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Maritime & Shipping · head to head

Clarksons vs Q88

Clarksons logo

Clarksons

Maritime & Shipping

World's leading shipbroker and data provider

From
$3000/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Q88 logo

Q88

Maritime & Shipping

Tanker vessel information platform

From
$200/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; 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: Clarksons covers Market intelligence, Q88 covers Vessel questionnaires.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Clarksons and Q88 actually diverge.

Attributes where Clarksons and Q88 differ
AttributeClarksonsQ88
Starting price$3000/month$200/month
Founded18522001

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Web, Api), 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 Q88

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

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

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

Clarksons

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

Q88

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Clarksons if

  • You need market intelligence.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want fleet database.
Clarksons review

Choose Q88 if

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

Questions people ask

Is Clarksons or Q88 better?
Neither clearly leads. Clarksons starts at $3000/month and Q88 at $200/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Clarksons or Q88?
Clarksons starts at $3000/month and Q88 at $200/month.
Does Clarksons or Q88 run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What can Clarksons do that Q88 cannot?
Clarksons covers Market intelligence, Fleet database, Freight rates, Research reports. Q88 covers Vessel questionnaires, Vetting support, Documentation management, Compliance tracking. Both handle Web support, Api support.
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