By Clarus Content Team · Last updated 7 september 2026

When you’re evaluating warehouse management software, the choice between Clarus WMS og Körber Supply Chain’s Körber WMS (formerly HighJump) comes down to one fundamental question: what does your warehouse actually need to do?

Both are capable cloud-based warehouse management solutions. But they’re built for very different operational contexts. Körber is an enterprise-grade platform designed for large, automated warehouses with significant investment in conveyors, robotics, and labour-intensive operations. Clarus is a purpose-built 3PL WMS designed for multi-client warehousing, rapid deployment, and transparent pricing.

This comparison is for 3PLs, distributors, and mid-market warehouse operators evaluating their options. We’ve covered cost, implementation speed, multi-client capability, and feature depth so you can make the right call for your operation.

Quick comparison: Clarus vs Körber at a glance

Verdict in one sentence: Choose Clarus if you need a fast, cost-transparent WMS that’s built for multi-client 3PL operations. Choose Körber if you’re running a large, automation-heavy distribution centre with enterprise budget and a 12-month implementation window.

What is Körber WMS (formerly HighJump)?

Körber WMS, also known as Körber One, is the warehouse management component of Körber Supply Chain’s logistics software suite. Körber acquired the HighJump WMS platform in 2015 and rebranded it under the Körber name in 2020 to 2021. It’s a mature, feature-rich platform designed for large distribution centres, 3PLs, and enterprise logistics networks.

Körber WMS works as part of a larger supply chain ecosystem that includes Warehouse Control System (WCS) functionality, transportation management, visibility, and labour management. For large operations running significant automation, conveyors, sorting systems, robotic case picking. Körber can orchestrate both the WMS and the physical equipment in a single environment.

What is Körber WMS good for? Körber is purpose-built for large, labour-intensive warehouses with significant investment in automation infrastructure. It excels at complex, high-volume operations where warehouse control system integration is critical. For a small or mid-market 3PL, Körber’s full feature set is often overkill, and the cost and implementation timeline reflect that enterprise positioning.

Is Körber WMS suitable for small and mid-sized 3PLs?

Technically, yes. Practically, Körber is rarely the first choice for small or mid-sized 3PLs, and here’s why:

Cost. Körber does not publish pricing, so the honest answer is that you will not know until you have been through a sales cycle. What you can plan for is the shape of it: an enterprise subscription, a professional services engagement to implement, and multi-year contract terms. For a mid-market 3PL that is a procurement exercise rather than a software purchase, and it needs sign-off to match.

Implementation burden. Körber deployments are consultant-led programmes measured in months. Clarus goes live in weeks, not quarters. If you are a 3PL trying to win a contract and get operational before the client loses patience, that difference decides whether you can bid at all.

Complexity. Körber’s WCS features, conveyor control, robotics orchestration, advanced labour optimisation, are valuable if you’re operating a highly automated facility. If you’re a 3PL running 5 to 10 semi-manual warehouses across the UK, you’re paying for capability you don’t use.

Who it works well for in that size range: A mid-market 3PL that’s planning significant automation investment (conveyors, sortation systems, automated storage and retrieval systems) and can absorb a 12-month implementation as a capital project. If that’s you, Körber is worth evaluating alongside automation consultants.

Who it doesn’t work for: A 3PL that needs to deploy quickly, operate at 5 to 10 regional sites with different client needs, or replace legacy spreadsheets without a year-long project plan. That’s where Clarus fits.

How does Clarus WMS compare to Körber on cost and implementation time?

Cost and go-live speed are where the two platforms separate most clearly, and they are also where public information runs out fastest. Here is what can actually be verified, and what you will need to ask for.

Pricing and total cost of ownership

Clarus publishes its tiers. Plans start from £1,000 per month base across Core, Scale and Enterprise, covering the platform, cloud hosting, updates and support. A full quote adds tiered user licensing, where the cost per user falls as you scale, plus a one-off implementation fee for configuring your layout, cleaning SKUs and setting up courier logic. What it never adds is a throughput charge: orders, shipments, SKUs, stock records, carriers and integrations are unlimited, so taking on a client or running a peak does not move the invoice.

Körber does not publish pricing, so a like-for-like table is not something anyone can build honestly from public information. Any five-year comparison you find online, including ones that flatter Clarus, is guesswork.

What you can do is make both vendors answer the same questions in writing before you compare anything:

• The subscription, and exactly what makes it go up. Users, sites, throughput, or all three.
• Implementation and professional services, as a separate figure with a scope attached.
• Annual support and maintenance, and whether upgrades are included or chargeable.
• Contract term, notice period, and what it costs to leave.

Run that for both and the difference will be obvious without anyone having to invent a number. The structural point stands on its own: Clarus publishes a starting price and does not bill on volume, and Körber quotes per deal on multi-year terms.

