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Maritime · head to head

Portcast vs VesselFinder

Portcast logo

Portcast

Maritime

AI-powered container tracking and ETA

From
$500/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: Portcast pricing not published on homepage or dedicated pricing page; 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: Portcast covers Predictive ETAs, VesselFinder covers Real-time tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Portcast and VesselFinder actually diverge.

Attributes where Portcast and VesselFinder differ
AttributePortcastVesselFinder
Starting price$500/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, ApiWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20182011

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 Portcast

  • Predictive ETAs
  • Container tracking
  • Exception alerts
  • Port congestion data
  • TMS platforms
  • ERP systems
  • Shipping lines
  • Api 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.

Portcast

  • Real-time container and air cargo tracking across carriersnot VesselFinder
  • Predicted ETAs and delay forecasting for ocean freightnot VesselFinder
  • Port congestion monitoringnot VesselFinder
  • Auditing freight invoices automaticallynot VesselFinder
  • Feeding predicted arrival data into a TMS or ERPnot VesselFinder

VesselFinder

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

Where each one falls short

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

Portcast

  • Pricing not published on homepage or dedicated pricing page
  • No free tier or trial information disclosed
  • Features and billing model not detailed publicly

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

Portcast

$500/month
  • Professional$1500/month
    • AI-powered ETAs
    • Container tracking
    • Analytics

VesselFinder

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Portcast if

  • You need predictive etas.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want container tracking.
Portcast 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 Portcast or VesselFinder better?
Neither clearly leads. Portcast starts at $500/month and VesselFinder at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Portcast or VesselFinder?
VesselFinder has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $500/month for Portcast and Free for VesselFinder.
Does Portcast or VesselFinder run on more platforms?
Portcast runs on Web, Api. 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. Portcast starts at $500/month.
What is Portcast best used for?
Portcast is most often used for real-time container and air cargo tracking across carriers, predicted etas and delay forecasting for ocean freight, port congestion monitoring, auditing freight invoices automatically. Of those, real-time container and air cargo tracking across carriers and predicted etas and delay forecasting for ocean freight are not what VesselFinder is typically brought in for.
What can Portcast do that VesselFinder cannot?
Portcast covers Predictive ETAs, Container tracking, Exception alerts, Port congestion data. VesselFinder covers Real-time tracking, Vessel database, Port information, Weather overlay. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Portcast: Where can I find Portcast pricing?

Portcast does not display pricing information on their website. They direct inquiries to Book a demo or Get in Touch options on their homepage for pricing and plan details. Source: https://www.portcast.io

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
Portcast: Does Portcast offer a free trial or demo?

Portcast emphasizes booking a demo as the primary way to learn about features and pricing. No free tier details are described on their homepage. Source: https://www.portcast.io

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
Portcast: Is Portcast supply chain visibility software priced per user or by usage?

Portcast does not disclose their pricing model publicly. Contact their sales team through their website's demo booking or contact form to discuss per-user, usage-based, or other billing options. Source: https://www.portcast.io

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
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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