Comparison
A packVol alternative that runs in the browser
packVol is Windows desktop software for load planning. If your team is on Macs, on Chromebooks, or spread across machines you do not administer, that is the difference that matters. This page is about what changes when the planner is a URL.
Ten calculations a month, free, no card — and you can run one before signing in.
Side by side
| Feature | 3DPACK.ING | packVol |
|---|---|---|
| Runs on | Any browser — Windows, macOS, Linux, tablet | Microsoft Windows only |
| Install required | None | Yes — desktop install, version 4.1.4 (January 2026) |
| Sharing a plan | A link | Send a file |
| Free tier | 10 calculations a month, no card, indefinitely | Fully functional free trial; ongoing licence price on request |
| Published pricing | Published: $0 / $29 / $99 / custom | Not published — quoted on request |
| Plain-English input | Yes | Not offered |
| API | HTTP API on Pro and above | pvDLL integration library |
| Works offline | No | Yes |
Rows where they win are marked as such. Every figure here comes from each product’s own published pages and is checkable in two clicks.
Why people look
The machine. packVol states plainly that it is software for MS Windows. Every Mac in the building is outside it, and so is anyone planning a load from a tablet on a warehouse floor.
Then sharing. A desktop planner produces a file. Getting a plan to a customer, a forwarder or a colleague means exporting, attaching and hoping they can open it. A load plan that lives at a URL is a link in a message, and the person opening it can rotate the load themselves.
And the buying process. packVol does not publish pricing; you ask. For a large rollout that is normal. For one person deciding on a Tuesday whether this is worth it, an unpublished price is a reason to look elsewhere.
Where packVol is the better choice
It runs offline. If you plan loads somewhere with no reliable connection — and that describes plenty of yards, ports and warehouses — a desktop application keeps working where a browser tool simply stops. It is also an established product with years of customers behind it, still actively developed: version 4.1.4 shipped in January 2026. If offline is a requirement rather than a preference, we are not the answer.
Moving over
There is nothing to migrate and nothing to install. Open the planner, paste or type the load, and you have a plan. If the items already live in a spreadsheet, Excel import on Pro takes the sheet as it is.
- Nothing to install
- Excel import on Pro
- Share a plan as a link
Try it here, without signing in
The planner below is the real one. Describe a load or edit the example, and you get the same 3D plan the paid tiers produce.
Questions
Do I need to install anything?
No. It runs in the browser, on any operating system.
Can I use it on a Mac?
Yes — there is no platform requirement.
What does it cost?
Free for ten calculations a month with no card. Pro is $29 a month, Team $99. Or 25 one-off calculations for $9 that never expire.
Can I share a plan with a customer?
Yes, as a link they can open and rotate. No file, and nothing to install at their end.
Comparing something else?
- 3DBinPacking alternativeNo free tier — but genuinely cheaper than us at high API volume
- EasyCargo alternativeTen-day trial, registration first — but a deeper product with a longer track record
- Cargo-Planner alternativeBroader equipment library than ours, including air ULDs and out-of-gauge cargo
See your own load
Paste a box list and the first plan takes about a minute.
Open the plannerCompared on 15 August 2026 against publicly published pricing and product pages. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we’ll fix it.