Softwr

Logistics · head to head

Loadsmart vs ShipHero

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
ShipHero logo

ShipHero

Logistics

Warehouse management for e-commerce

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.; ShipHero pricing details not disclosed on public website; requires contacting sales
  • They diverge on capability: Loadsmart covers ShipperGuide TMS, ShipHero covers Warehouse management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Loadsmart and ShipHero actually diverge.

Attributes where Loadsmart and ShipHero differ
AttributeLoadsmartShipHero
Pricing modelquoteUnknown
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, APIWeb
FoundedUnknown2013

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 ShipHero

  • Warehouse management
  • Pick/pack/ship
  • Inventory tracking
  • Automation rules
  • 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 ShipHero
  • A warehouse operator that needs to stop scheduling inbound appointments by phone and email across a fragmented carrier basenot ShipHero
  • A shipper that wants instant committed truckload capacity on lanes where it does not hold contract ratesnot ShipHero
  • A distribution centre trying to measure and reduce driver dwell time with automated gate capture rather than clipboard logsnot ShipHero

ShipHero

  • Multi-carrier shipping with live rate shopping (UPS, FedEx, USPS, DHL)not Loadsmart
  • Warehouse management with picking, packing, and returns automationnot Loadsmart
  • Labour management and workforce performance trackingnot Loadsmart
  • Integration with major e-commerce platforms (Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce, TikTok Shop)not 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.

ShipHero

  • Pricing details not disclosed on public website; requires contacting sales
  • No published technical system requirements or browser compatibility specifications
  • Custom quote model requires enterprise sales engagement for pricing transparency

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

ShipHero

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the ShipHero 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 ShipHero if

  • You need warehouse management.
  • You also want pick/pack/ship.
ShipHero review

Questions people ask

Is Loadsmart or ShipHero better?
Neither clearly leads. Loadsmart starts at On request and ShipHero at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Loadsmart or ShipHero?
Loadsmart starts at On request and ShipHero at On request.
Does Loadsmart or ShipHero run on more platforms?
Loadsmart runs on Web, iOS, Android, API. ShipHero runs on Web.
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 ShipHero is typically brought in for.
What can Loadsmart do that ShipHero cannot?
Loadsmart covers ShipperGuide TMS, Instant committed quotes, Opendock scheduling, NavTrac gate automation. ShipHero covers Warehouse management, Pick/pack/ship, Inventory tracking, Automation rules.

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.

ShipHero: What is ShipHero's pricing model?

ShipHero does not publish pricing on its homepage. The company uses a direct sales model, directing customers to book a demo or contact their sales team at [email protected] to discuss pricing.

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.

ShipHero: Is ShipHero expensive?

ShipHero states that the solution to warehouse inefficiency is not as expensive as you might think, suggesting competitive pricing. However, specific costs require contacting sales.

Source
Loadsmart: Does it publish pricing?

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

ShipHero: Can I try ShipHero before committing?

The site does not mention a free trial. To evaluate ShipHero, customers must schedule a demo with the sales team.

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 ShipHero

Keep looking

Other head to heads