Softwr

Logistics · head to head

Alpega vs Descartes Systems

Alpega logo

Alpega

Logistics

European TMS and freight exchange group behind Teleroute and Wtransnet

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Descartes Systems logo

Descartes Systems

Logistics

Logistics network connecting carriers, brokers and shippers, with customs and routing on top

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 Systems descartes has grown by acquisition over many years, so overlapping products with different data models and interfaces sit under one brand, and you must pin down exactly which product is on the quote.
  • They diverge on capability: Alpega covers Modular TMS, Descartes Systems covers Global Logistics Network.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Alpega and Descartes Systems differ
AttributeAlpegaDescartes Systems

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), platforms (Web, Cloud, iOS, Android), 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 Systems

  • Global Logistics Network
  • Customs and regulatory filing
  • Route planning and dispatch
  • Broker and forwarder systems
  • Denied party screening
  • Trade data intelligence
  • Ecommerce fulfilment

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 Systems
  • A shipper running periodic freight tenders across dozens of road hauliers and comparing rates on a common basisnot Descartes Systems
  • A logistics provider needing verified carrier credentials and credit checks before handing over a loadnot Descartes Systems
  • An operation tracking reusable pallets and crates through a European distribution networknot Descartes Systems

Descartes Systems

  • A customs broker needing to file declarations in multiple countries through one systemnot Alpega
  • A retailer running a private delivery fleet that needs routing, dispatch and proof of delivery in one placenot Alpega
  • A forwarder that wants carrier status messages arriving automatically instead of chasing them by emailnot Alpega
  • An exporter needing denied party screening and classification applied to every order before it shipsnot 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 Systems

  • Descartes has grown by acquisition over many years, so overlapping products with different data models and interfaces sit under one brand, and you must pin down exactly which product is on the quote.
  • Pricing is often transaction or document based, which means costs rise with business volume in a way seat-based software does not, and a peak season can produce a bill nobody modelled.
  • Connecting a trading partner who is not already on the Global Logistics Network is a project with its own cost, so the network advantage is real only for the partners already present.
  • Customs and compliance capability varies sharply by country, so a module that is mature in North America may be thin in the specific jurisdictions you actually file in.
  • Nothing is published on price and contracts typically carry volume commitments and multi-year terms, so an organisation whose volumes fall still pays the committed minimum.

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 Systems

On request
  • Descartes network and applications$undefined/year
    • Frequently priced by transaction or document volume rather than per seat
    • Module and country scope priced separately
    • Annual subscription with volume 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 Systems if

  • You need global logistics network.
  • You work on Web, Cloud, iOS, Android.
  • You also want customs and regulatory filing.
Descartes Systems review

Questions people ask

Is Alpega or Descartes Systems better?
Neither clearly leads. Alpega starts at On request and Descartes Systems at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Alpega or Descartes Systems?
Alpega starts at On request and Descartes Systems at On request.
Does Alpega or Descartes Systems run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Cloud, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
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 Systems is typically brought in for.
What can Alpega do that Descartes Systems cannot?
Alpega covers Modular TMS, Freight exchanges, TenderEasy, Real-time visibility. Descartes Systems covers Global Logistics Network, Customs and regulatory filing, Route planning and dispatch, Broker and forwarder systems.

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 Systems: Is Descartes one system or many?

Many. It is a portfolio built through acquisitions, connected by the Global Logistics Network. Establish which named product you are buying and how it integrates with the others.

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 Systems: How is it priced?

Usually by transaction or document volume rather than per user, with module and country scope quoted separately. Nothing is published.

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 Systems: What is the Global Logistics Network?

A shared connectivity network carrying EDI, carrier status messages, customs filings and shipment documents between trading partners, so each new partner does not require a bespoke integration.

Alpega: What happened to Teleroute and Wtransnet as brands?

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

Descartes Systems: Does it replace an ERP or a WMS?

No. It sits alongside them, handling connectivity, customs, routing and trade compliance rather than finance or warehouse execution.

Share

Related pages

More on Alpega

More on Descartes Systems

Keep looking

Other head to heads