Softwr

Maritime · head to head

Kaleris vs Loadsmart

Kaleris logo

Kaleris

Maritime

Terminal operating, yard, rail and vessel software assembled from acquired supply chain brands

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Loadsmart logo

Loadsmart

Logistics

Digital freight brokerage sold together with the TMS, dock scheduling and gate tools that book the loads

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Kaleris the portfolio was assembled by acquisition, so the single platform description is commercial rather than technical, and connecting two Kaleris products often requires professional services and a custom interface.; Loadsmart the brokerage and the software share a parent, so quotes shown inside ShipperGuide are Loadsmart capacity offers rather than a neutral market view, and a shipper wanting a benchmark has to source rates elsewhere.
  • They diverge on capability: Kaleris covers Terminal operating system, Loadsmart covers ShipperGuide TMS.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kaleris and Loadsmart actually diverge.

Attributes where Kaleris and Loadsmart differ
AttributeKalerisLoadsmart
PlatformsWeb, On-premise, Private cloudWeb, iOS, Android, API
CategoryMaritimeLogistics

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Kaleris

  • Terminal operating system
  • Yard management
  • Transportation management
  • Carrier and vessel solutions
  • Rail visibility
  • Maintenance and repair operations
  • Execution and visibility platform
  • Equipment control integration

Only in Loadsmart

  • ShipperGuide TMS
  • Instant committed quotes
  • Opendock scheduling
  • NavTrac gate automation
  • Managed transportation
  • Carrier app and load board

What people use each for

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

Kaleris

  • A container terminal replacing a legacy or in-house terminal operating system before an automation programmenot Loadsmart
  • A port authority standardising several terminals on one operating system and reporting layernot Loadsmart
  • An ocean carrier that needs stowage planning and vessel performance tooling alongside terminal systemsnot Loadsmart
  • A rail or intermodal operator trying to reduce demurrage exposure with asset level visibilitynot Loadsmart

Loadsmart

  • A mid market shipper with no TMS that wants tendering, tracking and reporting without funding a licence and an integration project separatelynot Kaleris
  • A warehouse operator that needs to stop scheduling inbound appointments by phone and email across a fragmented carrier basenot Kaleris
  • A shipper that wants instant committed truckload capacity on lanes where it does not hold contract ratesnot Kaleris
  • A distribution centre trying to measure and reduce driver dwell time with automated gate capture rather than clipboard logsnot Kaleris

Where each one falls short

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

Kaleris

  • The portfolio was assembled by acquisition, so the single platform description is commercial rather than technical, and connecting two Kaleris products often requires professional services and a custom interface.
  • A terminal operating system implementation runs 12 to 24 months with parallel operation, and the software licence is a minor line next to integration, equipment interfaces and retraining crane and gate staff.
  • Private equity ownership means the roadmap is shaped by acquisition strategy and an eventual exit, and a terminal signing a decade-long dependency has no visibility of who the next owner will be.
  • Configuration expertise is concentrated in the vendor and a small consultancy pool, so terminals end up buying vendor services for changes an internal team should be able to make.
  • The strength is container handling, and bulk, breakbulk and ro-ro terminals get a thinner functional fit that has to be closed with configuration and workarounds.

Loadsmart

  • The brokerage and the software share a parent, so quotes shown inside ShipperGuide are Loadsmart capacity offers rather than a neutral market view, and a shipper wanting a benchmark has to source rates elsewhere.
  • Instant quoting only works where Loadsmart has carrier depth, so a shipper running thin regional or rural lanes finds committed pricing unavailable in exactly the conditions where it would have been most valuable.
  • Opendock depends on carriers and drivers creating accounts and booking their own slots, so a facility with hundreds of small carriers spends months chasing adoption before the appointment data is complete enough to act on.
  • Pricing is not published and is negotiated per shipper, frequently alongside a freight volume expectation, which makes it hard to compare against an independent TMS licence and awkward to unwind if you later move the freight to another provider.
  • The portfolio was assembled by acquisition, with Opendock and NavTrac bought in separately, and the modules still behave as separate applications with their own logins and reporting rather than a single system.

Pricing, plan by plan

Kaleris

On request
  • Kaleris platform$undefined/year
    • Quoted per site, by throughput and modules taken
    • Implementation and integration services are the larger share of first-year cost
    • Equipment and gate interfaces scoped and priced individually

Loadsmart

On request
  • ShipperGuide$undefined/year
    • Transportation management for shippers
    • Quoting, tendering and execution
    • Reporting and rate benchmarking
  • Opendock$undefined/year
    • Dock appointment scheduling by facility
    • Carrier self service booking
    • Door and dwell reporting

Which should you pick?

Choose Kaleris if

  • You need terminal operating system.
  • You work on Web, On-premise, Private cloud.
  • You also want yard management.
Kaleris review

Choose Loadsmart if

  • You need shipperguide tms.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, API.
  • You also want instant committed quotes.
Loadsmart review

Questions people ask

Is Kaleris or Loadsmart better?
Neither clearly leads. Kaleris starts at On request and Loadsmart at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kaleris or Loadsmart?
Kaleris starts at On request and Loadsmart at On request.
Does Kaleris or Loadsmart run on more platforms?
Kaleris runs on Web, On-premise, Private cloud. Loadsmart runs on Web, iOS, Android, API.
What is Kaleris best used for?
Kaleris is most often used for a container terminal replacing a legacy or in-house terminal operating system before an automation programme, a port authority standardising several terminals on one operating system and reporting layer, an ocean carrier that needs stowage planning and vessel performance tooling alongside terminal systems, a rail or intermodal operator trying to reduce demurrage exposure with asset level visibility. Of those, a container terminal replacing a legacy or in-house terminal operating system before an automation programme and a port authority standardising several terminals on one operating system and reporting layer are not what Loadsmart is typically brought in for.
What can Kaleris do that Loadsmart cannot?
Kaleris covers Terminal operating system, Yard management, Transportation management, Carrier and vessel solutions. Loadsmart covers ShipperGuide TMS, Instant committed quotes, Opendock scheduling, NavTrac gate automation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Kaleris: Is Kaleris the same thing as Navis?

No. Navis is the terminal operating system product line, now owned by Kaleris after Cargotec sold it to Accel-KKR in 2021. Kaleris is the parent group and sells several other product lines alongside it.

Loadsmart: Can I use ShipperGuide with my own contracted carriers and not Loadsmart capacity?

Yes, it will tender to your carrier panel, but the instant quoting and the managed service are where the product invests and where the commercial relationship sits.

Kaleris: Who owns Kaleris?

It is backed by the private equity firm Accel-KKR and assembled from acquired software businesses.

Loadsmart: Is Opendock sold separately from the brokerage?

Yes. It is the most commonly standalone purchase, and warehouses buy it without ever tendering freight to Loadsmart.

Kaleris: How long does a terminal operating system deployment take?

Plan for 12 to 24 months at a working container terminal, including parallel running. Anything shorter usually means a limited scope or a small facility.

Loadsmart: Does it publish pricing?

No. Every deal is quoted, and software cost is often discussed together with freight volume.

Kaleris: Does it suit bulk or breakbulk terminals?

Less well. The functional depth is in container handling, and other cargo types require significant configuration.

Loadsmart: How does it compare to a visibility platform like project44?

It is not a visibility network. Tracking covers freight moving through Loadsmart and connected carriers, not your whole carrier base across every mode.

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