Windward

AI-powered maritime risk intelligence

As of 30 August 2026, Windward starts at $3000/month. Windward Maritime AI uses artificial intelligence to analyze vessel behavior and identify maritime risks. Softwr lists it under Maritime. Windward is launched in 2010, available on Web, API.

Visit siteVisit Windward

Overview

What Windward does

Windward Maritime AI uses artificial intelligence to analyze vessel behavior and identify maritime risks. It helps insurers, banks, and commodity traders detect sanctions violations, illegal activities, and assess risks across their maritime operations.

What people use it for

Detecting vessel spoofing using multi-sensor AIS, dark vessel signals, and satellite data
Conducting UN sanctions investigations for North Korea maritime compliance
Performing financial AML and sanctions screening for maritime transactions
Identifying drug smuggling routes in international shipping networks
Tracking port delays and causes in real-time shipping visibility

Where it falls short

Concrete and checkable, so you can decide whether any of them matter to you. This is the half of a review a vendor will not write about 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

Cross-shopped

What people choose instead of Windward

Each pairing was judged by two reviewers asking whether a buyer would genuinely weigh the two against each other. The ones that failed were deleted rather than published.

Windwardvs
MarineTraffic
MarineTraffic: Global ship tracking intelligence
Windwardvs
Kongsberg Maritime
Kongsberg Maritime: Complete maritime technology solutions
Windwardvs
ChartCo
ChartCo: Integrated maritime compliance platform
Windwardvs
Sea Machines
Sea Machines: Autonomous vessel control systems

Pricing

What Windward costs

Taken from the vendor's own pricing page. Prices move, so check before you buy.

Professional

$7,500 /mo

Behavioral analytics
Dark activity detection
API access

Capabilities

Features

AI-powered risk scoring
Sanctions compliance
Ship-to-ship detection
Dark activity alerts
Compliance systems
Integration with Compliance systems
Trading platforms
Integration with Trading platforms
Banking systems
Integration with Banking systems
Web support
Available on web
Api support
Available on api

Answered, with sources

Questions people ask

Each answer names the page it came from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.

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

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

Behind it

Who makes Windward

Company: Windward
Based in: Boulder, Colorado, USA
Founders: David Thielen

Keep looking

Where to go from Windward

Best Maritime software for

Compare Windward with

Other Maritime software

Pole Star Global
Maritime domain awareness and compliance
From $500/mo9 researched notes
ChartCo
Integrated maritime compliance platform
From $300/mo8 researched notes
Voyager Worldwide
Digital maritime solutions for navigation
From $250/mo13 researched notes
MarineTraffic
Global ship tracking intelligence
Free plan8 researched notes
Kongsberg Maritime
Complete maritime technology solutions
From $25,000/one-time12 researched notes
Sea Machines
Autonomous vessel control systems
From $50,000/one-time10 researched notes
Vortexa
Real-time seaborne energy cargo flow data sold as a subscription to a feed, not an application
Pricing on request12 researched notes
DNV Maritime
Quality assurance and risk management
9 researched notes
NAVTOR
Digital navigation and maritime compliance
From $200/mo7 researched notes
Q88
Tanker vessel information platform
From $200/mo5 researched notes
Kpler
Commodity market intelligence platform
From $2,500/mo10 researched notes
S&P Global Maritime
Maritime intelligence and analytics
8 researched notes
Spire Global Maritime
Satellite-powered maritime data and analytics
From $500/mo10 researched notes
Xeneta
Ocean and air freight rate intelligence
From $1,000/mo10 researched notes
Alphaliner
Container shipping data and analysis
From $800/mo9 researched notes
Baltic Exchange
Global shipping market benchmarks
From $500/mo8 researched notes
Bearing AI
Machine learning vessel performance models for voyage and commercial decisions, embedded in partner platforms
Pricing on request12 researched notes
DNV Navigator Port
Port clearance and ship-to-shore reporting software that assembles the documents a vessel needs before arrival
Pricing on request12 researched notes

Softwr does not host reviews and shows no star rating for Windward, because a rating we did not collect is not ours to publish. What is here is the pricing and platform detail from the vendor’s own pages, limitations we could state concretely, and alternatives a reviewer confirmed people weigh against it. Tell us if any of it is wrong.

Best Maritime software alternatives

View all Maritime software