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Maritime · head to head

Flexport vs Harbour Assist

Flexport logo

Flexport

Maritime

Global freight forwarding and supply chain platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Harbour Assist logo

Harbour Assist

Maritime

Marina, harbour and boatyard management software for United Kingdom and European operators

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Flexport $5,000 monthly minimum fulfillment spend requirement excludes small and medium businesses; Harbour Assist no pricing is published, and the mandatory setup and data migration fee means the first-year cost is materially above the recurring subscription, which is easy to miss when budgeting.
  • They diverge on capability: Flexport covers Freight forwarding, Harbour Assist covers Berth and mooring management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Flexport and Harbour Assist actually diverge.

Attributes where Flexport and Harbour Assist differ
AttributeFlexportHarbour Assist
Pricing modelusage-basedquote
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android
Founded2013Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (On request), 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 Flexport

  • Freight forwarding
  • Supply chain visibility
  • Customs brokerage
  • Inventory management
  • NetSuite
  • SAP
  • QuickBooks
  • Shopify

Only in Harbour Assist

  • Berth and mooring management
  • Contracts and licences
  • Recurring invoicing
  • Customer portal
  • Boatyard work orders
  • Team tasking
  • Online reservations
  • Reporting

What people use each for

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

Flexport

  • International shippingnot Harbour Assist
  • Customs clearancenot Harbour Assist
  • Supply chain visibilitynot Harbour Assist
  • Freight managementnot Harbour Assist

Harbour Assist

  • A trust port managing several hundred moorings with annual licence renewals and arrears chasingnot Flexport
  • A sailing club combining membership, berthing and bar accounts under one customer recordnot Flexport
  • A boatyard scheduling lifts and winter storage alongside berth contractsnot Flexport
  • A harbour office cutting phone traffic by moving invoice payment and service requests to a customer portalnot Flexport

Where each one falls short

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

Flexport

  • $5,000 monthly minimum fulfillment spend requirement excludes small and medium businesses
  • Inconsistent customer service with reports of slow quote responses that delayed orders by up to two months
  • Hidden fees and additional charges beyond quoted prices reported by multiple customers
  • Quote-only pricing model makes budgeting difficult compared to published rate cards from competitors

Harbour Assist

  • No pricing is published, and the mandatory setup and data migration fee means the first-year cost is materially above the recurring subscription, which is easy to miss when budgeting.
  • The vendor explicitly does not discount, so a small harbour has no negotiating room even when the entry point is a stretch for its budget.
  • Ownership by ClearCourse, a private-equity-backed consolidator of vertical software, brings the pricing and roadmap risks that come with that model, and buyers should ask about uplift terms before committing.
  • It is built for United Kingdom and Irish harbour practice, so an operator elsewhere gets a system full of concepts that do not match local regulation.
  • There is no marketplace or booking demand attached, so unlike Dockwa it fills no berths for you; visitor income still depends on your own marketing.

Pricing, plan by plan

Flexport

On request
  • StandardFree
    • Freight services
    • Basic visibility
    • Standard support
  • ProfessionalFree
    • Full visibility
    • Analytics
    • Priority support
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Custom solutions
    • API access
    • Dedicated team

Harbour Assist

On request
  • Harbour Assist$undefined/month
    • Quoted by size and complexity of the operation
    • Directory listings place the entry point near GBP 400 per month
    • Mandatory setup and installation fee covering customisation, data migration and training

Which should you pick?

Choose Flexport if

  • You need freight forwarding.
  • You also want supply chain visibility.
Flexport review

Choose Harbour Assist if

  • You need berth and mooring management.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want contracts and licences.
Harbour Assist review

Questions people ask

Is Flexport or Harbour Assist better?
Neither clearly leads. Flexport starts at On request and Harbour Assist at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Flexport or Harbour Assist?
Flexport starts at On request and Harbour Assist at On request.
Does Flexport or Harbour Assist run on more platforms?
Flexport runs on Web. Harbour Assist runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Flexport best used for?
Flexport is most often used for international shipping, customs clearance, supply chain visibility, freight management. Of those, international shipping and customs clearance are not what Harbour Assist is typically brought in for.
What can Flexport do that Harbour Assist cannot?
Flexport covers Freight forwarding, Supply chain visibility, Customs brokerage, Inventory management. Harbour Assist covers Berth and mooring management, Contracts and licences, Recurring invoicing, Customer portal.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Flexport: What is Flexport's minimum spend requirement?

As of January 2026, Flexport requires a $5,000 minimum monthly fulfillment spend, positioning the service toward mid-market and enterprise sellers.

Source
Harbour Assist: How much does Harbour Assist cost?

It is quoted by size and complexity. Directory listings put the entry point near 400 pounds a month, and every client also pays a setup fee for customisation, migration and training.

Flexport: What shipping modes does Flexport support?

Flexport supports all modes of transport including air freight, ocean freight (FCL and LCL), truck, and rail. Services include ocean and air freight forwarding, customs brokerage, Amazon FBA prep, and omnichannel fulfillment.

Source
Harbour Assist: Does it bring visitor bookings?

No. It takes online visitor reservations through your own website but has no consumer marketplace, so demand generation remains your responsibility.

Flexport: Does Flexport offer fulfillment services?

Yes. Flexport provides omnichannel fulfillment services for Amazon, Walmart, eBay, and Shopify, plus Amazon FBA preparation at Flexport warehouses.

Source
Harbour Assist: Who owns it?

ClearCourse, a private-equity-backed group that acquires vertical software businesses in the United Kingdom.

Flexport: How does Flexport pricing work?

Flexport uses quote-only pricing based on shipment lanes, volume commitments, and service tier. Pricing varies by route and service level, requiring direct consultation with sales for specific quotes.

Source
Harbour Assist: Does it handle swinging moorings and drying berths?

Yes, and that is one of the reasons British harbours choose it over marina software designed around American pontoon dockage.

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