Best TMS for freight brokers in 2026: 10 options compared

1. AscendTMS: best for low-cost, month-to-month starts

AscendTMS, from InMotion Global, is a browser-based TMS for brokers, carriers and shippers. Its marketing site, thefreetms.com, calls it “The ‘Don’t Pay Us’ TMS” and claims more than 66,000 companies.

Pricing

As of September 10, 2026, the AscendTMS pricing page lists Basic at $69 per user per month, Premium at $119 and Pro at $149. It says it never charges for drivers, trucks or loads, and promises “No Contracts. No Setup Fees.” Load board search and posting inside the TMS require your own DAT or Truckstop subscription.

Where it’s strong

• The lowest published entry price in this list, with instant signup and month-to-month billing.
• A Capterra rating of 4.9 out of 5 across 367 reviews, the highest score here.
• The AscendAI feature suite, announced May 7, 2026, is included at no extra charge.
• The pricing page claims over 140 pre-installed third-party integrations.

Watch-outs

• Per-user pricing adds up as the team grows, a point Capterra reviewers raise.
• One Capterra reviewer notes “you can only upload one doc at a time.”
• It serves carriers and shippers too, so broker workflows share the product with features like driver pay.

2. FreightVero: best for brokerages that want checkpoints enforced in the database

FreightVero is our product, so weigh this entry with that in mind. It’s a broker TMS built with Bronco Logistics, a freight brokerage and our design partner. Bronco is our one customer today.

The core TMS is live: load board, multi-stop load entry, customer and carrier records with CSV import, carrier booking and dispatch with swap history, rate confirmations, document storage, a billing queue, reports and an append-only audit log.

The difference is where the rules live. Four checkpoints are enforced in PostgreSQL. A load can’t reach Carrier Dispatched until the latest rate con version is signed, and it can’t be marked Delivered without a POD and the signer’s first and last name. Here’s how the four checkpoints work.

Pricing

Starter is $349 per month for 5 users and 250 loads. Growth is $749 per month for 15 users and unlimited loads, and adds live tracking and ETAs, alerts, tasks and messaging, reporting and bulk import. Scale starts at $1,500 per month with unlimited users. No plan charges per load. Full details are on the FreightVero pricing page.

Where it’s strong

• Checkpoints sit in the database, so the app, an integration or a direct database write all hit the same rule.
• Rate cons are versioned and carry your company letterhead and terms. Change the rate after signature and the new version needs its own signed copy before dispatch.
• Live tracking through Load Market. ETA comes from the truck’s last position, checked against the carrier’s appointment, in green, yellow or red. Tracking that goes quiet for 45 minutes gets flagged.
• A carrier fall-off keeps the old assignment and the reason it came off, and voids the old rate con.

Watch-outs

• It’s new. One design-partner customer and no review-site ratings yet.
• Integrations are thin. Load Market tracking is live, QuickBooks Online is in development, and DAT, Truckstop, RMIS, EDI and a public API are planned.
• No e-signature and no invoice sending today. Signed rate cons are uploaded. The customer portal is in early access, and AI load intake is live.
• Carrier compliance is a status recorded on the carrier record. The checkpoint enforces it, but there’s no automated compliance feed yet.

3. Port TMS: best entry price for a multimode TMS with native AI agents

Port TMS is a cloud TMS for brokers, 3PLs, 4PLs and shippers across truckload, partial, LTL, drayage, intermodal and small parcel. It’s a different company from PortPro, a separate drayage product. Port describes its AI agents as “Not a roadmap item. Shipping today.”

Pricing

As of September 10, 2026, the Port TMS pricing page lists Pro at $375 per month for 5 users and Growth at $750 per month for up to 12 users. Enterprise is custom and includes 10 hours of development time. The page notes that “EDI and API charges may apply” and that a one-time onboarding fee may apply. Pro includes 3 months of promotional AI agent access, and ongoing agent pricing is set in the final proposal.

Where it’s strong

• Multimode quoting (TL, PTL, LTL, intermodal) and one-click posting to DAT and Truckstop.
• Three named agents: Coverage for carrier outreach, Procaller for outbound calling, and Dispatch, which answers carrier calls and captures offers.
• E-signatures on rate cons and BOLs, white-labeled customer portal, carrier portal, and native EDI and API.
• Capterra rating of 4.8 out of 5, from 6 reviews.

Watch-outs

• AI agent pricing after the promotional period isn’t public.
• Six reviews is a small sample, so treat the rating as directional.
• One Capterra reviewer says “Some workflows/views could be tidied up.”
• Contract term isn’t published.

4. EZ TMS: best simple flat-rate TMS for FTL and LTL brokers

EZ TMS, formerly EZ Loader TMS, is a broker-only TMS “built by brokers, for brokers” for full truckload and LTL. The old ezloadertms.com domain now redirects to ez-tms.com, so you may know it by the old name.

Pricing

As of September 10, 2026, the EZ TMS pricing page lists the Standard plan at $500 per month with 3 user seats. Additional users are priced per seat, and that seat price isn’t published. The page says “Flat-rate. No per-load fees.” The public terms list a one-time setup fee of $1,500, waived for a 12-month agreement.

