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Maritime & Shipping · head to head

NAVTOR vs ORBCOMM

NAVTOR logo

NAVTOR

Maritime & Shipping

Digital navigation and maritime compliance

From
$200/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ORBCOMM logo

ORBCOMM

Maritime & Shipping

IoT solutions for maritime asset tracking

From
$25/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: NAVTOR specialized product focused only on maritime industry, not suitable for other domains; ORBCOMM satellite latency of approximately 600 milliseconds limits real-time applications
  • They diverge on capability: NAVTOR covers Digital chart services, ORBCOMM covers Satellite tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which NAVTOR and ORBCOMM actually diverge.

Attributes where NAVTOR and ORBCOMM differ
AttributeNAVTORORBCOMM
Starting price$200/month$25/month
PlatformsWebSatellite, Web
Founded20111995

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), 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 NAVTOR

  • Digital chart services
  • Passage planning
  • Compliance management
  • Fleet monitoring
  • ECDIS systems
  • Fleet management
  • Classification societies
  • Windows support

Only in ORBCOMM

  • Satellite tracking
  • Container monitoring
  • Cold chain monitoring
  • Fleet telematics
  • TMS systems
  • ERP platforms
  • Warehouse management
  • Mobile support

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Api support

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

NAVTOR

  • Specialized product focused only on maritime industry, not suitable for other domains
  • Requires subscription to PRIMAR or IC-ENC chart sources

ORBCOMM

  • Satellite latency of approximately 600 milliseconds limits real-time applications
  • Higher cost per message compared to terrestrial cellular IoT solutions
  • Coverage remains near-global rather than fully global in all remote regions

Pricing, plan by plan

NAVTOR

$200/month
  • NavStation$500/month
    • Digital charts
    • Passage planning
    • Compliance tools

ORBCOMM

$25/month
  • Fleet Manager$99/month
    • Real-time tracking
    • Geofencing
    • Reporting

Which should you pick?

Choose NAVTOR if

  • You need digital chart services.
  • You also want passage planning.
NAVTOR review

Choose ORBCOMM if

  • You need satellite tracking.
  • You work on Satellite, Web.
  • You also want container monitoring.
ORBCOMM review

Questions people ask

Is NAVTOR or ORBCOMM better?
Neither clearly leads. NAVTOR starts at $200/month and ORBCOMM at $25/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, NAVTOR or ORBCOMM?
NAVTOR starts at $200/month and ORBCOMM at $25/month.
Does NAVTOR or ORBCOMM run on more platforms?
NAVTOR runs on Web. ORBCOMM runs on Satellite, Web.
What can NAVTOR do that ORBCOMM cannot?
NAVTOR covers Digital chart services, Passage planning, Compliance management, Fleet monitoring. ORBCOMM covers Satellite tracking, Container monitoring, Cold chain monitoring, Fleet telematics. Both handle Web support, Api support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

NAVTOR: What are Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs)?

ENCs are official digital charts used for maritime navigation. NAVTOR distributes ENCs from PRIMAR and IC-ENC in S-63 format and NAVTOR SENC format, covering over 15,800 official charts.

Source
ORBCOMM: What is ORBCOMM's satellite coverage?

ORBCOMM's OGx service provides nearly global coverage across over 160 countries using a constellation of low Earth orbit satellites for two-way messaging and IoT data services.

Source
NAVTOR: What is NAVTOR's PAYS pricing model?

PAYS (Pay As You Sail) charges vessels only for the chart cells they pass through during a voyage, while allowing navigators free access to any ENC for planning purposes before sailing.

Source
ORBCOMM: How does satellite IoT compare to cellular connectivity?

ORBCOMM satellite offers immunity from cellular blind spots, network outages, congestion, and weather-related disruptions. However, satellite connectivity introduces approximately 600 milliseconds of round-trip latency.

Source
NAVTOR: What is NavStation used for?

NavStation is NAVTOR's voyage planning software that integrates official ENC charts with overlays of navigational data to assist in route planning and voyage optimization.

Source
ORBCOMM: What can ORBCOMM monitor in containers?

ORBCOMM's CT 1010 device provides sensor-based monitoring for container fire detection, unauthorized access alerts, damage detection, and asset visibility, with real-time satellite-based tracking.

Source
NAVTOR: What platforms does NAVTOR serve?

NAVTOR focuses on the maritime shipping industry, serving vessel operators, fleet managers, and navigation professionals with e-Navigation solutions and digital logbooks.

Source
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