Softwr

Logistics · head to head

Cargoson vs Descartes MacroPoint

Cargoson logo

Cargoson

Logistics

Transport management system for manufacturers shipping across road, air, sea and rail

From
$199/month
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cost: Cargoson monthly billing costs 25% more than annual billing; Descartes MacroPoint pricing is per tracked load and unpublished, and rates fall steeply with volume, so a small broker pays a much higher unit price than a large one for identical service and has little negotiating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.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Cargoson and Descartes MacroPoint differ
AttributeCargosonDescartes MacroPoint
Starting price$199/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWebWeb, 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 Cargoson

Nothing recorded that Descartes MacroPoint does not also cover.

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.

Cargoson

  • freight and shipment managementnot Descartes MacroPoint
  • logistics optimizationnot Descartes MacroPoint
  • carbon emissions reportingnot Descartes MacroPoint

Descartes MacroPoint

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

Where each one falls short

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

Cargoson

  • monthly billing costs 25% more than annual billing
  • one-time setup fee applies to all tiers
  • per-user limits prevent flexible team scaling

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

Cargoson

$199/month
  • Basic$199/month
    • 2 users
    • 100 shipments/month
  • Standard$399/month
    • 5 users
    • 1,000 shipments/month
  • Advanced$599/month
    • 10 users
    • 3,000 shipments/month
  • Enterprise$1000/month
    • unlimited users
    • custom shipment volume

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 Cargoson if

Nothing in the data separates Cargoson from Descartes MacroPoint on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Cargoson 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 Cargoson or Descartes MacroPoint better?
Neither clearly leads. Cargoson starts at $199/month and Descartes MacroPoint at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cargoson or Descartes MacroPoint?
Cargoson starts at $199/month and Descartes MacroPoint at On request.
Does Cargoson or Descartes MacroPoint run on more platforms?
Cargoson runs on Web. Descartes MacroPoint runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Cargoson best used for?
Cargoson is most often used for freight and shipment management, logistics optimization, carbon emissions reporting. Of those, freight and shipment management and logistics optimization are not what Descartes MacroPoint is typically brought in for.
What can Cargoson do that Descartes MacroPoint cannot?
Descartes MacroPoint covers Carrier network, Multi-source tracking, Predictive ETA, Exception alerts.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cargoson: How much does Cargoson cost?

Cargoson plans start at USD 199/month for Basic (annual billing) or USD 249/month on monthly billing, scaling to USD 1,000+/month for Enterprise with unlimited users.

Source
Descartes MacroPoint: How is MacroPoint priced?

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

Cargoson: Are there per-shipment fees on Cargoson?

No, Cargoson charges flat monthly subscription only; there are no per-shipment fees, providing transparent pricing regardless of volume.

Source
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.

Cargoson: Does Cargoson offer discounts for annual billing?

Yes, annual billing plans cost approximately 20-25% less than equivalent monthly plans; prorated billing applies when upgrading.

Source
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.

Cargoson: How many users are included in each Cargoson plan?

Basic includes 2 users, Standard includes 5 users, Advanced includes 10 users, and Enterprise includes unlimited users.

Source
Descartes MacroPoint: Who owns it?

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

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