Softwr

Logistics · head to head

Loadsmart vs ShipMonk

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
ShipMonk logo

ShipMonk

Logistics

Third-party logistics fulfillment for direct-to-consumer ecommerce brands

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.; ShipMonk no published pricing available; all costs require custom quote request based on order volume
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Loadsmart and ShipMonk actually diverge.

Attributes where Loadsmart and ShipMonk differ
AttributeLoadsmartShipMonk
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, APIWeb

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 Loadsmart

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

Only in ShipMonk

Nothing recorded that Loadsmart does not also cover.

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

ShipMonk

  • Processing returns with customizable workflows and per-carton feesnot Loadsmart
  • Managing special projects like inventory counting and labelingnot Loadsmart
  • Adding gift messages for personalized unboxing experiencesnot Loadsmart
  • Wrapping delicate items with specialized packaging materialsnot Loadsmart
  • Fulfilling international orders across 200+ countriesnot 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.

ShipMonk

  • No published pricing available; all costs require custom quote request based on order volume
  • Monthly minimum charge calculated by multiplying projected monthly order volume by first-item pick fee, then reduced by 20%

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

ShipMonk

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the ShipMonk 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 ShipMonk if

Nothing in the data separates ShipMonk from Loadsmart on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

ShipMonk review

Questions people ask

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

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.

ShipMonk: How much does ShipMonk cost?

ShipMonk uses quote-based custom pricing calculated from storage fees, fulfillment fees based on order volume, variable shipping rates, and special project charges. A monthly minimum applies based on projected monthly order volume.

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.

ShipMonk: What fees does ShipMonk charge?

ShipMonk charges fees for storage (based on size, sales, quantity), fulfillment (pick-and-pack, receiving, returns), shipping (based on weight, dimensions, destination), and special projects. Platform and onboarding fees are included in custom quotes.

Source
Loadsmart: Does it publish pricing?

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

ShipMonk: What additional services cost extra with ShipMonk?

ShipMonk charges separate fees for returns processing per carton, gift messaging with standard or custom cards, fragile wrapping based on product dimensions, lot control tracking per carton, and non-palletized container unloading based on container size.

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 ShipMonk

Keep looking

Other head to heads