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Logistics · head to head

Descartes MacroPoint vs Kuebix

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
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  • Each has a real cost: Descartes MacroPoint pricing is per tracked load and unpublished, and rates fall steeply with volume, so a small broker pays a much higher unit price than a large one for identical service and has little negotiating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.; 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: Descartes MacroPoint covers Carrier network, Kuebix covers Rate shopping.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Descartes MacroPoint and Kuebix differ
AttributeDescartes MacroPointKuebix
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, 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 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.

Descartes MacroPoint

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

Kuebix

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

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

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

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 Descartes MacroPoint if

  • You need carrier network.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want multi-source tracking.
Descartes MacroPoint 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 Descartes MacroPoint or Kuebix better?
Neither clearly leads. Descartes MacroPoint 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, Descartes MacroPoint or Kuebix?
Descartes MacroPoint starts at On request and Kuebix at On request.
Does Descartes MacroPoint or Kuebix run on more platforms?
Descartes MacroPoint runs on Web, iOS, Android. Kuebix runs on Web, 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 Kuebix is typically brought in for.
What can Descartes MacroPoint do that Kuebix cannot?
Descartes MacroPoint covers Carrier network, Multi-source tracking, Predictive ETA, Exception alerts. Kuebix covers Rate shopping, Booking and tendering, Shipment tracking, Freight audit support.

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.

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.

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.

Kuebix: Who owns Kuebix?

Trimble Inc., which acquired it in 2020.

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.

Kuebix: Is it a full TMS?

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

Descartes MacroPoint: Who owns it?

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

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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