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Logistics · head to head

AfterShip vs Descartes MacroPoint

AfterShip logo

AfterShip

Logistics

Shipment tracking and logistics platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Descartes MacroPoint logo

Descartes MacroPoint

Logistics

Freight visibility network that tracks loads across carriers using ELD, telematics and driver mobile data

From
On request
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overage fees of $0.08 (lower tiers) or $0.12 (Premium plan); Descartes MacroPoint pricing is per tracked load and unpublished, and rates fall steeply with volume, so a small broker pays a much higher unit price than a large one for identical service and has little negotiating leverage.
  • They diverge on capability: AfterShip covers Shipment tracking, Descartes MacroPoint covers Carrier network.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where AfterShip and Descartes MacroPoint differ
AttributeAfterShipDescartes MacroPoint
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
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 MacroPoint

  • Carrier network
  • Multi-source tracking
  • Predictive ETA
  • Exception alerts
  • Multimodal
  • Capacity matching
  • API and TMS integration
  • Customer portals

What people use each for

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

AfterShip

  • Shippingnot Descartes MacroPoint
  • Returns trackingnot Descartes MacroPoint

Descartes MacroPoint

  • A freight broker whose largest customer has made tracking compliance a contract conditionnot AfterShip
  • A shipper wanting one tracking view across dozens of carriers rather than a portal per carriernot AfterShip
  • A 3PL measuring carrier performance on dwell and on-time arrival with data the carrier cannot disputenot AfterShip
  • An operation replacing check calls, where the labour saving alone justifies the per-load feenot 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 MacroPoint

  • Pricing is per tracked load and unpublished, and rates fall steeply with volume, so a small broker pays a much higher unit price than a large one for identical service and has little negotiating leverage.
  • Tracking depends on carrier consent, so coverage on any given lane is a percentage rather than a guarantee, and the carriers most likely to be untracked are the small ones causing the exceptions you care about.
  • Driver mobile tracking as the fallback depends on drivers accepting location sharing, and refusal rates mean visibility gaps that appear as service failures to your customer.
  • Ocean and air visibility is materially less mature than domestic North American truckload, so a global shipper ends up running a second platform for international freight.
  • MacroPoint is one product inside a large acquisitive software group, so roadmap attention and support responsiveness are set by Descartes portfolio priorities rather than by visibility customers.

Pricing, plan by plan

AfterShip

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

Descartes MacroPoint

On request
  • Descartes MacroPoint$undefined/year
    • Priced per tracked load with rates varying by mode and volume
    • Per-load rates fall substantially at high volume, so small shippers pay more per load
    • Annual subscription with minimum commitments

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 MacroPoint if

  • You need carrier network.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want multi-source tracking.
Descartes MacroPoint review

Questions people ask

Is AfterShip or Descartes MacroPoint better?
Neither clearly leads. AfterShip starts at Free and Descartes MacroPoint at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AfterShip or Descartes MacroPoint?
AfterShip has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for AfterShip and On request for Descartes MacroPoint.
Does AfterShip or Descartes MacroPoint run on more platforms?
AfterShip runs on Web, Mobile. Descartes MacroPoint 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 MacroPoint starts at On request.
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 MacroPoint is typically brought in for.
What can AfterShip do that Descartes MacroPoint cannot?
AfterShip covers Shipment tracking, Multi-carrier, Returns management, Analytics. Descartes MacroPoint covers Carrier network, Multi-source tracking, Predictive ETA, Exception alerts.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Descartes MacroPoint: How is MacroPoint priced?

Per tracked load, varying by mode and volume, quoted per customer. Nothing is published as a list price.

Descartes MacroPoint: What happens when a carrier has no telematics?

A driver mobile app is used as a fallback, which depends on the driver agreeing to share location.

Descartes MacroPoint: Is it only North American trucking?

No, it covers ocean, rail, LTL and parcel too, but truckload in North America is where coverage is strongest.

Descartes MacroPoint: Who owns it?

Descartes Systems Group, which acquired MacroPoint in 2017 and retains it as a named product.

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