SchedulesMCP vs BigSchedules

BigSchedules, from CargoSmart, is a free, carrier-backed sailing-schedule search — a solid, no-cost way to look up published departures across the major lines. Where SchedulesMCP differs is what happens after the schedule: BigSchedules doesn't score carrier on-time reliability, and its programmatic access is sales-led. SchedulesMCP scores reliability from observed arrivals, ships a self-serve public API, and exposes everything over a first-party MCP for AI agents.

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SchedulesMCP vs BigSchedules, side by side

  SchedulesMCP BigSchedules (CargoSmart)
Public, self-serve pricing Yes — €49/mo, VAT invoice Not published — sales-led / enterprise
Free lane search, no signup Yes — search any lane free at /compare Yes — free schedule search
Sailing schedule coverage 60+ carriers · 72,000+ forward sailings · 5,000+ lanes · 255 ports Carrier-backed (CargoSmart) — broad ocean schedule coverage
Measured on-time reliability scoring Yes — scored per carrier and per lane —
Reliability methodology (observed vs declared) Observed berthing vs first-declared schedule, to the minute — 4,200+ port calls across 134 lanes and 42 carriers —
Vessel-first / slot-sharing aware Yes — one card per physical vessel, slot-sharing partners grouped Not published
First-party MCP / AI-agent native Yes — first-party MCP server, 12 tools —
REST API, self-serve Yes — free public endpoints + keyed API API exists, but access is sales-led
Same-data container tracking sibling Yes — TrackingMCP, same data spine Yes — CargoSmart visibility

"—" means the competitor doesn't publish or offer this, as far as we can tell from public sources; "Not published" means it may exist but isn't disclosed. We'd happily correct anything out of date.

Honest about BigSchedules

Fair to BigSchedules: free and carrier-backed is a real advantage. Being able to look up schedules across the major lines at no cost, from a platform the carriers themselves feed, is genuinely useful, and CargoSmart brings deep carrier relationships and container visibility. SchedulesMCP isn't trying to out-free a free tool on raw schedule lookups — it adds the measurement layer (which carrier actually keeps its schedule) and an agent-native, self-serve API on top. If you just need free schedule lookups, BigSchedules does that well; if you need auditable reliability and an MCP your agents can call, that's us.
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SchedulesMCP vs BigSchedules — FAQ

Does BigSchedules score carrier on-time reliability?

BigSchedules is a free, carrier-backed sailing-schedule search from CargoSmart; it doesn't publish a measured on-time reliability score. SchedulesMCP scores reliability per carrier and per lane from 4,200+ observed port calls, measured against the schedule each carrier first declared, to the minute of berthing.

Is there a self-serve API for schedules and reliability?

SchedulesMCP publishes a self-serve public REST API plus a first-party MCP server, and free lane search with no signup. BigSchedules offers free schedule search, but its programmatic access is sales-led rather than self-serve.

What does SchedulesMCP add over BigSchedules?

Measured on-time reliability, a self-serve public API, and a first-party MCP server for AI agents. BigSchedules' strength is free, carrier-backed schedule lookups, so the two suit different jobs.

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