HTS Hero vs Flexport Tariff Simulator
Flexport's simulator is a solid free tool for one-off estimates, with trade agreements and entry-date rates. HTS Hero is the better fit once you need catalog alerts, bulk tools, country comparison or an API without moving your freight to Flexport.
No demo, no sales call, no contract. Last checked .
Which should you use?
Choose HTS Hero if
Our pick for most importers- You want catalog alerts, bulk upload and country comparison without becoming a freight customer
- You want to see how a product's duty changed revision by revision, with the heading behind each change
- You want tariff results in your ERP, TMS or AI tools through an API or MCP
- You want to know the price before you sign up, and to pay monthly with no contract
Choose Flexport Tariff Simulator if
- You already ship with Flexport and want everything in one account
- You need a quick estimate for a handful of codes and nothing more
- You need entry-date rates for 2025, which Flexport keeps back to January 1, 2025
- You want Flexport's IEEPA refund calculator for 2025 entries
HTS Hero and Flexport Tariff Simulator, feature by feature
What each tool offers a US importer, from its public website.
| Feature | Our toolHTS HeroFree, then from $14.99/mo | Flexport Tariff SimulatorFree; Pro for Flexport clients |
|---|---|---|
| Free to tryYou can calculate a real duty without paying. | YesFree to start, no sign-up | Yes5 free searches, then a free sign-up |
| Start without a demo or sales callSign up and use every plan yourself, with no demo, contract or freight account. | YesEvery plan is self-serve, with no demo or contract | PartlyFree tool is self-serve; Pro needs a Flexport client account |
| Pricing publishedEvery paid plan's price is on the website. | Yes | NoPro has no published price |
| Every Chapter 99 tariff, line by lineThe base rate plus Section 232, Section 301 and every other additional duty, each as its own line with exemptions applied. | YesEach tariff on its own line, with its Chapter 99 heading and legal note | PartlyBy tariff type; its FAQ says not all Chapter 99 programs are supported |
| Trade agreements and preference programsClaim USMCA, CAFTA-DR, KORUS and other programs and see the preferential rate. | YesUSMCA, CAFTA-DR, KORUS and every program on the line | YesApplied automatically when eligible |
| Exemption questions that change the dutyAnswer the facts that unlock exemptions (metal content, generics, donations and more) and see the new total. | YesAnswer each question and see the new total | YesMetal content, melt country and U.S. content |
| Audit past entries by dateCalculate the duty that applied on an entry date, to check what you paid. | YesEntry audits, with verified rates back to April 2026 | YesBack to January 1, 2025, per its FAQ |
| Duty over timeSee how a product's duty changed across HTS revisions. | YesDuty Over Time, revision by revision | Not found |
| Alerts when a tariff change hits your productsLoad your catalog once and hear when a change affects it, with the duty impact on each product. | Paid planTariff Tracker alerts, with the cost to each product | Customers onlyPro alerts, for Flexport clients |
| Compare countries of originThe same product's duty from several countries, side by side. | Yes | Customers onlyPro, for Flexport clients |
| Bulk upload (CSV)Add many products at once. | Paid planTariff Tracker | Customers onlyPro, up to 500 rows |
| HTS classification helpGuidance to find and document the right HTS code for a product. | Paid planHTS Hero Classify, with CROSS rulings | YesHTS search and AI classification |
| API, MCP and ERP/TMS integrationGet tariff results inside your ERP, TMS, internal tools or AI assistant. | On requestAPI and MCP; plugs into ERP, TMS and internal tools | NoNo public tariff API |
| Public changelog of rate updatesA dated record of every change to the tool's tariff data. | Yes | Yes |
What actually sets them apart
Who gets the advanced features
Flexport's free simulator covers single lookups. Its Pro features, including bulk upload, email alerts and country comparison, are unlocked by signing in with a Flexport client account, so they come with a freight relationship. On HTS Hero every plan is self-serve: pick one on the pricing page and start.
History and auditing
Both tools calculate duty for a past entry date. Flexport's FAQ says its rates go back to January 1, 2025; HTS Hero's verified history starts in April 2026. Where HTS Hero goes further is showing the history: Duty Over Time charts every change to a product's duty, with the HTS revision and Chapter 99 heading behind each one.
Your own systems
HTS Hero delivers tariff results by API and MCP, so the same calculation can run inside your ERP, TMS, internal tools or an AI assistant. Flexport doesn't offer a public tariff API.
Pricing you can see
Flexport doesn't publish a price for Pro. HTS Hero's prices are on its pricing page, every plan is monthly, and annual billing takes 10% off. There's no demo to book and no contract to sign.
What each one costs
Free, then from $14.99/mo
Free to start, no sign-up. Tariff Calculator $14.99/mo for unlimited calculations. Tariff Tracker from $49/mo for your product catalog. Classification from $39/mo. Monthly plans, no contract, 10% off annually.
Free; Pro for Flexport clients
Free with no registration. Pro is unlocked by signing in with a Flexport Client App account, and no separate price is published.
Plug HTS Hero into your ERP, TMS and internal systems
Get every tariff, exemption and fee for an import wherever you price, plan or file: in your ERP, your TMS, your own tools or an AI assistant. We'll set it up with you.
- Tariff results by API, for your ERP, TMS or internal tools
- An MCP server, so AI assistants can calculate duty
- The same line-by-line results as the calculator
Switching from Flexport Tariff Simulator? Try HTS Hero free.
Enter an HTS code and a country of origin and see the full US duty: the base rate, every Chapter 99 tariff and the fees. When you need unlimited calculations, it's $14.99 a month.
- Free to start, no sign-up: every tariff on your import, line by line
- Published prices, monthly plans, no contract
- No demo, no sales call, no freight account
- Start in about a minute
Questions
Is Flexport's tariff simulator free?
Yes, with no registration. Its Pro features, such as bulk upload and alerts, require a Flexport Client App account, which means being a Flexport customer.
What's the best Flexport tariff simulator alternative?
HTS Hero is a strong alternative if you need more than single lookups without a freight relationship: it adds Duty Over Time, tariff change alerts for your catalog, bulk CSV upload, country comparison and API and MCP access, on self-serve monthly plans with published prices.
Can I use HTS Hero if I'm a customs broker?
Yes. HTS Hero sells to importers and brokers alike, and you don't need to ship with anyone in particular to use any plan.
Compare HTS Hero with other tools
- The best US tariff calculators in 202612 tools, ranked and compared
- HTS Hero vs Avalara AvaTax Cross-BorderCross-border duty and tax API for ecommerce
- HTS Hero vs Zonos Landed CostLanded cost at checkout for cross-border ecommerce
- HTS Hero vs SimplyDutyGlobal duty calculator and API
- HTS Hero vs GingerControlFree calculator with paid compliance tools
- HTS Hero vs Gateway Tariff CalculatorFree calculator from a freight forwarder
- HTS Hero vs TariffsAPITariff API with a free calculator
- HTS Hero vs AMZ Prep Tariff CalculatorFree calculator from a 3PL
HTS Hero makes one of the tools on this page. We checked every claim about other tools against their public websites on October 6, 2026 and link our sources below. If something has changed, email [email protected] and we'll update it.
Sources
The official documents this article is based on