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Maritime · head to head

Portcast vs ZeroNorth

Portcast logo

Portcast

Maritime

AI-powered container tracking and ETA

From
$500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ZeroNorth logo

ZeroNorth

Maritime

Voyage optimisation, bunker procurement and emissions reporting for shipping, priced per vessel per module

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Portcast pricing not published on homepage or dedicated pricing page; ZeroNorth zeroNorth reported a net loss of roughly $65m for the 2024 financial year, deepening by around 57 per cent, so a multi-year fleet commitment should include contractual protection on continuity and pricing.
  • They diverge on capability: Portcast covers Predictive ETAs, ZeroNorth covers Voyage optimisation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Portcast and ZeroNorth actually diverge.

Attributes where Portcast and ZeroNorth differ
AttributePortcastZeroNorth
Starting price$500/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWeb, ApiWeb, Cloud, iOS, Android
Founded2018Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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
  • Web support

Only in ZeroNorth

  • Voyage optimisation
  • Bunker procurement
  • Bunker price intelligence
  • Emissions compliance
  • Vessel selection
  • Agentic voyage automation

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 ZeroNorth
  • Predicted ETAs and delay forecasting for ocean freightnot ZeroNorth
  • Port congestion monitoringnot ZeroNorth
  • Auditing freight invoices automaticallynot ZeroNorth
  • Feeding predicted arrival data into a TMS or ERPnot ZeroNorth

ZeroNorth

  • A tanker operator wanting speed decisions that account for the freight market rather than optimising fuel in isolationnot Portcast
  • A bunker buyer testing supplier quotes against independent fair value pricing before fixing a stemnot Portcast
  • An owner needing EU ETS and FuelEU Maritime reporting derived from the same voyage data that drives operational decisionsnot Portcast
  • A charterer evaluating which vessel to take on a cargo based on projected voyage economics rather than on nominal specificationsnot 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

ZeroNorth

  • ZeroNorth reported a net loss of roughly $65m for the 2024 financial year, deepening by around 57 per cent, so a multi-year fleet commitment should include contractual protection on continuity and pricing.
  • The company consolidated operations during 2025, liquidating a Norwegian subsidiary, which is prudent cost control but means local presence and account continuity may not be what was originally sold.
  • Pricing is per vessel and per module, so the headline vessel figure understates the cost of an owner who wants voyage, bunker and emissions capability across a fleet.
  • Recommendation quality depends on the quality of noon reports and vessel data supplied, and an owner with poor reporting discipline will get poor optimisation regardless of the algorithms.
  • It sits between technical performance tools and chartering systems and fully replaces neither, so most owners run it alongside an existing voyage management system and pay for overlapping capability.

Pricing, plan by plan

Portcast

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

ZeroNorth

On request
  • ZeroNorth platform$undefined/year
    • Subscription per vessel and per module
    • Voyage optimisation, bunker and emissions modules priced separately
    • Multi-year agreements typical

Which should you pick?

Choose Portcast if

  • You need predictive etas.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want container tracking.
Portcast review

Choose ZeroNorth if

  • You need voyage optimisation.
  • You work on Web, Cloud, iOS, Android.
  • You also want bunker procurement.
ZeroNorth review

Questions people ask

Is Portcast or ZeroNorth better?
Neither clearly leads. Portcast starts at $500/month and ZeroNorth at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Portcast or ZeroNorth?
Portcast starts at $500/month and ZeroNorth at On request.
Does Portcast or ZeroNorth run on more platforms?
Portcast runs on Web, Api. ZeroNorth runs on Web, Cloud, iOS, Android.
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 ZeroNorth is typically brought in for.
What can Portcast do that ZeroNorth cannot?
Portcast covers Predictive ETAs, Container tracking, Exception alerts, Port congestion data. ZeroNorth covers Voyage optimisation, Bunker procurement, Bunker price intelligence, Emissions compliance.

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
ZeroNorth: How is ZeroNorth priced?

Per vessel and per module on subscription, typically multi-year and quoted. Nothing is published.

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
ZeroNorth: Is ZeroNorth financially stable?

It is well funded, raising $20m in February 2025, but reported a net loss of roughly $65m for 2024. Treat continuity terms as a contractual issue.

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
ZeroNorth: Does it replace my voyage management system?

No. It complements commercial voyage management platforms; most owners run both and accept some overlap.

ZeroNorth: Does it need onboard hardware?

No. It works from noon reports, AIS and existing vessel data feeds rather than requiring its own collection box.

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