AscendTMS is the best software for freight companies for most small to mid-size carriers and brokers, because Basic starts at $69 per user per month, covers more than 230 standard features, and never charges for drivers, trucks, or loads. TruckingOffice is the cheapest full TMS in this list at $25 per month for 1 to 2 trucks on Basic, while TruckLogics is the strongest pick when IFTA reporting is the main job at $39.95 per month for 1 to 2 trucks. Alvys charges $3.95 per load instead of a seat price, so a slow month costs less and a busy month costs more, which suits fleets with uneven volume.
Pick by how you charge and how you grow. Per-user pricing punishes a growing dispatch team, per-truck pricing tracks the assets that earn revenue, and per-load pricing tracks volume. A carrier with 2 trucks and 1 dispatcher needs a different deal from a brokerage with 10 staff and 400 loads a month. Check the unit first, then check the limits that force an upgrade, such as staff logins, included shipments, or truck bands.
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What's the best software for freight companies: comparison table
Swipe the table sideways on a phone to see every column.
| # | Name | Best for | Starting price | Free plan / trial | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AscendTMS | Small to mid-size carriers and brokers | $69 per user/month | Free trial (30 days) | Visit |
| 2 | TruckingOffice | Owner-operators on a tight budget | $25 per month | Free trial (30 days) | Visit |
| 3 | TruckLogics | Small fleets that need IFTA reporting | $39.95 per month | Free trial (7 days) | Visit |
| 4 | Alvys | Fleets and brokers that want per-load pricing | $3.95 per load | Free trial (14 days) | Visit |
| 5 | Descartes Aljex | Brokerages that want a load board in the base plan | $699 per month | No | Visit |
| 6 | Tai TMS | Mid-size brokerages moving FTL and LTL | $995 per month | No | Visit |
| 7 | Rose Rocket | Larger carrier and broker teams | $2,080 per month | No | Visit |
| 8 | Tailwind TMS | Carriers and brokers that do both | quote only | No | Visit |
The 8 best what's the best software for freight companies, in detail
AscendTMS
Best for: Small to mid-size carriers and brokers
AscendTMS Basic costs $69 per user per month and includes load management, load financials, document management, invoicing, driver management, carrier management, and IFTA reports. Premium costs $119 per user per month and adds 33 premium features, plus accounts receivable and accounts payable management. Pro costs $149 per user per month and adds all 93 premium features, plus Shipper CRM Live, e-signatures, KPI reports, outbound EDI, order management, and AI tools.
- The pricing model is the point to understand.
- AscendTMS charges per office user and never charges for drivers, trucks, or loads, so adding trucks costs nothing extra while adding dispatchers adds
- It does not suit a large office team on Pro, where 10 users cost $1,490 per month before load board subscriptions.
Pros
- Basic includes more than 230 standard features
- never charges for drivers, trucks, or loads
- setup, support, and training are listed as free forever
Cons
- Premium at $119 per user per month and Pro at $149 per user per month add up fast with more staff
- load board access needs a separate DAT or Truckstop subscription
TruckingOffice
Best for: Owner-operators on a tight budget
TruckingOffice Basic costs $25 per month for 1 to 2 trucks, $55 per month for 3 to 7 trucks, and $90 per month for 8 or more trucks. Pro costs $35 per month for 1 to 2 trucks, $75 per month for 3 to 7 trucks, and $130 per month for 8 or more trucks. A Broker plan costs $45 per month with unlimited dispatches.
- Basic covers dispatch, invoicing, settlements, expenses, and IFTA and IRP records, with QuickBooks export.
- Pro adds LTL load planning, multiple user accounts, and mileage tools.
- The flat price by truck band is the main appeal.
- There are no fees for additional users, so a 2-truck operation with 3 office staff still starts at $25 per month on Basic.
Pros
- Lowest starting price in this list at $25 per month for 1 to 2 trucks
- no fees for additional users
- no contract and a 30-day trial with no card required
Cons
- Basic covers full truckload work only, so LTL needs Pro at $35 per month for 1 to 2 trucks
- PC*MILER routing is a separate add-on
TruckLogics
Best for: Small fleets that need IFTA reporting
TruckLogics costs $39.95 per month for 1 to 2 trucks, $79.95 per month for 3 to 7 trucks, $199.96 per month for 8 to 14 trucks, and $249.95 per month for 15 to 24 trucks. Annual billing cuts each monthly figure by about 10 percent, so the 1 to 2 truck plan drops to $35.96 per month when billed yearly. The system covers dispatch, LTL and FTL loads, driver settlements, invoicing, QuickBooks export, and a mobile app for drivers.
- Choose TruckLogics when fuel tax is the job that eats your time, because IFTA sits at the center of the product rather than as an add-on.
- The truck-band pricing is clear, but the jumps are steep: moving from 2 trucks to 3 trucks doubles the monthly price from $39.95 to $79.95.
