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Logistics · head to head

Alpega vs Descartes Aljex

Alpega logo

Alpega

Logistics

European TMS and freight exchange group behind Teleroute and Wtransnet

From
On request
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

  • Each has a real cost: Alpega coverage is strongly European, so a shipper with significant North American or Asian volume will need a second TMS and will lose the single-system benefit that justified the purchase.; 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: Alpega covers Modular TMS, 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 Alpega and Descartes Aljex actually diverge.

Attributes where Alpega and Descartes Aljex differ
AttributeAlpegaDescartes Aljex
Starting priceOn request$699/month
Pricing modelquotePer month by plan
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Alpega

  • Modular TMS
  • Freight exchanges
  • TenderEasy
  • Real-time visibility
  • Carrier verification
  • Reusable packaging management
  • Analytics and reporting

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.

Alpega

  • A European manufacturer that needs both contracted transport planning and spot capacity from the same suppliernot Descartes Aljex
  • A shipper running periodic freight tenders across dozens of road hauliers and comparing rates on a common basisnot Descartes Aljex
  • A logistics provider needing verified carrier credentials and credit checks before handing over a loadnot Descartes Aljex
  • An operation tracking reusable pallets and crates through a European distribution networknot Descartes Aljex

Descartes Aljex

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

Where each one falls short

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

Alpega

  • Coverage is strongly European, so a shipper with significant North American or Asian volume will need a second TMS and will lose the single-system benefit that justified the purchase.
  • The group was assembled from acquisitions including Teleroute, Wtransnet, TenderEasy and inet, so modules differ in interface and data model and cross-module workflows are less joined up than the group branding implies.
  • The TMS and the freight exchanges are separately subscribed, so the combination that is the reason to choose Alpega costs two contracts rather than one.
  • Pricing is unpublished and typically volume based on shipments or transport orders, so a business whose freight volume grows faces a cost curve it cannot model in advance.
  • Freight exchange value depends entirely on carrier density on your specific lanes, and a shipper on thin or peripheral routes will find far less capacity than the headline carrier count suggests.

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

Alpega

On request
  • Alpega TMS$undefined/year
    • Modular subscription by function and geography
    • Priced by shipment or transport order volume
    • Implementation and carrier onboarding quoted separately
  • Freight exchange subscription$undefined/year
    • Teleroute, Wtransnet or 123cargo access
    • Subscription by user and country scope
    • Carrier verification and credit information included

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 Alpega if

  • You need modular tms.
  • You work on Web, Cloud, iOS, Android.
  • You also want freight exchanges.
Alpega 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 Alpega or Descartes Aljex better?
Neither clearly leads. Alpega starts at On request and Descartes Aljex at $699/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Alpega or Descartes Aljex?
Alpega starts at On request and Descartes Aljex at $699/month.
Does Alpega or Descartes Aljex run on more platforms?
Alpega runs on Web, Cloud, iOS, Android. Descartes Aljex runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Alpega best used for?
Alpega is most often used for a european manufacturer that needs both contracted transport planning and spot capacity from the same supplier, a shipper running periodic freight tenders across dozens of road hauliers and comparing rates on a common basis, a logistics provider needing verified carrier credentials and credit checks before handing over a load, an operation tracking reusable pallets and crates through a european distribution network. Of those, a european manufacturer that needs both contracted transport planning and spot capacity from the same supplier and a shipper running periodic freight tenders across dozens of road hauliers and comparing rates on a common basis are not what Descartes Aljex is typically brought in for.
What can Alpega do that Descartes Aljex cannot?
Alpega covers Modular TMS, Freight exchanges, TenderEasy, Real-time visibility. Descartes Aljex covers Published plan pricing, Load entry and dispatch, Carrier vetting, Lane pricing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Alpega: Are the freight exchanges included with the TMS?

No. Teleroute, Wtransnet and 123cargo are separately subscribed products, even though they belong to the same group.

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.

Alpega: Does Alpega work outside Europe?

Its carrier network and regulatory coverage are built around European road freight. It operates in around 80 countries but the density that makes it useful is intra-European.

Descartes Aljex: Is it priced per user?

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

Alpega: Is pricing published?

No. TMS pricing is quoted by module and usually by shipment or transport order volume. Exchange subscriptions are quoted by user and country scope.

Descartes Aljex: Are EDI connections included?

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

Alpega: What happened to Teleroute and Wtransnet as brands?

Both continue to trade under their own names as Alpega freight exchanges, alongside 123cargo.

Descartes Aljex: Can it handle international freight?

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

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