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Maritime · head to head

S&P Global Maritime vs VesselFinder

S&P Global Maritime logo

S&P Global Maritime

Maritime

Maritime intelligence and analytics

From
On request
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: S&P Global Maritime pricing is not publicly disclosed, requiring direct contact with S&P Global for quotes; 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: S&P Global Maritime covers Ship valuations, VesselFinder covers Real-time tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which S&P Global Maritime and VesselFinder actually diverge.

Attributes where S&P Global Maritime and VesselFinder differ
AttributeS&P Global MaritimeVesselFinder
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, DesktopWeb, Ios, Android
Founded18602011

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 S&P Global Maritime

  • Ship valuations
  • Company intelligence
  • Market analytics
  • API
  • Excel add-in
  • Data feeds
  • Api support

Only in VesselFinder

  • Real-time tracking
  • Port information
  • Weather overlay
  • API access
  • Mobile apps
  • Ios support
  • Android support

Both cover

  • Vessel database
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

S&P Global Maritime

No use cases recorded yet. See the S&P Global Maritime review.

VesselFinder

  • Tracking vessel positions and voyages from AIS datanot S&P Global Maritime
  • Pulling ship positions and particulars into a logistics or chartering system over an APInot S&P Global Maritime

Where each one falls short

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

S&P Global Maritime

  • Pricing is not publicly disclosed, requiring direct contact with S&P Global for quotes
  • Subscription model can be costly for small to medium-sized shipping operations

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

S&P Global Maritime

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the S&P Global Maritime review.

VesselFinder

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

Which should you pick?

Choose S&P Global Maritime if

  • You need ship valuations.
  • You work on Web, Desktop.
  • You also want company intelligence.
S&P Global Maritime review

Choose VesselFinder if

  • You need real-time tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want port information.
VesselFinder review

Questions people ask

Is S&P Global Maritime or VesselFinder better?
Neither clearly leads. S&P Global Maritime starts at On request and VesselFinder at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, S&P Global Maritime or VesselFinder?
VesselFinder has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for S&P Global Maritime and Free for VesselFinder.
Does S&P Global Maritime or VesselFinder run on more platforms?
S&P Global Maritime runs on Web, Desktop. 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. S&P Global Maritime starts at On request.
What can S&P Global Maritime do that VesselFinder cannot?
S&P Global Maritime covers Ship valuations, Company intelligence, Market analytics, API. VesselFinder covers Real-time tracking, Port information, Weather overlay, API access. Both handle Vessel database, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

S&P Global Maritime: What data does S&P Global Maritime Sea-web provide?

Sea-web is a comprehensive maritime reference database with over 600 data fields on more than 220,000 ships of 100 GT and above, including information on ships, companies, builders, ports, movements, fixtures, casualties, performance, and security.

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
S&P Global Maritime: Does S&P Global Maritime track shipping rates?

Yes, S&P Global provides over 765 meticulously assessed freight rate assessments across containers, tankers, dry freight, dry bulk, and marine fuels with real-time and historical data.

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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