Where it’s strong

• Built-in CRM and pipeline, historical rate engine, branded quoting, digital rate cons and digital carrier onboarding.
• Automated batch invoicing, invoice and shipment audit, and two-way QuickBooks Online sync.
• Integrations with DAT, Truckstop, MacroPoint, Trucker Tools, Highway and RMIS.

Watch-outs

• No AI agents marketed on its site as of this review.
• No G2 or Capterra listing, so there are no independent reviews to read.
• The terms auto-renew unless either side gives 60 days’ notice, and early termination carries a buyout fee of 50% of the remaining contract value.
• The LTL portal and EDI (through Bitfreighter) are add-ons with their own monthly fees.

5. Descartes Aljex: best for brokers who want tracking and carrier onboarding in the base plan

Aljex is a cloud broker TMS for brokerages “from two to several hundred users.” Descartes bought it in 2018 for $32.4 million. With the Tai deal in August 2026, Descartes now owns two broker TMS products.

Pricing

As of September 10, 2026, the Aljex pricing page lists Essential at $699 per month with 5 users, unlimited shipments and a one-time setup fee. Essential includes MacroPoint, MyCarrierPortal, one load board, ProMiles, QuickBooks and DAT RateView. Professional starts at $999 per month with 15 users, portals, a private load board, 1 customer EDI and a one-time implementation fee. Enterprise starts at $2,375 per month with 2 EDIs, a dedicated CSM and 90-day hypercare.

Where it’s strong

• Unlimited shipments on Essential, so a busy month doesn’t change the bill.
• Descartes’ own tracking (MacroPoint) and carrier onboarding (MyCarrierPortal) come bundled.
• A G2 rating of 4.6 out of 5 from 431 reviews, the largest review base in this list.

Watch-outs

• Reviewers on G2 and Capterra mention an “outdated interface” and slow speed with large data sets.
• AI comes mostly through integrations such as Vooma, Parade and Fleetworks.
• The setup and implementation fee amounts aren’t published.
• Descartes hasn’t announced how Aljex and Tai will relate going forward.

6. BrokerPro: best broker-only TMS with unlimited users and AI included

BrokerPro, from Infinity Software in Decatur, Alabama, is “built exclusively for freight brokers.” It targets brokerages from roughly 50 loads a month up to mid-market teams, and claims 4,000 active users.

Pricing

As of September 10, 2026, the BrokerPro pricing page lists a base platform fee of $950 per month, with price driven by invoiced monthly load count. It promises “No seat limits. No feature gates.” The per-load volume rates aren’t published, and some integrations may carry separate fees.

Where it’s strong

• Unlimited users and carriers, with AI agents included.
• BrokerPro AI, launched April 9, 2026 and powered by CloneOps.ai, covers carrier sourcing and outreach, automated check calls, status updates and invoice follow-up.
• A long integration list: DAT, Truckstop, 123Loadboard, MacroPoint, Trucker Tools, Highway, RMIS, QuickBooks and Triumph.
• Capterra rating of 4.6 out of 5 from 56 reviews.

Watch-outs

• The bill moves with load volume, so model your busiest month.
• Subscriptions auto-renew. Cancellation needs notice at least 14 business days before the renewal date, and no refunds are granted after renewal.
• Capterra reviewers mention QuickBooks sync problems and that “Loads can take longer than expected to update.”

7. Tai TMS: best for LTL-heavy brokers and 3PLs

Tai is a cloud TMS for brokers and 3PLs moving FTL, LTL, drayage and cross-border freight, with strong direct LTL carrier API and EDI connections. Descartes announced its acquisition of Tai on August 24, 2026, for about US$100 million.

If you’re a current customer, we wrote up what Tai customers should know after the Descartes deal.

Pricing

As of September 10, 2026, the Tai pricing page lists Growth at $995 per month (2 staff logins, 200 shipments), Premium at $2,465 (6 logins, 600 shipments), Premium+ at $4,595 (12 logins, 1,200 shipments) and Pro at $7,925 (25 logins, 2,500 shipments). Enterprise is custom. Every tier mentions overage pricing, but the overage rates aren’t published.

Where it’s strong

• LTL depth. One Capterra reviewer calls the LTL functionality “fantastic.”
• The Track & Trace voice agent is included for all Tai customers, alongside email quote extraction and carrier invoice audit.
• Every tier includes a dedicated CSM, a branded client portal and quarterly business reviews.

Watch-outs

• Staff login and shipment caps mean a growing team can jump tiers quickly.
• Tai’s terms say the agreement auto-renews “in perpetuity,” with cancellation due at least 60 days before each renewal term.
• Roadmap and pricing under Descartes haven’t been announced.
• Capterra reviewers cite “Too many bugs with slow support resolution” and say “The cost is a little high.”

8. Rose Rocket: best for configurable workflows with AI agents included

Rose Rocket launched the TMS.ai brand in February 2025. It serves carriers, brokers, 3PLs and shippers, and its no-code builders let teams add custom fields, objects, boards and automations. It claims more than 1,200 logistics companies.

