Comparison
Aljex alternative: Nucra
Descartes Aljex is a long-established freight broker TMS: more than 25 years in brokerage software and over 500 brokerage customers, by its own count. Its Essential plan is $699 a month with five users, unlimited shipments and a one-time setup fee, and it comes with the load-board, tracking and carrier-onboarding connections brokers expect. Nucra starts at $99 a month with unlimited users and no setup fee. Here is where each one fits.
| Nucra | Descartes Aljex | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $99/mo · users unlimited | $699/mo (Essential) |
| Setup fee | None — self-serve sign-up | One-time setup fee on Essential; implementation fee on higher plans (amounts not published) |
| A year at the entry price | $990 (S, paid for 12 months) | $8,388 plus the setup fee |
| Users included | Unlimited on every plan | 5 on Essential · 15 on Professional (from $999/mo) |
| Shipments included | S up to 150 · M up to 400 · L up to 1,000 loads/mo; more on request | Unlimited on every plan |
| Free trial | 14 days on plan S, no card | No free plan or trial listed; demo first |
| Load boards | No load-board posting yet | 123Loadboard, DAT or Truckstop integration included |
| Carrier bidding / RFQ | Double-blind tender — carriers never see your customer | Capacity sourcing through load boards and capacity tools |
| Carrier vetting | FMCSA lookup by USDOT or MC; nightly re-check while a load is open | MyCarrierPortal included; RMIS, Highway, Saferwatch and others as integrations |
| Rate guidance | Freight Intelligence — expected rate from your own past loads | DAT RateView included |
| Tracking | Driver App, GPS/ETA, reads Samsara or Motive | MacroPoint visibility integration included |
| Accounting | Invoicing, factoring, bank-statement matching; QuickBooks connection in progress | QuickBooks included; NetSuite, Sage and factoring integrations available |
Choose Nucra if…
- You are a small brokerage, and $699 a month plus a setup fee is a lot to pay before the first load.
- You want to try the software on real loads yourself, without a demo or an implementation project.
- You want carrier bidding where carriers never see who your customer is.
Choose Descartes Aljex if…
- You post to DAT, Truckstop or 123Loadboard every day and want that built into the TMS today.
- You move well over 1,000 loads a month and want no load count at all — every Aljex plan has unlimited shipments.
- You need QuickBooks, MacroPoint and RateView connected on day one, or customer EDI and portals on Professional.
Questions
- How much does Aljex cost?
- Descartes publishes three plans: Essential at $699 a month with 5 users and unlimited shipments, plus a one-time setup fee; Professional from $999 a month with 15 users, customer and carrier portals and one customer EDI connection, plus an implementation fee; and Enterprise from $2,375 a month. The setup and implementation fees are not published. Nucra is $99 a month for up to 150 loads, $199 for up to 400 and $399 for up to 1,000, with unlimited users and no setup fee.
- What is a cheaper alternative to Aljex for a small brokerage?
- Nucra: from $99 a month with unlimited users and no setup fee, and a 14-day free trial with no card to start on. You get one connected process — load, carrier, documents, invoice, payment — with a double-blind carrier tender and an FMCSA lookup on your carriers. What Nucra does not have yet is load-board posting: if posting to DAT or Truckstop from inside the TMS is a must, Aljex includes it.
- Does Nucra charge a setup fee?
- No. You sign up yourself, start a 14-day free trial with no card, and pay only when you choose a plan.
See it on one of your real loads.
14 days free on plan S, no card · then from $99 a month, users unlimited.
Comparison based on the information Descartes Aljex publishes on its own website, checked October 2026 (aljex.com/pricing and its home page). Prices and features change — check with the vendor before you decide. Nucra is not affiliated with or endorsed by Descartes Aljex. Trademarks are the property of their respective owners.