Softwr

Logistics · head to head

Alvys vs Descartes Systems

Alvys logo

Alvys

Logistics

Cloud transportation management system built for carriers and brokers that run both sides of the business

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: Alvys the company was founded in 2020, so the integration catalogue is short compared with systems that have spent thirty years accumulating EDI trading partner maps, and a customer with an unusual shipper connection may be funding that build.; 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: Alvys covers Unified asset and brokerage loads, 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 Alvys and Descartes Systems actually diverge.

Attributes where Alvys and Descartes Systems differ
AttributeAlvysDescartes Systems
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, APIWeb, Cloud, 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 Alvys

  • Unified asset and brokerage loads
  • Dispatch board
  • Driver mobile app
  • Carrier onboarding
  • Settlements and invoicing
  • Load and lane 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.

Alvys

  • A carrier with its own trucks that also brokers overflow freight and is tired of reconciling two systemsnot Descartes Systems
  • A growing brokerage that wants a hosted system without an on premises database server and a DBAnot Descartes Systems
  • A trucking company that needs drivers to submit paperwork from the cab instead of at the terminal on Fridaynot Descartes Systems
  • A fleet replacing spreadsheets for settlements and wanting per load margin without a month end exercisenot Descartes Systems

Descartes Systems

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

Where each one falls short

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

Alvys

  • The company was founded in 2020, so the integration catalogue is short compared with systems that have spent thirty years accumulating EDI trading partner maps, and a customer with an unusual shipper connection may be funding that build.
  • There is effectively no independent consultant market, so implementation, data migration and configuration expertise all come from the vendor, which is a single point of dependency during a cutover.
  • Accounting depth is limited and most customers still run a general ledger in QuickBooks or similar, so the TMS is a subledger rather than the finance system.
  • Complex driver pay schemes, cross border currency handling and heavy accessorial structures in drayage are areas where the older systems are more complete and where workarounds are still common.
  • Pricing is not published, so a buyer cannot size the cost before entering a sales process, and per user pricing on a dispatch team with part time night staff can be an unpleasant surprise.

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

Alvys

On request
  • Alvys TMS$undefined/year
    • Dispatch, brokerage and settlements
    • Driver mobile application
    • Integrations and reporting

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 Alvys if

  • You need unified asset and brokerage loads.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, API.
  • You also want dispatch board.
Alvys 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 Alvys or Descartes Systems better?
Neither clearly leads. Alvys 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, Alvys or Descartes Systems?
Alvys starts at On request and Descartes Systems at On request.
Does Alvys or Descartes Systems run on more platforms?
Alvys runs on Web, iOS, Android, API. Descartes Systems runs on Web, Cloud, iOS, Android.
What is Alvys best used for?
Alvys is most often used for a carrier with its own trucks that also brokers overflow freight and is tired of reconciling two systems, a growing brokerage that wants a hosted system without an on premises database server and a dba, a trucking company that needs drivers to submit paperwork from the cab instead of at the terminal on friday, a fleet replacing spreadsheets for settlements and wanting per load margin without a month end exercise. Of those, a carrier with its own trucks that also brokers overflow freight and is tired of reconciling two systems and a growing brokerage that wants a hosted system without an on premises database server and a dba are not what Descartes Systems is typically brought in for.
What can Alvys do that Descartes Systems cannot?
Alvys covers Unified asset and brokerage loads, Dispatch board, Driver mobile app, Carrier onboarding. Descartes Systems covers Global Logistics Network, Customs and regulatory filing, Route planning and dispatch, Broker and forwarder systems.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Alvys: Does it work for a company that only brokers?

Yes, and also for one that only hauls. The point is that it does not force a choice.

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.

Alvys: Is it hosted or on premises?

Hosted only. There is no on premises deployment option.

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.

Alvys: Does it replace my accounting system?

No. It handles settlements and invoicing and pushes to an accounting package.

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.

Alvys: Is pricing published?

No. Expect a quote based on users and volume.

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 Alvys

More on Descartes Systems

Keep looking

Other head to heads