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Logistics · head to head

Descartes Aljex vs Uber Freight

D

Descartes Aljex

Logistics

Freight brokerage TMS with published plan pricing, from 699 dollars a month for five users

From
$699/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Uber Freight logo

Uber Freight

Logistics

Managed transportation and brokerage built on the Transplace business Uber bought for about 2.25 billion dollars

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Descartes Aljex customer EDI connections are metered by tier, with none on Essential, one on Professional and two on Enterprise, so a broker onboarding several EDI shippers pays above the published plan price.; Uber Freight managed transportation puts the carrier relationships, the rate history and the operating knowledge inside the provider, so bringing the function back in house later means rebuilding all three from a standing start.
  • They diverge on capability: Descartes Aljex covers Published plan pricing, Uber Freight covers Managed transportation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Descartes Aljex and Uber Freight actually diverge.

Attributes where Descartes Aljex and Uber Freight differ
AttributeDescartes AljexUber Freight
Starting price$699/monthOn request
Pricing modelPer month by planquote
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, API

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 Descartes Aljex

  • Published plan pricing
  • Load entry and dispatch
  • Carrier vetting
  • Lane pricing
  • Tracking integrations
  • Brokerage accounting
  • Agent security
  • Customer EDI

Only in Uber Freight

  • Managed transportation
  • Network TMS
  • Instant spot pricing
  • Powerloop trailer pool
  • Carrier app
  • Shipper analytics

What people use each for

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

Descartes Aljex

  • A five-person brokerage that needs to know its monthly software cost before committing rather than after a discovery callnot Uber Freight
  • An agent-based brokerage that must stop agents seeing each other customers and marginsnot Uber Freight
  • A growing broker moving off spreadsheets and email who wants load boards, tracking and carrier vetting already connectednot Uber Freight
  • A 3PL needing brokerage settlement and QuickBooks accounting without a separate finance integration projectnot Uber Freight

Uber Freight

  • A large shipper that wants to outsource the transportation department rather than licence a TMS and staff itnot Descartes Aljex
  • A shipper needing spot truckload capacity priced instantly without running a bidnot Descartes Aljex
  • A manufacturer trying to cut detention cost at plants by moving to drop and hook trailer poolsnot Descartes Aljex
  • A shipper consolidating a fragmented regional carrier base under one operating team and one set of reportsnot Descartes Aljex

Where each one falls short

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

Descartes Aljex

  • Customer EDI connections are metered by tier, with none on Essential, one on Professional and two on Enterprise, so a broker onboarding several EDI shippers pays above the published plan price.
  • The one-time implementation fee is not published at any tier, so the advertised monthly price is not the first-year cost.
  • User counts are bundled per tier, which means growing from five to six users on Essential forces a jump to the 999 dollar Professional plan rather than adding one seat.
  • It is a domestic brokerage system with no forwarding or customs capability, so any international freight work requires a second platform.
  • Descartes is an acquisitive group with several overlapping transportation products, so Aljex customers depend on portfolio decisions about which brokerage product receives investment.

Uber Freight

  • Managed transportation puts the carrier relationships, the rate history and the operating knowledge inside the provider, so bringing the function back in house later means rebuilding all three from a standing start.
  • The business is an assembly of Uber brokerage and Transplace managed services, and shippers report that the technology a managed customer uses is not the same product a spot customer sees, which complicates any evaluation based on demonstrations.
  • Uber Freight has cut staff during freight downturns, and a managed customer feels that directly because service quality depends on the size and tenure of the assigned operating team.
  • Instant pricing is a Uber Freight capacity commitment rather than a market index, so a shipper using it as a benchmark is measuring one provider appetite rather than the spot market.
  • Depth outside North American truckload is uneven, and shippers with substantial ocean, air or European road freight generally keep separate providers and separate systems.

Pricing, plan by plan

Descartes Aljex

$699/month
  • Essential$699/month
    • Five users included
    • Unlimited shipments
    • MacroPoint, MyCarrierPortal, load boards, ProMiles, QuickBooks and DAT RateView
  • Professional$999/month
    • Fifteen users included
    • Unlimited shipments and carrier profiles
    • Ten hours of support and training
  • Enterprise$2375/month
    • Unlimited users
    • Fifteen hours of support and training
    • Ninety-day hypercare period

Uber Freight

On request
  • Managed Transportation$undefined/year
    • Outsourced transportation operations
    • Network TMS access
    • Dedicated operating team and reporting
  • Brokerage$undefined/year
    • Spot and contract truckload capacity
    • Instant priced quotes
    • Tracking and document handling

Which should you pick?

Choose Descartes Aljex if

  • You need published plan pricing.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want load entry and dispatch.
Descartes Aljex review

Choose Uber Freight if

  • You need managed transportation.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, API.
  • You also want network tms.
Uber Freight review

Questions people ask

Is Descartes Aljex or Uber Freight better?
Neither clearly leads. Descartes Aljex starts at $699/month and Uber Freight at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Descartes Aljex or Uber Freight?
Descartes Aljex starts at $699/month and Uber Freight at On request.
Does Descartes Aljex or Uber Freight run on more platforms?
Descartes Aljex runs on Web, iOS, Android. Uber Freight runs on Web, iOS, Android, API.
What is Descartes Aljex best used for?
Descartes Aljex is most often used for a five-person brokerage that needs to know its monthly software cost before committing rather than after a discovery call, an agent-based brokerage that must stop agents seeing each other customers and margins, a growing broker moving off spreadsheets and email who wants load boards, tracking and carrier vetting already connected, a 3pl needing brokerage settlement and quickbooks accounting without a separate finance integration project. Of those, a five-person brokerage that needs to know its monthly software cost before committing rather than after a discovery call and an agent-based brokerage that must stop agents seeing each other customers and margins are not what Uber Freight is typically brought in for.
What can Descartes Aljex do that Uber Freight cannot?
Descartes Aljex covers Published plan pricing, Load entry and dispatch, Carrier vetting, Lane pricing. Uber Freight covers Managed transportation, Network TMS, Instant spot pricing, Powerloop trailer pool.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Descartes Aljex: What does it cost?

Essential is 699 USD a month for five users, Professional from 999 USD for fifteen, Enterprise from 2,375 USD for unlimited users, plus a one-time implementation fee.

Uber Freight: Is Uber Freight just the app?

No. Managed transportation, which came from the Transplace acquisition, is the larger part of the business for enterprise shippers.

Descartes Aljex: Is it priced per user?

No. Users are bundled into each tier, so cost steps up between plans rather than per seat.

Uber Freight: What did Uber pay for Transplace?

The 2022 deal was valued at approximately 2.25 billion dollars in cash and stock.

Descartes Aljex: Are EDI connections included?

One on Professional and two on Enterprise. Essential includes none, and additional connections cost extra.

Uber Freight: Is Uber Freight profitable and stable?

It is a division of Uber Technologies and took a 550 million dollar outside investment in 2023 led by Greenbriar Equity Group, which had sold Transplace to it the year before.

Descartes Aljex: Can it handle international freight?

No. It is a domestic brokerage TMS with no customs or forwarding functionality.

Uber Freight: Can I licence the TMS on its own?

The platform is sold as part of a managed or brokerage relationship rather than as standalone licensed software.

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