OptimoRoute Reviews: Is It Any Good? Expert Analysis.
OptimoRoute is a solid overall delivery management and field service scheduling software.
It’s packed with thoughtful features, from e-signature and photo proof of delivery to a route planner that factors in driver skillsets, overnight deliveries, and deliveries that take multiple drivers.
However, as is the case with most software providers there are still bugs and unintuitive experiences to be ironed out.
For example, OptimoRoute users report:
- It’s a pain to update live routes and you can’t cancel a delivery on a route that’s already in progress.
- Initial setup is complex and overall the user interface is outdated and unintuitive.
- Parts of the software (like the driver app and analytics dashboard) lack the customization options that other providers off as standard.
Modern businesses don’t have to settle when it comes to delivery management software. Yours should work to a high standard for dispatchers, drivers, and businesses.
In this review, we’ll deep dive into OptimoRoute’s pros, cons, and real user reviews to help you decide if it’s right for you.
What is OptimoRoute? OptimoRoute’s Key Features
If you’re a dispatch manager, you’ll need a delivery management software that can handle the fundamentals, like:
- Route planning and optimization. Find the most efficient, cost-effective delivery routes with the click of a button.
- Customer notifications. Keep your customers updated on their delivery status (without them having to call customer service) with email and SMS notifications and live tracking.
- A useful dispatcher dashboard. Assign, edit, and monitor driver routes quickly and easily, and stay in touch with your team as they complete their stops.
- A powerful driver app. Drivers need an easy-to-use mobile app with real-time GPS routing, dispatcher communication, and plenty of options to collect proof of delivery.
OptimoRoute covers the basics to a mostly high standard, and users say it’s exceptionally good at accuracy and efficient at the most important part: route optimization.
But is that enough? We don’t think so.
One problem with OptimoRoute is how challenging it is to edit a planned delivery route. Users mention the headache of having to completely reset things if you need to make a small edit to a planned route, even if it's not in progress yet. And in some circumstances, you're also unable to add or remove stops to live routes. Dispatchers will know fast and frequently things change—making last-minute edits to routes without frustration is a must-have in our book.
While customers love OptimoRoute’s user-friendly driver app, they complain about the unintuitive and hard-to-use dispatcher dashboard. If you’re wasting time just trying to navigate the central hub of your daily dispatch tasks, you’re losing out on time to handle other, more important tasks.
OptimoRoute’s base pricing tier also doesn’t include core features like proof of delivery, customer notifications, and analytics and charges based on the number of drivers you have, which means you’ll likely get a better value for your money with another software.
The G2 and Capterra reviews below highlight some of the issues:
- “Can’t cancel a delivery mid-route.”—Source
- “Cons: Having to reset the form everytime an update is made which is almost daily.”—Source
- “It is hard to know where to go if you need to make unexpected changes in a hurry.”—Source
- “The software can be complex to set up and use initially.”—Source
- “The interface may not be as intuitive as some other route planning software.”—Source
- “I wish there was flexibility with the pricing structure.”—Source
With so many delivery management platforms that have mastered the basics, dispatch teams should demand a solution that goes above and beyond.
At Circuit for Teams, we know how important an easy-to-use interface is, especially for busy dispatchers. That’s why we’ve designed our dispatcher dashboard and driver app to be as sleek and simple as possible, so you and your team can navigate your daily tasks without missing a beat.
We go beyond the fundamentals of delivery management with our advanced delivery analytics dashboard, which lets you track things like estimated vs. actual route time, unique cost per delivery, and reasons for late and failed deliveries.
You can also manage multiple depots from your Circuit for Teams account, which is essential if you plan to grow beyond one geographic delivery area.
(By the way, OptimoRoute only lets you manage one depot at a time.)
We think Circuit for Teams is the best OptimoRoute Alternative.
But of course we would say that…
Luckily, you don’t have to take our word for it. Because Capterra and G2 users say:
- Our platform is “incredibly easy to use”
- Our customer service is “unmatched”
- Circuit for Teams is “the best value” route planning software
Think Circuit for Teams might be a good fit for your business?
