Softwr

Logistics · head to head

Descartes MacroPoint vs Shipwell

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
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  • Each has a real cost: Descartes MacroPoint pricing is per tracked load and unpublished, and rates fall steeply with volume, so a small broker pays a much higher unit price than a large one for identical service and has little negotiating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.; 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 MacroPoint covers Multi-source tracking, Shipwell covers Rate shopping.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Descartes MacroPoint and Shipwell differ
AttributeDescartes MacroPointShipwell
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, API

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

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

Only in Shipwell

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

Both cover

  • Carrier network

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 Shipwell
  • A shipper wanting one tracking view across dozens of carriers rather than a portal per carriernot Shipwell
  • A 3PL measuring carrier performance on dwell and on-time arrival with data the carrier cannot disputenot Shipwell
  • An operation replacing check calls, where the labour saving alone justifies the per-load feenot Shipwell

Shipwell

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

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 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

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 MacroPoint if

  • You need multi-source tracking.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want predictive eta.
Descartes MacroPoint 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 MacroPoint or Shipwell better?
Neither clearly leads. Descartes MacroPoint starts at On request and Shipwell at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Descartes MacroPoint or Shipwell?
Descartes MacroPoint starts at On request and Shipwell at On request.
Does Descartes MacroPoint or Shipwell run on more platforms?
Descartes MacroPoint runs on Web, iOS, Android. Shipwell runs on Web, iOS, Android, API.
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 Shipwell is typically brought in for.
What can Descartes MacroPoint do that Shipwell cannot?
Descartes MacroPoint covers Multi-source tracking, Predictive ETA, Exception alerts, Multimodal. Shipwell covers Rate shopping, Automated tendering, Real-time tracking, Freight audit and pay. Both handle Carrier network.

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.

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 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.

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 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.

Shipwell: Is it suitable for international freight?

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

Descartes MacroPoint: Who owns it?

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

Shipwell: Is there a free trial?

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

Share

Related pages

More on Descartes MacroPoint

More on Shipwell

Keep looking

Other head to heads