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Maritime · head to head

CargoSmart vs Danaos

CargoSmart logo

CargoSmart

Maritime

Global shipment visibility and intelligence

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Danaos logo

Danaos

Maritime

Ship management suite covering purchasing, maintenance, crewing and safety in one database

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only CargoSmart has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: CargoSmart no pricing published on website; Danaos sales, implementation and support are concentrated in Greece and Cyprus, so an owner elsewhere gets a thinner local bench and has to rely on remote support across time zones.
  • They diverge on capability: CargoSmart covers Real-time tracking, Danaos covers Planned maintenance.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CargoSmart and Danaos actually diverge.

Attributes where CargoSmart and Danaos differ
AttributeCargoSmartDanaos
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWindows, Web, On-premise
Founded2000Unknown

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 CargoSmart

  • Real-time tracking
  • ETA predictions
  • Exception management
  • Carbon tracking
  • SAP TM
  • Oracle
  • Shipping lines
  • TMS

Only in Danaos

  • Planned maintenance
  • Purchasing
  • Inventory
  • Crewing
  • Safety and quality
  • Dry-docking
  • Budgeting
  • Ship to shore replication

What people use each for

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

CargoSmart

  • Logistics and cargo managementnot Danaos
  • Shipping and supply chain coordinationnot Danaos
  • Freight forwarding servicesnot Danaos

Danaos

  • A Greek or Cypriot owner replacing a mix of legacy planned maintenance and purchasing systems with one databasenot CargoSmart
  • A third-party ship manager that must report vessel operating expenditure to multiple owners in a consistent structurenot CargoSmart
  • An owner whose procurement and maintenance data never reconcile because they sit in separate productsnot CargoSmart
  • A fleet needing full function on board when the satellite link is slow or intermittentnot CargoSmart

Where each one falls short

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

CargoSmart

  • No pricing published on website
  • Pricing model not disclosed
  • Requires direct contact with sales
  • No free trial or freemium tier mentioned

Danaos

  • Sales, implementation and support are concentrated in Greece and Cyprus, so an owner elsewhere gets a thinner local bench and has to rely on remote support across time zones.
  • The suite is configuration-heavy, and a superintendent generally cannot change a maintenance form or approval route without vendor involvement, which turns small changes into chargeable requests.
  • The architecture is traditional, with vessel-side installations replicating to shore, so the browser experience trails newer cloud entrants and IT carries software to maintain on every ship.
  • Public documentation and product information are sparse, so a buyer cannot evaluate the product independently and is dependent on vendor demonstrations and reference calls.
  • Because everything shares one database, partial adoption gives away most of the benefit and replacing a single module later means unpicking the whole suite rather than swapping a component.

Pricing, plan by plan

CargoSmart

Free
  • Professional$299/month
    • Unlimited tracking
    • ETA predictions
    • Analytics

Danaos

On request
  • WAVES$undefined/year
    • Quoted by fleet size and modules licensed
    • Vessel installations and shore server scoped separately
    • Implementation, data migration and training charged as services

Which should you pick?

Choose CargoSmart if

  • You need real-time tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want eta predictions.
CargoSmart review

Choose Danaos if

  • You need planned maintenance.
  • You work on Windows, Web, On-premise.
  • You also want purchasing.
Danaos review

Questions people ask

Is CargoSmart or Danaos better?
Neither clearly leads. CargoSmart starts at Free and Danaos at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CargoSmart or Danaos?
CargoSmart has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for CargoSmart and On request for Danaos.
Does CargoSmart or Danaos run on more platforms?
CargoSmart runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Danaos runs on Windows, Web, On-premise.
Can I use CargoSmart for free?
Yes. CargoSmart has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Danaos starts at On request.
What is CargoSmart best used for?
CargoSmart is most often used for logistics and cargo management, shipping and supply chain coordination, freight forwarding services. Of those, logistics and cargo management and shipping and supply chain coordination are not what Danaos is typically brought in for.
What can CargoSmart do that Danaos cannot?
CargoSmart covers Real-time tracking, ETA predictions, Exception management, Carbon tracking. Danaos covers Planned maintenance, Purchasing, Inventory, Crewing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CargoSmart: How much does CargoSmart cost?

CargoSmart does not publish pricing on its website. Pricing is customized based on specific requirements and must be obtained by contacting their sales team directly.

Source
Danaos: Is this the same company as the listed shipowner Danaos Corporation?

No. Danaos Management Consultants is the software business and a separate entity, although the names are shared and both are based in Piraeus.

CargoSmart: Does CargoSmart offer a free trial?

CargoSmart's website does not mention a free trial or freemium tier. Pricing and trial availability must be discussed with their sales team.

Source
Danaos: Does it run on board with poor connectivity?

Yes. Vessels run local installations that replicate to shore, which is a deliberate design choice for constrained satellite links.

Danaos: Can I license only the planned maintenance module?

Technically yes, but the value comes from the shared database linking maintenance, purchasing and budgets, so partial adoption is uncommon.

Danaos: Is pricing published?

No. Everything is quoted by fleet size and by the modules licensed.

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