At Modaltrans, we believe that within a few years most freight quote requests will be handled by AI agents inside logistics departments. Air and ocean freight are especially well-suited for this shift. But forwarders need to prepare: a solid in-house rate management system is essential, and direct integrations with airlines and liners are becoming critical. This is where digital marketplaces step in — acting as the middle layer that connects forwarders with carriers. To help you choose the right partner for your business’s volume and main routes, we’ve compared five leading air freight marketplaces: WebCargo (now Freightos), Cargo.one, AirRates, CargoAi and CargoBooking.aero. Let’s learn more about these guys.
Freightos (WebCargo)
WebCargo has been serving the air cargo industry since 2008 and joined the Freightos Group following its acquisition in 2016. Today, the platform is used by more than 5,000 freight forwarders in over 10,000 offices worldwide. It combines static and real-time rates from more than 300 airlines, including more than 70 with real-time rates, and provides them to freight forwarders. It has partnerships with airlines like IAG Cargo, Lufthansa Cargo, Qatar Airways and more. Freightos has been trading on the Nasdaq (CRGO) since 2023. Modaltrans has integration with WebCargo, which means you can see rates and process booking directly from your Modaltrans account.
Cargo.one
Operated by Cargo One GmbH, this marketplace describes itself as an "AI-native" marketplace for freight forwarders. This marketplace, trusted by big freight forwarders such as Kuehne+Nagel and Rhenus, claims to enable teams to free themselves from manual tasks and focus on the customer experience. In early 2026, the Berlin-based company, founded in 2017, acquired Cargofive, an ocean freight platform, thereby consolidating air and ocean freight data under one roof and launching the industry's first AI-native operating system. Building on this foundation, in June 2026 it announced the industry's first "AI Worker" application for airline sales operations in collaboration with Saudia Cargo.
CargoAi
Singapore-based CargoAi offers digital solutions to help more than 23,000 freight forwarders efficiently manage their air cargo supply chain processes. The marketplace is connected to more than 100 airlines and is used in more than 130 countries. It is also preferred by major freight forwarders such as DSV. With its “CargoMART” product, users can perform real-time capacity checks and obtain direct booking confirmations. CargoAi also features CO2 tracking and addresses forwarders’ digital needs through sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) purchases and API integrations.
AirRates (by DP World)
AirRates, an additional marketplace for freight forwarders, was developed as the air cargo component of the SeaRates ecosystem, founded in 2005 and now part of DP World. Through the DFA network, it reaches over 7,000 forwarders in more than 190 countries and allows comparison of routes from over 300 airlines. Freight forwarders can integrate AirRates into their own systems or join the “Digital Freight Alliance” (DFA) network. AirRates provides an ecosystem that enables freight forwarders to offer professional quotes to their customers and track the process 24/7. A hands-on test in July 2026 illustrates the model well: a spot search on airrates.com returns quotes labelled “Carrier TBN” (to be nominated) with an “Indicative” price flag and a “Pre-book” request flow — the airline is assigned after the request, rather than being instantly confirmed at booking as on airline-integrated marketplaces.
CargoBooking.aero
CargoBooking.aero, which is relatively new compared to other marketplaces, launched in 2020 and is the marketplace of Awery Aviation Software. It is a digital air cargo booking platform that provides real-time capacity and pricing information for airlines and GSAs. The platform is connected to more than 80 airlines. By supporting the IATA ONE Record standard, the platform facilitates integration between airline and forwarder systems.
What Makes a Good Air Freight Marketplace?
There is no single answer to what the best rate management system for forwarders is; the right platform depends on your volumes, main routes, and accreditation status. The nine criteria below give you a practical framework for running this comparison against your own operation.
1. Airline Coverage
The first criterion that directly determines the operational success of a digital air cargo platform is the scope of carriers it offers. The more carriers you have access to, the more route and pricing options you can offer your customers. However, there are some points to keep in mind; for example, stating “300+ carriers” does not mean you can make instant reservations with those carriers. Some platforms only provide “rate visibility” for certain carriers, while others offer real-time capacity checks and instant e-booking. While broad rate visibility is helpful when preparing a quote, the number of live integrations is what really makes a difference when you need to book a spot shipment within minutes.
At this point, to accurately analyse the platforms’ capabilities, we’ve divided the critical metrics into two categories: carriers where rates are visible only (rate visibility), and airlines that support real-time booking (live eBooking) directly integrated into the system. Evaluate these factors while also considering the regions where your traffic is heaviest, and review the following sections, Geographic Coverage and Airport Coverage, to assess their strengths on the routes that matter most to you.
2. Geographic Coverage
Just as important as the number of airlines is which regions those connections are strong in. Live eBooking is rolled out country by country across most platforms, so you shouldn’t focus too much on global figures; instead, look at the regions where your traffic is heaviest. In the table below, we’ve assessed where the marketplaces are strongest.
3. Airport Coverage
When evaluating airport coverage, keep in mind that your ability to make reservations on marketplaces depends not on the airport, but on the country of origin. Airlines activate eBooking on the platform on a country-by-country basis. In the table below, we’ve shown the confirmed presence of the five platforms at major hubs; you can get a definitive answer in just five minutes by opening a free account and searching for your busiest routes.