Pros
- IFTA reports for the current quarter and prior quarters with automated tax rates
- imports miles and fuel from Motive and Samsara
- DAT load import is included
Cons
- Price steps to $79.95 per month at 3 to 7 trucks and $199.96 per month at 8 to 14 trucks
- trial lasts only 7 days
Alvys
Best for: Fleets and brokers that want per-load pricing
Alvys Foundations costs $3.95 per load, with no contract, no sales call, and self-serve signup. Move one load in a month and you pay $3.95. Move 100 loads and you pay $395.
- The platform covers load creation, dispatch, tracking, invoicing, settlements, accounting, and a driver app, with more than 120 integrations including
- Per-load pricing changes the math in a useful way.
- A 1-truck fleet that hauls 20 loads a month pays $79, while a 10-truck fleet hauling 400 loads pays $1,580, so the bill follows volume rather than hea
- That suits seasonal work and new brokerages.
Pros
- Foundations costs $3.95 per load with no contract and no per-truck fees
- unlimited users and business divisions are included
- same platform is used by fleets of 1 truck and 1,000 trucks
Cons
- A high-volume month costs far more than a flat monthly plan, since 400 loads cost $1,580 at $3.95 per load
- full broker pricing beyond Foundations is set by quote
Descartes Aljex
Best for: Brokerages that want a load board in the base plan
Descartes Aljex Essential costs $699 per month and includes 5 users, unlimited shipments, MacroPoint visibility, MyCarrierPortal, ProMiles, QuickBooks, DAT Rateview, and one load board from DAT, Truckstop, or 123 Loadboard. Professional costs from $999 per month with 15 users, unlimited carrier profiles, unlimited customer and carrier portals, a private load board, and 1 customer EDI connection. Enterprise costs from $2,375 per month and adds 2 customer EDI connections, a dedicated customer success manager, and 15 hours of support and training.
- The value here is the bundle.
- A brokerage that needs a load board anyway gets one inside the $699 monthly price, instead of buying TMS and load board access as two separate bills.
- The limits to watch are the 5-user cap on Essential and the one-time setup fee, which the pricing page lists without a dollar figure.
Pros
- Essential includes 5 users, unlimited shipments, MacroPoint tracking, and a choice of DAT, Truckstop, or 123 Loadboard
- QuickBooks and ProMiles are included
Cons
- Essential carries a one-time setup fee
- Professional from $999 per month is needed for unlimited carrier profiles and a private load board
Tai TMS
Best for: Mid-size brokerages moving FTL and LTL
Tai TMS Growth costs $995 per month and includes 2 staff logins, 10 client logins, 500 carrier profiles, 0 customer EDIs, and 200 included shipments. Premium costs $2,465 per month with 6 staff logins, 40 client logins, 2,000 carrier profiles, 1 customer EDI, and 600 shipments. Premium+ costs $4,595 per month with 12 staff logins and 1,200 shipments.
- Pro costs $7,925 per month with 25 staff logins and 2,500 shipments.
- The shipment cap is the number that matters most.
- Growth at $995 per month covers 200 shipments, which is about $4.98 per shipment before overage charges, and the plan page lists competitive overage p
- A brokerage moving 250 shipments a month will either pay overages or move to Premium.
Pros
- Growth includes 200 shipments, a branded client portal, and FTL and LTL in one system
- higher plans raise staff logins and shipment limits in clear steps
Cons
- Growth allows only 2 staff logins and 0 customer EDIs, so growth forces a jump to Premium at $2,465 per month
- no free plan is listed
Rose Rocket
Best for: Larger carrier and broker teams
Rose Rocket Full Service Platform starts at $2,080 per month and includes unlimited users, unlimited custom fields and boards, unlimited automations, order and dispatch management, tracking, invoicing, freight audit, compliance monitoring, document management, and mobile apps for iOS and Android. The plan also includes all AI agents, with TED for email processing, Rosie for custom fields, and Rocky for standard operating procedures and compliance. The flat price with unlimited users is the reason to look at Rose Rocket.
- A team of 20 dispatchers costs the same $2,080 per month as a team of 5, while the same 20 users on AscendTMS Pro would cost $2,980 per month.
- The trade-off is the entry point: $2,080 per month is $24,960 per year before any implementation extras, and the 90-day go-live window means a longer
Pros
- Full Service Platform includes unlimited users with no per-seat fees
- white-glove implementation with a 90-day go-live promise
- AI agents TED, Rosie, and Rocky are included
Cons
- Starting price of $2,080 per month is far above the small-fleet tools in this list
- Enterprise pricing is custom and not listed
Tailwind TMS
Best for: Carriers and brokers that do both
Tailwind TMS is sold under CargoWise after WiseTech Global bought Envase, which had bought Tailwind in 2020. The system covers dispatch, shipment tracking, customer and carrier portals, accounts payable and receivable, equipment maintenance, fuel bill import, mileage calculation, and QuickBooks Online sync. It connects to DAT, Truckstop, 123 Loadboard, and NextLoad, plus RMIS for carrier onboarding, Samsara for ELD data, and EDI for customer and carrier documents.
