SHIP TRACKING HEAD-TO-HEAD
VesselFinder vs ShipFinder (2026)
VesselFinder and ShipFinder are the two value picks in ship tracking — neither asks the enterprise money that the market leader does. VesselFinder aggregates 7,000+ terrestrial AIS sources and layers satellite AIS on top, with plain dollar pricing and subscriptions that never renew automatically. ShipFinder, at shipfinder.com, is a web-only platform built around satellite + terrestrial AIS, leading with a free satellite-tracked vessel and simple $29 and $99 plans. If you want to follow ships offshore without an institutional budget, this comparison is the one that decides it.
VesselFinder is the budget play — the cheapest plans in ship tracking, honest non-renewing subscriptions and native apps. ShipFinder is the satellite play — satellite AIS from the free tier up, at two simple published prices. The first starts cheaper; the second goes offshore sooner.
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Sources listed at the bottom of this page
Quick facts
| VesselFinder | ShipFinder | |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Hosted website and apps — free tier with ads and limits | Hosted website only — freemium subscription |
| Maker | VesselFinder | ShipFinder at shipfinder.com, associated with Elane |
| Runs on | Web, plus iOS and Android apps | Any modern browser, including mobile browsers — no app download |
| Free tier | 10 ships, 1-day history, with ad interruptions | $0 plan: satellite AIS for 1 vessel, 3-day history, fleet of 10 |
| Paid tier | Basic $4/month or $12/year up to Satellite $139/month or $1,399/year | Standard $29/month or $290/year; Professional $99/month or $990/year; Enterprise contact-only |
| History | 1 day free up to 90 days on the Satellite plan | 3 days free, 7–14 days on Standard per its own pages, 6 months on Professional, 10+ years on Enterprise |
Key differences at a glance
- Notifications and alertsVesselFinder: PartialShipFinder: YesVesselFinder's fleet monitoring sits on paid plans; ShipFinder lists vessel alerts at every plan level, including arrivals, departures, zone entry/exit and speed changes
- Route prediction and ETAVesselFinder: Not verifiedShipFinder: YesShipFinder lists route prediction and ETA at every plan level; a comparable VesselFinder route-prediction feature was not confirmed in the sources checked
- Density heatmapsVesselFinder: Not verifiedShipFinder: YesShipFinder lists density heatmaps at every plan level; a comparable VesselFinder feature was not confirmed in the sources checked
- Data exportsVesselFinder: Not verifiedShipFinder: YesShipFinder lists unlimited data exports at every plan level; VesselFinder sells historical data separately and export terms were not confirmed in the sources checked
What is VesselFinder?
VesselFinder tracks ships worldwide through 7,000+ terrestrial AIS data sources, with satellite AIS layered on top for open-ocean coverage (it says 90% of satellite positions arrive within an hour). The site pairs positions with vessel photos, port data, weather overlays and a distance tool. Its plans are published in plain dollars and undercut the market leader at every tier, and its subscriptions do not renew automatically. API access and historical data are sold separately.
What is ShipFinder?
ShipFinder at shipfinder.com is a web-only satellite + terrestrial AIS platform associated with Elane. It combines land-based AIS with satellite AIS for open-ocean coverage, and pairs live positions with historical tracks and playback, port calls, route prediction and ETAs, fleet management and vessel event alerts, plus an AIS API and an Enterprise tier. There is no app to download — its Help Center says to use it in a mobile browser, with the account and data syncing to the desktop version. Its own pages publish no vessel or port count.
VesselFinder vs ShipFinder: feature comparison
Verified against official sources. “Not verified” means we couldn’t confirm it — not that it doesn’t exist.
FEATURE TALLY — FROM THE TABLE BELOW
VesselFinder
7 yes · 4 partial · 0 no · 4 not verified
ShipFinder
10 yes · 3 partial · 1 no · 1 not verified
A count of the rows in the verified table beneath — not a quality rating. The rows themselves, and what each product does best, matter more than the totals.
