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Maritime · head to head

Clarksons vs Helm Operations

Clarksons logo

Clarksons

Maritime

World's leading shipbroker and data provider

From
$3000/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: Clarksons no pricing published on website; 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: Clarksons covers Market intelligence, Helm Operations covers Dispatch.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Clarksons and Helm Operations differ
AttributeClarksonsHelm Operations
Starting price$3000/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWeb, ApiWeb, iOS, Android
Founded1852Unknown

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 Clarksons

  • Market intelligence
  • Fleet database
  • Freight rates
  • Research reports
  • API
  • Excel add-in
  • Data exports
  • 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.

Clarksons

  • Maritime brokerage and shipping servicesnot Helm Operations
  • Ship finance and leasingnot Helm Operations
  • Shipping market researchnot Helm Operations
  • Port services and operationsnot Helm Operations

Helm Operations

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

Where each one falls short

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

Clarksons

  • No pricing published on website
  • Pricing model not disclosed
  • Enterprise maritime services requiring custom quotes
  • Multiple business lines (broking, finance, research, ports, tech) with different pricing
  • Direct sales contact required

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

Clarksons

$3000/month
  • Shipping Intelligence Network$5000/month
    • Market data
    • Fleet database
    • Research reports

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 Clarksons if

  • You need market intelligence.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want fleet database.
Clarksons 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 Clarksons or Helm Operations better?
Neither clearly leads. Clarksons starts at $3000/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, Clarksons or Helm Operations?
Clarksons starts at $3000/month and Helm Operations at On request.
Does Clarksons or Helm Operations run on more platforms?
Clarksons runs on Web, Api. Helm Operations runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Clarksons best used for?
Clarksons is most often used for maritime brokerage and shipping services, ship finance and leasing, shipping market research, port services and operations. Of those, maritime brokerage and shipping services and ship finance and leasing are not what Helm Operations is typically brought in for.
What can Clarksons do that Helm Operations cannot?
Clarksons covers Market intelligence, Fleet database, Freight rates, Research reports. Helm Operations covers Dispatch, Job billing, Planned maintenance, Compliance and safety.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Clarksons: How much does Clarksons charge for its services?

Clarksons does not publish pricing on its website. The company operates as a marine and shipping services provider with five business lines. Pricing is customized by service line and must be obtained by contacting Clarksons directly.

Source
Helm Operations: Does Helm handle chartering or voyage accounting?

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

Clarksons: Which Clarksons division should I contact for pricing?

Clarksons has five business divisions: Broking, Financial Services, Research, Port Services, and Technology. Contact their specific department for pricing relevant to your needs.

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

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

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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