Stowplan as a Cargo-Planner alternative
Cargo-Planner is the more featured product — multi-modal, multi-language, libraries, API, enterprise controls. Stowplan is narrower and cheaper, and gives you the interactive 3D view on the free tier that Cargo-Planner puts two tiers up. Figures below were checked on Cargo-Planner’s own pricing page on July 25, 2026.
What each one costs
| Stowplan | Cargo-Planner | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry paid tier | Pro $19/mo, or $190/yr | Lite $59/mo billed yearly, 1 user |
| Interactive 3D at that tier | Yes — and also on the free tier | No, per their own feature table |
| Tier that adds interactive 3D | n/a — it is in the free tier | Standard, $99/mo billed yearly, 5 users |
| Public link sharing | Free tier, 20 active links, watermarked | Standard tier |
| Before you pay | Free tier, no expiry | Free trial on any plan |
Cargo-Planner’s pricing page displays annual billing by default; month-to-month costs more than the figures above. Enterprise is quoted, not published.
The comparison that actually decides it
If what you need is to see the load in 3D, move a box, and send someone a link, that combination starts at Cargo-Planner’s Standard tier — $99/mo billed yearly, because Lite has neither interactive 3D nor public URL sharing. In Stowplan the 3D view and share links are on the free tier, and $19/mo Pro exists to remove four limits: one container per plan, five saved plans, twenty active share links, and the watermark. Nothing else is behind the paywall.
The other difference is the dock. Every Stowplan plan carries a phone step-through and a printable sheet for the person actually loading the container, on a link that does not expire. Judge it there — that is what it is built for.
Where Cargo-Planner is the better buy
It is the deeper product, and for a lot of operations it is the right one. Do not switch if you need:
- Modes beyond containers and trucks. Full aircraft and vessel load planning are Cargo-Planner Enterprise features. Stowplan does not do them at all.
- Cargo and equipment libraries. If your team plans the same SKUs weekly, a saved library is real time. Cargo-Planner has one on every tier; Stowplan has none.
- Enterprise plumbing. API access, single sign-on, audit trails, issue SLAs, company-wide settings enforcement, branches, and 18+ language support. Stowplan has none of these.
- Five seats under one subscription. Their Standard tier includes five users. Stowplan Pro is one planner — for a crew you want Teams.
Who Stowplan is actually for
A coordinator or small forwarding team planning container and truck loads, who wants the plan in front of the dock crew without buying a platform. If that is not you, the honest answer is that Cargo-Planner’s feature list will serve you better, and this page would rather tell you that than sell you a month.
Try it against a real shipment
Paste in a cargo list you have already planned elsewhere and compare the two plans side by side. That is a fairer test than any table.