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Maritime · head to head

exactEarth vs VesselFinder

exactEarth logo

exactEarth

Maritime

Advanced satellite AIS data services

From
$1000/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
VesselFinder logo

VesselFinder

Maritime

Free AIS vessel tracking web site

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only VesselFinder has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: exactEarth company acquired and redirected; no pricing published on successor site; VesselFinder aPI access is billed in credits, and a satellite AIS position costs 10 credits against 1 for a terrestrial position
  • They diverge on capability: exactEarth covers Satellite AIS data, VesselFinder covers Real-time tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which exactEarth and VesselFinder actually diverge.

Attributes where exactEarth and VesselFinder differ
AttributeexactEarthVesselFinder
Starting price$1000/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsApi, WebWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20092011

Identical on both: 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 exactEarth

  • Satellite AIS data
  • Global vessel tracking
  • Historical data archive
  • Anomaly detection
  • API
  • Data feeds
  • GIS platforms
  • Api support

Only in VesselFinder

  • Real-time tracking
  • Vessel database
  • Port information
  • Weather overlay
  • API access
  • Mobile apps
  • Ios support
  • Android support

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

exactEarth

No use cases recorded yet. See the exactEarth review.

VesselFinder

  • Tracking vessel positions and voyages from AIS datanot exactEarth
  • Pulling ship positions and particulars into a logistics or chartering system over an APInot exactEarth

Where each one falls short

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

exactEarth

  • Company acquired and redirected; no pricing published on successor site

VesselFinder

  • API access is billed in credits, and a satellite AIS position costs 10 credits against 1 for a terrestrial position
  • Credits expire 12 months after purchase
  • Credit packs start at 330 EUR for 10,000 credits, excluding VAT
  • Tracking a vessel outside terrestrial AIS range multiplies the cost of every position tenfold, so open ocean coverage is the expensive case rather than the standard one

Pricing, plan by plan

exactEarth

$1000/month
  • Enterprise$5000/month
    • Global AIS data
    • Historical archive
    • Custom analytics

VesselFinder

Free
  • Basic$4.99/month
    • Ad-free
    • Extended history
    • Fleet monitoring

Which should you pick?

Choose exactEarth if

  • You need satellite ais data.
  • You work on Api, Web.
  • You also want global vessel tracking.
exactEarth review

Choose VesselFinder if

  • You need real-time tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want vessel database.
VesselFinder review

Questions people ask

Is exactEarth or VesselFinder better?
Neither clearly leads. exactEarth starts at $1000/month and VesselFinder at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, exactEarth or VesselFinder?
VesselFinder has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $1000/month for exactEarth and Free for VesselFinder.
Does exactEarth or VesselFinder run on more platforms?
exactEarth runs on Api, Web. VesselFinder runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use VesselFinder for free?
Yes. VesselFinder has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. exactEarth starts at $1000/month.
What can exactEarth do that VesselFinder cannot?
exactEarth covers Satellite AIS data, Global vessel tracking, Historical data archive, Anomaly detection. VesselFinder covers Real-time tracking, Vessel database, Port information, Weather overlay. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

exactEarth: How much does ExactEarth cost?

ExactEarth has been acquired and redirected to Kpler's maritime product. Kpler does not publish pricing information online and requires customers to request a demo to receive pricing quotes.

Source
VesselFinder: What are the main pricing tiers for VesselFinder?

VesselFinder offers four tiers: Free (no cost), Basic (4 dollars per month), Premium (34 dollars per month), and Satellite (139 dollars per month).

Source
VesselFinder: What does the Free plan include?

The Free plan provides terrestrial coverage, 1-day track history, a 10-ship fleet capacity, and 100 route planner uses.

Source
VesselFinder: What tracking capabilities come with the Satellite plan?

The Satellite plan includes both satellite and terrestrial coverage, 90-day track history, 2,000-ship fleet capacity, terminal and berth data, proximity event alerts, and ETA prediction.

Source
VesselFinder: Do subscriptions automatically renew?

No, subscriptions do not renew automatically. Users receive reminder notifications one week before expiration.

Source
VesselFinder: Do the listed prices include VAT?

No, the prices displayed do not include VAT. Payment options include bank transfers and credit or debit cards processed online.

Source
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