Softwr

Maritime · head to head

Drewry vs Windward

Drewry logo

Drewry

Maritime

Maritime research and consulting

From
$1000/month
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: Drewry the World Container Index is described as free but still requires an account to read, and full access depends on subscription rights; Windward requires embedded expert analysts for actionable intelligence; cannot operate fully autonomously
  • They diverge on capability: Drewry covers Market research, Windward covers AI-powered risk scoring.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Drewry and Windward actually diverge.

Attributes where Drewry and Windward differ
AttributeDrewryWindward
Starting price$1000/month$3000/month
PlatformsWebWeb, Api
Founded19701996

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Drewry

  • Market research
  • Forecasting
  • Benchmarking
  • Advisory services
  • Data exports
  • Custom reports

Only in Windward

  • AI-powered risk scoring
  • Sanctions compliance
  • Ship-to-ship detection
  • Dark activity alerts
  • Compliance systems
  • Trading platforms
  • Banking systems
  • Api support

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Drewry

  • Tracking container freight rate movements through the weekly World Container Indexnot Windward
  • Supporting shipping and supply chain research with published rate assessmentsnot Windward

Windward

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

Where each one falls short

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

Drewry

  • The World Container Index is described as free but still requires an account to read, and full access depends on subscription rights
  • No subscription price is published anywhere on the index pages
  • The container index publishes weekly, so it is not a source for daily rate movement

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

Drewry

$1000/month
  • Research Subscription$3000/month
    • Market reports
    • Forecasts
    • Data access

Windward

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Drewry if

  • You need market research.
  • You also want forecasting.
Drewry 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 Drewry or Windward better?
Neither clearly leads. Drewry starts at $1000/month and Windward at $3000/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Drewry or Windward?
Drewry starts at $1000/month and Windward at $3000/month.
Does Drewry or Windward run on more platforms?
Drewry runs on Web. Windward runs on Web, Api.
What is Drewry best used for?
Drewry is most often used for tracking container freight rate movements through the weekly world container index, supporting shipping and supply chain research with published rate assessments. Of those, tracking container freight rate movements through the weekly world container index and supporting shipping and supply chain research with published rate assessments are not what Windward is typically brought in for.
What can Drewry do that Windward cannot?
Drewry covers Market research, Forecasting, Benchmarking, Advisory services. Windward covers AI-powered risk scoring, Sanctions compliance, Ship-to-ship detection, Dark activity alerts. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Drewry: How much do Drewry subscriptions cost?

Drewry offers annual subscriptions for various services including Container Freight Rate Insight, Benchmarking Club, and forecasters. Specific pricing is not published and requires contacting Drewry directly.

Source
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
Drewry: Are Drewry services free?

Drewry offers free content to registered and logged-in users including the World Container Index, market trackers, and indices. Premium services require paid annual subscriptions.

Source
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
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