The 5 Best Route Planning Software Solutions in 2023

best route planning software

A route planner does more than get you from point A to B, and Verizon attests to that as the best overall route planning software according to our research. With its commendable route planning and comprehensive vehicle tracking offers, it not only optimises your routes, it also boosts your productivity and efficiency.

This article dives into five route planning software providers, looking at their route optimisation capabilitiespricing, and vehicle tracking features. We’ll also compare them to let you know which would work best for your business.

Keep reading to learn more about the top route planning software providers. If you want to find a provider quickly and securely, try our free quote comparison tool. All you need to do is tell us a few things about your fleet, and we’ll link you up with our trusted providers. They will be in touch with obligation-free quotes that are tailored to the needs of your business. 

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Verizon

Netstar

Inseego (Formerly Ctrack)

Onfleet

Routific

Pricing (Software)

Bespoke pricing depending on fleet size, contract length, and features

Pricing (Software)

Bespoke pricing depending on fleet size and requirements

Pricing (Software)

Bespoke pricing depending on fleet size and requirements

Pricing (Software)

$500 per month (USD) – Bespoke

Pricing (Software)

$33 – $59 per vehicle, per month (USD)

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Verizon: Best route planning software for large fleets

Verizon Connect's new logo (small with full name)
Verizon
Pricing Bespoke
Quick overview

Verizon offers a comprehensive solution that’ll help you optimise your fleet. Once you create a route with multiple stops, it will automatically reorder them to give you the shortest, quickest route. This is thanks to its innovative RouteCloud algorithm, which evaluates millions of routes using powerful cloud-based computers. If your drivers run into emergencies or you need to adjust assignments at the last minute, you can easily do so using the day-ahead view.

It uses near real-time tracking to show how your drivers are doing, highlighting any deviations from the plan so you can see what isn’t working and why. 

If you want more control over how you optimise your routes, then Routific might suit you better. Routific gives you two options for route optimisation: the shortest time or the shortest distance. You can also nominate which stops are of utmost priority, allowing your drivers to get to them first. 

However, if you do choose Routific, it is worth noting that you’ll be giving up Verizon’s complete fleet management solutions, which allow you to unlock its stellar set of features, such as driver behaviour monitoring, vehicle diagnostics, and fuel efficiency reports. Routific does not offer any of these features, yet you will be paying prices on par with Verizon, which is more expensive in the long run.

Strengths

Comprehensive fleet management solution

Advanced RouteCloud algorithm

Adaptive day-ahead view dashboard

Weaknesses

More expensive than other route planning software

Pricing
Price Per vehicle, per month
Bespoke pricing Depending on your fleet size, chosen features, and contract length

Netstar: Best route planning software for heavy vehicle fleets

netstar logo
Netstar
Pricing Bespoke
Quick overview

Our research identifies Netstar as the best for heavy vehicle fleets because of its built-in electronic work diaries. These work diaries, legally mandated by the Heavy Vehicle National Law, automatically calculate your driver’s work hours to avoid fatigue. However, Netstar also packs a punch for route planning. It utilises location data to optimise your routes and reduce driving time. It also incorporates telematics and on-point GPS tracking for all of your assets and vehicles and suggests the fastest routes for your drivers.

Like Verizon, Netstar is also a compact fleet management solution that offers assets that can optimise your routes and your entire fleet. However, Netstar falls behind with data updates. Its refresh rate is one to five minutes, a considerable difference from Inseego, which updates location data in real time. It’s worth noting, though, that Inseego does not provide traffic alerts like Netstar –- which is another essential factor for optimising routes as it helps you avoid heavy roads that can delay your deliveries.

We’d just like you to be aware of Netstar’s rolling contracts. Once your initial period ends, the contract will continue indefinitely, which may be suited to your budget. If you want to find the best prices for your fleet, try our free quote comparison tool. It’s a fast and easy way to compare tailored quotes from our trusted providers!

 

Strengths

Accurate asset tracking

Built-in NHVR approved work diaries

Provides traffic alerts

Weaknesses

Slow data refresh rates

Rolling contracts

Pricing
Price Per vehicle, per month
Bespoke pricing Depending on your fleet size and the features you need
Get tailored quotes from the best vehicle tracking providers for your business

Inseego: Best route planning software for improving driver safety

inseego logo
Inseego
Pricing Bespoke
Quick overview

Inseego automatically creates the most profitable and efficient daily schedules for your drivers as they are tailored to your vehicles, drivers, and jobs. It calculates your delivery vehicle capacity and driver availability to generate optimised routes in minutes. A standout feature of Inseego is its seasonal forecasting. Customer demands change with the seasons, so Inseego improves capacity planning by providing a calendar view of all the data and resources you need to meet these demands based on historical data and future forecasts.

