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Logistics · head to head

AfterShip vs McLeod Software

AfterShip logo

AfterShip

Logistics

Shipment tracking and logistics platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
McLeod Software logo

McLeod Software

Logistics

The long standing transportation management system for North American asset carriers and brokerages

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); McLeod Software it is a Microsoft SQL Server application that most customers still run on their own servers, so the total cost includes hardware, database administration and a disaster recovery plan that the vendor does not provide.
  • They diverge on capability: AfterShip covers Shipment tracking, McLeod Software covers LoadMaster.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AfterShip and McLeod Software actually diverge.

Attributes where AfterShip and McLeod Software differ
AttributeAfterShipMcLeod Software
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, MobileWindows, Web, 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 McLeod Software

  • LoadMaster
  • PowerBroker
  • Driver pay and settlements
  • EDI and integration
  • Document Power imaging
  • Business intelligence

What people use each for

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

AfterShip

  • Shippingnot McLeod Software
  • Returns trackingnot McLeod Software

McLeod Software

  • A truckload carrier above one hundred trucks whose driver pay rules break every simpler system it has triednot AfterShip
  • A brokerage that needs carrier payables, factoring interfaces and settlement controls rather than a load board with invoicingnot AfterShip
  • A carrier required by large shippers to exchange EDI tenders, status messages and invoices in specific formatsnot AfterShip
  • A company running both assets and a brokerage that wants each side on the vendor system built for itnot 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)

McLeod Software

  • It is a Microsoft SQL Server application that most customers still run on their own servers, so the total cost includes hardware, database administration and a disaster recovery plan that the vendor does not provide.
  • Version upgrades are projects rather than background events, and carriers routinely run releases that are a year or more old because upgrading requires testing every customisation and integration.
  • Licensing is per seat with modules priced separately, so a carrier with part time weekend dispatchers or occasional finance users pays full seats for people who log in a few hours a week.
  • The interface is dense and built for trained operators, and onboarding a new dispatcher takes weeks rather than days, which is expensive in a role with high turnover.
  • Pricing is never published and implementations commonly run six months or more with vendor or partner services, so the first year cost is a multiple of the annual licence and difficult to estimate before a sales process.

Pricing, plan by plan

AfterShip

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

McLeod Software

On request
  • LoadMaster$undefined/year
    • Asset carrier transportation management
    • Driver pay and settlements
    • Dispatch and equipment management
  • PowerBroker$undefined/year
    • Brokerage operations
    • Carrier procurement and payables
    • Customer billing

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 McLeod Software if

  • You need loadmaster.
  • You work on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want powerbroker.
McLeod Software review

Questions people ask

Is AfterShip or McLeod Software better?
Neither clearly leads. AfterShip starts at Free and McLeod Software at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AfterShip or McLeod Software?
AfterShip has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for AfterShip and On request for McLeod Software.
Does AfterShip or McLeod Software run on more platforms?
AfterShip runs on Web, Mobile. McLeod Software runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use AfterShip for free?
Yes. AfterShip has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. McLeod Software 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 McLeod Software is typically brought in for.
What can AfterShip do that McLeod Software cannot?
AfterShip covers Shipment tracking, Multi-carrier, Returns management, Analytics. McLeod Software covers LoadMaster, PowerBroker, Driver pay and settlements, EDI and integration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

McLeod Software: Is McLeod available as a hosted service?

Yes, McLeod offers hosting, but a large part of the installed base still runs on premises and budgets accordingly.

McLeod Software: Can a fifty truck carrier use it?

It will run, but the licence and implementation economics rarely make sense below roughly one hundred trucks.

McLeod Software: Who owns McLeod Software?

It has remained privately held and independent since it was founded in 1985, which is unusual in this market.

McLeod Software: How long is a typical implementation?

Plan for six months or more once data migration, EDI setup and settlement rule configuration are included.

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