MarineTraffic API
MarineTraffic is a global vessel tracking platform founded in 2007 and headquartered in Greece.
Publisher review
MarineTraffic is a global vessel tracking platform founded in 2007 and headquartered in Greece. It combines the world’s largest terrestrial and satellite AIS network to provide real-time vessel positions, historical track data (archive since 2010, API lookback of 190 days), and vessel particulars. The service is designed for maritime professionals—fleet operators, port authorities, logistics firms, and developers—who need reliable, low-latency maritime data. With over 6 million monthly visitors, it is the most established brand in the industry, but its pricing and feature access have become more restrictive since its acquisition by Kpler in March 2023, pushing many users toward self-serve alternatives.
The platform offers a layered product set: a free plan with limited features, a Basic Web Plan at $10/month, a Standard plan at ~$21/month, a Professional plan at ~$75/month, and a VIP Account at $30/year. For API access, MarineTraffic now uses Basic, Essential, and Enterprise tiers (it removed its credit system in January 2025). The Essential plan costs $100/month and covers one vessel with 7-day historical data and 300 notifications monthly; the Enterprise tier requires contacting sales and offers unlimited vessels, 5-year historical playback, and 10,000 records monthly. Satellite AIS tracking typically incurs additional per-vessel or fleet costs, and add-ons like nautical charts ($6.99/month), weather maps ($8.99/month), and advanced density maps ($1.99/month) are billed separately. The company guarantees a 99.9% uptime SLA for Enterprise customers.
MarineTraffic’s primary competitors include Data Docked and VesselFinder. Data Docked, a developer-focused API, offers credit-based pricing starting at 80 EUR/month with self-serve signup and includes PSC inspection data from all 9 MOUs plus USCG—data that MarineTraffic does not provide. VesselFinder is another direct alternative for real-time AIS tracking. MarineTraffic’s key differentiators are its enormous AIS network scale, low latency (average ~5 seconds per Kpler), and the breadth of its maritime data, but its enterprise-only signup process and opaque pricing for the top tier put it at a disadvantage against more transparent, self-serve competitors.
The honest trade-offs: MarineTraffic’s costs can escalate quickly—satellite tracking, analytics, and vessel count are all separate line items, leading to bills that can exceed $900/year for moderate use. Many free features have been moved behind paywalls, frustrating long-time users. The Enterprise plan requires contacting sales, with no public pricing, and some users report service terminations or price hikes after the Kpler acquisition. For teams that need straightforward, predictable billing and instant API access, MarineTraffic may be overkill; for those who need the most comprehensive global AIS coverage and are willing to negotiate enterprise terms, it remains the industry benchmark.
How it works
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Real-time vessel positions
Provides live AIS data from terrestrial and satellite receivers, updated every few seconds with vessel identity, location, speed, and course.
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Satellite AIS coverage
Extends tracking to open ocean where terrestrial receivers are unavailable, though satellite data typically incurs additional per-vessel fees.
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Historical track data
Offers playback of vessel movements for up to 5 years on Enterprise plans; API lookback limited to 190 days on lower tiers.
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Vessel particulars
Returns static details such as IMO number, MMSI, dimensions, flag, and year built for over 800,000 vessels in the database.
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PSC inspection records
Includes port state control data from all 9 MOUs plus USCG, covering detention history, deficiencies, and safety compliance.
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Uptime SLA (99.9%)
Guarantees 99.9% service availability for Enterprise customers, with lower tiers relying on best-effort uptime.
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Credit-based pricing (from 80 EUR/month)
Data Docked competitor offers credits starting at 80 EUR/month; MarineTraffic itself removed credits in Jan 2025 and now uses tiered plans.
Strengths and trade-offs
Strengths
- Operates the world's largest combined terrestrial and satellite AIS network, covering more than 800,000 vessels globally.
- Delivers low-latency data with an average update time of approximately 5 seconds, as measured by Kpler.
- Attracts over 6 million monthly visitors, making it the most widely recognized maritime tracking platform.
- Offers historical vessel track archives dating back to 2010, with up to 5 years of playback on Enterprise plans.
Trade-offs
- The Enterprise plan requires contacting sales for pricing and access, with no self-serve signup or public rate card.
- Satellite AIS tracking is billed separately per vessel or fleet, adding unpredictable costs on top of the base subscription.
- Many features that were previously free are now locked behind paid plans, frustrating long-time users.
