FreightWaves SONAR is the best freight intelligence platform for most readers who want market rates without an enterprise contract, because its entry plan starts at $9.99 per month and its self-serve Quick Rates plan costs $24.99 per month. DAT iQ is the best pick for North American truckload rate benchmarking, while Xeneta is the best pick for ocean and air rate benchmarking built from shipper and forwarder contracts. Six of the eight platforms in this list hide their price and sell by quote only, so ask for total first-year cost, including onboarding and integration, before you compare any two quotes.
Freight intelligence covers two different jobs, and most buyers need only one of them first. Rate intelligence tells you what a lane should cost today, and how that cost has moved over time. Visibility intelligence tells you where a shipment is, when it will arrive, and what has gone wrong. Prices below come from official vendor pages opened on 2026-11-12, and quote only means the vendor publishes no price on its site.
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Best freight intelligence platforms: comparison table
Swipe the table sideways on a phone to see every column.
| # | Name | Best for | Starting price | Free plan / trial | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FreightWaves SONAR | Brokers and small fleets needing lane rates fast | $9.99 per month | No | Visit |
| 2 | DAT iQ | North American truckload rate benchmarking | quote only | No | Visit |
| 3 | Xeneta | Ocean and air freight rate benchmarking | quote only | No | Visit |
| 4 | project44 | Large shippers needing multimodal visibility | quote only | No | Visit |
| 5 | FourKites | Large shippers wanting AI agents to act on exceptions | quote only | No | Visit |
| 6 | Descartes MacroPoint | Brokers and shippers tracking North American truckload freight | quote only | No | Visit |
| 7 | Shippeo | European road-heavy shippers needing predictive ETAs | quote only | No | Visit |
| 8 | GoComet | Importers and exporters tracking ocean containers | $0 for up to 6 container shipments per month | Yes | Visit |
The 8 best best freight intelligence platforms, in detail
FreightWaves SONAR
Best for: Brokers and small fleets needing lane rates fast
SONAR is the most open platform in this list, because FreightWaves publishes four entry points on one page. SONAR Blue to Blue costs $9.99 per month and gives real-time spot rate comparisons lane by lane on an iPhone. Quick Rates costs $24.99 per month and adds unlimited lane-level spot rate lookups, capacity indicators by market, and broker guidance from a Chrome browser, with no demo and no contract.
- The full SONAR Platform is custom priced and adds every mode, maps, risk tools, dashboards, API access and multi-user licensing.
- Choose SONAR if you price lanes every day and want a number now.
- Do not choose the $9.99 app if you need desktop research, team seats, or API access.
Pros
- Published prices from $9.99 per month
- self-serve Quick Rates plan at $24.99 per month with no demo or contract
- covers truckload, ocean, air, bulk, LTL and intermodal on the full platform
Cons
- Full SONAR Platform price is custom and unpublished
- the $9.99 plan is an iOS app with a narrow feature set
DAT iQ
Best for: North American truckload rate benchmarking
DAT iQ is built on transaction data, and DAT says its platform holds more than $1 trillion in freight transaction data. RateView shows current freight rates on any lane, 13-month pricing histories, and forecasts that DAT says are over 95 percent accurate on more than 7 million daily predictions. Network Analytics looks at market conditions, supply and demand metrics, and underperforming lanes.
- DAT added a Shipper Spot Rate to DAT iQ, and that addition matters for brokers.
- It gives a benchmark for what shippers pay brokers for one-time spot moves, next to the broker-buy spot rate that brokers pay carriers.
- The gap between those two numbers is the margin picture, and DAT iQ shows it lane by lane.
- Choose DAT iQ if most of your freight is North American truckload and you need a defensible rate for a quote or a contract review.
Pros
- RateView shows current spot and contract rates by lane
- 13-month pricing histories on each lane
- Network Analytics adds supply and demand forecasts
Cons
- No price is published on the DAT iQ page
- Shipper Spot Rate is an add-on to RateView, so the base plan may not include it
Xeneta
Best for: Ocean and air freight rate benchmarking
Xeneta is the clearest rate benchmark in this list for ocean and air freight, because its data comes from the buyer side of the market. Xeneta says its ocean benchmarks cover more than 160,000 port pairs, and its air benchmarks cover more than 60,000 airport pairs. Rates are built from contracts contributed by shippers and forwarders, then validated and anonymised, and Xeneta says carriers are not allowed to contribute data.
- That sourcing rule is the unique fact in this article: Xeneta benchmarks what shippers actually pay, not what carriers publish.
