Softwr

Maritime · head to head

Q88 vs Windward

Q88 logo

Q88

Maritime

Tanker vessel information platform

From
$200/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Windward logo

Windward

Maritime

AI-powered maritime risk intelligence

From
$3000/month
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.; Windward requires embedded expert analysts for actionable intelligence; cannot operate fully autonomously
  • They diverge on capability: Q88 covers Vessel questionnaires, Windward covers AI-powered risk scoring.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Q88 and Windward actually diverge.

Attributes where Q88 and Windward differ
AttributeQ88Windward
Starting price$200/month$3000/month
Founded20011996

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Web, Api), 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

Only in Windward

  • AI-powered risk scoring
  • Sanctions compliance
  • Ship-to-ship detection
  • Dark activity alerts
  • Compliance systems
  • Trading platforms
  • Banking systems

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Api 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.

Windward

  • Detecting vessel spoofing using multi-sensor AIS, dark vessel signals, and satellite datanot Q88
  • Conducting UN sanctions investigations for North Korea maritime compliancenot Q88
  • Performing financial AML and sanctions screening for maritime transactionsnot Q88
  • Identifying drug smuggling routes in international shipping networksnot Q88
  • Tracking port delays and causes in real-time shipping visibilitynot 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.

Windward

  • Requires embedded expert analysts for actionable intelligence; cannot operate fully autonomously
  • Platform focuses on specific maritime regions (Strait of Hormuz, Somali piracy zones); may not provide equally robust global coverage
  • Classified as unclassified and shareable, limiting penetration into highly classified defense operations
  • API-dependent architecture (GraphQL-based) may create integration complexity for some organizations
  • Multi-source data integration can be resource-intensive for organizations lacking dedicated intelligence staff

Pricing, plan by plan

Q88

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

Windward

$3000/month
  • Professional$7500/month
    • Behavioral analytics
    • Dark activity detection
    • API access

Which should you pick?

Choose Q88 if

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

Choose Windward if

  • You need ai-powered risk scoring.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want sanctions compliance.
Windward review

Questions people ask

Is Q88 or Windward better?
Neither clearly leads. Q88 starts at $200/month and Windward at $3000/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Q88 or Windward?
Q88 starts at $200/month and Windward at $3000/month.
Does Q88 or Windward run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What can Q88 do that Windward cannot?
Q88 covers Vessel questionnaires, Vetting support, Documentation management, Compliance tracking. Windward covers AI-powered risk scoring, Sanctions compliance, Ship-to-ship detection, Dark activity alerts. Both handle Web support, Api support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Windward: Does Windward provide autonomous intelligence or does it require human analysts?

Windward requires expert analysts to embed directly in your mission to deliver intelligence-ready products. The platform supports analyst workflows but cannot operate fully autonomously.

Source
Windward: What data sources does Windward use beyond AIS?

Windward integrates multiple data sources including AIS, dark vessel signals, Earth Observation (EO), Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), and RF signals to provide multi-sensor maritime intelligence where AIS alone is insufficient.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Q88

More on Windward

Keep looking

Other head to heads