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Maritime & Shipping · head to head

MarineTraffic vs Windward

MarineTraffic logo

MarineTraffic

Maritime & Shipping

Global ship tracking intelligence

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Windward logo

Windward

Maritime & Shipping

AI-powered maritime risk intelligence

From
$3000/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only MarineTraffic has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • They diverge on capability: MarineTraffic covers Real-time vessel tracking, Windward covers AI-powered risk scoring.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which MarineTraffic and Windward actually diverge.

Attributes where MarineTraffic and Windward differ
AttributeMarineTrafficWindward
Starting priceFree$3000/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, APIWeb, Api
Founded20071996

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 Windward

  • AI-powered risk scoring
  • Sanctions compliance
  • Ship-to-ship detection
  • Dark activity alerts
  • Compliance systems
  • Trading platforms
  • Banking systems
  • 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 Windward
  • Port call and ETA tracking for logisticsnot Windward
  • Fleet monitoring for shipping and charteringnot Windward
  • Maritime research and analytics via API feedsnot Windward
  • Vessel and company database lookupsnot Windward

Windward

No use cases recorded yet. See the Windward 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

Windward

Nothing recorded yet. See the Windward review.

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

Windward

$3000/month
  • Professional$7500/month
    • Behavioral analytics
    • Dark activity detection
    • API access

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 Windward if

  • You need ai-powered risk scoring.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want sanctions compliance.
Windward review

Questions people ask

Is MarineTraffic or Windward better?
Neither clearly leads. MarineTraffic starts at Free and Windward at $3000/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, MarineTraffic or Windward?
MarineTraffic has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for MarineTraffic and $3000/month for Windward.
Does MarineTraffic or Windward run on more platforms?
MarineTraffic runs on Web, iOS, Android, API. Windward runs on Web, Api.
Can I use MarineTraffic for free?
Yes. MarineTraffic has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Windward 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 Windward is typically brought in for.
What can MarineTraffic do that Windward cannot?
MarineTraffic covers Real-time vessel tracking, Global AIS coverage, Voyage history, Port call data. Windward covers AI-powered risk scoring, Sanctions compliance, Ship-to-ship detection, Dark activity alerts. Both handle Web support.
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