Try our 7-day free trial to see how Circuit for Teams can take your delivery management to the next level today.
OptimoRoute Reviews - We Analyze What Users Think
Still haven’t decided? Here’s what real OptimoRoute users had to say.
The Most Important Feature: Is OptimoRoute Good for Route Planning and Optimization?
OptimoRoute bills itself as an automated route planner, so you’d hope the software would be really, really good at this.
And, thankfully, it is.
Real customers love OptimoRoute’s route planning and optimization features, which they say can “handle complex routing scenarios with ease.”
It can plan the best routes for multiple drivers by factoring in things like traffic conditions, delivery windows, and vehicle capacities, and you can adjust your routes with a simple drag-and-drop before going live. Once your route is planned, you can easily download and export it to Excel, Garmin, TomTom, and other formats.
Most users describe this core feature as accurate, efficient, and easy to use, which is exactly what you want from software that’s meant to make the most important part of your job easier.
Unique features of their route planner include:
- Multi-day long-haul routes: If your driver is trucking across country and needs to sleep, Optimoroute can handle it.
- Five-week planning: If it suits your business, you can plan orders and routes five weeks ahead of time.
- Coordinated orders: For field service jobs that require multiple technicians, Optimoroute can plan in multiple delivery people to arrive at a destination at different times.
However, it’s not all dandelions and roses.
The route planner doesn’t allow you to manage multi-depots across the country (if your business needs this, which many do). It also doesn’t allow drivers to edit their own routes mid-drive without calling up dispatch—frustrating for them if they’re faced with an obvious obstacle that the route planner isn’t yet aware.
A common issue with software in the delivery management space is that they don’t allow you to make changes while routes are already underway (at least not without completely resetting the route). For those who deliver physical products, where the space in the vehicle has been optimized carefully, this is also an issue in OptimoRoute.
Let’s look deeper at what real users found as the full pros and cons of OptimoRoute.
OptimoRoute Reviews - Pros
Here’s what real users love about OptimoRoute.
1. Highly efficient and accurate route planning.
As the name suggests, OptimoRoute can quickly and accurately create optimum delivery routes. It incorporates everything from traffic conditions to time windows into its calculations and allows you to make manual adjustments as needed. This not only saves you time in the way of route planning but also prevents drivers from wasting precious time in traffic or doubling back on inefficient routes.
Here’s how one G2 user puts it:
Source: G2
2. Real-time tracking.
OptimoRoute comes with a Live ETA feature that tracks drivers along their routes, and updates estimated times of arrival accordingly. With this, you’ll see where your entire team is at a glance, and you can update your customers on any changes.
Here’s what one Capterra user said:
Source: Capterra
3. User-friendly, reliable driver app.
A confusing or glitchy driver app can tank your fleet’s ability to do their jobs efficiently. (Imagine, for example, the GPS suddenly stops working while a driver is en route.) Luckily, users report OptimoRoute’s driver app is reliable and easy to read—meaning your drivers won’t be in the dark about their daily deliveries and responsibilities.
Here’s what this Capterra user had to say:
Source: Capterra
OptimoRoute Reviews - Cons
OptimoRoute’s customers have flagged some issues with the software:
1. Unintuitive, hard-to-use dashboard interface.
Though OptimiRoute’s driver app gets high marks for intuitive navigation, we can’t say the same about the dispatch dashboard. Despite having good functionality and genuinely useful features once everything is set up, the initial onboarding could prove frustrating and time-consuming.
Here’s what one G2 user had to say:
Source: G2
2. Hard to make real-time changes.
Traffic jams, driver call-outs, and other unexpected snafus can (and often do) happen. While OptimoRoute is fantastic at setting up an initial optimized route, users say it’s tough to make live adjustments to it. If something changes to your route last minute, your drivers may get stuck on a less efficient route—which, frankly, defeats the purpose of route optimization software.
This Capterra review sums up the issue:
Source: Capterra
3. High cost for teams that need full delivery management features.
OptimoRoute’s per-driver pricing may be affordable for small teams but naturally adds up as your team grows. Additionally, key features like real-time order tracking and proof of delivery—typically included in the base plans of other delivery management software—are locked behind the more expensive Pro plan.