| Feature | VesselFinder | ShipFinder |
|---|---|---|
| Live AIS ship mapThe core of both products | Yes | Yes |
| Satellite AIS (open-ocean positions)VesselFinder: Satellite plan, unlimited ships in that plan, positions typically under 1-hour latency. ShipFinder: 1 vessel free, 5 on Standard, unlimited on Professional | Yes | Yes |
| Port data, schedules and ETAsVesselFinder offers port data without published schedule depth; ShipFinder offers route prediction and ETA for vessels plus port search and port calls | Partial | Partial |
| Historical track history and playbackVesselFinder history is 1–90 days by plan; ShipFinder runs 3 days free, 7–14 days on Standard per its own pages, 6 months on Professional and 10+ years on Enterprise | Yes | Yes |
| Fleet listsVesselFinder: 10 (free) to 2,000 (Satellite). ShipFinder: 10 (Free), 20 (Standard), 100 (Professional) | Yes | Yes |
| Vessel photos and particularsBoth pair positions with photos and vessel data such as type, IMO, MMSI, dimensions and tonnage | Yes | Yes |
| Notifications and alertsVesselFinder's fleet monitoring sits on paid plans; ShipFinder lists vessel alerts at every plan level, including arrivals, departures, zone entry/exit and speed changes | Partial | Yes |
| Route prediction and ETAShipFinder lists route prediction and ETA at every plan level; a comparable VesselFinder route-prediction feature was not confirmed in the sources checked | Not verified | Yes |
| Density heatmapsShipFinder lists density heatmaps at every plan level; a comparable VesselFinder feature was not confirmed in the sources checked | Not verified | Yes |
| Data exportsShipFinder lists unlimited data exports at every plan level; VesselFinder sells historical data separately and export terms were not confirmed in the sources checked | Not verified | Yes |
| API and data feedsVesselFinder sells its API and historical data separately from subscriptions; ShipFinder offers an AIS API with a Starter API Key giving free trial access to selected APIs for a limited period | Partial | Partial |
| Weather overlays and forecastsVesselFinder includes weather overlays on the map; no weather layer was stated on the ShipFinder pages checked | Yes | Not verified |
| Nautical chartsShipFinder lists nautical charts at every plan level; a comparable VesselFinder chart feature was not confirmed in the sources checked | Not verified | Yes |
| Free tier without payingVesselFinder's free tier is functional with ads and limits (10 ships, 1-day history); ShipFinder's free $0 plan asks you to create a free account and includes satellite AIS for 1 vessel | Partial | Partial |
| Native mobile appsVesselFinder has iOS and Android apps; ShipFinder's Help Center says to use it in a mobile browser — no app download is needed | Yes | No |
Pricing: VesselFinder vs ShipFinder
VesselFinder pricing
Free tier (10 ships, 1-day history). Basic $4/month or $12/year (20 ships, 3-day history); Premium $34/month or $179/year (500 ships, 7-day history); Satellite $139/month or $1,399/year (2,000 ships, 90-day history, satellite AIS). Prices checked against VesselFinder's subscription page in October 2026, excluding VAT; subscriptions do not renew automatically, and API access and historical data are sold separately.
ShipFinder pricing
Free $0 (satellite AIS for 1 vessel, 3-day history, fleet of 10). Standard $29/month or $290/year (5 satellite vessels, fleet of 20; history is listed as 14 days on its pricing page and 7 days in its Help Center). Professional $99/month or $990/year (unlimited satellite AIS, 6-month history, fleet of 100). Enterprise is contact-only, with 10+ years of historical vessel data. Unlimited data exports, nautical charts, route prediction and ETA, density heatmaps and vessel alerts are listed at every level.
VesselFinder: pros and cons
- Cheapest start in the category — Basic is $12 for a whole year
- Satellite plan covers an unlimited fleet in that plan, with 90-day history
- Subscriptions do not renew automatically
- Native iOS and Android apps as well as the web map
- Vessel photos, port data, weather overlays and a distance tool
- Free tier is functional but ad-supported and limited
- API and historical data are sold separately from subscriptions
- History tops out at 90 days, on the Satellite plan
- Fleet monitoring sits on paid plans, not the free tier
ShipFinder: pros and cons
- Satellite AIS even on the free $0 plan (1 vessel)
- Unlimited satellite AIS on Professional at a flat $99/month
- Exports, nautical charts, route prediction, heatmaps and alerts at every level
- Simple published pricing — $29 or $99 a month, no per-user licence
- Nothing to install: desktop and mobile in the browser
- Web only — no native iOS or Android app to download
- Its own pages conflict on Standard history (14 days vs 7 days)
- No vessel or port count is published on its official pages
- Fleet lists top out at 100 vessels on Professional
- Enterprise pricing is contact-only, not published
The verdict
Choose VesselFinder if…
Choose VesselFinder if you want the cheapest credible start — a $12-a-year Basic plan, native apps and subscriptions that never renew behind your back — and your fleet is mostly in terrestrial coverage, with one satellite plan when you need the oceans.