- The POD Complete app lets drivers capture signed bills of lading and submit proof of delivery from a phone.
- Tailwind suits a hybrid company that runs trucks and brokers freight in the same office, because the same order can move from quote to dispatch to inv
- The missing price is a real limit: the official page shows no plan prices, so you cannot compare it to the $699 Aljex plan or the $995 Tai plan withou
Pros
- Built for motor carriers, freight brokers, and companies that do both
- covers quotes, orders, bills of lading, invoices, and settlements in one system
- POD Complete driver app for iPhone and Android
Cons
- No price is listed on the official CargoWise page, so budgeting needs a sales conversation
- setup fee and billing period are not stated on that page
How we chose
We picked TMS products that serve carriers, freight brokers, or both, with dispatch, load tracking, and billing in the product. Prices and plan limits in this article come from official vendor pricing pages opened on 2026-11-12, and each price is cited in Sources. Where a vendor hid the price, we wrote quote only instead of guessing. We did not test any tool hands-on. We ranked nothing by customer counts, awards, or review scores, and we used the billing unit, the plan limits, and the starting price to compare tools that charge in different ways.
Which software fits your size and volume
| Your operation | First pick | Monthly cost at that size | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 trucks, 1 dispatcher | TruckingOffice Basic | $25 | Basic is full truckload only |
| 1 to 2 trucks, IFTA is the main job | TruckLogics | $39.95 | Price doubles to $79.95 at 3 trucks |
| 1 dispatcher, growing fleet | AscendTMS Basic | $69 for 1 user | 5 users cost $345 on Basic |
| 20 loads a month, uneven volume | Alvys Foundations | $79 at $3.95 per load | 400 loads cost $1,580 |
| 5-person brokerage, needs a load board | Descartes Aljex Essential | $699 | One-time setup fee is not listed |
| 200 shipments a month, FTL and LTL | Tai TMS Growth | $995 | Only 2 staff logins and 200 shipments |
| 20 dispatchers, flat budget | Rose Rocket Full Service | $2,080 | $24,960 per year before extras |
| Carrier and broker in one office | Tailwind TMS | quote only | No price is listed on the official page |
Frequently asked questions
What is the best software for freight companies?
AscendTMS is the best pick for most small to mid-size carriers and brokers, because Basic starts at $69 per user per month, covers more than 230 standard features, and never charges for drivers, trucks, or loads. TruckingOffice suits a 1 to 2 truck operation at $25 per month, while Rose Rocket suits a large team at $2,080 per month with unlimited users.
How much does freight company software cost?
Entry prices in this list run from $25 per month for TruckingOffice Basic for 1 to 2 trucks to $2,080 per month for Rose Rocket Full Service Platform. AscendTMS starts at $69 per user per month, TruckLogics at $39.95 per month for 1 to 2 trucks, Alvys at $3.95 per load, Aljex at $699 per month, and Tai at $995 per month.
Which software is best for a small trucking company?
TruckingOffice is the cheapest full TMS here at $25 per month for 1 to 2 trucks, with no fees for additional users. TruckLogics is the better pick when IFTA reporting is the main job, at $39.95 per month for 1 to 2 trucks. Alvys Foundations suits uneven volume at $3.95 per load, since a slow month costs less.
Which software is best for freight brokers?
Descartes Aljex suits a brokerage of up to 5 users at $699 per month, because Essential includes a load board, MacroPoint tracking, and unlimited shipments. Tai TMS suits a mid-size brokerage moving FTL and LTL at $995 per month for Growth, with 200 shipments and 2 staff logins. AscendTMS suits a small brokerage that wants a low per-user start.
Does any freight software offer a free plan?
None of the 8 tools in this list offers a free plan on its official pricing page opened on 2026-11-12. AscendTMS offers the first 30 days free on Premium and Pro, TruckingOffice offers a 30-day trial, TruckLogics offers a 7-day trial, and Alvys offers a 14-day trial on Foundations. The rest list no free plan or trial.
What happened to Tai Software?
Descartes bought Tai Software in August 2026, so Tai TMS and Descartes Aljex now sit under the same owner. They still sell as separate products with separate prices: Tai Growth starts at $995 per month with 2 staff logins and 200 shipments, while Aljex Essential starts at $699 per month with 5 users and unlimited shipments.
Sources
- https://www.thefreetms.com/
- https://www.thefreetms.com/pricing
- https://www.truckingoffice.com/
- https://www.truckingoffice.com/tms/transportation-management-system-pricing
- https://www.trucklogics.com/
- https://www.trucklogics.com/tms-pricing
- https://alvys.com/
- https://alvys.com/free-trial
- https://www.aljex.com/
- https://www.aljex.com/pricing
- https://www.tai-software.com/
- https://www.tai-software.com/pricing
- https://roserocket.com/
- https://roserocket.com/pricing
- https://www.cargowise.com/solutions/cargowise-transport/tailwind-tms/
Prices and features were read on each company’s own website in November 2026. They change often, so confirm the current offer on the official site before you sign up or buy.