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Maritime · head to head

NAVTOR vs VesselFinder

NAVTOR logo

NAVTOR

Maritime

Digital navigation and maritime compliance

From
$200/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
VesselFinder logo

VesselFinder

Maritime

Free AIS vessel tracking web site

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only VesselFinder has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: NAVTOR specialized product focused only on maritime industry, not suitable for other domains; VesselFinder aPI access is billed in credits, and a satellite AIS position costs 10 credits against 1 for a terrestrial position
  • They diverge on capability: NAVTOR covers Digital chart services, VesselFinder covers Real-time tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which NAVTOR and VesselFinder actually diverge.

Attributes where NAVTOR and VesselFinder differ
AttributeNAVTORVesselFinder
Starting price$200/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Maritime), founded (2011).

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 VesselFinder

  • Real-time tracking
  • Vessel database
  • Port information
  • Weather overlay
  • API access
  • Mobile apps
  • Ios support
  • Android support

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

NAVTOR

  • Planning routes with weather integration and ENC chartsnot VesselFinder
  • Monitoring vessel emissions and UK ETS regulatory compliancenot VesselFinder
  • Replacing paper logbooks with digital navigational recordsnot VesselFinder
  • Connecting onboard systems with shore-based fleet managementnot VesselFinder

VesselFinder

  • Tracking vessel positions and voyages from AIS datanot NAVTOR
  • Pulling ship positions and particulars into a logistics or chartering system over an APInot NAVTOR

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

VesselFinder

  • API access is billed in credits, and a satellite AIS position costs 10 credits against 1 for a terrestrial position
  • Credits expire 12 months after purchase
  • Credit packs start at 330 EUR for 10,000 credits, excluding VAT
  • Tracking a vessel outside terrestrial AIS range multiplies the cost of every position tenfold, so open ocean coverage is the expensive case rather than the standard one

Pricing, plan by plan

NAVTOR

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

VesselFinder

Free
  • Basic$4.99/month
    • Ad-free
    • Extended history
    • Fleet monitoring

Which should you pick?

Choose NAVTOR if

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

Choose VesselFinder if

  • You need real-time tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want vessel database.
VesselFinder review

Questions people ask

Is NAVTOR or VesselFinder better?
Neither clearly leads. NAVTOR starts at $200/month and VesselFinder at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, NAVTOR or VesselFinder?
VesselFinder has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $200/month for NAVTOR and Free for VesselFinder.
Does NAVTOR or VesselFinder run on more platforms?
NAVTOR runs on Web. VesselFinder runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use VesselFinder for free?
Yes. VesselFinder has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. NAVTOR starts at $200/month.
What is NAVTOR best used for?
NAVTOR is most often used for planning routes with weather integration and enc charts, monitoring vessel emissions and uk ets regulatory compliance, replacing paper logbooks with digital navigational records, connecting onboard systems with shore-based fleet management. Of those, planning routes with weather integration and enc charts and monitoring vessel emissions and uk ets regulatory compliance are not what VesselFinder is typically brought in for.
What can NAVTOR do that VesselFinder cannot?
NAVTOR covers Digital chart services, Passage planning, Compliance management, Fleet monitoring. VesselFinder covers Real-time tracking, Vessel database, Port information, Weather overlay. Both handle Web 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
VesselFinder: What are the main pricing tiers for VesselFinder?

VesselFinder offers four tiers: Free (no cost), Basic (4 dollars per month), Premium (34 dollars per month), and Satellite (139 dollars per month).

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
VesselFinder: What does the Free plan include?

The Free plan provides terrestrial coverage, 1-day track history, a 10-ship fleet capacity, and 100 route planner uses.

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
VesselFinder: What tracking capabilities come with the Satellite plan?

The Satellite plan includes both satellite and terrestrial coverage, 90-day track history, 2,000-ship fleet capacity, terminal and berth data, proximity event alerts, and ETA prediction.

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
VesselFinder: Do subscriptions automatically renew?

No, subscriptions do not renew automatically. Users receive reminder notifications one week before expiration.

Source
VesselFinder: Do the listed prices include VAT?

No, the prices displayed do not include VAT. Payment options include bank transfers and credit or debit cards processed online.

Source
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