Choose ShipFinder if…
Choose ShipFinder if satellite coverage is the point — you want a free satellite-tracked vessel to start, unlimited satellite AIS with 6 months of history at $99/month, and a browser-only tool with no app to install.
Is VesselFinder better than ShipFinder?
VesselFinder is better for a cheap start and native apps — its Basic plan is $12 for a year and its subscriptions never renew automatically. ShipFinder is better once satellite coverage matters — satellite AIS starts free, and its Professional plan pairs unlimited satellite AIS with 6 months of history for $99/month. Casual viewers checking one ship are served by either free tier; the paid decision is really about fleet size and how much history you need.
ANOTHER OPTION
Where WorldEye fits
For casual watching, WorldEye shows live ships free on a 3D globe — no registration at all — in the same view as live flights, satellites, weather, earthquakes, wildfires and 74,229 public cameras across 105 countries. It has neither VesselFinder's satellite plans nor ShipFinder's satellite-AIS plans or fleet-management features; it's the free, everything-at-once picture. An optional Pro tier ($7.99/week, $13.99/month or $74.99/year) adds the OSINT toolkit and intel feeds.
Live on WorldEye right now
Real cameras from WorldEye's live catalogue — no account, no install. Tap any frame to open that exact camera on the globe.
Full WorldEye head-to-heads: WorldEye vs VesselFinder
VesselFinder vs ShipFinder: quick answers
Are there two different products called Ship Finder?
Yes — they are unrelated. This page is about ShipFinder at shipfinder.com, a web-based satellite + terrestrial AIS platform associated with Elane, with Free, Standard ($29/month) and Professional ($99/month) plans and no app to download. The other one is Pinkfroot's Ship Finder app at shipfinder.co — a separate consumer app sold in the Apple App Store. Prices and claims from the Pinkfroot app do not belong to shipfinder.com, and vice versa.
How much does VesselFinder cost?
Free (10 ships, 1-day history), Basic $4/month or $12/year (20 ships, 3-day history), Premium $34/month or $179/year (500 ships, 7-day history) and Satellite $139/month or $1,399/year (2,000 ships, 90-day history, satellite AIS). Prices were checked against VesselFinder's subscription page in October 2026, exclude VAT, and subscriptions do not renew automatically.
How much does ShipFinder cost?
ShipFinder at shipfinder.com is free at $0 (satellite AIS for 1 vessel, 3-day history, fleet of 10). Standard is $29/month or $290/year (5 satellite vessels, fleet of 20) and Professional is $99/month or $990/year (unlimited satellite AIS, 6-month history, fleet of 100). Enterprise is contact-only.
Which is cheaper for satellite AIS coverage?
Both sell it, but at different points in the range. VesselFinder reserves satellite AIS for its Satellite plan ($139/month or $1,399/year, unlimited fleet in that plan, 90-day history) and says 90% of satellite positions arrive within an hour. ShipFinder includes satellite AIS at every level — 1 vessel free, 5 on Standard and unlimited on Professional at $99/month.
How much history does ShipFinder really offer?
Free covers 3 days and Professional covers 6 months consistently across its pages. Standard is where its own pages conflict: the pricing page says 14 days of history, while its Help Center says 7 days — so treat Standard history as 7–14 days. Enterprise is listed with 10+ years of historical vessel data.
Is there a free ship tracker with no registration?
WorldEye shows live ship positions free on its 3D globe — no registration — together with flights, satellites, weather and 74,229 cameras. For satellite plans, playback and history, VesselFinder and ShipFinder remain the specialists.
How we researched this comparison
Every row in the table above was checked against VesselFinder’s and ShipFinder’s official sites, documentation or published pricing — the sources are listed at the bottom of this page, and the comparison was last reviewed in October 2026. Where a capability couldn’t be confirmed from an official source, it is marked “Not verified” rather than guessed.
This page is published by WorldEye, so the head-to-head above is kept deliberately neutral: each product’s strengths are stated in its own terms, and WorldEye appears only in the labelled “another option” section. WorldEye’s own figures there are counted, not estimated — 74,229 public cameras in its live directory across 105 countries, and a free map (flights, satellites, ships, weather, earthquakes, wildfires, cameras and satellite imagery) with an optional Pro tier at $7.99/week, $13.99/month or $74.99/year.
Products change. If you spot a row that has gone stale, the sources below show exactly what each claim rests on.