes Aljex at $699/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AfterShip or Descartes Aljex?
AfterShip has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for AfterShip and $699/month for Descartes Aljex.
Does AfterShip or Descartes Aljex run on more platforms?
AfterShip runs on Web, Mobile. Descartes Aljex runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use AfterShip for free?
Yes. AfterShip has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Descartes Aljex starts at $699/month.
What is AfterShip best used for?
AfterShip is most often used for shipping, returns tracking. Of those, shipping and returns tracking are not what Descartes Aljex is typically brought in for.
What can AfterShip do that Descartes Aljex cannot?
AfterShip covers Shipment tracking, Multi-carrier, Returns management, Analytics. Descartes Aljex covers Published plan pricing, Load entry and dispatch, Carrier vetting, Lane pricing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Descartes Aljex: What does it cost?

Essential is 699 USD a month for five users, Professional from 999 USD for fifteen, Enterprise from 2,375 USD for unlimited users, plus a one-time implementation fee.

Descartes Aljex: Is it priced per user?

No. Users are bundled into each tier, so cost steps up between plans rather than per seat.

Descartes Aljex: Are EDI connections included?

One on Professional and two on Enterprise. Essential includes none, and additional connections cost extra.

Descartes Aljex: Can it handle international freight?

No. It is a domestic brokerage TMS with no customs or forwarding functionality.

Share

Related pages

More on AfterShip

More on Descartes Aljex

Keep looking

Other head to heads