Softwr

Maritime · head to head

Kaleris vs Q88

Kaleris logo

Kaleris

Maritime

Terminal operating, yard, rail and vessel software assembled from acquired supply chain brands

From
On request
Rated
-
Q88 logo

Q88

Maritime

Tanker vessel information platform

From
$200/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Kaleris the portfolio was assembled by acquisition, so the single platform description is commercial rather than technical, and connecting two Kaleris products often requires professional services and a custom interface.; Q88 the Internet Archive's capture of Q88 LLC's corporate homepage on 19 February 2016 stated Q88.com had 75% of the world-wide tanker industry onboard and served over 1,000 clients across four named products (Q88.com, Q88Dry.com, Milbros.com, Q88VMS.com), with no price figure published for any; this is a 2016 capture and figures are dated.
  • They diverge on capability: Kaleris covers Terminal operating system, Q88 covers Vessel questionnaires.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kaleris and Q88 actually diverge.

Attributes where Kaleris and Q88 differ
AttributeKalerisQ88
Starting priceOn request$200/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWeb, On-premise, Private cloudWeb, Api
FoundedUnknown2001

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 Kaleris

  • Terminal operating system
  • Yard management
  • Transportation management
  • Carrier and vessel solutions
  • Rail visibility
  • Maintenance and repair operations
  • Execution and visibility platform
  • Equipment control integration

Only in Q88

  • Vessel questionnaires
  • Vetting support
  • Documentation management
  • Compliance tracking
  • Oil major systems
  • Chartering platforms
  • Fleet management
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Kaleris

  • A container terminal replacing a legacy or in-house terminal operating system before an automation programmenot Q88
  • A port authority standardising several terminals on one operating system and reporting layernot Q88
  • An ocean carrier that needs stowage planning and vessel performance tooling alongside terminal systemsnot Q88
  • A rail or intermodal operator trying to reduce demurrage exposure with asset level visibilitynot Q88

Q88

No use cases recorded yet. See the Q88 review.

Where each one falls short

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

Kaleris

  • The portfolio was assembled by acquisition, so the single platform description is commercial rather than technical, and connecting two Kaleris products often requires professional services and a custom interface.
  • A terminal operating system implementation runs 12 to 24 months with parallel operation, and the software licence is a minor line next to integration, equipment interfaces and retraining crane and gate staff.
  • Private equity ownership means the roadmap is shaped by acquisition strategy and an eventual exit, and a terminal signing a decade-long dependency has no visibility of who the next owner will be.
  • Configuration expertise is concentrated in the vendor and a small consultancy pool, so terminals end up buying vendor services for changes an internal team should be able to make.
  • The strength is container handling, and bulk, breakbulk and ro-ro terminals get a thinner functional fit that has to be closed with configuration and workarounds.

Q88

  • The Internet Archive's capture of Q88 LLC's corporate homepage on 19 February 2016 stated Q88.com had 75% of the world-wide tanker industry onboard and served over 1,000 clients across four named products (Q88.com, Q88Dry.com, Milbros.com, Q88VMS.com), with no price figure published for any; this is a 2016 capture and figures are dated.

Pricing, plan by plan

Kaleris

On request
  • Kaleris platform$undefined/year
    • Quoted per site, by throughput and modules taken
    • Implementation and integration services are the larger share of first-year cost
    • Equipment and gate interfaces scoped and priced individually

Q88

$200/month
  • Vessel Manager$500/month
    • Q88 questionnaires
    • Vessel profiles
    • Documentation

Which should you pick?

Choose Kaleris if

  • You need terminal operating system.
  • You work on Web, On-premise, Private cloud.
  • You also want yard management.

Choose Q88 if

  • You need vessel questionnaires.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want vetting support.

Questions people ask

Is Kaleris or Q88 better?
Neither clearly leads. Kaleris starts at On request and Q88 at $200/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kaleris or Q88?
Kaleris starts at On request and Q88 at $200/month.
Does Kaleris or Q88 run on more platforms?
Kaleris runs on Web, On-premise, Private cloud. Q88 runs on Web, Api.
What is Kaleris best used for?
Kaleris is most often used for a container terminal replacing a legacy or in-house terminal operating system before an automation programme, a port authority standardising several terminals on one operating system and reporting layer, an ocean carrier that needs stowage planning and vessel performance tooling alongside terminal systems, a rail or intermodal operator trying to reduce demurrage exposure with asset level visibility. Of those, a container terminal replacing a legacy or in-house terminal operating system before an automation programme and a port authority standardising several terminals on one operating system and reporting layer are not what Q88 is typically brought in for.
What can Kaleris do that Q88 cannot?
Kaleris covers Terminal operating system, Yard management, Transportation management, Carrier and vessel solutions. Q88 covers Vessel questionnaires, Vetting support, Documentation management, Compliance tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Kaleris: Is Kaleris the same thing as Navis?

No. Navis is the terminal operating system product line, now owned by Kaleris after Cargotec sold it to Accel-KKR in 2021. Kaleris is the parent group and sells several other product lines alongside it.

Kaleris: Who owns Kaleris?

It is backed by the private equity firm Accel-KKR and assembled from acquired software businesses.

Kaleris: How long does a terminal operating system deployment take?

Plan for 12 to 24 months at a working container terminal, including parallel running. Anything shorter usually means a limited scope or a small facility.

Kaleris: Does it suit bulk or breakbulk terminals?

Less well. The functional depth is in container handling, and other cargo types require significant configuration.

Share

Related pages

Other head to heads