Best Ship Chandling Software in 2026: What to Look For, and Why We Built Chandler

What does a ship chandler actually need from software?

Many chandlers still run quotes and orders on email and spreadsheets. Somebody retypes the requisition, emails suppliers for prices, copies the prices back into Excel, adds a margin and sends the quote. It works, but it is slow, and the buyer is often comparing several chandlers in the same port. If you are new to the trade, our guide to what a ship chandler does walks through a full order.

When we sat with a chandler’s team, the pain points were not where software vendors usually look. Four stood out:

• The inquiry is messy. A single order can run to hundreds of lines. Some arrive with IMPA codes, many arrive as free text, and some arrive as a photo of a handwritten list.
• Supplier prices are the real bottleneck. The quote waits on butchers, produce wholesalers and hardware suppliers who reply by phone, email or not at all.
• Margin leaks quietly. One mispriced line, a wrong exchange rate or a forgotten launch-hire charge can wipe out the profit on an order.
• The quote is only the start. The vessel’s PO changes quantities, suppliers deliver short, fresh food has to arrive early enough to be chilled or frozen, items get rejected at handover, and the invoice has to match what was actually delivered.

A lot of the software in this market is built around the first point. We think the other three are where a chandler wins or loses money.

How do you choose ship chandling software? A checklist

This is the list I would use, whichever vendor you talk to.

1. Test it on your own inquiry. Send a real, untidy requisition: a PDF with no IMPA codes, or a photo. Time how long it takes to reach a quote you would actually send.
2. Check what happens to lines it can’t read. Good software flags low-confidence lines for a person to check. Silent guessing is worse than no AI.
3. See how supplier prices get in. Ask whether suppliers can enter prices themselves, in their own currency, or whether your team still copies them from emails.
4. Look for a margin check before the quote goes out. Margin rules per item or category, and a manager’s approval, catch the expensive mistakes.
5. Follow the order past the quote. Vessel PO against quote, supplier POs, goods received, packing, delivery proof, returns, and an invoice built from delivered quantities.
6. Decide where accounting lives. If you already run NetSuite, Dynamics or SAP, an integration-first tool may suit you. If you run on spreadsheets and a small accounting package, built-in finance avoids a second project.
7. Ask how long until the first live quote, and whether you must import a full catalogue first.
8. Get the full price in writing: setup, monthly fee, user limits, AI usage limits, change requests and the minimum term.

What are the main ship chandling software options in 2026?

These are the eight tools sold to ship chandlers that we could verify. The table shows what each vendor says on its own website. “Not mentioned” means we could not find it there, not that the product lacks it.

Source: each vendor’s own website, checked 19 to 20 October 2026. Links are listed under Sources at the end.

A few things stand out. Tidal, Seaborn, Supply Logic and Breakwater all lead with AI reading of RFQs, and each publishes its own speed and accuracy figures, which nobody outside has tested. ShipCentric and Supply Logic suit chandlers who want to stay on Microsoft software, and ShipCentric is the only one that names cross-referencing between IMPA and ISSA codes. WHIZMarine is a wider logistics ERP with a chandling module. ShipServ is not on the list because it is a marketplace where buyers send RFQs, not a system for running your own orders and accounts. Most chandlers use a marketplace and their own software side by side.

For a longer, vendor-by-vendor breakdown, see our comparison of the best ship chandler software in 2026, or the head-to-head Chandler vs Tidal page.

Why did we build Chandler the way we did?

Chandler grew out of an ERP we built for a ship chandler. Most of the choices below came from watching that team work.

One order, from inquiry to invoice

We didn’t want a quoting tool that hands off to something else. In Chandler the same order runs from the vessel’s inquiry to the final invoice: the ship’s PO is checked line by line against the quote, supplier POs go out one per supplier and currency, goods are received line by line, then packed, dispatched and handed over with photos. Returns at handover, within 48 hours or within two weeks are tracked, and the invoice is built from what was delivered. That is the order processing module.

Suppliers price through a link

Chasing prices was the slowest part of the day. So each supplier gets a secure link that opens on a phone or computer, with no app and no login, and enters prices, discounts, VAT, validity and available quantity in their own currency.

AI reads the inquiry, people check it

AI reads the requisition from email text, PDF, Excel or a photo, matches each line to your own catalogue and flags lines it isn’t sure about. Margin formulas price each line, and management approves the quote before it reaches the agent. Our goal is a priced, approved quote in under two hours instead of one to two days. You can see how it works on the ship chandler quoting module page.

Accounting built in

Many smaller chandlers keep a separate accounting package, which means typing invoices twice. Chandler’s finance module for ship chandlers creates invoices and bills from the orders and covers payments, bank reconciliation, multi-currency, VAT and the usual financial reports.

