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Maritime · head to head

MarineTraffic vs Shone

MarineTraffic logo

MarineTraffic

Maritime

Global ship tracking intelligence

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
S

Shone

Maritime

AI-powered autonomous shipping technology

From
$3000/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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); Shone shone Automation was acquired by Bedrock Ocean Exploration in April 2022 and the product is no longer sold under the Shone name
  • They diverge on capability: MarineTraffic covers Real-time vessel tracking, Shone covers Autonomous navigation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which MarineTraffic and Shone actually diverge.

Attributes where MarineTraffic and Shone differ
AttributeMarineTrafficShone
Starting priceFree$3000/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, APIMaritime vessels
Founded20072017

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 MarineTraffic

  • Real-time vessel tracking
  • Global AIS coverage
  • Voyage history
  • Port call data
  • ETA predictions
  • REST API
  • Google Earth
  • GIS systems

Only in Shone

  • Autonomous navigation
  • Collision avoidance
  • Sensor fusion
  • Decision support
  • Bridge systems
  • ECDIS
  • Radar
  • AIS

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 Shone
  • Port call and ETA tracking for logisticsnot Shone
  • Fleet monitoring for shipping and charteringnot Shone
  • Maritime research and analytics via API feedsnot Shone
  • Vessel and company database lookupsnot Shone

Shone

No use cases recorded yet. See the Shone 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

Shone

  • Shone Automation was acquired by Bedrock Ocean Exploration in April 2022 and the product is no longer sold under the Shone name
  • shone.io no longer resolves

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

Shone

$3000/month
  • Professional$8000/month
    • Autonomous navigation
    • Collision avoidance
    • Bridge integration

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.
MarineTraffic review

Choose Shone if

  • You need autonomous navigation.
  • You work on Maritime vessels.
  • You also want collision avoidance.
Shone review

Questions people ask

Is MarineTraffic or Shone better?
Neither clearly leads. MarineTraffic starts at Free and Shone at $3000/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, MarineTraffic or Shone?
MarineTraffic has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for MarineTraffic and $3000/month for Shone.
Does MarineTraffic or Shone run on more platforms?
MarineTraffic runs on Web, iOS, Android, API. Shone runs on Maritime vessels.
Can I use MarineTraffic for free?
Yes. MarineTraffic has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Shone starts at $3000/month.
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 Shone is typically brought in for.
What can MarineTraffic do that Shone cannot?
MarineTraffic covers Real-time vessel tracking, Global AIS coverage, Voyage history, Port call data. Shone covers Autonomous navigation, Collision avoidance, Sensor fusion, Decision support. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Shone: What does Shone's autonomous technology do?

Shone retrofits ships with autonomous technologies to improve safety, security and crew quality of life. The system provides assistance through situational awareness and course recommendations, which reduces watchkeeper fatigue and helps prevent accidents.

Source
Shone: How does Shone detect surrounding vessels?

Shone's proprietary detection algorithm is based on data gathered from ship sensors including AIS, radar and GPS, with additional cameras installed on board for computer vision capabilities.

Source
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