Maritime & Shipping · head to head
Sea Machines vs StormGlass

Sea Machines
Maritime & Shipping
Autonomous vessel control systems
- From
- $50000/one-time
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only StormGlass has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Sea Machines requires hardware fitted to the vessel; the autonomy systems are retrofits or new build installations rather than a software purchase; StormGlass the free tier allows 10 API requests per day and is not licensed for commercial use
- They diverge on capability: Sea Machines covers Autonomous control, StormGlass covers Marine weather data.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Sea Machines and StormGlass actually diverge.
| Attribute | Sea Machines | StormGlass |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $50000/one-time | Free |
| Pricing model | one-time | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Embedded, Web, Mobile | Api |
| Founded | 2015 | 2017 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Maritime & Shipping).
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 Machines
- Autonomous control
- Remote operation
- Collision avoidance
- Pattern following
- Vessel systems
- Communication networks
- Shore-based control
- Embedded support
Only in StormGlass
- Marine weather data
- Wave forecasts
- Tide data
- Historical weather
- REST API
- Webhooks
- SDKs
- Api support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Sea Machines
- Intelligent voyage and transit autonomy for workboatsnot StormGlass
- Pattern autonomy for survey and repetitive route worknot StormGlass
- Collision avoidance using the AI-ris computer vision sensornot StormGlass
- Remote command and control of vessels, including in GPS denied environmentsnot StormGlass
- Fleet management and telemetry through Fleetviewer and the SMLINK APIsnot StormGlass
StormGlass
- Pulling marine weather and sea state forecasts into a vessel routing or planning toolnot Sea Machines
- Adding tide, wave and wind data to a maritime or coastal applicationnot Sea Machines
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
StormGlass
- The free tier allows 10 API requests per day and is not licensed for commercial use
- Commercial use and any support at all start at the Medium plan, 49 euros a month
- The Small plan at 19 euros a month has no support and no commercial licence
- Request allowances are daily rather than monthly, so a burst of traffic cannot borrow against a quiet week
Pricing, plan by plan
Sea Machines
$50000/one-time- SM300$75000/one-time
- Autonomous control
- Collision avoidance
- Remote operation
StormGlass
Free- Professional$149/month
- 50,000 API calls
- Historical data
- Premium support
Which should you pick?
Choose Sea Machines if
- You need autonomous control.
- You work on Embedded, Web, Mobile.
- You also want remote operation.
Choose StormGlass if
- You need marine weather data.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Api.
- You also want wave forecasts.
Questions people ask
- Is Sea Machines or StormGlass better?
- Neither clearly leads. Sea Machines starts at $50000/one-time and StormGlass at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Sea Machines or StormGlass?
- StormGlass has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $50000/one-time for Sea Machines and Free for StormGlass.
- Does Sea Machines or StormGlass run on more platforms?
- Sea Machines runs on Embedded, Web, Mobile. StormGlass runs on Api.
- Can I use StormGlass for free?
- Yes. StormGlass has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Sea Machines starts at $50000/one-time.
- What is Sea Machines best used for?
- Sea Machines is most often used for intelligent voyage and transit autonomy for workboats, pattern autonomy for survey and repetitive route work, collision avoidance using the ai-ris computer vision sensor, remote command and control of vessels, including in gps denied environments. Of those, intelligent voyage and transit autonomy for workboats and pattern autonomy for survey and repetitive route work are not what StormGlass is typically brought in for.
- What can Sea Machines do that StormGlass cannot?
- Sea Machines covers Autonomous control, Remote operation, Collision avoidance, Pattern following. StormGlass covers Marine weather data, Wave forecasts, Tide data, Historical weather.
Related pages
More on Sea Machines
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