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Maritime · head to head

Helm Operations vs StormGlass

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
StormGlass logo

StormGlass

Maritime

Global weather data API for maritime

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only StormGlass has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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.; StormGlass the free tier allows 10 API requests per day and is not licensed for commercial use
  • They diverge on capability: Helm Operations covers Dispatch, StormGlass covers Marine weather data.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Helm Operations and StormGlass differ
AttributeHelm OperationsStormGlass
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotefreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidApi
FoundedUnknown2017

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 Helm Operations

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

Only in StormGlass

  • Marine weather data
  • Wave forecasts
  • Tide data
  • Historical weather
  • REST API
  • Webhooks
  • SDKs
  • Api 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 StormGlass
  • A barge operator tracking maintenance and certificates across assets that rarely visit the same port twicenot StormGlass
  • A ferry or passenger vessel fleet that must evidence drills, audits and crew certification to a regulatornot StormGlass
  • An offshore support operator replacing a mixture of spreadsheets, whiteboards and an accounting packagenot StormGlass

StormGlass

  • Pulling marine weather and sea state forecasts into a vessel routing or planning toolnot Helm Operations
  • Adding tide, wave and wind data to a maritime or coastal applicationnot 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.

StormGlass

  • The free tier allows 10 API requests per day and is not licensed for commercial use
  • Commercial use and any support at all start at the Medium plan, 49 euros a month
  • The Small plan at 19 euros a month has no support and no commercial licence
  • Request allowances are daily rather than monthly, so a burst of traffic cannot borrow against a quiet week

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

StormGlass

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 10 requests per day
    • All weather parameters
    • Not for commercial use
  • Small$19/month
    • 500 requests per day
    • All weather parameters
    • 10% annual discount available
  • Medium$49/month
    • 5000 requests per day
    • All weather parameters
    • Full support
  • Large$129/month
    • 25000 requests per day
    • All weather parameters
    • Full support

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 StormGlass if

  • You need marine weather data.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Api.
  • You also want wave forecasts.
StormGlass review

Questions people ask

Is Helm Operations or StormGlass better?
Neither clearly leads. Helm Operations starts at On request and StormGlass at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Helm Operations or StormGlass?
StormGlass has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Helm Operations and Free for StormGlass.
Does Helm Operations or StormGlass run on more platforms?
Helm Operations runs on Web, iOS, Android. StormGlass runs on Api.
Can I use StormGlass for free?
Yes. StormGlass has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Helm Operations starts at On request.
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 StormGlass is typically brought in for.
What can Helm Operations do that StormGlass cannot?
Helm Operations covers Dispatch, Job billing, Planned maintenance, Compliance and safety. StormGlass covers Marine weather data, Wave forecasts, Tide data, Historical weather.

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.

StormGlass: Is there a free tier available?

Yes, Stormglass offers a free plan with 10 API requests per day, including all weather parameters, but it is not permitted for commercial use.

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

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

StormGlass: What does the Medium plan include?

The Medium plan costs 49 EUR per month and includes 5000 daily requests, all weather parameters, and full support for commercial use.

Source
Helm Operations: Does it include accounting?

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

StormGlass: Is annual billing available?

Yes, a 10% discount is available when paying annually on Small, Medium, and Large plans.

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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