10 Best Route Optimization Software of 2024

Tired of spending hours manually planning routes in Excel, often leading to errors and delays?

Perhaps you’re struggling to find a software solution for your complex scheduling needs. 

Or maybe you’re trying to optimize hundreds of routes together, only to find that free tools like Google Maps are inadequate. 

If you nodded along to any of these challenges, you’re in the right place. 

In this blog, we aim to bring you a curated list of the best route optimization software solutions that have proven their worth in the real world.

How We Picked the Best Route Planning Software for You

We have compiled the following list of top-notch route optimization software through extensive research and evaluation. Our process involved actively weighing factors like ease of use, G2 and Capterra ratings and reviews, cost, and scalability.

We assessed the proficiency of these tools in real-world scenarios, focusing on route creation and dispatch speed, efficiency, and user experience. Our goal was to rank them based on their performance in handling complex routing needs and overall customer satisfaction.

By combining hands-on testing, user reviews, and data analysis, we created a shortlist of the best route optimization software options available.

Now, let’s explore the top contenders!

1. Upper

Best for: Businesses requiring extensive route management software

User rating: 4.5/5 (37)

Upper is route management software that is mainly designed to address the challenges of manual route planning, eliminating inefficiencies and communication gaps. 

It offers collaborative route optimization suitable for teams of any size, from startups to enterprises.

Upper isn’t just another delivery routing software; it’s a complete solution for managing complex delivery schedules, reducing operational costs, and improving overall efficiency. 

It’s perfect for businesses needing route customization options, real-time adjustments, and an easy-to-navigate platform.

Upper’s Features:

• Dynamic Route Updates: Upper dynamically updates routes based on real-time traffic conditions and last-minute changes, ensuring your drivers always take the most efficient path.
• Optimal Stop Order Calculation: Calculates the best order for stops to minimize travel time and distance, helping you save on fuel costs and reduce time on the road.
• Capacity Management: Manages vehicle space for maximum capacity utilization, ensuring every inch of your vehicle is used effectively and efficiently.
• Delivery/Service Time Windows: Considers delivery and service time windows to ensure punctuality, so your deliveries and services are always on time, keeping your customers satisfied.
• Easy Route Dispatch: Easily dispatch multiple routes to drivers with a single click, streamlining the process and reducing manual effort.
• Accurate ETAs and Live Tracking: Provides accurate estimated times of arrival (ETAs) with live driver tracking, allowing you and your customers to monitor deliveries in real-time.
• Automated Customer Updates: Keeps customers informed with automated updates, enhancing transparency and improving customer satisfaction.
• Digital Signatures and Photo Verification: Capture digital signatures and photos for verification, ensuring proof of delivery and enhancing security.

These features make Upper a comprehensive and efficient solution for managing your route planning and delivery needs, optimizing your operations, and delighting your customers.

Upper constantly improve our routing algorithm to deliver better results that save time and fuel on the road. 

Additionally, the driver app simplifies route execution, ensuring drivers have all the necessary information and driving directions at their fingertips. 

The cherry on top is 24/7 customer support, which ensures your operations run smoothly without any hiccups. With an in-house team for every task, Upper can quickly make necessary updates and changes according to business requirements.

Some Additional pointers-

• User interface: Upper designed it to be clear and easy to navigate so almost anyone can use it, regardless of their tech skills.  
• Ease of use: Upper requires minimal training. Over 650 dispatchers have used it for more than 7500 drivers, praising its user-friendly interface and quick adaptation process.
• Free version: Upper provides a free version that allows users to optimize up to 20 stops for free. 
• Free trial: 7 days free trial, no credit card required
• Route quality: Upper’s route optimization algorithms consistently outperform competitors, delivering routes up to 18% more efficiently. With minimal overlap and optimized sequencing, drivers cover the shortest distances, saving time and fuel costs.

Pricing: Upper’s pricing starts at $40/month per user, with discounts for annual subscriptions.

