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Maritime · head to head

Q88 vs Sea Machines

Q88 logo

Q88

Maritime

Tanker vessel information platform

From
$200/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sea Machines logo

Sea Machines

Maritime

Autonomous vessel control systems

From
$50000/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Q88 the Internet Archive's capture of Q88 LLC's corporate homepage on 19 February 2016 stated Q88.com had 75% of the world-wide tanker industry onboard and served over 1,000 clients across four named products (Q88.com, Q88Dry.com, Milbros.com, Q88VMS.com), with no price figure published for any; this is a 2016 capture and figures are dated.; Sea Machines requires hardware fitted to the vessel; the autonomy systems are retrofits or new build installations rather than a software purchase
  • They diverge on capability: Q88 covers Vessel questionnaires, Sea Machines covers Autonomous control.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Q88 and Sea Machines actually diverge.

Attributes where Q88 and Sea Machines differ
AttributeQ88Sea Machines
Starting price$200/month$50000/one-time
Pricing modelsubscriptionone-time
PlatformsWeb, ApiEmbedded, Web, Mobile
Founded20012015

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 Q88

  • Vessel questionnaires
  • Vetting support
  • Documentation management
  • Compliance tracking
  • Oil major systems
  • Chartering platforms
  • Fleet management
  • Api support

Only in Sea Machines

  • Autonomous control
  • Remote operation
  • Collision avoidance
  • Pattern following
  • Vessel systems
  • Communication networks
  • Shore-based control
  • Embedded support

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Q88

No use cases recorded yet. See the Q88 review.

Sea Machines

  • Intelligent voyage and transit autonomy for workboatsnot Q88
  • Pattern autonomy for survey and repetitive route worknot Q88
  • Collision avoidance using the AI-ris computer vision sensornot Q88
  • Remote command and control of vessels, including in GPS denied environmentsnot Q88
  • Fleet management and telemetry through Fleetviewer and the SMLINK APIsnot Q88

Where each one falls short

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

Q88

  • The Internet Archive's capture of Q88 LLC's corporate homepage on 19 February 2016 stated Q88.com had 75% of the world-wide tanker industry onboard and served over 1,000 clients across four named products (Q88.com, Q88Dry.com, Milbros.com, Q88VMS.com), with no price figure published for any; this is a 2016 capture and figures are dated.

Sea Machines

  • Requires hardware fitted to the vessel; the autonomy systems are retrofits or new build installations rather than a software purchase
  • Targeted at vessels from 10 to 300 ft, so it does not address the largest commercial tonnage
  • Pricing is not published and is arranged directly with the vendor
  • The SM300-NG is the class-approved unit, so the cheaper SM300-SP does not carry the same approval

Pricing, plan by plan

Q88

$200/month
  • Vessel Manager$500/month
    • Q88 questionnaires
    • Vessel profiles
    • Documentation

Sea Machines

$50000/one-time
  • SM300$75000/one-time
    • Autonomous control
    • Collision avoidance
    • Remote operation

Which should you pick?

Choose Q88 if

  • You need vessel questionnaires.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want vetting support.
Q88 review

Choose Sea Machines if

  • You need autonomous control.
  • You work on Embedded, Web, Mobile.
  • You also want remote operation.
Sea Machines review

Questions people ask

Is Q88 or Sea Machines better?
Neither clearly leads. Q88 starts at $200/month and Sea Machines at $50000/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Q88 or Sea Machines?
Q88 starts at $200/month and Sea Machines at $50000/one-time.
Does Q88 or Sea Machines run on more platforms?
Q88 runs on Web, Api. Sea Machines runs on Embedded, Web, Mobile.
What can Q88 do that Sea Machines cannot?
Q88 covers Vessel questionnaires, Vetting support, Documentation management, Compliance tracking. Sea Machines covers Autonomous control, Remote operation, Collision avoidance, Pattern following. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Sea Machines: How much does Sea Machines cost?

Pricing is not published. Sea Machines requires customers to contact their sales team directly through the Contact Us link on their website for pricing quotes tailored to specific products and use cases.

Source
Sea Machines: What is the pricing model for Sea Machines products?

Sea Machines offers autonomy systems and software solutions for maritime vessels. Pricing is determined on a per-product basis through direct sales consultation rather than published subscription tiers.

Source
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