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Maritime · head to head

Harbour Assist vs Sea Machines

Harbour Assist logo

Harbour Assist

Maritime

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sea Machines logo

Sea Machines

Maritime

Autonomous vessel control systems

From
$50000/one-time
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.; Sea Machines requires hardware fitted to the vessel; the autonomy systems are retrofits or new build installations rather than a software purchase
  • They diverge on capability: Harbour Assist covers Berth and mooring management, Sea Machines covers Autonomous control.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Harbour Assist and Sea Machines actually diverge.

Attributes where Harbour Assist and Sea Machines differ
AttributeHarbour AssistSea Machines
Starting priceOn request$50000/one-time
Pricing modelquoteone-time
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidEmbedded, Web, Mobile
FoundedUnknown2015

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 Sea Machines

  • Autonomous control
  • Remote operation
  • Collision avoidance
  • Pattern following
  • Vessel systems
  • Communication networks
  • Shore-based control
  • Embedded 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 Sea Machines
  • A sailing club combining membership, berthing and bar accounts under one customer recordnot Sea Machines
  • A boatyard scheduling lifts and winter storage alongside berth contractsnot Sea Machines
  • A harbour office cutting phone traffic by moving invoice payment and service requests to a customer portalnot Sea Machines

Sea Machines

  • Intelligent voyage and transit autonomy for workboatsnot Harbour Assist
  • Pattern autonomy for survey and repetitive route worknot Harbour Assist
  • Collision avoidance using the AI-ris computer vision sensornot Harbour Assist
  • Remote command and control of vessels, including in GPS denied environmentsnot Harbour Assist
  • Fleet management and telemetry through Fleetviewer and the SMLINK APIsnot 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.

Sea Machines

  • Requires hardware fitted to the vessel; the autonomy systems are retrofits or new build installations rather than a software purchase
  • Targeted at vessels from 10 to 300 ft, so it does not address the largest commercial tonnage
  • Pricing is not published and is arranged directly with the vendor
  • The SM300-NG is the class-approved unit, so the cheaper SM300-SP does not carry the same approval

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

Sea Machines

$50000/one-time
  • SM300$75000/one-time
    • Autonomous control
    • Collision avoidance
    • Remote operation

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 Sea Machines if

  • You need autonomous control.
  • You work on Embedded, Web, Mobile.
  • You also want remote operation.
Sea Machines review

Questions people ask

Is Harbour Assist or Sea Machines better?
Neither clearly leads. Harbour Assist starts at On request and Sea Machines at $50000/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Harbour Assist or Sea Machines?
Harbour Assist starts at On request and Sea Machines at $50000/one-time.
Does Harbour Assist or Sea Machines run on more platforms?
Harbour Assist runs on Web, iOS, Android. Sea Machines runs on Embedded, Web, Mobile.
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 Sea Machines is typically brought in for.
What can Harbour Assist do that Sea Machines cannot?
Harbour Assist covers Berth and mooring management, Contracts and licences, Recurring invoicing, Customer portal. Sea Machines covers Autonomous control, Remote operation, Collision avoidance, Pattern following.

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.

Sea Machines: How much does Sea Machines cost?

Pricing is not published. Sea Machines requires customers to contact their sales team directly through the Contact Us link on their website for pricing quotes tailored to specific products and use cases.

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.

Sea Machines: What is the pricing model for Sea Machines products?

Sea Machines offers autonomy systems and software solutions for maritime vessels. Pricing is determined on a per-product basis through direct sales consultation rather than published subscription tiers.

Source
Harbour Assist: Who owns it?

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

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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