Pricing

As of September 10, 2026, the Rose Rocket pricing page lists the Full Service Platform starting at $2,080 per month with unlimited users, all AI agents, 40+ integrations and white-glove implementation, plus “Guaranteed go-live in 90 days.” Enterprise is custom. Implementation fees and contract length aren’t public.

Where it’s strong

• AI agents are included. TED turns customer emails and attachments into orders, Rosie answers questions at the record level, and Rocky builds workflows. TED came out of the September 2025 Centro acquisition.
• Configurable without code, which helps if your process doesn’t match a template.
• Capterra rating of 4.4 out of 5 from 35 reviews, with customer service rated 4.6.

Watch-outs

• The entry price is high for a small brokerage.
• Carriers and shippers get as much product attention as brokers.
• Capterra reviewers mention limited reporting flexibility and integrations that are “still being developed.”

9. Alvys: best for asset-based and hybrid brokerages

Alvys grew out of an asset-based brokerage and sells to carriers, brokers and hybrid operations. Its strengths lean toward fleets: a driver app, IFTA reporting and driver, agent and carrier settlements. It raised a $40 million Series B in September 2025.

Pricing

As of September 10, 2026, the Alvys pricing page says the TMS “starts at only $3.95/load” with unlimited users and a custom quote. Detailed tiers aren’t published. Alvys lists 120+ integrations with no setup fees and advertises no long-term contracts.

Where it’s strong

• One system for brokerage and fleet work, useful if you run trucks and broker loads.
• Alvys Intelligence parses documents, including rate cons. Foundry, announced August 17, 2026, is an agent builder with more than 20 pre-built templates.
• Native EDI, a public API and a developer portal.
• Capterra rating of 4.4 out of 5 (51 reviews) and G2 rating of 4.7 (18 reviews).

Watch-outs

• Per-load pricing is harder to compare with flat fees and rises with volume.
• Foundry was rolling out to customers in cohorts as of August 2026.
• A non-asset broker may pay for fleet features it won’t use.
• Capterra reviewers mention “Syncing issues with QuickBooks Online (QBO)” and frequent updates.

10. McLeod PowerBroker: best for large brokerages that need enterprise depth

McLeod Software, founded in 1985 and still owned by its founder and management, sells PowerBroker for brokerages and 3PLs and LoadMaster for truckload carriers. It claims more than 1,200 active customers and over 260 off-the-shelf integrations.

Pricing

McLeod doesn’t publish pricing on its site, and review listings don’t show it either, as of September 10, 2026. Expect a quote after discovery. See the McLeod product overview for modules.

Where it’s strong

• Depth: integrated accounting, a built-in EDI engine, carrier and customer portals, and pricing and bid management.
• Hosting choice: on-premise, your own third-party cloud, or hosted by McLeod.
• AI: RespondAI turns incoming emails into quotes or orders, and Augment’s Augie works inside PowerBroker’s Digital Freight Matching (announced August 5, 2026).
• Stability: privately held with no outside investors, and a claimed 96% customer retention rate over 40 years.

Watch-outs

• No published pricing to budget against.
• PowerBroker has no separate Capterra or G2 review page. LoadMaster’s Capterra reviews (3.7 out of 5, 16 reviews) mention cost and complexity, with one reviewer calling it “Very complicated, not easy to use at all.”
• Much of the newer AI work comes through partners like Augment and Greenscreens.ai.

Also considered

Three more tools came up in our research but didn’t make the top 10 for most brokers. Turvo starts at $5,000 per month as of September 10, 2026, per its pricing page, and leans toward enterprise 3PLs and shippers. It’s owned by Lineage Logistics.

Revenova is built on Salesforce and doesn’t publish pricing, and buyers also need Salesforce licenses. Ten4 Intelligence lists a Brokers TMS from $399 per month as of September 10, 2026, but its roots are in small carriers.

We cover carrier and enterprise tools in the best TMS software guide, and you can compare FreightVero with each vendor side by side.

How we evaluated

FreightVero is our product. We built this list anyway because brokers ask us how we stack up, and we’d rather show our work. FreightVero is placed by price like every other tool, and its watch-outs are as plain as anyone’s.

What we checked, as of September 10, 2026

• Each vendor’s published pricing page. Where Capterra or Software Advice showed a different price, we used the vendor’s own figure.
• Public terms of service: renewal language, notice periods, setup fees and buyout clauses.
• Ratings and short review phrases from Capterra and G2. Most vendors have small review counts, so treat ratings as directional.
• Vendor press releases and product pages for AI features, acquisitions and funding.

What we didn’t do

We didn’t run paid trials of every product, and we didn’t give tools a single score. A three-person spot broker and a 60-person 3PL need different things, so each tool gets a best-for label instead of a rank. The list runs from lowest published starting price to highest, with per-load and unpublished pricing last.

To turn this into a shortlist, run the same real load through three demos and read each contract before the last call. Our buyer checklist for choosing a broker TMS has the questions, and our freight broker TMS pricing guide works out monthly cost for two brokerage sizes.