What people think about planning routes in Upper:

“Very easy to use program. Put in all addresses and optimize and the route is set. Hit the start route and follow the directions.”- Capterra Reviews

“What I like the most about Upper is how easy it is for me to use. It has been of a lot of help to me and when teaching the drivers how to use it, it is easy for them to understand.”

2. Routific

Best for: Medium-sized local delivery businesses

User rating: 4.9/5 (126)

Routific is a suitable option for a local delivery business, excelling at basic route optimization and delivery management. 

When we tested Routific, we found its user-friendly interface and smooth setup process impressive. This delivery optimization software efficiently optimized routes by considering traffic patterns and driver preferences. 

Dispatching routes to the driver app on a mobile device was also straightforward. 

However, as we explored Routific’s features in more depth, some limitations became apparent. 

The essential plan restricts access to valuable features like real-time driver tracking and proof of delivery, which require higher-tier plans. Additionally, while it handled basic deliveries well, it struggled with multiple clustered stops and specific delivery requirements

Some Additional pointers-

• • User interface: Routific’s interface is mostly clean and straightforward. However, navigating the timeline is a bit tricky.
  • Ease of use: The setup process is simple, and basic tasks are easy to manage. However, making route adjustments might require more effort.
  • Free version: No
  • Free trial: 7-day free trial
  • Route quality: Routific’s route quality was adequate but not exceptional. While it managed to reduce delivery times, we noticed some inefficiencies and occasional overlaps in the routes.

Pricing: Starts at $49 per vehicle per month for basic features, with advanced options available at higher tiers up to $93 per vehicle per month.

What people think about Routific

“Our overall experience has been pretty good with Routific, would recommend the product to a colleague”- Capterra Reviews

“I was very disappointed to know that to retrieve my driver notes and places she stops, I had to pay an additional fee.”

Check out the detailed comparison of Upper and Routific

3. Route4Me

Best for: Businesses with intensive last-mile delivery needs

User rating: 4.5/5 (388)

Route4Me has established itself as a long-standing player in route optimization, serving businesses heavily reliant on last-mile deliveries since 2009.

During our hands-on experience with Route4Me, we appreciated its extensive add-on options, offering features like customer notifications, proof of delivery, and curbside support. It allowed us to cherry-pick features to suit our operations.

However, the user interface felt somewhat dated and cluttered.

A notable aspect of Route4Me is its real-time location tracking capabilities and seamless integrations, making it suitable for route planning and management. 

Yet, we encountered some quirks that raised eyebrows. 

Its optimization algorithm occasionally falters, leading to impractical routes and inaccurate ETAs. Furthermore, the cost of essential add-on features can significantly escalate expenses.

Overall, Route4Me is a versatile route planning solution with a few bumps along the road that may require some workaround.

Some Additional pointers-

• • User interface: Route4Me’s interface presents many features but may confuse users due to its complexity and cluttered design.
  • Ease of use: While basic tasks are manageable, the platform’s modularity and feature-rich environment create a challenging learning experience.
  • Free version: No
  • Free trial: 7-day free trial
  • Route quality: Route4Me’s route optimization algorithm generally generates efficient routes, although there are occasional inaccuracies, overlapping routes, and underestimated ETAs.

Pricing: Starts at $40 per user per month.

What people think about Route4Me:

“Very easy to use with a fantastic interface, who doesn’t require any kind of training. Platform speed is very high and API availability make Route4Me the standard de facto about route planning systems.”- Capterra Reviews

“It has some major flaws when it comes to just shutting down and erasing all my completed stops for that day causing wrong data to be recorded and logged and in the end causing me to miss stops or go back to ones already completed. because it usually happens toward the middle to end of my day.”

4. MyRouteOnline

Best for: Businesses with basic route planning requirements

User rating: 4.6/5 (106)

We tried out MyRouteOnline to see if it could streamline our delivery routes. It is a straightforward route planner that lets you upload and optimize addresses for the quickest route.

