Softwr

Maritime & Shipping · head to head

Flexport vs Q88

Flexport logo

Flexport

Maritime & Shipping

Global freight forwarding and supply chain platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Q88 logo

Q88

Maritime & Shipping

Tanker vessel information platform

From
$200/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Flexport $5,000 monthly minimum fulfillment spend requirement excludes small and medium businesses; Q88 the Internet Archive's capture of Q88 LLC's corporate homepage on 19 February 2016 stated Q88.com had 75% of the world-wide tanker industry onboard and served over 1,000 clients across four named products (Q88.com, Q88Dry.com, Milbros.com, Q88VMS.com), with no price figure published for any; this is a 2016 capture and figures are dated.
  • They diverge on capability: Flexport covers Freight forwarding, Q88 covers Vessel questionnaires.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Flexport and Q88 actually diverge.

Attributes where Flexport and Q88 differ
AttributeFlexportQ88
Starting priceOn request$200/month
Pricing modelusage-basedsubscription
PlatformsWebWeb, Api
Founded20132001

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Maritime & Shipping).

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 Q88

  • Vessel questionnaires
  • Vetting support
  • Documentation management
  • Compliance tracking
  • Oil major systems
  • Chartering platforms
  • Fleet management
  • Api support

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Flexport

  • International shippingnot Q88
  • Customs clearancenot Q88
  • Supply chain visibilitynot Q88
  • Freight managementnot Q88

Q88

No use cases recorded yet. See the Q88 review.

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

Q88

  • The Internet Archive's capture of Q88 LLC's corporate homepage on 19 February 2016 stated Q88.com had 75% of the world-wide tanker industry onboard and served over 1,000 clients across four named products (Q88.com, Q88Dry.com, Milbros.com, Q88VMS.com), with no price figure published for any; this is a 2016 capture and figures are dated.

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

Q88

$200/month
  • Vessel Manager$500/month
    • Q88 questionnaires
    • Vessel profiles
    • Documentation

Which should you pick?

Choose Flexport if

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

Choose Q88 if

  • You need vessel questionnaires.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want vetting support.
Q88 review

Questions people ask

Is Flexport or Q88 better?
Neither clearly leads. Flexport starts at On request and Q88 at $200/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Flexport or Q88?
Flexport starts at On request and Q88 at $200/month.
Does Flexport or Q88 run on more platforms?
Flexport runs on Web. Q88 runs on Web, Api.
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 Q88 is typically brought in for.
What can Flexport do that Q88 cannot?
Flexport covers Freight forwarding, Supply chain visibility, Customs brokerage, Inventory management. Q88 covers Vessel questionnaires, Vetting support, Documentation management, Compliance tracking. Both handle Web support.

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
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
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
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
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Related pages

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