Maritime & Shipping · head to head
MarineTraffic vs NAPA
The short version
- Only MarineTraffic has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: MarineTraffic specific numeric prices for the Basic/Essential tiers are not published on a directly accessible page (plans pages are bot-protected); NAPA the Internet Archive's capture of NAPA's homepage on 1 January 2020 named six distinct maritime software products, NAPA Loading Computer, NAPA Emergency Computer, NAPA Logbook, NAPA Fleet Intelligence, NAPA Voyage Optimization and ClassNK-NAPA GREEN, with no price figure published for any.
- They diverge on capability: MarineTraffic covers Real-time vessel tracking, NAPA covers Ship design.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which MarineTraffic and NAPA actually diverge.
| Attribute | MarineTraffic | NAPA |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $5000/year |
| Pricing model | Unknown | one-time |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android, API | Windows, Web |
| Founded | 2007 | 1989 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Maritime & Shipping).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in MarineTraffic
- Real-time vessel tracking
- Global AIS coverage
- Voyage history
- Port call data
- ETA predictions
- REST API
- Google Earth
- GIS systems
Only in NAPA
- Ship design
- Stability calculation
- Voyage optimization
- Performance monitoring
- CAD systems
- Fleet management
- Weather routing
- Windows support
Both cover
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
MarineTraffic
- Real-time vessel trackingnot NAPA
- Port call and ETA tracking for logisticsnot NAPA
- Fleet monitoring for shipping and charteringnot NAPA
- Maritime research and analytics via API feedsnot NAPA
- Vessel and company database lookupsnot NAPA
NAPA
No use cases recorded yet. See the NAPA review.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
MarineTraffic
- Specific numeric prices for the Basic/Essential tiers are not published on a directly accessible page (plans pages are bot-protected)
- Enterprise tier is sales-assisted, quote-only
- API access is credit-consumption based with cost varying by AIS data source and detail level, making cost opaque
- Commercial API access now routes through parent company Kpler via demo request
NAPA
- The Internet Archive's capture of NAPA's homepage on 1 January 2020 named six distinct maritime software products, NAPA Loading Computer, NAPA Emergency Computer, NAPA Logbook, NAPA Fleet Intelligence, NAPA Voyage Optimization and ClassNK-NAPA GREEN, with no price figure published for any.
Pricing, plan by plan
MarineTraffic
Free- Basic$undefined/mo
- Free vessel tracking account
- Essential$undefined/mo
- Expanded tracking features
- Enterprise$undefined/mo
- Quote-only, sales-assisted
NAPA
$5000/year- Fleet Intelligence$15000/year
- Voyage optimization
- Performance monitoring
- Analytics
Which should you pick?
Choose MarineTraffic if
- You need real-time vessel tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, API.
- You also want global ais coverage.
Choose NAPA if
- You need ship design.
- You work on Windows, Web.
- You also want stability calculation.
Questions people ask
- Is MarineTraffic or NAPA better?
- Neither clearly leads. MarineTraffic starts at Free and NAPA at $5000/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, MarineTraffic or NAPA?
- MarineTraffic has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for MarineTraffic and $5000/year for NAPA.
- Does MarineTraffic or NAPA run on more platforms?
- MarineTraffic runs on Web, iOS, Android, API. NAPA runs on Windows, Web.
- Can I use MarineTraffic for free?
- Yes. MarineTraffic has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. NAPA starts at $5000/year.
- What is MarineTraffic best used for?
- MarineTraffic is most often used for real-time vessel tracking, port call and eta tracking for logistics, fleet monitoring for shipping and chartering, maritime research and analytics via api feeds. Of those, real-time vessel tracking and port call and eta tracking for logistics are not what NAPA is typically brought in for.
- What can MarineTraffic do that NAPA cannot?
- MarineTraffic covers Real-time vessel tracking, Global AIS coverage, Voyage history, Port call data. NAPA covers Ship design, Stability calculation, Voyage optimization, Performance monitoring. Both handle Web support.
Related pages
More on MarineTraffic
Other head to heads
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- MarineTraffic vs Kongsberg Maritime
- MarineTraffic vs Sea Machines
- MarineTraffic vs Veson Nautical
- MarineTraffic vs Wartsila Voyage
- MarineTraffic vs Windward
- MarineTraffic vs Dataloy
- MarineTraffic vs DNV Maritime
- MarineTraffic vs exactEarth
- MarineTraffic vs FourKites
- MarineTraffic vs Freightos
- MarineTraffic vs INTTRA
- MarineTraffic vs Kpler
- MarineTraffic vs Lloyd's List Intelligence
- MarineTraffic vs Nautilus Labs
- MarineTraffic vs Navis N4
- MarineTraffic vs NAVTOR
- NAPA vs ChartCo
- NAPA vs Kongsberg Maritime
- NAPA vs Sea Machines
- NAPA vs Veson Nautical
- NAPA vs Wartsila Voyage
- NAPA vs Windward
- NAPA vs Dataloy
- NAPA vs DNV Maritime
- NAPA vs exactEarth
- NAPA vs FourKites
- NAPA vs Freightos
- NAPA vs INTTRA
- NAPA vs Kpler
- NAPA vs Lloyd's List Intelligence
- NAPA vs Nautilus Labs
- NAPA vs Navis N4
- NAPA vs NAVTOR


