Tai TMS vs Diesel TMS: Pricing & Features Compared (2026) | Diesel TMS Diesel TMS is free with unlimited users and loads. Tai TMS starts at $995/month for 2 users and 200 shipments. Compare pricing, features, and which TMS fits sma
Tai TMS vs Diesel TMS An enterprise broker TMS starting at $995/month vs a free TMS with no shipment caps.

Last updated September 2026. Competitor pricing is taken from publicly published pricing pages and may change; always confirm with the vendor.

At a Glance Tai TMS: Enterprise freight-broker TMS. $995–$7,925/month tiers with staff-login and shipment caps. Strong LTL, integrations, and automation. No free plan, no carrier/fleet operations. Diesel TMS: Free TMS for brokers and carriers. Unlimited users, loads, and carriers at $0/month; Pro is $40/user/month. AI Email to Quote, built-in accounting, driver app, and QuickBooks Online sync included. Best for: Tai if you are a 10+ person brokerage moving 1,000+ shipments/month with an implementation budget. Diesel TMS if you are a startup, small, or hybrid broker-carrier that wants full features without a $995/month floor.
Overview

Tai TMS (by Tai Software) is a cloud-based transportation management system designed primarily for freight brokers handling Full Truckload (FTL) and Less Than Truckload (LTL) shipments. Based in Huntington Beach, California, Tai positions itself as a premium, automation-focused platform with 500+ carrier integrations and AI-powered features.

While Tai offers a polished product, its pricing structure places it firmly in the mid-market to enterprise tier—far out of reach for most startups and small brokerages.

Pricing Comparison Plan Tai TMS Diesel TMS Starter / Free Not available $0/month (Free forever with ads) Small Team (2 users) $995/month (Growth plan, 200 shipment cap) $80/month (Pro) or ~$80/month (Flex) Growing Team (6 users) $2,465/month (Premium plan, 600 shipment cap) $240/month (Pro) or usage-based (Flex) Mid-Size (12 users) $4,595/month (Premium+ plan, 1,200 shipment cap) $480/month (Pro) or usage-based (Flex) Large (25 users) $7,925/month (Pro plan, 2,500 shipment cap) $1,000/month (Pro) or usage-based (Flex)
Key Differences
Pricing Model Tai TMS: Tiered plans with shipments cap and limited staff logins. Overages and scaling require upgrading to more expensive tiers. Starting at $995/month with only 2 staff logins and 200 shipments included. Diesel TMS: Simple per-user pricing ($40/user/month for Pro) or pay-per-hour ($0.40/user/hour for Flex). No shipment caps, no carrier limits, unlimited loads. Free tier available with full features.
Shipment & Carrier Limits Tai TMS: Each plan limits shipments (200-2,500/month) and carrier profiles (500-6,000). Growing beyond these caps forces expensive plan upgrades. Diesel TMS: Unlimited shipments, unlimited carriers, unlimited loads on every plan—including the free tier.
Target Market Tai TMS: Primarily focused on freight brokers. Does not serve carriers or hybrid operations. Diesel TMS: Built for both freight brokers AND carriers/owner-operators in a single platform. Supports brokerage, dispatching, and hybrid operations.
Contracts & Commitments Tai TMS: While they claim no long-term contracts, their high entry price ($995/month) creates a significant financial commitment for startups. Diesel TMS: No contracts, no setup fees, no minimums. Cancel anytime and retain access to your data for 10 years.
Feature Comparison Feature Tai TMS Diesel TMS Free Tier No Yes Unlimited Users No (Capped) Yes Unlimited Shipments No (Capped) Yes Unlimited Carriers No (Capped) Yes Carrier/Asset Operations No Yes Load Board Integration Yes Yes QuickBooks Integration Yes Yes Built-in Accounting (GL) No Yes Driver Mobile App No Yes AI Features Yes Yes Customer Portal Yes Yes E-Signatures Yes Yes API Access Yes Yes Integrations 500+ 9,000+
The Bottom Line

Tai TMS is a capable platform for established freight brokerages with substantial budgets, but its $995/month starting price with only 2 staff logins and 200 shipments cap makes it impractical for startups and growing operations. For the cost of Tai’s entry-level plan, you could run a 25-person team on Diesel TMS Pro.

Diesel TMS offers a genuinely free tier with no feature gates, unlimited shipments and carriers, and transparent per-user pricing that scales linearly as you grow—making it the clear choice for startups and cost-conscious brokerages that don’t want to be locked into expensive tiers before they’ve proven their model.

Tai TMS vs Diesel TMS: Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Tai TMS cost?

