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Maritime · head to head

Harbour Assist vs Portcast

Harbour Assist logo

Harbour Assist

Maritime

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Portcast logo

Portcast

Maritime

AI-powered container tracking and ETA

From
$500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Portcast pricing not published on homepage or dedicated pricing page
  • They diverge on capability: Harbour Assist covers Berth and mooring management, Portcast covers Predictive ETAs.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Harbour Assist and Portcast differ
AttributeHarbour AssistPortcast
Starting priceOn request$500/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Api
FoundedUnknown2018

Identical on both: 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 Harbour Assist

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

Only in Portcast

  • Predictive ETAs
  • Container tracking
  • Exception alerts
  • Port congestion data
  • TMS platforms
  • ERP systems
  • Shipping lines
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Harbour Assist

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

Portcast

  • Real-time container and air cargo tracking across carriersnot Harbour Assist
  • Predicted ETAs and delay forecasting for ocean freightnot Harbour Assist
  • Port congestion monitoringnot Harbour Assist
  • Auditing freight invoices automaticallynot Harbour Assist
  • Feeding predicted arrival data into a TMS or ERPnot Harbour Assist

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Portcast

  • Pricing not published on homepage or dedicated pricing page
  • No free tier or trial information disclosed
  • Features and billing model not detailed publicly

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Portcast

$500/month
  • Professional$1500/month
    • AI-powered ETAs
    • Container tracking
    • Analytics

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Portcast if

  • You need predictive etas.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want container tracking.
Portcast review

Questions people ask

Is Harbour Assist or Portcast better?
Neither clearly leads. Harbour Assist starts at On request and Portcast at $500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Harbour Assist or Portcast?
Harbour Assist starts at On request and Portcast at $500/month.
Does Harbour Assist or Portcast run on more platforms?
Harbour Assist runs on Web, iOS, Android. Portcast runs on Web, Api.
What is Harbour Assist best used for?
Harbour Assist is most often used for a trust port managing several hundred moorings with annual licence renewals and arrears chasing, a sailing club combining membership, berthing and bar accounts under one customer record, a boatyard scheduling lifts and winter storage alongside berth contracts, a harbour office cutting phone traffic by moving invoice payment and service requests to a customer portal. Of those, a trust port managing several hundred moorings with annual licence renewals and arrears chasing and a sailing club combining membership, berthing and bar accounts under one customer record are not what Portcast is typically brought in for.
What can Harbour Assist do that Portcast cannot?
Harbour Assist covers Berth and mooring management, Contracts and licences, Recurring invoicing, Customer portal. Portcast covers Predictive ETAs, Container tracking, Exception alerts, Port congestion data.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Portcast: Where can I find Portcast pricing?

Portcast does not display pricing information on their website. They direct inquiries to Book a demo or Get in Touch options on their homepage for pricing and plan details. Source: https://www.portcast.io

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.

Portcast: Does Portcast offer a free trial or demo?

Portcast emphasizes booking a demo as the primary way to learn about features and pricing. No free tier details are described on their homepage. Source: https://www.portcast.io

Source
Harbour Assist: Who owns it?

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

Portcast: Is Portcast supply chain visibility software priced per user or by usage?

Portcast does not disclose their pricing model publicly. Contact their sales team through their website's demo booking or contact form to discuss per-user, usage-based, or other billing options. Source: https://www.portcast.io

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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