Maritime · head to head
exactEarth vs Windward
The short version
- Each has a real cost: exactEarth company acquired and redirected; no pricing published on successor site; Windward requires embedded expert analysts for actionable intelligence; cannot operate fully autonomously
- They diverge on capability: exactEarth covers Satellite AIS data, 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 exactEarth and Windward actually diverge.
| Attribute | exactEarth | Windward |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $1000/month | $3000/month |
| Platforms | Api, Web | Web, Api |
| Founded | 2009 | 1996 |
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 exactEarth
- Satellite AIS data
- Global vessel tracking
- Historical data archive
- Anomaly detection
- API
- Data feeds
- GIS platforms
Only in Windward
- AI-powered risk scoring
- Sanctions compliance
- Ship-to-ship detection
- Dark activity alerts
- Compliance systems
- Trading platforms
- Banking systems
Both cover
- Api support
- 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.
Windward
- Detecting vessel spoofing using multi-sensor AIS, dark vessel signals, and satellite datanot exactEarth
- Conducting UN sanctions investigations for North Korea maritime compliancenot exactEarth
- Performing financial AML and sanctions screening for maritime transactionsnot exactEarth
- Identifying drug smuggling routes in international shipping networksnot exactEarth
- Tracking port delays and causes in real-time shipping visibilitynot 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
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
exactEarth
$1000/month- Enterprise$5000/month
- Global AIS data
- Historical archive
- Custom analytics
Windward
$3000/month- Professional$7500/month
- Behavioral analytics
- Dark activity detection
- API access
Which should you pick?
Choose exactEarth if
- You need satellite ais data.
- You work on Api, Web.
- You also want global vessel tracking.
Choose Windward if
- You need ai-powered risk scoring.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want sanctions compliance.
Questions people ask
- Is exactEarth or Windward better?
- Neither clearly leads. exactEarth 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, exactEarth or Windward?
- exactEarth starts at $1000/month and Windward at $3000/month.
- Does exactEarth or Windward run on more platforms?
- exactEarth runs on Api, Web. Windward runs on Web, Api.
- What can exactEarth do that Windward cannot?
- exactEarth covers Satellite AIS data, Global vessel tracking, Historical data archive, Anomaly detection. Windward covers AI-powered risk scoring, Sanctions compliance, Ship-to-ship detection, Dark activity alerts. Both handle Api support, 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.
SourceWindward: 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.
SourceWindward: 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.
SourceRelated pages
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