Circuit Review: Features, Pricing, Use Cases, Alternative + MORE

Circuit is primarily a route planning software that offers solutions for individual drivers and teams.

The latter naturally has some more advanced options besides routing, but will they be enough for your business?

To find out, we recently analyzed Circuit reviews plus 40K+ other route optimization software reviews  (from 98 other providers):

And now have all the answers. So in this blog we’ll:

• Break down Circuit’s core functionality;
• Review its pricing policy;
• Give you a heads up on which businesses should use Circuit;
• Offer an alternative for businesses that need a more comprehensive delivery management platform.

Let's start

Circuit Review: Key Takeaways

• Circuit is a routing software that has separate solutions for individual drivers and teams

• Its driver-oriented app is very easy to use and affordable, although it only has very basic routing options and no other capabilities

• Circuit for teams is much too expensive for what it has to offer since it has no advanced functionality whatsoever (e.g., dynamic routing, barcode scanning, live ETA notifications, etc.) and a very limited number of users per plan

• Individuals and micro teams could find Circuit to be a good-enough choice

• eLogii is the perfect solution for companies of all types and sizes that need a comprehensive delivery management platform with cutting-edge functionality and high customisation options

Circuit Review: Our Research

To provide you with the most precise and in-depth information on Circuit, we’ve made sure to:

1. Personally interview a number of past and current users to gain insight into Circuit’s biggest strengths and most significant weaknesses

2. Read the reviews on reputable SaaS rating sites such as Capterra and GetApp.

As a result, we were able to analyse in detail Circuit’s:

• Overall UX;
• Essential features;
• Value for money;
• Primary use cases.

Let’s start by reviewing Circuit’s user experience.

Circuit: Ease of Use

Circuit’s users are unanimous regarding its ease of use, as they all agree it has a clean, simple, and very intuitive interface.

As such, Circuit won’t pose a problem even for users who are not exactly tech-savvy or have no prior experience with route planning software.

However, Circuit doesn’t have live customer support, which is a significant shortcoming.

That means that if you or one of your drivers face a challenge on the road that needs to be addressed ASAP, you’ll be pretty much left to your own devices.

Bottom Line: Circuit Ease of Use

Circuit has a very intuitive and user-friendly interface, partly because it doesn’t really have any complex functionality to speak of.

On the other hand, as far as its customer support is concerned, you only have their Help center to turn to. You’ll find articles covering various topics that are pretty comprehensive and helpful.

However, live support available around the clock is something Circuit doesn’t offer so far.

Circuit: Key Features & Functionality

1. Route Planning Solution for Individual Drivers

As we’ve mentioned, Circuit has two separate solutions: one for individual drivers and another for teams.

The drivers’ route planning software is very convenient for users such as couriers, field sales reps or plumbers, electricians, etc., who need extra help finding optimal routes.

The app is very intuitive, straightforward, and it gets the job done, in addition to being pretty cheap at $20 per month.

However, neither of the two Circuit’s solutions has advanced routing capabilities (e.g., adjusting routes to unforeseen events on the road, incorporating live traffic data, multi-depot routing, etc.).

Moreover, the app designed for individual users can only be downloaded and used on smartphones, meaning that there are no computer-based apps available for these users.

2. POD Collection Options

Circuit’s team-oriented solution has more features than Circuit’s app for individual users.

As such, it offers some POD collection methods, such as signatures and photos. There’s also an option for couriers to add notes (e.g., list reasons for a failed delivery, or indicate the exact way the delivery was made).

However, Circuit doesn’t offer options for barcode or QR scanning.

Namely, barcode scanning has become vital for several reasons, such as:

1. Barcodes help drivers to confirm package identity at high speed

2. They can make handling returns much less time consuming

3. Barcodes allow goods to be tracked throughout the entire shipping process, helping with inventory management, quality assurance, and more.

So, omitting such a feature can be a big deal for many prospective users.

3. Live Tracking Drivers

Circuit for teams also enables live tracking of all your vehicles on the map.

That allows managers and dispatchers to always know where each driver is at all times, which helps them better allocate tasks and plan their workflows.

4. Customer Notifications

Another upside of Circuit for teams is that it offers automated customer notifications.

They notify the customer via SMS or email that their delivery is on the way and provide a time window in which they could expect its arrival. There are also options for customers to track their delivery, as well as notifications when the delivery has failed or has been successfully made.

Moreover, there is the exact same kind of notifications designed for pickups.

However, Circuit doesn’t provide customers with precise, up-to-the-minute ETAs that are updated live. The most your customers will get is a time window that can be as wide or narrow as you see fit.

