Routerra vs Spoke (Circuit): Route Planning at a Fraction of the Cost
Why compare Routerra and Circuit?
Route planners aren't one‑size‑fits‑all. Popular apps like Circuit have become household names among gig drivers, but that doesn't mean they're the best choice for everyone. Small businesses and independent couriers often discover that the features they need reside behind expensive paywalls. Routerra takes a different approach: offer powerful optimization and pro‑level features at an affordable flat rate. This comparison looks at pricing, stop limits and functionality to help you decide which planner fits your business.
Pricing and stop limits
Price is often the first deciding factor. Circuit's free plan allows just 10 stops per route, which barely covers a busy grocery delivery. To go beyond that, you need the Premium individual plan at $20 per month, which raises the stop limit to around 500. If you want to dispatch routes to multiple drivers, Circuit pushes you into its Teams tiers: Starter ($100/month for 500 stops), Essential ($250/month for 1 000 stops), Standard ($500/month for 2 000 stops) and Pro ($750/month for 5 000 stops). These plans also charge additional fees per stop once you exceed the monthly allowance.
Routerra keeps things simple. Its Pro plan costs $12 per month (or $96 per year) and supports up to 200 stops per route with 50 optimizations per day. There are no hidden per‑stop fees and no separate "team" tiers—multi‑vehicle routing is included. Even the free tier covers 20 stops and 10 optimizations per day, which beats Circuit's free limit. For businesses delivering 20–200 orders daily, Routerra's pricing undercuts Circuit by a wide margin.
Features compared
Proof of delivery and customer notifications
Circuit locks features like proof‑of‑delivery (photo/signature capture) and customer notifications behind its more expensive team plans. According to one comparison, proof‑of‑delivery is only available in Circuit's $500/month Standard tier or above. If you're on the Premium individual plan, you won't get signed delivery confirmation. Routerra includes proof‑of‑delivery and status tracking in its Pro subscription at no extra charge, making it accessible to small teams.
Time windows and scheduling
Circuit's individual app offers basic stop sequencing but lacks advanced scheduling like strict arrival windows or priority stops; those features are reserved for its higher‑end business tiers. Routerra supports earliest/latest time windows, custom service times and curbside preferences on all paid plans, helping you honor promised delivery slots without paying enterprise prices.
Multi‑vehicle routing
Routing multiple drivers is tricky on Circuit unless you upgrade to a Teams plan. With Routerra, you can split large routes into multiple sub‑routes and assign them to different vehicles automatically. Each sub‑route respects stop priorities, time windows and vehicle constraints. There's no need to pay per driver; one Pro subscription covers your whole operation.
Data import and AI features
Both apps let you upload addresses from spreadsheets, but Routerra goes further with AI‑powered image import. Snap a picture of a printed manifest or handwritten order list, and Routerra extracts the stops automatically—no manual typing or copy/pasting. Circuit offers only traditional CSV import on some platforms.
Route editing and control
Routerra gives dispatchers fine‑tuned control: drag‑and‑drop reorder stops, reverse route order, split or duplicate routes and adjust paths on the map. Circuit is known for limiting manual edits, especially on its mobile app; dispatchers often find it hard to reshuffle stops or move deliveries between drivers without starting over.
Which one is right for you?
If you're an occasional courier delivering fewer than 10 addresses a day, Circuit's free plan might suffice. But most drivers and businesses quickly outgrow that limit and discover that Circuit's affordable tiers come with major trade‑offs—limited stops, lack of proof‑of‑delivery and restricted scheduling. Upgrading to a plan that unlocks these features can cost five to ten times more than Routerra's Pro subscription.
Routerra, by contrast, offers a straightforward $12/month plan that includes 200 stops per route, proof‑of‑delivery, multi‑vehicle routing, advanced scheduling and AI import—all without nickel‑and‑diming you per stop. For small businesses and independent drivers, that means lower costs, greater flexibility and peace of mind.
Conclusion
The choice ultimately depends on your workload and budget. If you need an affordable route planner that scales from a solo driver to a small fleet, Routerra delivers enterprise‑grade features at a fraction of Circuit's price. Start for free, compare it side by side with Circuit and decide for yourself.