Flagship proof point: St John’s Hall Storage, a 3PL, moved their entire invoicing operation from a 4-hour, two-person manual process to a fully automated, real-time Clarus billing engine. That’s not just time saved; it’s revenue recapture, they now bill accurately for every storage event, every pick, every pack, every return. With Körber, that same automation would require custom development and ongoing professional services to maintain.

Gjennomføringshastighet

Clarus goes live in weeks, not quarters. A Körber deployment is a multi-month programme.

The gap is structural rather than a matter of vendor effort. An enterprise deployment has to work through:

• Discovery and requirements workshops
• Data migration and master data cleanup
• Custom development and integration work
• User training and change management
• Testing, UAT and cutover planning
• Go-live and a stabilisation period

Clarus, by contrast, is pre-built for 3PL operations. Most of the “customisation” is configuration, picking existing workflows and features that already fit the typical 3PL model. Integration is automated (200+ pre-built connectors). Data migration tooling is self-service. Training is hands-on but compressed into weeks, not months.

For a 3PL operator that difference is commercial, not technical. Signing a client in January and being live in March is a bid you can win. A programme that runs most of the year is one where the client has to wait, and waiting is exactly what they are trying to avoid by outsourcing to you. Ask any vendor to put its go-live date in the contract, then see which ones will.

Which is better for UK 3PL warehouses, Clarus or Körber?

For typical UK 3PLs, £5 to 200M revenue, 10 to 300+ warehouse staff, operating 3 to 15 regional sites. Clarus is the better fit. Here’s the decision framework:

Choose Clarus if you:

• Need to go live in weeks, not months. You’re replacing a legacy system or winning a new customer contract and can’t afford a year-long implementation.
• Operate multiple client setups within the same warehouse (true multi-client). Clarus is built for this. Körber requires extra modules and configuration.
• Want transparent, predictable pricing with no lock-in. Clarus is monthly rolling. Körber contracts are multi-year with variable professional services costs.
• Have limited IT resources and want minimal operational overhead. Clarus is cloud-native, serverless; you get daily updates with zero downtime. Körber requires version management and periodic upgrades.
• Want your WMS team to own the system, not depend on agency consultants. Clarus is designed for direct operation and configuration. Körber typically requires ongoing professional services for changes.
• Are growing fast and need flexibility. Scaling from 20 to 200 users on Clarus is straightforward and incremental. On Körber, it often triggers re-architecture conversations with consultants.
• Don’t need advanced WCS (Warehouse Control System) capabilities. You’re not automating conveyors or robotics; you’re running standard putaway, picking, packing workflows at human speed.

Choose Körber if you:

• Are planning significant warehouse automation (conveyor systems, sortation, automated storage and retrieval). Körber’s WCS integration is world-class.
• Are a large enterprise with consolidated IT and budget for a multi-year project. You can absorb a 12-month implementation and have the project management rigour to see it through.
• Need integration with SAP, Oracle, or other large ERP systems as a core requirement. Körber’s enterprise ERP connectors are mature and deep.
• Have 500+ employees in your logistics network and need enterprise-grade visibility, reporting, and compliance across multiple sites and business units.
• Are happy paying a premium for brand recognition and proven scale. Körber is used by Coca-Cola, A-Ware (Netherlands), and other household names.
• Don’t need rapid deployment. Your decision-making window is 12+ months and you’re planning for a multi-year platform relationship.

What is a good alternative to Körber WMS for SMEs?

If you’re a small or mid-market warehouse operator and Körber feels like overkill, which it usually is, here’s the alternative stack:

For speed and 3PL multi-client capability: Clarus WMS is purpose-built for exactly this job. It’s the fastest-to-deploy UK WMS for 3PLs, with real-time 3PL billing built in, client portal included, and transparent pricing.

For transparency and cost control: Clarus pricing is fixed and per-user. No creeping professional services, no multi-year lock-in. You see the cost clearly and can forecast it accurately.

For operational fit: Clarus is built by people who’ve run warehouses. The workflows reflect real 3PL operations: multi-client stock segregation, complex billing rules, rapid carrier integration, client-facing visibility. It’s not a retrofitted enterprise platform; it’s a purpose-built 3PL tool.

Real example: JODA Freight, a UK 3PL, brought stock accuracy from the low 90s to 99.8% within weeks of go-live. They didn’t need Körber’s WCS features; they needed accurate inventory tracking and rapid client reporting. Clarus delivered that without the enterprise overhead.

Another example: MSD (Mitchell Storage & Distribution), a 3PL, cut admin workload by 60% and unlocked new revenue streams without adding headcount. They’re now running multiple client billings, complex storage rules, and cross-dock workflows in a single cloud environment, all on Clarus, all at mid-market cost.

Feature and fit-by-business-size comparison

Here’s how Clarus and Körber map to different warehouse sizes and complexity levels:

Clarus WMS as the agile, UK-focused 3PL alternative

If you’re evaluating alternatives to Körber and want to understand why Clarus is gaining traction in the UK and Benelux 3PL market, it’s worth zooming out and looking at what’s changed in warehouse software over the past five years.

