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Logistics · head to head

Descartes Aljex vs Shipwell

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
Shipwell logo

Shipwell

Logistics

Cloud transportation management with a built-in carrier network, sold on freight volume not seats

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.; Shipwell pricing is not published and is set on freight volume, so the cost rises through a peak season regardless of how much anyone uses the software.
  • They diverge on capability: Descartes Aljex covers Published plan pricing, Shipwell covers Rate shopping.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Descartes Aljex and Shipwell actually diverge.

Attributes where Descartes Aljex and Shipwell differ
AttributeDescartes AljexShipwell
Starting price$699/monthOn request
Pricing modelPer month by planquote
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, API

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 Shipwell

  • Rate shopping
  • Automated tendering
  • Real-time tracking
  • Freight audit and pay
  • Carrier network
  • Analytics

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 Shipwell
  • An agent-based brokerage that must stop agents seeing each other customers and marginsnot Shipwell
  • A growing broker moving off spreadsheets and email who wants load boards, tracking and carrier vetting already connectednot Shipwell
  • A 3PL needing brokerage settlement and QuickBooks accounting without a separate finance integration projectnot Shipwell

Shipwell

  • A mid-market shipper running truckload tenders on spreadsheets and emailnot Descartes Aljex
  • A broker replacing a legacy operating system without building one in-housenot Descartes Aljex
  • A manufacturer that needs proof of delivery and exception alerts pushed into its ERPnot Descartes Aljex
  • A logistics team that wants freight audit to catch accessorial overbilling automaticallynot 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.

Shipwell

  • Pricing is not published and is set on freight volume, so the cost rises through a peak season regardless of how much anyone uses the software.
  • Shipwell operates a carrier network as well as the TMS, so the vendor running your tender is also a bidder in it, which weakens the neutrality a competitive sourcing process depends on.
  • Coverage is heavily North American, and international ocean, air and customs handling is thin compared with a forwarder-grade platform.
  • ERP and WMS integrations turn deployment into a project with its own cost and timeline rather than a configuration exercise.
  • The company is small relative to the enterprise TMS incumbents, which matters for a system that sits in the path of every shipment if support or roadmap continuity slips.

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

Shipwell

On request
  • Shipwell TMS$undefined/year
    • Annual contract priced on freight volume
    • Rate shopping, tendering and tracking
    • Freight audit and payment

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 Shipwell if

  • You need rate shopping.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, API.
  • You also want automated tendering.
Shipwell review

Questions people ask

Is Descartes Aljex or Shipwell better?
Neither clearly leads. Descartes Aljex starts at $699/month and Shipwell at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Descartes Aljex or Shipwell?
Descartes Aljex starts at $699/month and Shipwell at On request.
Does Descartes Aljex or Shipwell run on more platforms?
Descartes Aljex runs on Web, iOS, Android. Shipwell runs on Web, iOS, Android, API.
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 Shipwell is typically brought in for.
What can Descartes Aljex do that Shipwell cannot?
Descartes Aljex covers Published plan pricing, Load entry and dispatch, Carrier vetting, Lane pricing. Shipwell covers Rate shopping, Automated tendering, Real-time tracking, Freight audit and pay.

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.

Shipwell: How much does Shipwell cost?

It is not published. Contracts are annual and priced on freight volume; third-party listings suggest entry engagements around $1,000 a month, which should be treated as indicative only.

Descartes Aljex: Is it priced per user?

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

Shipwell: Does Shipwell broker freight as well as sell software?

Yes. It operates its own carrier network alongside the TMS, which speeds up sourcing but means the platform provider also competes for your loads.

Descartes Aljex: Are EDI connections included?

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

Shipwell: Is it suitable for international freight?

It is built around North American truckload and LTL. International ocean and air handling is limited.

Descartes Aljex: Can it handle international freight?

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

Shipwell: Is there a free trial?

No. Deployment involves configuration and integration work, so evaluation happens through a demo and a scoped implementation.

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