The good news is – MyRouteOnline is perfect for basic route planning. If you just need a quick way to map out deliveries for a handful of stops, it gets the job done. 

However, for businesses with more complex delivery needs, MyRouteOnline falls short. There are no advanced features here. You can’t track drivers in real time, and there’s no way to notify customers about their deliveries automatically.

Even the pricing structure, which is based on credits, can be confusing to understand.

Some additional pointers-

• • User interface: The interface is basic and simple to use.
  • Ease of use: Users can navigate the platform with ease, even without prior experience in route planning software.
  • Free version: MyRouteOnline has a free version for navigation, but to optimize routes, you’ll need to either subscribe or input up to six addresses.
  • Free trial: No
  • Route quality: The route optimization felt a little basic. While it did find more efficient routes, we weren’t convinced they were always the most logical. A couple of times, the optimized route required drivers to backtrack or go out of their way.

Pricing: Starts at $24 for limited access.

What people think about MyRouteOnline:

“My RouteOnline is simple to use, we can easily upload the routes to our Garmin GPS’s in our trucks, we know well in advance if we’re not going to be able to make an appointment window and can make adjustments with the customer in advance in a relaxed and timely fashion.”- Capterra Reviews

“Love the classic version, dislike the new version because the new version has gotten more convoluted requiring more clicks and consuming more time to complete the same task then in the classic version.”

Check out the detailed review of MyRouteOnline

5. Circuit

Best For: Small businesses or startups seeking simple route planning

User rating: 4.8/5 (99)

After trying out Circuit for Teams, we found it to be a decent option for businesses looking for a straightforward route optimization solution.

Circuit focuses on essential features like route planning, dispatching, live tracking, and proof of delivery. However, Circuit’s route optimization left us wanting more. 

While efficient in words, the routes it generated often seemed illogical in practice. We saw a lot of crisscrossing and backtracking, which could add unnecessary miles and time to deliveries.

Also, there wasn’t a way to edit routes after sending them to drivers, which felt inflexible.

Overall, while Circuit for Teams is a viable option for smaller businesses or those just starting with route optimization, it may fall short for companies with more complex routing needs.

Some additional pointers-

• • User interface: Circuit for Teams has a clean user interface.
  • Ease of use: Setting up routes and managing deliveries is simple, where one person can handle multiple roles.
  • Free version:  Free plan (up to 10 stops)
  • Free trial: 7-day free trial 
  • Route quality:  While Circuit provides efficient route planning, we found that the routes could sometimes be tangled and not as optimized as we hoped.

Pricing: Starts at $100/month for 500 stops.

What people think about Circuit:

“The ability to put in delivery time frames for each stop is what got us to sign up. The built in GPS combined with the route optimization based on the delivery windows is what we love about this product.”- Capterra Reviews

“Some simple features are still missing (see me points). In addition your routing algorithm requires more features. You have to understand that not everyone who uses your software runs a amazon/ UPS style package delivery route.”

Check out the detailed comparison of Upper and Circuit

6. OptimoRoute

Best for:  Businesses with complex routing needs

User rating: 4.6/5 (153)

OptimoRoute boasts many features, from real-time tracking to driver workload balancing. Up front, it looked impressive. We liked that it could handle complex routing scenarios like multi-day deliveries and pickups.

However, during our trial, a few things gave us pause. For one, the pricing structure is per driver, which can get expensive quickly as you scale your team. Even while planning the routes, we found some routes were longer than expected.

The mobile route planner app also had limitations. Drivers couldn’t re-optimize routes on the fly, and communication with dispatchers seemed clunky.

Overall, OptimoRoute seems like a powerful route optimization tool for businesses with very specific routing needs. But the complexity and cost might be overkill for smaller businesses. 