Legacy WMS platforms, on-premise or even early cloud platforms, were built in an era when warehousing was centralised, labour-heavy, and slow-moving. Upgrades happened yearly. Implementation took a year. Customisation required code changes and downtime. That model worked for mega-enterprises where a year-long cutover was just a cost of doing business.

But modern 3PLs operate differently. You win a customer contract in Q1 and need to go live by Q2. Your customers are moving between e-commerce platforms (Shopify to WooCommerce to Amazon), and your WMS has to flex with them. You’re handling multiple billing rules per client, complex carrier integrations, and real-time client visibility demands. Legacy platforms feel heavy and slow.

Clarus was born from exactly this frustration. Warehouse management systems should be fast to deploy, easy to change, and transparent to operate. No agency dependency. No multi-year contracts. No surprise bills.

Real-world performance: Warehouse picking efficiency has improved across Clarus customers, wave picking and directed putaway routines reduce travel time by 40 to 50%, and real-time scan verification pushes accuracy to 99.9%. Clarus WMS-integrasjoner span 200+ services including all major carriers, e-commerce platforms, and ERP systems. That breadth of integration means you can connect your entire supply chain without custom code.

For a UK 3PL, that’s a fundamentally different proposition than Körber. You’re not evaluating enterprise scale or global presence; you’re asking: can I deploy this in weeks, manage it myself, integrate with my customer’s systems, and control my costs? On all four counts, Clarus is built for yes.

Snakk med en lageransvarlig

Hvis du vurderer ulike alternativer og ønsker å se hvordan et spesialutviklet lagerstyringssystem (WMS) fungerer i praksis, er Clarus verdt å ta en prat med. Vi samarbeider med 3PL-leverandører og distributører over hele Storbritannia for å implementere lagerstyringsprogramvare som tilpasses din driftsmodell – ikke omvendt.

Ta kontakt med teamet vårt å snakke gjennom dine krav.

Ofte stilte spørsmål

What is Körber WMS?

Körber WMS, also known as Körber One, is a cloud-first warehouse management system owned by Körber Supply Chain (a German logistics software conglomerate). It was acquired from HighJump in 2015 and rebranded under the Körber name in 2020 to 2021. It’s designed for large distribution centres and enterprise 3PLs with significant automation investment, and it includes integrated Warehouse Control System (WCS) capabilities for conveyor and robotics orchestration.

Is Körber WMS good for small businesses?

Usually not. Körber is priced and scoped for enterprise buyers: pricing is quoted per deal rather than published, implementation is a consultant-led programme measured in months, and the feature depth is built around large automated facilities rather than agile multi-client operations. Smaller 3PLs and distributors generally find a mid-market platform such as Clarus faster to deploy and easier to budget for, because the starting price is published up front.

What is a good alternative to Körber WMS?

For speed, pricing transparency and multi-client 3PL capability, Clarus WMS is a purpose-built alternative. It goes live in weeks rather than quarters, publishes plans from £1,000 per month base, includes real-time 3PL billing and white-labelled client portals, and does not charge on throughput. It is built for UK and mid-market warehouse operators who need to deploy quickly and scale, rather than for enterprise automation integration.

Can I migrate from Körber WMS to Clarus WMS?

Yes. If you’re running Körber and find it’s overkill for your operation, data migration to Clarus is feasible. Clarus has data import tools and can map historical inventory, customer records, and transaction logs. However, this is typically a go-live decision rather than a mid-operation switch; most migrations happen when a business outgrows legacy platforms or consolidates sites. Contact Clarus support for a migration assessment.

Does Körber WMS include client portals and billing automation?

Körber WMS can provide client portals and billing automation, but these are typically available as add-on modules and often require custom configuration and professional services to implement fully. Clarus includes real-time 3PL billing and a white-labelable client portal as core platform features, with no additional fees or custom development required.

Referanser

1. Clarus WMS, official product website
2. Den beste programvaren for lagerstyringssystemer i 2026. Clarus WMS guide to market options
3. Clarus WMS case studies, real customer implementations and results (St John’s Hall, JODA Freight, MSD, KATEM Logistics, Campeys of Selby, Edge Transport, Welch Group, Interspan, DGS Transports)
4. What is a Warehouse Management System, foundational WMS guide
5. Priser for Clarus WMS, transparent pricing and licensing model
6. Warehouse Order Picking Guide, real-world picking workflows and efficiency gains
7. Clarus WMS Integrations, 200+ pre-built integrations across ecommerce, ERP, carriers, and services
8. Körber Supply Chain, official Körber website
9. Körber Warehouse Management (WMS). Körber WMS product page
10. Körber One reviews on G2, third-party buyer reviews and ratings
11. UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT). UK logistics and warehousing policy context
12. Clarus WMS. Get in touch, contact form for demonstrations and questions