Smartload vs Direct Freight Load Board
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Smartload
This app enables dealers to manage airtime, electricity, and data bundle recharges for major networks. It also facilitates credit transfers between dealers, payment processing for services like Easypay and DSTV, and voucher purchases.
- Airtime and electricity recharge
- Data, SMS, and bundle purchases
- Smartload credit transfers
- Easypay and DSTV payments
- Voucher purchases
- Transaction history tracking
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Smartcall's Smartload app allows Smartload dealers to recharge airtime and prepaid electricity as well as data-, sms-, and combination bundles directly from their iPhone. Recharge functionality is offered across all major networks (Vodacom, MTN, Cell C, Telkom, Virgin Mobile, Econet, + Eskom). It also allows dealers to transfer Smartload credit to other dealers, check their Smartload balance and keep track of their transaction history. Additionally dealers can make Easypay and DSTV payments, buy Checkers Food vouchers and VAST wifi vouchers, and several other product options, all from the same app.
Direct Freight Load Board
This app helps truck drivers find daily freight loads from brokers and shippers. It offers unlimited searches with real-time updates and advanced filtering options by origin, destination, ship date, and trailer type. Drivers can also post their trucks and review broker information.
- Search 300K+ daily loads
- Unlimited searches
- Real-time load updates
- Filter by origin, destination, date, trailer type
- Post your truck
- Review broker credit scores and days to pay
- Call brokers directly
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The Direct Freight app lets truck drivers search more than 300K loads daily from reputable brokers & shippers on the Direct Freight network. Users sign in with a current Direct Freight Services username and password to start searching for loads. Enjoy unlimited searches with the Direct Freight Driver app. Loads are updated in real time. Search for loads by your favorite preferences: Origin, radiuas of origin, destination, ship date, size: full or partial, trailer type (dry van, flatbed, reefer, step deck /single drop, double drop, van + vented, curtain van). Sort your results by: Age (newest), pay rate (highest), dead head (shortest), trip length (longest), origin city (A - Z), origin state (A - Z), destination city (A - Z), destination state (A - Z), trailer type, load size, weight, ship date, credit report, and company name. Easily post your truck, review broker and shipper credit scores, days to pay and reviews and call them directly from the app. Direct Freight is a valuable resource for owner-operators and carriers to find and move freight. Use of the Direct Freight Drive app constitutes your acceptance of our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Please do not use this mobile application while operating your vehicle. You may purchase an auto-renewing subscription through an In-App Purchase. • Auto-renewable subscription • 1 month ($34.99) • Your subscription will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase and will automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. • Current subscription may not be cancelled during the active subscription period; however, you can manage your subscription and/or turn off auto-renewal by visiting your iTunes Account Settings after purchase • Privacy policy: https://www.directfreight.com/policies/directfreight_privacy.html • Terms and conditions: https://www.directfreight.com/policies/directfreight_terms.html Copyright © 2018 Direct Freight Services. All Rights Reserved. All logos and trademarks are property of their respective owners.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Smartload at none against Direct Freight Load Board's 8. Direct Freight Load Board's advantage is rating (3.5 vs 3.0) and review sentiment (43% vs 25%). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Direct Freight Load Board sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $39.00 per month. Smartload asks for nothing beyond the download.
Direct Freight Load Board holds the better App Store score, 3.5 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Direct Freight Load Board has 48 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of Smartload's written reviews are positive against 43% of Direct Freight Load Board's.
Smartload ships an update every 3 months, Direct Freight Load Board every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Smartload | Direct Freight Load Board |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.0 (3 ratings) | 3.5 (48 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews | 42.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 3 | 48 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 4 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.5 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 45 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Smart Phone (Pty) Ltd | Direct Freight Services |
Customer experience
Smartload
Direct Freight Load Board
In-app purchases
Smartload
No in-app purchases
Direct Freight Load Board
- Basic7 Days trial$39.001 Month
- Enhanced7 Days trial$49.001 Month
- Premium (legacy)$65.001 Month
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- Professional7 Days trial$69.001 Month
- Basic7 Days trial$390.001 Year
- Enhanced7 Days trial$490.001 Year
- Premium (legacy)$649.001 Year
- Professional7 Days trial$690.001 Year
Questions
Is Smartload free?
Is Direct Freight Load Board free?
Which has better reviews, Smartload or Direct Freight Load Board?
Do Smartload or Direct Freight Load Board have ads?
Which is updated more often, Smartload or Direct Freight Load Board?
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