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Maritime · head to head

Baltic Exchange vs Q88

Baltic Exchange logo

Baltic Exchange

Maritime

Global shipping market benchmarks

From
$500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Q88 logo

Q88

Maritime

Tanker vessel information platform

From
$200/month
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; Q88 the Internet Archive's capture of Q88 LLC's corporate homepage on 19 February 2016 stated Q88.com had 75% of the world-wide tanker industry onboard and served over 1,000 clients across four named products (Q88.com, Q88Dry.com, Milbros.com, Q88VMS.com), with no price figure published for any; this is a 2016 capture and figures are dated.
  • They diverge on capability: Baltic Exchange covers Freight indices, Q88 covers Vessel questionnaires.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Baltic Exchange and Q88 actually diverge.

Attributes where Baltic Exchange and Q88 differ
AttributeBaltic ExchangeQ88
Starting price$500/month$200/month
Founded17442001

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Web, Api), 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

Only in Q88

  • Vessel questionnaires
  • Vetting support
  • Documentation management
  • Compliance tracking
  • Oil major systems
  • Chartering platforms
  • Fleet management

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Api 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 Q88
  • Freight derivatives tradingnot Q88
  • Vessel investment decision makingnot Q88
  • Dry bulk and tanker rate assessmentsnot Q88
  • Container freight market analysisnot Q88

Q88

No use cases recorded yet. See the Q88 review.

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

Q88

  • The Internet Archive's capture of Q88 LLC's corporate homepage on 19 February 2016 stated Q88.com had 75% of the world-wide tanker industry onboard and served over 1,000 clients across four named products (Q88.com, Q88Dry.com, Milbros.com, Q88VMS.com), with no price figure published for any; this is a 2016 capture and figures are dated.

Pricing, plan by plan

Baltic Exchange

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

Q88

$200/month
  • Vessel Manager$500/month
    • Q88 questionnaires
    • Vessel profiles
    • Documentation

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 Q88 if

  • You need vessel questionnaires.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want vetting support.
Q88 review

Questions people ask

Is Baltic Exchange or Q88 better?
Neither clearly leads. Baltic Exchange starts at $500/month and Q88 at $200/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Baltic Exchange or Q88?
Baltic Exchange starts at $500/month and Q88 at $200/month.
Does Baltic Exchange or Q88 run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
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 Q88 is typically brought in for.
What can Baltic Exchange do that Q88 cannot?
Baltic Exchange covers Freight indices, Market assessments, Forward curves, Historical data. Q88 covers Vessel questionnaires, Vetting support, Documentation management, Compliance tracking. Both handle Web support, Api 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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