Unfortunately, Inseego doesn’t provide traffic alerts, which is also crucial for route planning. It helps you avoid heavy traffic, which can slow down the rate at which you accomplish your jobs. If this is a necessity for your business, we’d recommend Verizon because it uses Map Layers to show jam-packed roads and closed roads, allowing your drivers to avoid these areas.

But if you’re wanting real-time monitoring, Inseego’s advanced AI-12 dash cams do the job well. It can monitor your drivers in real-time to detect dangerous or distracted driving behaviours, like texting, smoking, or not wearing a seatbelt. This unique dash cam add-on earns Inseego its moniker as the best route planning software for improving driver safety. Inseego also offers complete fleet management solutions, like Verizon and Inseego, but misses out on vehicle management features, such as vehicle diagnostics, fleet maintenance records, and maintenance scheduling which are already available with Verizon. 

Strengths

Proactive seasonal forecasting

Advanced AI-12 dash cams

Accurate per-route costs

Weaknesses

Lacks vehicle management features

Doesn’t integrate with fuel cards

Doesn’t have traffic alerts

Pricing
Price Per vehicle, per month
Bespoke pricing Depending on your fleet size and the features you need

Onfleet: Best delivery route planning software

Onfleet
Pricing $500 - Bespoke (USD)
Quick overview

Onfleet offers the best delivery route planning software, as it helps you optimise your delivery routes to maximise productivity and efficiency. It utilises an integrated route optimisation engine that considers time, location, capacity, and traffic.

Another plus is that it has an innovative auto-assign engine that lets you handle on-demand and top-priority assignments. It can save you time and labour costs as it automatically dispatches the appropriate driver at the appropriate time.

However, it’s worth noting that Onfleet does not offer fleet management solutions, unlike Verizon, Inseego, and Netstar. It’s a third-party route planning software that can only produce the shortest, fastest, and most profitable routes for your drivers. Still, you can generate synchronised data reports and monitor key metrics, such as success rates, response times, and feedback scores. Onfleet also has a unique developer’s hub that allows you to create an application programming interface (API) if you need a specialised, in-house integration.

Our research shows that its lack of fleet management features highlights that it isn’t the best value for money. It’d be better for your pocket to rather subscribe to a vehicle tracking system as you unlock more perks. The alternatives can help you monitor every vehicle, track driver performance, and improve overall performance for the same price point. 

Strengths

Auto-assign engine for drivers and jobs

Search and filter option

Allows you to communicate with your drivers and clients directly

Weaknesses

Only offers basic route planning solutions

Not a great value for money

Pricing
Plan/PackageStarting Price Per month
Launch Includes 2,000 delivery or pickup tasks $500 (USD) depending on the number of jobs finished
Scale Includes 5,000 delivery or pickup tasks $1,150 (USD) depending on the number of jobs finished
Enterprise 5000+ delivery or pickup tasks Bespoke pricing depending on the number of jobs finished

Routific: Best route planning software for local fleets

Routific logo
Routific
Pricing $33 - $59 (USD)
Quick overview

Routific refers to its route planning software as Live Tracking. It’s a cloud-based delivery route planning and optimisation solution that is designed to maximise fleet capacity, conserve fuel, and track real-time driver progress. It’s perfect for local fleets and small to medium-sized fleets. Here’s why:

For starters, Routific offers an intuitive approach to reordering your stops, much like Verizon, only it gives you more wiggle room. With Routific, you can quickly drag and drop your stops and reorder them as much as you want. You can also choose the shortest time or the shortest distance. You can prioritise the most in-demand jobs, and Routific will automatically optimise them based on your choice. On the other hand, our overall top scorer Verizon allows you to reorder multiple stops, but you can’t change your start and stop points. 

Routific also lets you track your drivers in real time, providing your customers with an estimated time of arrival. You’re also able to set up delivery tracking links to provide real-time progress and location data for your customers, allowing them to see your drivers location when they’re 15 minutes away, as well as the proof of delivery. your driver’s location when they’re 15 minutes away as well as proof of delivery.

However, Routific is specifically designed to optimise routes, just like Onfleet. As such, you don’t have access to the fleet management features offered by Inseego, Verizon, and Netstar, such as vehicle diagnostics, theft prevention, and fuel efficiency reports. Even though it keeps up with the industry norm of providing tailored prices, it’s not the best bang for your buck as you will pay fees that are on par with the complete fleet management solutions.

Strengths

Easily drag-and-drop stops for route optimisation

Efficient SMS driver dispatching

Provides delivery tracking link for customers

Weaknesses

Only offers basic route planning solutions

Not a great value for money

Pricing
Plan/PackagePrice Per vehicle, per month
Essentials Everything you need to plan and dispatch optimised routes $33 / $39 (USD) Annual billing / monthly billing
Professional Scale your delivery operations with driver management tools $49 / $59 (USD) Annual billing / monthly billing
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How did we compare the best route planning software?

