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Maritime · head to head

Sea-Intelligence vs VesselFinder

Sea-Intelligence logo

Sea-Intelligence

Maritime

Container shipping market analysis

From
$300/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: Sea-Intelligence no pricing information published on website; 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: Sea-Intelligence covers Schedule reliability tracking, VesselFinder covers Real-time tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Sea-Intelligence and VesselFinder actually diverge.

Attributes where Sea-Intelligence and VesselFinder differ
AttributeSea-IntelligenceVesselFinder
Starting price$300/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20102011

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 Sea-Intelligence

  • Schedule reliability tracking
  • Market analysis
  • Capacity reports
  • Benchmarking
  • Data exports
  • Reports

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.

Sea-Intelligence

  • Forecasting freight rates and capacity across 19 major container trade lanesnot VesselFinder
  • Benchmarking carrier schedule reliability against 12,000+ monthly vessel arrivalsnot VesselFinder
  • Monitoring macro-economics and supply-demand shifts weekly for decision-makingnot VesselFinder
  • Planning logistics operations based on actual vessel deployment schedulesnot VesselFinder
  • Tracking transit times and performance metrics across container shipping industrynot VesselFinder

VesselFinder

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

Where each one falls short

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

Sea-Intelligence

  • No pricing information published on website
  • Requires direct contact with company for subscription details
  • Specific report subscription model not publicly described

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

Sea-Intelligence

$300/month
  • Sunday Spotlight$600/month
    • Weekly analysis
    • Schedule data
    • Benchmarking

VesselFinder

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Sea-Intelligence if

  • You need schedule reliability tracking.
  • You also want market analysis.
Sea-Intelligence 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 Sea-Intelligence or VesselFinder better?
Neither clearly leads. Sea-Intelligence starts at $300/month and VesselFinder at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Sea-Intelligence or VesselFinder?
VesselFinder has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $300/month for Sea-Intelligence and Free for VesselFinder.
Does Sea-Intelligence or VesselFinder run on more platforms?
Sea-Intelligence runs on Web. 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. Sea-Intelligence starts at $300/month.
What is Sea-Intelligence best used for?
Sea-Intelligence is most often used for forecasting freight rates and capacity across 19 major container trade lanes, benchmarking carrier schedule reliability against 12,000+ monthly vessel arrivals, monitoring macro-economics and supply-demand shifts weekly for decision-making, planning logistics operations based on actual vessel deployment schedules. Of those, forecasting freight rates and capacity across 19 major container trade lanes and benchmarking carrier schedule reliability against 12,000+ monthly vessel arrivals are not what VesselFinder is typically brought in for.
What can Sea-Intelligence do that VesselFinder cannot?
Sea-Intelligence covers Schedule reliability tracking, Market analysis, Capacity reports, Benchmarking. VesselFinder covers Real-time tracking, Vessel database, Port information, Weather overlay. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Sea-Intelligence: How much do Sea-Intelligence reports cost?

Sea-Intelligence does not publish pricing for its reports on its website. Customers must contact the company directly to obtain subscription pricing and availability.

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
Sea-Intelligence: What is Sea-Intelligence's pricing model?

Sea-Intelligence appears to use a custom subscription model for its analytical reports (Global Liner Performance, Sea-Intelligence Sunday Spotlight, Trade Capacity Outlook). Specific pricing requires direct contact.

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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