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Maritime · head to head

Baltic Exchange vs MarineTraffic

Baltic Exchange logo

Baltic Exchange

Maritime

Global shipping market benchmarks

From
$500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
MarineTraffic logo

MarineTraffic

Maritime

Global ship tracking intelligence

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only MarineTraffic has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Baltic Exchange no pricing published on website, membership and data services require contacting the organization; MarineTraffic specific numeric prices for the Basic/Essential tiers are not published on a directly accessible page (plans pages are bot-protected)
  • They diverge on capability: Baltic Exchange covers Freight indices, MarineTraffic covers Real-time vessel tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Baltic Exchange and MarineTraffic differ
AttributeBaltic ExchangeMarineTraffic
Starting price$500/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, ApiWeb, iOS, Android, API
Founded17442007

Identical on both: 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
  • Api support

Only in MarineTraffic

  • Real-time vessel tracking
  • Global AIS coverage
  • Voyage history
  • Port call data
  • ETA predictions
  • REST API
  • Google Earth
  • GIS systems

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Baltic Exchange

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

MarineTraffic

  • Real-time vessel trackingnot Baltic Exchange
  • Port call and ETA tracking for logisticsnot Baltic Exchange
  • Fleet monitoring for shipping and charteringnot Baltic Exchange
  • Maritime research and analytics via API feedsnot Baltic Exchange
  • Vessel and company database lookupsnot 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

MarineTraffic

  • Specific numeric prices for the Basic/Essential tiers are not published on a directly accessible page (plans pages are bot-protected)
  • Enterprise tier is sales-assisted, quote-only
  • API access is credit-consumption based with cost varying by AIS data source and detail level, making cost opaque
  • Commercial API access now routes through parent company Kpler via demo request

Pricing, plan by plan

Baltic Exchange

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

MarineTraffic

Free
  • Basic$undefined/mo
    • Free vessel tracking account
  • Essential$undefined/mo
    • Expanded tracking features
  • Enterprise$undefined/mo
    • Quote-only, sales-assisted

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 MarineTraffic if

  • You need real-time vessel tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, API.
  • You also want global ais coverage.
MarineTraffic review

Questions people ask

Is Baltic Exchange or MarineTraffic better?
Neither clearly leads. Baltic Exchange starts at $500/month and MarineTraffic at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Baltic Exchange or MarineTraffic?
MarineTraffic has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $500/month for Baltic Exchange and Free for MarineTraffic.
Does Baltic Exchange or MarineTraffic run on more platforms?
Baltic Exchange runs on Web, Api. MarineTraffic runs on Web, iOS, Android, API.
Can I use MarineTraffic for free?
Yes. MarineTraffic has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Baltic Exchange starts at $500/month.
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 MarineTraffic is typically brought in for.
What can Baltic Exchange do that MarineTraffic cannot?
Baltic Exchange covers Freight indices, Market assessments, Forward curves, Historical data. MarineTraffic covers Real-time vessel tracking, Global AIS coverage, Voyage history, Port call data. Both handle Web support.

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
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
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