No catalogue import, a public price, your own server

You don’t have to load a catalogue first. Items are added by name as inquiries arrive, and the catalogue grows with every order. Quoting goes live within one week, with order processing and finance about a month later. Each customer gets its own AWS server and a separate database, with daily backups. And we publish the price, so you know the cost before you book a demo.

Who is Chandler for, and who should look elsewhere?

Chandler suits small and mid-size chandlers, in any port, that want one system for the whole business at a known price. It fits best if you don’t have an ERP today, your suppliers price by phone and email, and you need delivery proof and returns handled properly.

It is probably not the right fit if:

• Most of your RFQs come through ShipServ or other portals and you want them pulled in automatically. Chandler works from inquiries you upload or forward and does not advertise a direct ShipServ connection. Tidal says it takes RFQs from ShipServ, ProcureShip and other portals.
• You already run NetSuite, Dynamics 365 or SAP Business One and want to keep it for orders and accounts. An integration-first tool such as Tidal is built for that.
• You want everything inside Microsoft Dynamics. Supply Logic is built on Dynamics 365 Business Central, and ShipCentric is Microsoft-based.
• You want a long track record and a big customer base. Chandler is a younger product with a smaller customer base than the established Microsoft-based ERPs.
• You don’t want a contract. Chandler has a 12-month minimum term.

Does your port change what you need from the software?

The workflow is much the same everywhere. The rules around it are not. Two examples from our port research:

• In Singapore, Singapore Customs says sea stores may not be delivered more than 24 hours before the vessel departs (ship chandlers in Singapore).
• In Fujairah, the port’s Notice to Mariners No. 148 says ship chandlers are not permitted to supply any type of medicines (ship chandlers in Fujairah).

For software, that means deadlines and special instructions have to stay visible on the order, not in someone’s inbox. In Chandler the arrival, supply and documents-ready-by dates sit in the inquiry header, and special instructions are carried through the whole order. We keep sourced port guides for ship chandlers covering Colombo, Singapore, Dubai, Fujairah, Houston and Oman.

How much does ship chandling software cost?

When we checked in October 2026, none of the seven other vendors above published a price. Tidal, for example, says pricing is “scoped to your volume and the modules you need”. Expect a sales call before you see a number.

Chandler costs US$679 a month for up to 10 users, plus US$46 a month for each extra user and a one-time setup fee of US$865. Paying yearly costs US$6,790. That includes all five modules, hosting on your own AWS server, daily backups, updates, support, AI reading of 15,000 inquiry lines a month and two hours of small changes a month. There is a 12-month minimum term, and prices rise by a fixed 5% a year. The details are on the Chandler pricing page.

Whichever system you shortlist, the best test is the same: send a real inquiry and watch it go from requisition to quote. You can book a Chandler demo on your own inquiry, or watch the two-minute video on the same page first.

Frequently asked questions

What is ship chandling software?

Ship chandling software runs a ship supplier’s orders in one system: reading the vessel’s requisition, collecting supplier prices, pricing and approving the quote, then purchase orders, goods received, delivery, returns and invoicing. Some products also include accounting.

What is the best ship chandler software in 2026?

It depends on your setup. Tidal, Seaborn, Supply Logic and Breakwater lead with AI reading of RFQs. ShipCentric and Supply Logic run on Microsoft software. Chandler runs inquiry to invoice with accounting built in and publishes its price. Test any of them on one of your own inquiries.

How much does ship chandler software cost?

Most vendors don’t publish prices and quote per customer. Chandler costs US$679 a month for up to 10 users, with a US$865 setup fee, or US$6,790 a year, on a 12-month minimum term.

Do I need IMPA codes to use ship chandler software?

No, but the software should handle them. Many requisition lines arrive as free text, so it needs to match lines with or without an IMPA code to your own catalogue.

Is ShipServ ship chandler software?

No. ShipServ is a marketplace, part of Marcura, where ship buyers send RFQs to suppliers. Chandlers use it alongside their own software for quoting, orders and accounts.

Can chandlers outside Sri Lanka use Chandler?

Yes. Chandler is cloud software for ship chandlers and ship suppliers in any port. Quotes handle multiple currencies, invoices and tax rules such as VAT are set up for your country, and onboarding is done remotely.

Sources

Vendor facts were checked on each vendor’s own site on 19 and 20 October 2026. Features, claims and prices change, so check before you decide. If you work at one of these companies and something here is out of date, email [email protected] and we will correct it.

1. Tidal
2. Seaborn Software
3. Supply Logic: products
4. ShipCentric: Dynamic Ship Chandler
5. Breakwater
6. Zeatech Ship Chandlers Systems
7. WHIZMarine (Whiztec)
8. ShipServ
9. Singapore Customs: supply of air and sea stores
10. Port of Fujairah: Notice to Mariners No. 148