News / Rivals to CargoWise? Pricing is when interest turns to action

© Tascha Rassadornyindee

As anger over CargoWise’s pricing changes continues to ripple through the forwarding market, rival transport management system (TMS) providers say they are seeing a sharp rise in interest – even if large-scale switching remains cautious. 

Interviews with Germany-based Riege Software, maker of Scope TMS and US-based Magaya, suggest that while CargoWise still dominates at the very top end of the market, forwarders are increasingly questioning complexity, cost volatility, and support – and reassessing what they actually need from a core system. 

For Riege, the central argument is not about matching CargoWise feature-for-feature, but about reducing complexity. 

“It’s hard to compare CargoWise with anybody else in this industry because they have so much – their zoo is so big,” said Benjamin Riege, CMO, pointing to decades of acquisitions that have created breadth, but also noise. 

Scope, he said, was built around a different philosophy: a single system, one data model, and a fixed digital standard that customers must adopt. 

“If a forwarder decides to use Scope, they have to adopt the standard which is in Scope,” he said. “We don’t produce a TMS for a specific forwarder. We produce a TMS for the whole community.” 

That approach, he added, reflects what many mid-sized forwarders are now asking for. 

“There is a trend to reduce noise,” he said. “So of course having ‘one system to rule them all’ helps everybody because they don’t have to swap systems. They have all data in one system.” 

Magaya’s Mark Buman agreed that forwarders were increasingly wary of overly complex platforms, but said his company was responding by making integration easier rather than enforcing a single standard. 

“We have made it very, very easy to integrate our solution with other products,” he said. “Whether that’s something you’ve written internally or a third-party product, we play nicely with others.” 

Both companies were clear about where CargoWise retains a decisive edge: global customs coverage. 

“When you are a big corporation like Schenker, DSV, Kühne + Nagel, there’s no way,” said Mr Riege. “Scope is not ready in each of the regions fully integrated… CargoWise can say, of course we can do Australia, of course we can do New Zealand.” 

Scope operates in 63 countries, but not with full local accounting and customs integration in all, he acknowledged. 

Magaya, meanwhile, is strong in US customs and expanding elsewhere, but does not yet claim global parity. 

“If you have a bunch of international customs compliance you’re doing… that’s a tougher one for us,” Mr Buman said. “We handle the United States. We partner in other countries, and we’re building more ourselves, but we’re not pretending we’re there yet.” 

However, both questioned whether full global customs coverage was necessary for most forwarders – particularly independents and regionally focused groups. 

Pricing emerged as the most sensitive issue. 

Mr Riege said CargoWise’s recent announcements had created “noise” across the market, but cautioned against assuming widespread defections. 

“We do see people coming to us – heavy CargoWise users,” he said, “but are they really cancelling the contracts? I’m not sure.” 

Still, he contrasted Scope’s approach with what many customers say they are experiencing elsewhere. 

“We try to keep it simple on the pricing so that customers can easily see what it will cost,” he said. “There are no real hidden costs.” 

Magaya was more direct, positioning pricing stability as a core differentiator. 

“Within that contract, it is specifically stated that we cannot touch your price until that contract is up for renewal,” said Mr Buman. “Whether it’s one year, three years or five years, you’re locked in.” 

He added that predictable monthly billing was critical for smaller forwarders. 

“A big fluctuation in pricing is very disruptive to their business,” he said. “You’re paying the same amount every month unless you actually grow or add users.” 

Both companies returned repeatedly to customer support and trust, areas where CargoWise has faced growing criticism. 

“One of our use cases is that you can speak with real people,” Mr Riege said. “You don’t end up in some call centre.” 

Magaya highlighted its 24/7 live support model. 

“If your system needs immediate help, we have someone to answer your call 365 days a year,” Mr Buman said. “You will always talk to someone.” 

And both were sceptical about replacing human support with AI. 

“AI will not help in the same way as a human being,” Mr Riege said. “Maybe for first-level questions, but after that, someone has to answer the phone.” 

On the question hanging over the industry – whether forwarders can realistically leave CargoWise – neither company overplayed its hand. 

“There is really no alternative to CargoWise for the biggest global forwarders,” Mr Riege said. “But when you’re a medium-sized forwarder, of course we are a choice.” 

Magaya struck a similar tone. 

“Replacing a TMS is like brain surgery,” Mr Buman said. “You only do it when you absolutely have to.” 

But both said the pricing backlash had pushed many forwarders from passive frustration into active evaluation – even if final decisions remained some way off. 

“People were interested when the pricing was announced,” Mr Buman said. “Now they’re getting the bills – and that’s when interest turns into action.” 

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