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Logistics · head to head

Alvys vs Descartes MacroPoint

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 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: 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with an unusual shipper connection may be funding that build.; Descartes MacroPoint pricing is per tracked load and unpublished, and rates fall steeply with volume, so a small broker pays a much higher unit price than a large one for identical service and has little negotiating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.
  • They diverge on capability: Alvys covers Unified asset and brokerage loads, Descartes MacroPoint covers Carrier network.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Alvys and Descartes MacroPoint differ
AttributeAlvysDescartes MacroPoint
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, APIWeb, 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 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.

Alvys

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

Descartes MacroPoint

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

Alvys

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

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 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 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 Alvys or Descartes MacroPoint better?
Neither clearly leads. Alvys starts at On request and Descartes MacroPoint at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Alvys or Descartes MacroPoint?
Alvys starts at On request and Descartes MacroPoint at On request.
Does Alvys or Descartes MacroPoint run on more platforms?
Alvys runs on Web, iOS, Android, API. Descartes MacroPoint runs on Web, 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 MacroPoint is typically brought in for.
What can Alvys do that Descartes MacroPoint cannot?
Alvys covers Unified asset and brokerage loads, Dispatch board, Driver mobile app, Carrier onboarding. Descartes MacroPoint covers Carrier network, Multi-source tracking, Predictive ETA, Exception alerts.

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 MacroPoint: How is MacroPoint priced?

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

Alvys: Is it hosted or on premises?

Hosted only. There is no on premises deployment option.

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.

Alvys: Does it replace my accounting system?

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

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.

Alvys: Is pricing published?

No. Expect a quote based on users and volume.

Descartes MacroPoint: Who owns it?

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

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