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Maritime · head to head

Q88 vs VesselFinder

Q88 logo

Q88

Maritime

Tanker vessel information platform

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: 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.; 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: Q88 covers Vessel questionnaires, VesselFinder covers Real-time tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Q88 and VesselFinder actually diverge.

Attributes where Q88 and VesselFinder differ
AttributeQ88VesselFinder
Starting price$200/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, ApiWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20012011

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 Q88

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

Q88

No use cases recorded yet. See the Q88 review.

VesselFinder

  • Tracking vessel positions and voyages from AIS datanot Q88
  • Pulling ship positions and particulars into a logistics or chartering system over an APInot 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.

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

Q88

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

VesselFinder

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Q88 if

  • You need vessel questionnaires.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want vetting support.
Q88 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 Q88 or VesselFinder better?
Neither clearly leads. Q88 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, Q88 or VesselFinder?
VesselFinder has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $200/month for Q88 and Free for VesselFinder.
Does Q88 or VesselFinder run on more platforms?
Q88 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. Q88 starts at $200/month.
What can Q88 do that VesselFinder cannot?
Q88 covers Vessel questionnaires, Vetting support, Documentation management, Compliance tracking. VesselFinder covers Real-time tracking, Vessel database, Port information, Weather overlay. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
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
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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