Search for "route planning software" and you quickly land on systems built for corporate fleets with 500 trucks – and "price on request." For courier services, van fleets, and small freight forwarders, that is rarely the right league. This comparison covers seven tools that come up in that search: what each one is built for and what it lacks for courier work.
Transparency up front: Maxmove TMS is our own product. We label it clearly; the notes on the other tools describe their focus as of the stated date.
What actually matters in route planning software
Four questions decide which system fits:
- Planning type: do you plan fixed tours the evening before (classic distribution), or do you dispatch incoming orders ad hoc all day (courier business)? Many optimizers are built for the former.
- Fleet size: algorithms that optimize 500 stops across 40 vehicles cost money and onboarding. With 3 vans you need fast dispatch, not operations research.
- Driver connection: does the driver get an app with navigation, status updates, and digital proof of delivery – or a paper slip?
- Everything around it: order intake, pricing, invoicing, customer communication. Pure route optimizers solve one link of the chain.
The 7 tools at a glance
Last checked: July 2026 – vendor pricing and feature sets change; verified as of the stated date.
| Tool | Focus | What is missing for courier work |
|---|---|---|
| Maxmove TMS | Couriers, transport companies and fleets | Nothing: booking page, AI dispatch, driver app with proof of delivery, e-invoicing and platform orders run in one system |
| PTV Route Optimiser | Route optimization for distribution fleets | Price on request, implementation project; order intake, customer booking and invoicing need other systems |
| Ortec Routing & Dispatch | Route planning for corporate logistics, retail | Price on request; built for large networks and ERP landscapes, not for small courier fleets |
| plantour (PASS) | Tour planning for forwarders with fixed areas | Plans fixed tours; few order and customer processes |
| gts systems | Tour planning for depot-based distribution | Classic licence software; few workflows for ad hoc courier orders |
| portatour | Visit planning for field sales | Not a transport tool: no shipments, no vehicle classes, no proof of delivery |
| Circuit for Teams | Route planning for small delivery teams | Route planning rather than ongoing dispatch; little order management |
The details
Maxmove TMS is built for the courier business. Orders arrive via your booking page with live prices, by email, or through the API; the AI reads order data from emails and PDF attachments and puts it in a review inbox. On the dispatch board, with list and map views, the AI dispatch agent proposes the right driver, and the job is assigned once you approve. Multi-stop tours are optimized with time windows and arrival times. The driver app guides drivers through pickup and drop-off with in-app navigation and records every handover with a digital proof of delivery; invoices go out as XRechnung or ZUGFeRD. On top comes what no route planner offers: platform orders from Maxmove customers, with the earnings shown before you accept – no bidding, no subscription. Entry is free; paid plans are priced by shipment volume, not by number of users.
PTV Route Optimiser is a route optimizer for distribution fleets with high stop density and tight time windows. PTV does not publish prices, and implementation runs as a project. Order intake, customer booking, and invoicing sit outside the optimizer and need other systems.
Ortec targets large accounts in logistics and retail with big networks and ERP landscapes. For a fleet under 50 vehicles that means a quote via sales, an implementation project, and a feature set aimed at network planning rather than ongoing courier orders.
plantour and gts systems are German tour planners for forwarders with recurring tour structures and depots. They plan fixed tours; continuously incoming courier orders, customer booking, and proof of delivery are not their focus.
portatour shows up in every route planning search but is a field-sales tool: it plans customer visits for sales reps. For transport, everything is simply missing – shipments, vehicle classes, proof of delivery.
Circuit for Teams is a routing app for small delivery teams: upload an address list, calculate the route, go. But as soon as order intake, pricing, and customer communication enter the picture, the approach hits its limits.
Our recommendation per use case
- Courier service or transport fleet with 1–50 vehicles: Maxmove TMS – dispatch, driver app, documentation, and extra orders in one system. Explore the route planning software
- Distribution fleet with many stops per day: Maxmove TMS – optimize multi-stop tours with time windows, keep arrival times in view, and prove every delivery in the app with photo and signature.
- Forwarder with fixed tour areas: Maxmove TMS – planned tours and ad hoc orders on the same board, own drivers and subcontractors in one dispatch, invoices as e-invoices.
- Small team, last mile only: Maxmove TMS – start free, driver app with navigation and proof of delivery, pricing by shipment volume rather than per driver.
- Switching from another TMS: Maxmove TMS with the switch guarantee – no software fee for the documented remaining term of your paid contract, up to 12 months, then at least 10% less for a comparable scope.
Still unsure what your fleet needs? The TMS overview shows every feature – from fleet management to digital delivery documentation – and you can start a free trial right away.
