Softwr

Logistics · head to head

Alpega vs Descartes MacroPoint

Alpega logo

Alpega

Logistics

European TMS and freight exchange group behind Teleroute and Wtransnet

From
On request
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

  • 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will lose the single-system benefit that justified the purchase.; Descartes MacroPoint pricing is per tracked load and unpublished, and rates fall steeply with volume, so a small broker pays a much higher unit price than a large one for identical service and has little negotiating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: Alpega covers Modular TMS, Descartes MacroPoint covers Carrier network.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Alpega and Descartes MacroPoint differ
AttributeAlpegaDescartes MacroPoint
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), 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 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.

Alpega

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

Descartes MacroPoint

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

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 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 Alpega if

  • You need modular tms.
  • You work on Web, Cloud, iOS, Android.
  • You also want freight exchanges.
Alpega 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 Alpega or Descartes MacroPoint better?
Neither clearly leads. Alpega starts at On request and Descartes MacroPoint at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Alpega or Descartes MacroPoint?
Alpega starts at On request and Descartes MacroPoint at On request.
Does Alpega or Descartes MacroPoint run on more platforms?
Alpega runs on Web, Cloud, iOS, Android. Descartes MacroPoint 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 MacroPoint is typically brought in for.
What can Alpega do that Descartes MacroPoint cannot?
Alpega covers Modular TMS, Freight exchanges, TenderEasy, Real-time visibility. Descartes MacroPoint covers Carrier network, Multi-source tracking, Predictive ETA, Exception alerts.

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 MacroPoint: How is MacroPoint priced?

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

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 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.

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 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.

Alpega: What happened to Teleroute and Wtransnet as brands?

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

Descartes MacroPoint: Who owns it?

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

Share

Related pages

More on Alpega

More on Descartes MacroPoint

Keep looking

Other head to heads