Of every platform in this market, Freightnet is the closest to what CargoLinked does: a large freight forwarder directory with a request-and-quote flow bolted to it, monetised through forwarder memberships. If you are choosing between the two, the differences are real but narrower than any marketing page on either site would suggest.
Compared using each platform's own public statements, checked 14 August 2026. These companies are independent of CargoLinked and their products change — verify current details on their site before deciding. Where a company's own figures disagree with each other, that is noted rather than resolved in our favour.
The short answer
Freightnet has scale and history — it has been running for years, its directory is larger by its own count, and it distributes thousands of leads a year to paying members. CargoLinked is newer, cheaper to be listed on properly, and structures quotes for side-by-side comparison rather than routing free-form enquiries. If you are a forwarder testing lead sources, the honest advice is that $99 a year on Freightnet is a low-risk experiment and so is a free CargoLinked listing.
Side by side
| Freightnet | CargoLinked | |
|---|---|---|
| Directory scale (their figures) | "Over 28,000 freight forwarders" on the homepage; "19653 members" on the membership page | ~29,000 listings across 194 countries |
| Shipper posts a request | Yes — submit requirements once, providers compete | Yes — structured request, forwarders on the lane quote |
| Instant rates | No | No |
| Free tier for forwarders | Standard listing, limited contact details, up to 30 days for approval | Full listing with contact details, live once basic details are complete |
| Paid tier | Premium $99/year — full contact details, logo, profile, website link, and the right to respond to quote requests | Connected $29/month or $299/year — unlimited quoting, leads feed, priority placement, direct chat |
| Can a free member quote? | No — responding to quote and agent requests is a Premium feature | Yes — first 5 quotes are free |
| Lead volume claim | "13,000+ freight quotes and sales leads" distributed to Premium members in 365 days | Not published — we are newer and would rather not quote a number we cannot stand behind |
On those directory numbers
Freightnet's homepage says "over 28,000 freight forwarders worldwide"; its membership page says "Join 19653 members". Both are on the live site today. We are not going to tell you which is right — the point is that directory counts across this whole market are self-reported and rarely defined (offices? companies? registered accounts?), so treat every number on every platform, ours included, as a rough indication of scale rather than a fact you can compare precisely.
Where Freightnet is genuinely ahead
- Time in market. Years of accumulated traffic and search presence, which is exactly what a directory compounds on.
- A published lead figure. "13,000+ quotes and sales leads in 365 days" is a concrete claim about what a membership buys. We do not have an equivalent published number, and a forwarder deciding where to spend is entitled to weigh that.
- Price of entry to quoting. $99/year for unlimited quote responses is less than our $299/year, once your free quotes are used.
Where CargoLinked differs
- The free tier is usable. On Freightnet, a Standard listing shows limited contact details and cannot respond to quote requests — the free tier is a placeholder that markets the paid one. Our free listing shows full contact details (subject to your own opt-out) and includes five free quotes, so you can test whether the leads convert before paying.
- Quotes are structured. Requests capture the same fields every time, so a shipper compares charges rather than reconciling free-form replies. See how to compare freight quotes.
- Lane matching. Forwarders see requests where their HQ country matches the origin or destination, rather than a general feed — why the countries you serve matter.
- Listings go live immediately. Freightnet states Standard membership "takes up to 30 days for approval". Ours publish as soon as the basic details are complete.
What neither of us does
This is the part worth being blunt about, because it is where directory marketing is least reliable across this entire market.
Freightnet's homepage says its system "alerts vetted providers"; the site does not describe what that vetting consists of. CargoLinked does not pre-vet listings at all — company details, contact information and links go live without prior review. Our optional Verified badge is a separate, per-listing document check, and only listings that hold it have been reviewed. Neither platform is a substitute for your own due diligence: check licences, ask for references, confirm insurance. The checks are in how to choose a freight forwarder.
Which to use
If you are a shipper
Use both. Posting a request costs nothing on either, and the overlap in membership between two directories of this size is far from total, so you will reach different forwarders. Compare the quotes on the same basis rather than on headline price.
If you are a forwarder
Freightnet's $99/year is a cheap test of a mature lead source. CargoLinked's free listing plus five free quotes is a cheaper one, and tells you whether the requests on your lanes are worth paying for before you spend anything. Running both for a quarter and counting won business per dollar is a better decision process than reading either of our marketing pages — including this one.
Related: freight marketplaces compared, how CargoLinked works, and Freightnet alternatives.
