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Maritime · head to head

MarineTraffic vs S&P Global Maritime

MarineTraffic logo

MarineTraffic

Maritime

Global ship tracking intelligence

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
S&P Global Maritime logo

S&P Global Maritime

Maritime

Maritime intelligence and analytics

From
On request
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); S&P Global Maritime pricing is not publicly disclosed, requiring direct contact with S&P Global for quotes
  • They diverge on capability: MarineTraffic covers Real-time vessel tracking, S&P Global Maritime covers Vessel database.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which MarineTraffic and S&P Global Maritime actually diverge.

Attributes where MarineTraffic and S&P Global Maritime differ
AttributeMarineTrafficS&P Global Maritime
Starting priceFreeOn request
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, APIWeb, Desktop
Founded20071860

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), 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 S&P Global Maritime

  • Vessel database
  • Ship valuations
  • Company intelligence
  • Market analytics
  • API
  • Excel add-in
  • Data feeds
  • Api 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 S&P Global Maritime
  • Port call and ETA tracking for logisticsnot S&P Global Maritime
  • Fleet monitoring for shipping and charteringnot S&P Global Maritime
  • Maritime research and analytics via API feedsnot S&P Global Maritime
  • Vessel and company database lookupsnot S&P Global Maritime

S&P Global Maritime

No use cases recorded yet. See the S&P Global Maritime 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

S&P Global Maritime

  • Pricing is not publicly disclosed, requiring direct contact with S&P Global for quotes
  • Subscription model can be costly for small to medium-sized shipping operations

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

S&P Global Maritime

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the S&P Global Maritime review.

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 S&P Global Maritime if

  • You need vessel database.
  • You work on Web, Desktop.
  • You also want ship valuations.
S&P Global Maritime review

Questions people ask

Is MarineTraffic or S&P Global Maritime better?
Neither clearly leads. MarineTraffic starts at Free and S&P Global Maritime at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, MarineTraffic or S&P Global Maritime?
MarineTraffic has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for MarineTraffic and On request for S&P Global Maritime.
Does MarineTraffic or S&P Global Maritime run on more platforms?
MarineTraffic runs on Web, iOS, Android, API. S&P Global Maritime runs on Web, Desktop.
Can I use MarineTraffic for free?
Yes. MarineTraffic has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. S&P Global Maritime starts at On request.
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 S&P Global Maritime is typically brought in for.
What can MarineTraffic do that S&P Global Maritime cannot?
MarineTraffic covers Real-time vessel tracking, Global AIS coverage, Voyage history, Port call data. S&P Global Maritime covers Vessel database, Ship valuations, Company intelligence, Market analytics. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

S&P Global Maritime: What data does S&P Global Maritime Sea-web provide?

Sea-web is a comprehensive maritime reference database with over 600 data fields on more than 220,000 ships of 100 GT and above, including information on ships, companies, builders, ports, movements, fixtures, casualties, performance, and security.

Source
S&P Global Maritime: Does S&P Global Maritime track shipping rates?

Yes, S&P Global provides over 765 meticulously assessed freight rate assessments across containers, tankers, dry freight, dry bulk, and marine fuels with real-time and historical data.

Source
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