Some additional pointers-

• • User Interface: OptimoRoute’s web app appears powerful, with many features on display. This can be too much to take at first glance.
  • Ease of use: OptimoRoute definitely requires some learning. While basic route planning seems uncomplicated, utilizing its advanced features likely requires training or experience.
  • Free version: No
  • Free trial: 30-day free trial
  • Route quality: OptimoRoute efficiently plans routes, considering time windows and order priorities. However, it lacks live traffic updates or dynamic adjustments, which can affect real-time adaptability and delivery times.

Pricing: Starts at $39/month. 

What people think about OptimoRoute:

“I like that I’m able to move addresses Geo-Location to accommodate for alleys or driveways that are on a different street (aka, service spot is different than actual address spot). I like the functionality of the software, uploading routs etc. It’s pretty simple to use!”- Capterra Reviews

“The maps are outdated, and I almost ALWAYS have to fix the route. It marks roads that are not roads, are blocked off, or it will label a creek or wash (Arizona) as a road.”

Check out the alternatives for OptimoRoute

7. Onfleet

Best For: Mid-market to enterprise-level last-mile delivery companies 

User rating: 4.6/5 (93)

After thoroughly testing Onfleet, we found it a comprehensive solution for last-mile delivery management. 

It offers many features, including route optimization, automatic driver assignment, and a live chat feature in the driver app, making it a great fit for on-demand courier businesses. 

However, the route planning interface is a bit complex and lacks detailed route visualization and real-time route progress monitoring, which can be challenging for dispatchers.

Additionally, occasional overestimated ETAs and limited custom options are areas for improvement. 

Overall, Onfleet is a powerful delivery management tool that is rough around the edges.

Some additional pointers:

• • User interface: Onfleet offers many features, which can be overwhelming at first. 
  • Ease of use: While basic tasks are simple, getting the most out of its features requires dedication and training.
  • Free version: No
  • Free trial: 14-day free trial
  • Route quality: Onfleet’s route optimization feature is effective, but we encountered issues such as overestimated ETAs and lags in optimizing routes with many stops.

Pricing: Starts at $550/month. 

What people think about Onfleet:

“Easy to use. Helps manage where my fleet is at. Gives me up to the minute updates. I also like the way our customer/s can track the progress of our truck to their job site.”- Capterra Reviews

“The time estimates are too pessimistic and overshoot actual driving times by at least 50%.”

Check out the alternatives to Onfleet

8. RoadWarrior

Best For: Solo drivers and small teams

User rating: 4.5/5 (52)

We used RoadWarrior extensively to evaluate its performance as route planning software. It promised super-fast route optimization for solo drivers and small teams. 

Entering stops was easy, and the route planning app optimized routes in seconds. We liked that it factored in traffic and could handle up to 200 stops simultaneously.

However, we also faced some issues. Uploading routes from spreadsheets wasn’t always smooth, and some key features, like collecting delivery confirmations, required a paid add-on.

While the interface was simple for basic tasks, some aspects felt clunky. Also, there were occasional glitches, like misplaced markers on the map.

Overall, RoadWarrior is a decent option for a basic route planner. The free trial lets you try it out, but be aware that a credit card is required. 

Some additional pointers-

• • User interface: RoadWarrior’s interface is straightforward but can feel a bit tricky initially.
  • Ease of use: While entering stops and optimizing routes is intuitive, learning all features can take time.
  • Free Version: No
  • Free Trial: 7-day free trial
  • Route Quality: The route optimization is generally reliable. However, it doesn’t flag duplicate or incorrect routes, so users need to double-check their entries.

Pricing: Starts at $14.99 per month per team member.

What people think about RoadWarrior:

“Very user friendly on the admin side of things. I love that things are not over complicated like other programs I tried. The price is right and the routes are always very good. I have used this product a few years now and myself and my drivers like it.”- Capterra Reviews

“1. Lost ability to see other drivers routes from mobile app. I now have to bring my tablet with me and log in to the web site. 2. Websites security certificates have been expired for over a year now 3. Customer service is limited to email.”

