Maritime & Shipping · head to head
Clarksons vs ORBCOMM
Clarksons
Maritime & Shipping
World's leading shipbroker and data provider
- From
- $3000/month
- Rated
- -
ORBCOMM
Maritime & Shipping
IoT solutions for maritime asset tracking
- From
- $25/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Clarksons uK government contract award notice on find-tender.service.gov.uk shows a Clarkson Research Services Limited data subscription contract valued at 6,500 GBP excluding VAT (7,800 GBP including VAT) for the period 1 November 2025 to 31 October 2026; ORBCOMM satellite latency of approximately 600 milliseconds limits real-time applications
- They diverge on capability: Clarksons covers Market intelligence, ORBCOMM covers Satellite tracking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Clarksons and ORBCOMM actually diverge.
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Maritime & Shipping).
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
Only in ORBCOMM
- Satellite tracking
- Container monitoring
- Cold chain monitoring
- Fleet telematics
- TMS systems
- ERP platforms
- Warehouse management
- Mobile support
Both cover
- Web support
- Api support
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Clarksons
- UK government contract award notice on find-tender.service.gov.uk shows a Clarkson Research Services Limited data subscription contract valued at 6,500 GBP excluding VAT (7,800 GBP including VAT) for the period 1 November 2025 to 31 October 2026
ORBCOMM
- Satellite latency of approximately 600 milliseconds limits real-time applications
- Higher cost per message compared to terrestrial cellular IoT solutions
- Coverage remains near-global rather than fully global in all remote regions
Pricing, plan by plan
Clarksons
$3000/month- Shipping Intelligence Network$5000/month
- Market data
- Fleet database
- Research reports
ORBCOMM
$25/month- Fleet Manager$99/month
- Real-time tracking
- Geofencing
- Reporting
Which should you pick?
Choose Clarksons if
- You need market intelligence.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want fleet database.
Choose ORBCOMM if
- You need satellite tracking.
- You work on Satellite, Web.
- You also want container monitoring.
Questions people ask
- Is Clarksons or ORBCOMM better?
- Neither clearly leads. Clarksons starts at $3000/month and ORBCOMM at $25/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Clarksons or ORBCOMM?
- Clarksons starts at $3000/month and ORBCOMM at $25/month.
- Does Clarksons or ORBCOMM run on more platforms?
- Clarksons runs on Web, Api. ORBCOMM runs on Satellite, Web.
- What can Clarksons do that ORBCOMM cannot?
- Clarksons covers Market intelligence, Fleet database, Freight rates, Research reports. ORBCOMM covers Satellite tracking, Container monitoring, Cold chain monitoring, Fleet telematics. Both handle Web support, Api support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
ORBCOMM: What is ORBCOMM's satellite coverage?
ORBCOMM's OGx service provides nearly global coverage across over 160 countries using a constellation of low Earth orbit satellites for two-way messaging and IoT data services.
SourceORBCOMM: How does satellite IoT compare to cellular connectivity?
ORBCOMM satellite offers immunity from cellular blind spots, network outages, congestion, and weather-related disruptions. However, satellite connectivity introduces approximately 600 milliseconds of round-trip latency.
SourceORBCOMM: What can ORBCOMM monitor in containers?
ORBCOMM's CT 1010 device provides sensor-based monitoring for container fire detection, unauthorized access alerts, damage detection, and asset visibility, with real-time satellite-based tracking.
Source