Symbol Key:
● Platform headquarters at this hub
▲ Regional platform (acquired)
✓ Confirmed live airline partnership via the global network
– No publicly verified airline partnership at this hub (see the note below the table)
Table - Verified platform presence at major hubs (July 2026). “-” does not mean there is no access at that hub; access may be possible via the global network, but there is no publicly available verification. AirRates and CargoBooking.aero rarely announce airline-specific integrations: AirRates aggregates rates through the DFA/SeaRates ecosystem, while CargoBooking.aero’s 80+ airline connections run largely through airline and GSSA agreements that are not individually publicised.
4. Live Rate Availability
In a marketplace, determining whether a price is actually valid is the most critical factor when making an offer. If you provide a quote to your customer based on static rates and later receive a different figure from the airline, it will be difficult or perhaps impossible to pass that change on to the customer. If you receive a “no seats available” response from the airline, you will have provided your customer with incorrect information. These situations will cause you to lose credibility. Live Rate, Capacity Visibility, and Schedules data eliminate these risks entirely.
The platforms’ operational capabilities in terms of real-time price accuracy, capacity visibility, and air cargo rate management are as follows:
5. Spot Quote Capability
Spot quotes are the reality of air freight. Your customer asks for a price and expects an answer within hours. With the traditional method, this process involves sending an email to the airline, confirming by phone, and comparing the responses one by one. More often than not, while your customer is waiting for an answer, you lose the shipment to another forwarder. This is where marketplaces offer the real solution. You submit your spot request to the marketplace, and the response appears directly there. This way, you avoid the hassle of email traffic.
We can analyse the reliance on email and the in-system response times in the spot processes of the five major platforms using the following criteria:
6. Instant eBooking
You’ve gained speed with spot quotes. But what about the booking itself? After the customer’s approval, especially during peak seasons when capacity in the spot market can sell out in minutes, the time between the request and the airline’s approval determines the outcome of the operation. The eBooking speed, measured in seconds and enabled by digital integrations, is the most effective way to manage these risks. A reservation sent with a single click to an airline with real-time integration is approved within seconds, allowing you to complete the AWB (Air Waybill) process.
In the table below, we compared the booking experiences of the five platforms based on two criteria:
Operational Note: It is important to remember that the benefit of real-time confirmation applies only to airlines with live integration with the platform; for carriers offering static rates, the process follows the traditional request-confirmation mechanism.
7. Non-IATA Support
For forwarders without IATA accreditation or CASS membership, direct access to airlines means relying on bank guarantees and intermediaries. The most comprehensive solution in this area comes from WebCargo. With WebCargo Pay, powered by Visa, non-accredited freight forwarders can make direct bookings with major airlines such as Qatar Airways Cargo and IAG Cargo and enjoy flexible credit terms without a bank guarantee.
The direct booking and financing capabilities of non-IATA member agencies are structured as follows on a platform by platform basis:
Strategic Insight: If you do not have IATA accreditation, WebCargo Pay offers the most efficient ecosystem in terms of financial flexibility, while CargoWALLET also stands out as a strong alternative for non-CASS payments. CargoBooking.aero, by contrast, provides no payment layer of its own: its portal terms require forwarders to already be a recognised customer with an established credit line at each carrier they book.
8. Payment & Settlement
After making a reservation, how will payment be processed? In air freight, payment is traditionally handled through CASS, which involves bank guarantees and settlement schedules. Some marketplaces, however, offer their own payment solutions instead. They provide payment terms and automate the settlement process. Since this directly affects your cash flow, you should take the payment aspect seriously when choosing a marketplace.
Solutions offered by platforms for financial reconciliation, online payments, and payment terms/credit processes:
9. Own Contract Rate Management
Marketplaces work not only for airline rates but also for your own negotiated contracts. A good marketplace allows you to upload your own contract rates and local charges and view them alongside real-time airline prices, so you can see the answer to the question, “Is my contract rate or the spot rate better?” for every quote, all on a single screen. This capability is what turns a simple booking portal into true air freight rate management software — and it is often the deciding factor for forwarders comparing rate management systems.
The table below shows the support offered by the five platforms in this regard:
Choosing the right air freight marketplace isn’t about chasing the biggest carrier list or the flashiest features — it’s about aligning the platform’s strengths with your own operational reality. Whether you value WebCargo’s financial flexibility, Cargo.one’s AI-native speed, CargoAi’s sustainability tools, AirRates’ ecosystem reach, or CargoBooking.aero’s standards-driven integrations, the key is to match these capabilities to your volumes, routes, and accreditation status. In a market where credibility and responsiveness win shipments, the marketplace you select becomes more than a booking portal — it becomes a strategic partner in your digital freight journey.
At Modaltrans, we actively explore these platforms and work with forwarders who are using or planning to use them. If you'd like help integrating any of these marketplaces into your operations, contact us if you'd like help choosing the right one for your volumes and routes.
