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Maritime · head to head

VesselFinder vs Zoom Earth

VesselFinder logo

VesselFinder

Maritime

Free AIS vessel tracking web site

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zoom Earth logo

Zoom Earth

Weather

Free browser-based satellite weather and storm tracking, no account or install

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: VesselFinder aPI access is billed in credits, and a satellite AIS position costs 10 credits against 1 for a terrestrial position; Zoom Earth there are no push notifications or alerts, so it cannot warn you proactively the way a mobile weather app can.
  • They diverge on capability: VesselFinder covers Real-time tracking, Zoom Earth covers Global satellite view.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which VesselFinder and Zoom Earth actually diverge.

Attributes where VesselFinder and Zoom Earth differ
AttributeVesselFinderZoom Earth
Pricing modelfreemiumFree, no account required
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb
CategoryMaritimeWeather
Founded2011Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 VesselFinder

  • Real-time tracking
  • Vessel database
  • Port information
  • Weather overlay
  • API access
  • Mobile apps
  • Web support
  • Ios support

Only in Zoom Earth

  • Global satellite view
  • Storm tracking
  • MODIS high resolution
  • Historical imagery
  • Precipitation radar overlay
  • No install required

What people use each for

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

VesselFinder

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

Zoom Earth

  • Watching a hurricane or typhoon track develop without installing an appnot VesselFinder
  • A quick global satellite check before deciding whether a local forecast app is worth openingnot VesselFinder
  • Journalists or researchers needing a citable, no-login satellite view of a weather eventnot VesselFinder
  • Comparing current satellite imagery against archived imagery from years earlier for the same regionnot VesselFinder

Where each one falls short

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

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

Zoom Earth

  • There are no push notifications or alerts, so it cannot warn you proactively the way a mobile weather app can.
  • It has no offline mode, so it is unusable without an internet connection, unlike apps that cache forecasts.
  • Forecasting is minimal; it shows what the satellites and radar currently see rather than a detailed hyperlocal forecast.
  • Being free and unaccountable to a paying customer base, there is no committed support channel if the site or a data feed goes down.
  • The browser-only interface is less convenient for quick daily checks than a home-screen app icon with widgets.

Pricing, plan by plan

VesselFinder

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

Zoom Earth

Free
  • Zoom EarthFree
    • Full satellite and storm tracking access
    • No account, no ads-gated tier
    • No offline mode or push alerts

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Zoom Earth if

  • You need global satellite view.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want storm tracking.
Zoom Earth review

Questions people ask

Is VesselFinder or Zoom Earth better?
Neither clearly leads. VesselFinder starts at Free and Zoom Earth at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, VesselFinder or Zoom Earth?
VesselFinder starts at Free and Zoom Earth at Free.
Does VesselFinder or Zoom Earth run on more platforms?
VesselFinder runs on Web, Ios, Android. Zoom Earth runs on Web.
Can I use VesselFinder for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is VesselFinder best used for?
VesselFinder is most often used for tracking vessel positions and voyages from ais data, pulling ship positions and particulars into a logistics or chartering system over an api. Of those, tracking vessel positions and voyages from ais data and pulling ship positions and particulars into a logistics or chartering system over an api are not what Zoom Earth is typically brought in for.
What can VesselFinder do that Zoom Earth cannot?
VesselFinder covers Real-time tracking, Vessel database, Port information, Weather overlay. Zoom Earth covers Global satellite view, Storm tracking, MODIS high resolution, Historical imagery.

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
Zoom Earth: Do I need to create an account?

No. Zoom Earth works without registration or login.

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
Zoom Earth: Is there a mobile app?

No, it is a responsive website that works in mobile browsers rather than a native app.

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
Zoom Earth: How current is the imagery?

Geostationary imagery updates roughly every 10 to 15 minutes; higher-resolution MODIS imagery updates about twice a day.

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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