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Maritime · head to head

Dockwa vs Windward

Dockwa logo

Dockwa

Maritime

Marina reservation, management and boater marketplace software

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Windward logo

Windward

Maritime

AI-powered maritime risk intelligence

From
$3000/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.; Windward requires embedded expert analysts for actionable intelligence; cannot operate fully autonomously
  • They diverge on capability: Dockwa covers Transient reservations, Windward covers AI-powered risk scoring.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Dockwa and Windward actually diverge.

Attributes where Dockwa and Windward differ
AttributeDockwaWindward
Starting priceOn request$3000/month
Pricing modelPer booking plus optional monthly modulessubscription
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Api
FoundedUnknown1996

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 Windward

  • AI-powered risk scoring
  • Sanctions compliance
  • Ship-to-ship detection
  • Dark activity alerts
  • Compliance systems
  • Trading platforms
  • Banking systems
  • 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 Windward
  • A harbour replacing a paper ledger and phone-based reservation processnot Windward
  • A yacht club managing seasonal contracts and renewals alongside visitor dockagenot Windward
  • A marina group standardising slip assignment and occupancy reporting across sitesnot Windward

Windward

  • Detecting vessel spoofing using multi-sensor AIS, dark vessel signals, and satellite datanot Dockwa
  • Conducting UN sanctions investigations for North Korea maritime compliancenot Dockwa
  • Performing financial AML and sanctions screening for maritime transactionsnot Dockwa
  • Identifying drug smuggling routes in international shipping networksnot Dockwa
  • Tracking port delays and causes in real-time shipping visibilitynot 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.

Windward

  • Requires embedded expert analysts for actionable intelligence; cannot operate fully autonomously
  • Platform focuses on specific maritime regions (Strait of Hormuz, Somali piracy zones); may not provide equally robust global coverage
  • Classified as unclassified and shareable, limiting penetration into highly classified defense operations
  • API-dependent architecture (GraphQL-based) may create integration complexity for some organizations
  • Multi-source data integration can be resource-intensive for organizations lacking dedicated intelligence staff

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

Windward

$3000/month
  • Professional$7500/month
    • Behavioral analytics
    • Dark activity detection
    • API access

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 Windward if

  • You need ai-powered risk scoring.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want sanctions compliance.
Windward review

Questions people ask

Is Dockwa or Windward better?
Neither clearly leads. Dockwa starts at On request and Windward at $3000/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Dockwa or Windward?
Dockwa starts at On request and Windward at $3000/month.
Does Dockwa or Windward run on more platforms?
Dockwa runs on Web, iOS, Android. Windward 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 Windward is typically brought in for.
What can Dockwa do that Windward cannot?
Dockwa covers Transient reservations, Seasonal contracts, Slip assignment, Boater marketplace. Windward covers AI-powered risk scoring, Sanctions compliance, Ship-to-ship detection, Dark activity alerts.

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.

Windward: Does Windward provide autonomous intelligence or does it require human analysts?

Windward requires expert analysts to embed directly in your mission to deliver intelligence-ready products. The platform supports analyst workflows but cannot operate fully autonomously.

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.

Windward: What data sources does Windward use beyond AIS?

Windward integrates multiple data sources including AIS, dark vessel signals, Earth Observation (EO), Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), and RF signals to provide multi-sensor maritime intelligence where AIS alone is insufficient.

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.

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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