Expert Market has an in-house team of skilled, unbiased researchers that analyse the top route planning software solutions according to these criteria:

  • Route optimisation: Does it allow you to optimise multiple stops on your route? If so, can it do so automatically, and is it accurate? We also look to see if it can help you reduce your fleet costs and driving time.
  • Driver scheduling/dispatching: This category looks at the provided channels you can use to communicate with your drivers conveniently. Can you edit jobs at the last minute, or assign a job when your drivers are already on the road?
  • Vehicle management  This category checks the features that can help you monitor your vehicle’s conditions. Can it automatically detect faulty systems? If so, does it allow you to retain fleet maintenance records? Can you schedule maintenance checks?
  • Price  One of the key factors we look at is its price and whether or not it’s reasonable for your fleet. Is it great value for money, considering its features? Does it offer a warranty or free installation?
  • Tracking  Tracking your vehicles is crucial in determining if your drivers are performing well. Here, we check if the providers allow you to track your vehicles in real time. How fast does it refresh data? Does it factor in traffic and mileage data?
  • Driver management  Monitoring your drivers and their behaviour is just as important. For example, does it report dangerous driving behaviour and incidents? Can you reach your driver for urgent concerns?
  • Product features  Aside from these basic features, we also check other perks that a fleet management system offers. A mobile app? Satellite navigation integration? Temperature monitoring?
  • Customer support  This ensures you have support whenever you encounter unwanted situations. Can you reach it during urgent situations? Is it available 24/7? 
Verdict

Our route planning software exploration ends with Verizon waving the flag and winning the title of the best overall route planning software and being the best for large fleets.  

Using its advanced RouteCloud algorithm, you can reorder multiple stops and get the most profitable and efficient delivery routes. It also future-proofs your fleet by giving you access to the day-ahead view, allowing you to review future routes and tasks and stay on top of possible unforeseen situations.

However, Verizon does not allow you to edit your start and stop points – which is also essential in route planning. To enjoy this perk, it’d be worth considering Routific, as you can edit your whole route, whether to find the shortest distance or time. However, if you do pick Routific, you’d be sacrificing Verizon’s comprehensive fleet management solution, including its excellent driver management, vehicle maintenance, and vehicle management features.

If you’re still unsure about the best fleet management system for your fleet, then try our free quote comparison tool. All you have to do is answer a few questions about your fleet, and we’ll match you up with our trusted providers. They will then get back to you with tailored, obligation-free quotes. It’s simple and fast!

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It's free, and only takes a minute

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a route optimisation software?
Route optimisation software calculates your journey and suggests the shortest, most profitable routes. It’s a great way to cut down your fuel costs, which bump up the longer you are on the road.

However, it’s worth noting that route optimisation software does more than suggest routes or determine the distance from point A to B. It also factors in relevant information, such as the number and location of all required stops along the route and delivery time windows, finding the best possible route.

Is there an app for mapping a route?
Yes! You can map a route using the providers we’ve mentioned. Onfleet, for example, lets your drivers see precisely where they need to go by visualising the routes rather than using text lists. It will also consider time, location, traffic conditions, and vehicle capacity when determining the most efficient routes for your delivery trucks.
Can Google Maps do route planning?
Yes, Google Maps can also function as a route planner. Google Maps can show you turn-by-turn directions from point A to B and allow you to plan up to 10 stops, but it cannot optimise your routes.

In a nutshell, Google Maps can help plan your routes, but we still recommend using Verizon or Onfleet, as they will provide you with the utmost convenience when it comes to optimising your routes.

What is the best route planner?
Our independent research suggests the best route planner is Verizon. You can reorder multiple stops and get the most efficient routes thanks to its advanced RouteCloud algorithm. It also has a day-ahead view, which allows you to review future routes and tasks as well as stay on top of unforeseen situations. Lastly, it provides a complete fleet management solution, which can increase your fleet’s performance.
What is the best free route planner?
The best free route planner is Google Maps. It’s a user-friendly app that lets you plan up to 10 stops and integrate them into Google’s API. However, it cannot optimise your routes – this needs to be done manually. This can take up the time you could’ve used driving, as it can be challenging to optimise your routes manually.

As such, we strongly recommend opting for Verizon, Inseego, or Netstar – they optimise your routes and offer fleet management solutions that can help you improve your fleet’s performance and efficiency. However, these providers charge a monthly cost, depending on your fleet size, contract length and added features, like dash cams.

Written by:
Laurice first fell in love with words at seven years old. Today, she drives her passion by writing informative content about fleet management systems and vehicle tracking solutions for Expert Market. When she’s not writing, she’s indulging her profound love for all things pink or caffeine-infused.