The short answer
The best duty drawback software depends on who you want to run the claims and how you want to pay. DrawbackAI by Stable Software is flat-license drawback software that U.S. customs brokers white-label for their importer clients and file under their own filer code; DutyCalc is long-established licensed drawback software; and Descartes and Thomson Reuters ONESOURCE include drawback in enterprise trade suites. If you would rather outsource on contingency, Zollback, Pax AI and Caspian are AI-native filers, and Charter Brokerage, Comstock & Holt, J.M. Rodgers and Alliance Drawback Services are established specialists.
Disclosure: Stable Software makes DrawbackAI, one of the products on this list. We describe every other provider from its own public materials as of October 2026, group them by model rather than ranking them, and have not tested competitors' products. Spot an error? Email hello@stablesoftware.com and we will correct it.
Key takeaways
- Drawback providers fall into four models: software you (or your broker) run, AI-native contingency filers, full-service specialists, and modules inside enterprise trade or logistics suites.
- The biggest differences are pricing (a license vs a percentage of every refund) and who files the claims, under whose power of attorney.
- Licensed software keeps the whole refund with the claimant; contingency and specialist providers keep a share of every claim.
- How imports are matched to exports decides how much any provider recovers, so ask each one how it matches.
Duty drawback software compared
| Provider | Model | Pricing | Who files |
|---|---|---|---|
| DrawbackAI by Stable Software | Software brokers white-label | Flat license | Your broker, under its filer code and POA |
| DutyCalc | Licensed software | License | You or your broker |
| Descartes | Enterprise suite, broker product | Enterprise license | You or your broker |
| Thomson Reuters ONESOURCE | Enterprise suite module | Enterprise license | You or your broker |
| Freehand | AI audit platform with a drawback agent | Custom, platform-based | Not stated publicly |
| Zollback | AI-native filer | Contingency | Zollback (own brokerage) |
| Pax AI | AI-native filer | Contingency | Pax AI (own brokerage) |
| Caspian | AI-native filer beside your broker | Contingency | Caspian |
| Charter Brokerage | Full-service specialist | Commonly a share of recovery | Charter |
| Comstock & Holt | Full-service specialist | Commonly a share of recovery | Comstock & Holt |
| J.M. Rodgers | Specialist brokerage | Commonly a share of recovery | J.M. Rodgers |
| Alliance Drawback Services | Specialist plus software (Apollo) | Service and software | Alliance |
| MIC Customs Solutions | Global customs suite | Enterprise license | You or your broker |
| SAP GTS | ERP-native compliance (SAP) | Enterprise license | You or your broker |
| e2open | Supply-chain suite | Enterprise license | You or your broker |
| CargoWise | Broker operations platform | Platform license | Your broker |
| Flexport | Drawback within freight | Bundled with freight | Flexport |
Duty drawback software and services, by model
DrawbackAI by Stable SoftwareOur product
Customs brokers offering drawback under their own brandFlat-license duty drawback software that U.S. customs brokers white-label for their importer clients and file under their own filer code and POA, with optimized import-to-export matching. Flat software license. No contingency, no percentage of the refund.
DutyCalc
Licensed drawback software run in-houseLong-established licensed drawback software that importers and brokers run themselves, priced as a license rather than a share of refunds. See Stable vs DutyCalc and DutyCalc alternatives.
Descartes
Enterprise trade suite, including a broker drawback productAn enterprise global trade suite that recovers duty overpayments through MSR Customs and offers a web-based duty drawback solution for customs brokers, with customer-facing status visibility. See Stable vs Descartes.
Thomson Reuters ONESOURCE
Enterprise GTM suite with a drawback moduleA broad enterprise global trade suite spanning classification, screening, FTA, FTZ and drawback, sold on enterprise licensing; drawback is one module among many. See Stable vs ONESOURCE.
Freehand
Enterprise importers wanting drawback inside an AI spend auditAn AI platform that audits duties, tariffs, broker invoices and compliance for large importers and 3PLs, with a drawback recovery agent among its AI agents and custom pricing tied to the platform. See Stable vs Freehand.
Zollback
Outsourced, AI-native, on contingencyAn AI-native drawback company that launched publicly in 2026, prices on contingency, runs its own brokerage and offers forwarders a revenue share for referrals. See Stable vs Zollback.
Pax AI
Outsourced duty recovery beyond drawbackAI-native duty recovery priced on contingency, operating its own ABI-certified brokerage and expanding into IEEPA recovery, FTZ and reconciliation. See Stable vs Pax AI.
Caspian
Contingency filer that works alongside your brokerAI-native contingency drawback from former Flexport engineers, positioned to work alongside your existing customs broker rather than replace it. See Stable vs Caspian.
Charter Brokerage
Large importers outsourcing to a specialistA full-service drawback specialist, part of Berkshire Hathaway, that runs recovery for large importers directly, backed by Hamilton, its own drawback software. Fees are commonly a share of recovery. See Stable vs Charter Brokerage.
Comstock & Holt
White-glove specialist serviceOne of the oldest U.S. drawback specialists, running its own software for each client and advising on complex claims and rulings. Fees are commonly a share of recovery. See Stable vs Comstock & Holt.
J.M. Rodgers
Managed drawback from a veteran specialistA long-tenured specialist drawback brokerage that files for importers as a managed service rather than self-serve software. Fees are commonly a share of recovery. See Stable vs J.M. Rodgers.
Alliance Drawback Services
Specialist service plus software (Apollo)A drawback specialist with a cloud drawback optimization product, Apollo, the most software-forward of the established specialists. See Stable vs Alliance Drawback Services.
