Softwr

Logistics · head to head

Loadsmart vs ShipBob

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
ShipBob logo

ShipBob

Logistics

E-commerce fulfillment and logistics platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; ShipBob no published pricing available; all costs require custom quote request
  • They diverge on capability: Loadsmart covers ShipperGuide TMS, ShipBob covers Fulfillment services.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Loadsmart and ShipBob actually diverge.

Attributes where Loadsmart and ShipBob differ
AttributeLoadsmartShipBob
Pricing modelquoteUnknown
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, APIWeb, API
FoundedUnknown2014

Identical on both: starting price (On request), 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 Loadsmart

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

Only in ShipBob

  • Fulfillment services
  • Inventory management
  • Distributed warehousing
  • 2-day shipping
  • Shopify
  • Amazon
  • WooCommerce
  • BigCommerce

What people use each for

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

Loadsmart

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

ShipBob

  • E-commerce order fulfillment and logisticsnot Loadsmart
  • Multi-location inventory managementnot Loadsmart
  • 2-day shipping across continental United Statesnot Loadsmart
  • Global shipping to 250+ destinationsnot Loadsmart
  • B2B and marketplace order fulfillmentnot Loadsmart
  • Branded packaging and unboxing experiencesnot Loadsmart
  • Returns managementnot Loadsmart

Where each one falls short

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

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.

ShipBob

  • No published pricing available; all costs require custom quote request
  • No free tier or free trial available

Pricing, plan by plan

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

ShipBob

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the ShipBob review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Loadsmart if

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

Choose ShipBob if

  • You need fulfillment services.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want inventory management.
ShipBob review

Questions people ask

Is Loadsmart or ShipBob better?
Neither clearly leads. Loadsmart starts at On request and ShipBob at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Loadsmart or ShipBob?
Loadsmart starts at On request and ShipBob at On request.
Does Loadsmart or ShipBob run on more platforms?
Loadsmart runs on Web, iOS, Android, API. ShipBob runs on Web, API.
What is Loadsmart best used for?
Loadsmart is most often used for a mid market shipper with no tms that wants tendering, tracking and reporting without funding a licence and an integration project separately, a warehouse operator that needs to stop scheduling inbound appointments by phone and email across a fragmented carrier base, a shipper that wants instant committed truckload capacity on lanes where it does not hold contract rates, a distribution centre trying to measure and reduce driver dwell time with automated gate capture rather than clipboard logs. Of those, a mid market shipper with no tms that wants tendering, tracking and reporting without funding a licence and an integration project separately and a warehouse operator that needs to stop scheduling inbound appointments by phone and email across a fragmented carrier base are not what ShipBob is typically brought in for.
What can Loadsmart do that ShipBob cannot?
Loadsmart covers ShipperGuide TMS, Instant committed quotes, Opendock scheduling, NavTrac gate automation. ShipBob covers Fulfillment services, Inventory management, Distributed warehousing, 2-day shipping.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

ShipBob: How much does ShipBob cost?

ShipBob uses quote-based pricing reflective of total fulfillment costs including inventory receiving, warehousing, picking, packing, and shipping. Specific pricing requires submitting a custom quote form with business details.

Source
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.

ShipBob: Is ShipBob software free?

Yes, ShipBob's software is completely free for all customers, as well as connecting all turnkey integrations. Customers only pay for fulfillment services and shipping costs.

Source
Loadsmart: Does it publish pricing?

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

ShipBob: What additional services can incur fees with ShipBob?

Additional fees apply for specialized services including kitting, B2B/wholesale orders, EDI compliance, returns processing, custom packaging storage, branded boxes, and any services beyond standard fulfillment.

Source
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.

Share

Related pages

More on Loadsmart

More on ShipBob

Keep looking

Other head to heads