Compare ยท Circuit and Spoke
A Circuit route planner alternative: Circuit is now Spoke
A Circuit route planner alternative starts with a name change: Circuit is now Spoke, and Spoke Dispatch is what Circuit for Teams became. Spoke's driver app is free for routes up to 10 stops and US$9.99 a month beyond that, and Dispatch starts at US$125. pickup.kitchen's driver app is free for 100 stops a month, then CA$0.10 a stop.
- Circuit is now Spoke: what changed, and which product you mean
- Spoke's plans, checked November 2026, with a bill at 100, 500 and 1,000 stops
- Where Spoke is stronger: in-app navigation, speed of entry, couriers
Free onboarding. Pay as you use. No monthly fee for ordering.
pickup.kitchen and Spoke (formerly Circuit)
Side by side
Each line uses Spoke (formerly Circuit)'s own published numbers, checked November 2026.
| What | pickup.kitchen | Spoke (formerly Circuit) |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | pickup.kitchenFree onboarding. 100 stops a month free, then CA$0.10 a stop. | Spoke (formerly Circuit)Route Planner free for routes up to 10 stops, Lite US$9.99 a month. Dispatch from US$125. |
| Bill at 100 stops a month | pickup.kitchenCA$0 | Spoke (formerly Circuit)Route Planner free up to 10 stops a route, or Lite US$9.99 a driver. Dispatch US$125. |
| Bill at 500 stops a month | pickup.kitchenCA$40, about US$29 | Spoke (formerly Circuit)Lite US$9.99 a driver. Dispatch US$125. |
| Bill at 1,000 stops a month | pickup.kitchenCA$90, about US$65 | Spoke (formerly Circuit)Lite US$9.99 a driver. Dispatch Starter US$125, 1,000 stops included. |
| Who plans the route | pickup.kitchenThe kitchen plans for all drivers, then sends | Spoke (formerly Circuit)Route Planner: each driver. Dispatch: a dispatcher for the team. |
| Orders flowing into routes | pickup.kitchenFrom pickup.kitchen orders and meal-plan days, with no setup. Other stops by hand. | Spoke (formerly Circuit)Entry by search, spreadsheet, voice or camera. Dispatch has route upload and an API. |
| Navigation | pickup.kitchenOpens Google Maps, 10 stops at a time | Spoke (formerly Circuit)Built-in Google navigation, with Apple Maps, Waze, HERE and Sygic as options |
| Proof of delivery | pickup.kitchenPhoto required, with a note, the time and the driver's name | Spoke (formerly Circuit)Dispatch: signature, photo, geotags and cash on delivery. Basic on Starter. |
| Meal plans, ordering and payment | pickup.kitchenIncluded: weekly menus, skips, pauses, checkout, kitchen screen | Spoke (formerly Circuit)Not part of Spoke |
| Strengths we do not have | pickup.kitchenNo in-app navigation, signatures, barcode scanning, API or courier network | Spoke (formerly Circuit)In-app navigation, signatures, barcodes, depots, Spoke Connect couriers |
Real screens
What your guests and kitchen see instead
Real screens from pickup.kitchen, the same ones you and your guests use.
1Your guests
Your menu, on your own site
yourname.pickup.kitchen shows your dishes with photos and prices, and each guest picks pickup or delivery.
See how it works
2Your guests
Every order gets a QO number
The guest sees their order number the moment they order, and the same number is on the kitchen's ticket.
See how it works3Your kitchen
Tickets on the kitchen screen
Online orders, walk-ins and finished tickets in their own lanes, each with its QO number and the time it is due.
See how it works
Circuit is now Spoke
Spoke's own product update, dated 23 October 2025, says Circuit is now Spoke.com. It calls it a name change: the same team and the same products. Spoke Dispatch was Circuit for Teams. Spoke Connect was Circuit Client Portal. The address getcircuit.com now sends you to spoke.com, and the route planner pages forward the same way.
So if you search for Circuit Route Planner, the app you want to compare is Spoke Route Planner. If you manage a team of drivers, the product is Spoke Dispatch.
Circuit route planner pricing: Spoke's prices
Route Planner is the driver's own app. It is free for routes up to 10 stops. Lite is US$9.99 a month and Standard is US$19.99. Paid plans list unlimited stops per route, route optimization and built-in Google navigation. They also list spreadsheet import, adding stops by voice or camera, and arrival time windows. You subscribe through the Apple App Store or Google Play and can cancel at any time.
Dispatch is for teams. Starter is US$125 a month and includes 1,000 stops, then $0.04 a stop. Premium is US$200 with 2,000 stops, then $0.06. Expert is US$1,000 with 12,000 stops, then $0.07. Unlimited drivers and dashboard members come with every plan, and there is a free trial. Premium adds a branded delivery experience and advanced proof of delivery.
What 100, 500 and 1,000 stops cost
Spoke Route Planner is priced per driver, so your stop count does not change it. Dispatch Starter includes 1,000 stops. Our stop is one drop-off address, so two orders at one door count once. Dollars below are converted at CA$1.38 to US$1, which is our assumption, not a quoted rate.
- 100 stops a month: pickup.kitchen CA$0. Spoke Route Planner is free if every route is 10 stops or fewer, or US$9.99 a driver on Lite. Dispatch is US$125.
- 500 stops a month: pickup.kitchen CA$40, about US$29. Route Planner Lite is US$9.99 a driver, so about US$20 for two drivers. Dispatch is US$125.
