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Maritime · head to head

Dockwa vs Portcast

Dockwa logo

Dockwa

Maritime

Marina reservation, management and boater marketplace software

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Portcast logo

Portcast

Maritime

AI-powered container tracking and ETA

From
$500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Dockwa the marina absorbs the transaction cost because Dockwa forbids charging boaters more for booking through the platform, so roughly three and a half per cent of dockage revenue comes off the marina margin.; Portcast pricing not published on homepage or dedicated pricing page
  • They diverge on capability: Dockwa covers Transient reservations, Portcast covers Predictive ETAs.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Dockwa and Portcast actually diverge.

Attributes where Dockwa and Portcast differ
AttributeDockwaPortcast
Starting priceOn request$500/month
Pricing modelPer booking plus optional monthly modulessubscription
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Api
FoundedUnknown2018

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 Dockwa

  • Transient reservations
  • Seasonal contracts
  • Slip assignment
  • Boater marketplace
  • Integrated payments
  • Guest communication
  • Occupancy reporting
  • Revenue management module

Only in Portcast

  • Predictive ETAs
  • Container tracking
  • Exception alerts
  • Port congestion data
  • TMS platforms
  • ERP systems
  • Shipping lines
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Dockwa

  • A transient-heavy marina on a popular cruising route wanting booking demand as well as softwarenot Portcast
  • A harbour replacing a paper ledger and phone-based reservation processnot Portcast
  • A yacht club managing seasonal contracts and renewals alongside visitor dockagenot Portcast
  • A marina group standardising slip assignment and occupancy reporting across sitesnot Portcast

Portcast

  • Real-time container and air cargo tracking across carriersnot Dockwa
  • Predicted ETAs and delay forecasting for ocean freightnot Dockwa
  • Port congestion monitoringnot Dockwa
  • Auditing freight invoices automaticallynot Dockwa
  • Feeding predicted arrival data into a TMS or ERPnot Dockwa

Where each one falls short

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

Dockwa

  • The marina absorbs the transaction cost because Dockwa forbids charging boaters more for booking through the platform, so roughly three and a half per cent of dockage revenue comes off the marina margin.
  • Pricing has shifted from purely transactional toward an annual software fee plus transaction costs, which changes the economics for marinas that signed on the original basis.
  • The revenue management and premium capability sits behind an extra monthly subscription of a few hundred dollars, so the useful version of the product is not the entry-level one.
  • Demand is heavily concentrated in North American cruising corridors; a marina elsewhere pays marketplace economics for software-only benefit.
  • A marina that comes to rely on Dockwa for occupancy has handed its customer relationship and its booking channel to a third party, which is a real strategic dependency in a fragmented industry.

Portcast

  • Pricing not published on homepage or dedicated pricing page
  • No free tier or trial information disclosed
  • Features and billing model not detailed publicly

Pricing, plan by plan

Dockwa

On request
  • Booking$undefined/month
    • Around 2.5% card processing plus roughly 1% service fee on platform bookings
    • Reservation management and slip assignment
    • Boater marketplace exposure
  • Premium modules$299/month
    • Additional monthly subscription on top of transaction fees
    • Revenue management and dynamic dockage pricing
    • Extended reporting

Portcast

$500/month
  • Professional$1500/month
    • AI-powered ETAs
    • Container tracking
    • Analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose Dockwa if

  • You need transient reservations.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want seasonal contracts.
Dockwa review

Choose Portcast if

  • You need predictive etas.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want container tracking.
Portcast review

Questions people ask

Is Dockwa or Portcast better?
Neither clearly leads. Dockwa starts at On request and Portcast at $500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Dockwa or Portcast?
Dockwa starts at On request and Portcast at $500/month.
Does Dockwa or Portcast run on more platforms?
Dockwa runs on Web, iOS, Android. Portcast runs on Web, Api.
What is Dockwa best used for?
Dockwa is most often used for a transient-heavy marina on a popular cruising route wanting booking demand as well as software, a harbour replacing a paper ledger and phone-based reservation process, a yacht club managing seasonal contracts and renewals alongside visitor dockage, a marina group standardising slip assignment and occupancy reporting across sites. Of those, a transient-heavy marina on a popular cruising route wanting booking demand as well as software and a harbour replacing a paper ledger and phone-based reservation process are not what Portcast is typically brought in for.
What can Dockwa do that Portcast cannot?
Dockwa covers Transient reservations, Seasonal contracts, Slip assignment, Boater marketplace. Portcast covers Predictive ETAs, Container tracking, Exception alerts, Port congestion data.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Dockwa: What does Dockwa cost a marina?

Around 2.5 per cent card processing plus roughly 1 per cent service fee on bookings taken through the platform, with premium modules such as revenue management sold as an additional monthly subscription near 299 dollars.

Portcast: Where can I find Portcast pricing?

Portcast does not display pricing information on their website. They direct inquiries to Book a demo or Get in Touch options on their homepage for pricing and plan details. Source: https://www.portcast.io

Source
Dockwa: Does the boater pay a fee?

No. Dockwa requires that boaters pay the same rate through the app as they would by calling the marina, so the cost sits with the marina.

Portcast: Does Portcast offer a free trial or demo?

Portcast emphasizes booking a demo as the primary way to learn about features and pricing. No free tier details are described on their homepage. Source: https://www.portcast.io

Source
Dockwa: Is it worth it outside the north east and Florida?

Less so. The software works anywhere but the demand side is concentrated, so marinas in thinner markets pay marketplace pricing for management software.

Portcast: Is Portcast supply chain visibility software priced per user or by usage?

Portcast does not disclose their pricing model publicly. Contact their sales team through their website's demo booking or contact form to discuss per-user, usage-based, or other billing options. Source: https://www.portcast.io

Source
Dockwa: Can it handle seasonal contracts as well as transients?

Yes, both seasonal slip agreements and nightly transient dockage are managed in the same system.

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