Best Alternatives to Affinity Shipping in 2026
Affinity was founded in 2015 by former Clarksons CEO Richard Fulford-Smith on a specific conviction: that shipbroking value comes from senior human expertise and long-term relationships, not software. A decade later, under CEO Daniel Hockey, that's still the firm's core thesis — and it's a coherent one. Seavium starts from the opposite premise: that value comes from direct, structured access to vessel data. Both are reasonable answers to the same question, a decade apart.
Affinity Shipping vs Seavium at a glance
Affinity Shipping | Seavium | |
|---|---|---|
Pricing model | Commission-based brokerage; rates not publicly disclosed | Subscription-based SaaS |
Key features | Dry cargo, tanker, S&P, newbuilding, LNG, LPG, and offshore chartering desks; in-house research and market intelligence; carbon markets advisory; post-fixture operations team | Self-serve vessel search and intelligence, real-time market and pricing data, route planning with fuel cost estimation, automated alerts and workflow integrations |
Target users | Shipowners and charterers who want a senior-broker relationship, across ~150 brokers in 20 offices | Offshore, chartering, and brokerage teams who want direct access to vessel and market data |
Platform type | Broker-mediated service; data tools are internal to the research desk, not client-facing | Web-based SaaS platform |
Integrations | No public integration ecosystem | API and workflow integrations (e.g. Make.com automations) |
Support | Dedicated senior broker relationship | In-platform support, self-serve by design |
Why teams look for Affinity alternatives
Affinity's expertise-first model is a real strength, but it comes with the tradeoffs of any broker-mediated approach.
Offshore is named, not built out. Affinity lists offshore among its segments and runs an "Affinity Offshore" desk explicitly positioned on expertise rather than scale — but its documented desks and geographic footprint (Sydney, Santiago, Lima, Montevideo) center on dry cargo, grain, and ore trades, not the North Sea, Gulf of Mexico, or other core offshore basins.
Data stays internal. Affinity has integrated data-driven tools into its research function, but none of it is exposed to clients directly — it feeds the broker's advice rather than being something you query yourself.
Access runs through a person. Getting a specific answer means reaching a broker, not running a query.
Cost is hard to plan around. A commission-based model tied to transactions makes budgeting for ongoing market access harder than a flat subscription.
What Seavium does differently
Direct access instead of broker-mediated advice. Seavium's data is queryable directly, rather than being the input to someone else's recommendation.
Offshore-built, not offshore-listed. Seavium's criteria — DP class, POB, deck area, draft — are native to the platform, purpose-built for offshore vessel types.
Predictable subscription pricing instead of commission. A flat subscription is easier to plan against than fees tied to transaction size.
Economic neutrality. Seavium doesn't take a side in a fixture; a broker's compensation is tied to the deals it closes.
Affinity Shipping pricing breakdown
Affinity does not publish rates. Its commercial model is commission-based brokerage across its chartering, S&P, and newbuilding desks, consistent with its expertise-led positioning. Specific commission percentages are not publicly disclosed.
FAQ
Does Affinity Shipping have a dedicated offshore desk?
Affinity lists offshore among its segments and operates an "Affinity Offshore" desk, publicly positioned around expertise rather than scale. Its most documented geographic strength, however, is dry cargo and tanker trades rather than core offshore basins.
Does Affinity offer a self-serve data platform?
No. Affinity has integrated data-driven tools into its internal research function, but these support broker advice rather than being accessible directly to clients.
How much does Affinity Shipping cost?
Affinity does not publish pricing. Its model is commission-based, tied to individual chartering, S&P, or newbuilding transactions.
Is Seavium a replacement for a shipbroker like Affinity?
Seavium is an offshore vessel chartering software and vessel intelligence platform, not a brokerage. It gives teams direct, self-serve access to vessel and market data, complementing the relationship-based service a firm like Affinity provides.
What's the core difference between Affinity and Seavium's approach?
Affinity was built on the thesis that senior human expertise and relationships deliver the most value in shipbroking. Seavium is built on the thesis that direct, structured access to vessel data does. Both are legitimate answers to the same underlying question.
Ready to see the difference?
Book a 30-minute walkthrough and compare Seavium's live offshore vessel data against your last Affinity broker conversation.