Bottom Line: Circuit Features

Although Circuit will most definitely get the job done for individuals and small teams who don’t have very advanced needs, it sure has some weaknesses that prospective users should have in mind, such as:

• No advanced routing options - as mentioned before, Circuit isn’t capable of quickly adapting to changes that happen on the road or incorporating live traffic data into its calculations, nor does it offer multi-depot routing

• You cannot manually change routes on the go

• No customisable parameters that enable comprehensive delivery management - e.g., vehicle load optimization, matching drivers with tasks based on their skills, etc.

• No live ETA notifications from each critical stage of the delivery process

• No API that enables integration with the wider supply chain

• No options for live dispatcher-driver chat and no live tech support either

On the other hand, Circuit is very easy to use, partly because it has no advanced functionality, which makes it an attractive option for users who don’t need such features in the first place.

Circuit: Pricing

Since Circuit has two solutions, each has a different pricing policy.

Circuit for drivers, i.e., individual users, comes at $20 per month. Moreover, if you have a route consisting of up to 10 stops, you can use Circuit for free.

When it comes to Circuit for teams, things are much different.

There are 3 pricing plans, and neither is exactly a bargain.

Each includes a (very) limited number of users - 3, 5, and 10, respectively, meaning you’ll have to pay extra for every additional user.

The exact price for adding extra users is undisclosed on Circuit’s website.

Bottom Line: Circuit Pricing

Whereas Circuit for individual drivers is a pretty budget-friendly option, Circuit for teams is anything but.

Once you consider Circuit has no advanced functionality whatsoever and the limited number of users included in its plans, one thing is clear: Circuit offers very little value for the money its users are expected to pay.

Who Should Use Circuit?

Circuit’s features - and the omission of some critical functionality - make it a good choice for users who primarily need a routing software and can get by without more sophisticated capabilities.

In addition, due to its pricing, Circuit is a viable option only for individuals and the smallest of companies, as any other type of users would find Circuit to be too expensive for what it has to offer.

So, more advanced users looking for an all-around delivery management software, as well as larger businesses, probably won’t find Circuit to be a match.

Circuit: Best Alternative

If you’re a user that needs a comprehensive delivery management solution with cutting-edge features that easily adapts to any business type and size, eLogii might be the perfect solution for you.

eLogii is an all-around delivery management and optimization platform that helps users tackle all the challenges of modern-day delivery and transportation logistics.

eLogii has a wide range of highly-customisable features that make it a perfect choice for various types of businesses - from field service providers to retailers, pharmaceutical companies, restaurants, couriers, food & drink delivery services, etc.

Some of its features include:

• Various advanced routing options, including dynamic, multi-day, multi-stop, and return to depot routing

• Several methods of ensuring customer satisfaction, such as real-time SMS and/or email notifications from every stage of the delivery process, live ETA notifications (with updated recalculations if something changes on the road), live tracking of every delivery, etc.

• Numerous highly customisable operational parameters that enable things such as automated matching of each load with the right type of vehicle, assigning more challenging routes to most skilled agents, etc.

• A designated mobile app that allows live communication both between drivers and dispatchers and drivers and customers

• Widest range of POD methods on the market (including barcode and QR scanning, among others)

• A well-documented API that allows seamless integration with all the other tools and technologies you use to manage the rest of your supply chain and operations.

Moreover, eLogii doesn’t have one-size-fits-all pricing packages, which makes it an ideal solution for small, medium, and large businesses alike.

eLogii comes with custom-tailored pricing plans based on your business’s particular configuration and needs, with the typical entry-level price starting at around $359 per month for 2500 tasks.

Each plan includes unlimited users, drivers, and vehicles, which is an excellent option for larger businesses or those aiming to scale.

You can compare each plan’s features on our webpage for a detailed overview of what each eLogii’s package includes.

Bottom Line: Circuit Review

Circuit’s solution for drivers is a very user-friendly and affordable choice with all the elementary features individual users, such as couriers, may need.

On the other hand, Circuit for teams is severely lacking in functionality, as it offers no advanced options that are critical for successful delivery management and route optimization.

Due to that and the limited number of users included per plan, it’s safe to say that Circuit for teams is grossly overpriced.

So, the conclusion is simple: individual drivers and micro teams will benefit the most from Circuit.

Larger companies and users that require an all-around delivery management platform will be much better off with an alternative solution such as eLogii.

eLogii’s massive number of advanced features and customization capabilities, combined with its flexible pricing plans, make it ideal for businesses of all types and sizes - from enterprises to medium and smaller companies.