Softwr

Logistics · head to head

CargoWise vs Kuebix

CargoWise logo

CargoWise

Logistics

Single-database freight forwarding and customs platform, repriced in December 2025 to per-transaction Value Packs

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Kuebix logo

Kuebix

Logistics

Shipper TMS known for its free tier, acquired by Trimble in 2020 and now sold inside the Trimble portfolio

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: CargoWise the December 2025 shift to per-transaction Value Packs repriced roughly 95 percent of the customer base, with early 2026 reports of twenty to fifty percent cost increases and large monthly rises at short notice.; Kuebix the free tier that made the product well known was the reason most buyers looked at it, and after the Trimble acquisition the entry level commercial terms are no longer what the widely circulated reviews describe, so any research older than the acquisition is misleading.
  • They diverge on capability: CargoWise covers Single global database, Kuebix covers Rate shopping.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CargoWise and Kuebix actually diverge.

Attributes where CargoWise and Kuebix differ
AttributeCargoWiseKuebix
PlatformsWeb, Windows, CloudWeb, API

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 CargoWise

  • Single global database
  • Customs compliance
  • Value Packs licensing
  • Forwarding operations
  • Warehouse management
  • Accounting
  • eDocs and messaging
  • Universal Data Interchange

Only in Kuebix

  • Rate shopping
  • Booking and tendering
  • Shipment tracking
  • Freight audit support
  • Community capacity
  • Reporting

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

CargoWise

  • A multinational forwarder wanting one shipment record across origin booking, customs clearance and destination deliverynot Kuebix
  • A customs broker needing maintained regulatory content across many jurisdictions rather than building declarations in housenot Kuebix
  • A 3PL consolidating forwarding, warehousing and financial accounting on one databasenot Kuebix
  • Trading electronically with other CargoWise users through the shared data interchange rather than building point-to-point EDInot Kuebix

Kuebix

  • A small shipper with negotiated LTL rates that currently compares carriers in a spreadsheetnot CargoWise
  • A distributor wanting to check carrier invoices against quoted rates without buying a freight audit servicenot CargoWise
  • A shipper already invested in Trimble transportation technology and wanting the shipper side from the same vendornot CargoWise
  • A logistics team needing basic lane and carrier spend reporting without an enterprise TMS implementationnot CargoWise

Where each one falls short

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

CargoWise

  • The December 2025 shift to per-transaction Value Packs repriced roughly 95 percent of the customer base, with early 2026 reports of twenty to fifty percent cost increases and large monthly rises at short notice.
  • Pricing is now tied to transaction volume, so growth in the forwarding business raises the software bill proportionally, which inverts the economics of the old seat-based model for high-volume low-margin traffic.
  • WiseTech publishes no price list, so the only way to know what the new model costs your business is a written projection from an account representative.
  • Enterprise implementations are routinely cited in the hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars with professional services making up a large share, and organisations commonly underestimate that by a wide margin.
  • The system is deep and unforgiving to learn, so staff turnover carries a real productivity cost and trained CargoWise operators command a premium in the labour market.

Kuebix

  • The free tier that made the product well known was the reason most buyers looked at it, and after the Trimble acquisition the entry level commercial terms are no longer what the widely circulated reviews describe, so any research older than the acquisition is misleading.
  • Ownership by Trimble means the roadmap is set against a portfolio strategy centred on carrier and fleet technology, and shipper side investment competes internally with products that sell to a different customer.
  • It is a rating and booking tool rather than a full transportation management system, so shippers with multi leg, international or complex allocation requirements outgrow it quickly.
  • Rate accuracy depends on the shipper loading and maintaining its own carrier contracts, and stale rate tables produce confident quotes that the carrier invoice then contradicts.
  • Support and account management now run through a large diversified vendor, and small shippers on entry level arrangements report less direct access than they had with the original company.

Pricing, plan by plan

CargoWise

On request
  • CargoWise Value Packs$undefined/month
    • Per-transaction automation fee replacing the seat and transaction licence model from December 2025
    • Unlimited users and more than two hundred modules bundled into the transaction fee
    • Standard CargoWise Cloud hosting costs removed from the model

Kuebix

On request
  • Kuebix (Trimble Transportation)$undefined/year
    • Shipper rating, booking and tracking
    • Carrier rate management
    • Reporting and freight audit support

Which should you pick?

Choose CargoWise if

  • You need single global database.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Cloud.
  • You also want customs compliance.
CargoWise review

Choose Kuebix if

  • You need rate shopping.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want booking and tendering.
Kuebix review

Questions people ask

Is CargoWise or Kuebix better?
Neither clearly leads. CargoWise starts at On request and Kuebix at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CargoWise or Kuebix?
CargoWise starts at On request and Kuebix at On request.
Does CargoWise or Kuebix run on more platforms?
CargoWise runs on Web, Windows, Cloud. Kuebix runs on Web, API.
What is CargoWise best used for?
CargoWise is most often used for a multinational forwarder wanting one shipment record across origin booking, customs clearance and destination delivery, a customs broker needing maintained regulatory content across many jurisdictions rather than building declarations in house, a 3pl consolidating forwarding, warehousing and financial accounting on one database, trading electronically with other cargowise users through the shared data interchange rather than building point-to-point edi. Of those, a multinational forwarder wanting one shipment record across origin booking, customs clearance and destination delivery and a customs broker needing maintained regulatory content across many jurisdictions rather than building declarations in house are not what Kuebix is typically brought in for.
What can CargoWise do that Kuebix cannot?
CargoWise covers Single global database, Customs compliance, Value Packs licensing, Forwarding operations. Kuebix covers Rate shopping, Booking and tendering, Shipment tracking, Freight audit support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CargoWise: What changed in December 2025?

WiseTech moved about 95 percent of CargoWise customers from seat and transaction licensing to Value Packs, a per-transaction fee bundling modules and unlimited users.

Kuebix: Is Kuebix still free?

Do not assume so. The free community tier was central to the original company and the terms changed after Trimble acquired the business in 2020. Confirm current availability with Trimble.

CargoWise: Are seat fees gone?

Under Value Packs, yes, along with standard CargoWise Cloud hosting charges. Cost is driven by transaction volume instead.

Kuebix: Who owns Kuebix?

Trimble Inc., which acquired it in 2020.

CargoWise: Does WiseTech publish prices?

No. Reported per-transaction figures come from forwarders and consultants, not from a vendor price list.

Kuebix: Is it a full TMS?

It is strongest at LTL rate shopping, booking and tracking. Complex multimodal planning is not its territory.

CargoWise: What does implementation cost?

Enterprise deployments are commonly reported in the hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars, with professional services a large share of the total.

Kuebix: Does it work with my own carrier contracts?

Yes, that is the core use case, but you are responsible for keeping the rate tables current.

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