Tai TMS publishes four monthly tiers: $995 (2 staff logins, 200 shipments), $2,465 (5 logins, 500 shipments), $4,595 (10 logins, 1,250 shipments), and $7,925 (20 logins, 2,500 shipments). Additional logins and shipments require a higher tier. Diesel TMS is free with unlimited users and loads, or $40/user/month for Pro.

Does Tai TMS have a free plan?

No. Tai TMS has no free plan or public trial; the entry point is $995/month. Diesel TMS offers a free-forever plan with every feature included.

Is Tai TMS good for a small freight brokerage?

Tai is built for established brokerages moving hundreds of shipments per month and includes deep LTL, carrier-connectivity, and workflow automation. For a startup or small brokerage, $995/month for 2 logins is a steep fixed cost; Diesel TMS covers brokerage, quoting, carrier onboarding, and invoicing for free.

Does Tai TMS work for carriers?

Tai TMS is broker-focused and does not offer asset/fleet management for carriers. Diesel TMS supports freight brokers, carriers, and hybrid operations in a single account.

What is the best alternative to Tai TMS?

For small and mid-size brokerages, Diesel TMS is a free alternative with unlimited users and shipments, AI email-to-quote, built-in accounting, QuickBooks Online sync, and load board integrations.

How many integrations does Tai TMS have compared to Diesel TMS?

Tai TMS claims 500+ API and EDI integrations, including 100+ direct carrier connections. Diesel TMS offers 9,000+ app integrations via Zapier, plus native QuickBooks Online, 123Loadboard, MyCarrierPortal, Samsara & Motive ELD, factoring, email, and an open API — all included free.

Compare Other TMS Solutions

Ascend TMS

Alvys TMS

TMS.ai (Rose Rocket)

ITS Dispatch

BrokerPro

TruckingOffice

Datatruck

Excel / Google Sheets

Or see the full ranking of the best TMS software for small fleets and freight brokers (https://www.dieseltms.com/compare).