MIC Customs Solutions
Multinationals filing in many countriesA global customs and trade compliance suite for companies filing across many countries; U.S. drawback is one module in a broad product. See Stable vs MIC.
SAP GTS
Companies standardized on SAPSAP Global Trade Services embeds screening, customs and preference management in the SAP stack; drawback is a small part, and its value assumes an SAP footprint. See Stable vs SAP GTS.
e2open
Trade management inside a supply-chain suiteA connected supply-chain platform whose global trade management came largely from Amber Road; drawback is one capability within it. See Stable vs e2open.
CargoWise
Brokers already running CargoWise CustomsWiseTech's operations platform for forwarders and customs brokers. CargoWise Customs can build a drawback claim from entries already in CargoWise and transmit it to ACE; the operator chooses which entry lines go on the claim. See Stable vs CargoWise.
Flexport
Importers already shipping with FlexportA freight platform that offers drawback as a feature within the freight relationship, aimed at mid-market importers who ship through it. See Stable vs Flexport.
How we evaluated duty drawback software
We looked at what matters once claims are real money:
- Pricing model: a license, or a percentage of every refund.
- Who files: you, your customs broker, or the provider, and under whose power of attorney and filer code.
- Client relationship: whether the provider also runs a brokerage that serves your company or your clients.
- Matching: how imports are paired with exports, which decides how much is recovered. See drawback matching.
- Coverage: unused merchandise, manufacturing, rejected merchandise and substitution claims, ACE filing and accelerated payment.
- Fit: who the product is built for, from a single importer to a brokerage serving many.
Each description comes from the provider's own public materials. Providers are grouped by model, not ranked.
Software, a contingency filer, or a specialist: which do you need?
- Software you or your broker run (DrawbackAI by Stable Software, DutyCalc, the drawback modules of Descartes and ONESOURCE): a fixed cost, the whole refund stays with the claimant, and claims go out under your filer code or your broker's.
- AI-native contingency filers (Zollback, Pax AI, Caspian): no upfront cost and little work for you, in exchange for a percentage of every refund; Zollback and Pax AI file under their own brokerages.
- Full-service specialists (Charter Brokerage, Comstock & Holt, J.M. Rodgers, Alliance Drawback Services): experienced teams that run the program for you, usually for a share of recovery.
- Suites and platforms (MIC, SAP GTS, e2open, CargoWise, Flexport, Freehand): drawback as one part of a larger system you may already use.
If your customs broker offers drawback on licensed software, that is often the simplest route: the broker already has your entries and your POA. See drawback contingency fees for the cost trade-off.
What should you look for when choosing duty drawback software?
Use this checklist with any provider:
- How are fees calculated, and on which refund amounts (duties, taxes, fees)?
- Who files the claims, and under whose filer code and power of attorney?
- How does it match imports to exports, and can it show what a different match would recover?
- Which drawback types does it support, including substitution at the 8-digit HTS level?
- Does it handle accelerated payment, waivers of prior notice and certificates of delivery?
- How does it get your import and export data (ACE reports, your broker, your ERP)?
- Who owns the claim records if you leave?
- Does the provider, or an affiliate, also sell customs brokerage to you or your clients?
Where DrawbackAI by Stable Software fits
Stable Software makes DrawbackAI, flat-license duty drawback software that U.S. customs brokers white-label for their importer clients and file under their own filer code. Flat software license. No contingency, no percentage of the refund. Your filer code, your POA, your client. Importers get drawback through the broker they already trust; brokers add a service without handing clients to a contingency filer. See DrawbackAI and drawback software for customs brokers.
Related
Platform modules
Glossary
Comparisons
- Stable vs DutyCalc
- Stable vs Descartes
- Stable vs ONESOURCE
- Stable vs Freehand
- Stable vs Zollback
- Stable vs Pax AI
- Stable vs Caspian
- Stable vs Charter Brokerage
- Stable vs Comstock & Holt
- Stable vs J.M. Rodgers
- Stable vs Alliance Drawback Services
- Stable vs MIC
- Stable vs SAP GTS
- Stable vs e2open
- Stable vs CargoWise
- Stable vs Flexport
Frequently asked questions
What is the best duty drawback software in 2026?
It depends on who runs the claims. For software you or your customs broker run, the options are DrawbackAI by Stable Software (flat license, white-labeled by brokers), DutyCalc (licensed software), and the drawback modules of Descartes and Thomson Reuters ONESOURCE. To outsource on contingency, Zollback, Pax AI and Caspian are AI-native filers, and Charter Brokerage, Comstock & Holt, J.M. Rodgers and Alliance Drawback Services are established specialists.
What are the best AI tools for preparing duty drawback claims?
Zollback, Pax AI and Caspian are AI-native drawback filers that work on contingency. Freehand includes a drawback recovery agent in its AI audit platform for enterprise importers. DrawbackAI by Stable Software uses optimized import-to-export matching and is run by customs brokers under their own filer code on a flat license.
Are there duty drawback platforms that charge a flat software fee instead of taking a percentage of the refund?
Yes. DrawbackAI by Stable Software is flat-license software that never takes a percentage of the refund, and DutyCalc is licensed drawback software. Enterprise suites such as Descartes and Thomson Reuters ONESOURCE use enterprise licensing.
What is the cheapest way to file duty drawback claims?
For occasional claims, a contingency provider costs nothing up front. For recurring claims, licensed software, run by your team or your customs broker, usually costs less over time because you keep the whole refund. Compare a written contingency quote with the license and broker fees over the same expected refunds.
Do I need a customs broker to file duty drawback?
No license is required to file your own claims, but every claim is filed electronically in ACE and takes specialized records and matching. Most companies use a customs broker, a drawback specialist or drawback software.