Softwr

Maritime · head to head

Baltic Exchange vs Dockwa

Baltic Exchange logo

Baltic Exchange

Maritime

Global shipping market benchmarks

From
$500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Dockwa logo

Dockwa

Maritime

Marina reservation, management and boater marketplace software

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Baltic Exchange no pricing published on website, membership and data services require contacting the organization; Dockwa the marina absorbs the transaction cost because Dockwa forbids charging boaters more for booking through the platform, so roughly three and a half per cent of dockage revenue comes off the marina margin.
  • They diverge on capability: Baltic Exchange covers Freight indices, Dockwa covers Transient reservations.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Baltic Exchange and Dockwa actually diverge.

Attributes where Baltic Exchange and Dockwa differ
AttributeBaltic ExchangeDockwa
Starting price$500/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer booking plus optional monthly modules
PlatformsWeb, ApiWeb, iOS, Android
Founded1744Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Maritime).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Baltic Exchange

  • Freight indices
  • Market assessments
  • Forward curves
  • Historical data
  • API
  • Data feeds
  • Trading platforms
  • Web support

Only in Dockwa

  • Transient reservations
  • Seasonal contracts
  • Slip assignment
  • Boater marketplace
  • Integrated payments
  • Guest communication
  • Occupancy reporting
  • Revenue management module

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Baltic Exchange

  • Shipping market freight data and indicesnot Dockwa
  • Freight derivatives tradingnot Dockwa
  • Vessel investment decision makingnot Dockwa
  • Dry bulk and tanker rate assessmentsnot Dockwa
  • Container freight market analysisnot Dockwa

Dockwa

  • A transient-heavy marina on a popular cruising route wanting booking demand as well as softwarenot Baltic Exchange
  • A harbour replacing a paper ledger and phone-based reservation processnot Baltic Exchange
  • A yacht club managing seasonal contracts and renewals alongside visitor dockagenot Baltic Exchange
  • A marina group standardising slip assignment and occupancy reporting across sitesnot Baltic Exchange

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Baltic Exchange

  • No pricing published on website, membership and data services require contacting the organization
  • Custom pricing based on organization type and data needs

Dockwa

  • The marina absorbs the transaction cost because Dockwa forbids charging boaters more for booking through the platform, so roughly three and a half per cent of dockage revenue comes off the marina margin.
  • Pricing has shifted from purely transactional toward an annual software fee plus transaction costs, which changes the economics for marinas that signed on the original basis.
  • The revenue management and premium capability sits behind an extra monthly subscription of a few hundred dollars, so the useful version of the product is not the entry-level one.
  • Demand is heavily concentrated in North American cruising corridors; a marina elsewhere pays marketplace economics for software-only benefit.
  • A marina that comes to rely on Dockwa for occupancy has handed its customer relationship and its booking channel to a third party, which is a real strategic dependency in a fragmented industry.

Pricing, plan by plan

Baltic Exchange

$500/month
  • Data Services$1500/month
    • Freight indices
    • Market assessments
    • Historical data

Dockwa

On request
  • Booking$undefined/month
    • Around 2.5% card processing plus roughly 1% service fee on platform bookings
    • Reservation management and slip assignment
    • Boater marketplace exposure
  • Premium modules$299/month
    • Additional monthly subscription on top of transaction fees
    • Revenue management and dynamic dockage pricing
    • Extended reporting

Which should you pick?

Choose Baltic Exchange if

  • You need freight indices.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want market assessments.
Baltic Exchange review

Choose Dockwa if

  • You need transient reservations.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want seasonal contracts.
Dockwa review

Questions people ask

Is Baltic Exchange or Dockwa better?
Neither clearly leads. Baltic Exchange starts at $500/month and Dockwa at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Baltic Exchange or Dockwa?
Baltic Exchange starts at $500/month and Dockwa at On request.
Does Baltic Exchange or Dockwa run on more platforms?
Baltic Exchange runs on Web, Api. Dockwa runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Baltic Exchange best used for?
Baltic Exchange is most often used for shipping market freight data and indices, freight derivatives trading, vessel investment decision making, dry bulk and tanker rate assessments. Of those, shipping market freight data and indices and freight derivatives trading are not what Dockwa is typically brought in for.
What can Baltic Exchange do that Dockwa cannot?
Baltic Exchange covers Freight indices, Market assessments, Forward curves, Historical data. Dockwa covers Transient reservations, Seasonal contracts, Slip assignment, Boater marketplace.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Baltic Exchange: How much does Baltic Exchange membership cost?

Baltic Exchange does not publish pricing on their website. Membership and data service pricing is customized and requires direct contact with the organization.

Source
Dockwa: What does Dockwa cost a marina?

Around 2.5 per cent card processing plus roughly 1 per cent service fee on bookings taken through the platform, with premium modules such as revenue management sold as an additional monthly subscription near 299 dollars.

Baltic Exchange: What services does Baltic Exchange provide?

Baltic Exchange provides shipping market data services including daily published indices (200+), freight derivatives trading facilities, member fixtures database, and analytical tools for shipping professionals.

Source
Dockwa: Does the boater pay a fee?

No. Dockwa requires that boaters pay the same rate through the app as they would by calling the marina, so the cost sits with the marina.

Dockwa: Is it worth it outside the north east and Florida?

Less so. The software works anywhere but the demand side is concentrated, so marinas in thinner markets pay marketplace pricing for management software.

Dockwa: Can it handle seasonal contracts as well as transients?

Yes, both seasonal slip agreements and nightly transient dockage are managed in the same system.

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