- For ocean freight, Xeneta calculates daily benchmark tiers for a lane and container type, including market high, average and market low, and it requir
- For air freight, rates are airport to airport, per kilogram of chargeable weight, and all-in at the main-leg level, including fuel and security surcha
- Choose Xeneta if you run ocean or air tenders and need to prove a rate is above or below market.
Pros
- Benchmarks built from real shipper and forwarder contracts, not carrier tariffs
- covers more than 160,000 port pairs for ocean and more than 60,000 airport pairs for air
- spot benchmarks refresh daily
Cons
- No price is published on the Xeneta site
- higher tiers are needed for dedicated customer success sessions and quarterly business reviews
project44
Best for: Large shippers needing multimodal visibility
project44 sells Movement as a decision intelligence platform, not a simple tracking map. Movement gives real-time visibility, workflow automation and insights for every mode, at shipment, order and SKU level. Ocean, air, barge, rail, full truckload, less-than-truckload and parcel sit in the same view, with multi-modal ETAs from raw material to the consumer door.
- The trade-off is scale and cost.
- project44 publishes no price, and its contracts are scoped by shipment volume, modes and modules, so a small shipper will find the sales process heavy
- Choose project44 if you run global multimodal freight and want one system for visibility, workflows and analytics.
- Do not choose it if you only need a rate check or a handful of container tracks per month, because SONAR, DAT iQ or GoComet will answer that question
Pros
- Movement covers ocean, air, road, rail and parcel in one view
- shipment, order and SKU level visibility
- workflow automation and insights for pre-transit, in-transit and post-transit work
Cons
- No price is published on the project44 site
- enterprise scope means a long onboarding and carrier connection project
FourKites
Best for: Large shippers wanting AI agents to act on exceptions
FourKites has moved from dashboards to action, and that shift is its main difference from project44. FourKites describes its offer as Outcome-as-a-Service, and says it does not sell seats, but replaces work. Its AI agents contact carriers, reschedule appointments, process documents and notify customers when an exception appears.
- The network behind that work covers 500,000 or more carriers, 1,600 or more global brands and 176 countries, according to FourKites.
- The platform also covers ocean, road, rail, air and parcel, with yard visibility in the same system.
- Choose FourKites if you want agents to do the follow-up work, not just show a delay.
- Do not choose it if you need a published price, because FourKites publishes no price and sells through a sales conversation.
Pros
- Network covers 500,000 or more carriers, 176 countries and 1,600 or more global brands
- AI agents contact carriers, reschedule appointments and process documents
- yard and ocean visibility sit in the same platform
Cons
- No price is published on the FourKites site
- outcome-based pricing means the contract terms need close reading before signing
Descartes MacroPoint
Best for: Brokers and shippers tracking North American truckload freight
Descartes MacroPoint is the practical pick for brokers and third-party logistics providers who track loads they do not control. It connects carriers through ELD, TMS and mobile app tracking, and it covers truckload, less-than-truckload, ocean, air, rail and intermodal. Automated status updates run from departure to arrival, and reporting and scorecards show network performance in one place.
- The newer OpsForce AI agents are the part to test in a demo.
- When a shipment goes quiet, an OpsForce agent picks up the phone, makes the check call, restores tracking, updates the customer and files the paperwor
- MacroPoint lists 24/7 exception coverage for that work.
- Choose MacroPoint if you run North American truckload freight through brokers or a 3PL and you lose time to manual check calls.
Pros
- ELD, TMS and mobile app tracking for truckload, LTL, ocean, air, rail and parcel
- OpsForce AI agents make check calls and restore lost tracking
- 24/7 exception coverage listed on the MacroPoint site
Cons
- No price is published on the MacroPoint site
- the deepest value sits in North American road freight, not in global ocean work
Shippeo
Best for: European road-heavy shippers needing predictive ETAs
Shippeo is a European-led visibility platform, and its service guarantees set it apart from the other quote-only names here. Shippeo lists a Tracking Compliance SLA, an ETA Accuracy SLA and a Carrier Onboarding SLA on its site. Its platform covers road, ocean, rail, air and parcel, and its rail pages list wagon-level detail with 99 percent European rail network coverage.
- Shippeo says 94 percent of carriers were onboarded within 30 days in 2024, and its road pages list 150,000 or more full truckload carriers connected.
- Choose Shippeo if your freight is European road-heavy and you want a written ETA guarantee.
- Do not choose it if you need a published price, because Shippeo sells through a demo.