- Costs accumulate quickly because satellite, analytics, vessel count, and add-ons are all billed independently, potentially exceeding $900/year.
Pricing context
Free plan available; Basic Web Plan $10/month; Standard ~$21/month; Professional ~$75/month; VIP Account $30/year; Essential API plan $100/month (1 vessel, 7-day history); Enterprise plan requires contacting sales (unlimited vessels, 5-year history).
Getting started with MarineTraffic API
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Sign up for an account
Go to the MarineTraffic website and click the Sign Up button. Provide your email address, create a password, and select the free plan or a paid tier that fits your needs. Verify your email to activate the account.
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Get your API key
Log in to your MarineTraffic account and navigate to the API section in your dashboard. Generate a new API key for your application. Copy the key and store it securely, as you will need it for all API requests.
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Choose your API plan
Review the available API plans: Basic (free, limited), Essential ($100/month for one vessel), or Enterprise (contact sales for unlimited vessels). Select the plan that matches your data needs and budget, then activate it in your account settings.
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Make your first API call
Use your API key to send a GET request to the MarineTraffic endpoint for vessel positions, such as https://services.marinetraffic.com/api/vessels/VESSEL_ID/YOUR_API_KEY. Parse the JSON response to retrieve real-time location, speed, and course data for a specific vessel.
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Set up recurring data pulls
Schedule a cron job or use a task scheduler to call the MarineTraffic API at regular intervals (e.g., every 5 minutes) to collect continuous vessel tracking data. Store the results in a database for analysis or display on your dashboard.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MarineTraffic API and what does it do?
MarineTraffic API provides real-time vessel positions, historical track data, and vessel particulars using the world's largest terrestrial and satellite AIS network. It is designed for maritime professionals needing low-latency data, with updates every few seconds.
How much does the MarineTraffic API cost in 2025?
MarineTraffic API uses Basic, Essential, and Enterprise tiers after removing its credit system in January 2025. The Essential plan costs $100 per month for one vessel and 7-day history. Enterprise requires contacting sales for pricing.
Does MarineTraffic API offer historical vessel track data?
Yes, MarineTraffic API provides historical track data with a lookback of 190 days on lower tiers. Enterprise plans offer up to 5 years of historical playback, and archives date back to 2010.
What are the main alternatives to MarineTraffic API?
Main alternatives include Data Docked, which offers credit-based pricing starting at 80 EUR per month with PSC inspection data, and VesselFinder for real-time AIS tracking. Data Docked provides self-serve signup and transparent pricing.
Is there a free plan for the MarineTraffic API?
MarineTraffic offers a free plan with limited features, but many previously free features are now behind paywalls. The free plan provides basic access, while paid plans like Essential at $100 per month unlock more data.
What are the hidden costs of using MarineTraffic API?
Satellite AIS tracking is billed separately per vessel or fleet, and add-ons like nautical charts cost extra. Costs can exceed $900 per year for moderate use, as vessel count and analytics are independent line items.
Alternatives
How MarineTraffic API compares
Direct head-to-head against 3 competitors. Picked by 7wData.
MarineTraffic API
- Pricing
- Free plan available; Basic Web Plan $10/month; Standard ~$21/month; Professional ~$75/month; VIP Account $30/year; Essential API plan $100/month (1 vessel, 7-day history); Enterprise plan requires contacting sales (unlimited vessels, 5-year history).
- Target
- MarineTraffic is a global vessel tracking platform founded in 2007 and headquartered in Greece.
- Strength
- Operates the world's largest combined terrestrial and satellite AIS network, covering more than 800,000 vessels globally.
- Watch for
- The Enterprise plan requires contacting sales for pricing and access, with no self-serve signup or public rate card.
VesselFinder
- Pricing
- Credit-based from €330/10k credits
- Target
- Mid-market maritime tracking
- Deployment
- API with wrappers
- Strength
- Historical AIS archive since 2009
- Watch for
- No self-serve pricing above 50k credits
Data Docked
- Pricing
- Credit-based from 80 EUR/month
- Target
- Developer-focused maritime tracking
- Deployment
- Self-serve API
- Strength
- Includes PSC inspection records
- Watch for
- Limited 2-year historical data
Datalastic
- Pricing
- 199€/month for 20k credits
- Target
- High-volume fleet tracking
- Deployment
- API with usage tracker
- Strength
- Unlimited plan at 679€/month
- Watch for
- Complex credit calculations
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Sources
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