The Small Business Route Planning Problem
If you run a small delivery business — flowers, pharmacy, catering, local courier — you need route optimization. But most tools are priced for enterprises with 50+ drivers. OptimoRoute, one of the most popular options, starts at $39 per driver per month. For a 3-driver operation, that is $117/month before you deliver a single package.
OptimoRoute Overview
OptimoRoute is a powerful fleet management platform. It offers route optimization, driver tracking, real-time ETAs, proof of delivery, and customer notifications. For large operations (10+ drivers), it is excellent. The pricing:
- Lite: $39/driver/month — basic route optimization
- Pro: $49/driver/month — adds real-time tracking and analytics
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
For a 5-driver team on Pro: $245/month.
Routes Overview
Routes focuses on the core problem: optimizing multi-stop routes and exporting them to Google Maps. No driver tracking, no proof of delivery, no fleet dashboards. Just fast, reliable route optimization at a fraction of the cost:
- Free: 10 stops per route, 5 optimizations/month
- Starter Team: $19/month — 25 stops, 500 optimizations
- Operations: $49/month — 98 stops, 10 vehicles, CSV/PDF export
For a 5-driver team: $49/month total (not per driver).
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Feature | OptimoRoute | Routes |
|---|---|---|
| Route optimization | Yes | Yes |
| Google Maps export | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-vehicle | Yes | Yes (Operations plan) |
| Driver tracking | Yes (Pro+) | No |
| Proof of delivery | Yes | No |
| Customer notifications | Yes | No |
| 5-driver team cost | $195-245/mo | $49/mo |
| Setup complexity | Medium (onboarding) | None (browser-based) |
When to Choose OptimoRoute
- You have 10+ drivers and need fleet management
- You need real-time driver tracking and customer ETAs
- Proof of delivery is required for your business
- You have the budget for per-driver pricing
When to Choose Routes
- You have 1-10 drivers and just need optimized routes
- Your drivers already use Google Maps for navigation
- You plan routes centrally (dispatch) and share Google Maps links
- You want to start free and upgrade only when you need to
- Budget matters — you want route optimization without the enterprise price
The Bottom Line
OptimoRoute is a full fleet management platform. Routes is a focused route optimizer. If all you need is to plan efficient routes and get your drivers navigating with Google Maps, Routes does that for 75-80% less. If you need the full fleet management suite, OptimoRoute is worth the investment.
Try Routes Free
Start with the free tier and see if the route optimization alone solves your problem. Most small businesses find that optimized routes + Google Maps is all they actually need.