The short answer
Flexport is a freight and logistics platform that offers duty drawback as a feature within the freight relationship, aimed at mid-market importers who already run their shipping through it. Stable is a dedicated, flat-license US drawback platform for the broker channel, with a global-optimization matching engine at the center. Choose Flexport if you want drawback as a convenience inside your freight platform; choose Stable if drawback recovery depth and broker economics are the priority.
Key takeaways
- Flexport bundles drawback into the freight relationship; Stable is a dedicated duty drawback recovery engine.
- Bundled drawback is a convenience for importers already on Flexport; it is one feature, not the core product.
- Stable centers a global-optimization matching engine and MPF capture, on a flat license under your own POA.
- For a broker, Stable keeps the drawback book inside your brokerage rather than inside a freight platform.
Stable vs Flexport at a glance
| Feature | Stable | Flexport |
|---|---|---|
| Primary job | Duty drawback recovery | Freight and logistics |
| Duty recovery | Global-optimization matching engine | Bundled feature within freight |
| Model | Flat license, white-label | Within the freight relationship |
| Channel | Powers brokers, under your POA | Importers already on Flexport |
| Matching | Global optimization | Feature-level, not the core product |
| Relationship owner | Your brokerage | Flexport |
| Best-fit customer | Brokers and importers focused on drawback | Mid-market importers on Flexport freight |
Choose Stable if
Drawback recovery depth matters and you want a dedicated engine run under your own POA, keeping the client relationship and margin in your brokerage.
Choose Flexport if
You are a mid-market importer already shipping with Flexport and want drawback as a convenient add-on within that freight relationship.
What is the core difference between Stable and Flexport?
Flexport is a freight platform first, and drawback is one feature it offers importers who already ship with it. Stable is a dedicated duty drawback recovery engine for the broker channel. Flexport wins on convenience for its existing freight customers; Stable wins on drawback depth and on keeping the recovery inside your own brokerage.
How does drawback recovery differ?
Recovery is decided by the matching engine: optimizing which import lines back which export claims across the claim window, and capturing capped MPF rather than stranding it. That is the whole of what Stable does, where a freight platform treats drawback as one convenience among many services.
Who owns the relationship
When drawback is bundled into a freight platform, the recovery, and the touchpoint, live with that platform. For a broker, that is the channel risk: the freight relationship absorbs the drawback book. Stable is flat-license and white-label, so drawback stays inside your brokerage, filed under your own POA.
A note on the field
The AI-native contingency filers in this space share DNA with Flexport; Caspian, for instance, was founded by ex-Flexport engineers. Whether drawback comes bundled in freight or as a contingency service, the recurring question is the same: does the recovery, and the client, end up with an outside provider or inside your own operation? See Stable vs Caspian for the contingency version of this trade-off.
Which should you choose?
Choose Flexport if you already ship with it and want drawback as a convenient add-on. Choose Stable if drawback recovery depth and broker economics are the priority and you want a dedicated engine under your own POA. See the DutyCalc alternatives guide for the full field.
Related
Frequently asked questions
Does Flexport do duty drawback?
Flexport offers drawback as a feature within its freight relationship, aimed at importers who already ship with it. Stable is a dedicated drawback recovery engine for the broker channel.
Is Stable a Flexport competitor?
In duty drawback, they overlap. Stable is a focused, flat-license drawback platform; Flexport bundles drawback into a broader freight platform.
Which is better for a customs broker doing drawback?
Stable is built for the broker channel and drawback economics, under your own POA, so the recovery stays in your brokerage rather than inside a freight platform.
Do I need to use Flexport freight to get its drawback?
Flexport’s drawback is oriented toward its existing freight customers. Stable is independent of any freight relationship and runs on your import and export data directly.