Comparison

Binnacle AI vs
a Spreadsheet

Alerts that fire before a cert lapses — not a tab you forget to open.

A spreadsheet is how almost every operator starts — free, flexible, familiar. But a spreadsheet does not warn you before an MMC or COI expires, can't read a credential from a photo, keeps no audit trail, and breaks the moment two people edit it at once. Binnacle keeps the simplicity and adds the parts a spreadsheet structurally can't do.

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Pricing at a glance

Binnacle AI

a Spreadsheet

Starting price

Flat fleet — contact for pricing
$0 — plus the hours to maintain it

The real cost

a few dollars a day
one missed renewal = a vessel out of service

Setup

first vessel in under 5 minutes
build and maintain the whole thing yourself

Works for a team

real-time, role-based access
breaks on concurrent edits

If a laptop dies

cloud backup, always current
hope someone kept a copy

Feature by feature

Every row we lose is marked honestly.

Feature

Binnacle AI

a Spreadsheet

What a spreadsheet can't do

Alerts before a credential or COI expires

A cell does not email you 45 days out. Binnacle does.

Read a credential from a photo (AI)

46 CFR rule logic by subchapter

Audit trail — who changed what, when

Inspection-ready reports + Insurance Package

Drill, MARPOL, and survey scheduling

Access from the boat (mobile / PWA)

A spreadsheet on a phone is painful.

Automatic cloud backup

Where a spreadsheet is genuinely fine

Free to start

Contact for pricing

Totally freeform

Binnacle is structured by design — that's the point, but it is less freeform.

Zero learning curve

Full supportPartial / limitedNot supported

Get started

Start your free 7-day trial —
no demo call required.

Set up in under 5 minutes. Add your first vessel, upload a credential, and see your compliance dashboard before the next coffee refill.

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7-day trial · Cancel anytime · US commercial fleet focus

Spreadsheets are a fine place to start — this is about what they can't do as the fleet and the compliance burden grow. Spot something off? Email us: hello@binnacleai.com.

Built for evaluation-grade trust