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Maritime · head to head

Freightos vs Helm Operations

Freightos logo

Freightos

Maritime

Digital freight marketplace and rates

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Helm Operations logo

Helm Operations

Maritime

Dispatch, maintenance, compliance and crewing software built for tug, barge and workboat fleets

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Freightos has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Freightos no pricing, fees or commissions are published anywhere on the pricing page; Helm Operations the product is built for workboat and towage operations, so a deep-sea owner running bulkers or tankers gets no chartering, voyage accounting or cargo handling and should not shortlist it.
  • They diverge on capability: Freightos covers Instant quotes, Helm Operations covers Dispatch.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Freightos and Helm Operations actually diverge.

Attributes where Freightos and Helm Operations differ
AttributeFreightosHelm Operations
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, ApiWeb, iOS, Android
Founded2012Unknown

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 Freightos

  • Instant quotes
  • Online booking
  • Shipment tracking
  • Rate comparison
  • ERP systems
  • E-commerce platforms
  • TMS
  • Web support

Only in Helm Operations

  • Dispatch
  • Job billing
  • Planned maintenance
  • Compliance and safety
  • Crew scheduling
  • Customer portal
  • Vessel applications
  • Reporting

What people use each for

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

Freightos

  • Comparing freight quotes from multiple forwarders in one placenot Helm Operations
  • Booking international freight online rather than by email quotenot Helm Operations

Helm Operations

  • A harbour towage company that dispatches dozens of jobs a day and wants invoices generated from the dispatch recordnot Freightos
  • A barge operator tracking maintenance and certificates across assets that rarely visit the same port twicenot Freightos
  • A ferry or passenger vessel fleet that must evidence drills, audits and crew certification to a regulatornot Freightos
  • An offshore support operator replacing a mixture of spreadsheets, whiteboards and an accounting packagenot Freightos

Where each one falls short

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

Freightos

  • No pricing, fees or commissions are published anywhere on the pricing page
  • Rates and costs are only visible after signing up to the platform

Helm Operations

  • The product is built for workboat and towage operations, so a deep-sea owner running bulkers or tankers gets no chartering, voyage accounting or cargo handling and should not shortlist it.
  • Modules are licensed separately, so the figure quoted for dispatch alone is not the figure a fleet ends up paying once maintenance, compliance and crewing are included.
  • There is no financial ledger, so job costs and payroll still post into a separate accounting system, and maintaining that interface is an ongoing task for the customer.
  • Vessel applications sync rather than run fully offline indefinitely, so boats operating with poor connectivity see a lag between what the crew recorded and what the dispatcher can see.
  • The company does not disclose its ownership publicly and is comparatively small, which leaves a fleet that standardises on Helm carrying concentration risk it cannot fully assess.

Pricing, plan by plan

Freightos

Free
  • Enterprise$500/month
    • Bulk pricing
    • API access
    • Custom integrations

Helm Operations

On request
  • Helm platform$undefined/year
    • Quoted by fleet size and modules taken
    • Maintenance, Compliance, Logistics, Personnel and Portal licensed separately
    • Implementation and data migration quoted as services

Which should you pick?

Choose Freightos if

  • You need instant quotes.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want online booking.
Freightos review

Choose Helm Operations if

  • You need dispatch.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want job billing.
Helm Operations review

Questions people ask

Is Freightos or Helm Operations better?
Neither clearly leads. Freightos starts at Free and Helm Operations at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Freightos or Helm Operations?
Freightos has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Freightos and On request for Helm Operations.
Does Freightos or Helm Operations run on more platforms?
Freightos runs on Web, Api. Helm Operations runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Freightos for free?
Yes. Freightos has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Helm Operations starts at On request.
What is Freightos best used for?
Freightos is most often used for comparing freight quotes from multiple forwarders in one place, booking international freight online rather than by email quote. Of those, comparing freight quotes from multiple forwarders in one place and booking international freight online rather than by email quote are not what Helm Operations is typically brought in for.
What can Freightos do that Helm Operations cannot?
Freightos covers Instant quotes, Online booking, Shipment tracking, Rate comparison. Helm Operations covers Dispatch, Job billing, Planned maintenance, Compliance and safety.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Freightos: Does Freightos charge shippers a subscription fee or booking commission?

Freightos does not charge shippers directly. Instead, Freightos takes a small percentage from freight providers (carriers), though the exact percentage is not published on their site.

Source
Helm Operations: Does Helm handle chartering or voyage accounting?

No. It models dispatched jobs, not voyages, and has no commercial chartering capability.

Freightos: How does Freightos generate revenue if shippers do not pay subscription fees?

Freightos operates as a marketplace taking a percentage commission from freight providers on each transaction, not from the end-user shippers.

Source
Helm Operations: Will it work for a deep-sea fleet?

Poorly. The functional design assumes short repeated jobs on tugs, barges and workboats.

Freightos: Is there a cost to create an account and get freight quotes on Freightos?

No. Freightos users can instantly compare and get quotes for free. Shippers only pay freight providers directly for selected shipments, with Freightos taking its commission from providers.

Source
Helm Operations: Does it include accounting?

No. It produces invoices and job costs and passes them to a separate accounting system.

Freightos: What enterprise solutions does Freightos offer beyond the marketplace?

Freightos offers enterprise solutions that are fully modular, allowing customers to start with one solution and expand as needed. Specific pricing and features are available by requesting a demo.

Source
Helm Operations: Is pricing published?

No. It is quoted by fleet size and by which of the five modules are licensed.

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