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Maritime · head to head

ChartCo vs Helm Operations

ChartCo logo

ChartCo

Maritime

Integrated maritime compliance platform

From
$300/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Helm Operations logo

Helm Operations

Maritime

Dispatch, maintenance, compliance and crewing software built for tug, barge and workboat fleets

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: ChartCo requires specialized maritime knowledge to fully utilize features; Helm Operations the product is built for workboat and towage operations, so a deep-sea owner running bulkers or tankers gets no chartering, voyage accounting or cargo handling and should not shortlist it.
  • They diverge on capability: ChartCo covers Chart management, Helm Operations covers Dispatch.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ChartCo and Helm Operations actually diverge.

Attributes where ChartCo and Helm Operations differ
AttributeChartCoHelm Operations
Starting price$300/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWeb, DesktopWeb, iOS, Android
Founded1998Unknown

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 ChartCo

  • Chart management
  • Publication updates
  • Compliance tracking
  • Fleet administration
  • ECDIS
  • Fleet management systems
  • Procurement
  • Web support

Only in Helm Operations

  • Dispatch
  • Job billing
  • Planned maintenance
  • Compliance and safety
  • Crew scheduling
  • Customer portal
  • Vessel applications
  • Reporting

What people use each for

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

ChartCo

  • Training and certifying crew members across global shipping operationsnot Helm Operations
  • Scheduling maintenance and procurement for fleet maintenance compliancenot Helm Operations
  • Planning passages with intelligent tools for ship and shorenot Helm Operations
  • Optimizing voyages for risk reduction and sustainability objectivesnot Helm Operations

Helm Operations

  • A harbour towage company that dispatches dozens of jobs a day and wants invoices generated from the dispatch recordnot ChartCo
  • A barge operator tracking maintenance and certificates across assets that rarely visit the same port twicenot ChartCo
  • A ferry or passenger vessel fleet that must evidence drills, audits and crew certification to a regulatornot ChartCo
  • An offshore support operator replacing a mixture of spreadsheets, whiteboards and an accounting packagenot ChartCo

Where each one falls short

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

ChartCo

  • Requires specialized maritime knowledge to fully utilize features
  • High cost for maritime-specific software

Helm Operations

  • The product is built for workboat and towage operations, so a deep-sea owner running bulkers or tankers gets no chartering, voyage accounting or cargo handling and should not shortlist it.
  • Modules are licensed separately, so the figure quoted for dispatch alone is not the figure a fleet ends up paying once maintenance, compliance and crewing are included.
  • There is no financial ledger, so job costs and payroll still post into a separate accounting system, and maintaining that interface is an ongoing task for the customer.
  • Vessel applications sync rather than run fully offline indefinitely, so boats operating with poor connectivity see a lag between what the crew recorded and what the dispatcher can see.
  • The company does not disclose its ownership publicly and is comparatively small, which leaves a fleet that standardises on Helm carrying concentration risk it cannot fully assess.

Pricing, plan by plan

ChartCo

$300/month
  • OneOcean$600/month
    • Chart management
    • Publications
    • Compliance tracking

Helm Operations

On request
  • Helm platform$undefined/year
    • Quoted by fleet size and modules taken
    • Maintenance, Compliance, Logistics, Personnel and Portal licensed separately
    • Implementation and data migration quoted as services

Which should you pick?

Choose ChartCo if

  • You need chart management.
  • You work on Web, Desktop.
  • You also want publication updates.
ChartCo review

Choose Helm Operations if

  • You need dispatch.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want job billing.
Helm Operations review

Questions people ask

Is ChartCo or Helm Operations better?
Neither clearly leads. ChartCo starts at $300/month and Helm Operations at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ChartCo or Helm Operations?
ChartCo starts at $300/month and Helm Operations at On request.
Does ChartCo or Helm Operations run on more platforms?
ChartCo runs on Web, Desktop. Helm Operations runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is ChartCo best used for?
ChartCo is most often used for training and certifying crew members across global shipping operations, scheduling maintenance and procurement for fleet maintenance compliance, planning passages with intelligent tools for ship and shore, optimizing voyages for risk reduction and sustainability objectives. Of those, training and certifying crew members across global shipping operations and scheduling maintenance and procurement for fleet maintenance compliance are not what Helm Operations is typically brought in for.
What can ChartCo do that Helm Operations cannot?
ChartCo covers Chart management, Publication updates, Compliance tracking, Fleet administration. Helm Operations covers Dispatch, Job billing, Planned maintenance, Compliance and safety.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ChartCo: What does ChartCo OneOcean provide?

ChartCo OneOcean is an integrated maritime software platform that combines electronic navigational charts, publications, weather data, and compliance tools for voyage planning and maritime safety.

Helm Operations: Does Helm handle chartering or voyage accounting?

No. It models dispatched jobs, not voyages, and has no commercial chartering capability.

ChartCo: How many vessels use ChartCo PassageManager?

ChartCo's PassageManager software is used by approximately 6,500 vessels worldwide for passage planning and navigational chart management.

Helm Operations: Will it work for a deep-sea fleet?

Poorly. The functional design assumes short repeated jobs on tugs, barges and workboats.

ChartCo: Does ChartCo help with environmental compliance?

Yes, ChartCo OneOcean includes EnviroManager for compliance with MARPOL and regional environmental regulations, helping crews manage waste and minimize discharge risks.

Helm Operations: Does it include accounting?

No. It produces invoices and job costs and passes them to a separate accounting system.

Helm Operations: Is pricing published?

No. It is quoted by fleet size and by which of the five modules are licensed.

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