Even teams with lower delivery rates might not get the most bang for their buck. Since there’s no flexibility in the features offered at each plan, any team looking for order tracking (and nothing else) would need to shell out for Pro.
Here’s what one Capterra user said:
Source: Capterra
Do All Users Like OptimoRoute? What Drivers Think
For all the user complaints about the unintuitive dispatcher dashboard, there are just as many praising OptimoRoute’s user-friendly driver mobile app.
OptimoRoute designed its driver app to use as little data as possible and function even in areas with poor cell service. A great app that keeps your drivers on track and doesn’t glitch out during live routes is critical for high delivery success rates.
Here’s what one Capterra user had to say:
Source: Capterra
One downside? Drivers can’t change their own stop order:
Source: Capterra
According to a response from OptimoRoute to this 2023 review, drivers have to reach out to their dispatcher to reorder a route, which can take valuable time away from other delivery management tasks.
Other solutions (like Circuit for Teams) allow drivers to customize their stop order and color-code priority deliveries right from the app, without bothering their dispatch manager.
OptimoRoute Pricing
OptimoRoute offers two standard plans (Lite and Pro) and a customized plan for more complex delivery management needs.
The Lite plan starts at $35.10/driver/month when billed annually, or $39 with month-to-month billing. You’ll have to upgrade to the Pro plan ($44.10/driver/month billed annually or $49 month-to-month) if you want analytics, real-time order tracking for customers, proof of delivery, and other important features that are typically included in the base-level plans of other delivery management software.
OptimoRoute might be an affordable option if you have a small fleet of just two or three drivers, but as your team grows, those monthly per-driver costs can really add up. It may be worth considering a solution that bills a flat rate based on the number of stops you make each month.
Looking for a more affordable delivery management solution for your growing team of drivers? Circuit for Teams starts at just $100 a month for up to 500 stops with unlimited drivers. Learn more about us here or sign up for a free 7-day trial.
👋 Introducing Circuit | A More Customizable and Intuitive Delivery Management Software
In the rest of this review, we’ll compare OptimoRoute to our own delivery management software, Circuit for Teams.
Here are some of the key features of OptimoRoute and how they compare to our solution.
OptimoRoute and Circuit both offer the core features you’d expect from a comprehensive delivery management software:
- Real-time driver tracking: With both OptimoRoute and Circuit, you’ll get live driver tracking and delivery updates, as well as the ability to make driver and route adjustments at any time.
- Route planning and optimization: Both platforms let you import existing data to automatically plan the best and most efficient delivery routes. Each allows you to adjust routing based on various factors, such as location, time windows, driver schedules, stop priorities, and real-time traffic data.
- Proof of delivery: Drivers can collect proof of delivery with e-signatures, photos, and/or notes on both OptimoRoute’s and Circuit’s driver apps. This not only keeps your drivers accountable but helps you collect any necessary information in the event of a delivery dispute.
- Customer notifications: OptimoRoute and Circuit both offer customizable delivery status updates and real-time tracking links for customers via email and/or SMS. This increases customer satisfaction and delivery success rates—and significantly decreases the number of times you’ll receive “Where’s my order?” calls.
However, Circuit for Teams has a leg up on OptimoRoute in a few important areas.
- Modern, intuitive UI: If you’re investing in delivery management software, the dispatcher dashboard and driver app should both be incredibly intuitive and easy to set up and learn.
Circuit for Teams does exactly that: Our customers rave about our “snappy” UI and say our platforms are “incredibly easy to use.” Meanwhile, OptimoRoute reviews mention that the dashboard is “unintuitive” (one G2 user even said they’d “love to see more work put into the web interface.”
- Tons of live customization and route editing options: We get that real-time changes are a daily part of managing delivery routes. That’s why Circuit makes it as easy as possible for you and your drivers to make changes on the fly, like adding or removing stops and adding special notes to live delivery routes.
