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Maritime · head to head

FleetMon vs ORBCOMM

F

FleetMon

Maritime

Track ships and manage fleets worldwide

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ORBCOMM logo

ORBCOMM

Maritime

IoT solutions for maritime asset tracking

From
$25/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only FleetMon has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: FleetMon service discontinued in January 2024 and fully phased out with transition to MarineTraffic; ORBCOMM satellite latency of approximately 600 milliseconds limits real-time applications
  • They diverge on capability: FleetMon covers Global vessel tracking, ORBCOMM covers Satellite tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which FleetMon and ORBCOMM actually diverge.

Attributes where FleetMon and ORBCOMM differ
AttributeFleetMonORBCOMM
Starting priceFree$25/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidSatellite, Web
Founded20071995

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 FleetMon

  • Global vessel tracking
  • Fleet management
  • Port statistics
  • Voyage tracking
  • REST API
  • Webhooks
  • Data exports
  • Ios support

Only in ORBCOMM

  • Satellite tracking
  • Container monitoring
  • Cold chain monitoring
  • Fleet telematics
  • TMS systems
  • ERP platforms
  • Warehouse management
  • Api support

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

FleetMon

No use cases recorded yet. See the FleetMon review.

ORBCOMM

  • Tracking shipping container temperatures for refrigerated cargonot FleetMon
  • Detecting vessel AIS spoofing to identify anomalous maritime activitynot FleetMon
  • Monitoring fuel consumption patterns across fleet operationsnot FleetMon
  • Screening shipments for sanctions compliance violationsnot FleetMon

Where each one falls short

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

FleetMon

  • Service discontinued in January 2024 and fully phased out with transition to MarineTraffic
  • Free tier coverage was limited compared to premium plans requiring subscription fees
  • Data gaps in regions with poor terrestrial AIS infrastructure before satellite coverage was added

ORBCOMM

  • Satellite latency of approximately 600 milliseconds limits real-time applications
  • Higher cost per message compared to terrestrial cellular IoT solutions
  • Coverage remains near-global rather than fully global in all remote regions

Pricing, plan by plan

FleetMon

Free
  • Professional$19/month
    • Unlimited fleet tracking
    • API access
    • Historical data

ORBCOMM

$25/month
  • Fleet Manager$99/month
    • Real-time tracking
    • Geofencing
    • Reporting

Which should you pick?

Choose FleetMon if

  • You need global vessel tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want fleet management.
FleetMon review

Choose ORBCOMM if

  • You need satellite tracking.
  • You work on Satellite, Web.
  • You also want container monitoring.
ORBCOMM review

Questions people ask

Is FleetMon or ORBCOMM better?
Neither clearly leads. FleetMon starts at Free and ORBCOMM at $25/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, FleetMon or ORBCOMM?
FleetMon has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for FleetMon and $25/month for ORBCOMM.
Does FleetMon or ORBCOMM run on more platforms?
FleetMon runs on Web, Ios, Android. ORBCOMM runs on Satellite, Web.
Can I use FleetMon for free?
Yes. FleetMon has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. ORBCOMM starts at $25/month.
What can FleetMon do that ORBCOMM cannot?
FleetMon covers Global vessel tracking, Fleet management, Port statistics, Voyage tracking. ORBCOMM covers Satellite tracking, Container monitoring, Cold chain monitoring, Fleet telematics. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

FleetMon: Does FleetMon work globally?

FleetMon had access to positions from both terrestrial AIS receiver stations and satellite AIS through partnership with exactEarth, providing undelayed signals from its network combined with global space-based tracking.

Source
ORBCOMM: What is ORBCOMM's satellite coverage?

ORBCOMM's OGx service provides nearly global coverage across over 160 countries using a constellation of low Earth orbit satellites for two-way messaging and IoT data services.

Source
FleetMon: What happened to FleetMon after 2024?

FleetMon was phased out from January 2024 as part of its integration into MarineTraffic following Kpler's acquisition of both platforms in March 2023. The FleetMon brand no longer accepts new registrations or offers new services.

Source
ORBCOMM: How does satellite IoT compare to cellular connectivity?

ORBCOMM satellite offers immunity from cellular blind spots, network outages, congestion, and weather-related disruptions. However, satellite connectivity introduces approximately 600 milliseconds of round-trip latency.

Source
FleetMon: Could you track individual vessels in real-time with FleetMon?

Yes, FleetMon Explorer provided live AIS vessel tracking with filtering by vessel class, flag, length, speed, navigational status and signal age, enabling real-time monitoring of individual ships from a global overview to single vessel level.

Source
ORBCOMM: What can ORBCOMM monitor in containers?

ORBCOMM's CT 1010 device provides sensor-based monitoring for container fire detection, unauthorized access alerts, damage detection, and asset visibility, with real-time satellite-based tracking.

Source
FleetMon: What was the starting price for FleetMon Explorer?

FleetMon Explorer pricing started at €54 per month, with subscription plans offering varying levels of access including free basic plans and paid tiers with additional features like historical tracking up to three years back.

Source
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