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Logistics · head to head

Alpega vs McLeod Software

Alpega logo

Alpega

Logistics

European TMS and freight exchange group behind Teleroute and Wtransnet

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
McLeod Software logo

McLeod Software

Logistics

The long standing transportation management system for North American asset carriers and brokerages

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Alpega coverage is strongly European, so a shipper with significant North American or Asian volume will need a second TMS and will lose the single-system benefit that justified the purchase.; McLeod Software it is a Microsoft SQL Server application that most customers still run on their own servers, so the total cost includes hardware, database administration and a disaster recovery plan that the vendor does not provide.
  • They diverge on capability: Alpega covers Modular TMS, McLeod Software covers LoadMaster.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Alpega and McLeod Software actually diverge.

Attributes where Alpega and McLeod Software differ
AttributeAlpegaMcLeod Software
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, iOS, AndroidWindows, Web, iOS, Android

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 Alpega

  • Modular TMS
  • Freight exchanges
  • TenderEasy
  • Real-time visibility
  • Carrier verification
  • Reusable packaging management
  • Analytics and reporting

Only in McLeod Software

  • LoadMaster
  • PowerBroker
  • Driver pay and settlements
  • EDI and integration
  • Document Power imaging
  • Business intelligence

What people use each for

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

Alpega

  • A European manufacturer that needs both contracted transport planning and spot capacity from the same suppliernot McLeod Software
  • A shipper running periodic freight tenders across dozens of road hauliers and comparing rates on a common basisnot McLeod Software
  • A logistics provider needing verified carrier credentials and credit checks before handing over a loadnot McLeod Software
  • An operation tracking reusable pallets and crates through a European distribution networknot McLeod Software

McLeod Software

  • A truckload carrier above one hundred trucks whose driver pay rules break every simpler system it has triednot Alpega
  • A brokerage that needs carrier payables, factoring interfaces and settlement controls rather than a load board with invoicingnot Alpega
  • A carrier required by large shippers to exchange EDI tenders, status messages and invoices in specific formatsnot Alpega
  • A company running both assets and a brokerage that wants each side on the vendor system built for itnot Alpega

Where each one falls short

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

Alpega

  • Coverage is strongly European, so a shipper with significant North American or Asian volume will need a second TMS and will lose the single-system benefit that justified the purchase.
  • The group was assembled from acquisitions including Teleroute, Wtransnet, TenderEasy and inet, so modules differ in interface and data model and cross-module workflows are less joined up than the group branding implies.
  • The TMS and the freight exchanges are separately subscribed, so the combination that is the reason to choose Alpega costs two contracts rather than one.
  • Pricing is unpublished and typically volume based on shipments or transport orders, so a business whose freight volume grows faces a cost curve it cannot model in advance.
  • Freight exchange value depends entirely on carrier density on your specific lanes, and a shipper on thin or peripheral routes will find far less capacity than the headline carrier count suggests.

McLeod Software

  • It is a Microsoft SQL Server application that most customers still run on their own servers, so the total cost includes hardware, database administration and a disaster recovery plan that the vendor does not provide.
  • Version upgrades are projects rather than background events, and carriers routinely run releases that are a year or more old because upgrading requires testing every customisation and integration.
  • Licensing is per seat with modules priced separately, so a carrier with part time weekend dispatchers or occasional finance users pays full seats for people who log in a few hours a week.
  • The interface is dense and built for trained operators, and onboarding a new dispatcher takes weeks rather than days, which is expensive in a role with high turnover.
  • Pricing is never published and implementations commonly run six months or more with vendor or partner services, so the first year cost is a multiple of the annual licence and difficult to estimate before a sales process.

Pricing, plan by plan

Alpega

On request
  • Alpega TMS$undefined/year
    • Modular subscription by function and geography
    • Priced by shipment or transport order volume
    • Implementation and carrier onboarding quoted separately
  • Freight exchange subscription$undefined/year
    • Teleroute, Wtransnet or 123cargo access
    • Subscription by user and country scope
    • Carrier verification and credit information included

McLeod Software

On request
  • LoadMaster$undefined/year
    • Asset carrier transportation management
    • Driver pay and settlements
    • Dispatch and equipment management
  • PowerBroker$undefined/year
    • Brokerage operations
    • Carrier procurement and payables
    • Customer billing

Which should you pick?

Choose Alpega if

  • You need modular tms.
  • You work on Web, Cloud, iOS, Android.
  • You also want freight exchanges.
Alpega review

Choose McLeod Software if

  • You need loadmaster.
  • You work on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want powerbroker.
McLeod Software review

Questions people ask

Is Alpega or McLeod Software better?
Neither clearly leads. Alpega starts at On request and McLeod Software at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Alpega or McLeod Software?
Alpega starts at On request and McLeod Software at On request.
Does Alpega or McLeod Software run on more platforms?
Alpega runs on Web, Cloud, iOS, Android. McLeod Software runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
What is Alpega best used for?
Alpega is most often used for a european manufacturer that needs both contracted transport planning and spot capacity from the same supplier, a shipper running periodic freight tenders across dozens of road hauliers and comparing rates on a common basis, a logistics provider needing verified carrier credentials and credit checks before handing over a load, an operation tracking reusable pallets and crates through a european distribution network. Of those, a european manufacturer that needs both contracted transport planning and spot capacity from the same supplier and a shipper running periodic freight tenders across dozens of road hauliers and comparing rates on a common basis are not what McLeod Software is typically brought in for.
What can Alpega do that McLeod Software cannot?
Alpega covers Modular TMS, Freight exchanges, TenderEasy, Real-time visibility. McLeod Software covers LoadMaster, PowerBroker, Driver pay and settlements, EDI and integration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Alpega: Are the freight exchanges included with the TMS?

No. Teleroute, Wtransnet and 123cargo are separately subscribed products, even though they belong to the same group.

McLeod Software: Is McLeod available as a hosted service?

Yes, McLeod offers hosting, but a large part of the installed base still runs on premises and budgets accordingly.

Alpega: Does Alpega work outside Europe?

Its carrier network and regulatory coverage are built around European road freight. It operates in around 80 countries but the density that makes it useful is intra-European.

McLeod Software: Can a fifty truck carrier use it?

It will run, but the licence and implementation economics rarely make sense below roughly one hundred trucks.

Alpega: Is pricing published?

No. TMS pricing is quoted by module and usually by shipment or transport order volume. Exchange subscriptions are quoted by user and country scope.

McLeod Software: Who owns McLeod Software?

It has remained privately held and independent since it was founded in 1985, which is unusual in this market.

Alpega: What happened to Teleroute and Wtransnet as brands?

Both continue to trade under their own names as Alpega freight exchanges, alongside 123cargo.

McLeod Software: How long is a typical implementation?

Plan for six months or more once data migration, EDI setup and settlement rule configuration are included.

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