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 # Tai TMS vs Diesel TMS: Pricing & Features Compared (2026) | Diesel TMS > Diesel TMS is free with unlimited users and loads. Tai TMS starts at $995/month for 2 users and 200 shipments. Compare pricing, features, and which TMS fits sma Source: https://www.dieseltms.com/compare/tai-tms # Tai TMS vs Diesel TMS An enterprise broker TMS starting at $995/month vs a free TMS with no shipment caps. Last updated September 2026. Competitor pricing is taken from publicly published pricing pages and may change; always confirm with the vendor. ## At a Glance - **Tai TMS:** Enterprise freight-broker TMS. $995–$7,925/month tiers with staff-login and shipment caps. Strong LTL, integrations, and automation. No free plan, no carrier/fleet operations. - **Diesel TMS:** Free TMS for brokers and carriers. Unlimited users, loads, and carriers at $0/month; Pro is $40/user/month. AI Email to Quote, built-in accounting, driver app, and QuickBooks Online sync included. - **Best for:** Tai if you are a 10+ person brokerage moving 1,000+ shipments/month with an implementation budget. Diesel TMS if you are a startup, small, or hybrid broker-carrier that wants full features without a $995/month floor. ## Overview Tai TMS (by Tai Software) is a cloud-based transportation management system designed primarily for freight brokers handling Full Truckload (FTL) and Less Than Truckload (LTL) shipments. Based in Huntington Beach, California, Tai positions itself as a premium, automation-focused platform with 500+ carrier integrations and AI-powered features. While Tai offers a polished product, its pricing structure places it firmly in the mid-market to enterprise tier—far out of reach for most startups and small brokerages. ## Pricing Comparison | Plan | Tai TMS | Diesel TMS | | --- | --- | --- | | Starter / Free | Not available | $0/month (Free forever with ads) | | Small Team (2 users) | $995/month (Growth plan, 200 shipment cap) | $80/month (Pro) or ~$80/month (Flex) | | Growing Team (6 users) | $2,465/month (Premium plan, 600 shipment cap) | $240/month (Pro) or usage-based (Flex) | | Mid-Size (12 users) | $4,595/month (Premium+ plan, 1,200 shipment cap) | $480/month (Pro) or usage-based (Flex) | | Large (25 users) | $7,925/month (Pro plan, 2,500 shipment cap) | $1,000/month (Pro) or usage-based (Flex) | ## Key Differences ### Pricing Model - **Tai TMS:** Tiered plans with shipments cap and limited staff logins. Overages and scaling require upgrading to more expensive tiers. Starting at $995/month with only 2 staff logins and 200 shipments included. - **Diesel TMS:** Simple per-user pricing ($40/user/month for Pro) or pay-per-hour ($0.40/user/hour for Flex). No shipment caps, no carrier limits, unlimited loads. Free tier available with full features. ### Shipment & Carrier Limits - **Tai TMS:** Each plan limits shipments (200-2,500/month) and carrier profiles (500-6,000). Growing beyond these caps forces expensive plan upgrades. - **Diesel TMS:** Unlimited shipments, unlimited carriers, unlimited loads on every plan—including the free tier. ### Target Market - **Tai TMS:** Primarily focused on freight brokers. Does not serve carriers or hybrid operations. - **Diesel TMS:** Built for both freight brokers AND carriers/owner-operators in a single platform. Supports brokerage, dispatching, and hybrid operations. ### Contracts & Commitments - **Tai TMS:** While they claim no long-term contracts, their high entry price ($995/month) creates a significant financial commitment for startups. - **Diesel TMS:** No contracts, no setup fees, no minimums. Cancel anytime and retain access to your data for 10 years. ## Feature Comparison | Feature | Tai TMS | Diesel TMS | | --- | --- | --- | | Free Tier | No | Yes | | Unlimited Users | No (Capped) | Yes | | Unlimited Shipments | No (Capped) | Yes | | Unlimited Carriers | No (Capped) | Yes | | Carrier/Asset Operations | No | Yes | | Load Board Integration | Yes | Yes | | QuickBooks Integration | Yes | Yes | | Built-in Accounting (GL) | No | Yes | | Driver Mobile App | No | Yes | | AI Features | Yes | Yes | | Customer Portal | Yes | Yes | | E-Signatures | Yes | Yes | | API Access | Yes | Yes | | Integrations | 500+ | 9,000+ | ## The Bottom Line Tai TMS is a capable platform for established freight brokerages with substantial budgets, but its **$995/month starting price** with only 2 staff logins and 200 shipments cap makes it impractical for startups and growing operations. For the cost of Tai’s entry-level plan, you could run a 25-person team on Diesel TMS Pro. Diesel TMS offers a genuinely free tier with no feature gates, unlimited shipments and carriers, and transparent per-user pricing that scales linearly as you grow—making it the clear choice for startups and cost-conscious brokerages that don’t want to be locked into expensive tiers before they’ve proven their model. ## Tai TMS vs Diesel TMS: Frequently Asked Questions ### How much does Tai TMS cost? Tai TMS publishes four monthly tiers: $995 (2 staff logins, 200 shipments), $2,465 (5 logins, 500 shipments), $4,595 (10 logins, 1,250 shipments), and $7,925 (20 logins, 2,500 shipments). Additional logins and shipments require a higher tier. Diesel TMS is free with unlimited users and loads, or $40/user/month for Pro. ### Does Tai TMS have a free plan? No. Tai TMS has no free plan or public trial; the entry point is $995/month. Diesel TMS offers a free-forever plan with every feature included. ### Is Tai TMS good for a small freight brokerage? Tai is built for established brokerages moving hundreds of shipments per month and includes deep LTL, carrier-connectivity, and workflow automation. For a startup or small brokerage, $995/month for 2 logins is a steep fixed cost; Diesel TMS covers brokerage, quoting, carrier onboarding, and invoicing for free. ### Does Tai TMS work for carriers? Tai TMS is broker-focused and does not offer asset/fleet management for carriers. Diesel TMS supports freight brokers, carriers, and hybrid operations in a single account. ### What is the best alternative to Tai TMS? For small and mid-size brokerages, Diesel TMS is a free alternative with unlimited users and shipments, AI email-to-quote, built-in accounting, QuickBooks Online sync, and load board integrations. ### How many integrations does Tai TMS have compared to Diesel TMS? Tai TMS claims 500+ API and EDI integrations, including 100+ direct carrier connections. Diesel TMS offers 9,000+ app integrations via Zapier, plus native QuickBooks Online, 123Loadboard, MyCarrierPortal, Samsara & Motive ELD, factoring, email, and an open API — all included free. ## Compare Other TMS Solutions Ascend TMS Alvys TMS TMS.ai (Rose Rocket) ITS Dispatch BrokerPro TruckingOffice Datatruck Excel / Google Sheets Or see the [full ranking of the best TMS software for small fleets and freight brokers](https://www.dieseltms.com/compare). ## Ready to switch to Diesel TMS? Start free today. No credit card required. No contracts. No risk. Sign Up Free View Pricing