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Logistics · head to head

Descartes MacroPoint vs Rose Rocket

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
Rose Rocket logo

Rose Rocket

Logistics

Transportation management system built around customer portals and an open API for carriers

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Descartes MacroPoint pricing is per tracked load and unpublished, and rates fall steeply with volume, so a small broker pays a much higher unit price than a large one for identical service and has little negotiating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.; Rose Rocket settlement and driver pay handling is lighter than the established asset carrier systems, so a fleet with layered owner operator pay schemes ends up maintaining calculations in spreadsheets alongside the system.
  • They diverge on capability: Descartes MacroPoint covers Carrier network, Rose Rocket covers Branded shipper portal.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Descartes MacroPoint and Rose Rocket actually diverge.

Attributes where Descartes MacroPoint and Rose Rocket differ
AttributeDescartes MacroPointRose Rocket
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, 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 Descartes MacroPoint

  • Carrier network
  • Multi-source tracking
  • Predictive ETA
  • Exception alerts
  • Multimodal
  • Capacity matching
  • API and TMS integration
  • Customer portals

Only in Rose Rocket

  • Branded shipper portal
  • LTL and final mile planning
  • Driver mobile app
  • Open API
  • Billing and rating
  • Dispatch board

What people use each for

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

Descartes MacroPoint

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

Rose Rocket

  • A regional LTL carrier losing bids to national networks because it cannot offer shipper self serve trackingnot Descartes MacroPoint
  • A final mile or courier operation that needs manifesting and scanning rather than long haul truckload dispatchnot Descartes MacroPoint
  • A carrier with an in house development team that wants to build custom workflows against a documented APInot Descartes MacroPoint
  • A growing fleet moving off a legacy on premises system and unwilling to run its own database serversnot Descartes MacroPoint

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Rose Rocket

  • Settlement and driver pay handling is lighter than the established asset carrier systems, so a fleet with layered owner operator pay schemes ends up maintaining calculations in spreadsheets alongside the system.
  • It is not an accounting package, so the general ledger stays in QuickBooks, Xero or similar and month end still involves a reconciliation between two systems.
  • The strength is North American LTL and final mile, and truckload only carriers get less out of the portal and manifesting features they are paying for.
  • Pricing is not published and is structured per user, so a carrier with many part time dispatchers, terminal clerks and after hours staff pays for seats that are used a few hours a week.
  • The customer portal only helps if your shippers use it, and a carrier serving small shippers that still email pickup requests will not see the differentiation it bought.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Rose Rocket

On request
  • Rose Rocket$undefined/year
    • Transportation management and dispatch
    • Branded customer portal
    • Driver mobile application and API access

Which should you pick?

Choose Descartes MacroPoint if

  • You need carrier network.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want multi-source tracking.
Descartes MacroPoint review

Choose Rose Rocket if

  • You need branded shipper portal.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, API.
  • You also want ltl and final mile planning.
Rose Rocket review

Questions people ask

Is Descartes MacroPoint or Rose Rocket better?
Neither clearly leads. Descartes MacroPoint starts at On request and Rose Rocket at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Descartes MacroPoint or Rose Rocket?
Descartes MacroPoint starts at On request and Rose Rocket at On request.
Does Descartes MacroPoint or Rose Rocket run on more platforms?
Descartes MacroPoint runs on Web, iOS, Android. Rose Rocket runs on Web, iOS, Android, API.
What is Descartes MacroPoint best used for?
Descartes MacroPoint is most often used for a freight broker whose largest customer has made tracking compliance a contract condition, a shipper wanting one tracking view across dozens of carriers rather than a portal per carrier, a 3pl measuring carrier performance on dwell and on-time arrival with data the carrier cannot dispute, an operation replacing check calls, where the labour saving alone justifies the per-load fee. Of those, a freight broker whose largest customer has made tracking compliance a contract condition and a shipper wanting one tracking view across dozens of carriers rather than a portal per carrier are not what Rose Rocket is typically brought in for.
What can Descartes MacroPoint do that Rose Rocket cannot?
Descartes MacroPoint covers Carrier network, Multi-source tracking, Predictive ETA, Exception alerts. Rose Rocket covers Branded shipper portal, LTL and final mile planning, Driver mobile app, Open API.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Descartes MacroPoint: How is MacroPoint priced?

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

Rose Rocket: Is it built for truckload or LTL?

LTL, courier and final mile are where the planning and portal features earn their cost. Truckload works but uses less of the product.

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.

Rose Rocket: Does it handle driver settlements?

Basic pay handling is present. Complex owner operator schemes usually need work outside the system.

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.

Rose Rocket: Is there a public API?

Yes, and it is one of the reasons carriers with development capacity choose it.

Descartes MacroPoint: Who owns it?

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

Rose Rocket: Where is the company based?

Toronto, Canada, with customers across Canada and the United States.

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