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Maritime · head to head

Kongsberg Vessel Insight vs Q88

Kongsberg Vessel Insight logo

Kongsberg Vessel Insight

Maritime

Vessel data infrastructure and satellite connectivity sold as a per-vessel subscription

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Q88 logo

Q88

Maritime

Tanker vessel information platform

From
$200/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Kongsberg Vessel Insight vessel Insight is infrastructure, not insight; the applications that produce operational value are separate purchases, so the subscription buys a capability that shows a superintendent nothing on its own.; 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: Kongsberg Vessel Insight covers Onboard data collection unit, Q88 covers Vessel questionnaires.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kongsberg Vessel Insight and Q88 actually diverge.

Attributes where Kongsberg Vessel Insight and Q88 differ
AttributeKongsberg Vessel InsightQ88
Starting priceOn request$200/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWeb, 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 Kongsberg Vessel Insight

  • Onboard data collection unit
  • Bundled satellite transfer
  • Standardised vessel data model
  • Kognifai marketplace
  • Fleet dashboards
  • Kongsberg equipment 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.

Kongsberg Vessel Insight

  • A shipowner with a mixed fleet who wants one normalised data feed instead of a different data extract per engine makernot Q88
  • An owner who has stalled on digitalisation because nobody will own the satellite bandwidth costnot Q88
  • A manager wanting to run several third-party performance and emissions applications from one onboard installation rather than one box per vendornot Q88
  • A fleet already running Kongsberg automation where the onboard integration is straightforward rather than a bespoke engineering jobnot 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.

Kongsberg Vessel Insight

  • Vessel Insight is infrastructure, not insight; the applications that produce operational value are separate purchases, so the subscription buys a capability that shows a superintendent nothing on its own.
  • Pricing is per vessel per year and unpublished, which for a large fleet is a substantial committed annual cost with no benchmark available before entering a sales process.
  • Onboard installation has to fit a vessel's trading pattern, so a fleet rollout is measured in port calls and dry dockings rather than in weeks, and the subscription usually starts before the whole fleet is producing data.
  • The vessel data model is Kongsberg's, so migrating to a different data platform later means re-instrumenting every ship, not renegotiating a software contract.
  • Integration is easiest with Kongsberg equipment; on vessels with other makers' automation the collection scope and the engineering effort both increase, and what you can actually collect varies ship by ship.

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

Kongsberg Vessel Insight

On request
  • Vessel Insight$undefined/year
    • Subscription per vessel per year
    • Onboard collection hardware included in the subscription
    • Satellite data transfer cost included

Q88

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Kongsberg Vessel Insight if

  • You need onboard data collection unit.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want bundled satellite transfer.
Kongsberg Vessel Insight review

Choose Q88 if

  • You need vessel questionnaires.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want vetting support.
Q88 review

Questions people ask

Is Kongsberg Vessel Insight or Q88 better?
Neither clearly leads. Kongsberg Vessel Insight 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, Kongsberg Vessel Insight or Q88?
Kongsberg Vessel Insight starts at On request and Q88 at $200/month.
Does Kongsberg Vessel Insight or Q88 run on more platforms?
Kongsberg Vessel Insight runs on Web, Cloud. Q88 runs on Web, Api.
What is Kongsberg Vessel Insight best used for?
Kongsberg Vessel Insight is most often used for a shipowner with a mixed fleet who wants one normalised data feed instead of a different data extract per engine maker, an owner who has stalled on digitalisation because nobody will own the satellite bandwidth cost, a manager wanting to run several third-party performance and emissions applications from one onboard installation rather than one box per vendor, a fleet already running kongsberg automation where the onboard integration is straightforward rather than a bespoke engineering job. Of those, a shipowner with a mixed fleet who wants one normalised data feed instead of a different data extract per engine maker and an owner who has stalled on digitalisation because nobody will own the satellite bandwidth cost are not what Q88 is typically brought in for.
What can Kongsberg Vessel Insight do that Q88 cannot?
Kongsberg Vessel Insight covers Onboard data collection unit, Bundled satellite transfer, Standardised vessel data model, Kognifai marketplace. Q88 covers Vessel questionnaires, Vetting support, Documentation management, Compliance tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Kongsberg Vessel Insight: Does Vessel Insight include the satellite cost?

Yes. The subscription bundles onboard hardware and data transfer, which is the main reason owners choose it over building their own collection.

Kongsberg Vessel Insight: Do I get performance analytics with it?

No. Analytics and reporting applications are bought separately from Kongsberg or from third parties on the Kognifai marketplace.

Kongsberg Vessel Insight: Does it only work with Kongsberg equipment?

No, but integration is deepest there. On other makers' automation the collectable signal set and the installation effort both vary.

Kongsberg Vessel Insight: How is it priced?

Per vessel per year, quoted. Nothing is published, and installation timing depends on vessel availability.

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