With OptimoRoute, only dispatchers can edit live routes (and even at that, it’s a pain to do so). If a driver needs to adjust their stops because of heavy traffic or an emergency, they’ll have to contact you to change their route for them. You also can’t remove a stop from a live delivery route, so if a driver is unable to complete it, it counts as a failed delivery.
- More bang for your buck: OptimoRoute’s per driver, per month plans could work for small teams with just a few drivers, but as your team grows, the price can start adding up. Plus, the lowest-tier plan is pretty much just a route planner—it’s missing some critical delivery management features, including analytics, proof of delivery, and real-time order tracking for customers.
Compare that with Circuit’s $100/month Starter plan, which covers one dispatcher and five drivers for your first 500 stops and includes every single available feature. You’d pay over double that price for the same size team and the same features with OptimoRoute.
In short, Circuit for Teams offers all the same features as OptimoRoute, but with a better overall user experience, more live customization options, and more value for your money.
The Best OptimoRoute Alternative 👋
Our delivery management software, Circuit for Teams, is one of the best and most comprehensive OptimoRoute alternatives on the market.
Circuit does the fundamental features very well. You get the highest possible level of control over multi-stop routes, all with an intuitive interface that drivers and dispatchers alike will love.
Here are just a few areas where we stand out:
A Beautifully Designed, Easy-to-Use Dispatcher Dashboard
Circuit for Teams’ sleek, intuitive dispatcher dashboard minimizes failed deliveries and keeps your team working as efficiently as possible.
Dispatchers can manage drivers, routes, and disputes in one spot, in real-time. The dashboard also syncs to the driver app with the click of a button, so dispatchers and drivers are always on the same page
Advanced Route Customization and Editing Options
Circuit for Teams makes it easy to create and adjust optimum routes. Once you import your stop data (via the driver app, a spreadsheet, or directly from Shopify), Circuit instantly calculates the best route based on time, distance, speed, and stop settings. You can also set up delivery zones, and the software will allocate stops, routes, and drivers accordingly.
For further customization, you can set priority levels, ETAs, proof of delivery type, and other requirements. And if you need to edit a live route, you can make the necessary changes and communicate them with your drivers in real time.
Multiple Depot Management for Growing Delivery Operations
If you’re looking to expand beyond a single delivery region, you’ll need a solution that grows with you. Circuit for Teams can manage multiple depots in a single system, assign specific drivers to specific depots, and set location-specific preferences. You can also track the performance of different depots without having to switch in and out of each account.
Depending on your business’s needs, you can also scale your operations up or down each month. For example, if your delivery numbers are impacted by seasonality, you can add more drivers and depots to meet seasonal demand—and remove them easily once the rush dies down.
Circuit for Teams Highlight - Three More Features You’ll Love
Circuit for Teams was thoughtfully designed to make life easier for dispatch managers and drivers at retailers and courier companies.
Our customers love these three features, which are included with every Circuit for Teams plan (unlike OptimoRoute, which only offers them on its mid-tier plan).
1. Flexible proof of delivery.
Circuit for Teams’ driver app allows your drivers to capture proof of delivery via signatures, photographs, and delivery status. There’s also a spot to leave notes for the customer and/or the dispatch team.
You can also collect proof of delivery at pickup points, like parcel lockers or retailers that collect deliveries, and automatically share that information with both dispatchers and customers.
2. Dynamic customer notifications.
Keep your customers updated on their deliveries with automatic SMS and email notifications. Circuit for Teams creates and sends live tracking links with delivery ETAs, queue position, and driver locations. You can also customize your updates to suit your brand, as well as allow customers to leave delivery instructions for your drivers.
3. Advanced delivery analytics.
Circuit for Teams’ advanced delivery analytics allow you to easily monitor and analyze the data that matters. You can track delivery success rates, both at the organizational and individual driver levels, to identify areas for improvement.
In the event of a dispute, you can access the archive for historical route data and search for the information you need.
Want to see for yourself what makes Circuit for Teams the best alternative to OptimoRoute? Start your free trial or talk to our sales team to learn more.