- 1,000 stops a month: pickup.kitchen CA$90, about US$65. Route Planner Lite is still US$9.99 a driver. Dispatch Starter is US$125 with 1,000 stops included.
- Stops that come from pickup.kitchen orders cost nothing extra. Stops you add by hand are billed at the rates above.
What Spoke does better
On price, Spoke Route Planner beats us when you have few drivers and many stops. One driver doing 1,000 stops a month pays US$9.99 for Lite, and we would charge about US$65. Spoke is also a better pocket tool for the driver.
- Navigation inside the app, with Google Maps, Apple Maps, Waze, HERE and Sygic as options, and a route you can save to work offline.
- Fast entry of stops: by search, spreadsheet, voice or camera. Our driver app is not a stop-entry tool.
- A dispatcher dashboard with unlimited drivers, custom delivery zones, depot management, barcode scanning, signature capture and cash on delivery.
- A branded recipient tracking page on Premium and above.
- Spoke Connect, which lists local couriers for retailers. Its own example is in the Toronto area.
Where pickup.kitchen differs
Spoke Route Planner is a driver-first app: each driver plans their own route. A kitchen with three drivers usually wants the opposite. You plan the day, split the drops, tap Optimize and tap Send to driver. Each driver's phone buzzes and they open their own route.
The stops come from the kitchen. A guest orders on yourname.pickup.kitchen and pays by card, and the delivery lands on your board. Meal-plan delivery days become stops too. Nobody retypes addresses into a second app.
Drivers start tomorrow's route the night before and choose where they finish. They need no app store: they open a link and add the app to their Home Screen. At the door the driver must take a photo before Delivered turns on, and the guest gets it with the time and a note. Pay is worked out to the last delivery.
The kitchen screen, the counter, the customer list and marketing emails are in the same login.
What pickup.kitchen does not do
Navigation hands off to Google Maps, which takes 10 stops at a time. We do not take signatures or scan barcodes, and we do not plan delivery time windows per stop or vehicle capacity. We have no API and no courier network. For a lone courier who plans their own day, Spoke Route Planner is the better fit.
Who should pick which
Pick Spoke Route Planner if you are one driver, or a few who each plan their own day, with orders from other systems. Pick Spoke Dispatch if you run a courier company. Pick pickup.kitchen if you cook the food and sell it on your own site. It fits if you want the order, the route and the driver in one place. The driver app is also sold on its own from 100 stops free, then CA$0.10 a stop.
Step by step
How to get started
- 1Step 1: Count drivers and stopsNote how many drivers you have and how many drops they do in a month.
- 2Step 2: Add your driversInvite each driver by email. They open the route on their own phone and need no app store.
- 3Step 3: Bring in your stopsOrders from pickup.kitchen arrive on their own. Anything else, add by hand with a note for the driver.
- 4Step 4: Optimize and sendSplit the drops between drivers, check the order, and tap Send to driver.
FAQ
Questions
Is Circuit the same as Spoke?
Yes. Spoke's product update of 23 October 2025 says Circuit is now Spoke.com, a name change with the same team. Spoke Dispatch was Circuit for Teams and Spoke Connect was Circuit Client Portal.
How much does Spoke Route Planner cost?
Free for routes up to 10 stops. Lite is US$9.99 a month and Standard is US$19.99 a month, billed through the Apple App Store or Google Play (Spoke, checked November 2026).
Is there a free Circuit alternative?
Spoke's own free plan covers routes up to 10 stops. pickup.kitchen's driver app is free for the first 100 stops a month, then CA$0.10 a stop, from 100 stops free, then CA$0.10 a stop. The two work differently, so compare the day you actually run.
What is the difference between Spoke Route Planner and Spoke Dispatch?
Route Planner is a mobile app for an individual driver who plans their own route. Dispatch is a web dashboard for dispatchers, with a driver app for the team, live tracking and proof of delivery. Dispatch starts at US$125 a month.
Do drivers need an app store to use pickup.kitchen?
No. A driver opens a link, signs in, and adds the app to their Home Screen. On iPhone it must be opened in Safari to turn on notifications.
Can pickup.kitchen replace a route planner app for one driver?
It can, as a tool the kitchen runs: you add stops, optimize and send. It is not a pocket app a lone courier uses to plan their own day. For that, Spoke Route Planner is the better fit.
Keep reading
- ProductDelivery driver appA delivery driver app for businesses that deliver: route on the phone, photo proof at the door, live tracking, dispatch. Free with pickup.kitchen orders.
- ProductDelivery route optimizationDelivery route optimization for food businesses: split drops between drivers, order stops by drive time, and re-optimize before they go. Free with orders.
- CompareRoutific alternatives for food deliveryRoutific alternatives for food delivery: Routific's free 100 orders and $150 flat plan against 100 free stops then CA$0.10 a stop, and where Routific wins.
- CompareOnfleet alternatives and pricingOnfleet alternatives and pricing for food businesses: Onfleet's US$619 plan against 100 free stops then CA$0.10 a stop, and where Onfleet is stronger.
- Productpickup.kitchen pricing: 10% per order, no monthly feepickup.kitchen pricing: free onboarding, no monthly fee, 10% per order. Delivery tools come with ordering. The driver app on its own is pay as you use.
Free onboarding. Pay as you use.
Keep more of every order
Keep the apps for new guests if they work for you, and let your regulars order on your own site.