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Maritime · head to head

Helm Operations vs ShipNet

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
ShipNet logo

ShipNet

Maritime

Complete ship management software

From
$400/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; ShipNet no pricing information published online
  • They diverge on capability: Helm Operations covers Dispatch, ShipNet covers Technical management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Helm Operations and ShipNet differ
AttributeHelm OperationsShipNet
Starting priceOn request$400/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Windows
FoundedUnknown1984

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 Helm Operations

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

Only in ShipNet

  • Technical management
  • Crew management
  • Procurement
  • Accounting
  • ERP systems
  • Payroll
  • Classification societies
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Helm Operations

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

ShipNet

  • Fleet operations and compliance management for shipping companiesnot Helm Operations
  • Profitability tracking across vessel operations and charteringnot Helm Operations
  • Technical asset management and vessel maintenance schedulingnot Helm Operations
  • Commercial voyage and chartering operations managementnot Helm Operations
  • Marine financial accounting and reporting integrationnot Helm Operations
  • Dry docking and vessel maintenance project managementnot Helm Operations

Where each one falls short

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

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.

ShipNet

  • No pricing information published online
  • Requires demo request to obtain pricing details
  • Targets large shipping operators with 150+ customers globally

Pricing, plan by plan

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

ShipNet

$400/month
  • Professional$1000/month
    • Technical management
    • Crewing
    • Procurement

Which should you pick?

Choose Helm Operations if

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

Choose ShipNet if

  • You need technical management.
  • You work on Web, Windows.
  • You also want crew management.
ShipNet review

Questions people ask

Is Helm Operations or ShipNet better?
Neither clearly leads. Helm Operations starts at On request and ShipNet at $400/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Helm Operations or ShipNet?
Helm Operations starts at On request and ShipNet at $400/month.
Does Helm Operations or ShipNet run on more platforms?
Helm Operations runs on Web, iOS, Android. ShipNet runs on Web, Windows.
What is Helm Operations best used for?
Helm Operations is most often used for a harbour towage company that dispatches dozens of jobs a day and wants invoices generated from the dispatch record, a barge operator tracking maintenance and certificates across assets that rarely visit the same port twice, a ferry or passenger vessel fleet that must evidence drills, audits and crew certification to a regulator, an offshore support operator replacing a mixture of spreadsheets, whiteboards and an accounting package. Of those, a harbour towage company that dispatches dozens of jobs a day and wants invoices generated from the dispatch record and a barge operator tracking maintenance and certificates across assets that rarely visit the same port twice are not what ShipNet is typically brought in for.
What can Helm Operations do that ShipNet cannot?
Helm Operations covers Dispatch, Job billing, Planned maintenance, Compliance and safety. ShipNet covers Technical management, Crew management, Procurement, Accounting.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Helm Operations: Does Helm handle chartering or voyage accounting?

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

ShipNet: How much does Shipnet cost?

Shipnet does not publish pricing on their website. Interested customers must request a demo to receive pricing information from their sales team.

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

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

ShipNet: Who uses Shipnet?

Shipnet serves over 150 shipping companies across 31 countries, including major operators like Golar LNG, Wilson, and COSCO Shipping. The platform is described as built by mariners for mariners.

Source
Helm Operations: Does it include accounting?

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

ShipNet: What modules does Shipnet offer?

Shipnet provides eight integrated solution modules: Safety, Technical, Analytics, Commercial, Financial, Procurement, Dry Docking, and Shipnet ONE for unified ecosystem management.

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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