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Logistics · head to head

Descartes MacroPoint vs Shippabo

Descartes MacroPoint logo

Descartes MacroPoint

Logistics

Freight visibility network that tracks loads across carriers using ELD, telematics and driver mobile data

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Shippabo logo

Shippabo

Logistics

Freight forwarder with its own import management platform, priced on container volume

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Descartes MacroPoint pricing is per tracked load and unpublished, and rates fall steeply with volume, so a small broker pays a much higher unit price than a large one for identical service and has little negotiating leverage.; Shippabo the software is priced on container volume under an annual service agreement, so the fee moves with freight rather than usage and a soft import season still carries a committed cost.
  • They diverge on capability: Descartes MacroPoint covers Carrier network, Shippabo covers Purchase order tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Descartes MacroPoint and Shippabo actually diverge.

Attributes where Descartes MacroPoint and Shippabo differ
AttributeDescartes MacroPointShippabo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb

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 Descartes MacroPoint

  • Carrier network
  • Multi-source tracking
  • Predictive ETA
  • Exception alerts
  • Multimodal
  • Capacity matching
  • API and TMS integration
  • Customer portals

Only in Shippabo

  • Purchase order tracking
  • Shipment visibility
  • Customs brokerage
  • Supplier collaboration
  • Landed cost
  • System integrations

What people use each for

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

Descartes MacroPoint

  • A freight broker whose largest customer has made tracking compliance a contract conditionnot Shippabo
  • A shipper wanting one tracking view across dozens of carriers rather than a portal per carriernot Shippabo
  • A 3PL measuring carrier performance on dwell and on-time arrival with data the carrier cannot disputenot Shippabo
  • An operation replacing check calls, where the labour saving alone justifies the per-load feenot Shippabo

Shippabo

  • A mid-sized importer bringing containers from China that needs PO-level visibility without building it in-housenot Descartes MacroPoint
  • A wholesaler that wants factories updating purchase order status directly instead of by emailnot Descartes MacroPoint
  • A retailer needing landed cost per shipment to price goods before they arrivenot Descartes MacroPoint
  • An importer consolidating forwarding, customs brokerage and tracking with one providernot Descartes MacroPoint

Where each one falls short

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

Descartes MacroPoint

  • Pricing is per tracked load and unpublished, and rates fall steeply with volume, so a small broker pays a much higher unit price than a large one for identical service and has little negotiating leverage.
  • Tracking depends on carrier consent, so coverage on any given lane is a percentage rather than a guarantee, and the carriers most likely to be untracked are the small ones causing the exceptions you care about.
  • Driver mobile tracking as the fallback depends on drivers accepting location sharing, and refusal rates mean visibility gaps that appear as service failures to your customer.
  • Ocean and air visibility is materially less mature than domestic North American truckload, so a global shipper ends up running a second platform for international freight.
  • MacroPoint is one product inside a large acquisitive software group, so roadmap attention and support responsiveness are set by Descartes portfolio priorities rather than by visibility customers.

Shippabo

  • The software is priced on container volume under an annual service agreement, so the fee moves with freight rather than usage and a soft import season still carries a committed cost.
  • Platform and forwarding are bought together, which makes tendering freight to a cheaper carrier expensive because you risk losing the visibility layer your team uses.
  • As a small forwarder it has less network depth and weaker space allocation than the global incumbents, which bites hardest in a tight ocean market when capacity is rationed to large accounts.
  • Nothing is published about price, so importers cannot benchmark the software fee against independent visibility vendors without a sales process.
  • Coverage is concentrated on the trans-Pacific import lane, so companies with significant intra-Europe, Latin American or export flows need a second provider anyway.

Pricing, plan by plan

Descartes MacroPoint

On request
  • Descartes MacroPoint$undefined/year
    • Priced per tracked load with rates varying by mode and volume
    • Per-load rates fall substantially at high volume, so small shippers pay more per load
    • Annual subscription with minimum commitments

Shippabo

On request
  • Shippabo Platform$undefined/year
    • Annual software service agreement
    • Priced on container volume and partner count
    • Purchase order and container visibility

Which should you pick?

Choose Descartes MacroPoint if

  • You need carrier network.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want multi-source tracking.
Descartes MacroPoint review

Choose Shippabo if

  • You need purchase order tracking.
  • You also want shipment visibility.
Shippabo review

Questions people ask

Is Descartes MacroPoint or Shippabo better?
Neither clearly leads. Descartes MacroPoint starts at On request and Shippabo at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Descartes MacroPoint or Shippabo?
Descartes MacroPoint starts at On request and Shippabo at On request.
Does Descartes MacroPoint or Shippabo run on more platforms?
Descartes MacroPoint runs on Web, iOS, Android. Shippabo runs on Web.
What is Descartes MacroPoint best used for?
Descartes MacroPoint is most often used for a freight broker whose largest customer has made tracking compliance a contract condition, a shipper wanting one tracking view across dozens of carriers rather than a portal per carrier, a 3pl measuring carrier performance on dwell and on-time arrival with data the carrier cannot dispute, an operation replacing check calls, where the labour saving alone justifies the per-load fee. Of those, a freight broker whose largest customer has made tracking compliance a contract condition and a shipper wanting one tracking view across dozens of carriers rather than a portal per carrier are not what Shippabo is typically brought in for.
What can Descartes MacroPoint do that Shippabo cannot?
Descartes MacroPoint covers Carrier network, Multi-source tracking, Predictive ETA, Exception alerts. Shippabo covers Purchase order tracking, Shipment visibility, Customs brokerage, Supplier collaboration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Descartes MacroPoint: How is MacroPoint priced?

Per tracked load, varying by mode and volume, quoted per customer. Nothing is published as a list price.

Shippabo: Is Shippabo still trading?

Yes. The platform and freight services are active, operated by Galleon Technology with United States and China operations.

Descartes MacroPoint: What happens when a carrier has no telematics?

A driver mobile app is used as a fallback, which depends on the driver agreeing to share location.

Shippabo: Can I buy the software without using Shippabo as my forwarder?

The visibility product is sold as an annual agreement priced on container volume and partners, so it is structured around the freight relationship rather than as a standalone subscription.

Descartes MacroPoint: Is it only North American trucking?

No, it covers ocean, rail, LTL and parcel too, but truckload in North America is where coverage is strongest.

Shippabo: How is it priced?

On container volume and partner count under an annual software service agreement. No figures are published.

Descartes MacroPoint: Who owns it?

Descartes Systems Group, which acquired MacroPoint in 2017 and retains it as a named product.

Shippabo: Is it a neutral multi-carrier platform?

No. It is a forwarder's own platform, so it will not give you a genuinely carrier-agnostic view of freight you tender elsewhere.

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