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Maritime · head to head

Dataloy vs Helm Operations

Dataloy logo

Dataloy

Maritime

Voyage management and operations

From
$1500/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: Dataloy 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: Dataloy covers Voyage planning, Helm Operations covers Dispatch.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Dataloy and Helm Operations differ
AttributeDataloyHelm Operations
Starting price$1500/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWeb, WindowsWeb, iOS, Android
Founded1987Unknown

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 Dataloy

  • Voyage planning
  • Operations management
  • Demurrage calculation
  • Bunker planning
  • ERP systems
  • Accounting
  • Market data
  • 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.

Dataloy

  • Maritime data extraction and intelligencenot Helm Operations
  • Vessel tracking and voyage managementnot Helm Operations
  • Commercial shipping and chartering operationsnot Helm Operations
  • Port scheduling and compliance monitoringnot Helm Operations
  • Real-time maritime communications analysisnot Helm Operations

Helm Operations

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

Where each one falls short

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

Dataloy

  • No pricing published on website
  • Requires contacting sales team for quotes
  • Custom pricing model per organization
  • No transparent pricing or trial information

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

Dataloy

$1500/month
  • VMS Pro$3000/month
    • Voyage planning
    • Operations
    • Demurrage

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 Dataloy if

  • You need voyage planning.
  • You work on Web, Windows.
  • You also want operations management.
Dataloy 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 Dataloy or Helm Operations better?
Neither clearly leads. Dataloy starts at $1500/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, Dataloy or Helm Operations?
Dataloy starts at $1500/month and Helm Operations at On request.
Does Dataloy or Helm Operations run on more platforms?
Dataloy runs on Web, Windows. Helm Operations runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Dataloy best used for?
Dataloy is most often used for maritime data extraction and intelligence, vessel tracking and voyage management, commercial shipping and chartering operations, port scheduling and compliance monitoring. Of those, maritime data extraction and intelligence and vessel tracking and voyage management are not what Helm Operations is typically brought in for.
What can Dataloy do that Helm Operations cannot?
Dataloy covers Voyage planning, Operations management, Demurrage calculation, Bunker planning. Helm Operations covers Dispatch, Job billing, Planned maintenance, Compliance and safety.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Dataloy: How much does Sedna (Dataloy) cost?

Sedna does not publish pricing on their website. Costs are custom per organization and require contacting their sales team through the Speak to the Team form or Talk to Us call-to-action.

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

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

Dataloy: What is Sedna's pricing model?

Sedna operates on a custom pricing model where costs are determined based on specific organizational needs, product selection, team size, and integration requirements. Contact their team for a personalized quote.

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

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

Dataloy: How do I request pricing from Sedna?

Submit the Speak to the Team contact form with company information, vertical market, and location. Alternatively, use the Talk to Us button or visit their contact page to connect with the sales team.

Source
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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