Check out the detailed review of Roadwarrior

9. Badger Maps

Best for: Field sales teams and service teams 

User ratings: 4.6/5 (199)

We tested Badger Maps, focusing on its route optimization for sales teams. The app simplifies scheduling and mapping routes, promising to boost sales. 

We found the software user-friendly, and features like “Lasso” to select groups of stops for routing are really helpful. We liked that it integrated with our CRM, keeping customer data up-to-date. It’s great for visualizing territories and prioritizing customers.

Creating and optimizing routes with over 100 stops is straightforward. However, it struggles with complex logistics, like accounting for traffic and weather. While it saved us time, the mobile app had glitches, making on-the-go adjustments difficult.

Overall, it’s ideal for sales reps who need efficient multi-stop route planning but may lack advanced logistics.

Some additional pointers-

• • User interface: Badger Maps offers a user-friendly interface that’s visually appealing and easy to navigate.
  • Ease of use:  The onboarding process is well-supported with personalized training. However, some users might find certain features, like exporting data, a bit technical.
  • Free Version: No
  • Free Trial: 7-day free trial 
  • Route Quality The route optimization feature is efficient for basic routing needs, handling over 100 stops. But, it falls short in managing complex logistics, such as real-time traffic updates and weather conditions, which can affect ETA accuracy.

Pricing: Starts at $69 per user/month.

What people think about Badger Maps:

“It has been very useful using the heat map to track our accounts all over the U.S and to be able to filter to selected regions. Badger provides more insights for our team to better understand our business.”- Capterra Reviews

“It was a bit hard to get started because of all the features. But I quickly learned that using my computer instead of trying to do everything on my cellphone definitely made learning a lot faster”

Check out the detailed review of Badger Maps

10. Samsara

Best for: Large companies with significant fleet management needs

User ratings: 4.2/5 (363)

Samsara felt like a powerful fleet management platform but was overkill for our needs. It tracked everything—driver behavior, fuel usage, and engine health. Creating optimal routes was straightforward, thanks to smart map overlays and live traffic updates.

The interface was user-friendly, with intuitive dashboards. However, the route optimization app for delivery drivers did experience occasional glitches and slowdowns, which was a bit frustrating.

Plus, there isn’t any way to try it out for free before committing to a lengthy 3-year contract.

Despite these drawbacks, Samsara excels in fleet management and safety features. It’s best suited for large companies needing extensive fleet management solutions. However, be prepared for custom pricing and the lack of a trial period.

Some additional pointers-

• • User interface: Samsara’s interface is clean and intuitive. The dashboards are straightforward, presenting data in a clear and organized manner.
  • Ease of use: The routing software has a learning curve due to its vast features. Initial setup and customization may require some time, but the overall experience is smooth once you get familiar with it.
  • Free version: No
  • Free trial: Samsara does not offer a free trial. However, they offer a demo that potential customers can request to understand the software’s capabilities.
  • Route quality: Samsara excels in route optimization. It provides real-time GPS tracking, smart map overlays, and live traffic updates for efficient multi-stop route planning.

Pricing: Samsara offers custom pricing based on fleet size and specific needs.

What people think about Samsara:

“Samsara allows me to accurately track and monitor my fleet of vehicles. Safety inspections allow tracking of vehicle service and maintenance.”- Capterra Reviews

“What I like least about samsara is the price of the service.”

Check out the detailed review of Samsara

Find the Perfect Route for Your Drivers

Sure, finding the mathematically shortest route might seem ideal on paper. But in the real world of traffic jams, unexpected detours, and driver satisfaction, there’s more to consider.

We understand that confusing “spaghetti routes” frustrate drivers and can erode trust in route optimization software. That’s why, at Upper, we go beyond just efficiency. 

Our software considers not just distance but also real-time traffic conditions, driver preferences, and logical route flow.Think of it as a smart balance between AI route optimization and driver experience. We plan routes that are efficient and make sense on the road, reducing backtracking and keeping drivers happy.