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Logistics · head to head

Alvys vs Loadsmart

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
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: 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.; 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: Alvys covers Unified asset and brokerage loads, Loadsmart covers ShipperGuide TMS.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Alvys and Loadsmart actually diverge.

Attributes where Alvys and Loadsmart differ
AttributeAlvysLoadsmart

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), platforms (Web, iOS, Android, API), 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 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.

Alvys

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

Loadsmart

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

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

Alvys

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

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 Alvys if

  • You need unified asset and brokerage loads.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, API.
  • You also want dispatch board.
Alvys 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 Alvys or Loadsmart better?
Neither clearly leads. Alvys 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, Alvys or Loadsmart?
Alvys starts at On request and Loadsmart at On request.
Does Alvys or Loadsmart run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, API, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
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 Loadsmart is typically brought in for.
What can Alvys do that Loadsmart cannot?
Alvys covers Unified asset and brokerage loads, Dispatch board, Driver mobile app, Carrier onboarding. Loadsmart covers ShipperGuide TMS, Instant committed quotes, Opendock scheduling, NavTrac gate automation.

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.

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.

Alvys: Is it hosted or on premises?

Hosted only. There is no on premises deployment option.

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.

Alvys: Does it replace my accounting system?

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

Loadsmart: Does it publish pricing?

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

Alvys: Is pricing published?

No. Expect a quote based on users and volume.

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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