Pros
- Covers road, rail, ocean, air and parcel, with wagon-level rail detail
- ETA Accuracy SLA and Tracking Compliance SLA listed on the Shippeo site
- 150,000 or more full truckload carriers connected
Cons
- No price is published on the Shippeo site
- European depth is stronger than North American depth for some lanes
GoComet
Best for: Importers and exporters tracking ocean containers
GoComet is the low-cost entry point in this list, and it is the only platform here with a free container tracking plan. Unregistered users can track up to 3 container shipments per month, and registered users can track up to 6, with map-based tracking and automated email and WhatsApp notifications. You enter a container, booking or bill of lading number, and GoComet gives live updates at each journey milestone.
- GoComet also sells GoTrack for larger teams, and that full plan is quote only.
- The free limit is the number to plan around: 6 shipments per month suits a small importer, but a team moving 50 containers per month will pass the lim
- Choose GoComet if you need ocean container tracking now and you want to test the tool before you talk to sales.
Pros
- Free plan covers up to 6 container shipments per month for registered users
- map-based tracking with email and WhatsApp notifications
- tracks by container, booking or bill of lading number
Cons
- Free plan limit is 6 shipments per month, so high-volume teams need a higher plan
- full GoTrack pricing is quote only
How we chose
We chose platforms that do freight intelligence as a core job, not as a side feature of a transport management system. Each item had to offer live rate data, live shipment visibility, or both. Prices and plan limits come from official vendor pages opened on 2026-11-12. Where a vendor publishes no price, we wrote quote only. We did not test any tool hands-on.
Which platform fits your budget and freight mix
| Your situation | Best pick | Starting price to plan around |
|---|---|---|
| You price lanes daily and want a published price | FreightWaves SONAR | $9.99 per month for the app, $24.99 per month for Quick Rates |
| You benchmark North American truckload rates | DAT iQ | quote only, ask for RateView plus Shipper Spot Rate |
| You benchmark ocean and air contract rates | Xeneta | quote only, ask for ocean and air coverage by lane |
| You run global multimodal freight at enterprise scale | project44 or FourKites | quote only, scope by volume, modes and modules |
| You track North American truckload loads through brokers | Descartes MacroPoint | quote only, ask for OpsForce coverage |
| Your freight is European road-heavy | Shippeo | quote only, ask for the ETA Accuracy SLA in writing |
| You track a few ocean containers per month | GoComet | $0 for up to 6 container shipments per month |
Frequently asked questions
How much does freight intelligence software cost?
Costs range from $0 to quote only in this list. FreightWaves SONAR starts at $9.99 per month for its mobile app and $24.99 per month for Quick Rates, while GoComet costs $0 for up to 6 container shipments per month. The other six platforms publish no price, so you need a quote scoped by volume, modes and modules.
Which freight intelligence platform is best for most readers?
FreightWaves SONAR is the best pick for most readers who need lane rates without an enterprise contract, because it publishes prices from $9.99 per month and offers a self-serve plan at $24.99 per month. For enterprise visibility, project44 and FourKites are stronger, and for ocean tracking at no cost, GoComet is the best starting point.
Which platform is best for ocean freight rate benchmarking?
Xeneta is the best pick for ocean freight rate benchmarking, because its benchmarks come from real shipper and forwarder contracts across more than 160,000 port pairs, with daily tiers for each lane and container type. GoComet is better if you need to track ocean containers, rather than benchmark the rate.
Which platform is best for North American truckload freight?
DAT iQ is the best pick for North American truckload rate benchmarking, with RateView, 13-month histories and a Shipper Spot Rate add-on. Descartes MacroPoint is the best pick for tracking truckload loads through brokers, with ELD, TMS and mobile app tracking plus OpsForce agents that make check calls.
Is there a free freight intelligence platform?
Yes, GoComet offers a free container tracking plan. Registered users can track up to 6 container shipments per month with map-based tracking and email and WhatsApp notifications, while unregistered users can track up to 3 per month. No other platform here offers a free plan.
What is the difference between rate intelligence and visibility?
Rate intelligence tells you what a lane should cost, using market rates, contract benchmarks and forecasts. Visibility tells you where a shipment is and when it will arrive, using carrier connections, telematics and milestone updates. SONAR, DAT iQ and Xeneta focus on rates, while project44, FourKites, MacroPoint and Shippeo focus on visibility.
Sources
- https://gosonar.com/
- https://gosonar.com/sonar-packages
- https://www.dat.com/
- https://www.dat.com/iq
- https://www.xeneta.com/
- https://www.xeneta.com/products/air
- https://www.project44.com/
- https://www.project44.com/blog/meet-movement-by-project44/
- https://www.fourkites.com/
- https://www.fourkites.com/demo-ocean/
- https://macropoint.com/
- https://macropoint.com/solutions/shippers/
- https://www.shippeo.com/
- https://www.gocomet.com/
- https://www.gocomet.com/online-container-tracking/carriers/min-sheng
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.