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Logistics · head to head

Descartes Aljex vs McLeod Software

D

Descartes Aljex

Logistics

Freight brokerage TMS with published plan pricing, from 699 dollars a month for five users

From
$699/month
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: Descartes Aljex customer EDI connections are metered by tier, with none on Essential, one on Professional and two on Enterprise, so a broker onboarding several EDI shippers pays above the published plan price.; 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: Descartes Aljex covers Published plan pricing, McLeod Software covers LoadMaster.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Descartes Aljex and McLeod Software actually diverge.

Attributes where Descartes Aljex and McLeod Software differ
AttributeDescartes AljexMcLeod Software
Starting price$699/monthOn request
Pricing modelPer month by planquote
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWindows, Web, iOS, Android

Identical on both: 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 Descartes Aljex

  • Published plan pricing
  • Load entry and dispatch
  • Carrier vetting
  • Lane pricing
  • Tracking integrations
  • Brokerage accounting
  • Agent security
  • Customer EDI

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.

Descartes Aljex

  • A five-person brokerage that needs to know its monthly software cost before committing rather than after a discovery callnot McLeod Software
  • An agent-based brokerage that must stop agents seeing each other customers and marginsnot McLeod Software
  • A growing broker moving off spreadsheets and email who wants load boards, tracking and carrier vetting already connectednot McLeod Software
  • A 3PL needing brokerage settlement and QuickBooks accounting without a separate finance integration projectnot McLeod Software

McLeod Software

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

Where each one falls short

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

Descartes Aljex

  • Customer EDI connections are metered by tier, with none on Essential, one on Professional and two on Enterprise, so a broker onboarding several EDI shippers pays above the published plan price.
  • The one-time implementation fee is not published at any tier, so the advertised monthly price is not the first-year cost.
  • User counts are bundled per tier, which means growing from five to six users on Essential forces a jump to the 999 dollar Professional plan rather than adding one seat.
  • It is a domestic brokerage system with no forwarding or customs capability, so any international freight work requires a second platform.
  • Descartes is an acquisitive group with several overlapping transportation products, so Aljex customers depend on portfolio decisions about which brokerage product receives investment.

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

Descartes Aljex

$699/month
  • Essential$699/month
    • Five users included
    • Unlimited shipments
    • MacroPoint, MyCarrierPortal, load boards, ProMiles, QuickBooks and DAT RateView
  • Professional$999/month
    • Fifteen users included
    • Unlimited shipments and carrier profiles
    • Ten hours of support and training
  • Enterprise$2375/month
    • Unlimited users
    • Fifteen hours of support and training
    • Ninety-day hypercare period

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 Descartes Aljex if

  • You need published plan pricing.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want load entry and dispatch.
Descartes Aljex 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 Descartes Aljex or McLeod Software better?
Neither clearly leads. Descartes Aljex starts at $699/month and McLeod Software at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Descartes Aljex or McLeod Software?
Descartes Aljex starts at $699/month and McLeod Software at On request.
Does Descartes Aljex or McLeod Software run on more platforms?
Descartes Aljex runs on Web, iOS, Android. McLeod Software runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
What is Descartes Aljex best used for?
Descartes Aljex is most often used for a five-person brokerage that needs to know its monthly software cost before committing rather than after a discovery call, an agent-based brokerage that must stop agents seeing each other customers and margins, a growing broker moving off spreadsheets and email who wants load boards, tracking and carrier vetting already connected, a 3pl needing brokerage settlement and quickbooks accounting without a separate finance integration project. Of those, a five-person brokerage that needs to know its monthly software cost before committing rather than after a discovery call and an agent-based brokerage that must stop agents seeing each other customers and margins are not what McLeod Software is typically brought in for.
What can Descartes Aljex do that McLeod Software cannot?
Descartes Aljex covers Published plan pricing, Load entry and dispatch, Carrier vetting, Lane pricing. McLeod Software covers LoadMaster, PowerBroker, Driver pay and settlements, EDI and integration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Descartes Aljex: What does it cost?

Essential is 699 USD a month for five users, Professional from 999 USD for fifteen, Enterprise from 2,375 USD for unlimited users, plus a one-time implementation fee.

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.

Descartes Aljex: Is it priced per user?

No. Users are bundled into each tier, so cost steps up between plans rather than per seat.

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.

Descartes Aljex: Are EDI connections included?

One on Professional and two on Enterprise. Essential includes none, and additional connections cost extra.

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.

Descartes Aljex: Can it handle international freight?

No. It is a domestic brokerage TMS with no customs or forwarding functionality.

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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